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The Afterburn Podcast

John "Rain" Waters

Strap in the cockpit as we dive into the stories of the men and women who defend the freedoms we love. From the cockpit of military jets to boots on the ground. The Afterburn Podcast dives into their stories, the planes, and the missions.

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#236
Saturday · 1 hr 39 min
Gary "Wolfman" Wolf | A-10 Fighter Pilot
During a close air support mission over Baghdad on 8 April 2003, Maj Gary "Wolfman" Wolf and his A-10 Warthog were struck by an SA-16 MANPADS while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Battle Creek Bourbon: https://shop.winglorespirits.com/pages/commemorative Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/ Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/ 🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫 Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off 🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺 Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#235
September 10 · 27 min
A-10 Hit over Baghdad: The Story of 8 April 2003
During a close air support mission over Baghdad on 8 April 2003, Maj Gary "Wolfman" Wolf and his A-10 Warthog were struck by an SA-16 MANPADS while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Battle Creek Bourbon: https://shop.winglorespirits.com/pages/commemorative 0:00 Intro "Lead's Been Hit" 1:29 The Close Air Support Mission 6:10 Hit by an SA-16 12:44 Jettison Everything 15:33 Escort and Rescue Join Up 16:41 Gear Down 18:55 Battle Creek Bourbon with Wing Lore Spirits 23:44 Mitchell Wolf on Tail Number 258 Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/ 🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫 Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off 🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺 Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#223
August 14 · 40 min
Commanding the Wing That Flew Into Iran | Operation Midnight Hammer | Col Kevin "Flint" Hicok
Col Kevin "Flint" Hicok commanded the 20th Fighter Wing during Operation Midnight Hammer, leading the largest Air Force wing in CENTCOM since Desert Storm. The three-part documentary series is on Afterburn Defense: Part I: https://youtu.be/MgQ_X3Td8a4 Part II: https://youtu.be/GzdL6NMYDso Part III: https://youtu.be/Xc22-2RaGSY Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the people who flew it. This is the full interview with Col. Kevin Hicok, a career F-16 fighter pilot who commanded the F-16 Wild Weasels that flew Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses ahead of the B-2 strike on Iran. Before Iran, the wing fought over Yemen in Operation Rough Rider, a sustained air campaign against Houthi surface-to-air threats. What they learned there is the reason the F-16 Block 50 and the AGM-88 HARM were part of the strike package on June 21st, 2025. These interviews were recorded between December 2025 and January 2026 and preserve firsthand accounts from pilots, maintainers, intelligence officers, and logistics airmen who were there. 0:00 Intro 0:56 Commanding the Largest F-16 Wing in the Air Force 3:49 From a Small Town in Iowa to Fighter Pilot 10:02 Deploying the Whole Wing for the First Time Since Desert Storm 15:23 Operation Rough Rider and the Houthi Drone Threat 17:27 Learning About Operation Midnight Hammer 19:22 Surging 100 More Aircraft and 220 Percent More People 20:20 The Logistics Nobody Sees: Fuel, Water, and 115 Degree Heat 23:17 Sending Airmen Across the Line Into Iran 29:18 When the Last Jet Landed Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/ 🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫 Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off 🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺 Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#222
August 13 · 1 hr 28 min
Why the F-16 Flew Into Iran | Operation Midnight Hammer | Weapons Officers "Cash" and "Ghost"
Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the F-16 Wild Weasel fighter pilots who flew into Iran. Ghost" Trembly and "Cash" Croghan were the wing and squadron weapons officers for the 55th Fighter Squadron, the F-16 Wild Weasels who flew Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses ahead of the B-2 strike on Iran. Watch the three-part documentary series on Afterburn Defense: Part I: https://youtu.be/MgQ_X3Td8a4 Part II: https://youtu.be/GzdL6NMYDso Part III: https://youtu.be/Xc22-2RaGSY They planned the F-16 portion of the strike package. In this conversation, they explain why a fourth-generation fighter flew into Iran alongside the B-2s and F-35s, how the squadron reconfigured from the Yemen fight in a matter of hours, and why nobody in the squadron believed the mission was real until it was. Before Iran, the 55th Fighter Squadron fought over Yemen in Operation Rough Rider, a sustained air campaign against Houthi surface-to-air threats. What they learned there is the reason the F-16 Block 50 and the AGM-88 HARM were part of the strike package on June 21st, 2025. These interviews were recorded between December 2025 and January 2026 and preserve firsthand accounts from pilots, maintainers, intelligence officers, and logistics airmen who were there. 