Mid Summer 1974
67th Fighter Weapons Squadron
US Air Force Fighter Weapons School
Nellis AFB
Las Vegas NV
Audrey sat in her new office, plowing steadily through one of several piles of paperwork on her desk. Some of them needed to go to Danno for her action and signature. Others had to be routed to the Maintenance and Administration squadrons for their action. Still others had to go to various departments within the squadron itself. A few documents required action on her part. It was a chore getting then categorized and routed to the right people to take action. It was already giving Audrey a headache.
This isn't what I had in mind after coming back from flight conversion training and spending 2 months with the 66th! She thought sourly.
Flight conversion training was a whole new experience for Audrey, and she discovered why it was so difficult for Witches to make the transition to conventional aircraft. For Witches, flying a Striker was an instinctive experience. You thought about what action to take, and it was done. Flying a conventional aircraft required much more thought and deliberate physical action.
Audrey's first simulator experiences were phenomenally bad. In the beginning, she crashed at least 50 times, before she got the hang of the controls. She developed a profound respect for Will and the other pilots, and how they handled the intricate dance between stick, rudder pedals and throttle. She was overwhelmed by the myriad of instruments and what she had to keep track of. Finally, the odd experience of sitting upright in the cockpit and wearing a full flight suit was totally foreign to her.
If this means that I might be able to keep flying after my magic falls below the level that would let me fly a Striker, I'll do whatever I need to keep flying! Audrey thought with her characteristic determination and stubbornness.
By the time she reported to Sheppard AFB for flight conversion training, Audrey had a firm grasp of the challenges set before her. Her instructors were older Witches, many who had seen combat, like Audrey. After a quick refresher of ground school and FAA regulations, it was a total immersion course, where she spent most of each day flying in a trainer, under the watchful eye of her instructors. At the end of each day, would be an after-action debriefing, detailing what she did well that day, and what she needed to improve.
To Audrey, apart from the physical effort to control a conventional aircraft, the experience was similar to her flying a Striker. That all changed when she started the final part of primary flight training. That was the day Major Barbara "Boom Boom" Cannon, her final primary flight instructor, introduced her to the T-38 Talon trainer.
Ready for her first flight in the T-38, Audrey walked out onto the tarmac with Boom Boom. Sitting on its tricycle landing gear, was what she thought was a two seat fighter. But she could not see any under wing hard points and there were no gun ports visible. It looked more like a dart or a spearhead than a training aircraft. Boom Boom leaned over to her and said, with a smile.
"Doesn't look like any trainer you've seen before, right? Doesn't fly like one either. Climb aboard, and I'll show you"
At Major Cannon's gesture, Audrey climbed up and seated herself in the front cockpit. She strapped herself in and connected her mic and oxygen mask to the jacks marked for them. Boom Boom did the same in the rear cockpit. Lowering and locking the canopy, Boom Boom's voice echoed in Audrey's ears.
"Since this is your first flight in a Talon, you can just keep your hands in your lap, unless I tell you to do something. I guarantee this is going to be an experience you'll remember." she said, cryptically.
Boom Boom waved to the ground crew, who connected the auxiliary power units on either side of the plane.
"Show them your hands, Boings!" Boom Boom called through the intercom.
Obediently, Audrey held up both hands, as Boom Boom did the same. The ground crew switched on the auxiliary power units, getting a low moan from the engines. Then both engines started with a whining roar, as the ground crew unplugged the power units, rolled them away, dragged away the wheel chocks, and saluted. Boom Boom returned the salute, and moved the throttle forward.
The Talon moved slowly as Boom Boom maneuvered the nose steering wheel towards the taxiway.
She called for taxi instructions and was guided to one of the north runways. Poised at the end of the runway, Boom Boom called the tower again.
"Sheppard tower, this is Talon 1, requesting permission for full military power takeoff. I've got a newbie on board. Over."
"Talon 1, you are cleared for full military power takeoff. Be gentle with her. Out." the tower replied, with a chuckle.
"Ready to really fly, Boings?" Boom Boom called through the intercom.
"Ready as I'll ever be," Audrey replied.
Boom Boom pushed the throttles forward, holding on to the brakes. As the engine noise built to a crescendo, she released the brakes. The trainer shot forward, and soon, she was pulling back on the stick. The trainer literally leaped off the ground.
"Gear up!" Boom Boom shouted over the roar of the engines.
Audrey pulled back on the gear retraction lever, and saw 3 red lights on her instrument panel change to green, as three thumps confirmed that the landing gear had retracted and stowed.
