ORIGINAL: Flak
FOX Cable News covered this event well. It was the same day a Medivac Black Hawk was shot down. We need more combat support personnel around our air support to wax the *******s who are shooting at our aircraft. On the ground you have a fighting chance, because you have a 360 view of your area. In an aircraft, espescially a C5 you mainly see straight ahead and you don't have much in the way of self defense. My dad, a 1st Cav. WWII Vet was a BAR gunner. He said every morning they sprayed the foliage with bullets around their perimeter and more often than not the trees would rain Japs. Maybe we need more stringient perimeter clearing options around our air facilities in Iraq.
"Keep 'Em Flying!'
Flak
I agree, I'm amazed how much we seem to be lacking in air support. Same with our convoys being attacked by guys running out of ditches, I don't hear anything about aircover. I would think a few Cobras guarding a convoy could seek out a deter any attackers.