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First Fight: Special Tactics in Panama 1989

AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL: Volume 3 Issue 3 JUST CAUSE

MH-53

First Fight: Special Tactics in Panama, 1989

Author: Forrest L. Marion

In 1903, a treaty between the United States and Panama gave the US the right to build a long-sought canal and to control a ten-mile wide swath of land along the canal’s fifty-mile length. An engineering marvel, the Panama Canal opened in 1914. In 1981, Panama’s leader, Omar Torrijos, died, and in his place, Manuel Noriega, an intelligence chief with ties to the United States, emerged as the new military dictator in Panama. Four years later, the murder of a political opponent of Noriega’s chilled US-Panamanian relations. An anti-Noriega political movement was spawned in Panama, and US political sentiment turned against Noriega. In 1988, two US federal grand juries indicted Noriega on charges of drug trafficking, and the United States initiated economic sanctions against his regime. A month later, a coup attempt to oust Noriega failed. Meanwhile, his Panama Defense Forces (PDF) stepped up their arbitrary harassment against US military members and their dependents. Following the May 1989 presidential election in Panama in which Noriega’s handpicked candidate lost in a land-slide, Noriega invalidated the election and encouraged the PDF’s brutality against anti-Noriega protestors. In response to the fraud and violence and another incident in which a US sailor was beaten and robbed, US President George H.W. Bush ordered an additional 1,900 military personnel to Panama as a means to increase security at US installations.

Thus began Operation Nimrod Dancer, a show-of-force measure that the Bush administration also intended to bolster security for US personnel and facilities in Panama. Over the next several months, units deployed to Panama for training and exercises in accordance with agreements between the two countries. By December 1989 most of the forces that eventually participated in Operation Just Cause actually had entered Panama under the auspices of Nimrod Dancer, and many personnel had already familiarized themselves with the travel routes, objectives, and PDF forces they would oppose during the operation. The US also managed to deploy to Panama, either under Nimrod Dancer or surreptitiously, a number of aircraft that later conducted operations during Just Cause. Those included AH–64, MH–6/AH–6, MH–53J, and MH–60 helicopters and AC–130 gunships.

At the end of September, Gen Maxwell Thurman took command of US Southern Command. Days later, after another attempted coup against Noriega failed, a US military operation seemed the only recourse remaining. On 15 December, Noriega arbitrarily declared “a state of war” to exist between Panama and the United States. The following evening a US Marine Corps lieutenant was killed by PDF guards at a roadblock in Panama City. On the afternoon of 17 December, President Bush met with his national security team. Judging that the discipline and control of the PDF seemed to be disintegrating, thereby threatening American lives, the President ordered the execution of a military operation in Panama to accomplish four objectives, “to safeguard the lives of Americans, to defend democracy in Panama, to combat drug trafficking, and to protect the integrity of the Panama Canal treaty.” Later, he added one more directive: Manuel Noriega’s apprehension and extradition to the United States to face federal drug trafficking charges. The overall operation was “Just Cause.”

In the period September–October 1989, operational planning transitioned from US Army South, US Southern Command’s Army component, to the XVIII Airborne Corps, and the lead assault element shifted from the 7th Infantry Division (Light) to the 82d Airborne Division. As of fall 1989, the concept for Panama was that any military incursion would have to be swift enough to prevent insurgents from dispersing into the jungles to organize a meaningful opposition; hence, the 82d’s lead role. At the same time, planners boosted the role of special operations elements for Panama. Their numbers included Air Force Special Tactics teams of combat controllers (CCTs) and pararescuemen (PJs). While the CCTs belonged to the 1724th Special Tactics Squadron (1724 STS) and 1723d Combat Control Squadron (1723 CCS), the Special Tactics PJs belonged to the 1724th STS or 1730th Pararescue Squadron (1730 PRS). All three squadrons were subordinate to the 1720th Special Tactics Group based at Hurlburt Field, Florida, the US Air Force’s only special tactics group at that time.

Military planners had devised a Joint Task Force South (JTF South) for the operation to be conducted under the auspices of General Thurman’s Southern Command. Thurman selected the XVIII Airborne Corps Commander, Lt Gen Carl Stiner, to command the JTF. The 1st, 2d, and 3d battalions of the 75th Ranger Regiment and the 82d Airborne Division comprised the core of Stiner’s ground forces. Under JTF South, initial phase operations were to be conducted by six maneuver task forces (TFs), one of which was TF Red. The three Ranger battalions comprised the bulk of Red’s initial forces, whose mission was to fly from their bases in the United States and jump into the Torrijos-Tocumen and Rio Hato airfields. Torrijos-Tocumen was both an international civil airport and a military airfield, located just east of Panama City. The PDF’s 1st Infantry Company was based there. Rio Hato was a strictly military airfield situated some fifty miles west of the city and was home to the PDF’s 6th and 7th rifle companies. At Torrijos-Tocumen, the 1st Ranger Battalion and one company of 3rd Rangers would jump into the airfield at H–hour, set for 0100 local, 20 December. At Rio Hato, the remainder of the 3d Ranger Battalion and the 2d Rangers expected to ‘hit the silk’ at 0104 hours. About fifty-five minutes after H–hour, “Task Force Pacific” consisting mainly of 82d Airborne troopers plus heavy equipment including Sheridan light tanks, would be dropped at Torrijos-Tocumen. Because the Panamanians could not challenge US control of the air except for a limited ground-based anti-aircraft capability, planners assigned slow-moving US Army helicopters and USAF AC–130 gunships with the primary ground attack role from the air.

The US plan called for twenty-seven key targets to be struck or secured on the opening night, about one-half of them simultaneously, the rest within hours. The top priority, charged to TF Black, was Manuel Noriega himself. As the 1724 STS commander, Major Craig F. Brotchie, expressed, the “one criteri[on] for success in the Panama mission was getting Noriega.” Expecting that special operators would ‘bag’ him on the first night, military planners envisioned the PDF would acknowledge the fait accompli and quickly surrender. Aside from several fratricide incidents, Noriega’s ability to elude capture for several days was the most disconcerting aspect of the entire operation. The second most critical objective for TF Black was the rescue of a US citizen, Kurt Muse, who had been imprisoned for running an anti-Noriega radio station. Muse’s daring rescue from Panama City by Special Forces operators constituted the first successful hostage rescue by the Army’s counterterrorist/hostage-rescue force.

CCT/PJ members who made the combat jump into Torrijos-Tocumen International Airport. Pictured left to right (kneeling): Capt John Koren, TSgt Ray Cooper, TSgt Lucky Cook, SSgt Fred Wulff, TSgt Duane Stanton, MSgt Scott Fales and SSgt Steve Borbee. Left to right (standing): SSgt Stan Braxton, *TSgt Jim Lyons, SSgt Steve Cast, SSgt Joel Getzug, TSgt Harvey Perriott, *MSgt Tim Brown, SSgt Dave Holcomb, SSgt Dan Rivera, SSgt Chuck Hibbard and *TSgt Rick Caffee. Missing from photo. SrA Paul Lawrenz, MSgt Ed Lundberg, TSgt Dave Pickering, SSgt Adam Pope, TSgt John Scanlon and TSgt Ron Taylor. (*denotes second combat jump for three members who previously jumped into Grenada). Det. 6 members were Cooper, Fales, Lawrenz, Pickering, Pope and Stanton.

One little known but significant incident on the opening night concerned the marking of the Torrijos- Tocumen Airport by Special Tactics members to ensure the air assault’s success in the event of bad weather. As Brotchie recalled, his view on the eve of the operation was that one of the few ways “this thing can fail is to not have the [Torrijos]-Tocumen Airport.” But what if fog or low clouds, common in Panama, made it impossible for the lead transport aircraft to identify the drop zone? Brotchie’s combat controllers devised a plan for placing an electronic marker at the drop zone (DZ) prior to the arrival of the first aircraft carrying the Rangers.

Their plan called for two MH–6 “Little Birds” to airlift relatively large all-weather navigational beacons to be emplaced at the DZ fifteen minutes prior to H-hour. Based on a successful rehearsal, Brotchie received approval for the DZ markers to be emplaced by Little Birds flying out of nearby Howard AFB. At H-hour minus twelve minutes, a four-man team led by TSgt Robert Kinder and including SSgt Bradley Baxter, TSgt Robert Martens, and a pararescueman, SSgt Ishmael Antonio, placed two TPN–27 zone markers at the approach end of the intended runway. The Ranger-laden C–141s were able to enter the markers’ exact location into their computers, and had the weather been marginal they could have relied on the backup measure. At nearly the same time that Special Forces operators rescued Muse, just one block away special operations AC–130 gunships opened fire on the Comandancia, the PDF’s headquarters building.

On 19 December, as deploying troops gathered at several stateside installations, severe weather conditions threatened to delay the operation. In California, ground fog and heavy Christmas shopping traffic slowed the 7th Infantry Division’s travel from Fort Ord to its primary departure airfield at Travis AFB. More serious, however, was a sudden drop in temperature in North Carolina, turning rain into a dangerous ice storm at Pope AFB. Of 20 C–141s that flew into Pope, half experienced a takeoff delay of 3 hours due to the ice. Pope’s de-icing equipment could handle no more than six aircraft at a time. The Rangers and 82d Airborne paratroopers loaded their aircraft on schedule but then, wet and cold, had to sit until the de-icing process was completed.

A small number of Air Force combat controllers and pararescuemen were among those shivering on the flightline at Pope as part of TF Red’s forces. Captain John A. Koren served as liaison officer between the 1st Rangers and two dozen Special Tactics members under his command that would jump into Torrijos-Tocumen with the Rangers and control the airfield for the follow-on forces arriving an hour later. But when the scheduled C–130 somehow departed Pope AFB without his team, Koren and his men had to drive hurriedly to Savannah, Georgia, through the ice storm to catch up with their aircraft. The Special Tactics team at Torrijos-Tocumen, consisting of 14 combat controllers and 9 pararescuemen, plus 2 support personnel, was divided among the first 3 or 4 C–141s. Upon finally arriving over Panama, they jumped into the airfield from 500 feet.

Within about forty-five minutes the Rangers secured the airfield. Later that night, the Special Tactics team controlled the C–141s that dropped the 82d Airborne troopers. Despite the drop being made “right on the zone,” Col. John T. Carney, the 1720th commander, later wrote that a number of Army “vehicles, howitzers, and ammunition pallets landed in deep mud” near the runway. Some were unrecoverable. Ultimately, the de-icing delay at Pope contributed to the paratroopers’ aircraft arriving at Torrijos-Tocumen in several cells of between 2 and 16 C–141s, over a period of more than 3 hours that morning (20 December).

CCT/PJ members who made the combat jump into Rio Hato. Left to Right: TSgt Gary Lantrip, Sgt Jim Holloman, SSgt Gordy Tully, **TSgt Jerry Thomas, CMSgt Wayne Norrad, Maj Mike Longoria, Capt “Jeff” Schuldheiss, *CMSgt Mike Lampe, SSgt Chet Ebeling, TSgt “Carl” Casey, **SSgt Rex Frericks, MSgt Bernie Oder. Missing from photo: **SSgt Tim Ryan and SSgt John Thompson. (*denotes making their second combat jump, ** denotes pararescuemen).

MSgt Timothy C. Brown was one of the combat controllers who coordinated with Koren, and he served as the special tactics team leader on the Torrijos side of Torrijos-Tocumen. A Michigan native who after high school had worked in a central market in Detroit, Brown entered the Air Force in 1977 and initially served as an air traffic controller. He retrained into combat control in 1979. Since 1983 he had served with the elite Pope CCT unit that by 1989 was known as the 1724th STS. At the time of the Panama operation, Brown served as the squadron’s “Silver Team Lead.” He described the preparations for Panama and the initial phase of the operation thusly:

We had been rotating into and out of Panama for a year. Some of us had been in Panama over the years numerous times working surveys and with [Special Operations Command]. So . . . we knew the target very well. The special ops folks were all dropped where we were supposed to be. When we got to Torrijos-Tocumen, we established internal communications immediately. We . . . [set] up the runway and our equipment, navigational aids, and lights. We . . . helped the reconnaissance element set up that [had come] in on [MH–6] Little Birds.

Next to Brown on the lead aircraft was a 1724th pararescueman, MSgt Scott C. Fales. Although Fales was a PJ, he held a dual role as did many special operators. Initially upon landing at Torrijos- Tocumen, he emplaced a strobe and a radar transponder on the airfield before reverting to his primary job of providing medical assistance for combat casualties. In addition to providing immediate aid, pararescuemen controlled the helicopter landing zone (HLZ) at the joint casualty collection point (JCCP) using night vision goggles (NVGs), infrared chemical-lights, and communications with the tower. Fales personally treated several casualties from chemical burns and at least one soldier wounded by enemy fire, but the heat and humidity were responsible for most of the casualties he treated on 20 December. The morning sun was bright, the air humid, and temperatures pushed ninety degrees. Describing the scene that morning, Fales remarked, “Everyone was just passing out right and left from heat exhaustion. We had them stacked up … and [fellow PJ] TSgt Ray Cooper and I were just giving ‘IVs’ like they were going out of style.” A separate report mentioned up to ten “serious heat injury victims.”

Tim Brown and the rest of Silver Team, both CCTs and PJs, remained at Torrijos-Tocumen for about three days, handling the “string of airplanes” that arrived there. On 22 December, they relocated to nearby Howard AFB after being relieved by follow-on CCTs. Until redeploying around 6 Jan 1990, Silver Team’s combat controllers and PJs conducted a number of “small missions” including counter-drug work, rescue missions, and securing another airfield for the US Army’s use. Another 1724th squadron combat controller and future chief, TSgt James A. Lyons, participated in several missions in the mountainous northwestern part of the country looking for possible insurgents, arms caches, and encouraging locals to turn in weapons for cash.

For Air Force Special Tactics personnel, one of the biggest challenges was the simultaneous planned takedown by airborne forces, with CCT/PJ augmentation, of both the Torrijos-Tocumen Airport and the Rio Hato Military Base airfield. The nearby location of one of Noriega’s several residences was one reason for the latter airfield’s importance.

Although Panama’s weak military could not hope to stop the US incursion, a ‘worst-case scenario’ for the United States would have been for Noriega to have escaped from Panama—perhaps flying from Rio Hato’s airfield—to inspire a Panamanian insurgency from abroad. At Rio Hato, the Special Tactics mission was to assist in clearing the airfield of any obstacles, light the field for follow-on airland sorties, and provide air traffic control, satellite communications, and medical support as long as required or until relieved.

The Rangers’ 2d Battalion and most of the 3d Bn had been assigned to take down Rio Hato. CMSgt Wayne G. Norrad served as combat control advisor to the 3d Battalion’s commanding officer, Lt Col Joseph Hunt. Minutes after 0100 on 20 December, nearly 1,000 Rangers would parachute to the objective. Their opposition would be an estimated 500 Panamanian soldiers belonging to the PDF’s 6th and 7th rifle companies. Once matters were sorted out on the ground, Norrad would work out of the primary Tactical Operations Center (TOC), with Colonel Hunt. Accordingly, Norrad was to fly on the second aircraft into Rio Hato. He described the hours at Fort Benning on a rainy and cold afternoon leading up to the flight to Panama:

We made our initial manifest call at noon, the final manifest was 1315 [hours], parachute issue 1330. Col [William F.] Kernan . . . the regimental commander, delivered some inspiring words out on the flight line, and he and the chaplain led us in prayer. . . . We began rigging at 1415, had our jumpmaster inspection, and waited for movement to the aircraft. Given the expected heat and humidity in Panama, a number of the men had dressed lightly.
Yet in Georgia, it was cold and miserable out on the flightline. Prudently, someone decided to issue the paratroopers the old, green Army blankets affectionately known as “horse blankets,” which they wrapped around themselves while wearing their parachutes and waiting for some three hours to board the aircraft.

Finally, at 1802 hours, 19 Dec 1989, fifteen C–130s departed Fort Benning’s Lawson Army Airfield for the seven-hour flight to Panama. Trained in Special Operations, Low Level, the pilots flew what one veteran expressed as a “miserable low level,” mostly over water. With a parachute on, and more than sixty men rigged for combat, Norrad remembered it was anything but comfortable, especially after hydrating oneself prior to the flight and without an adequate means of relief.
As Norrad’s aircraft neared the Panamanian coast about thirty minutes from the drop, his thoughts turned to the “young troops” and their mission. For most of them, “this was their first taste of combat.” One of those untested in combat, SSgt. Chet Ebeling, recalled the final minutes before the jump:

The aircrew opened the door at three minutes out; all I could see was water. I had the job of getting the bike bundle in the door so that I could push it out and follow it on the green light. The aircrew called 1 minute warning; I could see the beach, some houses along the beach, and fishing boats out in the water. Just as I positioned the bike bundle in the door the aircrew passed back [the 10 second] warning. The green light came on; I pushed the bundle out the door and followed it out.

On the Rio Hato airfield seizure, 15 Special Tactics men jumped with the Rangers: 11 combat controllers and 4 PJs. All but one CCT member was in the 1723d CCS. Three pararescuemen were assigned to the 1724th STS and one from Detachment 2, 1730th PRS.

Ninety seconds after H–hour, an AC–130H gunship appeared over Rio Hato. Capt Mark Transue’s crew was allowed just two-and-a-half minutes to prepare the drop zone before the sky would be filled with Rangers. Having been alerted, Noriega’s PDF was waiting. They had obstructed the airfield with vehicles and had manned Soviet-made ZPU–4 anti-aircraft guns. The captain’s crew destroyed one ZPU–4 with a direct hit from the plane’s 105–mm howitzer, but other anti-aircraft fire continued. At 0104, the Rangers hit the silk, the Hercules crews delivering them “exactly” on target, according to General Stiner. As parachutes descended, the AC–130 again employed its howitzer, destroying two Panamanian armored vehicles that had appeared. Small-arms fire continued in the vicinity, however.

Well before H-hour, Maj Michael A. Longoria and others wanted nothing more than to get out of their airplane to escape the heat, filth, and odor. Get out they did, but while “shuffling to the door,” at least one trooper fell inside the cabin. Weighted down with equipment, he couldn’t get up even with assistance. Chief Norrad, behind him in the “stick” of jumpers, climbed around the soldier as best he could in order to make the jump himself. Late in exiting the aircraft into the darkness from an altitude no higher than 500 feet, he was still struggling with one of the two equipment quick-releases when he hit the ground hard.

Once on the ground, Norrad “chambered a round,” got out of his parachute, and moved out. With the delay exiting the aircraft, he was several hundred yards away from the intended location. Meeting up with a group of Rangers along the way, and then encountering Major Longoria, they somehow became separated into several smaller groups. “Movement was slow due to some small arms fire and an occasional mortar round,” Norrad noted. Adding to the combat scene, an AC–130 blasted away at nearby PDF positions.

Joining Norrad was CMSgt Michael I. Lampe who served as the 1724 STS liaison with the 3d Battalion, 75th Rangers. Rather than follow the normal procedure of augmenting the 1724th with CCTs from Hurlburt’s 1723d CCS, Lampe’s squadron commander, Maj Brotchie, delegated the Rio Hato Special Tactics mission to the Hurlburt unit. Since Brotchie maintained overall responsibility for the CCT mission in Panama, he assigned Lampe to be his “eyes and ears” at Rio Hato. Furthermore, because the 1723d lacked pararescuemen at the time, Brotchie also assigned three of his squadron’s PJs to accompany Lampe at Rio Hato. The PJs provided a combat casualty collection point in the immediate vicinity of the drop zone.

In addition to his liaison role, Lampe doubled as an assistant jumpmaster on his C–130 aircraft and was one of the last to jump onto the Rio Hato drop zone. By the time his aircraft approached the DZ, the PDF had plotted the transport formation and adjusted their fire accordingly. The chief recalled his aircraft taking numerous small arms hits as it arrived over the zone.

As the Rangers secured the airfield, Capt Mark Transue repositioned his AC-130 to fly a wider orbit in case of approaching threats. Shortly thereafter, the Spectre destroyed a truck carrying PDF soldiers toward the fight and another ZPU–4 the Panamanians had moved into firing position near their barracks. Although intermittent firing in the area continued for another day, an Air Force historian noted that the AC–130’s display of firepower “marked the end of organized resistance at Rio Hato.”

Although casualties were light, they would have been worse without the presence of a small number of Special Tactics pararescuemen. One of several PJs who performed outstanding work in the early hours of the operation was SSgt Frank Medeiros. Assigned to the 1730th PRS, Medeiros was aboard the first aircraft to air-land at Rio Hato less than two hours after the Rangers jumped in. Upon his arrival, Medeiros’ teammates contacted him via the intra-team radio asking him to look for two injured soldiers on the northeast side of the runway. He located a Ranger with a compound tibia-fibula fracture and another with a fractured femur who had already lost a significant amount of blood. Medeiros began treatment of the second Ranger, the more serious of the two, and requested air transport.

