A Fighter Pilot’s Perspective from the Skies of Iraq

Robert G. Ray Jr., Lt Col (Retired), ALANG

On March 21st, 2003, I was a flight leader of two ship F16C-Plus Block 30 aircraft OIF combat sortie assigned to the 160th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, 410th Allied Expeditionary Wing, JSOC. We were flying from an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia (Base X) performing combat patrols over Western Iraq. Our callsign was Honcho 21 and our primary mission that night was Counter Theater Ballistic missile Search and Destroy with a tertiary mission of ISR (Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance).

After departing our pre mission air refueling, my wingman Major James Perryman (deceased) and I proceeded to our assigned Area of Responsibility (AOR) per the Frag order and echoed by Bondo the Air Tasking Order AWACS. Upon arrival there was already visible tracer fire prevalent around the area Southeast of the Haditha Dam, near Al Qaim Iraq. 

TF20 [Task Force 20] was attempting to capture the Dam from Iraqi Republican Guard in dug in positions around the base and upper structure of the Dam. We contacted Stryker 22 a CCT (Combat Control Team) member assigned to TF20. With gunfire in the radios background noise, he immediately gave us target coordinates of a concrete bunker requiring a 500lb Laser Guided Bomb strike. The strike was within weapon safe criteria by our calculations and Stryker casually reiterated the target coordinates as well as “Troops in Contact” which added urgency to the request.

A quick target brief was given to Major Perryman by me utilizing one of three standard operating procedure attacks we practiced often in training prior to deployment. The attack was successful as assessed by Stryker, “target destroyed.” At this point in the firefight we required refueling and proceeded to our air refueling track 80 miles away. While refueling, Stryker called us on our VHF radio requesting “no delay” on our return.

Upon departure of the Tanker Track through our NVGs [Night Vision Goggles] we could observe sporadic large tracers in the general area of the Dam 80 miles away. Upon arrival, Stryker tasked us with ISR, laser marking for Little Bird Helicopter strikes with our Litening Targeting Pods and relaying real time situational awareness to Strykers team. During this time we located the large caliber weapon sporadically shooting at TF20 (23mm Anti-Aircraft Artillery).

Later interviews of captured Republican Guards confirmed their use of it to bring down Little Birds and direct fire on personnel. The weapon was intermittently aimed vertically and horizontally occasionally projecting rounds up through our orbit position. Two 410AEW A10 Warthog aircraft were holding 20 miles West and monitoring our strike frequency. They called me asking if they could help.

With Strykers’ concurrence I laser marked the 23mm and after a short delay they destroyed it with two 30MM cannon bursts.  At this point the Eastern Sky was getting lighter with pending sunrise despite TF20s continuing firefight raging around the Dam. Our VUL time (vulnerability) was nearing its end when Thor 21/22 (“Ski and Squirt”) checked in on the strike frequency. While passing the combat situation handoff brief to Thor 21, I noticed a bright flash near the upper portion of Haditha Dam and upon further investigation noted a large explosion (later identified as a vehicle IED) took place at a security checkpoint manned by Rangers.

There were casualties as well as KIA adding a new dimension to the mission. “Ski” took over the situation and continued the effort while we began the 500 mile journey back to Base X. While enroute we contacted Bondo and informed them of the need for Dustoff (Army Medevac Helos) and their contact information for Thor 21. With Information passed we focused on returning to base.

Approaching our host country’s border, what normally would have been a non-event for crossing became critical when they activated their Hawk Surface to Air Missile Batteries and targeted us with a corresponding Guard Channel warning radio call. With our fuel state requiring little or no delay and no other options we turned on our ECM (electronic countermeasure) pods and continued our recovery to Base X. No missiles were launched however, our RWR (Radar Warning Receiver) received missile launch audio several times.

Eventually we reached Base X and recovered the aircraft uneventfully. However, the debrief and subsequent interaction with members present both on the ground and in the air that day continue to present time.

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This first appeared in The Havok Journal on November 24, 2023.

Lt Col (ret) Rob “Smokey” Ray is a 24 year veteran of the USAF and ANG as well as a retired commercial airline pilot. His Military Flight experience includes 4,500 hours in the OV10 Bronco and F16C with numerous deployments and assignments to the Pacific Theater, Central America, Europe and several notable rotations to Southwest Asia.

Additionally qualified as a JTAC, he served with and deployed with US Army Cavalry, Infantry and Special Forces units. While deployed to Balad, Iraq in 2006, his F-16 unit directly supported Special Operators in the location, weapons employment and subsequent termination of Abu Musab Zarqawi, head of the Al Qaeda Iraq. He is retired and currently resides in FL.

As the Voice of the Veteran Community, The Havok Journal seeks to publish a variety of perspectives on a number of sensitive subjects. Unless specifically noted otherwise, nothing we publish is an official point of view of The Havok Journal or any part of the U.S. government.