Repost: Intruder Down

[Matt Wiser]

A Combat SAR mission in the KTO:

Intruder Down: The Story of COMBAT 14

(Originally Published in The Hook: The Journal of Carrier Aviation, Spring 2011)

The only Marine A-6 squadron in the GTO (Gulf Theater of Operations) in the Third World War was VMA(AW)-121, from MCAS El Toro, California. The squadron had just finished a CAX rotation to the Marine Air-Ground Combat Center at 29 Palms, CA, when a deployment order to Sheikh Isa, Bahrain, came down on 19 April, 2005. Joining the squadron would be another CAX participant, VMFA-235, which was due to return to MCB Kanehoe, HI. However, those plans were quickly changed, and while most equipment was already prepositioned at Sheikh Isa, some essential parts and support gear would have to come along. Despite the Air Force being busy with REFORGER and maintaining the Air Bridge to Europe, six Mississippi ANG C-141Cs were available to fly the personnel and equipment for both squadrons, and the A-6Fs and F/A-18Cs flew alongside, leaving MCAS El Toro on 21 April, D-1. The train of aircraft stopped at Seymour-Johnson AFB, NC for refueling, and then proceeded to Lajes AB in the Azores. After another refueling and crew change-out for the Intruders and Hornets, both squadrons flew on to Rota, Spain, and then NAS Sigonella, Sicily, arriving late on the evening of 23 April. Another crew switch-out and refueling followed, and both squadrons flew on via Cairo West in Egypt to Sheikh Isa. Upon arrival, NBC procedures had to be followed, as Sheikh Isa had been hit by an Iraqi SCUD-type missile attack, and the payload had been a persistent nerve agent known as VR-55. While much of the base area had been decontaminated, both U.S. and Bahraini personnel were still busy clearing pockets of contamination from the base. After unloading and getting settled in, the Marines of both squadrons carried out essential aircraft maintenance, before receiving their first ATO on D+3 and getting on with the war.

Fast-forward to 29 April, the day after BAGHDAD THUNDER. Both Marine squadrons had taken part in a diversionary strike, shooting ITALD decoys to simulate a strike on Kut Al Haay AB, and the Death Angels of -235 had even gotten a pair of Mirage F-1 kills in the bargain. The Green Knights of -121 had lost a plane on the night of 25/26 April, with CAPT Paul Corwin initially listed as MIA, while his B/N, CAPT Catherine Mackenzie, was captured, and was one of those on the Baghdad Parade that was crashed by the Navy and Air Force on 28 April. The Marines watched a tape of the parade on CNN, and while angry at Saddam for parading POWs in public, the Green Knights were at least glad to see that one of their own had survived the shootdown.

The morning of 29 April saw a renewed Iraqi offensive against Kuwait, and MAG-24 sent both VMFA-235 and VMA(AW)-121 into the fray. The day's ATO for both units went out the window as both squadrons sent aircraft into Northern Kuwait in support of the Kuwaiti 26th Armored Cavalry Brigade and the British. It was on a mid-morning BAI mission that led to COMBAT 14's loss, and the rescue that followed.

COMBAT 14's mission was originally tasked as a BAI mission in the Safwan area, and was changed while in the air to hit a RGFC brigade that was moving down the Basra-Safwan Highway past Al-Zubayr. Four Green Knight A-6Fs and four Death Angels Hornets, with EW support from a newly-arrived VMAQ-4 Prowler, would go after the Iraqis and hopefully slow them down before they crossed the border. AF and Navy planes, along with the RAF, RSAF, and the Kuwaitis, would give the brigade some attention as the day went on, but first on the scene would be the Marines.

The crew of COMBAT 14 was one of two “unmanned” A-6s in the squadron. CAPT Donna Unger was the pilot, and had two years' experience in the squadron, originally having been in VMA(AW)-533. Her B/N was 1LT Nadine Walsh, a nugget B/N in her first squadron tour. Both had proven themselves at the CAX and had done equally well once arriving at Sheikh Isa. They had been Corwin and MacKenzie's wingmates when COMBAT 03 went down, and had flown the diversionary strike for BAGHDAD THUNDER.