Next, Medeiros was directed to the area of the runway north of the high-way, where he and another paramedic discovered five civilian casualties with multiple bullet wounds. Again calling for transport, they loaded the plane with the wounded as quickly as possible. Next came an urgent call to help a sucking chest wound victim. While under fire sporadically, Medeiros hydrated the patient and assisted a doctor with a chest tube procedure, then he and three other PJs moved on and found four seriously injured Rangers. While treating the wounded they again came under enemy fire, which killed one Ranger. Medeiros, wrote Col Carney, marshaled “helicopters into a landing site near the joint casualty collection point (JCCP), and his team loaded two litter patients and two ambulatory ones on an MH–60 while other critical casualties were put into a waiting C–130 and quickly flown out of Rio Hato.”

Exhausted, the PJs hydrated themselves with an intravenous saline solution for some quick energy. Resting for a bit, an hour later the PJs used a motorcycle and a recovery all-terrain vehicle (RATV) to reach yet another soldier suffering from a sucking chest wound. The PJs loaded the Ranger on their RATV and drove him and several other casualties to the joint casualty collection point (JCCP) where they were flown out. The RATV that pararescuemen used represented a significant, and creative, improvement over the handling of battlefield trauma in previous conflicts.
Military observers in Panama recognized that the RATV “filled a major gap” in the medical coverage of past conflicts. An after-action report stated the RATV “provided rapid transportation of large numbers of casualties” from casualty collection points to the JCCP and medevac aircraft.

By daylight on 20 December, the Rangers at Rio Hato had repositioned both the primary and alternate TOCs; the former to several buildings situated a short distance from the runway. For the next two days, Longoria and Special Tactics members at Rio Hato remained there, providing reliable communications for the Rangers. Others conducted various missions beginning with the top priority of locating Noriega. He remained at-large until the 24th when he sought refuge at the Papal Nunciature in Panama City. On 3 Jan 1990, he surrendered to US forces and was extradited to Homestead AFB, FL. Meanwhile, all 27 initial targets in Panama had been secured sometime after midnight on the night of 20 December.

By 23 December, Special Tactics personnel had relocated to Howard AFB where they linked up with locally-based combat controllers. Although organized resistance had all but ceased on the 20th, one attack occurred on the 23rd when Noriega loyalists attacked a Panamanian police facility near the US Southern Command headquarters at Quarry Heights.

The Special Tactics men remained in Panama over Christmas. Chief Norrad collected a few dollars from each teammate and went to the commissary to buy a 24 pound turkey and all the fixings. The men, both CCTs and PJs, enjoyed the dinner in the relative plush surroundings of one of Howard AFB’s recently-vacated base houses. Moreover, Norrad felt that feasting together brought an unplanned benefit in the bonding of combat controllers and pararescuemen. “The CCT/PJ bond was now in place. War and Christmas together!” he wrote.

The day after Christmas, the Hurlburt and Eglin CCT/PJ members joined a number of Navy SEAL passengers that returned stateside on a Military Airlift Command C–141 Starlifter. Arriving at Pope AFB, the Special Tactics members transferred to a waiting C–130 which flew them to Hurlburt Field. There they were met and welcomed home by the 23rd Air Force Commander, Maj Gen Thomas E. Eggers.
An Air Force historian, the late Eduard Mark, summarized the Panama operation thusly:

On the whole, the US Air Force and the other armed services carried out their responsibilities during Operation JUST CAUSE efficiently and according to plan. It detracts nothing from the accomplishment to observe that conditions . . . were uniquely favor- able—American forces were present in the country to be occupied, and . . . there was little about Panama that the United States did not know. Rarely indeed can an invasion be practiced on the very ground where it is to be executed. The local population generally favored the intervention, and the Panamanian armed forces had little stomach for hard fighting in Noriega’s dubious cause. The PDF was in any case a small and largely unprofessional force.

In contrast to their Panamanian adversaries, the small community of 1720th Special Tactics Group members, combat controllers, and pararescuemen demonstrated superb professionalism in their first fight since the joining together of the two career fields after the 1983 Grenada operation. A number of them jumped on the first night, when Panama became the objective of the largest airborne operation in roughly 40 years. Of about 3,700 US troops that jumped into Panama on the first night, almost 40 were combat controllers or PJs assigned to units belonging to the 1720th. Summarizing the role of the 1720th in Panama, Colonel Carney stated:

During Operation JUST CAUSE, special tactics personnel were attached and employed with all . . . maneuvering task forces. Their responsibilities ranged from beacon insertions to participating in parachute assaults where they provided air traffic control, established command and control communications, assisted gunship operations, directed marshalling, and FARP [forward air refueling point] operations. In addition, pararescue personnel established forward casualty collection points while providing emergency medical treatment on the airfields.

Carney, the first-ever combat controller promoted to full colonel while still serving in a CCT position, viewed Panama as “the high water mark” for Air Force Special Tactics up to 1989. It had been a long road, with significant improvements achieved since 1980 and particularly in the six years since Grenada.


About the Author: Forrest L. Marion graduated from the Virginia Military Institute with a BS degree in civil engineering. He earned an MA in history from the University of Alabama and a doctorate in United States history from the University of Tennessee. Since 1998, he has served as a historian at the Air Force Historical Research Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. In 2009, he deployed in military status to Afghanistan, as historian for the 438th Air Expeditionary Wing, and in 2011, he deployed in civilian status to the same position. Commissioned in 1980, he retired from the USAF Reserve in May 2010. A complete version of this article appeared in Air Power History (Winter 2012).

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Tales of Pave Low: Operation Pokeweed, 1989

AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL: Volume 3 Issue 3 JUST CAUSE

MH-53

Tales of Pave Low: Operation Pokeweed, 1989

Author: Darrel Whitcomb

Editor’s Note: For more on this and other related Pave Low history we recommend “On a Steel Horse I Ride: A History of the MH-53 Pave Low Helicopters in War and Peace” written by Darrel Whitcomb


Acting upon the orders of President Jimmy Carter, on 25 Apr 1980, a United States special operations task force entered Iran to rescue 53 hostages being held at the American Embassy in Teheran. They had been seized the previous November by radical supporters of the Ayatollah Khomeini as his minions overthrew the Iranian government. This recovery force included eight RH-53Ds assigned to Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 16 aboard the USS Nimitz and flown by USMC crews. They would land with a task force of Special Forces soldiers aboard several US Air Force M/EC-130s at an airstrip called “Desert One,” in a desolate area of Iran, where the soldiers would then board the helicopters for insertion into and extraction from several sites so that they could rescue the hostages. Unfortunately, after taking off from the Nimitz the crews encountered a severe sand storm which challenged them to their limits, and only six of the helicopters arrived at Desert One, where it was then determined that one machine had a serious maintenance problem and could not continue with the mission. The on-scene commander, Colonel Charlie Beckwith, knew that the operation needed to have an absolute minimum of six helicopters and aborted the mission. Unfortunately, as the helicopters refueled for their return flight to the Nimitz, one of them collided with one of the accompanying C-130s. In the ensuing chaos, eight troops were killed and five were wounded.

President Carter directed that another effort be prepared. Analysis of the Desert One debacle indicated that a specialized force of long-range, heavy-lift special operations helicopters was needed. US Air Force Vice Chief of Staff, General Robert Mathis responded, directing that nine HH-53H “Pave Low III” helicopters, recently modified to perform combat rescue in night and / or all-weather conditions, be reassigned from rescue duty to special operations with the 20th Special Operations Squadron (SOS) assigned to the 1st Special Operations Wing (SOW) at Hurlburt Field, FL. The aircraft were quickly flown to Hurlburt and hand-picked crews began training with them for participation in the second effort. However, the hostages were subsequently recovered through diplomatic efforts, obviating the mission. Regardless, the Pave Lows remained with the 20th SOS, developed and maintained their long-range, heavy-lift special operations capability, and became a key element in the Special Operations Command (SOCOM), activated in 1987.

Throughout the 1980s, the 20th trained rigorously, and its crews and support elements constantly deployed for training with other special operations forces (SOF). Its aircraft were also being constantly upgraded with improved communications, navigation equipment, and other enhancements. However, it was not until the summer of 1989 that the unit was called upon to use this capability on an operational mission. In support of our efforts against narco-terrorists in Central America, the 20th received a classified tasking in the Caribbean region designated Operation Pokeweed. The 20th SOS commander, Lt Col Gary Weikel, was ordered to generate four aircraft to fly to the USS Forrestal, which would be on-station at a specified set of coordinates at a specific time south of Jamaica. There those four aircraft would pick up a team of SEALs and fly it to Panama for an attempt to capture Pablo Escobar Gaviria, the Colombian drug lord from the Medellin cartel. Intelligence sources indicated that he would be traveling to an island hacienda off Panama’s Pacific coast.

The 20th had most of its aircraft and crews deployed to other locations, and Weikel had to work closely with his maintenance troops to get the required number of aircraft airborne. The plan called for a long overwater outbound leg to the Forrestal, with in-flight refueling provided by MC-130s at low altitude in bad weather; a landing aboard the ship to pick up the SEALs; a delivery leg; and a long flight home. Capt Joe Becker planned the mission, and Weikel led it. The 1st SOW commander, Col George Gray, was aboard one of the aircraft to witness his men in action. Capt Tom Trask was aboard as the copilot on the second aircraft with Capt Corby Martin, and Becker as a spare pilot.

The mission went well for the first three refuelings, but then the aircraft ran into a heavy line of thunderstorms that could not be avoided. The helicopters needed one more refueling to make the aircraft carrier and no safe alternate airfields were in range. The remaining MC-130 had only the right refueling hose working. To best avoid the weather, the pilot dropped down to 300 feet above the water. As the crews fought to hook up and receive their vital fuel, Trask remembers, “Lightning was going off everywhere; everyone’s got vertigo. It’s just black as . . . . You couldn’t see anything, even with goggles . . . except when the lightning bolts illuminated the sky.”

During this refueling, Trask was in the right seat, with Martin in the left. The weather was so rough that they fell off the boom several times. Martin and Trask swapped the controls about every 90 seconds because fighting the turbulence was so fatiguing. Martin remembered,

The second tanker had no left hose; … so it was right hose only. Tom Trask is in the right seat. He gets on the hose and says, “I’ve got vertigo.” I said, “Tom, hang on, buddy. You’re it. Just watch that wing,” because I needed to take the helicopter when we came off in order to keep us from going into the water. We had plenty of altitude. I said, “Just fly it. Watch the wing.” And he did; he stuck with it, watched the wing, got our gas, got off, and carried on. The visibility was bad; we were probably one or two discs off of lead. We had to fly a little low to keep him in sight.

Joe Becker came up and offered, several times, to swap seats with either pilot. Both refused because they did not want to have even a few seconds where two pilots were not in position to control the aircraft. Several other pilots also experienced severe vertigo and had to strictly discipline themselves to maintain full and thorough instrument crosschecks to control their aircraft. All they really knew was that they were flying to a set of coordinates in the midst of a large body of water; there they were supposed to find the Forrestal, which was proceeding to the designated position at over 35 knots.

There was a palpable sense of relief when they began to see the ship on their radars. Then they saw it through their goggles. The entire mission was taking place with the barest communications so that the possibility of detection was minimized. They could see that the carrier deck was clear, so the four helicopters landed on it, with Weikel putting his aircraft out on the angle deck. As they settled, no Navy personnel were visible. One of the Pave Low gunners jumped off of his helicopter and literally went over and banged on the deck door to the carrier island. Navy personnel then came out to secure the aircraft and instructed them to shut down their engines and come inside. The crews did so, logging 12.8 hours on the flight. The sailors were horrified to discover that one aircraft had landed on the angle deck, explaining that “nobody ever goes out there in the dark.” Weikel had no way of knowing that.

Weikel and his somewhat shaken airmen then joined the ship’s crew inside, only to be notified that the mission had been scrubbed when the intelligence sources reported that Escobar had not traveled as planned. Regardless, the Forrestal crew warmly welcomed the Pave Low guys aboard. In fact, Colonel Gray was personal friends with the ship’s captain because they had previously served together on the staff at US Atlantic Command. The captain told the assembled Pave Low crews that he thought the plan was absolutely crazy and expected that at least one Pave Low and possibly crew would be lost in the operation. The commander of the carrier air group then debriefed the Pave Low crews on the complete operational aspects of the mission. Joe Becker remembered:

The one-star admiral … came in and talked to us. He said that when he was briefed on the mission, he was absolutely certain that we were going to lose a helicopter, if not all four. He had strongly advised against it; didn’t think it was possible for a helicopter to fly that far and find a ship in the ocean and successfully get on to her. But he was impressed and we did it.

When the admiral had finished, the captain allowed Weikel to conduct a crew-only debrief. It was an astounding event. Deeply shaken by the experience, Trask felt that he could not do this job for a living, that it was much too scary, and that he was on the very edge of his capabilities. He just could not believe that Corby Martin could be sitting there so calm and cool throughout the mission, while he was so shaken. Trask assumed, too, that he was the only one who felt this way. The crew debrief was an epiphany. Trask recounts,

We get into the debrief, … in the ward room. They left us to do a crew debrief, and even Weikel, after everyone else had left, nothing but Pave Low pilots in the room, said, “Damn, that was the most scared I have ever been in my whole f—ing life!” Everyone kind of exploded with emotion about how rough that flight had been. Then I felt much better that at least I was not the only one who had been scared to death through that night.

The 1st SOW commander, Colonel Gray, also sat in on the debrief. However, he had a very different opinion. Sure, the flight had been rough, but they had made it, and he was ecstatic at their performance. Several years of hard training by the right crews matched with the right equipment had supplied the piece of the puzzle missing at Desert One – the MH-53s of the 20th SOS were now the validated long-range, heavy-lift special operations helicopter force for USSOCOM. It was a seminal event for the Pave Lows, and Gray sensed the signal importance of their accomplishment. Approaching Puerto Rico, the Pave Lows lifted and flew to Roosevelt Roads NAS. There Gray put the crew members up in a nice hotel for a few days so they could unwind before returning to Hurlburt. Just a few months later, those same crews and aircraft would be returning to Panama for Operation Just Cause.


About the Author: Darrel Whitcomb is the author of: The Rescue of Bat 21 (1998), Combat Search and Rescue in Desert Storm (2006), Call Sign – DUSTOFF: A History of US Army Aeromedical Evacuation from Conception to Hurricane Katrina (2011), and On a Steel Horse I Ride: A History of the MH-53 Pave Low Helicopters in War and Peace published in 2012 by the Air University Press. This excerpt and all others from: On a Steel Horse I ride: A History of the MH-53 Pave Low Helicopters in War and Peace by Darrel Whitcomb is used by the ACJ with permission.

Episode

Articles in ACJ Vol 3/3: Just Cause


Air Commando Journal

  • Publisher

    Maj Gen William Holt, USAF (Retired)

  • Editor-in-Chief

    Col Paul Harmon, USAF (Retired)

  • Managing Editor

    Lt Col Richard Newton, USAF (Retired)

  • Senior Editor

    Major Scott McIntosh, USAF (Retired)

  • Layout Editor/Graphics

    Jeanette Elliott

  • Public Affairs/Marketing Director

    Melissa Gross


ACA Partner Showcase


ACJ Landing Zone

Continue reading

Just Cause Foreword

AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL: Volume 3 Issue 3 JUST CAUSE

Foreword: Just Cause

Author: Lt Gen Bruce L. Fister, USAF (Retired)
Former Commander AFSOC

Lt Gen Bruce Fister

Operation Just Cause in Panama was the first major joint special operation since the establishment of the United States Special Operation Command in 1987. At the time, 23rd Air Force was a subordinate operational command under Military Airlift Command (now Air Mobility Command) and was also designated the air component of USSOCOM—Air Force Special Operations Command. Preparations to help Panama rid itself of the dictator, Manuel Noriega, had been going on for over six months. That plan, Blue Spoon, envisioned a slow build up of forces in Panama with military action triggered by an event precipitated by Noriega.

When Gen Max Thurmond assumed command of USSOUTHCOM, this strategy changed to a very rapid intervention in Panama. The planners determined that USSOCOM and the Air Commandos of AFSOC offered the only reasonable means of achieving the surprise necessary to depose Noriega and ensure the safety of the thousands of American civilians living and working in the Canal Zone.

When a group of Noriega’s Panamanian Defense Force (PDF) troops harassed four American officers, fatally wounding one, and after another PDF unit abused a US Navy Lieutenant and his wife, President George H.W. Bush had sufficient justification to order the intervention. The President directed Just Cause commence at 0100 hrs on 20 Dec 1989. The plan called for taking down 27 key targets within 15 minutes of H-hour. Air Commandos, along with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and Military Airlift Command Special Operations C-130s, C-5s, and C-141s inserted the Joint Special Operations Task Force.

As you will read in this edition of Air Commando Journal, there were some very key events that occurred during Just Cause. One was the infiltration into Panama of over 200 special operations and conventional forces aircraft into Panama without detection by Cuban radar.  Another was the rescue of Mr Kurt Muse from the Carselo Modelo Prison, during which two AC-130 gunships successfully destroyed the PDF headquarter across the street from the prison. AC-130s also blocked the PDF’s “Battalion 2000” from entering the fight at the Pacora River Bridge. Operation Just Cause also saw the first limpet mine attack since World War II by the US Navy’s SEALs, against two of Noriega’s yachts. SOF and conventional forces combined to seize two airfields: Rio Hato and Torrijos-Tocumen. Jerry Thigpen provides a stirring account of how the 8th SOS established a forward area refueling and re-arming point at Rio Hato airport, in the middle of a tough fire fight. And finally, how the Special Forces employed the “Ma Bell” concept to exploit their overwhelming advantage in air power by telephoning PDF units who were resisting to look up at the AC-130 circling overhead. The SF advised the PDF commander to have his soldiers stack arms and form up for their surrender to Special Forces soldiers. 

Operation Just Cause put USSOCOM and AFSOC on the map, eventually leading to AFSOC becoming an Air Force major command equal to ACC and AMC. Just Cause was also the harbinger of the continual string of successful operations through the 1990s—in the Balkans, the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia…all the way to 9/11 and the last decade and a half of war in Afghanistan, Iraq, and around the world. The lieutenants, captains, and majors who earned their spurs during Just Cause are today’s Air Commando leaders.


About the Author: Lt Gen Bruce Fister was an Air Force officer and pilot for over 32 years with 7,000 hours flying time. During the Vietnam conflict, he accumulated 1,000 combat hours flying the C-123. He has flown around the world twice and has been in 53 different countries on every continent on the globe. During his career, General Fister commanded at multiple levels and had leadership role in Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada in 1983 and Operation Just Cause in Panama in 1989. He became the wing commander at Rhein Main AB in Germany days after the headquarters was bombed by the Bader Meinhof gang in 1985 and led the wing through the recovery and further defense against terrorist attacks. General Fister was the second commander of Air Force Special Operations Command serving from 1991 to 1994. After retiring from the Air Force, he was the Executive Director of a Christian nonprofit organization for 10 years. General Fister has written two books: Growing and Building Faith, Prayer, and Leadership and Growing and Building Revised for you the Leader. He is also co-author of Lead to Serve, Serve to Lead. Leading Well in Turbulent Times with Brigadier General, Retired Gwyn Armfield.

Episode

Articles in ACJ Vol 3/3: Just Cause


Air Commando Journal

  • Publisher

    Maj Gen William Holt, USAF (Retired)

  • Editor-in-Chief

    Col Paul Harmon, USAF (Retired)

  • Managing Editor

    Lt Col Richard Newton, USAF (Retired)

  • Senior Editor

    Major Scott McIntosh, USAF (Retired)

  • Layout Editor/Graphics

    Jeanette Elliott

  • Public Affairs/Marketing Director

    Melissa Gross


ACA Partner Showcase


ACJ Landing Zone

Continue reading

Author of a historical book about the Combat Talon is looking for your stories

Steve Stein is writing a history of the MC-130E Combat Talon and the MC-130H Combat Talon II for AFSOC. His book will finish the story begun in Jerry Thigpen’s Praetorian Starship, focusing on Combat Talon operations since 1998, particularly in Afghanistan and Iraq, but also the numerous humanitarian operations they participated in (Vietnam, Thailand, Haiti, Japan, and more), and less studied deployments such as in the Balkans (Kosovo) and Latin America. He would love to talk to Combat Talon crew members who flew in these missions and get their stories. He hopes to devote one chapter of the book to ground crews, about which very little is written, and would appreciate any help in that direction, as well. Steve’s will overlap a little with Praetorian Starship, so he’s happy to talk to folks who flew Talons in the 1960s, 70s, 80s, and 90s.


