Tense Times
In February of 2000 I was stationed in Kuwait as a senior airman in the United States Air Force. I was a member of a flight of paratroopers (also known as "pj's") assigned to help enforce the No-Fly zone in Southern Iraq. Life there was fairly uneventful; most of the days were spent sweating and placing bets on mid-eastern versions of cockfights with scorpions and camel spiders. While on duty we went though life-like exercises to keep us ready for a real threat that could become a reality at any moment.
While patrolling the No-Fly zone one afternoon, a squadron of our F-15's was fired upon by Iraqi soldiers. …