Frequent Flyers
Secretary [Donald] Rumsfeld wanted a rugged, reliable platform. We have the communications gear and equipment to fly in weather. We have our own navaids. We have added a lot of self-protection with the ECM system. We managed to take the secretary of defense several places on a couple of trips. He stayed on the flight deck for most of the mission. We also flew Gen. Tommy Franks.
     — Maj. Kevin Nicholson

On Time
We didn't miss a sortie and we were always on time.
     — MSgt. Lamar Cutchins

100 Percent
We accomplished 100 percent of our taskings and we didn't get shot down. We had no fatalities. That is an accomplishment.
     — Maj. Bruce Taylor

Raining Mud
We had what we brought and we brought everything we thought we would need. We even took saws. We were really like a CE unit. We built a facility in a hardened shelter and built a break room. We took a lot of plywood. The whole time there, we made a list of what we will need the next time. Pressure washers are one thing. We had to thoroughly clean the equipment before it could come back to the United States. So, we had some pressure washers shipped to us while we were there. We would wash them and it would rain mud off them there was so much dust.
     — SMSgt. Russ Withrow

Waving Flags
I'll never forget images of Iraqi people waving American flags in the streets of Baghdad and other cities. Knowing that I was there and contributing to their liberation was very rewarding.
     — Maj. Mark Lantz

A Different Kind Of Brinks Truck
We hauled just about everything in and out as well. One mission out of Baghdad, we carried $44 million in cash that had been confiscated in one of Saddam's palaces. One night, we picked up 20,000 pounds of gold bullion.
     — MSgt. Trevor Williams

Mission Capable
The aircraft were in very hostile conditions. The sand would blow so hard that we couldn't see five feet. We worried where all that sand was going. After an aircraft landed, we saw where all that sand was going—everywhere. Despite that, we had a ninety-six to ninety-seven percen t fully mission capable rate.
     — Maj. John Church

Proof
We flew seventy-five percent of our annual flying program in ninety days. We had a ninety-three percent flying-effectiveness rate, and those statistics are for combat sorties. We were really challenged to launch sorties. That level of performance says a lot about our young people, our maintainers, and it is proof the F-16 is an all-weather fighter.
     — CMSgt. Bruce Voigt