Near BZE International Airport, Ladyville, Belize, 0700 Hours, October 26th, 2009
The Guatemalan jeeps, tanks, LAVs, troop haulers, and cargo trucks rumbled toward the airport in a long, slow-moving line, kicking up streamers of dust that drifted sluggishly above the semi-paved road. The terrain on either side rose in low, thicketed bluffs, with shaggy fingers of tropical growth creeping downward from their slopes, barely shying from the hard track. Concealed by the foliage, a platoon of the 82nd’s 3/325th Alpha Company intently watched the convoy approach the kill zone. They had been lurking in ambush since dawn.
As he steered over the pockmarked road, the driver at the head of the procession was telling his partner about some good whiskey he’d looted from a Belizean resort near the coast. He was also telling him about a beautiful desk clerk at the hotel whom he had his eye on. She’d said she wasn’t interested and that she was engaged to be married. However, he intended to have his way with her regardless of what she told him. As soon as they finished off the Americans at the airport, he would get back to that hotel and show her what he thought of her refusal. He was about to tell his passenger exactly how he would show her when the leader of the hidden airborne ambush team squeezed the clacker of his remote detonator, setting off a camouflaged anti-vehicular mine that had been planted inches from the center of the road.
The air shuddered with an incredible blast, catapulting the jeep driver from his seat, the explosion sucking the scream from his throat. The jeep lurched wildly forward, its tires rupturing in squalls of rubber as hundreds of fragments sprayed from the mine and went tearing into them. All down the line, vehicles slammed each other with grinding metal-on-metal shrieks. An instant later, Alpha Company opened fire, hitting the convoy with everything they had. Machine guns, combat rifles, 40mm grenades and 60mm mortar rounds, as well as Predator and Javelin antitank missiles, streaked from the flanking brush. The Guatemalans desperately began fighting back, pounding the embankment with their own substantial armament.
Convinced his team needed a helping hand, Alpha’s commander ordered his radio man to call in for air support on his SINCGARS radio, which automatically began transmitting the team’s location to a GSS satellite receiver. Within minutes, a quartet of OH58-Delta Kiowa Warriors launched from the deck of the USS John C. Stennis, the Screaming Eagles of the 101st having arrived with their naval escort earlier that morning. Their electro-optical MMS “beachballs” occasionally poking above the treetops, they flew towards Alpha’s coordinates in nap-of-the-earth flight, and came buzzing down on the crippled Guatemalan mech unit with Hellfire missiles and 2.75”/70mm rockets flashing from their weapons pods. Evacuating their devastated armor amid a shower of flame and burning debris, the Guatemalans signaled their surrender with flares, frantically waving hands, and any white shreds of cloth they could find.
Over Guatemala, 0800 Hours, October 26th, 2009
The formation of four F-15E Strike Eagles had flown non-stop from Mountain Home AFB in Idaho in two four-ship formations, accompanied by a group of two F-16C Fighting Falcons, and two F-15C Eagle fighters as escorts. The Strike Eagles were armed with a full combat load of laser-guided bombs, AGM-154A JSOW guided cluster bomb dispensers, LANTIRN targeting pods, and air-to-air missiles. In addition to carrying their own mix of air-to-air ordnance, the Fighting Falcons each bore a pair of HARM anti-radiation missiles and a sensor pod for targeting them. Their mission had been planned in precise detail and was highly specific: They were to level a Guatemalan army headquarters located about five klicks southwest of the nation’s capital. At the same time, other strike groups would be taking out a host of designated military installations in and around Guatemala City, as well as Army and Naval bases throughout the country. Airstrips, leadership targets, and communications centers were the prime focus of these operations, and a painstaking effort had been made to keep collateral property damage and civilian casualties to a minimum.
