Colonel Phil
"Hands" Handley is credited with the highest speed air- to-air gun
kill in the history of aerial combat. He flew operationally for all but 11
months of a 26-year career, in aircraft such as the F-86 Sabre, F-15 Eagle, and
the C-130A Hercules. Additionally, he flew 275 combat missions during two tours
in Southeast Asia in the F-4D and F-4E. His awards include 21 Air Medals, 3
Distinguished Flying Crosses, and the Silver Star.
Here is what Col. Handley wrote in response to Panetta and Dempsey's claims
there was no time to send help to Benghazi
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Betrayal
in Benghazi
Phil "Hands" Handley Colonel, USAF (Ret.)
The combat code of the US
Military is that we don't abandon our dead or wounded on the battlefield. In US
Air Force lingo, fighter pilots don't run off and leave their wingmen. If one
of our own is shot down, still alive and not yet in enemy captivity, we will
either come to get him or die trying.
Among America 's fighting
forces, the calm, sure knowledge that such an irrevocable bond exists is
priceless. Along with individual faith and personal grit, it is a sacred trust
that has often sustained hope in the face of terribly long odds.
The disgraceful abandonment of our Ambassador and those brave
ex-SEAL's who fought to their deaths to save others in that compound is nothing
short of dereliction-of-duty.
Additionally, the patently
absurd cover-up scenario that was fabricated in the aftermath was an outright
lie in an attempt to shield the President and the Secretary of State from
responsibility.
It has been over eight months since the attack on our compound in
Benghazi . The White House strategy, with the aid of a "lap dog"
press has been to run out the clock before the truth is forthcoming.
The recent testimonies of the three "whistle blowers"
have reopened the subject and hopefully will lead to exposure and disgrace of
those responsible for this embarrassing debacle. It would appear that the most
recent firewall which the Administration is counting on is the contention
"that there were simply no military assets that could be brought to bear
in time to make a difference" mainly due to the unavailability of tanker
support for fighter aircraft.
This is simply Bull Shit, regardless how many supposed
"experts" the Administration trot out to make such an assertion.
The
bottom line is that even if the closest asset capable of response was half-way
around the world, you don't just sit on your penguin ass and do nothing.
The fact is that the closest
asset was not half-way around the world, but as near as Aviano Air Base , Italy
where two squadrons of F-16Cs are based.
Consider the following
scenario (all times Benghazi local): When Hicks in Tripoli receives a call at
9:40 PM from Ambassador Stevens informing him "Greg, we are under
attack!" (his last words), Hicks immediately notifies all agencies and
prepares for the immediate initiation of an existing "Emergency Response
Plan."
At AFRICON, General Carter
Ham attempts to mount a rescue effort, but is told to "stand down".
By 10:30 PM an unarmed drone is overhead the compound and streaming live feed
to various "Command and Control Agencies" so everyone watching that
feed knew damn well what was going on.
At 11:30 PM Woods, Doherty
and five others leave Tripoli, arriving in Benghazi at 1:30 AM on Wednesday
morning, where they hold off the attacking mob from the roof of the compound
until they are killed by a mortar direct hit at 4:00 AM.
So nothing could have been
done, eh? Nonsense. If one assumes that tanker support really "was not
available" what about this:
When at 10:00 PM AFRICON
alerts the 31st TFW Command Post in Aviano Air Base, Italy of the attack, the
Wing Commander orders preparation for the launch of two F-16s and advises the
Command Post at NAS Sigonella to prepare for hot pit refueling and quick turn
of the jets.
By 11:30 PM, two F-16Cs with
drop tanks and each armed with five hundred 20 MM rounds are airborne. Flying
at 0.92 mach they will cover the 522 nautical miles directly to NAS Sigonella
in 1.08 hours. While in-route, the flight lead is informed of the tactical
situation, rules of engagement, and radio frequencies to use.
The jets depart Sigonella at
1:10 AM with full fuel load and cover the 377 nautical miles directly to
Benghazi in 0.8 hours, arriving at 1:50 AM which would be 20 minutes after the
arrival of Woods, Doherty and their team.
Providing that the two F-16s
initial pass over the mob, in full afterburner at 200 feet and 550 knots did
not stop the attack in its tracks, a few well placed strafing runs on targets
of opportunity would assuredly do the trick.
Were the F-16s fuel state
insufficient to return to Sigonelli after jettisoning their external drop
tanks, they could easily do so at Tripoli International Airport , only one-half
hour away.
As for those hand-wringing
naysayers who would worry about IFR clearances, border crossing authority,
collateral damage, landing rights, political correctness and dozens of other
reasons not to act -- screw them. It is time our "leadership" get its
priorities straight and put America 's interests first.
The end result would be that
Woods and Doherty would be alive. Dozens in the attacking rabble would be
rendezvousing with "72 virgins" and a clear message would have been
sent to the next worthless P.O.S. terrorist contemplating an attack on
Americans that it is not really a good idea to "tug" on Superman's
cape.
Of course all this depends
upon a Commander In Chief more concerned with saving the lives of those he put
in harm's way than getting his crew rested for a campaign fund raising event in
Las Vegas the next day. It also depends upon a Secretary of State who actually
understood "What difference did it make?", and a Secretary of Defense
who was watching the feed from the drone and understood what the attack
consisted of instead of making an immediate response that "One of the
military tenants is that you don't commit assets until you fully understand the
tactical situation."
Ultimately it comes down to the question of who gave that order to
stand down? Whoever that coward turns out to be should be exposed, removed from
office, and face criminal charges for dereliction of duty. The combat forces of
the United States of America deserve leadership that really does "have
their back" when the chips are down.
FOR THOSE OF YOU HAVE ACTUALLY TAKEN THE TIME TO READ THIS, DO ONE
THING FOR ME AND FORWARD IT TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW!! TO AVOID THIS HAPPENING
AGAIN, WHOM EVER GAVE THE "STAND DOWN" ORDER NEEDS TO BE EXPOSED!!!!