For those who want to know a little about Steve, he earned his PhD in military history from The Ohio State University in 1999 and recently retired as professor of history from the University of Memphis. He’s taught strategy for the Naval War College in their distance education program since 2000, and continues to do so as a Fleet Seminar Professor. His first book was on naval history and the first years of naval aviation (the Wright Brothers & Glenn Curtiss era), but he’s branched out since then. At Ohio State, he worked with Profs Allen Millett, Williamson Murray, and Joe Guilmartin (a Vietnam era rescue pilot who also flew in the Mayaguez Operation and wrote the book on it).
You can reach Steve at stvstein@mac.com and 901-343-3228.

COLONEL JOHN L. EASLEY

CITATION TO ACCOMPANY THE AWARD OF THE AIR COMMANDO HALL OF FAME TO COLONEL JOHN L. EASLEY

Colonel John Easley’s outstanding service to our nation and Air Commandos was hallmarked by masterful leadership of maintainers across the globe. While assigned to the Pentagon, Col Easley’s leadership proved vital to ensuring that AC-130H gunship modifications included digital age capabilities. His visionary efforts helped ensure the “new” AC130-U gunship became operational with a supportable logistics tail. As the senior maintenance officer in the 16th Special Operations Squadron, he deployed to Djibouti and Kenya, establishing bare base maintenance facilities supporting Task Force RANGER’s hunt for Somali Warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid. Col Easley was the first maintenance officer selected as deputy commander of the 16th Operations Group, and was charged with synchronizing the efforts of assigned maintainers across all weapon systems. Col Easley then commanded the 352nd Maintenance Squadron, whose Air Commandos earned the Air Force Maintenance Effectiveness Award in 1994 and 1996. He led his squadron’s move from Royal Air Force Alconbury to Royal Air Force Mildenhall, and planned and executed logistics operations enabling the successful evacuation of noncombatants from Liberia and Zaire. Later, as the 16th Logistics Group’s interim commander, he superbly supported contingency responses and led the group through a demanding Operational Readiness Inspection, garnering an Outstanding rating for the group and an Excellent rating for the wing. Throughout his career, Col Easley’s superior results resulted from inspiring his Air Commandos’ passionate commitment to a unifying maintenance principle: fix broken aircraft, Any Time, Any Place. The singularly distinctive accomplishments of Colonel John Easley reflect great credit upon himself, Air Force Special Operations, and all Air Commandos.

Inducted in 2016 at the Air Commando Association Awards Banquet in Fort Walton Beach, FL

MASTER SERGEANT SCOTT C. FALES

CITATION TO ACCOMPANY THE AWARD OF THE AIR COMMANDO HALL OF FAME TO MASTER SERGEANT SCOTT C. FALES

Master Sergeant Scott Fales’ extraordinary career serving our nation is highlighted by leadership of over 70 rescue and recovery missions, with 56 “saves” during scores of combat operations. MSgt Fales earned the Jolly Green Association’s 1982 Rescue of the Year award and 1986 Mission of the Year honors. During Operation JUST CAUSE, he parachuted in with Army Rangers to seize Torrijos-Tocumen Airport. During Operation DESERT STORM he led multiple classified recovery missions in western Iraq. In 1992 he earned AFSOC Senior NCO of the Year honors, and was selected as an Air Force Top 12 Airman in 1993. While deployed to Somalia with Task Force Ranger, MSgt Fales authored search and rescue plans enabling high-risk missions in an attempt to capture warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid. Responding to a United States helicopter downed in Mogadishu, he led his team’s fast-rope insertion in the midst of intense enemy fire, rescuing five survivors. Though seriously wounded, he provided medical care for teammates while laying down effective covering fire, thwarting repeated enemy attacks. MSgt Fales was awarded the Silver Star for his courageous actions and a Purple Heart for wounds inflicted by enemy forces. After retirement, he developed personnel recovery capabilities supporting operations executed by our nation’s most elite forces. MSgt Fales currently leads combat development for the 724th Special Tactics Group. Throughout 39 years of active duty and civilian service, MSgt Fales personally ensured the betterment of all with whom he served. The singularly distinctive accomplishments of Master Sergeant Scott Fales reflect great credit on himself, Air Force Special Operations, and all Air Commandos.

Inducted in 2016 at the Air Commando Association Awards Banquet in Fort Walton Beach, FL

COLONEL THOMAS R. O’BOYLE

CITATION TO ACCOMPANY THE AWARD OF THE AIR COMMANDO HALL OF FAME TO COLONEL THOMAS R. O’BOYLE

Colonel Thomas “Randy” O’Boyle’s leadership hallmarked his exceptional career of service to our country and its joint special operations forces. Assigned to the 20th Special Operations Squadron when only seven MH-53 Pave Lows existed, he quickly qualified in one of the Air Force’s most demanding aircraft. As an Instructor Pilot and Flight Examiner, Col O’Boyle’s efforts proved central to building a Pave Low force of more than 20 aircraft and crews, which he led into combat during Operation JUST CAUSE. Recognized as the command’s Pilot of the Year in 1989, he was the Wing Plans’ Liaison Officer to Air Forces Central Command during Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM. Col O’Boyle influenced the conduct of the coalition air campaign plan, ensuring the 1st SOW was prepared, selected, and postured to execute some of the most demanding missions of the war. As a member of USSOCOM’s Legislative Liaison, Col O’Boyle won essential support for SOCOM’s budget and acquisition strategies from the Services and Congress. His dedicated efforts ensured support from elected members of the Senate and House of Representatives, their committees, and professional staffers. As the 1st Special Operations Group Commander, Col O’Boyle led highly successful deployments supporting combat operations in Operation ENDURING FREEDOM-AFGHANISTAN and Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. Upon retirement, Col O’Boyle’s leadership proved essential to the survival of the John Grove School for disadvantaged children in Honduras. The singularly distinctive accomplishments of Colonel Randy O’Boyle reflect great credit upon himself, Air Force Special Operations, and all Air Commandos.

Inducted in 2016 at the Air Commando Association’s Awards Banquet in Fort Watlon Beach, FL

MASTER SERGEANT TIMOTHY A. WILKINSON

CITATION TO ACCOMPANY THE AWARD OF THE AIR COMMANDO HALL OF FAME TO MASTER SERGEANT TIMOTHY A. WILKINSON

Master Sergeant Timothy Wilkinson served our nation with distinction and valor while leading Air Commandos and joint teammates during numerous combat operations. During Operation JUST CAUSE in Panama, MSgt Wilkinson skillfully supported 50 special operations missions, treating numerous injuries and wounds while searching for deposed dictator Manuel Noriega. He excelled as a combat search and rescue team leader during Operation UPHOLD DEMOCRACY in Haiti, producing a masterful search and rescue plan that was instrumental to the success of Joint Task Force 180 missions. MSgt Wilkinson deployed to Somalia with Task Force Ranger to hunt down warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid. He flew multiple high-risk missions with elite joint special operations forces as the primary personnel rescue and recovery specialist. Responding to a United States helicopter that was shot down in downtown Mogadishu, MSgt Wilkinson “fast-roped” into the crash site and provided life-saving treatment to wounded aircrew members and Army Rangers. While under intense enemy fire, he broke cover on three separate occasions and ran through the “kill zone” to recover medical supplies that were needed to save gravely wounded Americans. For his extraordinary heroism, MSgt Wilkinson was awarded the Air Force Cross and a Purple Heart for wounds he received during this 17-hour firefight. Later, MSgt Wilkinson’s personnel recovery knowledge and expertise led to advanced concepts including the use of robotics and unmanned aerial systems. After retirement from active duty, he continues to serve our nation’s most elite forces by leading the personnel recovery development and implementation office at Joint Special Operations Command. The singularly distinctive accomplishments of Master Sergeant Timothy Wilkinson reflect great credit upon himself, Air Force Special Operations, and all Air Commandos.

Inducted in 2016 at the Air Commando Association’s Award Banquet in Fort Walton Beach, FL

 

COLONEL RAYMOND TURCZYNSKI JR.

CITATION TO ACCOMPANY THE AWARD OF THE AIR COMMANDO HALL OF FAME TO COLONEL RAYMOND TURCZYNSKI JR.

Colonel Raymond Turczynski’s extraordinary service to our nation and Air Force Special Operations Forces began in 1973 in Thailand. It continues today through his active involvement in the Air Commando Association and Stray Goose International. As a staff officer, U.S. Support Activities Office, Nakom Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base, Col Turczynski participated in the planning and execution of classified special activities, including MC-130 leaflet and high altitude container delivery system airdrops in Cambodia. While commanding the 1st Special Operations Squadron, Col Turczynski led his unit through a significant period of history, the planning and execution of Operation EAGLE CLAW, the attempted rescue of American hostages in Iran. He led the development of never before attempted tactics, including the conduct of airfield seizures and night vision goggle operations. Prior to retiring from active duty in 1989, Col Turczynski served in significant positions of responsibility including the 1st Special Operations Wing’s Assistant Director of Operations, the 2nd Air Division Operations Director, and the 23rd Air Force Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations. Col Turczynski’s operational successes include leading a UH-1N operation known as OP BAT, supporting Bahamian Police efforts to disrupt Caribbean narcotics trafficking. As site manager, SOF ATS Aircrew Training and Mission Rehearsal Complex, Hurlburt Field, he helped transform the fledgling Central Training Flight into a fully modernized, capable, and accredited Air Force training and rehearsal center for SOF aircrews. The singularly distinctive accomplishments of Colonel Raymond Turczynski reflect great credit upon himself, Air Force Special Operations, and all Air Commandos.

Inducted in 2016 at the Air Commando Association’s Award Banquet in Fort Walton Beach, FL

ACJ Vol 13-2 Now Online

The Air Commando Association is offering an online only “digital version” of the latest Air Commando Journal (ACJ). As Paul Harmon, editor of the ACJ states in his Chindit Chatter, the cost of printing the magazine and lack of content has become prohibitive to continuing the traditional format of the Journal for our members.

While our format may have changed, the quality of our articles still remains high. We invite you to read articles of Air Commandos ranging from the history and heritage of the 27th Special Operations Wing, to the role Air Commandos played in the 1980 MGM Grand fire in Las Vegas, to the AFSOC Surgical Team that saved lives during the last days of the War in Afghanistan.

READ 13-2 ONLINE ARTICLES

AFJROTC & CAPS Cadets Apply for Scholarships Now

The Air Commando Association is proud to present four separate scholarships open to high school seniors nationwide who are in good standing with AFJROTC or CAPS. Both the Krebs and Bourque Scholarships are offered to candidates on a national level and to graduation high school seniors in the Emerald Coast area of Florida. Do not delay in filling out your applications, the 30 March deadline is quickly approaching!

Lt Col Dave Krebs High Flight Scholarship

Want to fly? The Lt Col Dave Krebs High Flight Scholarship will help you achieve your aviation goals. The Krebs family established the High Flight scholarship to assist students committed to pursuing an aviation career, specifically pilot training. This scholarship is competitive and judged by a committee of ACA members with no relationship with the candidates. The deadline for this scholarship each year is 30 March, and the winner will be announced on 30 April.

National $4,000
Receive a one-time $4,000 scholarship. This scholarship is open to high school seniors nationwide who are in good standing with AFJROTC or CAPS.

Emerald Coast $2,500
The Emerald Coast category is open to high school seniors in good standing with JROTC (any service component) or CAPS who reside in the following northwest Florida counties: Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, Washington, and Bay. The winner will receive a one-time $2,500 scholarship. Applicants will automatically be considered for the national-level scholarship but can only receive one scholarship in total.

Apply for the Lt Col Dave Krebs High Flight Scholarship


Ray Bourque Community Service Scholarship

In honor of Ray Bourque, the Community Service Scholarship was established to recognize high school seniors participating in AFJROTC or CAPS who has demonstrated support for veterans groups and humanitarian community efforts. Ray Bourque is unsurpassed in volunteering his time not only to a host of ACA efforts but veteran and humanitarian programs throughout his community. Ray epitomized the Air Commando ethos of the Quiet Professional. This scholarship is competitive and judged by a committee of ACA members with no relationship with the candidates. The deadline for this scholarship each year is 30 March, and the winner will be announced on 30 April.

National $2,000
This scholarship is open to nationwide high school seniors in good standing with AFJROTC or CAPS and has demonstrated support for veterans groups and humanitarian community efforts. The winner will receive a one-time $2,000 scholarship.

Emerald Coast $1,500
The Emerald Coast category is open to high school seniors in good standing with JROTC (any service) or CAPS who reside in the following northwest Florida counties: Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, Washington, and Bay. The winner will receive a one-time $1,500 scholarship. Applicants will automatically be considered for the national-level scholarship but can only receive one scholarship in total.

Apply for the Ray Bourque Community Service Scholarship

Air Commandos and the Fire at the MGM Grand Hotel_Side Note 1

Maj Gen Frederick “Boots” Blesse was the United States’ leading jet ace during the Korean War, scoring 10 kills flying the F-86 Sabre. In his book, Check Six: A Fighter Pilot Looks Back, (Ballantine, 1987), he recalls his and his wife, Betty’s, experience that day.
After all the 30-or-so brushes with death growing up, 4 combat tours in Korea and Vietnam, and 30 years as a USAF fighter pilot, including 2 overwater bailouts, Blesse found it hard to believe his final moments would be trapped in a burning hotel room on the 25th floor of the MGM Grand Hotel. Finding the hallways choking with acrid smoke, he and Betty slammed their hotel room door shut, put wet rolled towels along the bottom of the door to try and block the smoke, and then moved to the balcony to wait for help. There, they watched desperate people leap to their deaths. Another man fashioned a rope from sheets but lost his grip while climbing down and he also fell to his death. As they were watching the horror unfold, Boots told his wife, “If we get out of this, it will be with whatever we have on. Go in the room and put on the dress you like best; when you’re finished, I’ll get dressed up, too. If we make it out of here, we’ll have something to wear to the Thunderbird reunion—if we don’t at least we’ll go out first class.”

As Boots and Betty waited on their balcony they felt like animals trapped in a cage. They could not go back into their room because of the smoke, they were not going to try and climb down, and smoke from the rooms below was making their situation treacherous. Every 5-10 minutes they used towels they had soaked with water to wipe the soot and grease from each other’s faces and out of their mouths and throats. Suddenly, one of the USAF helicopters appeared—he doesn’t say if it was a 20th SOS Huey or a 302nd SOS H-3. Boots then stood up, gave the pilot his best salute, which was returned with a thumbs us, and the helicopter departed. Minutes later, one of the CH-3Es, Pony 1, returned and there, on the penetrator was TSgt Jerry Fletcher, one of the flight engineers, with a rope wrapped around his waist. After several attempts to toss the rope to the stranded couple, Boots final caught it and pulled the FE to the balcony.

In the noise, wind from the downwash, heat, and smoke, Fletcher began motioning Betty to get on the penetrator seat. “Me, get on that damn thing? You must be out of your mind!,” she said. Betty finally got on, though. Just before the FE radioed the pilot to start hoisting her up, she leaned over to her husband and told him, “I’m not have a very good time.” Boots and Fletcher remained on the balcony as Jim Hodges, the FE on board Pony 1, hoisted Betty to safety. It wasn’t long until the penetrator was back down in front of the balcony. Hodges swung the hoist cable back and forth so they could grab it. Boots went next, followed by Fletcher.

When Pony 1 landed in the parking lot to drop the two survivors off, Betty had to climb down the cabin ladder in her fancy dress and high heels. She lost her balance and fell off the ladder into Fletcher’s arms—so he saved her twice that day.

Back to the article

Commando Quilt: A Gift for the Soul

Volume 13: Issue 2

Commando Quilters Give a Gift for the Soul

Commando Quilters

Left to right: Cathy Messner, Donna Martin, Laura Gamble, Suzanne Timmie, CC Kay, Tammy Flood, Betty Davis, and Sherri Hayes. Not pictured are Janet DeSalle and Lynnette Percival

I was going through some Commando Quilters’ files and found this letter from Scotty Fales. We presented Scotty with a quilt on November 2018, and he thanked us with this very thoughtful letter.

In re-reading this letter all these years later, it hit me how much history and how many heroes I had the opportunity to work with for almost 30 years in AFSOC! Not comprehending the strength and courage the people I worked with daily had accomplished in past missions or events. It is very humbling.

Anyway, I don’t think I shared this letter at the time and thought you would appreciate it as much as I do.
For me it was very impactful the first time I read it, and still is every time I read of the acts of bravery of our Air Commandos.

Sherri J. Hayes
Former Executive Director of Manpower, Personnel and Services, AFSOC, Hurlburt Field, FL


Hi Sherri, Cathy, Lynette, Laura, and Betty, a.k.a., the “Bad Ass Quilters”

First, let me say that I would have handwritten this, but then you probably wouldn’t be able to read it. My old and broken fingers don’t write so well these days. You folks are amazing quilters and I want to express my heartfelt and humble gratitude for the most beautiful quilt I have ever seen. It was truly a surprise and a gift for the soul.

2018 Commando Quilt

Over a long active duty and civilian career I have been in a lot of tough spots. I’ve been on numerous rescue missions in the Pacific Ocean, Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains, in the North Atlantic and on the glaciers of Iceland. I’ve conducted combat operations on Operation Just Cause in Panama, Desert Storm in Iraq, and the battle of Mogadishu. And finally as a civilian, I have been on classified interagency operations in Columbia, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. I only tell you this for perspective because nothing forces me to reflect or has impacted me more than the 1993 Battle in Mogadishu, Somalia.

October 3, 2017 was the 24th anniversary of Operation Gothic Serpent, often referred to as, “Black Hawk Down”. Each year on that day, I am always impacted by thoughts of my 18 friends, brothers, and teammates that lost their lives that day. As I think of them and ponder that tremendous loss I am reminded that they willingly and selflessly held “the line” side-by-side with the soldiers, sailors, and airman to their left and right. The line I referred to is “the line of service and sacrifice”. All of us in service, including the Air Commando Quilters hold that line. We place ourselves in a position between the challenge and the people of the United States. Whether it be supporting an organization like Air Commando Association or filling the breach in combat to stem the tide of evil; when people such as yourselves volunteer their time, talent, and treasure to contribute to a cause greater than yourselves, that’s holding the line. The Air Command Association is very lucky to have the Commando Quilters on their team!

Thank you again for the quilt but thank you even more for holding the line. Each time I look at this quilt I will remember you and thank you for your service and support to the Air Commando Association, veterans, families, and our nation.
In the box, you’ll find a small token of my appreciation. Each time you hold these in your hand, I want you to remember there are men and women out there somewhere in harm’s way, stemming the tide of evil, quietly, and professionally holding the line.

With heartfelt appreciation,
Scott Fales, MSgt, USAF (Retired)
Air Commando Hall of Fame recipient 2016


In This Issue


Air Commando Journal

  • Publisher

    Maj Gen William Holt, USAF (Retired)

  • Editor-in-Chief

    Col Paul Harmon, USAF (Retired)

  • Managing Editor

    Lt Col Richard Newton, USAF (Retired)

  • Senior Editor

    Major Scott McIntosh, USAF (Retired)

  • Public Affairs/Marketing Director

    Melissa Gross


ACA Partner Showcase


This article/publication is for the information, interest, and enjoyment of our readers. Views and opinions expressed are of the author or source of material and do not necessarily reflect opinions, views, or endorsements of the Air Commando Association. Material in the Air Commando Journal (ACJ) may be reproduced provided the source is credited. Air Commando Journal is not sponsored by DoD, USAF, or AFSOC.

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Book Review: Visual Friendlies, Tally Targets: How Close Air Support in the War on Terror Changed the Way America Made War (Volume I – Invasions)

Volume 13: Issue 2

Book Review: Visual Friendlies, Tally Targets: How Close Air Support in the War on Terror Changed the Way America Made War (Volume I – Invasions)

Written by Ethan Brown, Casemate Publishing, Nov 2024
Reviewed by: By Steve Hreczkosij, Lt Col (Ret), USAF

Visual Friendlies Tally Target Vol 1 Cover
Visual Friendlies Tally Target Vol 1

In the twenty-three years since the attacks of September 11, there has been a multitude of books published on nearly every aspect of the Global War on Terror. Gallons of ink have been spilt by generals and grunts, on grand strategies and on single battles, however, to my knowledge, there has been a distinct lack of books about the Air Force’s role in the recent wars, and specifically about those men who became emblematic of our air wars, the Joint Terminal Air Controllers, aka JTACs. Finally, that lack has been addressed by the forthcoming book Visual Friendlies, Tally Targets: How Close Air Support in the War on Terror Changed the Way America Made War (Volume 1 – Invasions) by Ethan Brown.

