WashPost

First Sorties From Carrier Successful Pilots Return Safely, Describe Ineffectual Afghan Response

By Steve Vogel Washington Post Staff Writer Monday, October 8, 2001; Page A08

ABOARD THE USS CARL VINSON IN THE NORTHERN ARABIAN SEA, Oct. 8 (Monday) -- One by one, Navy fighter jets laden with weaponry were fired into the starlit night, shaking the deck of this aircraft carrier with full-throttle takeoffs as they launched toward Afghanistan.

"We asked the Taliban to turn over Osama bin Laden," one of the ship's senior officers said after this nuclear-powered ship launched the first wave of carrier attacks into Afghanistan. "They said no. This is our answer."

Pilots on the initial strike said they could see what appeared to be encampments of refugees in the countryside, and encountered no problems until they were well inside Afghanistan. About 100 miles south of Kabul, they saw Tomahawk missiles striking targets, followed by antiaircraft fire and hand-held surface-to-air missiles, streaking into the sky haphazardly without "any rhyme or reason," said Cmdr. Biff, the commander of an F-14 Tomcat squadron who like other personnel on the ship cannot be fully identified because of Navy security concerns.

"Obviously they knew we were coming," he told his copilot, a lieutenant commander named Paul.

But the enemy fire presented little danger because of the speed and altitude at which the planes were flying, pilots said. "It was like sitting in a tree and having kids shoot bottle rockets up at you," said Cmdr. Biff after returning from leading a bombing attack on unspecified targets around Kabul.

The pilots said the biggest problem they encountered was nearly running out of fuel.

The strikes took fighters more than 600 miles each way, an extremely long distance for the jets, and required a delicately choreographed chain of midair refuelings.

Four and one-half hours after taking off, the planes returned, slamming to a halt on the deck minus the bombs and missiles they had carried under their gray wings.

"Tonight was about giving America back the confidence and letting them know, hey, we're out here and can take care of whatever we need to," Cmdr. Biff said.

Shortly after midnight, the last of the jets from two waves of attacks launched from the Vinson returned safely to the deck.

The first wave was launched at 6:30 p.m. A half dozen S-3B Viking refueling tankers went up first, followed by several lE-2C Hawkeye long-range surveillance aircraft, four F-14s and six F/A-18 Hornets, and several EA-6B Prowlers to jam and attack radar positions.

The deck was shrouded with steam as catapults below the deck fired the planes forward into the night. The Hornets, loaded with heavy, precision-guided missiles, required full-throttle, combat launches because of the weight they carried.

Vinson crew members watched from the primary flight deck as Tomahawk missiles fired by the Aegis destroyer USS John Paul Jones streaked across the horizon. "I've got to tell you, that's a career highlight for me," said a senior officer, a former fighter pilot.

"There was some question as to whether we could reach those targets, but undoubtedly we proved that today," Cmdr. Biff said.

But, the commander said, the mission was not without a great deal of worry about running out of fuel, and he said his jet made it back with little to spare. "I will tell you another sickening feeling -- you're worried about the six guys behind you," he said.

"It's a pretty long drive when you're in a Tomcat or Hornet to go all the way over Pakistan," said Capt. Richard Wren, the commanding officer of the Vinson.

The F-14s were refueled at least twice. Cmdr. Biff would not specify how many refuelings the Tomcats needed, but joked that the number was "one more time than we did."

He said pilots took pains to avoid civilian targets. "There were a number of targets pulled off the list because of collateral damage," he said.

As the strikes were being launched Sunday evening, there was little overt celebration among the crew of 5,500 aboard the Vinson. "I'm glad to see us do it, but I'm sad, too," said a lieutenant commander named Sharee, an administrative officer, as she waited nervously for the planes from the first wave to return safely to the ship. "It's devastating to do, but what they did to us was so devastating."

An air operations officer, speaking as aircraft were launched, said, "I think it'll make a difference, but who knows? That could be wishful thinking."

In part, the muted response reflected the certainty that much more lay ahead. "I've got a lot more of a job to do, and we don't know what [the] response will be," said Capt. Wren.

The exact location of the ship is classified, but the Vinson battle group, with about six other ships, is southeast of the Strait of Hormuz, between 200 and 500 miles from the Afghan border.

Before his Fighter Squadron 213 took off, Cmdr. Biff gathered his pilots in its ready room to give them a final briefing. "This is a historic event," he said he told them. "This event will be remembered for a long time."

Before the planes took off, there were signs of the pending action all around the ship. As the sun set over the blue-green Arabian Sea, munitions crews wheeled out some of the most sophisticated weaponry in the U.S. arsenal, including JSOW (the Joint Standoff Weapon), JDAM, (Joint Direct Attack Munition) and SLAM-ER (Standoff Land Attack Missile-Extended Range).

These weapons allow pilots to fire precision-guided munitions from long range, lowering the risk of being shot down. "We really want all our boys to come back," said Cmdr. Ed, who as the ship's "air boss" oversees air traffic control.

Maintenance crews made final preparations to the jets lining the deck and the crowded hangar bay below. "The guys aren't going to go over the beach tonight unless the planes are ready, and they are," the air boss said.

During recent flight operations, pilots had been practicing with air-to-ground missiles, and targets were identified in Afghanistan. Across the ship, there was a sense of anticipation.

"Bunches of people would like to see something happen soon rather than sit around and wait," said a lieutenant who serves as one of the ship's "shooters," officers who trigger the catapults that launch the planes. "I think everybody appreciates it's a war of patience."

-- Anonymous, October 08, 2001