Dale Brown
A Time for Patriots
Dedication
This novel is dedicated to the volunteers: the ones who support their communities and fellow citizens in thousands of different ways with no thought of remuneration. It is the ultimate gift to society: the gift of selfless service.
Cast of Characters
PATRICK MCLANAHAN, Lieutenant-General (retired), U.S. Air Force, and Mission Pilot, Civil Air Patrol (CAP)
ROB SPARA, CAP Lieutenant Colonel, Battle Mountain CAP Squadron Commander
DAVID BELLVILLE, CAP Captain, Squadron Vice Commander, Commander of Cadets, and Ground Team Leader
MICHAEL P. FITZGERALD, Ground Team Deputy Leader
BRADLEY JAMES MCLANAHAN, Cadet Captain, CAP
RON SPIVEY, Cadet First Lieutenant, Ground Team Member
RALPH MARKHAM, Cadet Technical Sergeant, Ground Team Member
LEO SLOTNICK, CAP Mission Scanner
JOHN DE CARTERET, CAP Mission Observer
KENNETH PHOENIX, President of the United States
ANN PAGE, Vice President of the United States
JOCELYN CAFFERY, Attorney General of the United States
JUSTIN FULLER, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
SPECIAL AGENT PHILIP CHASTAIN, FBI
SPECIAL AGENT CASSANDRA RENALDO, Department of Homeland Security
AGENT RANDOLPH SAVOY, FBI, Cybernetic Infantry Device (CID) Pilot
LIEUTENANT COLONEL JASON RICHTER, U.S. Army, CID Engineer and Pilot
CHARLIE TURLOCK, CID Engineer and Pilot
WAYNE MACOMBER, Tin Man Commando
BRIGADIER — GENERAL KURT “BUZZ ” GIVENS, Base Commander, Joint Air Base Battle Mountain
DARROW HORTON, Former Attorney General of the United States
TIMOTHY DOBSON, Central Intelligence Agency
JUDAH ANDORSEN, Nevada Rancher
REVEREND JEREMIAH PAULSON, Leader of the Knights of the True Republic
Weapons and Acronyms
AGL— Above Ground Level
AN/UWQ-1— Avenger optionally manned mobile air defense unit
ARCHER— Airborne Real-time Cueing Hyperspectral Enhanced Reconnaissance — aerial imaging system used by the Civil Air Patrol that assists visual searches
ATC— Air Traffic Control
Avenger— mobile optionally manned air defense vehicle, carrying both Stinger surface-to-air heat-seeking missiles and a 20-millimeter Gatling gun
BAM— aviation identifier for Battle Mountain
C-57 Skytrain— advanced blended-wing transport plane
Cessna P21 °Centurion— single-engine pressurized light airplane
CFI— Certified Flight Instructor
C-Four-I— Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence
CID— Cybernetic Infantry Device, a large manned robot
DF— Direction Finding, following a radio beacon to its source
Dimenhydrinate— over-the-counter drug to relieve airsickness
ELT— Emergency Locator Transmitter, a radio beacon that activates after a crash to help locate an aircraft
ETA— Estimated Time of Arrival
EWO— Electronic Warfare Officer
FAA— Federal Aviation Administration
GA— General Aviation, dealing mostly with aircraft below twelve thousand pounds gross weight
GED— General Education Diploma
G-loads— Gravity forces, a measurement of how many times over or under the force of gravity is being exerted on a body
GPS— Global Positioning System, satellite navigation
Hazmat— hazardous materials
HRT— Hostage Rescue Team
IC— Incident Commander
IFR— Instrument Flight Rules
IMSAFE— Illness, Medicines, Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue, Emotion — a checklist to judge whether a crewmember is fit to fly
I-O— Input-Output
L-Per— a device used to home in on a radio beacon
Medevac— medical evacuation
MRE— Meals Ready to Eat
MSL— Mean Sea Level, the elevation above sea level
NextGen— Next Generation, a GPS-based air traffic control system
NORDO— No Radio, an aircraft that has lost its ability to communicate
NTSB— National Transportation Safety Board, a government agency that investigates accidents involving aircraft, cars, trains, etc.
OSI— Office of Special Investigations, the Air Force’s investigation agency
OTM— Other Than Mexicans, illegal aliens from countries other than Mexico
PDA— Personal Data Assistant
PETN— Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate, a powerful high explosive
PIREPS— Pilot Reports, weather and flight condition reports given by pilots
PT— Physical Training
PTSD— Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
R&D— Research and Development
RDX— Research Department Explosive (cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine), a powerful high explosive
RPG— Rocket-Propelled Grenade
RQ-15 Sparrowhawk— unmanned reconnaissance aircraft
RTB— Return to Base
SAREX— Search and Rescue Exercise
Scopolamine— an antiairsickness drug
SIGMET— Significant Meteorological, a report of possibly hazardous weather conditions
SQTR— Specialty Qualification Training Record
Technicals— homemade attack vehicles
UAV— Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
VFR— Visual Flight Rules
VoIP— Voice over Internet Protocol, a way of using the Internet for voice communications
Wilco— “will comply”
WMIRS— Web-based Mission Information Reporting System, the Civil Air Patrol’s computerized reporting system
XS-19A Midnight— single-stage-to-orbit spaceplane
Zulu— Greenwich mean time, used as a universal time reference
Real-World News Excerpts
EXTREMISTS TO GOVS: RESIGN OR BE REMOVED:
FBI Warns Letters Could Provoke Violence
— Devlin Barrett, Associated Press — April 2, 2010—WASHINGTON
— The FBI is warning police across the country that an anti-government group’s call to remove governors from office could provoke violence.
The group called the Guardians of the Free Republics wants to “restore America” by peacefully dismantling parts of the government, according to its Web site. It sent letters to governors demanding they leave office or be removed…
As of Wednesday, more than 30 governors had received letters saying if they don’t leave office within three days they will be removed, according to an internal intelligence note by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. The note was obtained by The Associated Press…
… The FBI associated the letter with “sovereign citizens,” most of whom believe they are free from all duties of a U.S. citizen, like paying taxes or needing a government license to drive. A small number of these people are armed and resort to violence, according to the intelligence report.