Mr. Brown’s book marks a timely contribution to the historical record of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, but most importantly it is a riotously fun read. The book is constructed as an escalating narrative, alternating between chapters on the technical development of close air support doctrine, followed by riveting chapters full of “there I was” stories. The narrative positively soars with the types of war stories that we used to hear in the squadron bar. Most of our readers are familiar with the term “force multiplier”, and these war stories demonstrate how that bloody math works out on the ground.

Mr. Brown has the credibility to bring these stories to life. He spent eleven years in the USAF as a Tactical Air Control Party NCO assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment, where he mastered the craft of controlling close air support attack aircraft. After leaving the USAF he entered the world of academia, serving as a fellow with the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress while also completing master’s degrees from both Georgetown and Johns Hopkins. His resume aside, the man is a fine author. His narrative voice seamlessly transitions from the esoteric explanations of joint doctrine, right back to the “down-in-the-dirt” war stories.

Those battlefield stories are the heart and soul of the book, and readers with an interest in the grist of combat will find them thrilling. He begins, unsurprisingly, in Afghanistan. The 12-man teams who parachuted into that graveyard of empires found themselves outnumbered, but not outgunned. It was the JTACs that served to even the odds, bringing American firepower to bear on enormous enemy formations. He recounts the assault on Mazer-e-Sharif, where three well-placed JTACs called in a hailstorm of iron-borne destruction. The Northern Alliance found themselves stunned by the American’s ability to utterly destroy battalion sized Taliban units, and soon enough the invasion of Afghanistan was complete, thanks to the B-52s, and the REI handheld GPSs personally bought by the airmen as they ran out the door.

The action in the book quickly moves on to Iraq, where the scene changes from austere to urban. Once again, Mr. Brown shares compelling story after story of how the embedded airmen enabled the ground forces to precisely dispatch enemy forces. In one vignette, he writes of a small friendly force charged with holding the Haditha Dam. The Army O-3 posted his CP right on the top center of the dam itself, with defensive positions on either side. The Iraqi Army commenced to assault the position from every direction, and it was only the JTAC and his access to airpower that saved the day. This story serves to demonstrate the complexity of close air support. Unlike Call of Duty, air attacks in the real world cause real effects. The JTAC found himself balancing the destructive forces needed to eliminate the enemy with the very real threat of destroying the dam itself which they were charged to protect. Using inventive vectoring and the precise application of the right size of munitions, he was able to engage his targets while preserving the dam.

The ingenuity of the JTACs to solve these problems comes through again and again throughout the book. Many of the JTACs were under 30 years old and had never been in combat prior to 2001. They had been trained on Gulf War tactics, with Cold War equipment. As the GWOT progressed, the JTACs found themselves re-writing their manuals as they redeployed and trained their replacements.

In just such an episode, a JTAC was accompanying the force that rescued POW Jessica Lynch. The close quarters battle and fluid dynamic of the fight meant that fixed wing air attack was not necessarily the best solution. The JTAC found himself controlling not just A-10s in the air, but coordinating for helicopter fires, mortars, and vehicle mounted weapons as well. When the GPS and laser designators proved inadequate for marking targets in urban combat, the JTACs utilized anti-tank Javelin rockets to “mark” the IDs, a tactic which had never been employed before.

The book is more than just war stories. In the alternating chapters, the author walks the reader through the evolution of close air support. He describes how the doctrine evolved from a Cold War mentality of pre-programmed target sets, through the dynamic fight with laser designators and crew-programmable GPS weapons, and ending the book with the rise of video feed ISR platforms and the “digital” JTAC. Doctrine development can be a little dry and academic, but the author moves through the topics efficiently. I found myself eager to get through the “lesson” so I could get to the next chapter which described the new tactic in action.

Visual Friendlies, Tally Target is a fun engaging read, and the author is to be commended for providing such a fresh perspective on a well tread topic. Having read many past books on the battles of Afghanistan and Iraq, I was unsure if I could learn anything new. I am pleased to say that I was quite mistaken, and that Mr. Brown’s tale of gutsy airmen scrambling through mountain passes and hanging out top-floor windows both quickens the pulse and delights the mind. I highly recommend the book to our Air Commando readers, and I eagerly look forward to Volume II.


About the Author: Lt Col, retired, Steve Hreczkosij was commissioned into the Air Force in 1998 from AFROTC. He flew conventional C-130s with Air Mobility Command for eight years before joining AFSOC and becoming a Combat Aviation Advisor at the 6th SOS. He was CAA for the next 13 years before retiring from active duty in 2019. After his retirement he was briefly employed as an airline pilot and also served in the legislative liaison office at HQ AFSOC. He resides in Niceville, Florida, with his beautiful wife and fellow Air Commando, Lt Col Amber Hreczkosij, their children, and one very spoiled French bulldog.

Episode

In This Issue


Air Commando Journal

  • Publisher

    Maj Gen William Holt, USAF (Retired)

  • Editor-in-Chief

    Col Paul Harmon, USAF (Retired)

  • Managing Editor

    Lt Col Richard Newton, USAF (Retired)

  • Senior Editor

    Major Scott McIntosh, USAF (Retired)

  • Layout Editor/Graphics

    Jeanette Elliott

  • Public Affairs/Marketing Director

    Melissa Gross


ACA Partner Showcase


This article/publication is for the information, interest, and enjoyment of our readers. Views and opinions expressed are of the author or source of material and do not necessarily reflect opinions, views, or endorsements of the Air Commando Association. Material in the Air Commando Journal (ACJ) may be reproduced provided the source is credited. Air Commando Journal is not sponsored by DoD, USAF, or AFSOC.

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From UAB to Afghanistan: How an Air Force Special Operations Surgical Team saved lives during the last days of the War in Afghanistan

Volume 13: Issue 2

From UAB to Afghanistan: How an Air Force Special Operations Surgical Team saved lives during the last days of the War in Afghanistan

Special Operations Surgical Team

Rokayak, Blake, King, Bygraves, Braden, Payne (left to right) outside their casualty collection point at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Photo courtesy of Allie Hulcher and University of Alabama at Birmingham)

Author: Allie Hulcher
[Reprinted with permission from University of Alabama at Birmingham, Heersink School of Medicine]

August, 2021. Birmingham, Alabama. After working an overnight trauma call at University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Hospital, six healthcare professionals gathered for a routine Friday morning meeting to discuss how their shift went. They didn’t know that within 48 hours, they would be bound for Kabul, Afghanistan, to join the dangerous and deadly effort to evacuate American citizens, allies, and Afghan refugees.

They didn’t know, but they were ready. Their entire training, including that shift they took together the night before in UAB’s trauma bays and operating rooms, prepared them for this very moment.

These six men were all active-duty members of the U.S. Air Force and made up an elite group – a Special Operations Surgical Team, or SOST. UAB has four SOST teams whose members are all embedded at UAB as credentialed faculty and staff. The particular UAB team that deployed to Afghanistan in 2021 was: Lt. Col. Adam Braden, anesthesiologist. Maj. Jesse Payne, critical care nurse and team lead; Maj. Omar Rokayak, D.O., surgeon and SOST Chief Medical Officer; Maj. Colin King, emergency physician; Master Sgt. Brandon Blake, respiratory care practitioner and team sergeant; Tech. Sgt. Ryan Bygraves, operating room technician.

Besides their medical training in their individual specialties, SOST members are also highly skilled in special operations training – meaning they can enter an austere, dangerous area with active warfare going on, defend and protect themselves and the injured, and provide the best medical care possible with the equipment on their backs – over 100 pounds worth of “battle rattle” – including their helmets, weapons, ammo, and medical equipment, medications, and fluids. Sgt. Blake even takes a portable ventilator in his pack.

They would all be putting their specialties to life-saving work in just a few days. After saying goodbye, I love you, and “don’t watch the news” to their loved ones, the team headed to Hurlburt Field in Florida (where the 24th Special Operations Wing and Air Force Special Operations Command is based), packed their equipment, and were on their way to Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Landing in Afghanistan

The situation on the ground was dire – hundreds of thousands of Afghan citizens, U.S. citizens, and other foreign nationals were desperately trying to leave after the Taliban takeover of the country. The U.S. had recently announced a complete withdrawal and deployed six thousand U.S. troops to evacuate U.S. and allied personnel, as well as Afghan allies. Kabul’s airport was the only secure route out of the country.

The UAB SOST team linked up with another SOST team from Las Vegas and came up with a plan to take rotating trauma shifts at the military treatment facility near the airport to provide extra coverage. This facility operated like a small hospital for operations happening in Afghanistan, and had a full staff of conventional military medical providers – but no special operation capabilities. Fortunately, the evacuation of these conventional assets had not yet occurred when the worst took place.

Over the next few days, the UAB SOST team spent their days location-scouting for potential casualty collection points in preparation for the withdrawal of all conventional medical personnel and in case they needed to treat injuries away from the facility with just the equipment in their packs. Their nights were spent taking trauma shifts at the facility, caring for civilians with injuries due to heat, crowding, explosives, and desperation – like ankles broken from jumping over fences and children burned in the midst of crowd-induced chaos.

The emblem of the Special Operations Surgical Team.
The emblem of the Special Operations Surgical Team.

A Deadly Suicide Bombing

In the afternoon of August 26, following a night trauma shift and a day reconnaissance mission, the UAB team returned to the medical facility and was notified that the base was being locked down due to an imminent threat. An hour later, the team was allowed to head to their barracks to get as much rest as they could. 25 minutes later, as they wound down form their tasks and just prior to bunking down, their radio sounded the alarm. “MASCAL, MASCAL, MASCAL.” A mass casualty incident had occurred.

A suicide bombing by the airport’s Abbey Gate had injured hundreds of people. This would be the largest mass casualty incident of the preceding 10 years of the Afghanistan War. The team quickly put their gear back on, gathered their equipment, and tactically maneuvered to the medical facility. After about five minutes of helping set up a flow for patients with their NATO counterparts and getting a lay of the land, trucks started pulling up with casualties.

For the next 15 hours straight, the two SOST teams, along with NATO medical personnel, worked nonstop to treat over 60 critically injured Afghans and military personnel. Rokayak and his UAB team participated in at least four major operations. Ultimately, the ability of SOST and all other NATO medical assets to function as one large, integrated, cohesive team, regardless of branch of service or national origin, is what allowed the teams to ensure the highest degree of success in such a catastrophic situation.

“It really speaks to what can be done when there’s cohesion, lack of ego, and mission focus across the board,” he said.

Major Payne, the critical care nurse and team lead, says there was an attitude of “get in where you can fit in.” SOST members were treating their patients, flexing to the operating rooms, bouncing back and forth to different trauma bays and ICUs, doing anything to help out.

The facility only had two operating rooms, therefore some procedures were done in hallways, and some operations were done on stretchers and hospital beds, right beside another patient in the OR. The SOST teams used equipment out of backpacks.

“The different teams had only known each other a week and yet we were flowing and working so well together,” Blake, the respiratory care practitioner and team sergeant said. “You want to see the greatest piece of the United States and NATO military – it was everybody doing everything possible to take care of the many Americans, allies, and Afghan civilians that came through.”

Dawn was breaking by the time the last of the patients were cared for. At this point, the UAB team had been awake for nearly 40 hours without sleep.

“All of us sat on the edge of our beds and said, ‘what just happened?’” Blake remembers.

The care provided included over 15 major operations and countless life-saving interventions. Over 37 patients were evacuated to higher echelons of care outside of the country, others to hospitals in the country based on clinical appropriateness. This was one of the most rapid evacuations of casualties in Air Force history and the largest non-combatant evacuation airlift operation in U.S. military history.

SOST
Payne, King, Bygraves, Braden, Blake, Rokayak (left to right) in Afghanistan (Photo courtesy of the author and University of Alabama at Birmingham)

During the attack, 170 Afghans lost their lives, as did 13 American service members – the majority died immediately on the scene. These young men and women had been deployed to help evacuate vulnerable people in a non-combatant operation.

“Those we lost, they were supposed to leave the next day,” Payne said. “They were supposed to be getting on that plane alive.” Rokayak says it was “profound” to witness both the worst and best of humanity within a single 24-hour period.

“It was a day you saw indiscriminate violence inflicted on people who are trying to escape and have a better life,” Rokayak said. “On the same day, we saw the best of humanity through the efforts of everyone who worked endlessly throughout the day and night to save as many lives as possible.”

Rokayak says there aren’t enough words or acts to demonstrate his gratitude to the fallen heroes and gravely wounded from that day, let alone their families.

“They do all of this in service of a greater ideal,” Rokayak said. “It’s incredible, difficult to understand sacrifice.”

After the bombing at Abbey Gate, the special operations teams became the last surgical assets on the ground as more evacuations took place. They were back on their trauma rotations, caring for casualties. They knew the plan was for all U.S. military to withdraw from Afghanistan. Following the evacuation of conventional medical assets, each SOST team collapsed into their preplanned austere casualty collection points and prepared to receive casualties as needed. Finally, each team was assigned a different plane on which to provide medical care if need be on the last flights out of Afghanistan, thus ensuring uninterrupted surgical and critical care capabilities.

On August 30, the UAB SOST team was on the second to last C-17 out of Afghanistan. Thus ended the nearly 20-year war in Afghanistan, the United States’ longest war.

“When we got up airborne and leveled out, that was the first time you saw everybody take a deep breath and realize, we’re going home,” Blake said.

SOST & UAB – An Ideal Match

Active-duty medical professionals don’t have many opportunities to practice trauma medicine in-between deployments due to lower volumes of traumatic injuries on military bases. Medical treatment facilities on bases don’t typically see enough severe trauma cases for all medical personnel to remain ready and able to provide trauma care on the battlefield. That’s where military-civilian partnerships come in.

UAB, as a high volume American College of Surgeons-verified Level I trauma center, is an ideal location to provide active duty Air Force personnel with the hands-on clinical experiences they need to maintain clinical excellence.

The partnership between UAB and the Air Force began in 2006, with UAB hosting Air Force combat medics and pararescue jumpers, or PJs, for two-week rotations to stay medically sharp between deployments. Now, nearly 150 PJs and medics a year come to UAB for training.

The first SOST team was embedded at UAB in 2010 and now there are four SOST teams – meaning UAB hosts 24 SOST health care professionals who are fully clinically integrated.

UAB sees 6,500 trauma evaluations a year. By taking trauma calls, the SOST team members are able to stay in “a state of constant readiness.”

SOST members take individual trauma calls usually twice a week, providing extra sets of hands to the current surgeons and staff at UAB. They also take one to three 24-hour calls a month with their specific SOST group, allowing them real-life experience handling cases together and giving them, as Rokayak explains, “limitless opportunities to perfect our ability to function together.”

SOST Member And Mentor
Cox and Rokayak at the Bronze Star ceremony at UAB held in March, 2024. (Photo courtesy of the author and University of Alabama at Birmingham)

They make sure to cross train everyone on the team in all the specialties as much as possible, because they never know what limitations they’ll face. They absorb knowledge from their civilian counterparts, and pick the brains of different specialists in burn care and neurosurgery to get a baseline understanding of how to treat patients with their minimal equipment.

What makes UAB so great is being able to work with top tier professionals who have been doing this for years and years,” Blake explained. “It allows us to be the best versions of ourselves when we get downrange.”

When they’re not in Birmingham, they’re often completing tactical training for delivering care in restrictive and challenging environments – whether that’s by air, sea, or land. Their training takes them to different climates – from tropical (Puerto Rico) to desert (New Mexico) to Arctic (Alaska) to mountains (Romania).

Daniel Cox, M.D., UAB’s Trauma Medical Director and Chief of the UAB Trauma Service, is a Colonel in the Air Force Reserves and serves as Individual Mobilization Augmentee to the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) Command Surgeon. He previously served on an Air Force team embedded in Cincinnati and deployed to Afghanistan. He understands intimately what the embedded military personnel need to be successful.
“Clinically, because of the experience they get at UAB, they’re at the top of their game when they go out and deploy,” Cox said. “They are able to carry the high quality care that we do here directly out onto the battlefield for our wounded warriors.”

UAB’s trauma team is made up of a high percentage of active-duty service members and veterans – creating a culture of shared experiences and understanding.

Rokayak says he was able to work with legends in military trauma care, like Cox, John Holcomb, M.D. and Jeffrey Kerby, M.D., Ph.D. Holcomb is known as the “godfather of modern military trauma care” and is renowned researcher who served in the Army in Mogadishu, Somalia, where he was a part of the surgical team that delivered 48-hour non-stop care to soldiers during the battle that inspired the book and film Black Hawk Down. Kerby is an Air Force veteran and the Division Director for Trauma and Acute Care Surgery who originally brought PJs and SOST teams to UAB in 2006 and 2010 respectively.

“Any good that I’m able to do in the world wouldn’t be possible without the mentorship that I’ve been so fortunate to have,” Rokayak said. “They’ve enormously impacted who I am and who I strive to be.”

After his SOST service, Rokayak stayed on at UAB to complete his formal fellowship in trauma and surgical critical care. Now, he’s a reservist SOST surgeon, and Medical Director of military-civilian partnerships at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.

UAB – And Its Patients – Benefit Too

With any partnership, the benefits go both ways. Rokayak was lead author on a paper published in the Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery: The 16-year evolution of a military-civilian partnership: TheUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham experience. Coauthors include Drs. Cox, Holcomb, and Kerby. The paper highlights what makes the UAB mil-civ partnership successful, so other institutions can set up their own programs.

One of the few positive outcomes of war, as the paper explains, are the advancements gained from battlefield trauma care – and their integration into civilian trauma systems.

Examples include the ambulance system after the Civil War, blood banks after WWI, aeromedical evacuation after Korea and Vietnam, and damage control resuscitation strategies, tourniquets, and whole blood use after Iraq and Afghanistan.

“UAB benefits from the constant advances from military medicine that we’re able to implement for our patients right here in Birmingham,” Cox explained. “We’re on the cutting edge of advancement in trauma medicine because of this relationship.”

The most recent example of battlefield medicine is now saving lives in Birmingham. Birmingham has become one of the first cities in the country to take whole blood on ambulances, providing the critically injured with whole blood therapy on the scene. UAB’s trauma center has a 96 percent survival rate – but the patient has to arrive alive. The sooner the blood can get into a patient who’s bleeding out, the better, and studies have found that no other single intervention has a greater impact on survival than getting blood in the field.

Bygraves, Blake, King, Rokayak, Payne (left to right).
Bygraves, Blake, King, Rokayak, Payne (left to right). (Photo courtesy of the author and University of Alabama at Birmingham)

Back home

The UAB and Vegas SOST members were all awarded the Bronze Star Medal, which is for
members of the Armed Forces for heroic or meritorious achievement or service in a combat zone.

Each member of UAB SOST team was recognized for diligent work, sound judgment, technical competence, exemplary leadership, devotion to duty, and the highest degree of professionalism.
“Without a doubt, service members and civilians are alive today because of the expertise and dedication of the member,” the award citation reads.

“The Bronze Star is something you get when you do something heroic,” Blake said. “But for us, we did our job. We did what we were trained to do and we were able to save the lives we were able to save.”

Memorial set up at the SOST office at UAB, including a wooden American flag inscribed with the names of the 13 U.S. service members killed after the Abbey Gate bombing. (Photo courtesy of the author and University of Alabama at Birmingham)

In their SOST office at UAB hangs a memorial to the 13 fallen service members killed on August 26, 2021.
“None of us are into accolades or self-advancement,” Rokayak said. “We do this because we believe in the mission and we believe in the value of the sacrifices that countless individuals and their families have made over the course of our nation’s history – including the 13 service members we lost. We are eternally indebted to those heroes and their families. It is a debt we can never truly repay but one that will forever drive us to continue our service to our nation as we strive to be worthy of such sacrifices.”


About the Author: Allie Hulcher is the Communications Specialist for the Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine. She has worked with UAB’s trauma team as their in-house communicator for three years. She has a degree in journalism from the University of Alabama.

Episode

In This Issue


Air Commando Journal

  • Publisher

    Maj Gen William Holt, USAF (Retired)

  • Editor-in-Chief

    Col Paul Harmon, USAF (Retired)

  • Managing Editor

    Lt Col Richard Newton, USAF (Retired)

  • Senior Editor

    Major Scott McIntosh, USAF (Retired)

  • Public Affairs/Marketing Director

    Melissa Gross


ACA Partner Showcase


This article/publication is for the information, interest, and enjoyment of our readers. Views and opinions expressed are of the author or source of material and do not necessarily reflect opinions, views, or endorsements of the Air Commando Association. Material in the Air Commando Journal (ACJ) may be reproduced provided the source is credited. Air Commando Journal is not sponsored by DoD, USAF, or AFSOC.