0:00 Preparing the Squadron for Deployment 5:16 New Equipment: AESA Radar and the F-16 Block 50 8:52 Operation Rough Rider: Counter-UAS Over Yemen 15:31 Mission Planning on a Folding Table 21:14 Five Days Out: Nobody Believed It Was Real 28:49 Reconfiguring the Jets From Rockets to HARMs 31:45 The Night "Glitch" Shot a SAM in 8 Seconds and saved "Cash" 41:21 Why the F-16 Was the Only Jet That Could Do It 46:38 The 15-Minute Brief Before Flying Into Iran 49:47 A 300 Mile Ingress Into Iranian Airspace 1:05:50 Is That a Missile Coming Off the Ground 1:12:41 How Tight the Fuel Really Was 1:20:40 Bunker Diving and Life on the Base Please leave us a review on Apple/Spotify Podcasts: Apple - https://apple.co/3dLradT Spotify - https://spoti.fi/3SAeSUr Afterburn Podcast Links: Website – https://www.theafterburnpodcast.com Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/theafterburnpodcast Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rainwaters27/?hl=en Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/ 🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫 Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off 🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺 Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#224
August 13 · 1 hr 49 min
F-16 Compressor Stall Over Iran | Operation Midnight Hammer | "Smalls" & "Scar"
Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the people who flew it. "Smalls" commanded the 55th Fighter Squadron, and "Scar" was one of the F-16 pilots who helped plan and execute the mission. They are the Wild Weasels who flew Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses ahead of the B-2 strike on Iran. Watch the three-part documentary series on Afterburn Defense: Part I: https://youtu.be/MgQ_X3Td8a4 Part II: https://youtu.be/GzdL6NMYDso Part III: https://youtu.be/Xc22-2RaGSY This is the full interview. Both of them flew the mission. In this conversation, they talk about what it means to command a squadron and fly in the same formation, the moment a squadron commander has to let his wingmen push ahead of him, the mechanical failure one of them handled over hostile territory, and what they told their families before they left. Before Iran, the 55th Fighter Squadron fought over Yemen in Operation Rough Rider, a sustained air campaign against Houthi surface-to-air threats. What they learned there is the reason the F-16 Block 50 and the AGM-88 HARM were part of the strike package on June 21st, 2025. These interviews were recorded between December 2025 and January 2026 and preserve firsthand accounts from pilots, maintainers, intelligence officers, and logistics airmen who were there. 0:00 Taking Command of the 55th Fighter Squadron 3:25 The Deployment That Became Something Else 8:33 Shooting Rockets at Drones From an F-16 12:12 Commanding a Squadron in Combat 23:16 Realizing the Threat Was Real 29:34 The Weight of Sending People Out 40:04 From Rough Rider to Midnight Hammer 43:45 Letting My Wingmen Go In First 49:55 Learning About the Iran Mission 54:51 The Phone Call That Changed Everything 1:09:25 The Helmet Mix-Up on the Ramp 1:18:26 Tanker Frequencies and Marshal Delays 1:26:13 Employing Over Iranian Airspace 1:34:02 Compressor Stall Over Enemy Territory 1:39:19 Crossing the Line Back 1:42:22 What They Told Their Families Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/ 🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫 Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off 🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺 Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#226
August 13 · 42 min
8 Seconds to Save my Wingman | Operation Midnight Hammer | F-16 Wild Weasel "Glitch"
Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the people who flew it. "Glitch" was one of the youngest F-16 pilots in the formation, flying his first combat deployment with the Wild Weasels who flew Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses ahead of the B-2 strike on Iran. Watch the three-part documentary series on Afterburn Defense: Part I: https://youtu.be/MgQ_X3Td8a4 Part II: https://youtu.be/GzdL6NMYDso Part III: https://youtu.be/Xc22-2RaGSY This is the full interview. He was woken up at ten at night and told to pack a bag. In this conversation, he talks about the night over Yemen when a surface-to-air missile came off the ground at his formation and he had seconds to respond, why Rough Rider frightened him more than Iran did, the drive out to the jets before the strike, and the call he made to his girlfriend when he could not tell her where he was. Before Iran, the 55th Fighter Squadron fought over Yemen in Operation Rough Rider, a sustained air campaign against Houthi surface-to-air threats. What they learned there is the reason the F-16 Block 50 and the AGM-88 HARM were part of the strike package on June 21st, 2025. These interviews were recorded between December 2025 and January 2026 and preserve firsthand accounts from pilots, maintainers, intelligence officers, and logistics airmen who were there. 0:00 Becoming an F-16 Pilot 2:06 Preparing for the Spring Deployment 3:19 A Threat Environment Nobody Trained For 5:18 What the Outgoing Squadron Warned Them About 8:46 Flying the SEAD Mission in Combat 11:01 First Combat Sortie Over Yemen 12:32 A Missile Launch on My Scope 14:09 Watching a SAM Fired at My Formation 17:28 Getting the Call for Operation Midnight Hammer 21:17 Mission Planning for the Iran Strike 24:23 I Can't Tell You Where I Am 26:15 The Drive Out to the Jets 31:41 Why Yemen Scared Me More Than Iran 35:28 Employing Over Iranian Airspace 37:57 How Tight the Fuel Was Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/ 🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫 Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off 🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺 Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#225
August 13 · 40 min
We'll See You in a Couple of Days" | Operation Midnight Hammer | Director of Ops "Cuffs" Kimber
Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the people who flew it. "Cuffs" was the deployed Director of Operations for the 55th Fighter Squadron, the Wild Weasels who flew Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses ahead of the B-2 strike on Iran. Watch the three-part documentary series on Afterburn Defense: Part I: https://youtu.be/MgQ_X3Td8a4 Part II: https://youtu.be/GzdL6NMYDso Part III: https://youtu.be/Xc22-2RaGSY This is the full interview. He ran the squadron's operations from the main base while the strike launched from somewhere else. In this conversation, he talks about how young the pilots flying this mission actually were, what it took to run a squadron split across two locations, the last handshakes before they stepped, and the wait until he heard they were on their way back. Before Iran, the 55th Fighter Squadron fought over Yemen in Operation Rough Rider, a sustained air campaign against Houthi surface-to-air threats. What they learned there is the reason the F-16 Block 50 and the AGM-88 HARM were part of the strike package on June 21st, 2025. These interviews were recorded between December 2025 and January 2026 and preserve firsthand accounts from pilots, maintainers, intelligence officers, and logistics airmen who were there. 0:00 Spinning Up the Squadron for Deployment 1:43 A Threat Environment Unlike the Last 20 Years 4:09 Why the F-16 Still Matters in This Fight 6:28 Getting Out the Door 9:09 Most of These Pilots Were in Their Twenties 12:11 Learning a New Base and New Configurations 16:28 First Combat Sorties Over Yemen 20:24 Thinking About the Risk to Yourself 22:44 Learning About Operation Midnight Hammer 26:27 Trusting the Weapons Officers to Plan It 28:58 Running a Squadron Split Across Two Locations 32:48 The Night It Happened 36:50 The Last Handshakes Before They Stepped 39:38 Watching Them Come Home Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/ 🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫 Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off 🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺 Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#229
August 13 · 21 min
I Thought Our Pilots Were Not Coming Home | Operation Midnight Hammer | Intel Officer "Glib" Richard
Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the people who flew it. "Glib" was the intelligence officer for the 55th Fighter Squadron, the Wild Weasels who flew Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses ahead of the B-2 strike on Iran. Watch the three-part documentary series on Afterburn Defense: Part I: https://youtu.be/MgQ_X3Td8a4 Part II: https://youtu.be/GzdL6NMYDso Part III: https://youtu.be/Xc22-2RaGSY This is the full interview. His job was to know the threat better than anyone in the squadron. In this conversation, he talks about the night the reporting was bad enough that he told a pilot to be prepared, what it is like to brief men whose wives and children you know, how a squadron built its own targeting picture when the strategic intelligence was not enough, and what he did on the ground while they were over Iran. Before Iran, the 55th Fighter Squadron fought over Yemen in Operation Rough Rider, a sustained air campaign against Houthi surface-to-air threats. What they learned there is the reason the F-16 Block 50 and the AGM-88 HARM were part of the strike package on June 21st, 2025. These interviews were recorded between December 2025 and January 2026 and preserve firsthand accounts from pilots, maintainers, intelligence officers, and logistics airmen who were there. 0:00 Building the Threat Picture Before Deployment 2:38 A Contested Environment Again 7:15 The Night I Thought My Pilots Would Die 8:35 Finding Out About Operation Midnight Hammer 14:26 The Night of the Mission 20:21 What the Squadron Did That Nobody Sees Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/ 🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫 Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off 🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺 Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#228
August 13 · 18 min
548,000 Gallons in One Night | Operation Midnight Hammer | Fuels NCOIC MSgt. Edge
Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the people who flew it. MSgt. Edge was the fuels NCOIC responsible for getting gas into every aircraft, supporting the Wild Weasels who flew Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses ahead of the B-2 strike on Iran. Watch the three-part documentary series on Afterburn Defense: Part I: https://youtu.be/MgQ_X3Td8a4 Part II: https://youtu.be/GzdL6NMYDso Part III: https://youtu.be/Xc22-2RaGSY This is the full interview. Nothing flies without fuel. In this conversation, he explains how his team pumped 548,000 gallons in a single night, why one three-mile transfer line put a hard ceiling on the entire operation, how a project that normally takes years got done in a matter of days, and what it took to convince a host nation to change an order. Before Iran, the 55th Fighter Squadron fought over Yemen in Operation Rough Rider, a sustained air campaign against Houthi surface-to-air threats. What they learned there is the reason the F-16 Block 50 and the AGM-88 HARM were part of the strike package on June 21st, 2025. These interviews were recorded between December 2025 and January 2026 and preserve firsthand accounts from pilots, maintainers, intelligence officers, and logistics airmen who were there. 0:00 A Deployment That Was Supposed to Be Routine 2:20 Planning for a Buildup Nobody Expected 4:03 Twenty-One Days of Work in Three Days 6:21 The Fuel Line That Capped the Whole Operation 12:09 548,000 Gallons on the Night of Midnight Hammer 15:00 Hot Refueling F-35s for the First Time 17:02 Find a Way to Yes Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/ 🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫 Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off 🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺 Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#233
August 13 · 36 min
House of Cards Behind the Iran Strike | Operation Midnight Hammer | Logistics Cmdr Lt Col Tilton
Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the people who flew it. Lt Col Tilton commanded the logistics readiness squadron at the deployed location, supplying the base the Wild Weasels flew from when they took Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses ahead of the B-2 strike on Iran. Watch the three-part documentary series on Afterburn Defense: Part I: https://youtu.be/MgQ_X3Td8a4 Part II: https://youtu.be/GzdL6NMYDso Part III: https://youtu.be/Xc22-2RaGSY This is the full interview. Everything the mission needed had to arrive first. In this conversation, he explains why the base ran out of food more than once, what it took to run a second fuel line through a wall and under roads in the two weeks before the strike, how the fleet grew from a few dozen vehicles to hundreds, and the plan for what happens to loaded aircraft if the base goes to alarm red. Before Iran, the 55th Fighter Squadron fought over Yemen in Operation Rough Rider, a sustained air campaign against Houthi surface-to-air threats. What they learned there is the reason the F-16 Block 50 and the AGM-88 HARM were part of the strike package on June 21st, 2025. These interviews were recorded between December 2025 and January 2026 and preserve firsthand accounts from pilots, maintainers, intelligence officers, and logistics airmen who were there. 0:00 Getting a Fighter Wing Out the Door 2:14 The Air Force Isn't Built for Agile Deployment 8:37 Running a Squadron With Half the Leadership Gone 10:52 A Ramp That Kept Shrinking as Jets Arrived 14:32 The Fuel Trucks That Kept Breaking 19:04 When the Base Ran Out of Food 23:27 Running a Second Fuel Line Before the Strike 32:15 What Happens When the Base Goes to Alarm Red Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/ 🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫 Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off 🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺 Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#232
