Forum: General

Last edited by J.J. on Jul 30, 2007 - 10:31 PM; edited 7 times in total

For my OEF Vipers fact file as part of the upcomming brand-new section "F-16 Combat History" at F-16.net, currently I prepare an extensive preview which will cover the deployment of six F-16CJs from the 389th FS "Thunderbolts", 366th Wg (ACC), Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, to Al Udeid AB, Qatar, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Anyone on this forum who have the 1:32 "Enduring Freedom F-16C Mountain Home Gunfighters" decal sheets from Twobobs (32-019), released in 2003? To complete my own research work related to weapon loadouts and mission markings, I urgently need a hi-res scan of the following decal sheet:

Note: The inscriptions of the bomb symbols and – in one single case - between both revolver symbols must be clearly readable (as a sample: 2xGBU-31). Also I want to know to which individual aircraft (serial number) each of the five mission marking sets is assigned. I would be also very grateful for clearly readable hi-res scans of the instruction sheets.

At the moment, I will only post the following pic:

<a href="http://www.dodmedia.osd.mil/Assets/Still/2003/Air_Force/DF-SD-03-13985.JPEG">hi-res</a>

This shot of 91-0401 was taken on December 4, 2001, at Al Udeid AB with Capt. Brett "Zipper" Robinson in the cockpit. It shows all four HARM markings, but at first only eight painted bomb symbols as mission markings. The inscriptions on the bomb markings are (from left to right): 2xCBU-103, 2xCBU-103, 1xCBU-103, 2xGBU-31, 1xAGM-65G, 2xCBU-103, 2xCBU-103, 4xCBU-87. (USAF photo by TSGT Michael R. Nixon)

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We were instructed to scrape those markings off when the Fighter Squadron merged with AMXS and ceased to exist. It's the 389th AMU now, and only about one or two jets have those markings on them now. I'm not sure which one it is, I think it's 93-541, but I'm not positive. And the only markings on any of them now are the Harm markings. Sorry.

Last edited by J.J. on Jul 30, 2007 - 10:48 PM; edited 4 times in total

Thank you very much for your reply, morbid923890! And so I think, I fully understand what you mean - related to the removings. But please note: really deployed were the following six aircraft:

91-0370 Block 52D
91-0392 Block 52D
91-0401 Block 52D
91-0413 Block 52D
92-3880 Block 52P
92-3889 Block 52P

<a href="http://www.dodmedia.osd.mil/Assets/Still/2003/Air_Force/DF-SD-03-14530.JPEG">hi-res</a>

This later shot of 91-0401 was taken during a light sandstorm on December 20, 2001, at Al Udeid AB. Four HARM markings and 12 painted bombs as mission markings (the decal sheet shows 13 bombs!). Looks like the HARM markings were later dark repainted. Also note the full-color 389th FS patch after the air intake and the aircraft´s serial number on the canopy frame, just above of one of the HARM markings. (USAF photo by SSGT Tiffany Page)

And that´s a copy of the main decal sheet (without markings for 91-0413):

Note: Mid-res nose art pics of all six deployed jets are on our F-16 Photo Gallery: http://www.f-16.net/f-16_nose_art_year-2001.html

That looks really sharp, that was never on the jet in the time I've been here. 889 definately won't have any because that Aircraft was burnt pretty badly in Korea. I can look on the mountain home directory at the work computers for pictures of the jets with the markings, but like I said you aren't going to get any current pictures of those aircraft with anything on them.

Very thanks, morbid923890! After your latest reply, so I think, you must be an F-16 professional with the Mountain Home AFB community. And please remember: All of that what I posted, happened from very late 2001 to early 2002! Meanwhile, at www.dodmedia.osd.mil are some related USAF hi-res photos available for public, which were never released before at www.af.mil or www.defenselink.mil (including the posted two shots above).

But still I want a hi-res scan of Twobobs´s mission markings decal sheet!

Sorry, but somebody of this website users must have the related "Twobobs" decal sheets. I still await your support, because it´s very important.

Hi JJ,

You might want to contact Bob Sanchez himself and see if he would be willing to share his reference pics with you. The art work on the sheet is copyrighted, and its definately not cool to scan and post copyrighted stuff, especially not hi-rez stuff. Bob is a classy dude and would probably be more than willing to hook you up, but i'd take down the art from his sheet first, or at least get permission. BTW, I don't have a problem with you using ours at any point.

Hi JJ,

You might want to contact Bob Sanchez himself and see if he would be willing to share his reference pics with you. The art work on the sheet is copyrighted, and its definately not cool to scan and post copyrighted stuff, especially not hi-rez stuff. Bob is a classy dude and would probably be more than willing to hook you up, but i'd take down the art from his sheet first, or at least get permission. BTW, I don't have a problem with you using ours at any point.

