The Afterburn Podcast

During a close air support mission over Baghdad on 8 April 2003, Maj Gary "Wolfman" Wolf and his A-10 Warthog were struck by an SA-16 MANPADS while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Battle Creek Bourbon: https://shop.winglorespirits.com/pages/commemorative

Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/

Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/

🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫

Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off

🔺 Aviat...

During a close air support mission over Baghdad on 8 April 2003, Maj Gary "Wolfman" Wolf and his A-10 Warthog were struck by an SA-16 MANPADS while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Battle Creek Bourbon: https://shop.winglorespirits.com/pages/commemorative

0:00 Intro "Lead's Been Hit"
1:29 The Close Air Support Mission
6:10 Hit by an SA-16
12:44 Jettison Everything
15:33 Escort and Rescue Join Up
16:41 Gear Down
18:55 Battle Creek Bourbon with Wing Lore Spirits
23:44 Mitchell Wolf on Tail Number 258

Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/

🛫 Bec...

Col Kevin "Flint" Hicok commanded the 20th Fighter Wing during Operation Midnight Hammer, leading the largest Air Force wing in CENTCOM since Desert Storm.

The three-part documentary series is on Afterburn Defense:
Part I: https://youtu.be/MgQ_X3Td8a4
Part II: https://youtu.be/GzdL6NMYDso
Part III: https://youtu.be/Xc22-2RaGSY

Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the people who flew it. This is the full interview with Col. Kevin Hicok, a career F-16 fighter pilot who commanded the F-16 Wild Weasels that flew Suppression of...

Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the F-16 Wild Weasel fighter pilots who flew into Iran. Ghost" Trembly and "Cash" Croghan were the wing and squadron weapons officers for the 55th Fighter Squadron, the F-16 Wild Weasels who flew Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses ahead of the B-2 strike on Iran.

Watch the three-part documentary series on Afterburn Defense:
Part I: https://youtu.be/MgQ_X3Td8a4
Part II: https://youtu.be/GzdL6NMYDso
Part III: https://youtu.be/Xc22-2RaGSY

They planned the F-16 portion of the strike...

Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the people who flew it. "Smalls" commanded the 55th Fighter Squadron, and "Scar" was one of the F-16 pilots who helped plan and execute the mission. They are the Wild Weasels who flew Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses ahead of the B-2 strike on Iran.

Watch the three-part documentary series on Afterburn Defense:
Part I: https://youtu.be/MgQ_X3Td8a4
Part II: https://youtu.be/GzdL6NMYDso
Part III: https://youtu.be/Xc22-2RaGSY

This is the full interview.

Both...

Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the people who flew it. "Glitch" was one of the youngest F-16 pilots in the formation, flying his first combat deployment with the Wild Weasels who flew Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses ahead of the B-2 strike on Iran.

Watch the three-part documentary series on Afterburn Defense:
Part I: https://youtu.be/MgQ_X3Td8a4
Part II: https://youtu.be/GzdL6NMYDso
Part III: https://youtu.be/Xc22-2RaGSY

This is the full interview.

He was woken up at ten at...

Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the people who flew it. "Cuffs" was the deployed Director of Operations for the 55th Fighter Squadron, the Wild Weasels who flew Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses ahead of the B-2 strike on Iran.

Watch the three-part documentary series on Afterburn Defense:
Part I: https://youtu.be/MgQ_X3Td8a4
Part II: https://youtu.be/GzdL6NMYDso
Part III: https://youtu.be/Xc22-2RaGSY

This is the full interview.

He ran the squadron's operations from the main base while the strike...

Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the people who flew it. "Glib" was the intelligence officer for the 55th Fighter Squadron, the Wild Weasels who flew Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses ahead of the B-2 strike on Iran.

Watch the three-part documentary series on Afterburn Defense:
Part I: https://youtu.be/MgQ_X3Td8a4
Part II: https://youtu.be/GzdL6NMYDso
Part III: https://youtu.be/Xc22-2RaGSY

This is the full interview.

His job was to know the threat better than anyone in the squadron. In...

Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the people who flew it. MSgt. Edge was the fuels NCOIC responsible for getting gas into every aircraft, supporting the Wild Weasels who flew Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses ahead of the B-2 strike on Iran.

