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CNN Live At Daybreak

America's New War: National Guard Air Force Pilots Train for Homeland Defense

Aired September 26, 2001 - 09:13   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: When it became clear that planes were in danger on September 11th, jets from Otis Air National Guard Base were scrambled into action. Now those same pilots are ready for the next mission possibly in the war against terrorism.

CNN's Miles O'Brien is with some of the pilots at the Otis Air national Guard Base in Massachusetts.

Certainly looking the part this morning there, Miles. Let me ask you that: In order to get into that suit did they make you take G- force training?

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I have been through a little bit of training on e-grass (ph), as they put it mildly; that involving learning how to use the ejection seat if that should occur, that is an unlikely possibility, but nevertheless. I learned a little bit about parachute training. All the while I am thinking I will be panicking while this is happening, probably not able to do anything that they just told me to do, but I will do the best I can.

We are going to go on a routine mission in just a few moments. As a matter of fact, that's the plane right there. That is an F-15 B model; that means it's got two seats. I'll be in the back seat of course watching one of these pilots as he engages in a routine homeland defense mission heading south from here, down toward the New York City area.

We are going to see how they coordinate with other Air National Guard wings from Vermont, from Virginia, from all over the East Coast as they spend time circling over this airspace potentially looking for targets to intercept. This would be cases where, for whatever reason, flight controllers cannot identify a radar blip. So we are going to get a sense of what it is like.

I'm all suited up with my G-suit (ph) here. I've got the gloves, I've got the vest, the inflation device, and of course the helmet with the oxygen mask. And I'm going to get a real sense of the determination and the dedication of these pilots as they continue this high state of readiness now for more than two weeks -- Paula.

ZAHN: Well, Miles, I have to warn you, I was up in an F-16 not long ago and had to go through the same training you did, and I had a lipstick camera me in the back, and depending on what you ate for breakfast this morning, it was not a pretty site. So I hope you ate what the pilots advised you to eat before you go through some of these maneuvers this morning.

O'BRIEN: Well, there is one other piece of equipped I have with me, which is tucked away in a pocket. I think we know what that is. It's a little bag to take care of that. And also remember, Paula, I know where the off switch is for that camera.

ZAHN: You were much smarter than I was. I don't want to minimize the importance of what you're doing.

God luck, and we look forward to seeing the report that you file from that flight later today.

Thanks, Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right.

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