Mike Guardia is a veteran of the United States Army and the author of a number of military history books. His most recent book, Skybreak takes a look at the operations of the 58th Fighter Squadron of the United States Air Force during Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
Following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in the fall of 1990, the 58th Fighter Squadron was one of the many USAF units deployed in support of Operation Desert Shield – the coalition effort to deter further aggression by Iraq – and eventually Operation Desert Storm, the coalition campaign to forcefully remove Iraqi forces from Kuwait.
Flying the newest version of the F-15C Eagle, the 58th was tasked with protecting coalition aircraft from interference by Iraqi Air Force aircraft. During the air campaign the F-15s of the 58th downed 16 Iraqi aircraft ranging from MiG-29s to Su-22s without a loss.