We’ve all heard that ‘war is hell,’ but this week we hear it from a different perspective: that of a young pilot, new to the fleet and the F/A-18 Hornet, who finds himself fighting far from home in the fog of war, on the heels of the death of a beloved squadronAn aviation organization composed of aircrew, support personnel, aircraft, and equipment. mate.

On this episode, retired U.S. Navy Captain Nick “Mongo” Mongillo tells the harrowing story of his downing an Iraqi MiG-21 on day one of Desert Storm. Live the experience as you hear the actual in-flight audio, then dissect it to learn what each call meant then, and how times have changed now.

The Hornet’s First Victory episode artwork by Mark Styling. Bumper music by Jaime Lopez / announcements by Jim Hendershot.