August 13 · 21 min
First Time Launching an F-16 Was the Iran Strike | Op Midnight Hammer | Avionics Tech SrA Michalenko
Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the people who flew it. SrA Michalenko was an avionics journeyman for the 55th Fighter Squadron, working the computer and threat warning systems on the F-16s that flew Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses ahead of the B-2 strike on Iran. Watch the three-part documentary series on Afterburn Defense: Part I: https://youtu.be/MgQ_X3Td8a4 Part II: https://youtu.be/GzdL6NMYDso Part III: https://youtu.be/Xc22-2RaGSY This is the full interview. It was his first deployment. He was given four hours to pack a bag and told to watch the news. In this conversation he talks about the call to a girlfriend he could tell nothing to, arriving somewhere he could not name, and launching a fighter jet on his own for the first time in his career on the night of the Iran strike. Before Iran, the 55th Fighter Squadron fought over Yemen in Operation Rough Rider, a sustained air campaign against Houthi surface-to-air threats. What they learned there is the reason the F-16 Block 50 and the AGM-88 HARM were part of the strike package on June 21st, 2025. These interviews were recorded between December 2025 and January 2026 and preserve firsthand accounts from pilots, maintainers, intelligence officers, and logistics airmen who were there. 0:00 What an Avionics Technician Works On 2:18 Bamboo Eagle and the First Deployment 5:16 Working Inside a Cockpit in Desert Heat 9:08 Four Hours to Pack a Bag 10:46 The Call I Couldn't Explain 13:10 Launching a Jet for the First Time 18:12 Waiting to See If They Came Back 20:25 A Big Ball of Fear Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/ 🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫 Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off 🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺 Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#230
August 13 · 41 min
Launching the F-16s into Iran | Operation Midnight Hammer | Maintenance Chief CMSgt. Hilliard
Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the people who flew it. CMSgt. Hilliard was the senior enlisted leader for maintenance in the 55th Fighter Squadron, the Wild Weasels who flew Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses ahead of the B-2 strike on Iran. Watch the three-part documentary series on Afterburn Defense: Part I: https://youtu.be/MgQ_X3Td8a4 Part II: https://youtu.be/GzdL6NMYDso Part III: https://youtu.be/Xc22-2RaGSY This is the full interview. No jet flies without the people who fix it. In this conversation he talks about how the squadron decided which specific aircraft would fly the Iran mission, what it takes to generate a sortie that most people never think about, running a maintenance unit where many of the airmen had never deployed before, and the eighteen hours he waited after the jets taxied out. Before Iran, the 55th Fighter Squadron fought over Yemen in Operation Rough Rider, a sustained air campaign against Houthi surface-to-air threats. What they learned there is the reason the F-16 Block 50 and the AGM-88 HARM were part of the strike package on June 21st, 2025. These interviews were recorded between December 2025 and January 2026 and preserve firsthand accounts from pilots, maintainers, intelligence officers, and logistics airmen who were there. 0:00 From a One-Stoplight Town to the Viper 5:18 What It Actually Takes to Launch One Sortie 8:16 Spinning Up a Maintenance Unit for Combat 11:42 Leading Airmen Who Had Never Deployed 17:22 Flying With Fewer Jets Than You Need 21:16 A Week Out From Operation Midnight Hammer 23:27 Eighteen Hours of Waiting 26:06 A Different Kind of Battlefield 33:59 The Empty Break Rooms 39:05 How We Chose Which Jets Would Go Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/ 🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫 Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off 🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺 Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#227
August 13 · 27 min
If That's What Saves Your Life, It Has to Work | Operation Midnight Hammer | Weapons Tech SSgt Dray
Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the people who flew it. SSgt Dray was a weapons technician responsible for the munitions and countermeasure systems on the F-16s, arming the Wild Weasels who flew Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses ahead of the B-2 strike on Iran. Watch the three-part documentary series on Afterburn Defense: Part I: https://youtu.be/MgQ_X3Td8a4 Part II: https://youtu.be/GzdL6NMYDso Part III: https://youtu.be/Xc22-2RaGSY This is the full interview. He is one of the airmen who put the weapons on the jets. In this conversation he explains what it actually takes to reconfigure a fleet of F-16s from one mission to another, the failure he chased down that nobody could explain, what changed for him when he realized this was not training, and the night the loading told him something was about to happen. Before Iran, the 55th Fighter Squadron fought over Yemen in Operation Rough Rider, a sustained air campaign against Houthi surface-to-air threats. What they learned there is the reason the F-16 Block 50 and the AGM-88 HARM were part of the strike package on June 21st, 2025. These interviews were recorded between December 2025 and January 2026 and preserve firsthand accounts from pilots, maintainers, intelligence officers, and logistics airmen who were there. 0:00 What a Weapons Technician Actually Does 2:10 Spinning Up Before the Deployment 8:30 Reconfiguring a Fleet of F-16s 12:35 Arriving in Theater During Rough Rider 14:42 The Failure Nobody Could Explain 19:24 This Wasn't Training Anymore 20:48 The Night Something Was About to Happen Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/ 🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫 Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off 🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺 Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#234
August 13 · 18 min
The Buildup Before the Iran Strike | Operation Midnight Hammer | Logistics Director Capt. Grooms
Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the people who flew it. Capt. Grooms was the logistics director of operations at the deployed location, supporting the Wild Weasels who flew Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses ahead of the B-2 strike on Iran. Watch the three-part documentary series on Afterburn Defense: Part I: https://youtu.be/MgQ_X3Td8a4 Part II: https://youtu.be/GzdL6NMYDso Part III: https://youtu.be/Xc22-2RaGSY This is the full interview. He was never read in on the mission. He worked it out from the math. In this conversation he explains how a base built for one squadron absorbed a hundred more aircraft, why transportation became the problem nobody anticipated, how tanker pilots ended up driving buses, and what the fuel numbers told him before anyone told him anything. Before Iran, the 55th Fighter Squadron fought over Yemen in Operation Rough Rider, a sustained air campaign against Houthi surface-to-air threats. What they learned there is the reason the F-16 Block 50 and the AGM-88 HARM were part of the strike package on June 21st, 2025. These interviews were recorded between December 2025 and January 2026 and preserve firsthand accounts from pilots, maintainers, intelligence officers, and logistics airmen who were there. 0:00 Bamboo Eagle and the Lesson Before Deployment 2:09 Becoming Logistics Director at the Deployed Location 6:53 Transportation Was the Problem Nobody Expected 10:01 Training Tanker Pilots to Drive Buses 10:50 Running Short on Fuel Contracts 14:23 The Math That Told Us Something Was Coming 16:31 After the Jets Came Back Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/ 🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫 Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off 🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺 Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#231
August 13 · 29 min
"We Knew Something Was Coming" | Operation Midnight Hammer | Maintenance Leadership
Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the people who flew it. Capt. Williams and MSgt. Matos led F-16 maintenance for the 55th, keeping the jets flying for the Wild Weasels who flew Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses ahead of the B-2 strike on Iran. Watch the three-part documentary series on Afterburn Defense: Part I: https://youtu.be/MgQ_X3Td8a4 Part II: https://youtu.be/GzdL6NMYDso Part III: https://youtu.be/Xc22-2RaGSY This is the full interview. Nobody told them what was coming. The configuration changes did. In this conversation, they explain what it actually takes to put one jet in the air, how a young maintenance team learned under pressure, why the flight hours downrange ran far past anything they see at home, and the airman who did not get to work the night of the strike. Before Iran, the 55th Fighter Squadron fought over Yemen in Operation Rough Rider, a sustained air campaign against Houthi surface-to-air threats. What they learned there is the reason the F-16 Block 50 and the AGM-88 HARM were part of the strike package on June 21st, 2025. These interviews were recorded between December 2025 and January 2026 and preserve firsthand accounts from pilots, maintainers, intelligence officers, and logistics airmen who were there. 