"Gear is up" Audrey shouted back to Boom Boom.
"Here we go, Boings!" Boom Boom shouted.
Almost instantly, Audrey found herself on her back, facing the sky, as the howling thrust of the engines pinned her to the ejection seat. She saw the altimeter on the heads-up display counting up at a dizzying rate. At over 40,000 feet, the nose of the trainer tipped backwards, and the trainer came around in a hammerhead stall turn. After leveling off, Boom Boom threw the trainer into a couple of snap rolls, rolled into a split-s and then followed by a pitchback.
For the rest of the flight, Boom Boom rarely flew straight and level. She had the T-38 climbing, diving, turning, banking, rolling, pitching and yawing in all sorts of aerobatic maneuvers. Audrey was tossed around in the front cockpit, left and right as well as up and down. She was grateful she took Boom Boom's advice to tighten her flight harness to the point of discomfort, or she'd have been thrown all over the cockpit.
"Boings, we're almost at bingo fuel. Ready to lose your virginity?" Boom Boom called through the intercom.
"What the heck are you talking about? Sure, I guess" Audrey replied tentatively.
"Okay, here we go!" Boom Boom shouted.
The T-38 dove towards the ground, leveling out at about 100 feet. Boom Boom pushed the throttles up to the stops, and the trainer flung itself forward, riding the rising howl of its engines. Audrey was shoved back into the ejection seat, as her head snapped back, stopped only by the seat's head rest. She could feel the G's building up, as her body quickly became much heavier. The flight suit inflated, squeezing her legs, keeping her from blacking out. Suddenly there was a crackling BOOM that shook the aircraft.
Audrey looked around, and she saw the condensation rippling off the wing's leading edges and tips in the shape of shock-waves. It was then that she realized that she was flying faster than the speed of sound! She looked at the Mach meter and saw that they were flying at Mach 1.2.
"Congrats, Boings! Welcome to your first supersonic flight! You're no longer a supersonic virgin!" Boom Boom laughed in the intercom.
"It's amazing" Audrey said, in an awestruck voice.
Suddenly, Boom Boom executed a half roll, and Audrey found herself looking UP at the ground, passing by at over Mach 1. It was dizzying and disorienting, and she felt her stomach do flip flops.
Boom Boom did another half roll, pulled up and throttled the engines back. She circled the trainer back to the base.
Lining up for the final approach, Boom Boom called out to Audrey.
"Boings! Gear down!"
Audrey reached for the landing gear control and pushed it forward sharply. There was an electric whine as the landing gear extended and three thumps as it locked into place. The three green indicators for the landing gear position on the instrument panel turned red.
"Gear down and locked!" Audrey called out.
As Boom Boom called the tower for final approach instructions, Audrey slumped back against the ejection seat. The flight had been a totally new experience, something she never imagined she'd ever have. Nothing she had experienced could even come close, not even her first flight in a Striker
Boom Boom executed a near-perfect landing, and taxied around to the trainer's area on the tarmac. Following the plane handler's directions, she maneuvered the trainer onto it's proper place on the tarmac. Once parked, Boom Boom set the brakes and shut down the engines. The whining roar ceased, leaving a deafening silence. The ground crews set chocks around the landing gear wheels, and ran crew ladders against the trainer's fuselage, as Boom Boom activated the control to raise the canopy.
Audrey slowly unhooked her oxygen mask and radio cable from the cockpit side panel. She undid the seat harness's quick release buckle and slowly levered herself up out of the ejection seat. She pushed herself over the rim of the canopy and stood shakily on the crew ladder for a moment. Holding on to both rails, she slowly made it to the tarmac. She stood there, hanging onto the crew ladder, trying to steady her shaking knees and quell the unsettled rebellion of her stomach. She unbuckled her chin strap and slowly pulled off her helmet. She became aware of how much her neck and shoulders ached, and she rolled her head and shrugged her shoulders to alleviate some of pain and stiffness.
"You okay, Boings?" Boom Boom asked, as she approached Audrey, her helmet under her left arm.
"I...I think so. That was the most intense experience of my life. Not even my first flight in a Striker could compare." Audrey replied with a noticeable quaver in her voice.
"Yeah, and the air-to-air guys live for it every time they fly. Once they experience it, it's like a drug they get hooked on and can't get enough of. I know some of them would stay airborne the rest of their lives, if we could figure a way to feed them and take care of their needs during mid-air refueling." Boom Boom said, with a laugh.
"Boings, you won't be getting chances to fly supersonic doing close air support, so I don't think that's going to be a problem for you." Boom Boom continued.
