4G-Inspiration: Latin America Incidents (1983-89)

OPERATION URGENT FURY (1983)

On October 25, 1983. the US invaded Grenada. The invasion was launched in response to a request for help from the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States. Because an internal power struggle that could lead to a civil war jeopardized nearly 600 US medical students in Grenada, the invasion was strongly influenced by a desire not to repeat the Iranian hostage situation. Grenada was also establishing closer military ties with the Soviet Union, Cuba, North Korea, Libya, and Algeria. Given that 1983 was at the peak of the Cild War resurgence, the US wanted to avoid the emergence of another Communist satellite state in the Caribbean. This invasion impressed upon me not only the seriousness and far-reaching impact of the Cold War, but also the effectiveness of joint forces operations. The situation in Grenada only reinforced my decision to join the US Air Force. The US used the following military equipment in the invasion.

* A-6E Intruder (USN)
• A-7D Corsair II (ANG)
* A-7E Corsair II (USN)
* A-10A Thunderbolt II (USAF)
* AC-130 Spectre (USAF)
* AH-1T Sea Cobra (USMC)
* CH-46E Sea Knight (USMC)
* CH-53E Sea Stallion (USMC)
* F-14A Tomcat (USN)
* F-15C Eagle (USAF)
• MH-6J Little Bird (USA)
• UH-60A Black Hawk (USA)

GRENADA
* BRDM-2 (People's Revolutionary Army)
• BTR-60PB (People's Revolutionary Army)
• ZU-23-2 AAA (People's Revolutionary Army)

OPERATION JUST CAUSE (1989)

The invasion of Panama was launched to depose President Manuel Noriega for his involvement in racketeering and drug trafficking. Noriega's relationship with the US had deteriorated significantly by this point, and he was establishing new ties to Cuba, Nicaragua, and Libya. Within a month of the US invasion, Noriega surrendered and US forces withdrew from Panama. The operation highlighted how seriously the US had come to regard the War on Drugs, which foreshadowed my own involvement in this low-level conflict during my service with the US Air Force.

• A-7D Corsair II (ANG)
* AC-130 Spectre (USAF)
• AH-64A Apache (USA)
• EF-111A Raven (USAF)
• F-117A Nighthawk (USAF)
* OA-37B Dragonfly (USAF)
• UH-60A Blackhawk (USA)

PANAMA
* V-150 Armored Vehicle (Panama Defense Forces)
* V-300 Armored Vehicle (Panama Defense Forces)
• ZPU-1 AAA (Panama Defense Forces)
• ZPU-4 AAA (Panama Defense Forces)

* Wishlist
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