The package was led by LCOL Rob Satriano, the skipper of the Death Angels, with MAJ Dan Gleason/CAPT Shaun Kirkley leading the Intruders. Both elements took off from Sheikh Isa at 0830, and after refueling in the air from an RAF VC-10, headed into their target area. All of the Marine aircrew noticed the vehicles on the roads headed south, and it was obvious that BAGHDAD THUNDER had stirred up a hornet's nest. While the Prowler began jamming Iraqi radars, the Death Angels began “trolling for SAMs..” Initially, no SAMs came up, and then the A-6s went down on the mass of armor on the highway.

COMBAT 11 and 12 went in on their pass, dumping Mark-20 CBUs into the T-72s and BMPs headed south, and the crews were rewarded with numerous fireballs and secondary explosions as tanks and IFVs exploded. Only then did the Iraqis down below realize they were under attack, and their own air-defense assets began warming up. One F/A-18, BRONCO 13, called out a SAM warning as SA-11s and SA-13s began coming up. The Prowler began jamming the SA-11 radars, while BRONCO 11 and 12 put HARMs in the air to (hopefully) kill the Gadflies, while all aircraft began pumping out flares and chaff as they made their runs.

COMBAT 13 went down on their targets, and as they made their run, shot a pair of AGM-65s into a ZSU-23-4 and a SA-13 vehicle on their way down. Their Rockeyes killed a number of BMPs, and as they pulled out, COMBAT 14 went in. After calling “In Hot,” CAPT Unger rolled in from 12,000 feet.

As they rolled in, 1LT Walsh identified two SA-13s and shot Mavericks into the vehicles, and both AGM-65s connected and exploded both SAM tracks. She then picked out on her FLIR several T-72s behind the BMPs that 13 had killed, and put her aiming cursor on the tanks. Unger took the steering and let go the Rockeyes on Walsh's call. A dozen Rockeyes splattered their bomblets on the armor, and several tanks fireballed as a result. Just as Walsh called “Impact!”, their threat receiver lit up as a ZSU-23 had them locked up.

The Iraqis manning this Shilka were pretty smart, as Walsh said later. They had left their radar off, noticing what happened to those who left their radars on continuously. Only when a target was in the area did they turn their radar on, and this crew apparently hid in the smoke from several burning tanks and BMPs. At any rate, they had COMBAT 14 dead in their sights, and opened up, spraying the Intruder with 23-mm fire.

Both pilot and B/N heard several “thuds” as 23-mm shells ripped into the A-6, and then both the right engine light, and the hydraulic light came on, CAPT Unger tried to control the Intruder, hoping to get out to the SAR station before ejecting, but the fire warning light came on, and about halfway between al-Zubayr and Umm Qasr, it was time to get out. Unger yelled “Eject!Eject!” and both she and Walsh punched out.

Both crew ejected successfully, and as they descended in their chutes, they saw their squadron mates circling overhead. LCOL Satriano in BRONCO 11 called in for a SAR package, but the USAF SAR elements were busy with a downed F-16 pilot near al-Busyaah and an A-10 down at the Iraqi border, west of Ali Al-Salem AB. It was up to the newly-arrived HCS-4 detachment at Sheikh Isa to do the job.

Word came down right away of the downed A-6, and the Joint CSAR Center at Al-Udaid quickly gave the Redwolves of HCS-4 the mission. They had just arrived on 27 April from NAS Norfolk, having loaded their HH-60Hs into a USAF C-5 and brought along four crews and some maintenance personnel to keep the helos going. They had used 28 April to get their birds ready, having flown maintenance check flights and a basic orientation run before reporting “Mission Ready” on the morning of 29 April. The two Redwolves HH-60 crews had expected business, and at 1005, they got the call. LCDR Ron Gladden, the OINC of the det, decided to take the hop himself, with LT Ken Cummings as copilot, AW1 (AC) Mike McGrath and AW2 (AC) Joel Patterson as gunners and PH1(AC) Paul Miller as rescue swimmer/medic. LCDR Gladden gunned his helo right out of the gate from Sheikh Isa, and headed right for the SAR station. He would need to HIFR from either Fitzgerald or Mustin before heading in for the rescue itself. It was a fifty-minute flight to the SAR station, and another fifteen minutes with the HIFR. Mustin's alert SH-60R was spooling up to lift off as Rescue Escort, and LCDR Gladden would be glad the Seahawk-R was coming along.