"C'mon, Boings, I'll buy you a drink to celebrate you losing your supersonic virginity!" Boom Boom declared brightly, as she patted Audrey on the shoulder.
The succeeding flights had Audrey take the controls, as she put the T-38 through its paces. Not only were there supersonic dashes, but they practiced every maneuver Boom Boom could think of relating to close air support, as well as every maneuver Audrey could do with a Striker
One exercise that Audrey never did in a Striker, was mid-air refueling. It was nerve wracking to maneuver so close to a KC 135 tanker, knowing it was carrying over 80,000 pounds of JP-4 fuel. Audrey flew up under the tail of the KC-135, fighting the tanker's jet wash and turbulence, as they flew together at over 300 knots. She watched as the refueling boom unhooked from the tanker's tail, and literally flew down to meet her, as she moved closer, under guidance of the boom operator, who was called "Clancy", (because "he lowered the boom".)
"Clancy" called out instructions to Audrey to move closer. When Audrey and Boom Boom were close enough, the refueling probe made contact with the fueling receptacle behind the cockpit with a dull thud. Almost instantly, the high pressure high speed pumps started pouring fuel into the T-38's tanks. Within a few minutes, the pumps stopped, and the boom withdrew the fueling probe from the T-38.
"Have a good flight ma'am. Sorry we couldn't clean the windshield or check the oil and tires!" "Clancy" said, as he re-stowed the boom.
"Thanks for the fill up anyway, "Clancy!" Boom Boom called out as Audrey banked the T-38 away from the tanker.
A couple of weeks later, a ceremony was held to commemorate Audrey's graduation from primary flight school again. As Boom Boom pinned on her pilot's wings next to her Strike Witch wings, Audrey did her best not to burst into tears. She did it! She was going to be able to fly, so long as she passed her flight physical, magic or no. In an uncharacteristic show of emotion, Boom Boom and the other instructors crowded around Audrey for a group hug, and proclaimed in unison
"Welcome, Sister!"
There was a raucous celebration at the O club that night, Dinner and drinks were provided by the training establishment, and everyone got silly and giggly. Colonel Karen "Rhino" O'Neil, the commander of the flight conversion training program pulled Audrey aside.
"Congrats, Boings! You're now a member of one of the most exclusive clubs around, the "Two-Winged-Witches! There's only about 100 or so of us in the Air Force, and only some 400 or so worldwide! Now that you're going on to flight qualifications, I wanted to impart a bit of advice." Rhino said, only slurring her words once.
"I'll gladly take any advice you can offer, ma'am" Audrey replied sincerely.
"Don't let the instructors treat you like a novice. You've got more flight time and combat hours than any three of them combined. Make them take you seriously and deal with you as a fellow professional. Don't let them intimidate you, and don't take any of that 'she's just a girl' guff from them! Go out there and fly like you've always have!"Rhino stated, appearing stone cold sober and deadly serious.
"Okay, Ma'am. I'll do the best I can" Audrey replied.
Audrey's next stop was, ironically, Tucson. The Arizona Air National Guard's 152nd Fighter Squadron operated the Air National Guard transition training school for A-7D pilots, and was used by the flight conversion program to do flight qualifications for Witches who graduated from primary flight training.
Looking closely at the A-7D on the tarmac before her for the first time, Audrey was reminded of what Colonel "Mad Jack" Rogers, the 152nd's commander, called the A-7D. He called it a "SLUF; short little ugly fella". Audrey was thinking of something different. A new game called Dungeons and Dragons had become all the rage among the pilots of the 152nd.. It involved a quest, with the players taking on various roles, many of them being non human races, like elves, dwarves, trolls and so on. Audrey had sat in and watched a number of games, and had become familiar with the Dungeons and Dragons world. To her mind, the A-7D was more like a dwarf; short, powerful and dangerous, carrying a very big ax.
One her first flight in an A-7D, Audrey was joined by Kitana, who complained about how the flight suit kinked her tail. She had other sharply pointed comments about what she saw inside the cockpit.
There's a 15,000 pound thrust turbofan engine in this thing? I guess this is proof that anything will fly, if you have enough thrust to push it!
Inertial Navigation System? Inertial Bomb Aiming System? What the heck are these? Are these guys so helpless, that they need MACHINES to help them do basic stuff?
Good grief! This thing flies like a dump truck!
Just hush! Quit complaining! I'm certain there'll be things you like, just give it a chance! Let's get familiar with the systems and the new weapons and see what happens! Audrey scolded.
