For this reason, and others, Chuck Horner is regarded as a “fighter pilot’s fighter pilot” by a friend of mine who went “downtown” over Baghdad a few times himself back in 1991. The combination of brains, skill, and pure physical talent kept him alive when other men were less fortunate. When the Air Force nearly collapsed in the 1970s, he was one of the men who saved it, and rebuilt it in the 1980s, not just fixing the broken parts, but defining what an air force is supposed to be. What such organizations do came largely from Chuck’s mind. It’s business for Chuck, and a serious one, in which at best the people who die wear the other sort of uniform, something General Horner keeps in mind.

Chuck’s also a superb storyteller, as you are about to see, with a keen eye for detail, and he’s blessed with a puckish sense of humor that shines over a glass of something adult in a comfortable corner of the local O-Club, while you also learn a lot of things, because he’s a dazzlingly effective teacher. The short version is: Chuck Horner is a hero who has paid his dues many, many times. He’s been there, done that, and he has the T-shirt to prove it. In the first war of smart bombs, computers, and high-performance aircraft flown by true professionals, Chuck led the winning side, proving that the difference between a fighter pilot and an ape is that the pilot is quite a bit smarter, and better to have on your side.

—Tom Clancy

DESERT SHIELD / STORM TIMELINE

AUGUST 1990

2 Iraq invades Kuwait

6 U.S. forces gain permission to base operations in Saudi Arabia

7 F-15s depart for Persian Gulf

7 USS Independence battle group arrives south of Persian Gulf

8 1st TFW and 82nd Airborne arrive in Persian Gulf

NOVEMBER 1990

8 200,000 additional troops sent from United States

29 United Nations authorizes force against Iraq

JANUARY 1991

12 Congress approves offensive use of U.S. troops

15 United Nations withdrawal deadline passes

17 D day. Coalition launches airborne assault

18 Iraq launches Scud missiles at Israel and Saudi Arabia

25 Air Force begins attacking Iraqi aircraft shelters

26 Iraqi aircraft begin fleeing to Iran

29 Battle of Khafji begins. Airpower destroys Iraqi force

FEBRUARY 1991

24 G day. Start of 100-hour ground battle

26 Fleeing Iraqi forces destroyed along “Highway of Death”

28 Cease-fire becomes effective at 8 A.M. Kuwait time

PROLOGUE

3 August 1990