Rob “Trip” Raymond | F-16 Combat, SEAD, Iraq, and Dos Gringos | Episode 142

Описание: Colonel (Ret) Rob “Trip” Raymond sits down with Flash McVay for one of the most wide ranging fighter pilot interviews ever captured on The Afterburn Podcast. Trip is known across the fighter community for his combat time in the F-16, his leadership as a weapons officer and commander, and, of course, his role in the legendary fighter pilot band Dos Gringos.

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This episode covers Trip’s entire journey. Growing up with no military background. Falling into Air Force ROTC by accident. Earning an F 16 out of ENJJPT. Flying combat missions in Operation Southern Watch and the opening nights of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Surviving triple turns, SAM launches, AAA, Mop 4 step times, and the chaos of the early GWOT.

Flash and Trip break down the real story of early 2000s Viper tactics, the shift from Lantern to Sniper, the first generations of data link, and why young fighter pilots today face even more complex demands than those who flew in Iraq and Kosovo. Trip talks about his path to the F 16 Weapons School, the pressure of being a patch, running tactics at Shaw, and leading the 80th Fighter Squadron “Juvats” at Kunsan.

Trip also shares the inside story of Dos Gringos, how the band actually started in Cannon AFB dorm rooms, the deployment that inspired “I’m a Pilot,” why fighter pilot culture needed humor, and what happened during the Shaggy era.

The episode closes with Trip’s next chapter: Winglore Spirits. A veteran built whiskey company grounded in the same culture, community, and camaraderie that shaped his career. You can support Trip directly below.

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Recorded on Riverside.fm https://www.riverside.fm/?via=afterburn
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