Originally Posted by
AZFlyer
Is the term/designation/call sign "Sandy" still used today or was it only used during Vietnam for the old Skyraider Sandy's?
I mean, no one today is flying straight into thickets of SAM sites to protect a downed pilot like in those days (thankfully because opposition on that scale doesn't currently exist in our current obligations, that I'm aware of), so my guess is 'no'?
At any rate, talk about terrifying stuff....Outside of the military, did those guys ever get their recognition for doing such dangerous and selfless flying?
I do believe Sandy is still around.
From Wikipedia:
On 27 March 1999, an F-117 Nighthawk "stealth fighter" was downed by Serbian air defenses about 25 miles from Belgrade. As soon as word came that the pilot was down behind enemy lines, a three-helicopter search and rescue team MH-53 Pave Low helicopter scrambled from their base in Croatia. A two-ship A-10 flight, call sign Sandy, escorted the helicopters.
I'm pretty sure that I worked out of the same base as them as Al Jaber, Kuwait. As far as Jolly Green - I had a friend who was there at the same time flying the HH-60G PaveHawks. Heavyily armed, with massive comm gear and a tough, tough crew to come get you!
From Wiki:
Currently, Pave Hawks regularly operate in
Operation Enduring Freedom and
Operation Iraqi Freedom supporting Army and Marine Corps ground combat operations and standby search and rescue support for U.S. and Coalition fixed-wing combat aircraft supporting those ground operations.
[2]
Yes - they would do what is necessary to come get you within the plans. Supposedly the Super MEZ around Baghdad was one of the biggest EVER (second maybe only to North Korea), but the good news is that we have many different ways to deal with them and roll them back than before. Tactics have changed from the Vietnam days AZ - but the job is just as important. Just ask that F-16 driver that was rescused by the Marines out of Bosnia.
Scott O'Grady - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
USMCFLYR