Holding Smoke’s gaze, Wilson nodded his understanding, and turned back to Psycho. “Okay. After the 1230 AOM, you and I will have a private meeting with the CO. You will tell him the situation, including who the father is. I don’t know what the Skipper’s gonna do, but I’ll recommend we fly you because we’ll need everyone tomorrow night. If you can convince him that you can compartmentalize this and not cause harm to yourself or others in formation, that would be good. After that, it’s his call. Copy?”
“Yes, sir,” she replied. “I’m ready.”
“All right. Let’s get back down there and help.”
CHAPTER 49
The Raven officers took their seats while Cajun stood resolute at the front of the ready room, leaning against the white board tracks with arms folded. The mood of the room was pensive, with all eyes on their commanding officer in anticipation of his message. The 1MC sounded a single Ding signifying 1230. Wilson turned in his seat and surveyed the silent room behind him, sensing the eyes shift on him.
“Everyone’s here, sir,” Sponge Bob said from his duty desk perch.
Wilson turned back to the front, nodded to his CO, and said in a hushed voice, “Skipper,” the signal for Cajun to begin. All hands knew that Cajun would be the only one to speak at this AOM.
“If you’ve watched CNN and Sky News, checked the SINS screen, or been topside and seen the huge wake behind us, you know we’re heading west in a hurry. And you don’t have to be a pilot who spent the morning in CVIC to know why. Iran attacked one of our small boys last night, killing our sailors. This is an act of war. National Command Authority tasked NAVCENT with a response, and we are now planning to carry out that tasking sometime tomorrow, probably after sundown. We should arrive at our station late this afternoon, and we’re gonna fly maintenance test hops and get some air wing guys in night qual. Our SUCAP alert posture begins later this afternoon, and the ordies are loading the jets now.
“We’ll be facing the Iranians, who have a modern air force and navy, with sophisticated weapons and a formidable integrated air defense system. They have a history of innovation, and they want to surprise us and hurt us, as they did last night, and with Prince last month. Remember, he was unarmed and incapacitated when they shot him down with no warning. They should not be underestimated, and we have a tough job to suppress their defenses and hit the assigned targets. However, they aren’t 10 feet tall, and if anyone should be afraid about any upcoming action, it should be them, afraid of what this strike group, and you guys in particular, can do to them. We will prevail, but we have to be smart. Pilots, until further notice, your schedule consists of flying, eating, sleeping, and planning. No mindless video games or movies, no division paperwork, no spending hours in the gym. Part of flying consists of briefing and debriefing, and standing watches in CATCC or Pri-Fly.”
Cajun pointed to the duty officer, Sponge, and said, “Or this duty here… Want to make sure you frickin’ sea lawyers don’t use my words to get out of it.” The comment elicited smirks from the JOs and served to ease some tension.
He continued:
“Ground pounders, we need you guys to run the squadron. If routine paperwork can wait for the department heads or me and the XO to review once this is finished, then let it. Or, if you can handle it at the Assistant Admin or Maintenance Material Control Officer level, then do it. Now, if you deem that there’s something I or the XO or the department heads must deal with immediately, bring it to our attention. Whatever call you make will be the right one; I’ll support you. Don’t worry about how much sleep I get.
“Now Weed here, he’s a different story. I worry about how much sleep he gets.” The room snickered, and Wilson heard his roommate chuckle at the needling from the CO. Cajun returned to business.
“We are four months into this deployment. We’re experienced operating in this part of the world, we’ve been in combat in two theaters, we’re looking good around the ship, and the jets are flying great. We are on the step…. We are ready for this. If we just follow the basics of solid preflight planning, comm discipline, section integrity, combat checklists and flying smart tactics with our superior weapons and sensors, we’ll do fine. Plan for contingencies. Take a good look at your wingmen’s aim points, and be ready to flex if you have to. Know the geography. If you are hit and can still fly, get feet wet. If you can’t do that, get away from populated areas. If your wingman punches out, mark the position, sing out immediately, identify an on-scene commander and call away the CSAR. Your priorities for ejection are over water followed by any country but Iran, and if you can find a deserted area you may be able to evade before we pick you up. That’s what I mean by knowing the geography. Have a plan up front, such as ‘Safety is 10 miles east, or west, or whatever.’”
Raven One paced a few steps and exhaled, gathering his thoughts. Wilson and the others remained riveted.
“Once again, our friends and enemies around the world are calling for us to restrain ourselves. Europe reminds me of the cowardly lion, and Canada, who we protect like our own country, is AWOL. The GCC sheikdoms are petrified that we’ll do something to ruin their holiday plans in Switzerland. Russia warns against American military adventurism, and China denounces our movement as reckless saber-rattling that only increases tensions in the strait. Japan, who gets almost all its oil from the Gulf, and much of that from Iran, is silent. Only Australia has spoken out against the Iranians and is expressing regret at the loss of American lives.
“That’s always the case, isn’t it? When the victims are American service personnel, at a Khobar Towers or aboard a USS Cole or even at the Pentagon, nobody in the international community, including many in our own country, much cares about it except for the fact they can get a few days coverage for their news media. But the world community, with the exception of the North Koreas and Venezuelas, secretly wishes that we do respond to the Iranians. They want us to swat them down, so they’ll stop causing problems. They also know that we will continue to guard against flare ups, and that will allow the world to go back to living what passes for normal.
“Therefore, it has become the responsibility of this strike group, and you and me in particular, to handle this for them, and to do the dirty work. Myself, if I can strike a blow that allows my family and your families and millions of families around the world to live in real peace and harmony, I welcome the opportunity. These Revolutionary Guard assholes are causing my wife to worry and my kids to cry — and have been for years. In my small way I want to prevent them from doing so any more. They are smart. We must be smarter. They fight dirty. Within the limits of the rules of engagement, we’ll fight dirtier and hit where and when they don’t expect. They shot down our shipmate experiencing an airborne emergency. For me, this is personal, this is payback, they overreached, and any action we take will be proportional and justified and professionally carried out. If Washington decides to throttle this back, then aye, aye, it’s their call. But for now, I plan to go up there tomorrow night, and you’re coming with me.”
Wilson and the others sat in their seats with backs straight, soaking in Cajun’s intensity and purpose, ready to burst out of the room and man the jets. The pilots shared his grim determination to prevent the Pasdaran from causing any further loss of life or any further disruption of international commerce. With the opportunity the Richard Best attack had afforded them, they would literally follow Cajun through fire to do it now, despite the fearsome Iranian defenses.