Air Force veterans reunite for 33rd anniversary of Operation Senior Surprise
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE — On Saturday, the Air Force Armament Museum hosted 25 airmen from the 596th Bomber Squadron, 2nd Bomb Wing, to observe the 33rd anniversary reunion of the veterans who took part in Operation Senior Surprise.
This secret mission occurred on Jan. 16, 1991, and began the air campaign of Operation Desert Storm.
Known by the crewmembers as Operation Secret Squirrel, the reunion took a solemn tone as the surviving members in attendance took a moment to remember those who have "gone west."
A continued legacy
During the opening remarks by Robert Lightner, who was the electronic warfare officer on one of the seven aircraft, noted that at the 2017 reunion, Gen. Robin Rand, then commander of the Air Force Global Strike Command, had a phone conversation with the last surviving member of the Doolittle Raiders, Richard Cole, who was the copilot in aircraft No.1.
In that conversation, Cole passed the legacy of the Raiders to the men who participated in Senior Surprise. That legacy included sharing the warriors' bond that was formed in battle and remembering the brothers they lost.
What was Operation Senior Surprise?
After six months of extensive training, mission commander Lt. Col. John "Jay" Beard and 56 airmen awoke to a siren about 3 a.m. on Jan. 16, 1991. The crews boarded seven B-52 Stratofortress bombers and took off from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.
The aircrew launched with 40 AGM-86C Conventional Air Launched Cruise Missiles, a weapon designed to increase the effectiveness of the B-52 aircraft. For the B-52, crews would fly the first missions into combat since the end of the Vietnam War.
Just after takeoff, "Doom 34" broke radio silence to announce that one of the eight engines on the aircraft had failed. According to Beard, the mission had a "go, no-go point" where if an aircraft was unable to perform the mission for whatever reason, another B-52 could take off to join the formation.
After Beard received many "standby" updates from "Doom 34," he heard another update from the troubled aircraft.
"Doom 34-checking in. In the green, one (engine) shutdown," the crew said. Beard said his favorite memory of the mission was the men's "get it done" attitude.
As the seven aircraft traveled across the Atlantic Ocean, the first of four aerial refueling operations took place near the Azores, with another refueling over the Mediterranean Sea.
After entering Saudi Arabian airspace, the crew began to arm their weapons. Another issue arose when four missiles began to have software problems and could not be launched. After flying for 14 hours, each aircraft launched its inventory of missiles and then turned to return to base.
Those missiles hit high-priority Iraqi power and communication targets. With those threats eliminated, the air campaign of Operation Desert Storm could proceed as planned.
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With poor weather on the return flight, the crews were put through another test as reduced visibility with the tanker aircraft led to some difficulty during the return. After completing two more aerial refueling operations, all seven aircrews safely touched down in Louisiana.
At the end of the 35-hour, 24-minute mission, the "Secret Squirrels" set a new world record for the longest bombing mission in aviation history at 14,000 miles and saw the use of GPS-guided munitions for the first time in combat.
A heartening reunion
Every year around this time, the squirrels meet for their yearly reunion, which is usually conducted at Barksdale Air Force Base. This year, the reunion was held at Eglin Air Force Base for the first time.
For Beard, seeing the men again was a welcomed experience.
"It's hearting to see all the guys," Beard said. "I very much enjoy it. They were all lieutenants and captains when they flew. When it comes to the guys and to see how their careers went, whether they had full Air Force careers or left and moved on. It's very heartening to me."
This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Air Force Armament Museum hosts reunion for Operation Senior Surprise
