Forwarded to me from a friend. Merle
I could find nothing either confirming or denying this on Snopes or Urban
> Legends. Spose the way things are going, they will be blocking all this
> information from us if it is true? Worth reading and to me, pretty
> believable. There is definitely a skunk in the woodpile somewhere with this
> Benghazi deal. This will never be seen on the news.
>
>
>
>
> This is a stunning piece on Benghazi by a seasoned pilot who knows his
> facts. The highlighted portion is information on the pilot, Phil "Hands"
> Handley, who wrote this piece. It was added by previous military readers.
> It is meant to let you know that Col Handley has the credentials to write
> this with credibility. This needs to be read by everyone in America that is
> interested in the TRUTH!! Excuse the coarse language; this is a military
> article.
>
>
>
> Benghazi Truth from a Pilot
>
>
> "Hands" was my boss when I was on the USAF Stan Eval team when you and I
> were both stationed at Ramstein AFB (Germany) in the late 70's. I guess
> "outspoken" is an understatement because Phil would tell it like it was and
> that is the main reason he was so well respected by all of those who ever
> worked for him. As far as I know he was the only pilot "living" to loop a
> C-130. His "outspokenness" did get him fired as the F-15 wing commander at
> Luke. At his going away speech he was given a 45 minute (or something close
> to that....I wasn't there, just heard about it) standing ovation. Phil is
> kind of like a George Patton in that he needed to be wrapped up and saved
> for combat. He is a hell of a guy and I would fly with him anytime.
>
>
>
>
>
> Gentlemen
>
> I would say every US fighter pilot, retired or on active duty, knows that
> Panetta and Dempsey both are full of crap when they said there was no time
> to send help to Benghazi. They claim it was a problem of "time/space." All
> my friends and I said, "Bullshit." We know they could have gotten F-16s
> there from Aviano.
>
> "Hands" Handley is a well-respected USAF fighter pilot. Here is his short
> resume and what he just wrote about Benghazi below that. If anything,
> Handley is pessimistic in his timeline of when F-16s could have reached
> Benghazi . I think they could have been airborne even sooner and turned
> quicker at Sig. The decision to not try was not based on capability. We had
> the operational capability in every way.
>
> I hope Handley's taxes are in order. His IRS audit is forthcoming.
>
> Eagle Biography:
>
> Colonel Phil "Hands" Handley
>
> Colonel Phil "Hands" Handley is credited with the highest speed air- to-air
> gun kill in the history of aerial combat. He flew operationally for all but
> 11 months of a 26-year career, in aircraft such as the F-86 Sabre, F-15
> Eagle, and the C-130A Hercules. Additionally, he flew 275 combat missions
> during two tours in Southeast Asia in the F-4D and F-4E. His awards include
> 21 Air Medals, 3 Distinguished Flying Crosses, and the Silver Star.
>
> ----------------------------------------------
>
> Betrayal in Benghazi
>
> Phil "Hands" Handley
>
> Colonel, USAF (Ret.)
>
> The combat code of the US Military is that we don't abandon our dead or
> wounded on the battlefield. In US Air Force lingo, fighter pilots don't run
> off and leave their wingmen. If one of our own is shot down, still alive and
> not yet in enemy captivity, we will either come to get him or die trying.
>
> Among America 's fighting forces, the calm, sure knowledge that such an
> irrevocable bond exists is priceless. Along with individual faith and
> personal grit, it is a sacred trust that has often sustained hope in the
> face of terribly long odds.
>
> The disgraceful abandonment of our Ambassador and those brave ex-SEALs who
> fought to their deaths to save others in that compound is nothing short of
> dereliction-of-duty.
>
> Additionally, the patently absurd cover-up scenario that was fabricated in
> the aftermath was an outright lie in an attempt to shield the President and
> the Secretary of State from responsibility.
>
> It has been over eight months since the attack on our compound in Benghazi .
> The White House strategy, with the aid of a "lap dog" press has been to run
> out the clock before the truth is forthcoming.
>
> The recent testimonies of the three "whistle blowers" have reopened the
> subject and hopefully will lead to exposure and disgrace of those
> responsible for this embarrassing debacle. It would appear that the most
> recent firewall which the Administration is counting on is the contention
> "that there were simply no military assets that could be brought to bear in
> time to make a difference" mainly due to the unavailability of tanker
> support for fighter aircraft.