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Forging Agility: How Advanced Manufacturing Revolutionizes Indo-Pacific Logistics

Volume 13: Issue 2

Forging Agility: How Advanced Manufacturing Revolutionizes Indo-Pacific Logistics

Authors: Senior Master Sergeant Gessica Lillich and Technical Sergeant Jorge Brooks

Introduction

As we stepped into the humid tent in rural Thailand, the United States Army First Corps (USA 1st Corps) Commanding General looked us over and said: “Give yourselves over to thought…be expansive.” With these words of encouragement, we began contemplating the formidable challenge of sustaining US forces across the vast expanse of the Indo-Pacific, a region of paramount strategic importance. Encompassing two oceans and 38 nations across land and water, the Indo-Pacific Theater is the US military’s largest region and logistical challenge. Additionally, anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) is a significant challenge in the region. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) maintains a robust capability consisting of ballistic missiles with a range to reach as far as Guam, 4000km (about the width of the United States) away. The PRC A2/AD threat rings extend over the South China Sea and several U.S. partners and allies’ territories, including Japan, The Philippines, and Thailand.

Our current capabilities in Southeast Asia need more synergy with emerging technologies like advanced manufacturing (AM), which can be a solution to rapid logistics and specialized operations for partner and allied forces. AM is a pioneering technology platform that includes portable, reliable, and scalable machinery of varying sizes, from desktop-friendly to entire shipping containers. This technology enables on-demand creation, development, and manufacturing of custom parts, tools, and weapons using materials like aluminum, copper, steel, and plastics to meet a wide range of requirements. Addressing the gap by leveraging on-demand manufacturing technology and enhancing collective capabilities will provide greater flexibility to create a robust logistical network to meet evolving needs. To achieve this, it’s crucial that we all work together, educating leaders, securing resources, and demonstrating proof-of-concept through exercises like Cobra Gold. Implementing the feedback collected through exercises can serve as a measurement of success, with implications for long-term viability in the region.

INDOPACOM AOR US Bases And Defense Sites

Background on Cobra Gold and the Pacific Exchange Program

Our participation in the inaugural Pacific Exchange Program (PEP), sponsored by the USA 1st Corps, provided a unique opportunity to assess challenges and opportunities around the Indo-Pacific logistics challenge. PEP is an initiative for active-duty service members pursuing accelerated education to observe and prepare the publication of unique topics ranging from security support initiatives to emerging technology supplementing contested logistics. We immersed ourselves in the USA 1st Corps and observed the 43rd Annual Cobra Gold exercise based in Thailand. As a multinational exercise, with partners and allied nations from Thailand, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and South Korea, Cobra Gold is also a joint service exercise where all U.S. Armed Forces are represented. As one of the longest-running international exercises within the Indo-Pacific Theater, it allows for further cooperation and partnering with foreign militaries. Our observations and engagements with Cobra Gold participants extend the visibility of task-organizing objectives for integrated assurance in the Pacific, proactively aligning joint and multinational responses to a dynamic infrastructure.

The Baseline of Conventional Logistics

Logistics in Thailand pose a myriad of technical, diplomatic, and legal challenges – all of which must be overcome to enable regional operations. For instance, the lack of a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) means that U.S. personnel are subject to Thai jurisdiction and can be prosecuted through the Thai legal system or any law violations. This lack of legal protection makes relying on U.S. personnel to perform most logistical movements on the ground in Thailand impractical. Additionally, every item entering the country from the U.S. must pass through customs inspections and wait for a Thai vendor to move items to the designated location. This logistical process, which requires local vendors, encompasses more than 40 potential options of varying reliability based on availability, which can be critical when time is of the essence. While utilizing local vendors is a viable alternative, it also means increased coordination, which could lead to a longer acquisition timeline. The reduced efficiency in delivery and lower mission effectiveness while awaiting essential equipment forces can negatively impact U.S. and partner forces’ training requirements. First Corps exercise planners conveyed that a SOFA could provide more flexibility to participate directly in internal logistical movements through vehicles and other transports.

Assessment of the Challenges

Conventional logistics within the Pacific will require exploring and implementing innovative ways to provide capabilities throughout the region. The current logistical structure heavily relies upon the status of functioning supply chains. If these become contested or shut off, U.S. and partner forces will find themselves significantly inefficient and incapable of sustained operations. The greatest obstacle facing task prioritization of AM within an SOF footprint in the region is one of a conventional methodology.

The more significant assessment is that much of the infrastructure cannot support future technologies. For example, at the Thai Special Warfare School, leaders in our U.S. Army Special Operations Force retention element highlighted the technological advancements needed to enhance their mission capabilities. In Thailand, alternative energy, such as solar power, should be pursued to overcome the conventionality required to elevate and support digitized and deployable AM capabilities.

Unfortunately, the region’s landscape has resulted in competing interests on what is needed and how we should train our partner forces. Implementing AM to sustain and replenish a partnered campaign cannot mirror the last 60 years of US presence, which has been considered episodic, reactionary, and counterintuitive. The challenges of implementing advanced manufacturing in the Indo-Pacific region include the need for significant infrastructure upgrades, the development of local manufacturing capabilities, and the establishment of international standards for AM technologies. Overcoming these challenges will require a collaborative and innovative approach and a clear understanding of the region’s unique logistical and operational requirements.

Partnered Advanced Manufacturing as a Way Forward

Empowering our Thai partners with mobile, containerized advanced manufacturing capabilities opens up possibilities. It allows them to generate purpose-built solutions for vehicle part development, components, and ISR platforms, revolutionizing how we approach logistics in the Indo-Pacific. After synchronizing with 1st Corps leadership, a consistent message remained: We must all give ourselves over to thought, or, more precisely, 1st Corps members and observers must be willing to think outside conventional mindsets to improve success. Following this guidance, we identified that a digital and deployable manufacturing hub could reduce logistical constraints while building upon U.S. and Thai capabilities. The benefits of this approach are immense, including increased operational flexibility, reduced reliance on external supply chains, and the ability to respond rapidly to changing operational requirements. Focusing on containerization allows U.S. and Thai forces the flexibility to place equipment anywhere, whether in the jungle, on a dock, or on an airfield. Purposefully, this increases equipment configurations to meet the requirements for optimal operations. If additional containers are required to manufacture en mass, the capacity exists to meet that demand.

Conversely, if a more modest, discrete placement is preferred, that option also exists and can be expanded at a future time. Containerization also protects equipment from the elements and provides a rapid relocation capability via air or ground transport. We met with different U.S. organizations and members throughout Thailand; there was a discussion with the innovation SNCO for a select U.S. Army unit on the current use of AM techniques to develop deliberate drone solutions for their applications. This drone platform was developed entirely for advanced manufacturing capabilities, and it saw success in additional units adopting the platform along with the development method. While plans were made to apply this technology for Cobra Gold 2024, it was not utilized in this iteration of the exercise, not because of usefulness, but because of limitations on how funds could be spent locally for the necessary components to assemble the drones.

Conclusion

The distances of the Indo-Pacific Theater are vast, and when coupled with the threat of A2/AD capabilities, the U.S. military faces a critical logistical challenge. Reliance on traditional pre-existing infrastructure to support long supply chains creates risk for disruption, leaving forces vulnerable. AM is a solution that brings game-changing potential and requires embracing emerging technology. We can establish an increasingly agile and adaptable logistical network by deploying mobile, containerized AM with our allies and partners. AM technology empowers partner nations to manufacture equipment and essential parts on demand, reducing reliance on external vendors and lengthy supply chains. Overcoming challenges like funding restrictions, infrastructure limitations, and conventional mindsets is critical for success. Cobra Gold and exercises like it provide a valuable platform for testing and refining these concepts. By adopting innovative solutions and working together to implement AM, the U.S. and its allies and partners can develop a more resilient and robust logistical network, further strengthening collaboration and regional security.


About the Authors: Senior Master Sergeant Gessica E. Lillich is a graduate student attending the Naval Postgraduate School specializing in Irregular Warfare through the Department of Defense Analysis and serves as the Senior Enlisted Leader for the Air Force Element of NPS, advising and overseeing professional development for 168 students. Sergeant Lillich has a diverse background, including being a Security Forces response team leader and MQ-9 Reaper Sensor Operator, accumulating over 2,000 combat and combat support flight hours in direct support of forces advancing national interests across CENTCOM areas of responsibility.
Technical Sergeant Jorge O. Brooks is a graduate student attending the Naval Postgraduate School, specializing in Applied Design for Innovation through the Department of Defense Analysis. Sergeant Brooks is a Special Missions Aviator who has deployed worldwide, accumulating over 4,000 flight hours across the AC-130H Spectre and C-146A Wolfhound aircraft in combat and combat support missions throughout AFRICOM, CENTCOM, INDOPACOM, and SOUTHCOM.

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Air Commando Journal

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    Maj Gen William Holt, USAF (Retired)

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    Col Paul Harmon, USAF (Retired)

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    Lt Col Richard Newton, USAF (Retired)

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    Major Scott McIntosh, USAF (Retired)

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    Melissa Gross


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Early Pave Low Operations…Project Honey Badger

Volume 13: Issue 2

Early Pave Low Operations…Project Honey Badger

Author: Paul Fremsted, MSgt, USAF (Retired)

During the planning of what was to become Operation Eagle Claw—the 24 April 1980 mission to rescue American hostages in Tehran Iran—a portion of the former Air Rescue and Recovery Service (ARRS) became involved. ARRS was headquartered at Scott AFB IL along side its parent command, Military Airlift Command (MAC, now Air Mobility Command). In 1978 the U.S. State Department asked for assistance in the recovery of deceased American citizens following the infamous Jonestown massacre in Guyana. ARRS relied on its HH-53B/C Super Jolly Green helicopters, which were used in Southeast Asia for combat rescue, infiltration, and extraction of friendly forces and casualties, for the operation. In May 1975, many of the same big Sikorsky helicopters supported our Marines during the SS Mayaguez incident in the Gulf of Siam at the end of the war. At the same time, the Rescue Service was working with the Air Force Systems Command at Wright-Patterson AFB OH to modify a handful of the HH-53s with equipment to allow the aircrews to operate at night and in adverse weather.

USAF Pave Low helicopter

During the war in Southeast Asia courageous Airmen flew numerous dangerous combat rescue missions and suffered a fair amount of loses to enemy ground forces. The planners and crews believed they could mitigate some of the threat, if they could operate at night, but the navigation systems on the HH-53s were not precise enough to get the rescue crews to where the survivor was on the ground. Consequently, a combat mission need statement was developed and forwarded up the chain of command to justify modifying and upgrading the helicopters to be able to operate at night and adverse weather. The requirement was validated, and approved. The post-Vietnam DOD budget was shrinking, so in order to reduce the cost and get the program moving several navigation systems were borrowed from other active airframes. A moving map display was used from the A-7 attack aircraft and a low-level terrain following radar was sourced from from the F-111. These systems were integrated through an off-the-shelf mission computer with an early Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) system, an upgraded Inertial Navigation System, and other avionic upgrades, allowing the helicopter to get within a radius of 60 feet of the survivor.

The program managers at ARRS determined that the best place to test, evaluate, and train crews on the system was with the 1550th Aircrew Training & Test Wing (ATTW), initially at Hill AFB UT and moved to Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque NM in March 1976. The 1550th was responsible for the training of all Air Force helicopters (UH-1P/N, HH-3E and C/HH-53B/C), HC-130P/N rescue air fueling crew training, and the Air Force Pararescue School. Kirtland AFB shared the runways with the Albuquerque International Airport and the area was challenging because of the “mile-high” altitude above sea-level, but it was excellent for aircrew training because of the good weather and a balance of flat areas, rolling hills, cliffs, and mountains. The environment was also great for testing the newly integrated terrain-following/avoidance radar and other systems installed on the newly designated HH-53H Pave Low.

Cabezon Peak

In the summer of 1979, Anastasia Somoza, the president of Nicaragua, was being driven from power and the American Embassy requested a deployment of rescue forces in the event a noncombatant evacuation order (NEO) was issued. The 39th Air Rescue and Recovery Wing, at Eglin AFB in northwest Florida was the closest operational unit and deployed several HH-53C’s to a U.S. Navy helicopter support carrier. Air refueling HC-130s and airlift C-130s were also deployed to Howard AB, Panama to support a possible NEO. The State Department and U.S. Embassy negotiated with the Rebel Junta and agreed that once the civilian airfield in Managua was closed down to commercial or contracted airlift, embassy employees and other U.S. citizens wishing to leave the country would be allowed to depart via the Montelimar Airport. As a result, after all the planning, the HH-53Cs were not needed. There was a second potential NEO in the same region in 1981 and the plans from Nicaragua were dusted off, studied, and updated.

From this time until the spring of 1980, the HH-53H office at the 1550th ATTW was growing and hard at work putting together training scenarios in anticipation of having the first Pave Low class come through the school. We created scenarios supporting various theater command areas of responsibility, and we used the local southwest area as fictional countries in the Pacific, Atlantic, Europe, Central and South America. The scenarios would be basically the same—retrieving downed airmen.

When the HH-53H Pave Low was conceived and designed, it was to be a combat rescue platform, so we assumed the aircraft’s mission was going to primarily support the European command in any conflict with the Soviet bloc countries. We were only getting nine aircraft and to split the force in more than one location was not considered logistically practical and support to NATO was the order of the day. That oder was to have a force available, specifically outfitted to fly at 100 feet off the deck in adverse, mountainous terrain, day or night, in order to recover downed Airmen in the event of hostilities in the European theater.

Early in 1980, five Airmen at the 1550th were brought into the peripheral planning for Operation Eagle Claw; these were the wing commander, his vice-wing commander, the deputy commander for operations, the chief tactics officer, and the intelligence NCO in the Pave Low office. Although we were never fully briefed on all the details of the mission (until we were packed and ready to go to support it), we were aware that something was brewing and we were going to have a part in it. At first there was some information flow, but then it just stopped.

At this time, the MAC Inspector General determined the 1550th ATTW was due an Operational Readiness Inspection (ORI).The IG had no idea what was being planned for the small Pave Low group and consequently went ahead with the inspection. While the inspection was underway, the Chairman, of the Joint Chiefs of staff through HQ MAC formally tasked the 1550th ATTW commander to send our three fully modified HH-53H Pave Lows to Dover AFB in Delaware and await further tasking. Soon after, on 23 April, two C-5A Galaxys landed in Albuquerque to pick up our helicopters. The Pave Low modified HH-53Hs had never been loaded on the C-5 and although we had the basic H-53 load plans, there was some concern that the helicopters would not fit the same due to the additional avionic modifications on the nose and antennae on the belly. These concerns were allayed, but it still took the maintainers the better part of 12 hours to get them loaded because main transmissions, rotor blades, external fuel tanks all had to be removed. Finally, the two C-5s, loaded the three helicopters, aircrews, maintenance team, and equipment departed Albuquerque on the 24th. No one was brought into the planning phase and none of the maintenance people were briefed. As far as they were concerned the movement was part of the inspection. We landed at Dover late in the evening and I was holding the package of maps, photos and other items higher headquarters thought we needed to accomplish the mission. During breakfast on the 25th we learned of the he aborted rescue attempt in the Iranian desert. Within 24 hours, we were back in Albuquerque and the helicopters were offloaded and put back together for training.

Our mission for the operation was going to be the rescue force staged at Manzariyeh, Iran where the Marines flying the RH-53Ds were going to bring the hostages and rescue force for movement to Egypt and eventually back to the U.S. Three HH-53H Pave Lows were added to the Eagle Claw plan very late in the process because the planners wanted to ensure two were available, but the delivery of the third modified HH-53H from Pensacola to Kirtland was delayed. Another wrinkle in the plan was the fact our Air Force HH-53Hs needed to be delivered to a location where the maintenance team could reassemble the birds, test them, and then fly them to Manzariyeh airfield, likely needing inflight refueling. This was all overcome by events, but, when tasked, we deployed to Dover AFB with all three HH-53Hs.

By the time we got back to Kirtland there was a tremendous amount of “Monday Morning Quarterbacking” as to why the Pave Lows were not considered for the mission versus the Navy RH-53Ds. First, they (Paves Lows) were not available when the planning started and HH-53Hs were not shipboard compatible (no folding rotor head). However, there were numerous Vietnam era HH-53C combat rescue and special operations pilots and crews available. I think that due to the amount of compartmentalization and concern for operational security (OPSEC), those with the knowledge just weren’t tapped. However, that wouldn’t last long.

With the failure of Desert One, President Carter created the Holloway Commission, made up of active and retired flag officers, to find out what went wrong with the plan and how to prevent another disaster from happening. The official unclassified findings concluded that too many restrictions in the name of secrecy were put on the planners, thus limiting them from actively researching other means of information than what was gathered by the Joint Task Force (JTF 1-79) staff. Another finding suggested that a Special Forces Command with the cooperation of all the services, be created to train, equip, plan, and execute operations as one force, instead of four separate entities coming together for a one time show of force. The thinking was obvious, train as you intend to fight (jointly), without parent service interference. Although the U.S. Special Operations Command was still 7 years from fruition, this is where the initial groundwork began. In the fall/winter of 1980 the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) was established at Fort Bragg, NC. All the services were instructed to be represented and staff the command accordingly.

However, months before the stand-up of JSOC, and just a few days after the disaster in the Iranian desert, President Carter directed his Secretary of Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs to begin planning another operation to rescue the American hostages in Tehran—the plan was code named Honey Badger. Major General Vaught, commander of the Eagle Claw operation, was asked to lead the second effort and Maj Gen Dick Secord, an Air Force officer steeped in the special operations business, was made his deputy.

One of the first orders of business was to move the sophisticated combat rescue HH-53H Pave Low helicopters from Kirtland to Hurlburt Field, FL, home of Tactical Air Command’s 1st Special Operations Wing. The wing at the time had only three flying squadrons, the 8th SOS (MC-130E Combat Talons, primary transport for the troops involved in Desert One), the 16th SOS (the AC-130H Spectre gunships that were scheduled to provide close air support for the rescue force in Tehran), and the 20th SOS, which flew UH-1N twin-engined Huey helicopters and CH-3E transport helicopters similar to the HH-3E Jolly Greens. At Duke Field, adjacent to Eglin AFB, the 919th Special Operation Squadron, an Air Force Reserve unit flew the older AC-130A model gunships. There was a deep sense of failure on the base and the loss of five local Airmen was felt by all. So to describe the scene at Hurlburt Field with the arrival of the rescue HH-53H Pave Lows as anything but confusing would be an understatement.

In 1980 Hurlburt Field’s base population was relatively small compared to today and all the aircrews knew one another. Additionally, Hurlburt Field was administered by Tactical Air Command (TAC). To reiterate, the HH-53H Pave Lows were assigned to the 1550th ATTW under MAC and were being modified for the combat rescue forces. The 20th SOS already had two different types of helicopter weapon systems assigned, when the HH-53Hs were transferred, but the aircrews qualified to fly them were still assigned to MAC as air rescue crews; none of the Pave Low aircrews or support personnel had been reassigned to TAC, yet. Consequently, the chain of command was not clearly defined and ARRS, having just lost the multi-million dollar Pave Low program, was not quite ready to lose all their experienced officers and NCOs, at the same time. Many had Vietnam experience with some of the same aircraft they were flying at the time, so a number of careers with ARRS/MAC were in jeopardy. Further, TAC was beginning to retire the aging F-4Es around the world and replacing them with F-15s and F-16s, and to find an avionics specialist, or an intelligence specialist with specific training in helicopter maintenance or low-level threat scenarios, was next to impossible. Nobody had planned these type missions since the war in Southeast Asia ended 5 years earlier.

Early HH-53H Pave Low Formation

Our first deployment in support of Honey Badger was to the southwest U.S. and a number of decisions needed to be made. Our air commander, a previous 20th SOS commander was directed to find out which personnel would stay with the Pave Lows in TAC and who wouldn’t. The easiest method of accomplishing this task was exactly what was done. In the operations area, three pieces of paper were put on the operations desk. It was mandatory for all personnel to come by the operations area at least once a day, to check in. Communication to our homes was very restricted and only allowed at the operations desk. The first paper was a hand-written note: If you won’t volunteer for assignment to Hurlburt Field, sign below. The second paper: If you are not a volunteer, but will take the assignment, sign below. Finally the third: If you volunteer for the assignment, sign below. It was as easy as that. Those who did not want reassignment remained on temporary duty until their positions were filled and there were enough personnel in the training pipeline to staff the remaining Pave Low billets.

