Two hours before H-hour of Operation Just Cause, the USAF Air Operation Center (AOC) at Howard AFB alerted AC-130A, “Proud Warrior,” commanded by Maj Clay McCutchan for a mission. His crew’s mission was to search the perimeter of Howard AFB and the forested hills west of the base for possible mortars.

Immediately after Proud Warrior took off, Captains McMillan, call sign AP-06 and Hughes, AP-07 took off in two AC-130Hs from the 16th SOS. Much later, AC-130A “Ultimate End,” commanded by Captain Mike Wilson took off. Both AC-130A gunships were airborne alert assets while both AC-130H gunships were supporting Operation ACID GAMBIT, the rescue of American Kurt Muse from Cárcel Modelo, one of the most brutal prisons in Panama. Muse had been convicted and tortured on charges of espionage and subversion while languishing in Cárcel Modelo for nine months.

As the clock ticked down the seconds leading to H-hour, the multiple, simultaneous actions about to occur were led by the two AC-130H gunships: AP-06, “Iron Maiden,” and AP-07, “Bad Company.” Both Spectres would orbit downtown Panama City using the “TOP HAT” technique, this not a normal tactic of the AC-130 gunship but was developed specifically to allow two gunships to fire on multiple, closely situated targets in Panama City. (See fig. 1, page 44) By flying concentric pylon turns, offset by altitude, two AC-130s could concentrate their devastating fires on the same target. One gunship flew a wider turn “at the brim” while the second one flew a tighter turn “at the crown.”

The gunships’ pre-planned targets included a large barracks building near La Comandancia, the headquarters for Manuel Noriega’s Panamanian Defense Force (PDF). As the crew of AP-06 approached downtown Panama City, the IR sensor operator, TSgt Glenn LeMay, located and searched the top of a nearby 16-story building close to Cárcel Modelo to ensure it was clear of snipers. Once LeMay determined that the roof was clear, Capt McMillan rolled into orbit above the prison. The low-light-level-TV (LLLTV) sensor operator, MSgt Jerry Andersen, illuminated the roof of the prison for 30 seconds with the GLINT illuminator (a gallium arsenide laser illuminator—invisible to the naked eye), to the to give the pilots of the four 160th SOAR “Little Birds” holding nearby a visual reference of the exact location of Cárcel Modelo. The GLINT was essentially a covert spotlight for the blacked out MH-6s flying on night vision goggles.

As the MH-6 pilots quickly inserted the Special Forces (SF) operators onto the roof of the prison, a fire support officer (FSO) with the team placed a TEMIG (tactical electro-magnetic ignition generator) beacon on the roof to mark the operators’ position. (See sidebar.) The FSO remained on the roof scanning for threats and incoming fire, and reported that all was quiet with no threats found … but that relative tranquility would change quickly. As the MH-6s proceeded to a pre-planned holding point, McMillan and Hughes’ shifted their focus to their pre-planned targets near La Comandancia. Just before both AC-130s opened fire, an SF operator breached the rooftop cupola of Cárcel Modelo with an explosive charge.

Precisely at the pre-planned time, Capt Bill Lane, the navigator on AP-06, radioed “clear” to AH-6 pilots, signaling them to start firing on target B1, La Comandancia. Immediately, the attack helicopters began firing 2.75 inch high explosive (HE) rockets into the front door of La Comandancia. Simultaneously, AP-06 and AP-07 began to fire on five targets labeled B2 through B6 located near La Comandancia. (See fig. 2, page 44) Striking these five buildings was intended to draw the attention of the PDF away from the prison and to prepare the battle area for the mechanized elements of Task Force Gator which would follow on later in the day.

As fire intensified on both sides, the PDF opened fire on the gunships with a 14.5mm AAA gun located near the golf course at nearby Ft Amador. Observing the potential threat MSgt Larry Bower calmly announced the potential threat as “no factor” as crews remained focused on the task at hand.

According to plan, both crews were to fire at a “high level of effort” for five minutes, then stop to allow extraction of the SF operators and Mr Muse from the prison roof. That plan however, would change because of the dynamic situation unfolding near Cárcel Modelo.

While McMillan and Hughes’ crews fired 105mm HE and 40mm Misch metal incendiary rounds as close as 100 meters of the prison, fragments and chunks of concrete were impacting Cárcel Modelo. During this time, SF operators inside the prison quickly made their way towards Muse’s cell, and upon confronting the PDF guard assigned the task of executing Muse killed him on the spot.

At the same time, the FSO on the rooftop determined PDF soldiers in La Comandancia posed a threat to the rescue force. With less than two minutes before the extraction of Muse and his rescuers, the FSO attempted to contact AP-07, the gunship at the lower altitude. Because the noise of the explosions pounding the targets was deafening, the FSO had to yell into the microphone as loudly as he could. AP-06 answered his call for fire and accepted the fire mission. AP-06 proceeded to fire as many 40mm and 105mm rounds directly into La Comandancia, as fast as they could in the remaining minute. As 40mm rounds pierced the sheet metal roof of La Comandancia, large showers of sparks spewed from the windows of the top floor, providing an intense light show and suppressive effect on the PDF. The sound of the explosive rounds impacting reinforced concrete in the “urban canyon” had both a lethal and suppressive effect on the PDF near La Comandancia, but a number of PDF held their positions. The FSO commented:

I asked him (AP-06) to start at one end of La Comandancia and work to the other. Night became day when they opened up. That was the best fireworks display ever! Next thing I remember is the call from the AC saying they were complete, and after that it was time to leave the roof. I remember thinking afterwards, that was the first time since I was in the unit I had AC-130 fire impact that close to our position. I believe it was at or under 100 meters. Sweet!

Precisely on time, both AC-130 crews stopped firing while the operators brought Muse to the roof for extraction by helicopter. It had been a long five minutes of continuous fire from both AC-130H crews and the entire operation had taken only six minutes. The mission however, was not complete yet.

After the operators, the FSO, and Muse boarded their MH-6 on the Carcel Modelo rooftop, the pilot of the heavily loaded helicopter discovered he could not gain altitude. Once the MH-6 cleared the rooftop of the prison, it sank towards the street as the pilot literally “drove” down the street in ground effect and turned left, away from the entrance to the prison. After a hard landing onto the street, the operators and Muse jumped off and pulled security until the pilot determined he could take off again.

After all passengers re-boarded the MH-6, the pilot took off and began to gain altitude. As the helicopter cleared the rooftops, it took machine gun fire on the left side, “stitching” it from the rotor to the tail boom. Army SSG Pat Savidge was shot in the leg and SSG Kelly Venden was shot in the abdomen. Of the seven aboard the MH-6, four were injured in the ensuing crash—two bullet wounds, one crushed foot, one rotor strike to the helmet, and one minor arm injury, but Muse and the two MH-6 pilots were unharmed. The operators protected Muse as they set up a hasty defensive position. Three fellow operators and combat controller, MSgt David Schnoor, in a TF-Gator M113 successfully completed their back-up plan to extract Muse and the rescue team.

About the Author: Bill Walter, CMSgt, USAF (Ret) is a former AC-130H Aerial Gunner and a veteran of Operation JUST CAUSE. He is currently the President of the Spectre Association. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Air Force, DoD, or US government.