Contrary to Kitana's complaints, the A-7D aircraft had similar flight characteristics as the A-7D Striker. Granted, it wasn't supersonic, but it was never designed to be. It wasn't the most maneuverable, but again, it wasn't designed to be. It proved to be steady, predictable, stable and without any major quirks or shortcomings. That suited Audrey just fine, and that enabled her to quickly get up to speed on her qualifications.
The real revelations came with the start of weapons training. While dealing with "iron" bombs, rockets and napalm was pretty much the same in a Striker, Audrey was shocked when she and Kitana went for their first strafing run.
A lead computing gun sight? Are these guys really this helpless without magic? Kitana asked rhetorically.
Will you quit complaining? I've had enough of your attitude! We don't have to use it if you want to make yourself useful! Audrey snapped, in an exasperated tone.
Okay! Let's do this and see what we can do! Kitana exalted, as she and Audrey connected
Audrey's vision sharpened and cleared as Kitana looked through her eyes.
There's the target! I got it all lined up for you! Shoot that thing up! Kitana laughed.
Audrey squeezed the trigger, and there was a brief sound like ripping cloth. She saw a storm of red tracers streak from the right side of the aircraft, zeroing in on the target. The target disappeared in a cloud of smoke and debris. When the cloud dissipated, the only thing left were the chewed stumps of the target's supports.
Was that us? WOW! This sure beats the heck out of an M60! What was that? Kitana exclaimed.
THAT is an M61 Vulcan 20mm cannon. It's got 6 barrels that rotate, powered by a high speed electric motor. That one second burst fired 100 rounds of 20 mm high explosive incendiary cannon shells. It's a good thing the M61 has a burst limiter, or we would have burned through our 1,000 round ammo load in 10 seconds! Audrey replied.
All right, I'm officially jealous that these guys have this kind of firepower! I want one on a Striker! Kitana declared.
The next revelation was training with first generation precision guided weapons. Once again, Kitana had something to say about them.
I wanna see how accurate these so-called 'smart' weapons are! Even magic spelled bombs and rockets weren't all that accurate, at least not enough to be generally useful! Kitana grumbled.
Just quit griping! At least let Captain Stevens give us the briefing on the fundamentals! Audrey replied, in an exasperated tone.
Captain Stevens, the 152nd's training officer strode to the lectern. He put his notes on the lectern and looked out at the half dozen pilots, and began to speak.
"Good morning everyone. I'm Captain Stevens, training officer for the 152nd. Today's lecture is on the fundamentals of precision-guided or 'smart' weapons. This is to distinguish them from unguided or 'dumb' bombs and rockets.".
"These guidance systems have revolutionized close air support. Where once we measured accuracy of delivered ordnance in CEP of yards, with precision guidance systems, we can now measure it in feet,"
"There are two major types of precision guidance systems currently in use. The first one is electro-optical. In essence, it's a tiny TV camera in the nose of the bomb or missile. Once the target is acquired, the memory system of the guidance package locks onto that image, and steers the missile or bomb, keeping the image of the target centered until impact. This system is found in the AGM-65B "Maverick" missile and in the AGM-62 "Walleye" guided bomb packages. Normal range is up to 10 miles for the AGM-62 and about 12 miles for the AGM-65B."
"The other precision guidance system is laser-based. An observer aims a laser designator at a target and shoots a laser beam, which is reflected by the target. An aircraft with a laser sensing pod, like a Pave Penny pod, detects the reflected laser radiation, which is normally invisible. The point of most concentrated laser energy, normally the part that reflects the beam, is shown on the HUD. This information is slaved to the laser guided weapon's guidance package that the plane is carrying. When the bomb or missile is released, the laser seeker homes in on the most concentrated point of laser energy. The range for the Paveway laser-guided bomb packages is the same as the AGM-62. "
"One last thing. Both these systems are what we call 'launch-and-leave'. In other words, once you lock onto the target and launch or release the weapon, it requires no further input from the launching aircraft. You are free to maneuver as you see fit. Are there any questions?"
"I've got a question, Captain. Are there any restrictions on the use of these precision guidance systems?" asked Lieutenant "Zipper" Zolansky
"Well, the current systems are affected by things like smoke, haze, dust, rain, fog and other weather conditions. They're is pretty ineffective at night. But there are second-generation systems that will be more all-weather capable due out soon." Captain Stevens replied.
"Captain Stevens, how accurate are these precision guidance systems?" Captain "Mick" Martin asked.
"Why don't we go to the tape and see for ourselves?" Captain Steven said.