The Seahawk from Mustin wasn't the only escort. BRONCO 11 and BRONCO 12 still had AGM-65s, and two of the Hornets still had either HARM or Mark-82s available, and all four still had a full load of 20-mm. By pairs, the Marines headed to a refueling area south of the SAR Station, where VS-21 S-3s topped off their tanks, before heading back in. Two fellow Marines were in trouble, and their brother Marines were going to give everything possible to get them out.

For one of the two, the Redwolves would be too late. CAPT Unger landed just west of the Umm Qasr waterway, and she said later that “every Iraqi for miles” could see her come down. Iraqi Army soldiers from a nearby local-defense unit found her, and she had no chance to evade at all. Unger managed to destroy her radio before being captured, having been able to make one final call to her squadron mates, “I'll see you guys when the war's over”, before being found by the Iraqis. Her reception was not too gentle, being kicked and beaten, before being displayed to the local civilian population. She was sent to Zubayr for initial interrogation, before being put on a truck for Baghdad's Al-Rashid Military Prison. Fortunately, she made it through what was a harsh captivity as a POW.

Her B/N, 1LT Walsh, had a higher power looking out for her that morning. She landed on the east bank of the waterway, and she was able to radio in to the planes overhead. BRONCO 11 told her that her pilot had been captured, but that a rescue helo was on the way and that she should “sit tight.” Walsh managed to get a little deeper into the marsh, and though much of the marsh area had been drained in the 1990s, there was still quite a bit in this area and she had plenty of room to hide. Walsh noticed search parties on the west bank, obviously looking for her, and there was some boat activity as well, with several small boats with heavily armed Iraqis scanning both the waterway and the banks looking for their quarry.

The boats had not escaped the attention of the aircraft circling overhead, and the Marines had been joined by a pair of A-10Cs from the 357th TFS. This squadron had lost two planes and pilots before, and had not been in a position to do anything to rescue them. Both pilots had been captured, and the aviators in the 357th had vowed not to let that happen to anyone else if they could help it. The two Warthogs that came into the area were RODEO 15 (CAPT Brad Wagner) and RODEO 16 (1LT Steven Tyler). Wagner in RODEO 15 was the first to spot the boats, and with BRONCO 11 and 12 on their way back from a quick refueling, went down on the boats.

Two of the boats were small patrol craft, each mounting a 12.7-mm machine gun, while the others were fishing boats that had been commandeered by soldiers to search for the downed aircrew. The patrol boats were the obvious threat, and after RODEO 15 made contact with Walsh, CAPT Wagner decided to take them out first. He shot a Maverick into one of the boats, and it erupted in a fireball as the 125-lb warhead of the AGM-65D tore the boat apart. RODEO 16 then came in and shot another Maverick into the other patrol boat, and it too, blew apart when the missile found its mark. Both A-10s then came around and strafed several of the smaller craft, shredding them and their occupants.

BRONCO 11 and 12 came back into the picture, and picked up ZSU-23 signals on their threat receivers. Both Intruders spotted a pair of Shilkas on the western bank, and each shot a Maverick into the AA vehicles, exploding both of them. A pair of SA-13s also appeared, and the Intruders killed both of them as well. Now that they were “Winchester”, both A-6s headed south for Sheikh Isa, intending to refuel and rearm before returning to the rescue effort.

