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Flying F-4 Reconnaissance Phantoms Unarmed And Unafraid In Desert Storm

Talyn

Talyn

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A Distinguished Flying Cross recipient RF-4C pilot and his weapon systems officer recollect flying some of the most important recon missions of the war.

Operation Desert Storm began 35 years ago last week on January 16, 1991. It was five months after the Iraqi military invaded and annexed its southern neighbor, Kuwait. Within days of the invasion, the United States and partner nations began to deploy assets into the Middle East to protect countries like Saudi Arabia and others from further aggression.

This included sending in RF-4C tactical reconnaissance Phantoms, and one crew, in particular, Pilot Lt. Col. Jim Gibbons and Weapon Systems Officer (WSO) Maj. John Fuller teamed up for several sorties during both Desert Shield and Desert Storm, flew a mission on this day 35 years ago that was uniquely harrowing and important — so much so that they were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for their efforts.

This is their story.

www.twz.com

Flying F-4 Reconnaissance Phantoms Unarmed And Unafraid In Desert Storm

Distinguished Flying Cross recipient RF-4C pilot and his weapon systems officer recollect flying some of the most important recon missions of the war.
www.twz.com www.twz.com

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Gibbons and Fuller prior to a launch. (John Fuller collection)

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I was assigned to Udorn RTAFB in 1970, home of the 432nd TRW, that did most of the aerial recon in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam war. Air America was also based there. The wing flew RF4C aircraft. I was astounded to learn they were unarmed. It was a mad dash when the RF 4C's landed to get the film canister to the lab. The wing did have armed F4's that shot down about 35 enemy aircraft over the duration. The RF4C had a long tradition as a key player in ISR. Great article, thanks for posting.
 
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HayesGreener said:
I was assigned to Udorn RTAFB in 1970, home of the 432nd TRW, that did most of the aerial recon in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam war. Air America was also based there. The wing flew RF4C aircraft. I was astounded to learn they were unarmed. It was a mad dash when the RF 4C's landed to get the film canister to the lab. The wing did have armed F4's that shot down about 35 enemy aircraft over the duration. The RF4C had a long tradition as a key player in ISR. Great article, thanks for posting.
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Udorn also had the 13th TFS and the 555th TFS -- both had "D" models. It was the 14th with the RF's.

1970 huh? We were there together -- good times were had.
 
Talyn said:
A Distinguished Flying Cross recipient RF-4C pilot and his weapon systems officer recollect flying some of the most important recon missions of the war.

Operation Desert Storm began 35 years ago last week on January 16, 1991. It was five months after the Iraqi military invaded and annexed its southern neighbor, Kuwait. Within days of the invasion, the United States and partner nations began to deploy assets into the Middle East to protect countries like Saudi Arabia and others from further aggression.

This included sending in RF-4C tactical reconnaissance Phantoms, and one crew, in particular, Pilot Lt. Col. Jim Gibbons and Weapon Systems Officer (WSO) Maj. John Fuller teamed up for several sorties during both Desert Shield and Desert Storm, flew a mission on this day 35 years ago that was uniquely harrowing and important — so much so that they were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for their efforts.

This is their story.

www.twz.com

Flying F-4 Reconnaissance Phantoms Unarmed And Unafraid In Desert Storm

Distinguished Flying Cross recipient RF-4C pilot and his weapon systems officer recollect flying some of the most important recon missions of the war.
www.twz.com www.twz.com

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Gibbons and Fuller prior to a launch. (John Fuller collection)

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These birds have a special place in my heart. Turned many of them around back in the day when they ventured up north.
 
belladonna said:
We're waiting... 😊
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OK now I have a minute.

OSI worked a country wide organized corruption case involving all the on base clubs in Thailand in the early 70's. Goods and services and service workers came mostly from local sources. The clubs on all 7 bases were managed by senior NCO's. The Nak Ling Sua, the Thai equivalent to our mafia, controlled who got contracts and who got hired by the clubs and got their cut. Club managers conspired with the mob to clear any obstacles to the racket. There was some black marketeering going on as well. Everybody got paid kickbacks and they had a pretty good system going until somebody at one of the bases talked. OSI raided all the clubs simultaneously to seize records and interrogate the crooks. One of the Thai gangsters was on the base where I was at zero hour and was known to be a bad hombre so the agent in chargecand I jacked him up and disarmed him so he could be interviewed safely. As I recall he was carrying a S&W .357. I left for the U.S. before the case went to trial.

Some of you may recall there was a similar corruption case from a couple years before on Army bases in VietNam that the media dubbed The Khaki Mafia
 
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