Special Operations Up Close

The highlight of our trip came on day one as TSgt Kristina Newton from the Hurlburt Field Public Affairs office arranged a wonderful visit with the 4th Special Operations Squadron that flies the AC-130U gunship. After a photo-session at the Special Operations "air park", we were privileged to spend most of the morning seeing this awesome aircraft up close and personal. Several 4th SOS crew members took us through every section of the AC-130. Cadets were amazed that an aircraft could have so many weapons and such firepower. The 105 Howitzer cannon got everyone's attention. One of Colonel Pittman's former cadets, Captain Drew Brown, joined us and was kind enough to get us all "challenge coins" from the 4th. He is an intelligence officer assigned to the base. The visit was a reunion for Colonel Pittman, a former gunship crew member, who posed with the present-day crew members for our group photo.