The TV screen in the room lit up, showing the cockpit of an A-7D from over the pilot's shoulder. On the HUD, a red dot appeared, with a 5 digit code beneath it. The pilot brought up his stores readout, selected a GBU-15 laser guided bomb unit and hit a button on the throttle to slave the bomb's laser seeker to the laser spotter's display on the HUD. The pilot hit the thumb button on his stick and called out, "Breakaway, breakaway, breakaway" as the 500 pound laser guided bomb was released from the ejector rack. The camera switched to a view of the bomb, as it's control surfaces altered its course to the target. The camera then showed a bunker, the bomb's target. The last 30 seconds were in slow motion, as the bomb came into the picture, and smashed through the bunker's front door, before exploding inside.
"That accurate enough for you?" Captain Stevens asked rhetorically.
"I take it that this kind of precision doesn't come cheap. What are the relative costs of these guidance packages?" Audrey asked.
"I won't lie to you, they are rather pricey, compared to "iron" bombs and unguided rockets. You could put a full load of Mk 82s on an A-7 for the price of one of the electro-optical guidance packages. The laser-guided packages are much cheaper. Because of that, you'll probably see far more laser guided systems, because the accuracy is pretty much the same under the similar conditions." Captain Stevens replied.
Gads! This is almost better than magic! I wish there was some way we could use these with Strikers! Kitana thought wistfully.
Let's get some practice in with them and see how things go. Audrey replied.
Kitana had way too much fun with the electro-optically guided weapons in training. She would get Audrey to turn up the magnification to maximum, and was able to pick out the targets, in spite of any kind of camouflage or attempts to hide the targets behind terrain.
One thing that Audrey discovered working with the Pave Penny laser spotting pod, was that laser designators had digital codes embedded in their laser beams, and the Pave Penny could detect the different codes, and program the laser seekers of the bombs with them. This prevented different aircraft from targeting the same target, and allowed an attacking aircraft to launch multiple weapons against multiple targets. Audrey and Kitana got a bit of a thrill during a training mission, where they detected 4 different laser designators, programmed the different codes into four different Paveway bombs, released them, and saw them home on 4 different targets.
We HAVE got to get this capability for Strikers! Kitana exclaimed.
I agree 100%! Audrey replied.
The end of qualification training was less formal than for primary flight conversion. All it entailed was a handshake, presentation of a certificate of completion and a letter posted to the recipient's personnel file, stating they were qualified to fly an A-7D for the Air Force. The next day, Audrey received orders sending her back to Nellis as a student with the 66th Fighter Weapons Squadron, reporting in next week.
Audrey came back to Nellis on Friday, and got settled back in, even getting her old room in the BOQ. After unpacking and taking a quick shower, Audrey called Will.
"Hi, Will. This is Audrey. I just got back from Tuscon. How are you?" Audrey said brightly.
"Howdy, y'all! You're back early! Ah didn't expect to see you for another month! Everything okay?" Will asked, concern lacing his tone.
"Everything's just fine! I just finished up and graduated early. Guess they thought I was a quick study! I am now a fully qualified A-7D pilot! Got the certificate and letter to prove it! Looks like I'll be spending a couple of months with the 66th as a student! It's going to be fun flying with you. I can hardly wait!"
Audrey exclaimed excitedly.
"That's great! What are you doing tonight?" Will asked.
"Well, I was hoping we could have dinner together." Audrey stated, hopefully.
"Ah'm afraid, Ah've got some plans for tonight. Ah just got promoted this week, and some of the guys are throwing me a promotion party at the O club tonight. Would you like to come? Ah'd really like to introduce to them." Will said, earnestly.
Audrey hesitated for a moment. She was hoping for a quiet dinner with Will alone. But the chance to meet some of his colleagues and to congratulate him on his promotion was too tempting to pass up.
"Sure! When and where?" Audrey asked.
"2000 hours at the O Club. I'll see you there!" Will responded.
When Audrey walked up to the promotion party, the reception she got was very formal and restrained, especially when Will introduced her as his "girlfriend." Audrey gave him a sharp look at that announcement. This was a shock to her and not something they've ever discussed. Will just gave her a warm smile. The atmosphere was decidedly chilly, in spite of Audrey pouring forth all of her charm, until she spilled some coffee on her hand and cussed. That seemed to break the ice a little, and let the guys see her as a real person. It wasn't until Will related the story on how they met, that the guys began to see Audrey in a new light, that she was one of them. The party resumed being loud and rowdy, as promotion parties tend to get, and a good time was had by all.