That wasn't necessary, for shortly after 1145, REDWOLF 04 and her escort, WOLFPACK 12, came in. The Seahawks arrived on scene, and both A-10 pilots were able to direct the helos into the general area. Walsh, hiding in the marsh and concealed by the reeds, heard the choppers before she actually saw them. She came up on the radio, and after authenticating her identity, vectored REDWOLF 04 into her location. Just as the helo was coming in, the Seahawk drew small-arms fire from the western bank, and not only did 04's door gunners return fire, but WOLFPACK 12 sprayed the area, and both A-10s and Hornets came in to strafe and in the case of the Hornets, planting a pair of Mark-82s on a building where a machine gun had been set up on the roof.

With the fire suppressed, REDWOLF 04 came in and PH1 Miller went down on the rescue hoist to retrieve the survivor. He found 1LT Walsh and she quickly followed him to the waiting helo, and both were quickly lifted into the chopper. After Miller called to LCDR Gladden, “We're in! Let's haul outta here!” Gladden gunned the helo and headed back south. REDWOLF 04 got feet wet at 1158, and headed for the SAR Station, with WOLFPACK 12 right alongside. It was 1225 when 04 landed on Fitzgerald's helo deck, with a grateful survivor being quickly taken below to the destroyer's sick bay to be checked out.

While 1LT Walsh was being checked out by the ship's doctor, REDWOLF 04 was being refueled for the trip back to Sheikh Isa. After being given the all clear by the ship's doctor, Walsh boarded the HH-60 for the trip back to Bahrain. On their way south, she noticed two Hornets and two Intruders escorting the Seahawk. Once again, the Marines were taking care of one of their own. It was 1400 when REDWOLF 04 returned to base, and Walsh was quickly mobbed by her fellow Marines. After she was checked over again by the squadron flight surgeon, the Green Knights had a boisterous welcome back party that evening. While the mood was tempered by the knowledge that one of the two had been captured, the fact was that Walsh was back with the unit, and after a day off, she would be back in the air. It was Walsh who reminded her fellow Marines of their friends in Baghdad, and after a toast with some non-alcoholic beer to her return by the CO, LCOL Jeff McDonald, she made another one: “To our sister Marines in captivity; may they come home safe.”

It wasn't until after the war's end that all involved were properly recognized for their efforts that day. Walsh was promoted to CAPT before war's end, and after the war, she was awarded the Bronze Star for her successful evasion. LCDR Gladden was awarded the DFC, and his crew were all awarded the Air Medal. WOLFPACK 12's crew, led by LT Joel Glaser, were also awarded the Air Medal, while the two A-10 pilots, Wagner and Tyler, were awarded the Silver Star for their successful cover of the rescue. The two A-6 crews and the four Hornet pilots also received the Air Medal for their work that day.

In the big picture, it was just another mission in the early days of the war. But for those involved, especially in the rescue helos and A-10s, they flew as if possessed. While other countries flew CSAR during the war, and flew it well, there was the institutional knowledge of American aircrew, that, regardless of which theater they flew in, that if they went down, their fellow aviators would be willing to risk their own lives, or freedom, to get one or two downed aircrew to safety. As BGEN Marc Dailey USAF, who headed the Joint CSAR Center at Al Udaid AB put it, “Every life is precious. And COMBAT 14 proved it. We risked nine crew members in two choppers, two A-10 pilots, and eight Marine aircrew members to pull one of their own out from potential captivity. We couldn't get the other one back right then, but we got her with the other POWs. Still, what those aircrew did on 29 April says it all. If you go down, we will do everything possible to come and get you.” And this was proved, time and again, in every theater of war. Not every rescue attempt was successful, nor could every downed aviator have a mission launched on their behalf. But every man or woman who climbed into a cockpit of a TACAIR jet or a SOF helo knew that if they went down, right behind them would be dedicated men and women who were willing to risk their own lives, “So that others may live.” And in the often violent and confused postwar world, that motto has not been forgotten, and it has been done, time and again.

[jemhouston]

One thing that separates the US Military from others.