Firehose Rodeo

LOL!

Awesome. Why didn't I think of that? Probably because I worked with a bunch of uptight a-holes.

Strangers on Steel Horses

American Soldier- Toby Keith (tribute)

Heaven Was Needing a Hero

On My Watch Tonight

In 1992, Mike Corrado bought his first guitar, learned 3 chords and started writing songs while at The Citadel. He then graduated and joined the Marine Corps to lead our nations finest and see the world. His tours – both of duty and concert – would take him around the world, serving and performing from the North Carolina Coast to Iraq. Along the way, Mike crossed musical paths with Edwin McCain and John Mayer.

Then, on September 11, the world and Mike’s band was forever changed. Mike and his fiancé, a flight medic in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, were mobilized back to active duty. In 2002, Mike continued to train with the Marines and prepare for deployment. He married his wife Kate, who soon after was called to Afghanistan. During all this, Mike penned the song "On My Watch Tonight," a story of a Marine's journey from boot camp to the front lines.

In 2004, Mike re-recorded “On My Watch Tonight” and dropped off a copy to Greg Brady at WRHT 96.3 – “The HOT FM” – in North Carolina. “On My Watch Tonight” was posted on the HOT Morning Show's Web site and began receiving up to 5,000 downloads a week. Calls and e-mails continued to flood the station as military members, family members and fans were downloading the song and sending it to service members and loved ones across the country and deployed around the world. “On My Watch Tonight” was quickly becoming the anthem for U.S. troops deployed around the world and those here at home who keep a watchful eye.

Just days before deploying to Iraq in 2005, Mike released his CD Falling Awake. While in Iraq, he spent a year at Camp Falluja and served with some of the greatest people in the Marine Corps, Army, Navy and Air Force.

Crazy Train

It's not all that crazy, but it sure as hell rocks!

Magic Hornet Ride

Enjoy your flight...

In-Flight Refueling

So far I’ve shared both a Night and a Day Trap with you. Today it’s my pleasure to share another little piece of my history with you – In-flight Refueling.

This clip is part of a home video that I compiled while serving aboard the USS Constellation in 1989. Other clips from that same video include Day and Night Traps.

What I would have given for digital video 20 years ago…

Day Trap

Video of a Carrier Landing.

Since I gave you a Night Trap, I may as well give you a Day Trap too.

All we had for personal use back in 1989 was big, crappy VHS cameras, hence the aging, crappy quality of this video.

Night Trap

Video of a Carrier Landing - at night.

Sometimes I take my past for granted. To me, it's just something that I used to do - kind of like an old job that I got tired of and quit. But to others, it's something very special. And not very many people get to do it. So I'm sharing it with you here, now.

Priceless

Apache's In Action

American soldiers are being injured and killed in Iraq at an alarming rate because their vehicles are running over and detonating land mines; placed by terrorists that like to come out at night and bury them in the road, in hopes that a US military vehicle will be destroyed by it the next day.

Take a look at this Army video from a US Apache helicopter:

They caught these sorry bastards setting up booby traps under the cover of night, in hopes that American Troops would detonate them the next day. This video is real combat footage taken from an AH-64 in-flight data recorder. It's very graphic, particularly if you understand how Foward Looking Infrared (FLIR) works. If the violence in Iraq is offensive to you, please abstain from watching the video.

This entry sponsored by Crew Tags - Got Yours?. US Army luggage tags are available at http://www.crewtags.com/army.php

Thunderbirds Crash - 14 SEP 03

USAF Thunderbirds Opposing Solo Pilot, Capt. Chris R. Stricklin, misjudged his altitude before beginning his Split-S takeoff maneuver at Mt Home AFB on Sunday, September 14th, 2003.

When Capt. Stricklin realized his error, he banked the A/C away from the spectators and ejected.

The Thunderbirds #6 jet was traveling at approximately 250 MPH, just 140 feet above the runway at the time of his ejection. The F-16 struck the runway and exploded less than ONE SECOND after Capt. Stricklin had safely ejected.

The Split-S maneuver at takeoff calls for a "limiter pull". This was supposed to be a pull on the Angle of Attack (AOA) limiter, which flies the jet at Max coefficient of lift and yields the tightest possible turn for the given energy state. Capt. Stricklin pulled back on the stick approximately 1000 feet too low, at approximately 2500 feet above ground level, and found himself in a position where he couldn't complete his maneuver safely. Neither Stricklin nor his ground backup noticed the error when he called his altitude at the apex of the Split-S.

It is unfortunate that neither Capt. Stricklin or his ground backup realized his mistake soon enough to abort the maneuver and save his jet; but he did make all the right decisions once he realized that he was too low to complete the maneuver safely. He steered his jet away from the crowd and got out. His mistake cost him the completion of his tour with The Thunderbirds, but he lives to fly another day.

No one was hurt in, or as a result of, this crash. Capt. Stricklin was transferred to another squadron at the completion of his Pilot Review Board and was returned to flying status. The Thunderbirds resumed their schedule in October and completed their season with just five pilots. They will add a sixth pilot and return to business as usual in March.

This entry sponsored by Crew Tags - Got Yours?. USAF Thunderbirds luggage tags are available at http://www.crewtags.com/tbirds.php