I needed a break from the office so I take a trip out to the flight line to see how the troops are doing and to learn more about combat airpower. On this journey Maj Stoute is my mentor. I learn about the F-15, F-16, F117, and the F-18, the difference between them and their real names. SrA Bottoms gives me an up close and personal tour of the cockpit of an F-16.  I move on down the line to where a crew is just finishing the up loading of some bombs and missiles. Maj Stoute has educated me somewhat on the ammunition that we’re using. I tell the weapons crew, D’Ambrosia, Hanson, and Jacobo that I want to do something (plus the photographer was there and I wanted him to take a picture of me working on a plane and its weapons). So the guys are teasing me "Look out Lt…don’t walk this way…don’t walk that way…don’t touch this…don’t touch that…" etc..etc. They’re scaring me half to death because they know I’m already timid around these bombs and stuff – timid doesn’t really describe it, I’m pretty scared. One guy even jokingly says, "Hey, what does it mean when it starts smoking over here?" Ha, Ha, very funny. I almost get upset and told them "forget it.. ..don’t show me anything!" Then they stop scaring me half to death and say "Ok, ok, we’ll stop teasing". So they showed me how to "arm" the weapons. For those of you who are familiar with arming weapons, you know it’s just simply pulling pins out. Well, the ladies at the beauty parlor, and my family doesn’t know that, so right about now, to them, I’m "The Heat"!! I can arm bombs and missiles! Actually, I was very proud of my accomplishment. There aren’t many people who can say they’ve armed bombs and missiles.

Well, Easter Sunday is here. I go to work early that morning, eager to work on some stories that I was able to obtain the night before from a couple of pilots. I leave in just enough time to go home, change, and head for the 1300 Gospel Service at the Base Chapel. Our Squadron Chaplain, Chaplain Meekins, is allowing the congregation to come to the altar for prayer. For about 15-20 minutes, he speaks on nothing but prayers for our pilots; for their flying skills and abilities to perform in war; but most of all, he prays for their safe return to their families. He prays that Milosevic sees that he can’t win, and would come to the peace table; he prays for our leaders and their wisdom to guide us into combat; lastly, he prays for the Albanians who’s families have been brutally murdered and those that have been driven from their homes. The entire congregation is in tears as he speaks of the Stealth pilot that was sitting in front of the chapel earlier that week with his head in his hands. The Chaplain approached him and asks "Is everything OK?" He just looks up with tears in his eyes and says: "I have a wife and kids…I was up there when that Stealth was shot down. I saw a missile headed straight for my plane….all I could do was close my eyes and say ‘Lord please spare my life’…the missile missed my aircraft and went up over me."

In the midst of war, some pilots still feel the need and find the time to pray.