European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 16, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse F-16s with the 4th tac fighter Wing out of South Carolina get ready for another bombing of iraqi targets during the air War which started three years ago monday continued from Page 5 the last minute Stimpert recalls. The 10 . Brief ing lasted 30 minutes. Afterwards Stimpert squeezed in a couple games of solitaire in the Squadron operations room which was directly above the equipment room the last thing i wanted to be was in a Rush on a night like this he says. Stimpert carried into his plane two Large Ameri can flags and several smaller ones. Other pilots did the same. Some took along bibles. Scores of maintenance personnel some of whom were off duty came out to see the pilots off. Stim pert remembers their enthusiasm and support a Dis play that was repeated elsewhere throughout the theater according to the other pilots. It s almost like a dream says Benyshek the f 4g Pilot from Span Dahlem you feel yourself play ing a part in this dream and yet you Don t have control Over it. It s almost like being a third person watching you do Stimpert lifted off the ground about Midnight one of 14 f-117s taking part in the second wave. The first wave consisted of 10 planes which left 45 minute earlier. Because of All the Allied aircraft in the sky pilots had to maintain their predetermined air Speed Alti tude and coordinates Stimpert says. The flight to the iraqi Border covered 600 Miles the distance to Baghdad was another 400. \ the night sky was Crystal Clear Over saudi Arabia and the Moon shone brightly. Stimpert passed by Cir rus Clouds in Southern Iraq but the weather was still perfect. As he flew toward Baghdad Stimpert recalls seeing the sky full of anti aircraft fire. Intense airmen with the 138th tac fighter so Load 1,000-Pound bombs onto f-16s, which took off from saudi. Is How he described it. There s a lot that competes for your attention As you cruise into town Stimpert says. Stimpert hit his first target and sped off toward his second. A bomb dropped by another Jet 45 seconds before his second engagement raised some anti air Craft fire but he managed to Deposit his munitions and head South toward the Border. F-117 pilots departing Baghdad routinely exceeded the recommended Speed which Stimpert would not divulge. He says an annoying computer Gener ated voice pestered him about his air Speed As he knifed through the Black sky. With Baghdad behind him Stimpert headed for the Border where he met up with a Kc-135 strato Tanker to refuel. You listen checking off names As fellow pilots radioed for their Tanker Stimpert re Calls. All were accounted for. The Sun was just coming up As we came in Stimpert says of his return to Khamis Musait a everybody was comparing notes about what they saw and what they for master sgt. David Gustafson and staff sgt. Todd May of Span Dahlem a an american Flag snapping in a 30 Mph wind constituted their most enduring memory of the War. Deployed to Shaikh Isaab Bahrain Gustafson and May remember the sudden appearance of a Soli tary flagpole at the end of the taxiway. It appeared shortly after Nightfall. Gustafson then a weapons flight chief responsible for reloading f-4gs, figures most people were too Busy on the evening of Jan. 16 to give the flawless pole much thought. Meanwhile rumours of a pending air strike were running rampant. For Many confirmation came Early that evening when base personnel were instructed to digest tablets that would combat the effects of chemical agents May recalls. I look Back More on that evening than at any other time during the whole toy itself says May 28, an aircraft electrical from Northville . An american Flag appeared atop the pole around Midnight. High intensity lights trained on the stars and stripes were flipped on soon afterwards it lit up the whole sky says Gustafson 36, of Winter Park Fla. That s when we knew something was going to go on. Displaying the Flag was pretty the planes departed at 2 . A lot of .1 Page 6 sunday january 16.1994
