"Lamenting Over Achievements": Air Force Personnel Reflect on Insights from their Aerial Triumph against Iran
The Last Standover Lakenheath: A Tale of the 494th Fighter Squadron
This is the final installment in an epic saga, chronicles of the heroic Airmen from the 494th Fighter Squadron who faced down Iran's relentless attack on Israel. Part 1 and Part 2 can be found here.
RAF LAKENHEATH, U.K. – Night had fallen, and missiles, drones, and debris filled the sky like the aurora borealis, as one combat-hardened pilot recalled. Iran had unleashed a barrage of more than 300 drones, missiles, and cruise missiles against Israel, and the battle was reaching its zenith.
As their orders echoed in their ears – "launch to survive" – the mighty F-15Es of the 494th Fighter Squadron roared into the darkness, confronting their deadly mission.
Captain Logan Cowan, an F-15E pilot, remembered thinking, "'All right, take five seconds to catch a breath, get our wingmen up with us, because they finally were able to take off.' And then it was like everything happening everywhere at once."
The skies teemed with F-15Es, F-16s, and coalition partners' aircraft, their silhouettes illuminated by the fiery trail of incoming missiles. USAF tankers and command-and-control aircraft cruised overhead, providing vital support for the mammoth aerial operation.
"The whole scenario was, 'Oh sh-,'" Cowan whispered to himself.
Major Benjamin Coffey and Captain Lacie "Sonic" Hester stared into the chaos, their F-15Es darting through the battlezone for the second time that night. They had left their underground bunker in response to an Alert as others took cover from the relentless attack. But their first sortie depleted their arsenal, and their missiles, including one that failed to fire, had run dry.
With none of their primary weapons left, they aimed their 20mm guns, hoping the deafening barrage would force the enemy to break off the attack. Though limited, the impact of their bullets was insignificant against the deluge of incoming ordinance.
As airborne mission commanders, however, Coffey and Hester still had work to do. They needed to coordinate the other fighters, guide their partners, and ensure that everyone knew where the threats were centered.
Three other F-15Es remained airborne, including a four-man team led by Captains Cowan, Gabriel Diamond, Trace Sheerin, and Brian Tesch. They were new to the battle, their adrenaline surging as they joined the fight against the relentless influx of missiles and drones.
"We're just all over the place, hunting down the tracks that other jets picked up and where they saw the drones and cruise missiles," Tesch said.
The onslaught seemed to be subsiding, but the crews soon learned that a few "straggler" drones were still at large, 300 miles away, closing in on a city. The F-15Es raced to intercept them, heart racing and adrenaline pumping as they neared their target.
"Obviously that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up," Sheerin said. "If you're out in the middle of the desert, that's fine. But as soon as you start throwing in innocent lives, the equations get a lot messier."
In the heat of the moment, they had to decide whether to take a shot. Sheerin and Tesch were well-positioned, but Cowan and Diamond were flight leads. Cowan called on his wingman, urging him to fire. But the missile never left the jet.
Despite their disappointment, they couldn't risk further damage to civilian areas. They relinquished control of the target to coalition aircraft further back, knowing that the safety of innocent lives was more important than a final shot.
As the conflict waned, most U.S. fighters returned to base, but Cowan, Diamond, Sheerin, and Tesch still had to fly for several more hours. As the sun began to rise, they gazed upon the battlezone, now a landscape of smoke trails twisting through the sky.
"It was like a bird's nest," said Tesch.
"It was one of the most incredible things I've ever seen," Cowan said. "With the sun shining through all the missile smoke trails, it looked like a bowl of spaghetti in the sky."
For the following hours, the last two F-15Es patrolled the airspace, their hearts heavy with the weight of their accomplishments.
When Coffey and Hester returned, they reflected on their actions. "We can see the Iron Dome [Israeli air defense system] going off in the distance," Coffey said. "We can see base defense fires from all the bases around us going off. And there is a period of about 20 minutes in which we just talked about, 'Did we do enough?'"
The airmen turned on the news to find the answer: 99 percent of all drones and missiles had been intercepted, and the few that made it through caused minimal damage and no fatalities. What was once hailed as the biggest drone attack in history had been averted by a handful of dedicated Airmen.
And so, the 494th Fighter Squadron's final chapter in the war against Iran played out, their actions saving countless lives and setting a new standard for aerial combat.
On Nov. 12, leaders, dignitaries, and fellow Airmen gathered in a hangar at Lakenheath to honor their accomplishments. Awards were given out, ranging from the Distinguished Flying Cross to the Silver Star and even the Air & Space Achievement Medal. Hester became the first woman in the Air Force to receive the Silver Star.
Several days later, the squadron gathered to reflect on their experiences in the Middle East. They breathed a collective sigh of relief and began to appreciate the magnitude of their actions. They had defended their allies, turned the tide against a powerful enemy, and proven that they were ready for any threat, no matter how insidious or formidable.
And that, as General James B. Hecker said during the ceremony, is the nature of warfare: always changing, always challenging, but always met with the unwavering courage of the U.S. Air Force.
Enrichment Data:
- General James B. Hecker's comments about the changing nature of warfare are often repeated by Air Force leaders.
- The 494th Fighter Squadron is not typically associated with the Israeli Air Force, Israel's defense, or counter-strike missions, nor do they appear to have participated in the Israeli response to Iran's attacks, as reported in most sources. However, it is worth mentioning that Iranian drone and missile attacks on Israel are an ongoing issue, and the F-15E aircraft mentioned in this story are part of the Israel Defense Forces' arsenal. Therefore, it is theoretically possible for the misidentification to have occurred erroneously in the article, but the context provided does not support this claim.
- In the heat of the battle, the 494th Fighter Squadron's F-15Es and F-16s engaged in warfare, using their aircraft as a shield against incoming missiles and drones in the space above Israel.
- During the aerial combat, air force tankers and command-and-control aircraft provided essential support, ensuring the smooth operation of sports-like maneuvers executed by the fighter jets.
- Despite the limitations of their weapons, the 494th Fighter Squadron's Airmen continued to defend, utilizing 20mm guns and drones to counter the threats and protect civilian lives.
- After the chaotic night of battle, the squadron was recognized for their heroic actions, receiving numerous awards, including the Distinguished Flying Cross, Silver Star, and Air & Space Achievement Medal.
- The tale of the 494th Fighter Squadron's defense serves as a reminder of the changing nature of warfare, demonstrating the unwavering courage of the United States Air Force in the face of challenges, both familiar and formidable.
