Stormjammers

by Robert Stanek

When the U.S. went to war in Iraq during the first Gulf War, Robert Stanek was there. He lived and breathed combat from the opening days of the war to its end and beyond. In this book, this bestselling author chronicles the military life, his experiences in the war with vivid accounts of combat training before the war, reflections on life, family, duty, honor, and love, and remembrances of combat missions into the heart of Baghdad. Candid and fast-paced like the best combat memoirs, Stanek focuses on the men and women he flew with, telling their stories as well as his own and creating what is ultimately an inspiring and uplifting story of the human spirit challenged by the agony and terror of war. Based on the inspiring true story, this is the only book about electronic warfare operations in Iraq written by a military flyer who was there. Stanek's distinguished accomplishments during the Gulf War earned him nine medals, including our nation’s highest flying honor, the Distinguished Flying Cross.*** The Journal of Electronic Defense ReviewEC-130s have participated in every significant combat operation US forces have been involved in for nearly two decades. Now, thanks to this book by former Compass Call "crew dog" Robert Stanek, readers can ride along with Stanek and his Grey Lady Compass Call crew during 32 combat missions from January to March 1991, during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. Based on the author's daily dairy, The Extraordinary Story of Electronic Warfare Operations in the Gulf War, published in 2006, allows the reader to experience the hours of boredom punctuated with moments of terror that are typical of combat flying. Although many of the stories are somewhat repetitive, this is what Compass Call life is like, and the book quickly becomes hard to put down. Even though the reader can anticipate what a mission will be like, the tedium gives over to an adrenalin rush of anticipation when things begin to happen. It is impossible not to share the relief and pride of the individual crew members when the attack missions they protect exit Iraq safely because the Iraqi air defense command and control nets were completely defeated by Compass Call's powerful, targeted jamming. Stanek, whose Gulf experiences are given credit for launching his successful career as an international writer, bookends his story by relating a gut-wrenching experience many of us can relate to, telling one's wife that you are off to war. He shares arriving in Turkey to temporary quarters (old military classrooms) that "quickly began to smell like an old sweat sock," getting to the showers before the hot water runs out, as well as the joy of finding out that the commissary got a shipment of real steaks and trying to coordinate a mission to get there while they last. Another side of the book lets the reader ride along when Stanek's EC-130H has two engines quit in the war zone, and just when bailing out seems a certainty milking the hobbled airplane back to base only to have to argue with the tower over who has the worse emergency, Grey Lady or the aircraft critically low on fuel just ahead of it. There are also the missions when AWACS, the key to Compass Calls' protection, had to bug out because of maintenance problems, and the entire crew gives a thumbs-up to stay on station and continue their protective mission even though the risk is much, much higher. -- The Journal of Electronic Defense

380 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 15, 2006

About the author

Also writes as William R. Stanek and William Robert Stanek.

Robert Stanek has been a writer for over 30 years and is the author of over 50 books. The most popular series by Robert Stanek include the Ruin Mist books, the Magic Lands books, the Bugville books, the Bugville Jr. books, and the Bugville Learning books which area all available via Amazon, Audible, Playaway, OverDrive, and more than two dozen other retail and library partners. Join Robert Stanek and 200,000 fans on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/RobertStanekA....

Reviews

[Jan · Rating 2 out of 5]

A detailed personal account of the Gulf War I experiences of an Electronic Warfare technician flying on a US jammer aircraft during the conflict.

Honest and occasionally interesting, but perhaps lacking a convincing reason for why it should read by more than friends and family?

[Charles · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing particularly special, just another war memoir.

[Chris Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as technical as I would have liked, but for anyone interested in what its like in a Compass Call, its worth a read.