Saturday night, Will and Audrey had a quiet dinner at the Sands. Will apologized for springing the announcement about Audrey being his girlfriend, but He wanted to make clear to his colleagues that he was attached, and that they didn't need to worry about "fixing him up" with anyone. Audrey forgave him and mentioned it might be time to introduce each other to each other's family sooner than later. Will agreed, and suggested some time in the fall would be good.
Monday morning, Audrey got up 3 hours before reveille, and ran 10 miles, just to burn off some of her nervous energy. After a quick shower, she got dressed in full fatigues and then donned her new flight suit. After zipping it up, she began gathering her hair into a tight bun. Once she had pinned it tightly, she picked up her new flight helmet and headed out for a quick breakfast.
Arriving at the 66th building, Audrey was directed to an empty classroom. Just as she was sitting down to wait, another person came in. He was about Audrey's height, but stocky and muscular in build. His dark hair was cut short in a flat top style and his craggy features scowled at Audrey. He was carrying several binders, which he dropped on a table, along with a manila folder. Audrey snapped to attention and said
"Sir!"
"You Gains?" the new officer growled.
"Yes, sir, Captain Audrey Gains reports" Audrey stated.
"I'm Major Sam Hammond, one of the senior instructors of the 66th. Have a seat." Major Hammond replied gruffly.
Audrey took a seat on the opposite side of the table from Major Hammond. He sat, opened the folder and started reading. After a few moments, he looked up at Audrey with an intense expression.
"Says here you were in 'Nam, for a couple of tours, flyin' 'Sandys'" Major Hammond said.
"Yes, I did, sir" Audrey answered
"So did I, the aircraft, not the Striker. Gods, I loved that old bird. Oh, and we're pretty informal around here, even with regular classes. Just call me Ham, like everyone else." Ham said.
"Okay, Ham" Audrey replied brightly.
"What does everyone call you?' Ham asked
"I go by Boing Boing, or Boings for short." Audrey said quietly, blushing furiously
"Don't ask, it a long story." Audrey added, at Ham's raised eyebrow.
Ham read a little more and looked up at Audrey with sly, almost conspiratorial smile,
"So you're an instructor with our sister squadron. Know a Judy Johnson?" Ham asked, with a smile.
"Yes, I do. In fact, JJ and I shared an office for year and a half." Audrey replied.
Ham's eyebrows peaked, as he tried to recall something.
"Gains, Gains...weren't you that Witch that flew the simulated CAS mission on the demo video?" Ham asked.
"Yes, I was."Audrey replied quietly.
"That was a helluva flight. Was kinda fun to see you girls do the same things that we do." Ham stated, his face breaking out in a big smile.
Ham put a big meaty hand on the stack of binders and pushed them off to the side.
"You probably know all this stuff by heart, so the classroom stuff is just a waste of time. Just to cross our t's and dot our i's, let's go to the final practicum. You ready to fly today, Boings?" Ham asked in a brisk, businesslike tone.
"I'm ready to go!" Audrey stated emphatically.
"Let me check the Howgozit board and see which SLUFs are ready to go. If there are any, I'll file the flight plan and check with Range Control if they've got any space for us to play. It may take up to an hour, so you can hang out in the instructor's lounge. Turn left out the door and third door on your right. Oh and one last thing. No familiars for this flight" Ham stated.
"Okay, I'll meet you in the lounge and NO familiars for this flight!" Audrey replied brightly.
Audrey found the lounge, picked a comfortable looking chair, and began to leaf through a recent copy of Aviation Week including Space Technology. She soon became engrossed in an article about the upcoming fly-off competition between the new YA-10 Striker and a newly updated A-7D Striker.
After about a half hour, Ham came sweeping in, carrying, charts, notebooks and a flight computer.
"Let's go, Boings! We've got a tight window to squeeze you in, so we've got to move. 572 is out on the tarmac, loaded, fueled, and ready. We're going to be using Range 75 East for your testing. It should be set up and ready for us to use. We've got priority if we move now." Ham announced, dumping the load he was carrying on the lounge table.
Before she knew it, Audrey found herself strapped into the cockpit of an A-7D, waiting for take off clearance. In a few minutes, she was at Range 75 East, listening to Ham and another instructor, putting her though the final practicum. Each stage of the test came in rapid fire fashion, with none of the normal pauses between stages. By the time she was finished, all the ejector racks were empty, and she was getting the warnings of bingo fuel. She turned around and got directed to land.
After landing and taxiing to the 66th's hanger area, Audrey shut down the engine, opened the canopy and slowly exited the cockpit. She was sore, exhausted, and just generally worn out. She stumbled to the instructor's lounge, got a cup of coffee, and slumped in one of the chairs.
