Episode 92

142nd Fighter Wing, Oregon National Guard

Phúc Yên Air Base, Vietnam

“What the fuck is this?” Major Tinney was not in a good mood. He had already lost a third of his command during the war. Now his entire wing had been pulled out of Brunei and moved to Vietnam. “Are you saying that we are FUCKING BAIT!?”

A Marine Corps Captain waved his hands for attention. “Sir, we are not going to let anything happen to you and your men. I guarantee it.”

“And who the fuck are you?”

“I’m the guy who’s going to be thirty miles in front of you, eyeballing the fuckers for you.”

Tinney took a moment to collect himself. He prided himself on being a professional, but the war had been hard on him and his men. The reality was that he was nearing burnout but he would not admit it even to himself.

“OK, walk me through this again.”

Pointing back to the large display at the front of the room, the young lieutenant who had been attempting to give the briefing resumed explaining the mission. “Sir, as I said, your flight will very likely be visible on radar as soon as you take off. The Chinese will be watching and will likely respond even before you cross the border. We will use this as cover for the main incursion here to the west.”

Tinney still wasn’t enamored with the idea of flying into red China with just the planes from his wing. “No, I mean the part where my men and I don’t all die.”

The Marine captain stood up. “Because we’ll be here,” he said, pointing deeper into China. “From there we can bullseye anything they scramble up to meet you.”

“I know that there have been joint operations before, but my men have not had any practice sorties on this scenario.”

“Yes, I know. But my squadron did the same thing a few weeks back over Fiery Cross. We know this can work.”

“And then what?”

“Once you’re Winchester, turn around and head home.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that. We know they can detect us, but they can’t target us. We stick to the mission profile and we are in and out without a scratch.”

“What the hell do you call this crazy operation anyway?”

“Operation Long Snap.”