16 SOS ACFT #69569 BONEYARD RETIREMENT UPDATE!  Photos/Story of the Ceremony

NEW:  Great story about the new aircraft coming SOON:  http://breakingdefense.com/2015/03/afsoc-rebuilds-air-burning-fleet-under-new-co-lt-gen-heithold/

Cool Story:  Spectre Pilot sets Guinness World Record "The Oldest Active Pilot"

SACRAMENTO — Peter Weber Jr. flew a plane for about 20 minutes on a recent Monday. The flight was nothing fancy, just three looping circles around an area airfield. But it could nonetheless snag a Guinness world record for him.

Weber, 95, told reporters gathered to witness the event that the Monday flight qualifies him as the oldest active pilot.

“I feel great,” the retired U.S. Air Force veteran said after landing and turning in the keys of the rental plane. “It was a short flight, but it was all the (Guinness) requirements.”

For the record: Weber was 95 years, 4 months and 23 days old at the time of the flight.

Weber and his son, Pete Weber III, who also flies, started looking into the record after they wondered whether the elder Weber was the oldest pilot in California.

Guinness lists Cole Kugel as the oldest pilot ever. Kugel, who lived in Longmont, Colo., flew for the last time in 2007 at age 105. He died the same year.

Weber, who exchanged emails with Guinness over many weeks, said the record keepers have designated a new category: Oldest qualified pilot still licensed and flying solo.

Weber’s record attempt comes as most people his age consider giving up driving a car, said Jessica Gonzalez, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Motor Vehicles. Forty percent of Californians over the age of 85 are licensed drivers, according to DMV and census records. Weber is one of them.

Private pilots over 40 are required to have medical exams every 24 months. The number of pilots over 90 with valid medical clearances totaled 106 as of June 2013, said Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration’s Pacific Division.

“If somebody passes me up, I’ll call them up and congratulate them,” Weber said.

On the potential record-setting flight, he flew alone in a rented Diamond DA20. It’s one of 37 plane models he’s flown in his 72 years as a pilot.

Weber’s military career began in the Army’s combat engineers unit. However, after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, he passed the test to be an aviation cadet and started his flying career in the Army Air Corps, forerunner of the U.S. Air Force.

During World War II, he flew P-38 fighters in the South Pacific, was an instrument flight instructor during the Korean War and flew an AC-130 gunship in Vietnam.

Weber, who began military service as a private, retired from the Air Force in 1970 as a lieutenant colonel. Since then he has flown for fun.

“I like to fly,” he said. “I fly at least twice a month. I like to observe and take anybody up for a ride who wants to go.”

He said that his good health, mental acuity and long life can be traced in part to his diet.

“My wife, Ruth, is a good cook,” he said. “We’ve been married 72 years. I was a cadet in primary flight training when we got married.”

Read the FULL ONLINE STORY

AIR COMMANDO ASSOCIATION
SUMMER 2014 JOURNAL
AC-130 H Gunships 'Spectre'
Vol 3, Issue 2

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UPDATE:  OFFICIAL H-MODEL RETIREMENT CEREMONY

Date:  6 May 2014
Location:  Canon AFB, NM
Guest Speaker:  Lt Gen Fiel

Ceremony was awesome!  A special Thank You to the men and women of the 16th SOS for hosting this great event and all the super hospitality to the former Spectres that attended.  The highlight was the dedication of Acft 69-6572 at the airpark

Special THANKS to Ed Metz for his $100 Donation to the Spectre Scholarship Fund in Memory of his buddy (and all of ours) Gunner Larry Hickey.  Thanks Ed as well for the Photo of Larry's Memorial

More Prayers Needed: Bob Pike has Lung Cancer. He is in Tucson Medical Center, they are going to do biopsy on him 3/7/2014

WOW!!!
AC-130 SPECTRE BRIETLING WATCH

NEW!!!  1st Spectre Association Reunion Original Newspaper Article!  From (then) SMSgt Jim McHale.  Thanks Jim for sharing!

