Viper Pilot: A Memoir of Air Combat

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I WROTE THIS BOOK MYSELF. RECONSTRUCTING THE COMBAT scenes in Viper Pilot wasn’t difficult—they are forever etched in my memory. However, I confirmed every date, time, and call sign against actual flight data cards, mission reports, and intelligence summaries. These events have all been declassified and can usually be found, in one form or another, in open sources.

Classified information is not directly discussed, for obvious security reasons. This includes technical specifications about weapon systems, tactics, and aircraft capabilities. Where essential, real names of pilots do appear, always with the express permission of the individuals involved. Otherwise, pseudonyms or call signs are utilized.

Lastly, the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force has conducted its own independent review of this book and approved it for publication as originally written.

March 24, 2003

Nasiriyah, Iraq

“C’MON… C’MON…” I GRITTED MY TEETH. FORCING MY aching jaws to relax, I pulled the throttle back further and dropped the F-16’s nose a few degrees toward the ground. As the Viper slid down into the dusty brown mess below us, I felt unaccustomed anxious twinges jab through my gut.

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