0:00 Getting the Jets Out the Door 7:03 Maintainers Working Across Airframes 9:49 Rough Rider and a Young Maintenance Team 15:54 The Configuration Changes That Tipped Us Off 18:07 What It Takes to Generate One Sortie 20:36 Maintenance Roles During Midnight Hammer 25:09 The Airman We Benched on the Super Bowl Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/ 🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫 Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off 🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺 Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#221
August 2 · 1 hr 47 min
#150 Combat Search & Rescue: HH-60 Pave Hawk Into a Firefight to Save 2 Wounded Marines
Today we sit down with an HH-60G Pave Hawk combat search and rescue (CSAR) pilot who flew through some of the worst fighting in Afghanistan, and the single mission that changed how he trains the mind for combat. John "Rain" Waters talks with retired Lt. Col. John Mangan, a decorated CSAR pilot with more than 200 combat missions who commanded the 33rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron in Kandahar. They get into the leave-no-one-behind ethos, the honey-buns story that got a grounded rescue bird fueled in a combat zone, the command chaos of Operation Anaconda, why wounded troops died on runways waiting for approval to launch, and the Helmand rescue of two dying Marines that became the basis for his book, The Three Rings Mindset. Along the way, the science of why a trained pilot froze into his habits under fire, and how repetition and purpose beat fear. John Mangan: www.JohnManganBooks.com Subscribe to Afterburn Defense for combat aviation and defense breakdowns, grab The Three Rings Mindset, and subscribe to The Lowdown newsletter at lowdownnews.us. Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/@AfterburnPodcast The Lowdown Newsletter: https://www.lowdownnews.us/ Support The Afterburn Podcast for on Patreon and gain early access and AD Free episodes. Plus access to "There I was…" stories. https://www.patreon.com/theafterburnpodcast Please leave us a review on Apple/Spotify Podcasts: Apple - https://apple.co/3dLradT Spotify - https://spoti.fi/3SAeSUr 00:00 Intro 02:39 Growing up around gunships and A-10s 07:28 Pilot training and the barany chair 17:11 Why he chose combat rescue: leave no one behind 24:41 Iceland and the pre-9/11 "end of history" Air Force 33:59 Operation Anaconda and the honey buns fuel story 43:44 How Anaconda became a war-college lesson in failure 47:24 Wounded troops dying while the chain of command froze 49:28 The four motivations behind every warrior 55:35 Manda Bay: the rescue that never launched 1:01:47 Improvising under fire with a broken minigun 1:04:30 Army dust-off vs Air Force combat rescue 1:11:37 The Pave Hawk flying combat at 12,000 hours 1:14:13 Flying into a firefight for two dying Marines 1:36:21 Why a trained pilot flew over the enemy twice Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/ 🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫 Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off 🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺 Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#220
July 25 · 1 hr 11 min
Why Iran Holds the Better Hand Against the US Right Now | Dr. Mike Bosack
Today we break down why the US-Iran war reignited over the Strait of Hormuz, why the June ceasefire collapsed, and what a waterway a single drone can shut means for oil prices, escalation, and how this conflict actually ends. Mike "FLASH" McVay sits down with Dr. Michael Bosack, founder of the Parley Policy Initiative and former Deputy Secretary of the UN Command Military Armistice Commission, to make sense of the current escalation. The conversation covers the five ways wars actually end, the difference between a negative and a positive peace, the good, bad, and ugly of the memorandum of understanding that was supposed to stop the fighting, why the Strait of Hormuz was the flaw nobody was talking about, and why negotiation at this level is a game of poker, not chess. Dr. Mike Bosack: https://www.parleypolicy.com/ Subscribe to Afterburn Defense for tactical and technical breakdowns of the news that matters, and subscribe to The Lowdown newsletter at lowdownnews.us. 