NEW!!!  Compliments of grimriper2u@yahoo.com and BOB WOLFE
EVERY Version of Ghostriders in the Sky!!!  Just click the "Play" VCR Button Below and the forward and back buttons for next versions...enjoy!!!

Jan 18, 2013 Hurlburt Warrior Newspaper
"The most fearsome weapon is evolving" featured on pg. 14

And DON'T MISS our President, Bill Walter, featured on pg. 4 as well!
Thanks to Don "The Chief" Beardsley for sending this in!

16 SOS CHANGE OF COMMAND

U.S. Air Force Col. Bill West, 27th Special Operations Group commander, Lt. Col. Tracy Onufer, 16th Special Operations Squadron relinquishing commander, and Lt. Col. James Mott, 16 SOS commander, stand as they commence the 16 SOS change of command ceremony at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., Nov. 9, 2012. The 16 SOS flies the AC-130H Spectre gunship and provides air support. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Jette Carr)

NEW!!!  New Videos from Ubon 1972 Donated by Larry "LiL Pete" Peterson...Thanks LiL Pete! AND 1970 "Sockey Game"
Photos of Spectre -v- Special Forces

Recently Declassified Report on
Fixed Wing Gunships in SEA!

Also NEW:  LOTS of NEW Photos of Rescue of "Spectre 22" and...
A Night to Remember Rescue of Spectre 22
...by Gunner Bob Jacobs

NEW Aircraft Audio from March 30, 1972
Spectre 22 MayDay
Spectre 22 Rescue

Full Page of NEW 1969Ubon Photos

from Gunner Len Johnson

Also...May 25, 1969 Ubon Stars and Stripes Article on the Loss of #629

A small Christmas Gift from us all!  Downloadable Christmas cards to email to your friends.  Just click on the small image then right click, "Save Image as" to save to your computer and email away!  Merry Christmas!!!

Ret CMSgt Anthony (Tony) Denoi was honored this year at the Mercer Memorial Day 500 on Memorial Day May 30, 2011.  Please congratulate Tony if you know him!

Link to Photo Page

16 SOS NEWS:  HISTORY IS MADE

The 16th Special Operations Squadron has it's FIRST Female Commander! 

Congratulations to Lt. Col Tracy Onufer who took Command of the 16 SOS on 22 Feb 2011

January 2012 IS THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE LOSS OF
"Spirit 03" Gulf War, Jan 31, 1991 (Aircraft 69-6567)

Shot down near the Kuwaiti border while supporting the Marines during the first Iraq offensive on January 31, 1991. The Air Force's biggest single lost of the Gulf War (14 out of 20 Air Force Personnel killed in the Gulf War were from Spirit 03).  See more info on Spirit 03 Page

Need Help with Names on all Photos for accuracy.  Please send me your inputs.  Start with brand new crew photo on lower Vietnam Pg 14.  Thanks!  ALSO, check out the funny stories under Spectre History, Hootch Stories.  -PJ Cook

16 SOS Has Moved to NM!

Click on Hurlburt Warrior Pic to read more.  We will miss you guys & gals and of course, the
H-Models!

I came across this picture that Ed told me to keep from a dinner - he did not put names on it.  Copilot lower left and pilot right next to him on the left.  Co-Pilot was on his way home next day... so must have been a goodbye party.  Apparently there are more and I will search them out.  Might this particular one tweak someone's memory.

Thank you.  If you have any info, please contact Charlotte Hughes:  hughes37@sbcglobal.net

FRIENDS OF THE "FIRST LADY" (A-Model ACFT 129) REUNION
Was a HUGE Sucess!  Thanks to all who attended!

