James "doc" Crabtree

James "Doc" Crabtree is a veteran of the Cold War, serving as a U.S. Army Hawk Surface-to-Air Missile Crewman. He later served as a Launcher Crewman in the Patriot SAM system and was trained as a Stinger gunner. Commissioned prior to Desert Storm, he served as a Tactical Control Officer in a Hawk IIIA battery and also served as the site reconnaissance team leader. During Desert Storm he located and secured several missile sites in addition to his duties as a TCO. Leaving active duty for a time...See more

James "Doc" Crabtree is a veteran of the Cold War, serving as a U.S. Army Hawk Surface-to-Air Missile Crewman. He later served as a Launcher Crewman in the Patriot SAM system and was trained as a Stinger gunner. Commissioned prior to Desert Storm, he served as a Tactical Control Officer in a Hawk IIIA battery and also served as the site reconnaissance team leader. During Desert Storm he located and secured several missile sites in addition to his duties as a TCO. Leaving active duty for a time to pursue an academic career, he remained in the National Guard. He returned to active duty in 1998 and participated in Operation Desert Fox, which is largely forgotten now. Later he served in Operation Southern Watch, which served to enforce No-Fly Zones in Iraq and protect US allies in the Gulf from Iraqi air and ballistic missile attack. Crabtree returned to Iraq in 2005, serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He would also serve as a peacekeeper in the Sinai and as a Public Affairs Officer at Guantanamo Bay. Throughout his military career Crabtree has written prolifically and has drawn cartoons poking fun of military life. He has published three other books, On Air Defense, Guerilla Air Defense and Orange Berets, and has had cartoons featured in several military publications. See less