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File: aabfd_04.txt
Page: 04
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	The long fold in the fighter operation is the weapon storage
	area. After the first few days of the war, we began loading
	iron bombs here for the A-10, and then subsequently F-16s
	began operating with the standard load of four Mark 84
	2,000-pound general purpose bombs. We have the capability
	in our weapon storage area to generate for the A-10 about
	600 iron bombs a day, so that will require mixing ordnance a
	good bit to get to that 300 sorties a day since generally
	the A-10 is using four to six iron bombs per mission. The
	F-16s will be able to handle the four Mark 84s to support
	their 64 to 70 sorties. Mixing that ordnance for the A-l0
	with Mark 20 CBU [cluster bomb unit] and Mavericks will let
	us get to the 300 and sustain that level as long as we get
	the necessary ammunition resupplied.

	The other long fold, of course, is fuel. The Army has done
	an excellent job of supporting that. We got a young captain
	in here from Keesler [AFB MS] about 2 weeks into the war.
	Captain Forester came to us and was appointed our fuels
	officer and has done an excellent job of insuring that the
	fuel resupply, maintenance, and operation of our roughly 2
	million gallons of fuel storage here on the airfield, or
	adjacent thereto, and six bladder refueling points have been
	well maintained and manned, so he has done an excellent job
	in assuring that aspect was handled correctly.

	From a lessons learned perspective, I don't think there have
	been any big surprises. The cooperation of our Saudi hosts
	certainly has been absolutely essential. It has clearly
	been a very personality driven problem insuring the right
	people were interfacing with the Saudis in a manner that the
	Saudis were comfortable with, and that has been a big key to
	our success. In that regard, Captain McManus has done an
	excellent job.








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