SEAD Guy
I was a SEAD guy in a mixed four-ship package. The two leads flew with JDAMs, and the wingmen had HARMs. We were tasked to support a B-1 package going to downtown Baghdad. They ingressed at medium altitude and were engaged by an SA-2. I protected those guys with my HARMs, they put iron on target, and no aircraft were hit.
     — Capt. Taj Troy

Manned Reconnaissance
The U-2 can carry many types of data-gathering equipment at once. We carry image-type collection in the form of an advanced synthetic aperture radar, radar imaging, and electro-optical sensors. We also have other types of signal sensors. We can carry two or three different types of sensors, whereas our unmanned reconnaissance air vehicles can only carry one thing at a time. In that respect, my single flight can equal at least three unmanned flights. A pilot does offer some advantages. We can, for example, often troubleshoot and fix a sensor that is not working. If a sensor is not working on an unmanned platform, you have to bring it back.
     — Maj. Jeff Olesen

Nothing To Do
We worked two twelve-hour shifts. The workday was particularly long for the night shift since all of the launches and most of the recoveries happened at night. The goal of the night shift was to leave the day shift with nothing to do.
     — SMSgt. Russ Withrow

Summer Breeze
We got off the bus in a fifty-five-mile-per-hour wind at Tabuk. The bus driver reaffirmed that it was indeed my tent scattered on the ground.
     — MSgt. Donnie Porter

Heavyweights
We carry enough stuff in a rucksack to last for three days. If someone weighed 200 pounds normally, he would weigh 350 coming off the aircraft. We have to carry communications gear, NVGs, spare ammo, food, and water.
     — TSgt. Joel Byrd

Maintenance Kudos
Our maintenance guys did an outstanding job keeping the aircraft going. The conditions are not conducive to aircraft operations, with the desert heat and all the sand that gets kicked up. The maintenance guys worked on the ramp in 100-plus-degree heat. They did a real good job holding up in those conditions.
     — Maj. Dan Wilson

No CNN
We didn't have CNN. The people at home saw more of the war. We were practically next to it, but had no idea of what was going on. We eventually received briefs from the intel folks, but they gave us information that was two or three days old.
     — MSgt. Donnie Porter