Jinking to elude the light flak coming from below, the lead aircraft’s pilot lined up the rooftop of the headquarters building in his HUD, monitoring the various readouts superimposed over the display’s infrared image. The weapons systems officer in the backseat had already activated the LANTIRN pod to range and lock on the target. All that remained now was for the pilot to release his ordnance. Ten seconds later he dropped bombs in two rapid salvos. The headquarters building went up in a rapidly unfolding blossom of flame that could be seen as far as thirty miles away in bright, broad daylight. Mission accomplished.
Within a matter of hours, the Guatemalan forces in Belize had either surrendered or were in full retreat, headed west for the border. In fact, the biggest problem that the Allied forces were having was keeping up, so rapid was the retreat of the invaders for home. The Guatemalan Army had never had much stomach for this adventure, and the overwhelming show of strength had broken them immediately. Already, the port and airfield facilities were pouring forth a torrent of follow-on forces that were being flown in. At the same time, the Belizean government had been liberated by units of the Army Delta Force, which had flown their AH-6 “Little Bird” helicopters to the Government House from the rear deck of the USS Bunker Hill. For Belize, the damage from Guatemalan looting and pillaging had been minimized, mostly because they had not been given the leisure time that Iraq had been given in Kuwait. As it turned out, this was a good thing for everyone involved. Except, that was, for the Guatemalan leadership that had survived the airstrikes.
Guatemala City, Guatemala, 1600 Hours, October 31st, 2009
The riots had been going on for days. General Hidalgo Guzman sat behind a broad oak desk in his executive office, the blinds drawn over the windows overlooking the square, the windows themselves tightly shut to dampen the angry clamor below. Days, he thought, staring down at the desk blotter, down at the loaded 9mm pistol he had slid from his shoulder holster and placed in front of him on the desk blotter. Days ago, he’d believed he was on the verge of attaining near-boundless wealth: a king’s ransom for himself and economic prosperity for his country. The perfect equation for holding onto power. He would have been a modern Cabrera, a bringer of light, a lordly figure whose stature would eclipse the three towering volcanoes on the national crest.
Then the airborne invasion had come, and his cousin, Eduardo Alcazar, had advised him to declare an unconditional cease-fire with the Americans and begin his withdrawal from Belize. Guillardo had advised against it, stating that favorable terms might yet be negotiated. Now both men were dead, having perished together in a bombing that had killed three other members of Guzman’s junta as well. They were dead, and much of Guatemala City was in ruins from the burning and looting that had followed the air strikes, and the mob outside blamed him for the destruction. Blamed him for the casualties the armed forces had suffered. Blamed him for the political isolation into which his country had fallen.
He could hear them in the plaza, shouting up at him, cursing his very name, demanding that he resign as President. But for a few loyal guard units, the army had joined their rebellion. He could hear them, yes. Their voices loud through the windows, so deafeningly, maddeningly loud out there in the plaza. It was only a matter of time before they came for him. His surviving Cabinet Ministers had fled the capital, advising him to join them, to remain in a hideaway until a means could be found to exit the country.
Guzman looked at the gun on his desk blotter and reached for it. Outside, he could hear the mob. He was no rodent. Not a lowly, fearful creature that would burrow down into a hole in the ground. He could now hear the mob calling for him, crying out for his blood. He would not cower.
“Gloria,” he muttered.
And then, taking a long, deep breath, Guzman reached for the pistol, shoved its barrel against the bottom of his jaw, and pulled the trigger, blowing the contents of his head all over the office walls.
Government House, Belize City, 1600 Hours, October 31, 2009
The celebration had been going on for days. Out on the wide front steps of
the capital building, Prime Minister Hawkins was dancing with a pretty little girl who had leapt out of the crowd to hand him a bright red flower. He put the stem behind his ear and laughed, and she giggled, and both clapped their hands. Behind her on the street, her older sister was talking to a paratrooper with an 82nd Airborne patch on his shoulder; a band was playing raucous salsa music; and people were waving banners, many emblazoned with the word LIBERDAD, many more covered with praises to the American and British soldiers who had ousted the Guatemalans from their nation.
Freedom, Hawkins thought, his smile beaming out at the festive citizens. Freedom, it was glorious, wasn’t it? Absolutely, immeasurably glorious.
