Battle Born

This novel is dedicated to all the men and women serving in the armed forces of the United States of America, and especially to the U.S. Air Force bomber crews. At this writing, for the first time since Vietnam, all of our country’s heavy bomber forces are in action during the same conflict, over the Balkans. Doing more with less seems to be your specialty now, but it is a task and a duty you shoulder with extreme pride and professionalism.

This story is also dedicated to the families of all who serve. Without their love and support, the best soldiers and the most powerful war machines in the world would be nothing more than empty shells.

Very special thanks go to two very special air warriors:

Thanks to Air Force General Mike Loh (ret.), former commander of Air Combat Command, for his inspiration, guidance, and suggestions. He continues to be this nation’s strongest and most authoritative advocate for the heavy bomber, strategic airpower, and a strong national defense.

Thanks also to Colonel (BG selectee) Wil Fraser, former commander of the Twenty-eighth Bomb Wing, Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, for his encouragement and support.

Thanks to Colonel Anthony Przybyslawski, commander, Twenty-eighth Bomb Wing, Ellsworth AFB; Colonel Tim Bailey, vice-commander; Colonel Richard Newton, ops group commander; Lieutenant Colonel Sloan Butler, Twenty-eighth Operational Support Squadron commander; Lieutenant Colonel Stephen “Taz” Wolborsky, Thirty-seventh Bomb Squadron commander; and Chief Master Sergeant Paul Hammett, Twenty-eighth Bomb Wing Senior Enlisted Adviser, for spending the time in explaining the employment of the B-1B and the mission of the Bomb Wing.

Thanks to all the Bomb Wing technicians and experts who demonstrated their skills, pride, and professionalism: Captain Scott Marsfield, Technical Sergeant Jerry Long, and Senior Airman Ryan Schod, life support; Staff Sergeant Robert “Chico” Cortez, weapons loader trainer; Master Sergeant Keith Malone, munitions; and to all the other men and women of the Wing for their time and assistance.

Special thanks to the crewdogs of the Thirty-seventh Bomb Squadron for hosting my spectacular flight in the Bone to Powder River: Captain Dave “Trooper” Johnson, aircraft commander; Captain Jason “PITA” Combs, copilot; Captain Chris “CK” Butler, OSO; and Captain Tom “Opie” Woods, OSO. These Tigers really showed me how lucky we are to have them on duty defending our country.

Last but certainly not least, very special thanks to Staff Sergeant Steve Merrill, Twenty-eighth Bomb Wing public affairs, for his expertise, attention, and professionalism in organizing and conducting a great tour of the Twenty-eighth Bomb Wing.

Thanks also to Michael Rascher and Nancy Dewey for their random acts of generosity and kindness.

This is a work of fiction. Although some real-world names, organizations, and situations are used to enhance the authenticity of the story, any similarities to real-world persons, units, or situations are coincidental and all portrayals are purely the product of the author’s imagination.

Please visit my Web site at
www.megafortress.com
for more information on
Battle Born
and on future works in progress.

Kevin Martindale, President of the United States

Ellen Christine Whiting, Vice President of the United States

Corrie Law, chief of Vice President’s Secret Service detail

Philip Freeman, General, National Security Adviser

Robert Plank, CIA Director

Jeffrey Hartman, Secretary of State

Jerrod Hale, White House Chief of Staff

Arthur Chastain, Secretary of Defense

Stuart L. Mortonson, Secretary of the Air Force

George Balboa, Admiral, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Victor Hayes, General, USAF, Chief of Staff of the Air Force

William Allen, Admiral, commander, U.S. Pacific Command

Terrill Samson, Lieutenant General, USAF, commander, High Technology Aerospace Weapons Center, Elliott AFB, Groom Lake, Nevada