Watch the three-part documentary series on Afterburn Defense:
Part I: https://youtu.be/MgQ_X3Td8a4
Part II: https://youtu.be/GzdL6NMYDso
Part III: https://youtu.be/Xc22-2RaGSY

This is the full interview.

Nothing flies without fuel. In this conversation, he explains how...

Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the people who flew it. Lt Col Tilton commanded the logistics readiness squadron at the deployed location, supplying the base the Wild Weasels flew from when they took Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses ahead of the B-2 strike on Iran.

Watch the three-part documentary series on Afterburn Defense:
Part I: https://youtu.be/MgQ_X3Td8a4
Part II: https://youtu.be/GzdL6NMYDso
Part III: https://youtu.be/Xc22-2RaGSY

This is the full interview.

Everything the mission needed had to...

Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the people who flew it. SrA Michalenko was an avionics journeyman for the 55th Fighter Squadron, working the computer and threat warning systems on the F-16s that flew Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses ahead of the B-2 strike on Iran.

Watch the three-part documentary series on Afterburn Defense:
Part I: https://youtu.be/MgQ_X3Td8a4
Part II: https://youtu.be/GzdL6NMYDso
Part III: https://youtu.be/Xc22-2RaGSY

This is the full interview.

It was his first deployment...

Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the people who flew it. CMSgt. Hilliard was the senior enlisted leader for maintenance in the 55th Fighter Squadron, the Wild Weasels who flew Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses ahead of the B-2 strike on Iran.

Watch the three-part documentary series on Afterburn Defense:
Part I: https://youtu.be/MgQ_X3Td8a4
Part II: https://youtu.be/GzdL6NMYDso
Part III: https://youtu.be/Xc22-2RaGSY

This is the full interview.

No jet flies without the people who fix it. In...

Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the people who flew it. SSgt Dray was a weapons technician responsible for the munitions and countermeasure systems on the F-16s, arming the Wild Weasels who flew Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses ahead of the B-2 strike on Iran.

Watch the three-part documentary series on Afterburn Defense:
Part I: https://youtu.be/MgQ_X3Td8a4
Part II: https://youtu.be/GzdL6NMYDso
Part III: https://youtu.be/Xc22-2RaGSY

This is the full interview.

He is one of the airmen...

Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the people who flew it. Capt. Grooms was the logistics director of operations at the deployed location, supporting the Wild Weasels who flew Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses ahead of the B-2 strike on Iran.

Watch the three-part documentary series on Afterburn Defense:
Part I: https://youtu.be/MgQ_X3Td8a4
Part II: https://youtu.be/GzdL6NMYDso
Part III: https://youtu.be/Xc22-2RaGSY

This is the full interview.

He was never read in on the mission. He worked it...

Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the people who flew it. Capt. Williams and MSgt. Matos led F-16 maintenance for the 55th, keeping the jets flying for the Wild Weasels who flew Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses ahead of the B-2 strike on Iran.

Watch the three-part documentary series on Afterburn Defense:
Part I: https://youtu.be/MgQ_X3Td8a4
Part II: https://youtu.be/GzdL6NMYDso
Part III: https://youtu.be/Xc22-2RaGSY

This is the full interview.

Nobody told them what was coming. The configuration...

Today we sit down with an HH-60G Pave Hawk combat search and rescue (CSAR) pilot who flew through some of the worst fighting in Afghanistan, and the single mission that changed how he trains the mind for combat.

John "Rain" Waters talks with retired Lt. Col. John Mangan, a decorated CSAR pilot with more than 200 combat missions who commanded the 33rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron in Kandahar. They get into the leave-no-one-behind ethos, the honey-buns story that got a grounded rescue bird fueled in a combat zone, the command chaos of Operation Anaconda, why wounded troops died...

Today we break down why the US-Iran war reignited over the Strait of Hormuz, why the June ceasefire collapsed, and what a waterway a single drone can shut means for oil prices, escalation, and how this conflict actually ends.

Mike "FLASH" McVay sits down with Dr. Michael Bosack, founder of the Parley Policy Initiative and former Deputy Secretary of the UN Command Military Armistice Commission, to make sense of the current escalation. The conversation covers the five ways wars actually end, the difference between a negative and a positive peace, the good, bad, and ugly of the...

