1 - The Black Vault

PRAETORIAN STARSHIP
Stuttgart AAF at 2045Z. When the crews arrived
at the airfield, they learned that the plan had
changed once again. Instead of the two-ship package,
the force had been trimmed back to fit into
one Combat Talon. The 12-man ESAT was
equipped with two Humvees to provide it mobility
on the ground in Brazzaville. The Combat Talon
contingent consisted of the seven-man Whisk 05
crew, and a special tactics team led by Captain Collins.
Other USAF personnel making up the deployment
package included Staff Sergeant McAlister,
dedicated crew chief; Senior Airman Zdancewicz,
turbo prop specialist; Airman First Class Burghardt,
security police (force protection); Airman
First Class Evans, security police (force protection);
and Captain Jones, 352d SOG logistics planner. 86
The combined package included 30 personnel,
their gear, and the two Humvees. Each Humvee
was loaded with additional water, ammunition,
and rations needed for an extended operation. In
total more than 22,000 pounds of equipment was
loaded on board the one Combat Talon. For the
mission the crew had to use the emergency war
planning weight of 175,000 pounds. Three IFRs
were scheduled to allow the Combat Talon to
make the long flight nonstop. On Tuesday, 10
June 1997, at 0100Z, aircraft 86-1699, call sign
Whisk 05, departed Stuttgart and headed south
towards the Mediterranean and into Algerian airspace.
The second Combat Talon crew, in aircraft
87-0023, went back into crew rest and was placed
in alert status at Stuttgart for follow-on tasking. 87
Whisk 05 rendezvoused with two KC-135 tankers
over Algeria four hours and 45 minutes after
takeoff and began the first of three IFRs. Although
Algerian overflight had been approved to reduce
the deployment time, the lack of suitable alternate
airfields over the vast Sahara Desert required the
crew to refuel up to 175,000 pounds during each
refueling. Because of the high outside temperature
and the aircraft’s heavy gross weight, the last
10,000 pounds of fuel had to be onloaded during a
descent (or toboggan) maneuver. Rising terrain
and extended time on the boom taxed the Talon
crew, but after two hours and 30 minutes of taking
fuel during the three refuelings, the Talon departed
the southern end of the refueling track and
headed into Niger. Brazzaville was still six hours
away, and the Combat Talon had to fly over Niger,
Nigeria, and Cameroon to get to its destination
(fig. 52). At approximately four hours out from
landing, Whisk 05 was informed by way of secure
satellite radio to expect evacuees when they arrived.
Two hours out from landing, crew loadmasters
handed out flak jackets and prepared their weapons,
and maintenance personnel assisted in positioning
Kevlar mats to be used to protect the
evacuees during departure. 88
At approximately 15 miles north of Brazzaville,
the EUCOM Command Center informed the crew
that a firefight was occurring near the control
tower. The crew was directed to hold north of the
airfield and was asked how long could it hold before
having to divert. With only 20 minutes of fuel
reserve remaining, Whisk 05 requested permission
from EUCOM to land if the French forces controlling
the airfield cleared the aircraft for landing.
EUCOM responded with permission to continue
but stated that the crew assumed the risk associated
with its action. The Talon was subsequently
cleared for the approach by a French controller in
the tower, and the crew flew a self-contained approach
to runway 06. The crew made a textbook
approach, turning tightly around mountains north
of the airfield and avoiding built-up areas to the
west. In broad daylight and with the firefight
barely contained, the Talon crew touched down at
1521Z after a 14.4-hour flight from Stuttgart. The
aircraft was instructed to remain on the runway
and to taxi to the departure end. Once there the
loadmasters began a rapid off-load of the ESAT
and its two Humvees. The Kevlar bulletproof mats
were installed on the aircraft floor, and within five
minutes of the initial landing, the aircraft was
fully prepared to accept its passengers. 89
A cordon of French forces established a perimeter
around the tall grass on either side of the Combat
Talon, and additional French soldiers escorted the
evacuees from the aero club hangar to the awaiting
aircraft. In total 56 scared, confused, and shellshocked
noncombatants were rapidly loaded on to
the Combat Talon. The ESAT team came under
fire as it waited for the aircraft to finish the loading
process. At 1544Z, just 23 minutes after landing,
Whisk 05 was again airborne and headed for
its next destination of Libreville, Gabon. After another
2.4 hours of flying time, the aircraft landed
with 30 Americans and 26 nationals from 11 different
countries and 9,000 pounds of fuel remaining.
In total the crew logged 16.8 hours and flew a
grueling 21-hour crew duty day.* 90
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*The 7th SOS crew was awarded the 1997 MacKay Trophy for the “most meritorious flight for the year by either an Air Force military member or
an aircrew.” The award also recognized the crew for “gallantry, intrepidity, unusual initiative, resourcefulness, and achievement of outstanding
results.” Personnel receiving the prestigious award were Lieutenant Colonel Kisner, Major (Dr.) Michaelson, Captain Baker, Captain Foster,
Captain Ramsey, Captain Toth, Master Sergeant Scott, Tech Sergeant Baker, Staff Sergeant Hensdill, and Staff Sergeant Hoyt. 91
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