The 35-Hour B-52 Mission That Launched Desert Storm | Secret Squirrel with Col. Trey Morris
About this episode
This episode features a discussion with Col. Trey Morris about the classified B-52 mission that launched Operation Desert Storm.
Before the first bombs hit Iraq in 1991, seven B-52s quietly lifted off from Louisiana on a mission so classified most of the crews hadn't known it existed months earlier. In this episode of Combat Story , AJ Pasciuti sits down with Trey Morris , retired U.S. Air Force Colonel and former B-52 Electronic Warfare Officer, to break down Operation Senior Surprise—nicknamed Secret Squirrel —the 35-hour, 14,000-mile strike that helped launch Operation Desert Storm . This wasn't just another bombing mission. It was the first combat use of GPS-guided cruise missiles, the longest combat sortie in history at the time, and a zero-fail test of endurance and leadership. Minutes after takeoff, Morris' aircraft lost an engine. They nearly collided during night aerial refueling. On the return leg, they ran dangerously low on fuel over the Mediterranean. What followed was problem-solving under pressure, trust inside the cockpit, and a culture that demanded accountability when it mattered most. Morris later captured the full story in his book Doom 34 , but this conversation goes beyond aviation. It's about earning the right to come home—and honoring those who have "gone west." If you're interested…
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