Conclusion
As I close this volume in my series of guided tours of military units, it is hard not to feel that series been given a special gift with this look at the 82nd Airborne Division. With the possible exception of the U.S. Marine Corps, no other military formation of any real size in the world today combines both the spirit of the offensive and the strategic mobility of the 82nd. It is these qualities, as well as their year-round readiness for any mission with which they may be tasked, that make the 82nd so valuable in the minds of Presidents and their staffs. These same virtues make them both revered by our allies, as well as feared and reviled by our enemies. This is quite a range of emotions to be generated by a community of only around 20,000 Army personnel. But then again, if several thousand of them can arrive on top of your most valuable military installation within thirty-six hours of you offending the sensibilities of an American President, well then perhaps the reputation is well deserved.
Today, as the airborne forces of the U.S. Army enter their sixth decade of service to the nation, they are uniquely placed for service as the world enters a new millennium. Their mobility and speed make them ideal for the fast-breaking crisis situations that have been becoming the norm in the post-Cold War environment that we have been stumbling through for the last few years. More important, the personnel of the 82nd Airborne possess a unique adaptability, which allows them to rapidly adjust to new equipment, tactics, and situations. Their motto of, “... All the Way!,” is more than just a boastful yell. It is a heritage that they have proven in combat, and paid for in the blood of fallen paratroops from the dusty hills of Sicily, to the hedgerows and polder country of Northwest Europe, to the sands of the Persian Gulf. This is why the Army trusts the 82nd to wring out some of their newest systems like the new Javelin anti-tank missile. The leadership knows that the 82nd will get the most from it, and show the rest of the soldiers in the Army how to use it in the best possible way. They also know that when things in a crisis situation fail to go according to plan, airborne troopers will make the most of a bad situation. These facts alone guarantee that if the Army were to shrink to just one division, it would probably be the 82nd Airborne that would remain standing. In an Army that is currently struggling to redefine, restructure, and resize itself in the fiscal realities of the post—Cold War world, this is saying a great deal indeed!
So with all this said, just what is the future of the 82nd’s troopers as we transition in the uncertain global situation that will be the early 21 st century? Well, for starters, some things about the 82nd will never change. This is a good thing, because these are the prime characteristics that make the unit so special. The history and traditions will continue to be celebrated and remembered, and will undoubtedly grow as the division moves into the next century. In addition, three brigade task forces will undoubtedly stay in place for the foreseeable future, standing their eighteen week cycle on ready alert “just in case.” As America’s “Fire Brigade,” the 82nd will always draw the crisis responses, wherever the problem may be in the world. This is the job that the “All-Americans” signed up for when they first went to Jump School, and it is what they live for in the Army.
Beyond the metaphysical things that will always make the 82nd unique, there are also the physical and equipment attributes that will define the Division’s capabilities after 2001. Already, the airborne troopers of the 82nd are receiving the new fire-and-forget Javelin anti-tank missile, as well as a host of new command, control, and communications systems. By the early years of the 21 st century, the list of new airborne weapons may include such high visibility items as the RAH-66 Comanche stealth reconnaissance/attack helicopter, as well as the N-LOS and EFOG-M fire support systems. It is the load of the individual trooper, though, that may most change the capabilities of the 82nd’s soldiers. Depending what comes out of the Force XXI/Land Warrior XXI programs, the airborne trooper of the early 21st century may look a lot like Robert Heinlien’s vision of such soldiers in his classic novel, Starship Troopers. In this marvelous yarn, he has the paratroops of a far future deploying from orbiting starships, clad in powered armor combat suits, linked into a digital combat network. Amazing as it sounds, by the 2025 timeframe, the airborne trooper will probably be halfway to what Heinlien envisioned. Starship troopers? Well, perhaps not quite yet. But the vision is out there, and certainly the raw material, the young paratroops of the 82nd, will be there when the engineers and bureaucrats get around to issuing the gear to the force.