>
> This is simply BS, regardless how many supposed "experts" the Administration
> trot out to make such an assertion.
>
> The bottom line is that even if the closest asset capable of response was
> half-way around the world, you don't just sit on your penguin ass and do
> nothing.
>
> The fact is that the closest asset was not half-way around the world, but as
> near as Aviano Air Base, Italy where two squadrons of F-16Cs are based.
>
> Consider the following scenario (all times Benghazi local): When Hicks in
> Tripoli receives a call at 9:40 PM from Ambassador Stevens informing him
> "Greg, we are under attack!" (his last words), he immediately notifies all
> agencies and prepares for the immediate initiation of an existing "Emergency
> Response Plan."
>
> At AFRICON, General Carter Ham attempts to mount a rescue effort, but is
> told to "stand down". By 10:30 PM an unarmed drone is overhead the compound
> and streaming live feed to various "Command and Control Agencies" and
> everyone watching that feed knew damn well what was going on.
>
> At 11:30 PM Woods, Doherty and five others leave Tripoli, arriving in
> Benghazi at 1:30 AM on Wednesday morning, where they hold off the attacking
> mob from the roof of the compound until they are killed by a mortar direct
> hit at 4:00 AM.
>
> So nothing could have been done, eh? Nonsense. If one assumes that tanker
> support really "was not available" what about this:
>
> When at 10:00 PM AFRICON alerts the 31st TFW Command Post in Aviano Air
> Base, Italy of the attack, the Wing Commander orders preparation for the
> launch of two F-16s and advises the Command Post at NAS Sigonella to prepare
> for hot pit refueling and quick turn of the jets.
>
> By 11:30 PM, two F-16Cs with drop tanks and each armed with five hundred 20
> MM rounds are airborne. Flying at 0.92 mach they will cover the 522 nautical
> miles directly to NAS Sigonella in 1.08 hours. While in-route, the flight
> lead is informed of the tactical situation, rules of engagement, and radio
> frequencies to use.
>
> The jets depart Sigonella at 1:10 AM with full fuel load and cover the 377
> nautical miles directly to Benghazi in 0.8 hours, arriving at 1:50 AM which
> would be 20 minutes after the arrival of Woods, Doherty and their team.
>
> Providing that the two F-16s initial pass over the mob, in full afterburner
> at 200 feet and 550 knots did not stop the attack in its tracks, only a few
> well placed strafing runs on targets of opportunity would assuredly do the
> trick.
>
> Were the F-16s fuel state insufficient to recover at Sigonelli after
> jettisoning their external drop tanks, they could easily do so at Tripoli
> International Airport , only one-half hour away.
>
> As for those hand-wringing naysayers who would worry about IFR clearances,
> border crossing authority, collateral damage, landing rights, political
> correctness and dozens of other reasons not to act" screw them. It is high
> time that our "leadership" get their priorities straight and put America's
> interests first.
>
> The end result would be that Woods and Doherty would be alive. Dozens in the
> attacking rabble would be rendezvousing with "72 virgins" and a clear
> message would have been sent to the next worthless POS terrorist
> contemplating an attack on Americans that it is not really a good idea to
> "tug" on Superman's cape.
>
> Of course all this would depend upon a Commander In Chief that was more
> concerned with saving the lives of those he put in harm's way than getting
> his crew rested for a campaign fund raising event in Las Vegas the next day.
> As well as a Secretary of State that actually understood "What difference
> did it make?", or a Secretary of Defense whose immediate response was not to
> the effect that "One of the military tenants is that you don't commit assets
> until you fully understand the tactical situation." Was he not watching a
> live feed from the unarmed drone, and he didn't understand the tactical
> situation?
> Ultimately it comes down to the question of who gave that order to stand
> down? Whoever that coward turns out to be should be exposed, removed from
> office, and face criminal charges for dereliction of duty.
>
> The combat forces of the United States of America deserve leadership that
> really does "have their back" when the chips are down.
>
> FOR THOSE OF YOU HAVE ACTUALLY TAKEN THE TIME TO READ THIS, YOU NEED TO DO
> ONE THING FOR ME! FORWARD THIS OUT TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW!! WE CAN NEVER
> ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN AGAIN AND WHOEVER GAVE THE "STAND DOWN" ORDER NEEDS TO
> BE EXPOSED!!!!
.
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