This is a 3-part series. Best if viewed on Afterburn Defense Youtube. 
Part I: https://youtu.be/MgQ_X3Td8a4
Part II: https://youtu.be/GzdL6NMYDso
Part III: https://youtu.be/Xc22-2RaGSY

Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the F-16 Wild Weasel pilots who flew it. This is the firsthand account of the 55th Fighter Squadron and the 20th Fighter Wing. These are the pilots who fly Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses, known as SEAD, the crews who went in first to suppress Iranian air defenses, and the ground su...

Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the F-16 Wild Weasel pilots who flew it. This is the firsthand account of the 55th Fighter Squadron and the 20th Fighter Wing. These are the pilots who fly Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses, known as SEAD, the crews who went in first to suppress Iranian air defenses, and the ground support teams who made the mission possible. 

Part two covers the mission planning and the thoughts of the pilots and other squadron members when they thought of the upcoming mission to strike Iran's nuclear facilities. Recorded between December 2025 and J...

This episode was designed for video. Watch this episode for text and graphical explanations: https://youtu.be/EDnLrP_45fk

Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the F-16 Wild Weasel pilots who flew it. This is the firsthand account of the 55th Fighter Squadron and the 20th Fighter Wing. These are the pilots who fly Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses, known as SEAD, the crews who went in first to suppress Iranian air defenses, and the ground support teams who made the mission possible. 

Part One covers Operation Rough Rider, the air campaign over Yemen i...

YT: https://youtu.be/rvVVQ3n081I

This is the untold story of the F-16 pilots who flew deeper into Iran than any fourth-generation aircraft during Operation Midnight Hammer, the historic B-2 strike targeting Iran's nuclear sites with the Massive Ordnance Penetrator. These were the only non-stealth jets escorting the B-2 strike package, flying over 250 nautical miles into one of the most sophisticated integrated air defense networks on Earth, well beyond the range of any personnel recovery assets. These pilots provided Suppression of Enemy Air Defense (SEAD) coverage for the B-2's. When air refueling assets fell...

Rob "Z-Man" Zettel is a retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, commercial airline captain, and author of American MiG Pilot who served as a top-secret Red Eagles instructor pilot flying Soviet MiG-21 and MiG-23 fighter jets during the Cold War program Constant Peg.

American MiG Pilot: Inside the Top Secret USAF “Red Eagles” MiG Squadron: https://amzn.to/4fLi2DA

Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/

🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫

Air Force Officer Qualifying Tes...

On May 20th, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed a federal indictment charging former Cuban head of state Raul Castro with the murder of American civilians. That same day, the USS Nimitz carrier strike group entered the Caribbean. We break down the 1996 Brothers to the Rescue shootdown, the GAESA military conglomerate controlling Cuba's economy, and what the Venezuela playbook tells us about where this is headed.

Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/

🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫

Air Force Off...

Watch online: https://youtu.be/uvAyxlmpBdk

We spent two days in Waco, Texas, inside the L3Harris facility where the Sky Raider II International™ is built. From the beginning, where an 802 Air Tractor enters the production line until it rolls out as Air Force Special Operations Command's newest airplane, the OA-1K Sky Raider II. We dive into what it takes to turn a crop duster into a precision-strike and ISR platform capable of operating from austere environments with only a two-man crew and 6,000 pounds of ordnance. Exclusive access to the production line, the weapons systems, and th...

Video: https://youtu.be/L0D9c5nYO5E

China's Chengdu Aircraft Corporation has more than doubled J-20 production efficiency using autonomous vehicles and AI-driven dark factories. With roughly 300 J-20s in service today and output estimated at 100-120 airframes annually, the PLAAF could field over 1,000 fifth-generation fighters by 2030. Today we discuss what that production capacity means, how it compares to F-35 output, and whether quantity changes the calculus regardless of quality.

Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/

🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogido...

Watch this episode on YT: https://youtu.be/8X_ll2FrRIA

Beijing confirmed Chinese engineers were at Pakistani air bases supporting J-10CE operations during Operation Sindoor in May 2025. Today we discuss PL-15 & the J-10CE's combat performance data, what China just proved about its export hardware, and what the J-35 deal with Pakistan means now.

Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/

🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫

Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://a...

Dos Gringos Concert: dosgringosdenver.com

James "Whacker" Reeman IG: @f16pilot

Whacker's Content: Fastjetfriday.com

Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/

🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫

Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off

🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺

Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast

Host...

