w ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁sort ies ▁and ▁ 8 , 0 0 0 ▁combat ▁hours , ▁fired ▁ 2 0 ▁million ▁r ounds ▁of ▁am mun ition , ▁exp ended ▁ 1 2 , 0 0 0 ▁fl ares , ▁killed ▁ 8 0 0 ▁enemy , ▁destroyed ▁ 1 5 0 ▁s amp ans , ▁and ▁recorded ▁ 8 0 0 ▁secondary ▁explos ions ▁despite ▁aircraft ▁cor ros ion ▁and ▁equipment ▁issues , ▁re organ ization , ▁and ▁re training ▁of ▁air cre w ▁and ▁support ▁personnel . ▁No ▁out post ▁was ▁over run ▁while ▁it ▁was ▁being ▁supported ▁by ▁the ▁gun ships . ▁ ▁In ▁early ▁ 1 9 7 0 , ▁enemy ▁action ▁decl ined ▁so ▁much ▁that ▁more ▁mission ▁were ▁directed ▁to ▁border ▁areas ▁with ▁more ▁inter diction ▁targets . ▁The ▁gun ships ▁conducted ▁night time ▁armed ▁reconna issance ▁in ▁specific ▁strike ▁zones ▁known ▁as ▁Sh adow ▁boxes , ▁flying ▁a ▁T AC AN ▁radial ▁to ▁a ▁location ▁in ▁the ▁box , ▁then ▁dro pping ▁position ▁markers ▁and ▁loc ating ▁targets . ▁Between ▁ 1 ▁April ▁and ▁ 2 2 ▁May , ▁the ▁ 1 7 ▁S OS ▁provided ▁night time ▁cover ▁for ▁the ▁bes ie ged ▁C ID G ▁cam ps ▁at ▁Dak ▁Se ang ▁and ▁Dak ▁P ek . ▁With ▁the ▁assistance ▁of ▁AC - 1 1 9 K ▁St ingers ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁Special ▁Oper ations ▁Squadron , ▁the ▁Sh adows ▁fle w ▁one ▁to ▁two ▁sort ies ▁a ▁night