JJ- All the markings did get stripped shortly after we re-deployed back to Mtn Home. The only personal photos I took of my jet in Quatar were of the nose art. I just looked at them to see if I could give you the info from 91-0370 but none of the pics showed that far forward. And BTW Morbid...92-3889 was burnt all up in Okinawa not Korea.

I always heard Korea, don't hate.

Last edited by J.J. on Jul 30, 2007 - 10:44 PM; edited 2 times in total

Thank you for the tip, Scott! I will contact Bob Sanchez of Twobobs immediately. Also very thanks to MechFromHell! Very cool to have a former Mountain Home (ACC) guy on this forum! I have a lot of questions to you. And for further first-hand deployment info, I will contact you via private message (please check your PM inbox in the next couple of days). But at first, here are two archived combat action pics of your former "baby" 91-0370 which returned home with the nose art "WANNA PLAY":

<a href="http://www.dodmedia.osd.mil/Assets/Still/2003/Air_Force/DF-SD-03-14100.JPEG">hi-res</a>

91-0370 taxies to its parking area at Al Udeid AB on December 17, 2001. (USAF photo by TSGT Michael R. Nixon)

<a href="http://www.dodmedia.osd.mil/Assets/Still/2003/Air_Force/DF-SD-03-13966.JPEG">hi-res</a>

An F-16 pilot in the cockpit of 92-3880 gets the "high sign" just before departing on a sortie in support of OEF. AIM-120s on wing-tip stations 1 and 9, GBU-31 JDAMs on stations 3 and 7, HTS pod on station 5R, three "first-style" mission markings (Note: I will post some more pics related to these markings, not identically with the final markings, provided by Twobobs). Visible at left in the background is 91-0370 with an AIM-120 on wing-tip station 1 and a GBU-31 JDAM on station 3. (USAF photo by SSGT Michael Gaddis)

morbid923890 wrote:

I always heard Korea, don't hate.

No hate intended bro...just letting you know Twisted Evil

BTW...When I left a lot of it was still crated up from its ride home on a cargo ship. Is it flying again yet?? Twisted Evil

oh hell yeah, it was high flyer last quarter, thing flies all the time. It's like the incident never even happened.

Were you still a SrA when you left? I had just gotten here, and that's the only one I remember

Thats awesome to hear! After seeing it arc, spark and burn like it did I figured it woud be a E&E nightmare for years...Even after depot put her back together. I'm glad it's doing well.

And yes, I was a SrA when I left...was still waiting for my damn line # to come up!

This low-res pic (USAF photo via Lockheed Martin´s "Code One" magazine) probably shows 92-3889 (I´m nearly sure) with two crossed revolvers (for gun strafing and with marked digits for expended rounds) and also 13 different bomb symbols whit weapons-related inscriptions as mission markings. That´s probably the final version of mission markings for this individual jet, later provided by the famous Twobobs decal sheet.

As the Twobobs decal sheet further shows, at least five of the six deployed jets returned home with unified mission markings. But, as I announced above, in the huge photo archive of the Defense Visual Information Center (DVIC) at www.dodmedia.osd.mil I found some related pics, taken in the early deployment time frame, which shows first mission markings in a different style (later replaced). In addition to the posted pic of 92-3880, i will add three more pics:

<a href="http://www.dodmedia.osd.mil/Assets/Still/2003/Air_Force/DF-SD-03-14516.JPEG">hi-res</a>

Night shot of 92-3880 with a WCMD (modified CBU-103) on station 3 and an AIM-120 on station 1, taken on December 1, 2001. Mission markings: the bellow marking should be clearly a GBU-31 JDAM, but in contrast to the pic which I posted on April 10, both markings above shows not like CBUs. Note: So I remember, that´s the only known public shot of a CBU on an F-16 during OEF´s main combat phase! (USAF photo by SSGT Tiffany Page)

<a href="http://www.dodmedia.osd.mil/Assets/Still/2003/Air_Force/DF-SD-03-14513.JPEG">hi-res</a>

These two pics shows "88..." (possibly 92-3889 ???) on December 1, 2001. Mission markings: clearly visible are two CBUs (probably CBU-103 WCMDs) and a single GBU-31 JDAM. In the cockpit seats SSGT Mike Wise. He looks to another crew chief as they test the engine. (USAF photos by SSGT Tiffany Page)

Forum: General

Urgently wanted: 389th FS OEF mission markings