The Air Force’s Special Tactics teams of combat controllers and pararescuers are trained for two primary battlefield missions: seizing enemy air bases and recovering injured personnel from hostile territory, often when under enemy fire, while also providing mobility, surgical-strike firepower, and air support to the U.S. Special Operations Command. This book gives readers a behind-the-scenes look into this elite Special Ops unit currently hard at work in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere throughout the world.

Almost as soon as the second hijacked 767 struck the south tower of the world trade center, Air Force Combat Controllers began to report to their bases and pack their gear. Spread around the world in special tactics squadrons, these airmen would provide the lightly armed U.S. Army Special Forces teams with a number of capabilities that would turn them into world-class killing machines." John D. Gresham Author, "Air Force Combat Controllers at War" Afghanistan 2001 "These single Americans had the power to conjure lightning bolts out of the sky......... ....what happened in Afghanistan is one of the most extraordinary stories in military history." Mark Bowden Author, "Blackhawk Down" Somalia, 1999 "Individually, they are specially selected, specially trained, and, in support of special operations, almost daily bring American airpower to bear on our nations enemies. Indeed, they are very remarkable warriors, and this book will help many understand why so many of us hold our Combat Controllers in such incredibly high regard." Dr. James G. Roche Secretary of the United States Air Force 2001 - 2005 "if you asked what tool of the trade would be the very last they would leave behind, you might be surprised at the answer. You would likely hear that it is not a tool that makes one nervous when it isnt there, but rather a capability that is not organic to a troop of Delta Operators or Navy SEALs" "Just because you are the best of the best does not mean you are the best at everything. Any Delta operator can vouch for the capabilities of the air force combat controllers, and very rarely goes on a hit without the men who wear the scarlet berets." Dalton Fury Delta Force Commander, Tora Bora, December 2001 Author, "Kill Bin Laden" - 2008

The CCT - The Eye of the Storm-series chronicles the exploits of Air Force Special Warfare, Combat Control Teams (CCT). It is told in the form of short stories; many etched by a cocktail of blood, sweat and tears. The Combat Control story began in the de facto Volume I with the appearance of the first CCTs; i.e., command and control teams cobbled together by the WWII U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) for Operation Varsity. The CCT story continued in Volume II, detailing the 21st Century fight in the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). Included are two humanitarian missions; operations of epic proportion in Haiti and Japan. In this third volume subtitled - Medal of Honor (MOH) - the CCT story is expanded, incorporating the two previously self-published volumes and adding hundreds of new stories from around the globe. But, with a concentration on operations in southwest Asia; including Afghanistan; now America’s longest war. This volume is an all-inclusive compilation presented as a single, premium publication. The diversity of feature stories, subjects and styles present a well-rounded, unbiased look at the CCT’s view at “the eye of the storm.” Each published PA reporter and volunteer contributor has a by-line in the book. Thanks to all for their remarkable journalistic work. The book is expected to engage a wider-ranging audience of American and allied military elements, families, historians and enthusiasts. More importantly, Medal of Honor celebrates the first-ever award of the Air Force Medal of Honor to a Combat Control patriot and hero. On April 20, 2018 after more than fifteen years technical review and Air Staff deliberation the Medal of Honor for TSgt John Chapman was approved by President Donald Trump. The MOH award ceremonies and associated events are covered in detail near the end of this book. In preparing CCT - The Eye of the Storm - Medal of Honor, the goal was to collect stories from hundreds of sources, written by an even larger band of vetted professionals selected to observe, record and report truths about military units in action. In my mind the U.S. Government Public Affairs Offices were the perfect choice. For that reason, you will find hundreds of PA-generated stories used herein. Through our collective efforts we have published a fair and accurate chronical of USAF Combat Control Team’s stories; exploiting the public domain and declassified accounts. This is a documentary of Air Force Combat Control Teams operating at The Eye of the Storm. Subtitled Medal of Honor; it is the most in-depth CCT history ever published.

An introduction to the United States Air Force pararescue units whose mission is to help air force members whose aircraft have crashed, including the development of the units and the equipment they use.

“John Carney is one of the few heroes I have.” –LT. COL. L. H. “BUCKY” BURRUSS, USA (Ret.) Founding member and Deputy Commander of Delta Force When the U.S. Air Force decided to create an elite “special tactics” team in the late 1970s to work in conjunction with special-operations forces combating terrorists and hijackers and defusing explosive international emergencies, John T. Carney was the man they turned to. Since then Carney and the U.S. Air Force Special Tactical units have circled the world on sensitive clandestine missions. They have operated behind enemy lines gathering vital intelligence. They have combated terrorists and overthrown dangerous dictators. They have suffered many times the casualty rate of America’s conventional forces. But they have gotten the job done–most recently in stunning victories in the war on terrorism in Afghanistan, which Carney calls “America’s first special-operations war.” Now, for the first time, Colonel Carney lifts the veil of secrecy and reveals what really goes on inside the special-operations forces that are at the forefront of contemporary warfare. Part memoir, part military history, No Room for Error reveals how Carney, after a decade of military service, was handpicked to organize a small, under-funded, classified ad hoc unit known as Brand X, which even his boss knew very little about. Here Carney recounts the challenging missions: the secret reconnaissance in the desert of north-central Iran during the hostage crisis; the simple rescue operation in Grenada that turned into a prolonged bloody struggle. With Operation Just Cause in Panama, the Special Tactical units scored a major success, as they took down the corrupt regime of General Noriega with lightning speed. Desert Storm was another triumph, with Carney’s team carrying out vital search-and-rescue missions as well as helping to hunt down mobile Scud missiles deep inside Iraq. Now with the war on terrorism in Afghanistan, special operations have come into their own, and Carney includes a chapter detailing exactly how the Air Force Special Tactics d.c. units have spearheaded the successful campaign against the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Gripping in its battle scenes, eye-opening in its revelations, No Room for Error is the first insider’s account of how special operations are changing the way modern wars are fought. Col. John T. Carney is an airman America can be proud of, and he has written an absolutely superb book.

From the streets of Mogadishu to the caves around Kandahar, the military might of the United States in the twenty-first century often sits in the hands of a select group of elite fighters from all branches of the armed forces. If a rapid but low-intensity response is needed to help diffuse a potentially explosive or sensitive situation, the highly trained units of the Special Operations Forces are called in to take on the mission. Doing battle from the air, on land, and in the sea, these men must demonstrate the highest levels of strength, endurance, and intelligence to combat any enemy under every imaginable circumstance. They are called upon to undertake such varied tasks as airfield seizures, ambushes, guerrilla warfare, hostage rescue, intelligence reconnaissance, psychological warfare, or counterterrorism - often against an elusive or scattered foe. For each unit, author Fred Pushies offers inside information to explain every aspect of the work and history of these experts in unconventional warfare. Each chapter covers a specific unit, with sections on history, structure and hierarchy, training, weapons and equipment, and missions and tactics. More than 200 photos accompany this in-depth and essential guide to America's elite fighting forces.

Provides an overview of the United States Special Forces, including their history, weapons, and vehicles.