Ham came sweeping in, a number of papers in his hand.
"Congrats, Boings! You've passed, and I've got your graduation paperwork here. Good job!" Ham announced, expansively.
"Great. So when do I go back to the 67th?" Audrey asked in a tired voice.
"The admin jockeys are ginning up your orders as we speak. You should be able to report back tomorrow morning, if they get them here soon." Ham replied.
"Have you seen Major Robinson?" Audrey asked.
"Danger? Haven't seen him since this morning. I think he's been in conference all day with the Commandant." Ham replied.
"You're his girlfriend, right? Some guys get all the luck, having a beautiful Strike Witch as a girlfriend.
Good for him. I hope he'll be good to you" Ham continued.
"Oh, I was hoping to see him today." Audrey replied, in a disappointed tone.
"I wouldn't worry about it. He mentioned he had a hot date tonight, so I think you'll see him, once he concludes his business with the Commandant." Ham proclaimed, brightly.
There was a knock at the door of the lounge, and Ham went to answer it. He was there for a couple of minutes. He came back into the lounge, holding another sheaf of papers.
"Here you go, Boings! Your orders sending you back home, along with all your graduation paperwork! Say hi to JJ for me!" Ham exclaimed.
Audrey got up, took all the paperwork from Ham, and tiredly made her way out the door. Looking at her orders, she saw that she didn't need to report back until tomorrow. She drove back to the BOQ, and dragged herself to her room. She stripped off all of her clothes, undid her hair and ran the shower until it was steaming. She scrubbed herself down vigorously, and carefully shampooed and conditioned her hair. Audrey slumped against shower stall wall, letting the hot water pour over her. She rolled her head, hearing and feeling the vertebrae in her neck pop. She shrugged her shoulders, feeling her joints pop, and the muscles stretch painfully. After a while, she got out of the shower, dried off, wrapped a towel around herself and then wrapped her hair with another towel. Audrey came out of the bathroom and laid down on her bed. Worn out and physically spent, she soon fell asleep.
The shrill ringing of the phone snapped her instantly awake. She snatched up the receiver and announced "Gains here."
"Audrey, are y'all okay?" a slow unhurried baritone voice drawled in her ear.
"Will! I'm fine. Are you okay? I heard you were in conference with the Commandant all day! What's going on?" Audrey asked, the concern evident in her voice.
"Ah'm fine, just had a long conversation with General Selfridge. He had some ideas on mah career plans, since Ah just got promoted, and he wanted to discuss some things. Can we all talk about it over dinner tonight?" Will asked.
"Sure, does the O club sound okay? It's seafood night." Audrey replied.
"Sounds good to me. Meet y'all there at 1800?" Will inquired.
"1800 sounds fine" Audrey said, glancing at her new clock and seeing it was not quite 1715 yet.
"Good, Ah'll see y'all then" Will said brightly as he hung up.
Audrey got dressed, deciding to go for casual. That meant a bra, a squadron T-shirt, blue bikini shorts, golf socks and running shoes. She unwrapped her hair, and carefully worked through the tangles, brushing it out and pulling it back into a hasty ponytail. She put some moisturizing sunscreen on her face, throat, the back of her neck, arms and legs, followed by an application of Chapstik on her lips. She put on her dog tags and chronometer, grabbed her wallet and keys and then left.
Meeting Will at the Officer's club, they were quickly seated, and ordered their dinner. Audrey looked at Will, and her stomach unclenched as her tension lessened, seeing him relaxed and at ease.
"So Will, what did the Commandant want to talk about your career that was so important?" Audrey asked.
"Well, he mentioned that the Pentagon has started implementing AirLand Battle 2000. Because of that, they want to take advantage of mah experience as a pilot and FAC, and switch mah career field to become an Air Battle Manager. He talked about sending me to Air Weapons Controller School, and then to Air Command and Staff College. It would be about a year, taking both courses concurrently. From there, he mentioned that I would probably be on the staff of one of the first Air Support Operations Centers, most likely with III Corps at Ft Hood. From there, the Commandant mentioned that would most likely be the fast track to possible numbered Air Force Command. He said that it's an offer, and that I was free to decide how Ah want to go" Will explained, an edge of excitement in his voice.
Audrey sat there, stunned. If Will was on the command fast track, she'd probably be left behind, even if she was a Strike Witch marked for advancement. That would mean her dream of flying with Will would probably remain that, just a dream. She knew, that when a senior officer offered a chance for advancement like this, framed as an offer that can be declined, you'd better take it, or see any further career advancement curtailed. She tamped down her disappointment and pasted on a bright smile, trying her best to show enthusiasm and support for Will.
