USN Splash one SU-22 (merged threads)

[RHINOWSO]

99% sure they do, somewhere at the wing.

Here's what you do: get a group of IPs and bring it up with the front office that you know the video is on SIPR, you know how to search for it, and you want to watch it together. There are plenty of red-blooded, gold-wing-wearing people in the chain of command who will want to watch it too.

Just make sure you post it on YouTube to stream it.

 

[jmcquate]

Hartmann was never shot down or forced to land due to enemy fire."

Then I guess he is the true "Blonde Knight of the Fatherland"..........and I think he flew a Black Tulip F-86 for the the new,and improved Luftwaffe, painted just like his 109.

 

[Python]

Yeah, until people get to Erich Hartmann's level, it's all chump change really. (352 kills)

I recall in the FRS I had my first BFM hop with my XO as the lead. In the brief he asked me how old I was. I said I was 25 and he replied "by your age Erich Hartmann had over 300 kills, what the fuck have you done?"
He was a great American.

 

[Pags]

I recall in the FRS I had my first BFM hop with my XO as the lead. In the brief he asked me how old I was. I said I was 25 and he replied "by your age Erich Hartmann had over 300 kills, what the fuck have you done?"
He was a great American.

David McCampbell was 34 as CAG-15

 

[wink]

Former Hornet driver turned AEDO at work mentioned that guys with a kill get to wear a gold flight suit at Hook...truth?

Was at Hook twice when a still active duty Cunningham was there. Never saw him in a gold flight suit. He also only had two silver stars for his 5 kills, so it isn't as simple as one kill per silver star.

 

[MIDNJAC]

My dad works with the pilot of that crew. If his bar story about the engagement is truly "TINS" it's an eye opener. Great guy though!

I thought the pilot got killed as a VX dude a few years later, doing a T&G @ Miramar from Pt Mugu, in one of the early F/A-18A's suffering the first planing link failure...?

edit: never mind, that was the '81 shoot-down, based on timeframe.

 

[MIDNJAC]

I recall in the FRS I had my first BFM hop with my XO as the lead. In the brief he asked me how old I was. I said I was 25 and he replied "by your age Erich Hartmann had over 300 kills, what the fuck have you done?"
He was a great American.

Frag? If so, agreed, great dude

 

[nittany03]

I recall in the FRS I had my first BFM hop with my XO as the lead. In the brief he asked me how old I was. I said I was 25 and he replied "by your age Erich Hartmann had over 300 kills, what the fuck have you done?"
He was a great American.

Look on the bright side. Unlike Manfred von Richthofen, you weren't already dead.

 

[Python]

Frag? If so, agreed, great dude

Was him.

 

[Flash]

Was at Hook twice when a still active duty Cunningham was there. Never saw him in a gold flight suit. He also only had two silver stars for his 5 kills, so it isn't as simple as one kill per silver star.

He and Driscoll both got Navy Crosses for shooting down the three MiGs on 10 May 1972, the Silver Stars were for the other two kills.

 

[RHINOWSO]

Was at Hook twice when a still active duty Cunningham was there. Never saw him in a gold flight suit. He also only had two silver stars for his 5 kills, so it isn't as simple as one kill per silver star.

Yeah, 1 silver star for each of his first two kills (separate engagements). Navy Cross for his triple kill mission.

Beat to the punch by Flash.

 

[BACONATOR]

You know awards are generally bullshit when there is wing guidance via a matrix that tells you what is "standard" for an O-5 retirement/O-4 EOT/etc award. If an award is standard and solely based on rank instead of merit (unless it's significantly negative merit), I think many just discount them. As for specific single action medals, even they are being adulterated. I can think of at least one douche CO who was upset when his bronze star (for simply being a det CO in a combat zone) got converted to an MSM... like, really?

 

[RHINOWSO]

I'm to the point if I see a Bronze Star with no V, it's just another NCM type award for a Navy type.

Looks pretty, but likely another participation award.

 

[RHINOWSO]

I thought the pilot got killed as a VX dude a few years later, doing a T&G @ Miramar from Pt Mugu, in one of the early F/A-18A's suffering the first planing link failure...?

edit: never mind, that was the '81 shoot-down, based on timeframe.

Correct, Hank Kleeman (Skipper flying -1) was in that Hornet that flipped and was killed several years later.

The wingman RIO (Jim Anderson) also died a couple of years later in a skiing accident.

 

[Brett327]

You know awards are generally bullshit when there is wing guidance via a matrix that tells you what is "standard" for an O-5 retirement/O-4 EOT/etc award.

The baseline is laid out by rank because that is usually commensurate with responsibility. It's a standard to deviate from when warranted. Not establishing that kind a guidance up front introduces unnecessary chaos into the entire awards process.