While the aircrews were busy building their proficiency with the new Pave Low systems, we also had HH-53Cs from the 1550th, the 41st ARRS at McClellan AFB, and the 39th ARRS from Eglin flying with us, for a total of 16 H-53s. And while there were a lot of administrative issues to take care of between the MAJCOMs, the focus for all was to train for this next mission into Iran. The MC-130E Combat Talons and the AC-130H Spectres were also busy honing their skills and preparing to go back and rescue the American hostages.

At about the same time, a provisional Army helicopter unit, Task Force 158, was being organized at Ft Campbell KY. (Over the years the unit became officially known as the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment). Initially, the manpower and equipment was taken out of hide from the 101st Aviation Division and amazingly, not until 45 days into the flying training specifically for the rescue of the Iranian hostages did the Air Force become aware this unit was doing their own training with the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 75th Ranger Regiment. Elements of two Ranger Battalions were tasked to secure and hold the Iranian airfields as necessary to ensure the successful transload of the hostages to the aircraft that would fly them back to the States.

So, while all this new training was going on to incorporate the Pave Low helicopters into the plan, career officers and enlisted had to decide which way to go in regards to their assignment and careers. At about the same time Headquarters TAC decided that the 1st SOW needed new blood and brought back a previous squadron commander who was promoted to colonel to be the 1st SOW deputy commander for operations. The 20th SOS also got a new commander with H-53 helicopter experience. He came for Bergstrom AFB, TX and brought along one of his captains who was the only AF helicopter pilot to be on the Eagle Claw raid in April. Additionally, several of the Marine pilots from the first effort were available to us and we enjoyed a wealth of their information and planning they had accomplished for Desert One. There was a new sense of urgency and need that came with this assignment.
We were deployed from May until July 18th, and spent time in some of the most undesirable places in the western U.S.,and by the time we packed it up and headed for home the sense of what we could do in this mission kept us going, despite the living conditions.

The unit departed our operating location on the morning of 19 July, expecting to be at Hurlburt that night. Just outside Monticello, UT one of the HH-53s lost control and crashed. There were 10 people on board and sadly one of our maintenance Airman was killed on impact. The other nine people were able to get out of the wreckage, although the two pilots had severe back injuries and other broken bones. When the crash happened, all other aircraft returned to the accident area to assist and provide support for the injured. I was on the #2 aircraft of the lead element and for some reason we didn’t have any inter-plane communications, so when the #1 aircraft started a turn back, we knew something had happened. As we came around, we could see an enormous black stream of smoke rising from the ground and we knew it wasn’t going to be good news. Fate sometimes has a way of over-riding Murphy when you need help. The Monticello Emergency Medical Unit just happened to be holding a three-county conference on that very day and we had more ambulances respond to the accident than we had helicopters at the scene. It is very probable we could have lost more personnel if the EMS units had not been there to assist with the recovery.

The crash and injuries put another pall over the training and the obvious questions became evident again—is this a good idea?; are these the right aircraft?; are we training to hard? The intensity and the type of training was at an uncommon level and very stressful. Only a very few people were brought into the complete planning phase, primarily due to those three pieces of paper that were laid out in the operations office in Utah. No one really knew who was going to do what.

Following the crash and after the injured were cared for, we got back onto the helicopters and continued towards Kirtland AFB, where we decided to stay the night. Having started at Kirtland it was nice to be home, even though it was for only one night. Individuals from the other squadrons were put up in billeting and we mustered for an early morning departure for Hurlburt. We had 14 HH-53s when we left Albuquerque but we landed at Hurlburt Field with just 3. We had aborts all over the southwest and southern states. Wingmen went with their flight lead and the final emergency landing was in Mississippi on a sandbar in the middle of “Ole Big Muddy”. Most of the aborts were caused by a BIM (blade inspection method) caution light. The BIM gave the aircrew an indication that there might be a crack in a main rotor blade spar, which could lead to a catastrophic crash. This is the same situation that caused one of the helicopters on the Desert One raid to abort. The BIM, and later IBIS (inflight blade inspection system) caution lights, would cause a lot of discussion between the Air Force, Sikorsky (manufacturer of the H-53s) and special operations forces in the future.

Regarding the crash, the investigation determined that fuel was not transferring from the 650 gallon auxiliary fuel tanks into the main system properly and consequently, there was a severe fuel imbalance causing the pilot to lose control and crashed. It was truly a miracle that we lost only one soul—by the way the aircraft looked when we landed nearby, I was amazed anyone survived.

When we got back to Hurlburt Field there were a lot of changes on the horizon. The people who decided to stay with the Pave Low program were told to report back to their home units as soon as the next dress rehearsal was over and process out. We were told that leave would not be authorized and that we would not lose any leave days at the end of the fiscal year, but we did. The full-up rehearsal was replanned for the local area around Hurlburt Field because the region where we planned to practice was inundated by heavy rains and all our target areas were under water. When the training phase was complete, I went back to Kirtland, processed out, gathered the family, and set off to Florida.

After I got settled into Fort Walton Beach, the mission training resumed as if we never took a break. More and more training was being done with the Army’s TF-158 flying in different formations and scenarios learning to work as one unit, not separately. More and more training was centered on basically the same scenario, using slightly different assets. While the training was increased, several of the officers from Kirtland who stayed on trained the newer Pave Low pilots and got them up to speed concurrently. We also began to get gunners in from the munitions career field so with the two pilots and two flight engineers, the mission crew of the Pave Low became six. We also started flying close formations using night vision goggles (NVGs) and it got your attention at times. The NVGs were pretty heavy back then, so the pilots attached extra strength rubber bands or surgical tubing to the top of the goggles and to the upper panel in the cockpit and this helped keep the full weight of the NVGs off their necks. This seemed to work out pretty well as long as the flight engineer and the other pilot were off the goggles for safety reasons. We went out to the desert one more time during the fall and when we returned from this training Generals Vaught and Secord declared we were ready for the mission and reported back to the Pentagon that the special operation task force was standing by and ready to depart within 24 hours.

In November, the American people voted Ronald Reagan in as President and we received word from the incoming administration to put all further training (specifically for the hostages) on hold and to not execute the plan until after the inauguration. From late November until the inauguration on 20 January 1981, we continued to receive and analyze intelligence on the whereabouts of the hostages. We had strong indications that the hostages had been separated and were not all in the embassy area. With this new information, the absolute assurance that we could have rescued all the hostages in one effort became increasingly unrealistic.

By the time President Reagan was sworn in as the 40th President of the United States, an aircraft with all the embassy personnel on board was taking off from Tehran carrying them to freedom. Within 24 hours we were ordered to stand down the JTF and return to our normal duty locations.

551SOS MH 53J

This was the end of the Honey Badger period, but it was the beginning of a new era for the home of Air Force Special Operations at Hurlburt Field, FL. From the lessons learned during this training period (Pave Lows, Combat Talons, and Spectres), much of the future of the 1st SOW was molded from a typical hostage mission scenario. The exactness and precision of this training and planning bore fruit with the entire planning and execution of Operation Urgent Fury; accomplished in less than a week. Only from the framework of Honey Badger could the past, present, and hopefully the future of AFSOC be so expertly crafted. Operation Just Cause in Panama 1989 is a testament to the hard work throughout the 80’s. The MH-53J Pave Lows led the opening rounds of Operation Desert Storm, commonly called “The Kick-Off”, by doing what they had trained to do so much in the past—-be the path finders and be precise in leading others to the battle, successfully. The MH-53J/M Pave Lows and crews continued their distinguished service for nearly two decades after Desert Storm until all aircraft were retired from the Air Force by September 2008.


About the Author:

MSgt Paul Fremsted served as an active duty intelligence specialist as an Airman and government employee for 48 years. In his early career he supported the 5th Special Forces team in Vietnam and monitored activity at North Vietnamese POW camps prior to the famous Son Tay raid. He continued his career providing intelligence analysis and planning for Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada, for the HH-53H Pave Low combat rescue/special operations program, and augmented the 21st SOS for mission planning early in Operation Desert Storm, Upon retirement from active duty, he spent more than 20 years working as a government employee, providing signature management, operations security, and force protection plans training for our combat aviators. Paul Fremstad was inducted into the Air Commando Hall of Fame, Class of 2023.

[Editor’s note: For more information about Honey Badger see Roland Guidry’s article in Air Commando Journal Vol 3-4 online.]

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In This Issue


Air Commando Journal

  • Publisher

    Maj Gen William Holt, USAF (Retired)

  • Editor-in-Chief

    Col Paul Harmon, USAF (Retired)

  • Managing Editor

    Lt Col Richard Newton, USAF (Retired)

  • Senior Editor

    Major Scott McIntosh, USAF (Retired)

  • Public Affairs/Marketing Director

    Melissa Gross


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Any Time, Any Place: Thailand’s Secret Air Commandos

Volume 13: Issue 2

Any Time, Any Place: Thailand’s Secret Air Commandos

RTAF B-Team at Wattay Airport, Vientiane, Laos 1966 (Photo courtesy of Jerry Klingaman.)

RTAF B-Team at Wattay Airport, Vientiane, Laos 1966 (Photo courtesy of Jerry Klingaman.)

Author: Dan Jackson, Lt Col, USAF

Most Air Commandos recognize the motto “Any Time, Any Place,” from the original 1st Air Commando Group in World War II. I became very familiar with it during my service in the 1st Special Operations Wing from 2011 to 2018. However, I recently encountered the phrase at an unexpected time and in an unexpected place. In February 2024, I traveled to Bangkok, Thailand, to interview Thai veterans of the secret war in Laos. To my surprise, I noticed that three of

Vietnam-era patch of the 1st Air Commando Wing. (Author’s Collection)

the four wore a red, white, and blue shield on their jackets emblazoned with the words, “Any Time, Any Place,” in English—the very same emblem I had worn during my time in the 1st Special Operations Wing.

I interviewed Captain Sarisporn Bhibalkul (กัปตัน สฤษฎิ์พร ภิบาลกุล), Flight Lieutenant Weera Chimmuang (ร.อ.วีระ ฉิมม่วง), Squadron Leader Surapol Premsmith (น.ต.สุรพล เปรมสมิทธ์), and Mr. Thachnattaphong “Iron City” Thipsaenklang (นาย ธัชณัฐพงษ์ ทิพย์แสนกลาง). These four veterans volunteered to fight in the secret war in Laos, where thousands of Thai airmen and soldiers covertly served from 1961 to 1974 under the mysterious Headquarters 333. The Royal Thai Government believed that fighting communism abroad would avert a full-scale war at home and thus actively but secretly participated in the conflict.

The First Volunteers

In 1961, Sarisporn, a twenty-nine-year-old Royal Thai Air Force flight sergeant, delivered an AT-6 Texan attack plane to Laos. A Soviet airlift supplying the Neutralists and Communists in a three-way civil war led President Dwight Eisenhower and Thai Prime Minister Sarit Thanarat to fear that the country would soon fall to communism. Acting on the recommendation of the commander-in-chief of US Pacific Command, Thailand supplied eight AT-6 attack planes to support the Rightist government in Vientiane.

When Sarisporn volunteered for the covert mission, he signed an undated letter of resignation, enabling the Thai air force to disavow him in the event of death or capture. He also received a Lao identification card and nom de guerre—practices that would become standard for all subsequent volunteers. Upon arriving in Vientiane, a suspicious soldier stopped him and demanded his identification. Nervous that his cover might be blown, Sarisporn handed over the card. After scrutinizing it closely, the soldier appeared satisfied. “Carry on,” he instructed.

The Lao air force lacked enough qualified pilots to operate its new AT-6s, prompting the deployment of eight additional Thai volunteers. These men flew combat missions in Laos from March 1961 until June 1962, when the Geneva Agreement brought a tentative end to the fighting. One Thai pilot died in a midair collision, while another narrowly survived being shot down by communist antiaircraft fire.

Shortly after his mission, Sarisporn left the air force to fly for civilian contractors such as Bird & Sons, Continental Air Services, and Air America, lured by a salary eight times higher than his military pay. Over the next eight years, he flew a variety of fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft in Laos before transitioning to a career as a commercial airline pilot.

T-28s (AFSOC History Office)

Project WATER PUMP and the Fireflies

In November 1963, Colonel Robert Tyrrell, the new air attaché in Vientiane and a World War II veteran of the original 1st Air Commando Group, proposed deploying a special air warfare detachment to Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base to build the capability and capacity of the Royal Lao Air Force. In March 1964, thirty-eight Air Commandos, led by Major Drexel B. “Barney” Cochran, established Detachment 6, 1st Air Commando Wing, with four North American AT-28D Nomads. This training mission became known as Project WATER PUMP.

The arrival of the Air Commandos coincided with the resumption of open warfare in Laos. In May, Ambassador Leonard Unger transferred the detachment’s four AT-28s to the Lao air force and requested additional reinforcements from South Vietnam. By September, thirty-six AT-28s were on hand, with fifteen more scheduled for delivery in 1965. However, the Lao air force had only nineteen pilots qualified to fly them. To fill the gap, Thailand sent twenty volunteer pilots in May 1964 under Project FIREFLY. Each volunteer signed on for a six-month, one-hundred-mission tour, after which he would receive a $250 bonus and return to regular duty in the Royal Thai Air Force.

The US Department of Defense funded Project FIREFLY, with the CIA acting as the conduit, covertly channeling funds from Washington, DC, though its Vientiane Station to Headquarters 333. In Laos, the volunteers reported to the American commander of the Air Operations Center (AOC) at Vientiane’s Wattay Airport, a position held by legendary Air Commandos like Billie Keeler and Jerry Klingaman.

The first ten Fireflies arrived at WATER PUMP for an expedited combat-qualification course and flew their first combat mission in Laos on June 1. Subsequent groups underwent three months of combat readiness training at WATER PUMP, receiving a graduation certificate and US Air Force pilot wings upon completion.

Initially, the Royal Thai Air Force prohibited married men from volunteering, a policy that excluded Weera Chimmuang. When the policy changed, he volunteered immediately but found himself retained as an instructor at WATER PUMP because of his extensive experience in the AT-28. He finally joined the fifth cohort of Fireflies and flew his first combat mission in Laos on July 21, 1966.

Flight Lieutenant Weera Chimmuang during his first Firefly tour in Laos, 1967. (Weera Chimmuang)

High Risks, Hard Lessons

On his first combat mission, Weera’s flight attacked an underwater bridge near the Plain of Jars. He dropped four 250-pound general-purpose bombs and fired a volley of 2.75-inch rockets on his first pass. The flight leader then led them in for a second pass, strafing enemy troops with their .50-caliber machine guns. Enemy small-arms fire struck Weera’s engine. Streaming white smoke, he made it only five miles from the target before the engine quit, forcing him to bail out.

Every Firefly pilot underwent survival and evasion training at WATER PUMP and carried a survival kit prepared by an American life support technician. Using the pen flare gun in his kit, Weera signaled his flight and then hid while awaiting rescue from a US Air Force CH-3C or HH-3E “Jolly Green Giant” helicopter. “My heart dropped when it flew past me without picking me up,” he recalled. “I looked left and right, wondering why he didn’t get me.”

The crew of the helicopter that overflew Weera had spotted enemy troops in the area and withdrew to await armed escorts. Weera waited anxiously for another ten or twenty minutes before a sudden burst of machine gun fire startled him. “Bullets hit the ground all around me,” he vividly recounted. “I looked up at the sky and saw two Skyraiders diving, firing guns and rockets all around me.” These were US Air Force A-1Es from the 602nd Air Commando Squadron, call sign “Sandy.”

While two Skyraiders held the enemy at bay, two more rendezvoused with the helicopter to cover its approach. This time, the helicopter hovered directly over Weera and recovered him using a jungle penetrator. Straddling one of the paddles, Weera held on tightly. “The Jolly Green immediately pulled away and climbed even though I was still hanging in the hoist,” he reported. They reeled him in over a blur of jungle, climbing higher and higher as they quickly departed enemy territory.

Weera enjoyed a ten-day leave with his wife in Thailand before returning to combat. On his second mission, his engine took another hit. Clawing frantically for altitude, he thought, “Me again?!” Then he noticed his propeller speed holding steady at 1,900 rpm—a bullet had struck the propeller governor linkage, but the governor itself still functioned. He returned safely to Vientiane. “I was lucky,” he reflected.

Squadron Leader Surapol Premsmith during one of his two Firefly tours in Laos. (Surapol Premsmith)

In addition to small-arms fire, the Fireflies faced an increasing number of 37- and 57-millimeter antiaircraft guns. An AT-28 would disintegrate if it took a direct hit from one of these, while shrapnel from an exploding flak cloud could severely damage any aircraft within its destructive radius. “Even if there was an explosion nearby, your plane would still shake,” Weera explained. Surapol Premsmith learned that when facing heavy antiaircraft fire, he had to expend all his ordnance in a single pass and then depart the area low and fast. “That’s how I survived two hundred missions,” he revealed.

The End of Project FIREFLY

Between 1964 and 1970, 217 Thai pilots volunteered for Project FIREFLY, with twenty-four returning for a second tour, including both Weera and Surapol. The Fireflies suffered a loss rate exceeding 10 percent, with eleven pilots killed and three captured in combat, and another eight killed in accidents.

Project FIREFLY held the line as the Royal Lao Air Force gradually expanded its capability and capacity. In 1968, the Fireflies flew more than half of the Lao air force’s combat sorties. By June 1970, the Lao air force had fifty-two AT-28 pilots and twenty AC-47 pilots conducting nearly three thousand sorties per month. While the Fireflies’ contribution remained steady, their share of the total sorties declined from over 50 percent in 1968 to just 6 percent by 1970.

With the Royal Thai Air Force facing a pilot shortage of its own amid a growing domestic communist insurgency, Project FIREFLY concluded on October 27, 1970. The program had demonstrated Thailand’s reliability as an ally and provided its air force with valuable combat experience. By 1970, Firefly veterans served in every combat squadron of the Royal Thai Air Force, contributing their hard-won expertise to the nation’s counterinsurgency efforts.

Wattay Airfield, Laos, after bombing mission in North Laos. (Photo courtesy of Jerry Klingaman)

After completing his second tour in Laos in March 1970, Weera became the tactical operations officer in Chiang Rai, Thailand. Each day, four AT-28s from Chiang Mai forward-staged to Chiang Rai for missions in the far north, primarily to escort resupply helicopters. As the tactical operations officer, Weera determined the tactics and selected the armament load for each mission. With two hundred combat missions in Laos, he had far more experience than most of the pilots and often led the missions himself. “Even when I was tired, I still flew all the time,” he recalled. “I enjoyed flying.”

WHITE HORSE and UNITY

The end of Project FIREFLY did not mark the end of Thai volunteers serving in Laos. Even as the Lao air force expanded, the war escalated, with an estimated sixty-seven thousand North Vietnamese regulars in the country by 1970, equipped with tanks, armored vehicles, and heavy artillery. To reinforce the Lao army and CIA-sponsored special guerrilla units, the United States funded the deployment of 17,808 Thai volunteer soldiers under Project UNITY, organized into twenty-seven infantry and three artillery battalions. The first battalion arrived in Laos on December 15, 1970. Additionally, from early 1972 until April 1974, nineteen volunteer airmen served in Laos under Project WHITE HORSE, operating two UH-1M helicopter gunships to escort Air America helicopters and ground convoys supplying the UNITY battalions.

American combat controllers from WATER PUMP conduct forward air guide training at the Nong Bua Lam Phu range in Thailand, 1972. (National Archives)

The UNITY battalions relied on close air support to counter the superior firepower and numbers of North Vietnamese troops. A friendly fire incident in April 1971 prompted the CIA to hire English-speaking Thais as forward air guides for each battalion. Since 1969, American combat controllers at WATER PUMP had been training Lao and Hmong forward air guides, and they began training Thai personnel in 1971. Each of the 128 Thai graduates received a unique call sign.

Thachnattaphong “Nat” Thipsaenklang, call sign, “Iron City,” served a six-month tour with Battalion Commando 627 near Pakse, Laos. He credited his training at WATER PUMP with giving him the skills and mindset that would one day save his battalion commander’s life. During a long-range patrol in January 1973, Nat conducted a map study of the next day’s march, noting terrain that seemed ideal for an enemy ambush. He coordinated for a Raven forward air controller to be overhead and had the soldiers prepare a helicopter landing zone in case of casualties.

The next day, the ambush unfolded exactly as Nat had anticipated, and enemy rifle fire wounded his commanding officer. While lobbing grenades at the enemy, Nat worked with the Raven to call in close air support. The aerial firepower allowed them to break contact and evacuate his commander from the helicopter landing zone prepared the previous day.

