USS Kitty Hawk, South China Sea. (Photo from DVIDS, Open Source)
A Soviet Navy Charlie II-class submarine running at periscope depth, photographed by a US Navy S-3A Viking of Anti-Submarine Squadron VS-22 “Checkmates” in the Atlantic Ocean west of Gibraltar, in 1986.4
View inside Tent City. In addition to housing Marines, there were shower tents, a medical tent, chapel, Officers’ Club, and chow halls. Placed on concrete pads, these tents were heated, air conditioned, and electrified. For Marines, this was living in relative luxury. The stones between the sidewalks served as drainage and also as projectiles on evenings when it mysteriously “rained rocks.”
Political map of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia to the east, and Croatia west and north. This region of the former Yugoslavia plunged into an ethnic civil war after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Ethnic cleansing ran rampant. Udbina Airfield, subject of the painting Moonlighters Over Udbina, is approximately at the center of the concentric circles.
A Moonlighter Hornet over Tent City, Aviano Air Base, Italy (1994). Tent City was home to all Marines deployed to Aviano AB. Beyond Tent City, the tank and hand grenade training range can be seen. At the bottom of the photo are hardened aircraft shelters with combat loaded A-10 Warthogs at the ready. Photo credit: Colonels (Retired) Frank “Jason” Richie and Jeffrey “JAWS” White.
Steve preparing to taxi for a combat mission over Bosnia and Herzegovina. This F/A-18D Hornet is loaded with two AIM-9 air-to- air missiles, one MK-82 bomb, one GBU-12 LASER-guided bomb, one LASER spot search and tracking pod, one infrared targeting pod, two external fuel tanks, and one pod of five-inch rockets for marking enemy targets with white phosphorous.
Piddle Pack.
Graduating class of TOPGUN, including adversary instructor students and combat controllers (1995). Steve is standing in the second row, third from the right. His WSO, Mike “Twistin’” Shoup is kneeling in the front row, third from the right. This was the last TOPGUN class to graduate from Miramar Naval Air Station before the school was moved to Fallon, Nevada.
Ron and Steve standing in front of the TOPGUN training building while Steve was attending the program (1995). The aircraft silhouettes etched into the glass blocks represent aerial victories achieved by TOPGUN graduates. Each block contains the type of aircraft shot down, as well as the pilot’s name, type of aircraft flown, and date of the event.
VMFA-451 Hornet in the vertical during a photo shoot. Photo credit: Randy Jolly from the back seat of a two-seat Hornet piloted by Steve (1996).
Tu-95 Bear bomber. (Reprinted through UK OGL 1.0, 83352)
F-14A of VF-111 with Soviet Il-38 in 1984. (Open source)
Libyan MiG-23 Flogger. (Open source)
Steve working as a “mercenary” and is seen here on a camel, with an “unmilitary-like” beard (1999).
Instructor cadre poses in front of a Kuwaiti Air Force F/A-18C Hornet at the Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base (1998).
Diagram of "Split S" maneuver as described in "Mercenary."
USS Constellation returns to San Diego after a cruise. (Photo from DVIDS, Open Source)
Photo of Lt. Col. Barent “Bear” Rogers in a VTANG F-16 over Ground Zero. Photo credit: Lt. Col. Terry “Trap” Moultroup (September 12, 2001).
The first aircraft (F-16 from Vermont) takes off to defend the homeland, September 11, 2001, at 1345 hours, EST, kicking off Operation Nobel Eagle.
The Soviet Navy destroyer Vinogradov sails under the Coronado Bay Bridge in San Diego, California (1990).
A US Navy Commander talks with a Soviet Navy Captain Second Rank near the Soviet guided missile destroyer Boyevay.
Captain Alexander Mikhailovich Zuyev ( left) in the cockpit of a MiG- 29 like the one shown on the right. (Photo credits: Creative Commons)
Pilots killing time between combat taskings, Balad Air Base, Iraq (2006). Pictured are Lt. Col. (Retired) Rick “Bunker” Shebib playing white, Major Daniel “Gump” Finnegan playing black, and Lt. Col. (Retired) Chris “Pooter” Caputo officiating. As those who have served in combat will tell you, the experience can sometimes be characterized as “hours of complete boredom, interrupted by moments of sheer terror.”
USS Tripoli underway. (Photo Credit: Wiki Commons open source)
A fully combat-loaded F-16 from the 134th Fighter Squadron (The Green Mountain Boys) over Iraq (2006). A typical combat load consisted of two AIM-120 air-to-air missiles, one GBU-12 LASER- guided bomb, one GBU-38 GPS-guided bomb, two external fuel tanks, a full load of 20mm rounds, and one LITENING II targeting pod. This aircraft, #83-1165, set the record for combat and training flight-time at just over 7,200 hours.
Steve was the last pilot to fly this aircraft before its retirement in 2008. It is on permanent display at the entrance to the Vermont Air National Guard Base and is seen here in the background of Steve’s annual Logistics Readiness Squadron photo while he was in command of the squadron. Photos courtesy of the Vermont Air National Guard.
A personalized flight jacket is the pride of every aviator on the planet, and Ron’s flight jacket has plenty of history. Ron wore this jacket as an enlisted Aircrewman while flying in the S-3A, and it continued to be part of his attire through his Intelligence Officer years. This jacket sported several patches, but the most meaningful ones are seen here. They are a “Spy Navy” patch, and a “15th Marine Expeditionary Unit” patch worn during the Amphibious Squadron Three deployment to Somalia.
Steve leads a four-ship of Vermont Air National Guard F-16s during a photo shoot. Steve is piloting the nearest aircraft, 2009. Photo Credit (Photo by Ted Carlson/Fotodynamics.com.)
Steve fires a live AIM-120C air-to-air missile at Weapons System Evaluation Program, Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, circa 2009 (Personal photo).
Lieutenant Colonel Steve Lambrecht completes the preflight of his F-16 on the occasion of his one-hundredth combat mission (2007). The mission was a night sortie, with Colonel (Retired) Patrick “Pig” Guinee. Steve was met upon his return by his Squadron Commander, Colonel (Retired) Dave “Smitty” Smith. The occasion was toasted by all present with a non-alcoholic beer, as alcohol was not permitted in Iraq.
Captain Frank Kelly, Commanding Officer, Fleet Intelligence Training Center Pacific, and Ron’s wife, Anne, do the honors of affixing Ron’s Commander shoulder boards (September 1994).
Steve officiated the wedding of Ron’s daughter in 2016. After dusting it off, Ron fit into the uniform he was issued in 1975 at the age twenty-six and wore until his retirement in 2002
Steve straps into an F-16 for the last time as he prepares for his final “fini-flight” (2012). On his wing was a two-seat F-16 flown by Lieutenant Colonel and Fighter Squadron Commander Chris “Pooter” Caputo, with Colonel Mike “Diggler” Ricci (Flight Surgeon) in the back seat (pictured next).
As is the custom, upon returning from the flight, squadron mates physically inspire the pilot (Steve) to remain still while receiving a dowsing of champagne and water. After a prolonged struggle and admirable resistance, Steve was taped to an ejection seat and thoroughly moistened by Pooter, Diggler, daughter Leah, and son Logan.
Steve receives the guidon, symbolizing his assumption of command as the 158th Logistics Readiness Squadron Commander, Vermont Air National Guard (2012).
Steve and Colonel (Retired) Mike “Twistin’” Shoup are reunited on the occasion of Steve’s promotion to Brigadier General (2019).
