Sattahip
I
t was after midnight by the time Vice Admiral Sangkorn Pongsiri reached the little airfield where four S-70A5 Blackhawk helicopters sat cold and tied down on the pad. Cursing loudly, he parked his car and hopped out, heading for the operations center at a dead run. There he found yawning men, some in uniform and some in civilian clothing, trying to get organized following the emergency call to scramble forces for the Koh Tang operation. He saw Commander Scoggins in a corner studying a map with the Thai Marine Captain who commanded his Recon Company. Both men wore most of a full combat rig.
“Why aren’t the helicopters being prepared?” the Admiral demanded to everyone in general and no one in particular.
“The pilots and crews are on their way,” shouted a harried Thai Air Force
