Page 119 - Never Fly Solo

92 | NEVER FLY SOLO
he must think I am. I am relieved as I pick him up on my
radar, ten miles off my nose at twenty thousand feet. He
checks us in once again.
“Vipers, check!”
We respond in a crisp monotone cadence: “Two” . . .
“Three” . . . “Four.”
Crossing the Iraqi border as a team, we arm our weapons.
Viper flight is now marching to the same beat, “same way,
same day”—a synchronized formation with a detailed flight
plan and a mission objective. Our radar and radios link us
together. We have situational awareness. We are ready for
battle—no thanks to me. All thanks to my wingmen.
Looking back on this stressful mission, it was a single act
that changed everything for me. One second I was calm, confi-
dent, and mission-ready; the next, I was in the dark, afraid, and
full of doubt—a “second-guesser,” flying solo with no situa-
tional awareness. But with a simple check-in on the radio and
the reassuring sound of my experienced flight lead, I was back
in the game, with my confidence and SA high once again.

TUMBLEWEED

Nobody likes being “in the dark.” The mind can play terrible
games when you find yourself operating in a communication
vacuum; indeed, the most carefully laid plans can be under-
mined, even blown sky high, amid the corrosive doubt
brought on by poor communication. This is particularly true
in combat.
The complete opposite of being in the dark is having high
situational awareness. SA is the very lifeblood of a mission,
and it’s a by-product of knowing where you and your wing-
men are, where you’re going, and all the variables that can