Patrick S. McLanahan, Brigadier General, USAF

David Luger, Lieutenant Colonel, USAF

Hal Briggs, Lieutenant Colonel, USAF

Nancy Cheshire, Lieutenant Colonel, USAF

Adam Bretoff, General, Adjutant General, Nevada National Guard

Rebecca Catherine Furness, Lieutenant Colonel, NVANG, 111 BMS/CC

John K. Long, Lieutenant Colonel, NVANG, 111 BMS/DO

Rinc Seaver, Major, NVANG, 111 BMS/DN

Annie Dewey, Captain, NVANG, copilot

Chris Bowler, Master Sergeant, NVANG, crew chief

REPUBLIC OF KOREA (SOUTH KOREA)

Kwon Ki-chae, President of the ROK

Lee Kyong-sik, Prime Minister

Kang No-myong, Minister of Foreign Affairs

Kim Kun-mo, General (Ret.), Minister of National Defense

An Ki-sok, General, Chief of the General Staff

Lee Ung-pae, Director of Agency for National Security Planning

Park Yom, Lieutenant General, Chief of Staff of Republic of Korea Air Force

Pak Chung-chu, former First Vice President of North Korea and interim Vice President of United Korea

DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF KOREA (NORTH KOREA)

Kim Jong-il, President of North Korea

Pak Chung-chu, First Vice President

Kim Ung-tae, Vice-Marshal, commander, Artillery Command

Cho Myong-nok, Lieutenant General, Chief of Staff of the Korean People’s Army’s Air Forces

Kong Hwan-li, Captain, commanding Nodong missile unit

Kim Yong-ku, Master Sergeant, Kong’s assistant

PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

Jiang Zemin, President of China

Chi Haotian, Minister of National Defense

Chin Zi-hong, General, Chief of Staff of the People’s Liberation Army

Qian Qichian, Minister of Foreign Affairs

Xu Zhengsheng, Assistant Deputy Secretary of Cultural Affairs, Chinese embassy, Pyongyang

Zhou Chang-li, Ambassador to the United States

RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Yevgeniy Maksimovich Primakov, President of Russia

Dmitriy Antonovich Aksenenko, Deputy Foreign Minister

REPUBLIC OF JAPAN

Kazumi Nagai, Prime Minister of Japan

Ota Amari, Minister of Foreign Affairs

The commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific said Wednesday that forcing famine-hit North Korea into a corner could drive it to attack its southern neighbor, resulting in heavy loss of life.

Adm. Joseph Prueher said the severity of the famine in the North remained unclear, but Washington’s immediate concern was that Pyongyang “retains a considerable military capability to lash out.”

“Should they try and conduct a full-scale assault they will not prevail, but it would nonetheless be a very difficult situation with a lot of loss of life because of the military capability North Korea maintains,” he said. . . .

Rimpac joint military manoeuvres involving the United States, Japan, South Korea, etc. will be reportedly held on the Pacific for a month from early July.

. . . The present South Korean regime, which styles itself a “government of people,” is hell bent on confrontation and war preparations against the fellow countrymen in the north. It has frequently staged military exercises simulating an invasion of the north throughout South Korea under the pretext of “coping with the enemy’s provocation of a limited war.”

It is obvious that the participation in the joint manoeuvres by the South Korean puppets, who are aggravating the situation of the Korean peninsula with north-south confrontation and war preparations, is aimed at invading the north in league with outsiders. . . .

South Korea, overlooking recent spy incursions by North Korean agents, is sending 781 tons of powdered milk to help the starving North.

American intelligence is worried that some 15,000 North Korean workers are building a huge underground nuclear facility. The suspected activity runs counter to an agreement Pyongyang made to suspend nuclear weapons research in favor of massive amounts of aid dollars. The White House officially refused to comment on the matter, except to note that North Korea remains in compliance with the 1994 accord and the situation is being closely watched.

Upwards of 800,000 North Koreans are dying from starvation or hunger-related illnesses. A group of bipartisan congressional staffers, following a week-long fact-finding tour of North Korea, said the country is in miserable condition and the situation is only getting worse.

North Korea’s missile test nearly reached Alaska. A piece of the rocket traveled about 6,000 km and splashed into the Pacific near the Alaskan coast.

North Korea is reportedly training some 140 pilots for kamikaze missions against key South Korean targets, should war break out on the divided peninsula.