"That's wonderful, Will! I'm so happy for you! When do need to give the Commandant an answer?" Audrey asked.
"He said he needed an answer by the end of the week." Will replied.
"Then you'd better tell him yes tomorrow. Opportunities like this come along only once." Audrey declared.
"Well, what about you, Audrey? You're the newest of the Two-Winged Witches, and there's only about 100 of them in all of the Air Force. Everyone else is either an instructor in the program or an O-6 and above. Things seem to be opening up for you as well." Will observed.
"But I'm not on the track to command a numbered Air Force and general's stars!" Audrey protested.
"You're on the track for squadron command, Wing command, and general's stars, as well yourself." Will pointed out.
Their dinners arrived and they spent the rest of the time eating. When they left the club, Will turned to Audrey and looked her straight in the eye.
"Don't worry so much. Ah'm certain things can be worked out. As it is, both of our careers are on the brink of flourishing. We all will take it as it comes and go from there. It'll be okay." Will reassured her, as he brushed a kiss on her cheek and left.
The next morning, Audrey went to base administration, carrying her pay, medical and personnel records. She got her TDY pay straightened around, acknowledged her return to Nellis and got her orders reassigning her back to the 67th confirmed.
Arriving back at the 67th's main building, Audrey reported in to Danno and found herself sitting in front of her in her office.
"So, Boings, how did it go? Looks like you graduated early. Guess you must be some kind of flying whiz." Danno said.
"It was kind of strange, in some ways totally different, and in some ways familiar. I got to do so many things that I've never done flying a Striker, and I got an appreciation for how non-magic pilots manage to do so many things. I found myself being envious of them and how much firepower they have available. The training on precision guided weapons was a whole new world, and it was exciting to hear more and better is coming. But, it's good to be back and I'm looking to taking on a new class soon." Audrey declared.
"Sorry to disappoint you, Boings. But with the new class cycle starting next week, all of the classes have already been allocated. However, we've still got a job for you. Candy Kessler just received orders sending her to Kiwiland as an attache`. So we need a new deputy Ops Officer. I think you'll do fine, and it's a great way to get your feet wet in what it takes to run the squadron." Danno replied, with a smirk.
Audrey groaned internally. She hated paperwork, even if that seemed to be what the Air Force ran on. She sighed to herself. If paperwork is the job she'd be doing, there's no avoiding it.
"Okay ma'am. I'll take the job." Audrey said with a distinct lack of enthusiasm.
Danno threw her head back and laughed out loud.
"Well you don't have to be so enthusiasitc about it, Boings! Don't worry, you'll do just fine! Oh, and you'll have to move into Candy's old office in the Ops Corridor." Danno answered, still keeping a smirk on her face.
"I'd better get going about moving my stuff, ma'am" Audrey said as she stood.
"I look forward to you coming into the Ops side and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask Thumper or the XO. You're dismissed, Boings. Welcome Back!" Danno repaid, as she stood and returned Audrey's salute.
That was two months ago. Audrey fit in well with Ops, quickly picking up the routine and procedures. Thumper was easy to get along with and eager to teach Audrey what she needed to know. Audrey quickly learned what authority and responsibility she had, as well as the limitations to each. She still itched to teach and fly, but she got some satisfaction on getting things done for the Squadron, and helping the other instructors get the material, resources, and other things they needed to teach their lessons. It still didn't lessen her hatred of paperwork any.
The phone rang, and Audrey picked it up
"67th Squadron Ops, Captain Gains here" Audrey said.
"Boings, this is Danno. Just want to let you know that I've approved your leave request. You've got the two weeks after Labor Day you requested. Hope you have fun!" Danno's voice replied cheerily.
"Thank you, ma'am. I appreciate it and I certainly will!" Audrey said back.
She touched the hook and dialed another number.
"Commandant's staff. Major Robinson here" answered a slow unhurried baritone drawl.
"Will, it's Audrey. Just wanted to let you know that my leave request went through, and we are set for the two weeks after Labor Day!" Audrey announced brightly.
"Great! Ah'll take care of the flight reservations and we are ready to go! Talk to you later!" Will said in an equally bright tone.
Audrey hung up the phone. She sat there, hoping the trips to visit each other's family back to back would go well. Can't worry about that now. Gotta get the training ammo allocations approved. She thought, as she turned back to the paperwork in front of her.