Roy "Deacon" Qualls went from zero flight hours to undergraduate pilot training six months later. From there — OV-10s, F-15s, the Louisiana Air National Guard, and a parallel career at American Airlines flying the 777.

In this episode Deacon walks through some of the defining moments of that career — receiving the 9/11 shoot down order on an unclassified fax, scrambling toward Air Force One on the morning of September 11th, flying a night CAP over Houston with a live weapons free ROE, and leading airmen through Hurricane Katrina rescue operations out of New Orleans.

Pilot...

When two brand new F-35s sustained catastrophic damage in separate accidents, the Air Force faced a decision most people don't know exists — write them off as total losses or call in one of the most specialized and least talked about teams in the United States Air Force. They called in the Aircraft Battle Damage Repair team. ABDR. 

In this episode, I sit down with General Sebren and Senior Master Sergeant Cross to break down exactly what aircraft battle damage repair is, how the decision gets made to repair or write off a damaged aircraft, and what it...

The Secretary of the Air Force just announced the A-10 Warthog will remain in service until at least 2030. For a platform that has been on the chopping block since Desert Storm — with depot maintenance shut down in February, training pipelines closing, and squadrons deactivating — this is a significant reversal

Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/

🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫

Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off

🔺 Aviation & Defen...

Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/ 🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫 Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off 🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺 Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Pentagon just submitted the largest defense budget request in American history — $1.5 trillion for fiscal year 2027 — and buried inside those numbers is a clear picture of exactly where the US military thinks the next war will be fought and how. In this video I break down what each service is actually buying, from the Air Force's $5 billion bet on the F-47 next generation fighter and $4.5 billion for the Sentinel ICBM, to the Navy doubling aircraft procurement to $34 billion, the Army quadrupling missile spending to $36 billion, and a $53 billion autonomous warfare program that signals the Pentagon is serious about drones at s...

Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/ 🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫 Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off 🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺 Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/ 🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫 Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off 🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺 Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In March 2026, somewhere between 12 and 15 drones overflew the flight line at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana — home to the B-52 bomber fleet, Global Strike Command, and the nuclear command and control communications systems that link the President to America's nuclear arsenal. These weren't hobbyist drones. According to reports they flew in close formation, spread out and conducted various maneuvers, and appeared to be jam resistant. Nobody stopped them.

Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/

🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫

Air Force...

The J-35 is China's latest 5th generation fighter jets, and this video discusses its accelerated delivery timeline to Pakistan. We explore the implications of this advanced china fighter jet for military aircraft and the china air force.

Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/

🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫

Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off

🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺

Become a Patron, Support...

Maj. Gen. John "Trapper" Winters joins the Afterburn Podcast for a two-hour conversation covering one of the most unconventional paths to two stars in Air Force history — starting as an F-4 Electronic Warfare Officer and navigator, then beating 6% odds to earn a slot in pilot training, flying F-16s in the Aggressor program, commanding a fighter squadron, and ultimately rising to Mobilization Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations at the Pentagon.

 In this episode, we cover it all. Trapper talks about growing up in a military family, knowing since age three that he wanted to...

Live Stream with Ward: https://www.youtube.com/live/5QSiJmqS6AQ?si=nT-Q09vbwpf3Wuow 

Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/

🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫

Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off

🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺

Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast

Hosted by Simpl...

Cinco's book: Unlocking the Last 20%: Rising to Greatness Through Discipline, Balance, and Resiliency https://amzn.to/48cisOP

Tucker "Cinco" Hamilton is an Air Force Colonel, experimental test pilot, and the inaugural Chief of AI Test and Operations for the Department of the Air Force. He flew 30+ aircraft, including all three variants of the F-35, logged 82 combat missions, commanded the largest flight test organization in modern aviation, and was in the cockpit the first time an AI agent took control of a high-performance drone in flight.

Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast...

President Trump's recent comments on a potential Iran ceasefire have sparked much discussion, as we explore the ongoing strikes in the region and the evolving iran war. This video also covers reports of Chechen units preparing for a possible US ground invasion and Iran's reveal of a new underground base for fighter jets, all contributing to the complex middle east conflict. Stay informed on this critical iran update and the latest developments shaping the us iran war.

Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/

🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA...