William Walter - Ghostriders 1976-1995

Advance P raise for Ghostriders 1976-1995

I am honored to provide the introduction to William Walters second deep dive into the combat history of the USAF side-firing gunships.

My involvement has lasted over four decades. Beginning in the 16th Special Operations Squadron, 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, Ubon, Thailand in 1970 as a Pilot Instructor, Flight Examiner, and Maintenance Officer. Over the years, I have continued to support a weapon system that continues to play a significant role in our National Security and Joint Force s mission.

The poem Invictus (1875) by William Ernest Henley excerpts: Out of the night that covers me; My head is blooded but unbowed. Beyond this place of wrath and tears. Finds and shall find me unafraid. I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul.

As you read the history, 19761995, I believe you will see the relevance of the above. It is an exacting and personal history of heroism, dedication, and loss.

Beginning in 1968, the value of the Gunship was firmly established as a viable and deadly weapon of war. This is well documented in William Walters Ghostriders 19681975. Employment limitations such as AAA threat, altitude, and day operations were established in deadly combat. Over the years, continued improvement of its unique capabilities often have been disrupted by changes in DOD command structure, targeting by budget cutters and tasking by unknowledgeable mission planners.

People are more valuable than hardware is a SOF tenet. Incredible aircrews, maintainers, armorers, and logisticians have magically endured over virtually every situation throw n at them.

What is next? I quote Thomas Wolfes The Right Stuff . When the showdown comes, and the showdown always comesnot all the wealth in the world, or all the sophisticated weapons we could buy would take the place of those who have the uncritical willingness to face danger. Those who, in short, had the Rig ht Stuff.

Read Ghostriders 19761995: Invictus Combat History of the AC-130 Spectre Gunship, Iran, El Salvador, Grenada, Panama, Iraq, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Somalia and salute those with the RIG HT STUFF.

Major General Robert Patterson , USAF (Ret), Former Air Force Component Commander for United States Special Operation s Command.

During the time span of this book, only twenty AC-130s were in existence. The 16th Special Operations Squadron (SOS) inventoried ten AC-130H on active-duty, while the 711 SOS inventoried ten AC-130A gunships as part of the Air Force Reserve. When aircraft and crews returned from Southeast Asia in 1975, there was no centralized training program, no simulators, and no training coded aircraft. AC-130As were scheduled to retire in 1980 and the AC-130H was to be transferred to the 711 SOS. Suffice to say, the once strong AC-130 program was destined to be shut down forever had it not been for one world-changing event.

That event occurred on November 4, 1979, when American Hostages were taken in Iran. Though not fully understood at the time, this mission was the figurative Phoenix element for the AC-130 and other Special Operations units. The time period following Operation Eagle Claw proved to be the setting for one of the busiest times in Spectre history. From 1982 to 1995, AC-130s participated in missions in Grenada, El Salvador, Panama, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Somalia, a nd Bosnia.

Throughout all this, no matter what the mission was, Spectre answered the call. Crewmembers froze in Europe and sweated in Africa and the Middle East, regularly flying at 10,000 feet or higher in unpressurized aircraft. Every deployment had a line of volunteers. Crewmen and Maintainers were proud to be part of Americas fighting force and even prouder to be Spectres.

Colonel Jim Connors, USAF (Ret), 16th Special Operations Squadron Commander

Also by Will iam Walter

Ghostriders 1968-1975: Mors De Caelis Combat History of the AC-130 Spectre Gunship, Vietnam, Laos , Cambodia

A KNOX PRESS BOOK

An Imprint of Permuted Press

ISBN: 978-1-63758-157-5

ISBN (eBook): 978-1-63758-158-2

Ghostriders 1976-1995:

Invictus Combat History of the AC-130 Spectre Gunship, Iran, El Salvador, Grenada, Panama, Iraq, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Somalia

2022 by William Walter

All Rights Reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author and publisher.

Permuted Press, LLC

New York Nashville

permutedpress.com

Published in the United States of America

After conclusion of the war in Southeast Asia in 1975, the USAF considered the side firing AC-130 Gunship an outdated and unnecessary aircraft to fight the Cold War. Nevertheless, Spectre vaulted deep into the shadowy world of special operations, providing persistent and lethal fire support in the Joint Special Operati ons arena.

This book is dedicated to the unsung professionals who operated, maintained, and supported the AC-130 gunship mission from 1976 thr ough 1995.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

AC-130A Gunship 53-3129 was the first production C-130A built and was one of the first four C-130As modified into AC-130 configuration in 1968. (Credit: USAF photo)