Whatever they wear and however they are delivered into combat, the troopers of the 82nd Airborne will always be special warriors in America’s armed forces. We ask of them a measure of courage and devotion that transcends the technical skills of shooting and jumping into combat. The airborne lifestyle is itself the ultimate test of the paratrooper. The eighteen week training/alert cycle places extraordinary strains on the men and women of the Division, especially on their personal lives. Knowing that a loved one may be flying off to a war on the other side of the world must make every phone and beeper call a thing of terror to the friends, family, and loved ones of the 82nd’s troopers. These extraordinary people are themselves warriors, and you see the signs of their support along the streets and boulevards of Fort Bragg and Fayetteville, NC. For them, I offer my highest praise and thanks as an American. Because of you and your troopers, the rest of us can sleep soundly at night.
With this, I close this volume, the fifth in this series. One final thought, though. These have been tough times for the Army, with numerous news stories going out over the airwaves about racial and sexual harassment problems within the force. Let me say, though, that our armed forces are still a great place for young people to build a future and find a profession. On the whole, the soldiers that I know are honorable men and women that I am proud to call my friends. So for those of you who may have children or friends who are considering a career in the military, please encourage them to give it a try. I think you will be proud that you did so. Proud of them, proud of our country, and proud that you supported them in their decision. I know that I would be.
Glossary
A-10 Air Force single seat, twin turbofan close support aircraft, nicknamed “Warthog.” Armed with 30mm automatic cannon and heavily armored. About 650 produced.
ACC Air Combat Command. Major command of the USAF formed in 1992 by the merger of Strategic Air Command (bombers and tankers) and Tactical Air Command (fighters).
AFB Air Force Base. NATO or Allied bases are usually identified simply as AB (air base). The Royal Air Force designates its bases by place name, i.e. RAF Lakenheath.
Afterburner Device that injects fuel into the exhaust nozzle of a jet engine, boosting thrust at the cost of greater fuel consumption. Called “Reheat” by the British.
AGL Above Ground Level. A practical way of measuring altitude for pilots, even though engineers prefer the more absolute measure ASL, “Above Sea Level.”
AGS Armored Gun System. Innovative light tank with 105mm cannon, intended to replace M551 Sheridan in the 82nd Airborne. Program cancelled in 1996.
AH-64 Army McDonnell Douglas “Apache” attack helicopter. Armed with 20mm cannon and various missiles or rockets. Equipped with laser designator and night-vision capability. Over 750 in service. Some units to be upgraded with advanced Longbow radar in late 1990s.
/> AI Airborne Intercept; usually used to describe a type of radar or missile.
AIM-9 Sidewinder Heat-seeking missile family, used by the Air Force, Navy, Marines, Army, and many export customers. Variants are designated by a letter, such as AIM-9L or AIM-9X.
AIT Advanced Individual Training. Where you go after Basic Training.
ALICE All-purpose, Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment
AMC Air Mobility Command. Major USAF command that controls most transports and tankers. Based at Scott AFB, Illinois.
AMRAAM AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile. First modern air-to-air missile to use programmable microprocessors with active radar homing (missile has its own radar transmitter, allowing “fire and forget” tactics).
ANG Air National Guard. Combat and support units nominally under the authority of state governments, manned largely by part-time veterans (“weekend warriors”) including many commercial airline pilots. Administratively distinct from Air Force Reserve.
AOC Air Operations Center.
AOR Area of Responsibility (“trouble spot”).
APFT Army Physical Fitness Test.
API Armor Piercing Incendiary. A type of ammunition favored for use against armored ground vehicles.
APU Auxiliary Power Unit. A small turbine engine with associated electrical generators and hydraulic pumps. Used on many aircraft and some combat vehicles to provide starting and standby power without having to run main engines.
AT-4 84mm shoulder-fired rocket launcher based on a Swedish design. Modern version of the bazooka.
ATACMS Army Tactical Missile System. Long-range precision-guided heavy artillery rocket used against deep, high-value targets, such as missile sites and command/control centers.