Membership HAS its Privileges!  Only 105 Made...105 SOLD! 
KIMBER .45 COMMEMORATIVE GUNSHIP PROJECT
ALL 105 SOLD!!!  Thanks  UPDATE:  The Spectre Board of Directors, by unanimous vote, has purchased a Kimber .45 Commemorative Gunship Pistol with Spectre logo laser engraved presentation case.  This fine collector's weapon will be raffled off during the Oct Reunion.  See Kimber Page for Details

NOTICE TO MEMBERS-- The raffle will still be conducted at our annual reunion.  Please visit the Kimber page for easy to understand Raffle Details.  See you at the Sheraton in Ft Walton Beach this October.

Battle of An Loc Veterans (Crew Members):  The FAC who was involved with the Battle of An Loc in early April of 1972 is looking to contact crew members from SPECTRE who were part of the support package.  Specifically, he is attempting to contact the Pilots/FCO/NAV of Spectre 05 and Spectre 14 on the 7th of April 1972 missions.  He is also looking for any audio tapes members may have.  You can contact him through the following web site:  http://www.anloc.org/  Thanks!

IRAQ and the AC-130 Article
(Published with Permission from Author: Maj Robert J. Seifert and WSTIAC Quarterly)

15TH Anniversary of Jockey 14 Crash off the Kenyon Coast.  Click to go to page. 
"we will never forget our comrades"!

"Friends of the First Lady" (AC-130A 129) Reunion April 25, 2009 Eglin Armament Museum Click for info

Looking for Battle of An Loc Crew Members Spectre 05/14 Click Here

 AND

"SS Mayaguez" Spectre Veterans Click here

"SS Mayaguez" Spectre Veterans:

I've been involved with a group of veterans (primarily Marines) who have organized to commemorate and honor those involved in the rescue and recovery of the SS Mayaguez and its crew in 1975. They have adopted the name "Koh Tang Beach Club" after the Cambodian island where hostilities primarily occurred.

To date, I'm the only Spectre type who has participated in their reunions. The next one is scheduled to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the event in May 2010. They have asked my help in identifying other Spectre personnel who participated for the purposes of inviting them to the next reunion.

Words cannot explain the degree of gratitude these men felt for the air cover provided by the USAF and especially Spectre. Many have told me that they would almost certainly have been overrun without it.

Please contact me with details. Thank you,

draatz1@cox.net   Don Raatz, Low Light TV Operator, 16th SOS, 1975

Flying squadron's first female commander has "skills, poise and guts"

1st Female Gunship Commander!!!
Lt. Col. Brenda Cartier becomes then first woman to command an
Air Force Special Operations flying squadron
Click above text to go to story below

Lt. Col. Brenda Cartier becomes then first woman to command an Air Force Special Operations flying squadron (Courtesy of Air Force Times)

Lt. Col. Brenda Cartier became the first female to command an Air Force Special Operations Command flying squadron Feb. 20 when she took command of the 4th Special Operations Squadron Ghostriders.

Cartier’s ascension comes 16 years after the Air Force first allowed women to fly combat missions and four and a half years after Lt. Col. Martha McSally became the first female to command an Air Force combat flying squadron.

Despite the time lapse, the AC-130U Spooky II fire control officer said AFSOC is “right on time” for having a female command a flying squadron and is pleased “the gender issue is becoming less and less highlighted.”

Cartier said she was one of many female junior officers to cross-train into combat aircraft after the Air Force lifted the ban in 1993 and expects to see more Air Force women taking command positions soon.

“To get to this point it takes a long time,” she said. “AFSOC is careful about developing its leadership and this is a culmination of that.”

Cartier graduated from undergraduate navigation training the same year women started flying combat missions, but missed the cut by a couple of months. She navigated E-3 AWACS her first four years, which included deployments to Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

She transferred to AC-130Us in 1997 and has since logged over 4,000 flying hours aboard the gunship. Cartier has deployed four times to Iraq and Afghanistan and flew aboard one of the first AC-130Us to cross the Iraq border, providing cover fire for special operations teams during the invasion.

