Some of the most important assets for the US led coalition in the Second Gulf War of 2003 were FAC(A) trained aircrews. Fixed targets were limited and the key was finding and identifying moving Iraqi ground targets. US Marine Corps used two seat F/A-18 D for that role with a dedicated WSO in the back seat. Major ‘Sack’ Rowell and Captain ‘Oedi’ Glover of VMFA(AW)-533 were one such crew operating in Tikrit region on 13 April 2003. After directing various USAF, USMC and RAF assets, they were sent to Al Sahra airfield to investigate reports by an SOF team that some suspicious barrels were buried there. They didn't find any weapons of mass destruction but instead some other assets potentially very important to Iraqi leadership.


Source: Tony Holmes - Osprey Combat Aircraft 56 - US Marine Corps and RAAF Hornet Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom


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0:00 Intro
1:13 Narrative Intro
3:34 Investigating Al Sahra
4:57 LGB Drop
5:47 Laser Maverick
6:41 Guns Blazing
7:55 Post-battle Analysis and Landing


#MilitaryAviationHistory #DCSWorldHistoricalReenactment #OperationIraqiFreedom