The author with veterans of the secret war in Laos in front of an AT-28D at the Royal Thai Air Force Museum in Bangkok, 2024. Left to right: Mr. Thachnattaphong “Iron City” Thipsaenklang, Captain Sarisporn Bhibalkul, Flight Lieutenant Weera Chimmuang, Squadron Leader Surapol Premsmith, and Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Jackson. (Author’s Photo)

The Legacy of the Unknown Warriors

The Thai government has never publicly acknowledged its role in the secret war. Lacking official recognition for their service and sacrifice, veterans formed the Unknown Warriors Association 333, wearing patches on their jackets featuring a colorful tiger’s head to symbolize their covert service. Firefly veterans also proudly wear the red, white, and blue shield of the 1st Air Commando Wing. This emblem, originally the insignia of their instructors at WATER PUMP and the AOC commanders who led and flew alongside them in combat, has become a symbol of their own identity—forged in the crucible of war and shaped by shared sacrifice with their American allies: “Any Time, Any Place.”


About the Author: Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Jackson served as a U-28 pilot and combat aviation advisor and is now a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He would like to thank Air Chief Marshal Sakpinit Promthep and the Thai secret war veterans for their indispensable help in writing this article.

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In This Issue


Air Commando Journal

  • Publisher

    Maj Gen William Holt, USAF (Retired)

  • Editor-in-Chief

    Col Paul Harmon, USAF (Retired)

  • Managing Editor

    Lt Col Richard Newton, USAF (Retired)

  • Senior Editor

    Major Scott McIntosh, USAF (Retired)

  • Public Affairs/Marketing Director

    Melissa Gross


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Air Commandos and the Fire at the MGM Grand Hotel, November 1980

Volume 13: Issue 2

Air Commandos and the Fire at the MGM Grand Hotel, November 1980

A CH-3E Sea King helicopter assigned to the 302nd Special Operations Squadron, Air Force Reserve, hovers above the MGM Grand Hotel to search for people trapped by an early morning fire.

Authors: As told by the Green Hornets and Ponies who flew the missions, risked their lives, and did what needed to be done in a very dangerous situation.

Editor’s Note: In 1980, Air Force special operations squadrons were assigned to Tactical Air Command which in 1992 was reorganized and became Air Combat Command.

Introduction

It was way too early on Friday morning, 21 November 1980, for someone to be pounding on the hotel room door. Maj Warren “Smokey” Hubbard from the 20th Special Operations Squadron (SOS) had just gotten to sleep after a night-vision-goggle (NVG) sortie on the Nellis AFB Test and Training Range, flown as part of Red Flag 81-1, and he was not happy about someone waking him up after a long night of flying. Capt Roger Poe, the squadron’s maintenance officer, was the guilty intruder, and Major Hubbard was not in the mood for what he thought was a practical joke. In rather colorful language he told Poe to go away so he could get some sleep. Captain Poe was on a mission, though, the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip was on fire and local officials had called the Air Force for help. Lt Col Wayne Corder, the 1st Special Operations Wing (SOW) mission commander, told Poe and the squadron’s operations officer, Maj Don Nieto, to start waking up Green Hornet crews and maintainers and get them immediately back out to Nellis AFB to prepare their UH-1N helicopters for launch. “If you don’t believe me,” Poe yelled back at Hubbard, “look out your window.” What Hubbard and all the others saw that morning was a thick, black cloud of oily smoke rising from the hotel—what flight engineer Dan Jaramillo, from the 302nd SOS, described as a “mushroom-shaped cloud, like you see on those old atomic bomb films.” News accounts from the day said the plume of smoke rose 2,000 feet into the air.

The special operations team at Red Flag also included three CH-3E Jolly Green Giant helicopters from the 302nd SOS (Air Force Reserve) then based at Luke AFB, Arizona. Their call sign was “Pony,” a legacy from the Pony Express missions the squadron had flown during the Vietnam War. The 302nd SOS’s commander, Lt Col Bruce Wood, was also banging on doors to get his crews and maintainers back out to the flightline to prepare their aircraft to support the rescue effort. Sleepy crews and maintainers from both squadrons rolled out of bed, grabbed their gear, and jumped into the back of waiting pickup trucks.

Less than an hour after the call from the Nellis AFB command post, three UH-1N Hueys from the 20th SOS and three CH-3Es from the 302nd SOS were airborne and heading south towards the burning hotel. The special operations aircrews were about to do something they had never done before and had not trained for—evacuate panicked civilians from a burning skyscraper. But because they were SOF and trained to evaluate high-risk situations before putting their aircraft and crews in danger, the two squadrons of Air Commandos sized up the situation and developed an effective solution.

A UH-1N helicopter approaches the MGM Grand Hotel during firefighting operations.

The Situation

The 20th SOS Green Hornets were the first flying unit in the Air Force authorized to fly with NVGs. Five UH-1N Huey helicopters, crews, and maintainers from the squadron had deployed to Nellis AFB, Nevada, to exercise their NVG capabilities during the Red Flag exercise, our Air Force’s most realistic air combat training program. Both the Green Hornets and the Ponies had flown Red Flag missions the day before, supporting US Army Rangers in a remote part Nellis AFB’s large desert and mountainous range.

In 1980, the original MGM Grand Hotel and Casino was located on the Las Vegas Strip, less than a mile from the current MGM Grand complex. Early that morning an electrical fire started in the kitchen of the 43-acre, super-luxury hotel, at the time known as the “Lady of the Strip.” Because the hotel did not have an automatic sprinkler system, the fire quickly spread to the first floor. Because the initial reports were of a kitchen fire, the response from Las Vegas fire, medical, police, and rescue units was delayed. Some hotel guests who were still gambling refused to leave the tables because of the “small kitchen fire,” and got upset when the dealers forced them to leave. The situation changed, though, once Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department pilot Sgt Harry Christopher, and his partner, Officer Tom Mildren, in their Hughes 500 helicopter (the military version is an OH-6) arrived and reported the true extent of the situation.

Las Vegas Metro Police Department Hughes 500 helicopter first to arrive on scene. (Photo courtesy Matthew Scales, 1st Special Operations Wing History Office)

Police Sgt Christopher’s helicopter was the first aircraft on scene. When they arrived at the 26-story hotel, the dense black smoke made it hard to see and flames were quickly spreading from the lower two floors to the rest of the hotel. Oily smoke and toxic fumes from the burning plastics that were everywhere—wallpaper, furniture, and fixtures. The smoke and fumes were spreading upwards through stairwells, corridors, elevator shafts, and ventilation systems. People in their rooms were still asleep because there was also not an automatic fire alarm system. As the two police officers approached the inferno, the pilot told his partner that if hotel guests made it to the roof then his plan was to start loading them and taking them down to the parking lot.

Sidenote:

Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher, Tom Hume, along with teammate Bill Bonham and their wives, were staying on the 24th floor. They were awakened by people screaming in the hallway. Still half asleep, Tom was not worried. He figured someone had won big or else lost a bundle at the tables.
Pulling his pants on to investigate, Hume smelled the fumes and noticed smoke coming up the side of the building. He went out into the hallway to make sure Bonham was awake then hurried back to get dressed, pounding on others’ doors to alert them to the danger. The two baseball players and their wives kept their calm and headed down the stairwell to escape. At about the 16th floor the smoke and heat became too much and the two couples turned around and headed to the roof.
They were among the lucky ones who were helicoptered to the ground and safety.

Bedlam ensued when the police helicopter first landed on the roof. Panicked people were pushing each other out of the way to get on the chopper—male, female, young, and old, it did not matter. People were in a frenzy and their fear caused them to scream, shove, claw, and fight each other for a place on the helicopter. Officer Mildren got out of the left seat to pull people off the overloaded helicopter. As Sgt Christopher took off with the first load, Officer Mildren stayed on the roof to organize the crowd into loads the small Hughes 500 could manage. Each time the police helicopter returned though, the organized loads gave way to chaos. The policeman had to again pull people off the helicopter and off each other. Eventually, two civilians came forward and helped Officer Mildren organize and control the crowd.

Detachment 1, 57th Tactical Fighter Wing range support UH-1N approaches the roof where an exhausted firefighter rests takes well deserved rest after battling the fire and helping guests to safety aboard the helicopters.

Soon, a Flight for Life air ambulance and two civilian sightseeing helicopters joined Sgt Christopher to aid the evacuation airlift from the hotel roof. After about 40 minutes of continuous shuttling of survivors off the roof, it was eerily empty. Everyone who could have made it up to the roof at that point had been evacuated to the parking lot below. On the upper floors, though, above the 9-story reach of fire department’s ladder trucks, there were still perhaps 1,000 people trapped in their rooms by the blinding smoke, scorching heat, and toxic fumes filling the corridors, stairwells, and air conditioning ducts. Sgt Christopher realized he was going to need professional help and called the Air Force to assist.

Downstairs, in the hotel, the Las Vegas fire department had finally arrived and firefighters were battling the blaze on the lower floors while emergency medical services treated those survivors who had gotten out. The Las Vegas Police department tried to control the gathering crowd of gawkers and the traffic flow. They also cleared a parking lot to set up a safe landing area for the helicopters. Unfortunately, one unlucky patrolman had left his cruiser in the middle of the parking area with the lights on, but no keys in the ignition. A city tow truck ended up dragging the unfortunate police car out of the way.

Left rear view of a UH-1N helicopter, in flight, circling down into the city. (Photo by MSgt Rick Diaz)

Help Arrives

The six special operations helicopters and three additional USAF UH-1Ns assigned to Detachment 1 of Nellis AFB’s 57th Tactical Fighter Wing, but based at Indian Springs Auxiliary Field, now Creech AFB, about 40 miles northwest of downtown Las Vegas, arrived to help with the rescue operation. The six Hueys went to the parking lot east of the hotel and the larger CH-3s landed in a large field to the south. Colonel Wood, piloting one of the CH-3s, Pony 3, stopped enroute to help two people trapped on the hotel roof escape. With just his right main landing gear touching down on the roof, and his nose and left main gear still flying, Pony 3’s flight engineers helped the survivors, one of them a very pregnant woman, climb on board. Pony 3 then joined the other two CH-3s in the field and delivered the survivors to the medical staff.

The Air Force crews joined the dozen other helicopters from civilian companies, federal agencies, and nearby local governments that had arrived to help. Sgt Christopher in his police helicopter became a combination traffic cop, air traffic controller, and mission commander. He kept strict control of the situation to make sure none of the well-meaning pilots trying to help “acted like John Wayne up there” and did not take it upon themselves to do whatever they wanted. Major Hubbard said it best, “I don’t think it would have gone any smoother if we had all sat together and had a three-hour briefing and planned it as an exercise.” In one conspicuous act of kindness, the owner of a local McDonald’s restaurant brought a trunk-full of hamburger and milkshakes to give to the emergency services teams struggling to get the situation under control.

CH-3s busy air traffic (Photo courtesy Matthew Scales, 1st SOW History Office)

Because the fire department’s ladders could not get higher than the ninth floor, the Hueys were pressed into service to carry firefighters, paramedics, rescue personnel, equipment, and supplies to roof so they could fight the fire from the top down and evacuate survivors from the rooms. One of the paramedics recalled finding an elderly woman on the 22nd floor who was having a heart attack. He carried her through the smoke-filled hall and up the stairs to the roof. There he started an IV and loaded her on the helicopter. He recalls that the scariest part of the operation was the helicopter flight because it felt like the rotor blades were only feet away from the building. Exhausted firefighters, paramedics, and survivors who made it to the roof were then ferried to the parking lot by the Hueys.

No one knew if the hotel’s roof was strong enough to take the Huey’s weight. Major Hubbard ordered the Green Hornets to stay “light on the skids” out of caution, supporting most of the helicopter’s weight with the spinning rotor blades and thus not testing the strength of the roof. The 20th SOS was credited with removing 36 people from the roof, 5 of whom were in critical condition.

Trapped people from the middle floors to the top floor were at their windows or out on their balconies waving towels or bed sheets to summon help. One person tied bedsheets together into a makeshift rope about 100 feet long. The pilots saw him throw it over the side of his balcony, but he changed his mind and did not try to climb down.

302nd SOS CH-3E crew hoisting an MGM Grand Hotel guest to safety. (Photo by SSgt Danny Perez)

The 302nd SOS’s CH-3Es were equipped with hydraulic high-speed rescue hoists and so those aircraft were tasked with trying to get people off the balconies. The problem, though, was that the hotel roof had an 8-foot overhang that prevented the hoist cable from getting close to the balconies. For the hoist operation to work the Pony crews had to be creative. MSgt Bill Reynolds, one of the flight engineers (FE) on Capt Mike Martin’s Pony 2 crew had an idea. He would take one of the 15-foot cargo tie-down ropes with him as he was lowered on the forest penetrator and then throw the rope to survivors who would pull the FE on the hoist—special operations helicopters did not have pararescue specialists—across and onto the balcony. The FE would then dismount from the penetrator, load a survivor on, and signal the hovering helicopter to bring up the passenger. While the helicopter hovered partially over the roof, the FE would then swing the cable to create a pendulum effect and bring the dangling penetrator to the FE waiting on the balcony.

On Pony 2’s first rescue attempt, the second FE on the crew, MSgt Jim Connett, lowered his good friend, Bill Reynolds, to one of the balconies on the 26th floor where five people were anxiously waiting for help. The rope trick worked and Reynolds clambered over the balcony railing. One by one, Reynolds put the survivors onto the penetrator and Connett hoisted them up to the waiting helicopter. Once all five survivors were on board, Connett sent the cable down again, this time to retrieve his friend. As Reynolds was strapping himself onto the penetrator the slack in the cable suddenly and unexpectedly tightened and the FE’s legs were caught in the wrought-iron railing. Although hurt and badly bruised, Reynolds’ legs were not broken. He was, however, in no shape to continue riding the hoist but he could operate it for Connett. Capt Martin delivered the five grateful survivors to the parking lot and waiting paramedics, then Pony 3 headed back up to the roof.

A flight engineer straps a survivor onto a forest penetrator of a hovering CH-3E Jolly Green Giant helicopter. The airman is a 302nd Special Operations Squadron member rescuing guests from the blazing MGM Grand Hotel. (Photo by MSgt Rick Diaz)

For their second attempt, Connett switched places with Reynolds. As he tried to toss the cargo rope towards a lone woman on a balcony, she made a half-hearted effort to crab the rope. The FE was unsure of why she had not tried very hard to grab the “lifeline” until he realized she was worried about her skirt blowing up from the rotor wash. With all the confusion of the noise, downwash, and chaos of the moment it was rough trying to convince her to put aside her modesty and grab the proffered rope. On the second try she finally grabbed it but hung the rope over the balcony railing. Bill Reynolds realized what was happening and had the pilot move the aircraft so that the Connett could swing and grab the railing. Once on the balcony, he had a hard time convincing the woman to get onto the hoist. He eventually persuaded her to get on the penetrator and up she went. Meanwhile, two men were locked inside the room. Connett broke the sliding-glass door and helped the first one out and onto the penetrator. As that survivor was going up to the helicopter the FE turned for the second man, but he was gone. Connett went into the smoke-filled room to locate the mission man, but the sound of an explosion and of shattering glass forced him back out onto the balcony. At that point it was onto the penetrator himself and back up to Pony 2.

Det 1, 57th FW UH-1N nears the MGM Grand rooftop.

TSgt Dan Jaramillo, an FE on Colonel Wood’s Pony 3 helicopter did not have a cargo rope when he was lowered down to the balconies by hoist. Moreover, instead of a second FE, the hoist on his CH-3 was operated by 1Lt Frank Wallace, a Green Hornet instructor pilot from the 20th SOS. While hanging over 100 feet below the hovering helicopter, Jaramillo started swinging towards the survivors who were desperate to get out of their rooms and away from the burning hotel. In one room there were two men and another pregnant woman. On his third attempt to swing and grab the balcony railing the FE hit it at about chest high, so hard that it knocked the wind out of him. Jaramillo held onto the railing, though, and the men helped him onto the balcony. It took a few minutes to calm the woman down and convince her to get onto the hoist. The safety strap barely fit around her. Promising he would come back and get the two men, the FE strapped himself onto the second fold-down seat of the forest penetrator. Crying, the lady kissed her husband, and the FE gave the up signal to Wallace. They got her aboard and immediately took her to waiting paramedics in the parking lot below. Pony 3 then went back up and they made good on their promise to the two waiting survivors.

Jaramillo and Wallace continued their pendulum act to get people off of balconies or out of rooms on the upper floors. On one occasion, for a room without a balcony, Jaramillo crashed through the window to get to the survivors. Luckily, it was safety glass and it shattered when he hit it and he was winded but not hurt. Later, Wallace was swinging the FE towards another balcony and but that time they had too much speed. The tip of the penetrator caught the top of the railing and Jaramillo went tumbling over the balcony, crashed through the glass door, and landed at the feet of three people huddling in the corner. All three were rescued.

Not everyone the Air Commandos pulled out of the upper story rooms made it, though. One man was not breathing when the crew pulled him from his room. When the FE hoisted the victim into the helicopter the crew tried desperately to revive him. Despite administering rescue breathing, the man never regained consciousness. On another occasion, a young woman was trying to climb from her balcony to the one below. The FE saw her and signaled for her to get back inside the railing until he could swing over and help her. She was so scared though that she kept trying to stretch and make it to the lower balcony. As the FE on the hoist cable neared, only a few feet away, she lost her grip and fell more than 150 feet to her death.

The Aftermath

By about noon the firefighters had the blaze under control and they began escorting survivors from the upper floors upon onto the roof and the waiting Hueys and civilian helicopters. Hundreds of scared guests were airlifted down to the parking lot, evaluated, and treated for smoke inhalation, cuts and bruises, and shock. But the firefighters also found the bodies of almost 85 people who were not as fortunate.

The grim task of removing the dead bodies from the roof to the makeshift morgue that had been constructed in the parking lot fell to the Green Hornet crews. Major Hubbard remembers the care and respect the crews of the 20th SOS showed the deceased. He also remembers how some in the media failed to appreciate the situation and tried photographing remains as they were removed from the aircraft. One 20th SOS crew had to close the cabin doors of their helicopter because a perverse news photographer insisted on photographing an extremely attractive woman, dressed only in a fur coat, who had died from smoke inhalation. Another paparazzi placed a ladder in the back of a pickup truck to give him better vantage point for his macabre filming. Hubbard radioed 1Lt James Mehegan and asked him to hover near the insensitive photographer. After being completely enveloped in a cloud of sand, the photographer got the message and left the area.

By early afternoon, after more than six hours of continuous flying at the MGM Grand, the 302nd SOS helicopters were released from the mission. They had saved 17 people, 2 when Pony 3 landed on the roof and 15 more by hoist. But their day did not end there. They were tasked to fly back out into the Nellis Range complex and retrieve the Army Rangers they had inserted the day before. When the Pony crews finally got back to Nellis AFB and shut down for the day, they were directed to go to the Officers Club for an informal debriefing and a couple well-deserved beers. Despite aching muscles, smoke residue in their mouths, throats, noses, and lungs, and sweat-soaked sooty flight suits, the crews answered questions from the Air Force and from the media. The media frenzy continued for weeks, with the crews from both squadrons appearing on national television and on local news outlets when they returned home from Red Flag to spend Thanksgiving with their families.

Now, over forty years later, few recall the tragedy at the MGM Grand Hotel. But what those aircrews and maintainers did that day is still remarkable and deserves to be remembered as among Air Commandos’ finest moments. Their courage, strength, and creativity were pivotal in mitigating the disaster of what was the second worst hotel fire in US history. It is fitting that we remember and honor what they did in the service of their nation.


(Editor’s Note: Most of the official 20th SOS records from this mission have been lost and after 40 years, crew members’ memories have faded. The Green Hornet crew lists are as close as the editors could make them. We apologize for any inaccuracies. It is also worth noting that due to the exigencies of the moment, some crew members were placed into service to help where needed, for example, a pilot or a maintainer assisting qualified flight engineers in the cabins of the aircraft.)