However, a mission that stands out for Cartier is one when she never fired a shot. She was the fire control officer on one of two AC-130Us that flew over the special operations team that rescued Army Pfc. Jessica Lynch, the soldier captured by Iraq forces in 2003.

“Fire control officers like to shoot — but that night we didn’t have to shoot because the operation went so well and I was pretty happy about it,” Cartier said.

Cartier assumed command from her boss, Lt. Col. Jim Rodriquez, during a ceremony in Commando Hangar at Hurlburt Field, Fla. She had served as the squadron’s operations officer since 2007, which is the same year AFSOC named the Ghostriders the command’s top flying squadron.

In June, the Air Force awarded three 4th SOS airmen Distinguished Flying Crosses for a September 2007 mission in Iraq during which the Spooky II crew protected a Navy SEAL team from an insurgent attack.

“There is no doubt Brenda Cartier is the perfect officer to lead the 4th SOS into the future,” Col Dennis Pannell, 1st Special Operations Group commander, said during the ceremony. “She has the skill, poise and guts to take this squadron to the next level.

1st Spectre Qualified/Special Operator USAF Chief of Staff!

 General Schwartz assumes command of Air Force!

General Schwartz began his Air Force career in 1973 after graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy with a bachelor's degree in political science and international affairs. During his 35-year career, he has logged more than 4,400 flying hours in a variety of aircraft and participated in war and peacetime operations in Vietnam, Iraq and Cambodia.

He served in several other command assignments, including Special Operations Command Pacific, Alaskan Command, Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command Region, and 11th Air Force. He also served as director of the Joint Staff at the Pentagon.

Many of us personally worked and flew with "Norty" on Spectre and can attest he is the "Best of the Best" General Officer, Leader, and Friend.  "Norty" was always truly friend of the Enlisted and Officer alike and often came to his Senior Enlisted to get a true "pulse" of the feeling of the men and women at Hurlburt.  We all congratulate him and his wife Suzie and wish him the best as he leads the entire Air Force!  We are in Great hands with "Norty" on the controls! 
Gen Norton Schwartz Bio

More 16 SOS News...
Cannon-aide: The Air Force signed the movement directive May 12 that formally authorizes the relocation of the 16th Special Operations Squadron and its eight AC130Hgunships from Hurlburt Field, Fla., to Cannon AFB, N.M, Air Force Special Operations Command announced May 15. The 16th SOS, formerly a part of Hurlburt's 1st Special Operations Wing, will transfer to the 27th SOW at Cannon, AFSOC's western hub since October 2007. The command anticipates the move of the gunships and associated aircrews and support personnel to be complete by November 2009, with an initial cadre moving this summer and the majority of the squadron in April 2009, AFSOC said. The transfer will involve approximately 600 positions. Members of the New Mexico Congressional delegation welcomed the news--which they got wind of prior to the public announcement--in a joint statement May 14.

I was on the af.mil site and found a NEW 16 SOS Patch.

Here is the official description:

16th Special Operations Squadron Emblem significance: Ultramarine blue and Air Force yellow are the Air Force colors. Blue alludes to the sky, the primary theater of Air Force operations. Yellow refers to the sun and the excellence required of Air Force personnel.

The Spectre has been a symbol of the 16th Special Operations Squadron and the AC-130 gunship since inception in the late 1960's. The Spectre appearing at night in a "covert" manner represents the unit's special operations mission.  It also represents the unit's gunship nighttime mission, to attack quickly and precisely and then vanish; much like the phantoms of folklore do. The unit's motto "Spectre" represents the nickname of the aircraft the squadron has flown since the Vietnam War and the "Spectre" symbol.

-PJ                                       Click on the patch to open a larger version.

National POW-MIA Remembrance Day is celebrated the third Friday of September in honor of all Prisoners of War (POWs) and soldiers who are considered
Missing in Action (MIA)

and  HAPPY 62nd BIRTHDAY USAF!!!

NEW: Thomas Hoza sent in some awesome photos of the guys and Ubon 69-70...Thanks Tom!