• We have updated the guidelines regarding posting political content: please see the stickied thread on Website Issues.

Roundabout way of sending in the Air Force

Leaferne

Gone But Not Forgotten
(ACCOUNT RETIRED)
Joined
Feb 7, 2004
Messages
2,713
Came across this recently:

It took a while to surface, but it appears that a long-distance credit card may have saved a U.S. Army unit from heavy casualties during the Grenada military rescue/invasion. Major General David Nichols, Air Force ... said the Army unit was in a house surrounded by Cuban forces. One soldier found a telephone and, using his credit card, called Ft. Bragg, N.C., telling Army officiers [sic] there of the perilous situation. The officers in turn called the Air Force, which sent in gunships to scatter the Cubans and relieve the unit.
-- Aviation Week and Space Technology

I don't have a date for the source...am wondering if this actually happened? It's very Strangelovian.
 
Yes - it really happened. I believe the incident even featured in a movie.
 
Comms in the US military used to be pretty abysmal with them employing a host of different incompatible systems. IIRC this was one of the things that led to the failed rescue attempt of the US hostages in Tehran.
 
You can't believe all you hear/read about Amercian Servicemen on operations. That episode with that young woman soldier is a fine example. When she was in hospital and the special forces had to rescue her was blown out of proportion. And her actions in the incident that got her in the Iraqi hospital in the first place leave a lot to be desired.
 
Back
Top