00:00 Intro 01:40 Bosack's path: maintenance, MQ-9s, and the Korean Armistice 06:36 What the Parley Policy Initiative actually does 10:10 Phases 4 and 5: the "now what" nobody plans for 14:39 The five ways every war ends 19:57 Negative peace vs positive peace 22:45 Inside the negotiating room: the war stories 31:09 The US-Iran ceasefire deal: good, bad, ugly 36:40 Why the Strait of Hormuz is the real crux 44:26 Why it's not really about the nukes 48:56 How allies complicate the deal 55:26 Negotiation is poker, not chess 01:05:41 How this ends: the range of outcomes Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/ 🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫 Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off 🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺 Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#219
July 16 · 19 min
Operation Midnight Hammer | Part III - Striking Iran's Nuclear Facilities
This is a 3-part series. Best if viewed on Afterburn Defense Youtube. Part I: https://youtu.be/MgQ_X3Td8a4 Part II: https://youtu.be/GzdL6NMYDso Part III: https://youtu.be/Xc22-2RaGSY Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the F-16 Wild Weasel pilots who flew it. This is the firsthand account of the 55th Fighter Squadron and the 20th Fighter Wing. These are the pilots who fly Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses, known as SEAD, the crews who went in first to suppress Iranian air defenses, and the ground support teams who made the mission possible. Part three covers the mission to strike Iran's nuclear facilities. Recorded between December 2025 and January 2026, this series preserves the experiences of the people who were there, in their own words. Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/ 🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫 Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off 🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺 Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#216
June 28 · 16 min
Operation Midnight Hammer | Part II - The Plan to Strike Iran's Nuclear Facilities
Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the F-16 Wild Weasel pilots who flew it. This is the firsthand account of the 55th Fighter Squadron and the 20th Fighter Wing. These are the pilots who fly Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses, known as SEAD, the crews who went in first to suppress Iranian air defenses, and the ground support teams who made the mission possible. Part two covers the mission planning and the thoughts of the pilots and other squadron members when they thought of the upcoming mission to strike Iran's nuclear facilities. Recorded between December 2025 and January 2026, this series preserves the experiences of the people who were there, in their own words. This is Part 2 of a 3-part series. Have a story? https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/ Commonly used Acronyms: https://www.lowdownnews.us/p/operation-midnight-hammer Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/ 🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫 Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off 🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺 Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#215
June 21 · 13 min
Operation Midnight Hammer | Part 1: Before Iran, There Was Yemen
This episode was designed for video. Watch this episode for text and graphical explanations: https://youtu.be/EDnLrP_45fk Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the F-16 Wild Weasel pilots who flew it. This is the firsthand account of the 55th Fighter Squadron and the 20th Fighter Wing. These are the pilots who fly Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses, known as SEAD, the crews who went in first to suppress Iranian air defenses, and the ground support teams who made the mission possible. Part One covers Operation Rough Rider, the air campaign over Yemen in the spring of 2025 that put these pilots into combat months before Iran. What they learned there is the reason they were ready for what came next. Recorded between December 2025 and January 2026, this series preserves the experiences of the people who were there, in their own words. This is Part 1 of a 3-part series. Commonly used Acronyms: https://www.lowdownnews.us/p/operation-midnight-hammer The full one-on-one interview episodes are coming soon to @afterburnpodcast Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/ 🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫 Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off 🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺 Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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