You facilitate your own rescue.

bingo.

The fact that he got himself shot down...

O'Grady's bad luck was more of a factor in his getting shot down than his incompetence...

I am not defending him, he is an assclown; but the claims that he had something to do with his being shot down by the B-Serb SA-6 are simply not true. What he did that day was no different than what anyone else would've done at that time and place...

But beyond that, he couldn't have fucked it up any more!

Cheers! M2

...but the claims that he had something to do with his being shot down by the B-Serb SA-6 are simply not true. What he did that day was no different than what anyone else would've done at that time and place...

Are the stories about him having his RWR volume too low, and then failing to threat react in a timely manner to the red 'launch' light on the RWR panel, false?

Steve

It can't be talked about in detail here, but the bottom line was despite the fact that he could have done a lot of things better; in reality he really didn't do anything wrong...

Cheers! M2

Steve

It can't be talked about in detail here, but the bottom line was despite the fact that he could have done a lot of things better; in reality he really didn't do anything wrong...

Cheers! M2

M2

Thanks.

Cheers

Steve

When he was at the Kun, I heard that O'Grady took the cable due to a brake failure, and then while the SOF was on the line with the OG, O'Grady proceeds to taxi with no brakes and ends up going off the taxiway. There was also a picture of him wearing a female cheerleader outfit floating around. This was circa 1996 when I was at the Kun and shortly after his shootdown. The Juvats seemed pretty embarrassed that he had been a Juvat.

Haven't been to survival school yet, have you?

Or "ECM POD 101" Like section about the ON SWITCH

Steve

It can't be talked about in detail here, but the bottom line was despite the fact that he could have done a lot of things better; in reality he really didn't do anything wrong...

Cheers! M2

From what Toro posted it seemed the only thing he coulda done right on every combat mission was to not be able to clear. From what I heard, wasn't there, but most Viper guys there said if anyone was gonna get smoked it was him. IE, blind vote, every vote would have been for him. Im guessing in the debrief he quoted the checklist verabtim and "did it all right"

But how was he the ONLY F-16 to get hit? SA-6 are good enough that if you can get #2 should should already have #1 and lets not open the can of the 117a, the mission in itself lends that to be possible if you are aware of how the 117 rolls to war. Talk about alone and unafraid

There is a painting of his "rescue" at SERE and it doesnt have "classified" on it. Nor is there a building named after him. Which says a LOT.

Edited June 4, 200916 yr by whyme?

Bad luck followed this guy like bad movies find Sylvester Stallone. O'Grady wrapped his car around a tree the day prior to his incident. I remember going to a staff meeting a day or two after at Aviano between 31 FW and the HQ there and the GO (Wald) just shook his head and laughed about O'Grady's ability to find bad news.

Batman

Edited June 4, 200916 yr by Batman

But how was he the ONLY F-16 to get hit? SA-6 are good enough that if you can get #2 should should already have #1 and lets not open the can of the 117a, the mission in itself lends that to be possible if you are aware of how the 117 rolls to war. Talk about alone and unafraid.

The truth is that it could have just as easily been Wilbur (Basher 51) that got hit. As Batman stated, O'Grady just happened to have a continuation of his run of bad luck; but nothing O'Grady did or did not do caused his shootdown...

Truth be told, O'Grady should be considered very lucky to have survived his shootdown; and had he been killed, his "legacy" would have been quite different...

M2, just to clarify, you're saying he didn't do anything wrong in the airplane, right? Almost the moment he was out of the airplane, he started screwin it up, according to the SERE guys anyway.

M2, just to clarify, you're saying he didn't do anything wrong in the airplane, right? Almost the moment he was out of the airplane, he started screwin it up, according to the SERE guys anyway.

Correct on both accounts.

Correct on both accounts.

Well then if he just jacked up the CSAR.. who can put themselves in his shoes that can say 100% they would do different?

On a side note: From what I have been told about that Campaign they were having issues with the pilots that were in combat one day and home the next, to the point they brought in a different unit.

That concept of seems to have been lost in the predator community, where we can see guys get BLASTED and go hug the wife.

I'm surprised that no one has given any credit to the door gunner with nerves of F'ing steel. That man's good eyesight and solid judgement are only reasons that O'Grady is alive.

FF

I'm surprised that no one has given any credit to the door gunner with nerves of F'ing steel. That man's good eyesight and solid judgement are only reasons that O'Grady is alive.

FF

Sergeant Scott Pfister, USMC. BAMF; not someone a sane individual would run at while waving a loaded weapon around.

I'm reluctant to name the other two Marines I'm proud to say I knew and worked with on the -53 crews; I can't find any published references to them, by name, associated with the mission. But their names are in here.

But how was he the ONLY F-16 to get hit?

He wasn't the only one. They also got a F-16 squadron commander, not sure if it was an SA-6, but their air defense system. The tail of the jet is still in an air museum down there.

As M2 said, ANY pilot flying that day could have been unlucky enough to get shot down. Obviously the reason cannot be stated here, but pilot skill or lack thereof, is not relevant to his getting hit. No one should blame him for that. It is everything else he did before (previous to that sortie) and afterward that makes him an idiot.

Edited June 5, 200916 yr by Smokin

Well then if he just jacked up the CSAR.. who can put themselves in his shoes that can say 100% they would do different.

Right, but when you make that many mistakes....don't go write two books about your accounts.

Right, but when you make that many mistakes....don't go write two books about your accounts.

Exactly. You hear that, Navy P-3 pilot? Book deal. Check. Oprah. Check. Total joker. Shack.

Batman

Exactly. You hear that, Navy P-3 pilot? Book deal. Check. Oprah. Check. Total joker. Shack.

Batman

Nebraska State Treasurer..check https://www.treasurer.org/about.asp

Right, but when you make that many mistakes....don't go write two books about your accounts.

True.

On a side note why did he leave the USAF after 10 years.. did he serve his ADSC?

True.

On a side note why did he leave the USAF after 10 years.. did he serve his ADSC?

#1 In his day, the ADSC was 8 years.

#2 He went to the AF Reserves shortly after his rescue ordeal.

Any truth to the rumor that his departure from active duty was a hand-shake deal?

I have heard that he (inadvertently) revealed classified information while recounting his rescue ordeal (In a speech? In his book?), and that his options were to leave active duty (with the understanding that the allegations would "go away"), or stay on active duty and face criminal charges. Supposedly, this was an attempt to stave off the bad press that the AF would've received from the incident.

I've heard this same account from 2-3 older SERE guys on various occasions who claimed to be involved with his debrief/repatriation. Anybody know if there's an ounce of truth to this?

Sounds like another urban myth, but I can't acknowledge/deny any of it as I honestly have not heard that story.

O'Grady's departure from active duty was three years after his rescue, and a few years back he completed a master's degree in biblical studies at Dallas Theological Seminary; so I would say he left due to a higher calling...

https://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/firstreading/entries/2009/07/21/_happy_birthday_to_rep.html

He isn’t doing any campaigning and he hasn’t announced for anything. In fact, he may not run next year. But here’s a name that might be entering the North Texas political scene in the coming months: Scott O’Grady of McKinney.

Just to note, he is not from Texas.

Looks like he is trying to become a Senator from Texas...yea, good luck with that

Campaign Website

p.s. - He was born in Brooklyn...reminds me of that Pace salsa commercial; "New York City?!?"

Get a rope!

Edited August 24, 200916 yr by nsplayr