Hornet 1
P: Maj Warren “Smokey” Hubbard
P: 2Lt Rich Kianka
FE: MSgt Rich Musterd
FE: MSgt Jesse Herrell

Hornet 2
P: 1Lt Jim Mehegan
P: 1Lt Dyke Whitbeck
FE: SSgt Dale Blackwood
FE: SMSgt Buck Watson

Hornet 3
P: Capt Howard Stevens
P: 1Lt Bob Donnelly
FE: SSgt Ed Acha
FE: Capt Burt McKenzie

Pony 1
P: Capt Lester “Ed” Smith
P: Maj Lawrence Lybarger
FE: TSgt Jerry Fletcher
FE: TSgt James Hodges

Pony 2
P: Capt Mike Martin
P: Capt Dave Ellis
FE: MSgt Jim Connett
FE: MSgt Bill Reynolds

Pony 3:
P: Lt Col Bruce Wood
P: Lt Col Bill Takacs, 20 SOS
FE: TSgt Dan Jaramillo
FE: 1Lt Frank Wallace, 20 SOS
FE: MSgt Ray Reynoso


In This Issue


Sidenote:

Maj Gen Frederick “Boots” Blesse was the United States’ leading jet ace during the Korean War, scoring 10 kills flying the F-86 Sabre. In his book, Check Six: A Fighter Pilot Looks Back, (Ballantine, 1987), he recalls his and his wife, Betty’s, experience that day… read more

Air Commando Journal

  • Publisher

    Maj Gen William Holt, USAF (Retired)

  • Editor-in-Chief

    Col Paul Harmon, USAF (Retired)

  • Managing Editor

    Lt Col Richard Newton, USAF (Retired)

  • Senior Editor

    Major Scott McIntosh, USAF (Retired)

  • Public Affairs/Marketing Director

    Melissa Gross


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Colonel James Leroy McCleskey

Colonel James Leroy McCleskey, 85, of College Station, passed away peacefully on the morning of December 27, 2024. A Celebration of Life service will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, January 3, 2025, at Parkway Baptist Church, 1501 Southwest Pkwy, College Station, TX 77840, with Pastor Chris Snidow officiating, assisted by Pastors Scot Stolz and Gary Samford.
Leroy (Lee) was born in Marietta, Georgia, on September 18, 1939, to Walter Earle and Shannon Emily McCleskey. He spent his entire childhood in Marietta, graduating from Sprayberry High School in 1957. In 1961, he graduated with the third class from the then-new United States Air Force Academy located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was during his time at the Academy that Lee met the love of his life, Joan “Joanie” Mills, of Clarksville, Arkansas. They were married shortly after his graduation in 1961 and shared 63 years of amazing adventures together.
Lee was a highly-decorated officer who served our nation for 30 years in a wide range of roles, including pilot, instructor pilot, airborne command post operations officer, base commander, Air Attache, Inspector General, and Intelligence Director. As an Air Commando during the Vietnam War, he was deployed in 1966 for a year to Nakhon Phanom, Thailand. In 1967, his A-26 Counter Invader aircraft was shot down during a classified mission over Laos. He and his navigator were forced to bail out with one wing engulfed in flames and only 700 feet of altitude remaining before impact. He was wounded as he hit the horizontal stabilizer on the way out and broke both ankles as he landed in a dry rice paddy. The two were rescued and flown to Clark Air Base in the Philippines to recover. After healing, Lee returned to Thailand to finish out the remainder of his tour. A true American hero and the definition of a servant leader, the positive impact Lee had on the thousands he served with during 16 assignments in 7 states, Washington D.C., and 3 nations, is immeasurable.
In 1991, Lee retired from the Air Force in Tucson, AZ, and in 1992 he and Joanie moved to College Station, where he served for 8 years as the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets’ Deputy Commandant for Discipline and Training, followed by another 5 years as the Director of Safety and Training for the university’s physical plant before fully retiring in 2005.
Lee found great joy in retirement traveling with Joanie, visiting family, spending time with their dogs Duke, Bella, and Zeus, working home projects, and serving as a deacon at Parkway Baptist Church. He especially loved spending time with his 16 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren, most of whom he gave their first “driving lessons” on a 6-wheel Gator.
Lee is lovingly remembered by sons Matt McCleskey, Derek McCleskey, Jarrett McCleskey, daughter Kristin McCleskey Moratzka, son-in-law Erik, 3 daughters-in-law Virginia, Cammy, and Katy, his 16 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren, sister Nancy McCleskey Uhran, and sister-in-law Carol Early McCleskey (Walter). Lee was preceded in death by his daughter Amber Laurel McCleskey, his parents, his brother Walter McCleskey, and his sister Sharon McCleskey Shedd.
Lee will be interred at Oakland Cemetery in Clarksville, Arkansas, where an Air Force Honor Guard will provide military honors.
In lieu of flowers, your consideration of donations to the Wounded Warriors Project or the Tunnels to Towers Foundation would be appreciated.

Air Commandos by Another Name

Volume 13: Issue 2

Air Commandos by Another Name: The 27th SOW’s Lineage to The Provisional Air Corps Regiment on Bataan 1941-42

Authors: Maj Riley A. Feeney, 1st Lt Grant T. Willis, and Lt Merit Davey

Introduction

The 1st Special Operations Wing’s heritage traces directly back to the famed 1st Air Commando Group during World War II. The 1st SOW’s heritage has the luxury of calling leaders like Cochran, Alison, and Aderholt, to name a few, their commanders. What Cochran and Alison did in the China Burma India (CBI) Theater and what Aderholt did in Korea and Southeast Asia was nothing short of amazing. These individuals coined and defined what it meant to be an Air Commando.

The 27th Special Operations Wing’s heritage is a little bit different. The 27th SOW traces back to the 27th Bombardment Group (BG) who deployed to the Philippines in November 1941 to deter Imperial Japanese aggression in the region. After the Japanese attacked the Philippines on 8 December and destroyed their aircraft on the ground, the Airmen of the 27th BG were soon converted to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Provisional Air Corps Regiment (Infantry). The first and only Air Corps and later, Air Force infantry unit. Despite having no formal infantry training, the regiment became a staunch fighting force of two battalions manned by Airmen from maintenance, ordnance, intelligence, ground staff, and aircrew. These brave Airmen held the left flank of the II Corps throughout the defense of Bataan, even escaping encirclement in the final battles, thus earning the moniker “The Steadfast Line.” Although their aircraft were destroyed, they acted with the moxie that defines what it means to be an Air Commando. The 27th BG serves as a lesson for all Air Commandos: Even if they destroy your aircraft, you can still give the enemy hell.

USAAC B-17 destroyed on 7 Dec 1941 attack by Japanese Naval Aviation at Pearl Harbor
(USAAC B-17 destroyed on 7 Dec 1941 attack by Japanese Naval Aviation at Pearl Harbor)

Caught on the Ground

On 8 December 1941 at 0230 hours, the U.S. Asiatic Fleet HQ received message traffic that the Pacific Fleet based at Pearl Harbor had been attacked by the Japanese Empire. The U.S. Commonwealth of the Philippines was 18 hours ahead of Hawaiian time and, therefore, nearly simultaneous to the attack on Pearl Harbor Japanese aircraft were enroute to the Philippines. The first strike force took off from Japanese light aircraft carrier Ryujo in the early morning hours of 8 December to strike targets on the island of Luzon. The U.S. forces in the Philippines only had hours’ notice that they were at war before they were attacked.

The Far East Air Force (FEAF), the largest concentration of American land-based air power outside the continental United States (CONUS), was commanded by General Lewis Brereton, who at 0500 hours, requested permission to launch his long-range bombers against Japanese bases on Formosa (modern day Taiwan). Unfortunately, General Douglas MacArthur was unavailable to approve a U.S. counterpunch. At 1230 hours, the Imperial Japanese air arm struck American air bases on Luzon in force, destroying the majority of the FEAF on the ground. This ultimately left MacArthur and his American-Filipino garrison without anything that resembled air power. As a result, the U.S. Asiatic Fleet, with its vintage WW1-era flush deck destroyers, was forced to rapidly withdraw to the Dutch East Indies and Australia. The only offensive arm of the Asiatic fleet MacArthur could count on for the foreseeable future were 29 submarines and a handful of plywood patrol torpedo (PT) boats to harass and complicate the Japanese supply and invasion routes. Unfortunately, for the U.S. forces left in the Philippines, the submariners and PT boat sailors would prove ineffective in stopping Japanese landings and logistics. With our Asiatic Fleet neutralized and Army Air Force grounded, the land echelon of the (United States Army Forces Far East) USAFFE was left to fend for themselves.

There were hundreds of Airmen who had contributed to the operation by flying planes, briefing intelligence, maintaining aircraft, or uploading munitions, no longer had a mission once their aircraft had been destroyed. Therefore, as the USAFFE divisions retreated to the Bataan Peninsula per the War Plan Orange (WPO) directive, these Airmen saw the opportunity in front of them to find a new way to bring the fight to the enemy.

A New Regiment

On the evening of 8-9 January 1942, the Provisional Air Corps Regiment (PACR) was established and began its field training while under attack from Japanese aircraft and artillery. Responsible for a section of the II Corps line running East to West across the Bataan Peninsula, the PACR would take responsibility for a 2,000-yard section of the line codenamed “subsection B”. For the first and only time in American military history, an Air Force unit would serve as frontline infantry formation. The PACR’s weapons were an ad hoc mixture of hand-me-down WW1 era rifles, grenades, and uniforms intermixed with salvaged machine guns from the wings of wrecked aircraft jerry-rigged into defensive fighting positions along their line.

The food situation on Bataan and within the PACR grew worse by the day with calorie-counts per day per man shrinking as the campaign dragged on with little to no resupply. Morale to hold out was strong when the Bataan defenders believed that the U.S. Navy would race across the Pacific to their rescue, relief, and reinforcement. These hopes would continuously be boasted by leadership, but slowly the men realized that help was not coming. They were coming to terms with the fact that their sacrifice would be what would compel the Allies to victory in the long run.

The dialogue from John Ford’s 1945 war-film They Were Expendable, starring Robert Montgomery and John Wayne, sums ups the situation well. An admiral from the Asiatic Fleet tells LT Brickley (Montgomery), Commander of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 3, of the situation in the Philippines:

[Admiral] That [Japanese]task force will land. You and I can’t stop it. Pearl Harbor was a disaster, like the Spanish Armada. Listen son, you and I are professionals. If the manager says sacrifice… we lay down a bunt and let somebody else hit the home runs. We heard all about those destroyers, out of commission, tied up around San Diego. We could use them here. But they’re not around. They won’t be. Our job is to lay down that sacrifice. That’s what we were trained for and that’s what we’ll do. Understand?
[Brickley] Yes sir…thank you.

Although a scene from a movie that was based on historical accounts of the operation, in a way, describes the Bataan spirit and the American grit that the men of the PACR and the rest of the defenders of Bataan and Corregidor displayed for those 5 months of holding out far longer than anyone could have expected.

(The Fall of the Philippines-Contents (army.mil) Map 17)

Holding the Line

The PACR held the Bagac-Orion line within II Corps’ sector from 9 January 1942 until the Japanese broke through USAFFE’s lines in April. Throughout its frontline service, the PACR was advised by members of the regular U.S. 31st Infantry Regiment of the U.S. Philippine Division. This regular formation provided an advanced infantry training-like course in the field while PACR units were under air and artillery fire. Imperial Japanese Army Air Force (IJAAF) and Naval (IJN) dive bombers worked up and down the line bringing the former Airmen under constant air attack with little to no friendly opposition.

On the night of 6-7 April 1942, elements of the Imperial 4th Division and 65th Brigade broke through the front line and drove a wedge between I and II Corps. The PACR was under threat of encirclement to its left flank and fell back in a fighting retreat for three days. With no anti-tank weapons and under constant air and artillery assault, the PACR was fighting on its last legs with effort close to maximum. After months of fighting, disease, lack of ammunition, and starvation began to take its toll on the PACR and the garrison defending the Bataan Peninsula. The PACR, facing the Nagano Detachment and elements of the 8th Infantry and 7th Tank Regiments to its left, retreated alongside several Philippine Scout (U.S. Regular) regiments. The retreat began with several defensive lines being established at the Mamala River on the afternoon of 7 April. The Nagano Detachment and Imperial 8th Infantry and 7th Tank Regiments kept up the pressure and pushed the Americans south. After days of delaying actions at the Malama, Alangan, and Lamao Rivers, the PACR and other II Corps units held a final line on the night of 8-9 April guarding the North-South river crossing of Route 20 which led to the Luzon Force headquarters west of Cabcaben. By the morning of 9 April 1942, the situation was desperate and General King weighed his options. By the early hours of 9 April, two U.S. emissaries where dispatched forward with the white flag to meet the Japanese commander.

(The Fall of the Philippines-Contents (army.mil) Map 22)
(The Fall of the Philippines-Contents (army.mil) Map 22)

Ordered to Surrender

On 9 April 1942, General E.P. King Jr. surrendered the Bataan garrison without permission from higher headquarters and ordered all units on the peninsula to lay down their arms. After months of fighting and holding the line, when throughout the Pacific the Japanese seemed invincible, the band of Americans and Filipinos holding defiant on Bataan slowed the Imperial Army’s timetable of advance and forced the enemy to devote heavy resources to their destruction when they could have been committed to other vulnerable points throughout the Pacific. The men on Bataan and the garrison on Corregidor (which General Johnathan M. Wainwright surrendered on 6 May 1942) where promised humane treatment. This was a lie and tactical leadership of the Imperial Army treated the Allied POWs to the Emperor’s hospitality with the infamous Bataan Death March. The men of the PACR who survived the campaign on Bataan were then forced to endure years of imprisonment, torture, and horrific treatment. General Wainwright’s final transmission to President Roosevelt outlined the situation in the Philippines when he stated, “I have done all that could have been done to hold Bataan, but starved men without air support and with inadequate field artillery support cannot endure the terrific aerial and artillery bombardment that my troops were subjected to.”

The surrender of Major General Jones, Commander of the Fil-American Troops on the western Bataan front, and his staff members. (Photo by Japanese Propaganda Corps.)
The surrender of Major General Jones, Commander of the Fil-American Troops on the western Bataan front, and his staff members. (Photo by Japanese Propaganda Corps.)

Legacy and Conclusions for Today

Although this horrific chapter of American military history must remain honored, it is just as important to acknowledge and learn the history of the road to the Death March and the valor and courage of those who held “The Steadfast Line” on Bataan. The legacy of the PACR within the common knowledge of those who serve in our Air Force today must hold a place of priority. As tensions rise once again in the Pacific and our pacing threat(s) increases in capability, we must look to applied history and heritage of those who came before us to point the path forward. As Air Commandos, and specifically within the 27th SOW, we often forget our Pacific past and our own legacy that extends beyond Operations Thursday, Kingpin (Son Tay), and Eagle Claw. Although all three provide important lessons, Air Commandos, especially the new generation, would be wise to learn the lessons gleaned from all Airmen who did amazing things. Especially Airmen, dare I say Air Commandos in the case of the 27th BG, who had the “guts to try” when their situation looked darkest. Sometimes, in the case of Son Tay, we get the luxury to rehearse; other times we don’t. The men of the 27th Bombardment Group stepped up to the plate when the plan went to hell and executed with little to no training. To us, that’s the hallmark of being an Air Commando.

27th Bombardment Group Memorial Plaque at Andersonville NHS, Georgia.
27th Bombardment Group Memorial Plaque at Andersonville NHS, Georgia – The tablet can be found in the memorial courtyard behind the museum and along the commemorative walkway north of the museum.

Inspiration for Air Commandos

Despite their shortcomings, the tenacious defenders of Bataan and Corregidor were able to significantly disrupt the timetable the Japanese had set for their conquest of the island nations for the Western Pacific. The Philippines campaign, originally scheduled to be completed in 50 days, took 5 months. Approximately 192,000 Japanese army and navy personnel had to be deployed, a number far in excess of the original strength allotment. We know now, with hindsight, that these early defensive actions fought so fiercely by the United States and its Allies in the Philippines bought valuable time for America to “gear up” for war, thereby contributing to the Allied victory. If these early Japanese campaigns had gone unchecked, the Allied offensive phase likely would have begun in Hawaii or California instead of New Guinea and Guadalcanal.

– Operation Plum by Adrian Martin and Larry Stephenson

What the men of the Steadfast Line did not know until after the war is that their selfless act bought time for America to gear up for war and it also enabled another group of Airmen to accomplish something outstanding. The Steadfast Line formally surrendered on 9 April 1942. The Bataan Death March lasted from 9-17 April. The Doolittle Raiders launched their strike on mainland Japan on 18 April 1942. The Bataan Death March and the fall of the Philippines was a demoralizing event for the United States which was still reeling from the attack on Pearl Harbor, but the Doolittle Raiders brought hope to the nation.

While the 27th BG was holding the line in the Philippines, the Raiders were training to takeoff from aircraft carriers within the Eglin range complex. The men of the 27th BG held the line for each other, but in doing so held the line for their fellow Airmen. The legacy and heritage of AFSOC, Hurlburt Field and Cannon AFB, the 1st and 27st SOWs are forever entwined. The Steadfast Line of the 27th Bombardment Group… Air Commandos by another name


About the Authors:

Lieutenant Grant Willis is an U.S. Air Force officer stationed at Cannon AFB, NM, and a Fellow with the Consortium of Indo-Pacific Researchers (CIPR). He is a distinguished graduate of the University of Cincinnati’s AFROTC program with a B.A. in International Affairs, with a minor in Political Science. He has multiple publications with the Consortium, United States Naval Institute’s (USNI) Proceedings Naval History Magazine, Air University’s Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs (JIPA), and Air University’s Wild Blue Yonder Journal. He is also a featured guest on multiple episodes of Vanguard: Indo-Pacific, the official podcast of the Consortium, USNI’s Proceedings Podcast, and CIPR conference panel lectures available on the Consortium’s YouTube channel.
Second Lieutenant Davey is a U.S. Air Force officer stationed at Cannon AFB, NM. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Colorado State University with a B.A. in Journalism. Prior to commissioning as a Public Affairs Officer, he served for ten years as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician in support of conventional and special operations forces globally. His work has been featured in Airman Magazine and Special Operation Command’s Tip of the Spear.
Major Riley Feeney is an U.S. Air Force officer stationed at Cannon AFB, NM. He is a distinguished graduate of the United States Air Force Academy with a B.A. in Economics, and a Masters in Applied Statistics from Colorado State University. He has been published in Air University’s Air & Space Operations Review’s Perspectives. He is also a featured in Business Insider.

Episode

In This Issue


Air Commando Journal

  • Publisher

    Maj Gen William Holt, USAF (Retired)

  • Editor-in-Chief

    Col Paul Harmon, USAF (Retired)

  • Managing Editor

    Lt Col Richard Newton, USAF (Retired)

  • Senior Editor

    Major Scott McIntosh, USAF (Retired)

  • Public Affairs/Marketing Director

    Melissa Gross


ACA Partner Showcase

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Hotwash vol 13-2

Volume 13: Issue 2

Hotwash


To the Air commando Association,
On behalf of all Air Commandos, thank you for your generous donation towards the ROOSTER73 Distinguished Flying Cross Reception. Your support means a great deal to the entire Air Commando family, and it underscores the significance of honoring our fallen heroes, Maj Randell Voas and SMSgt JB Lackey. Your support ensured this event was a fitting tribute to their exceptional service, heroism, and dedication.
Again, thank you for your kindness. Your generosity made a significant impact in honoring these fallen heroes.

Sincerely,
Tony D. Bauernfeind
Lieutenant General, USAF


Dear Col (ret) Barnett,
On behalf of the men and women of the Air Force Special Operations Command, I want to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the support your team provided during our recent combined Annual Awards ceremony honoring our amazing Air Commandos, past and present.
The countless hours your team spent are greatly appreciated and are to be commended. Those efforts resulted in a phenomenal banquet and allowed this event to appropriately honor our Outstanding Air Commandos and their families. Please pass on our sincere gratitude to all!

Anthony Green
CMSgt, USAF
Command Chief


RE: Air Commando Journal Volume 13: Issue 1
Thank you for yet another outstanding Journal. All the articles in this issue [13/1] were exceptional and provided great insight to the Air Commando history and specifically accomplishments of our often “Quiet Professionals.” Thank you for your hard work in continuing to produce what I think is the best Journal in DoD.

Max Friedauer, Lt Col (Retired)
Past ACA Director and Awards Chairman
Mary Esther, FL
ACA Life Member #2122


Fly By Nights Book Review
Just a quick note to say that I am always very pleased when the journal hits my mailbox—particularly this issue, which features an excellent review of Roger Graham’s book “Fly By Nights: Air Force A/B/RB Air Commando Missions in the Vietnam War.” As reviewed by Ret Major Scott E. McIntosh, the book tells the story of the reconstructed A-26 as told by the Commandos who flew and serviced this marvelous air machine in the waning days of combat in SEA.

Cheers,
Ken Alnwick
Sterling, VA
ACA Life Member #32


ACJ Staff,
I really enjoyed the Operation Just Cause article by Lt Gen Fister in the June issue (Vol 13, Issue 1) of the Air Commando Journal. However I was disappointed that Gen Fister neglected to mention the participation of the 919th Special Operation Wing at Duke Field, FL in that operation. The 919th SOW deployed AC-130A gunships, aircrew and maintenance personnel to Howard AFB in December 1989. The AC130As were in the air over Panama during the fight and contributed to the great success of Just Cause.

Lawrence M. Wager, Col, USAF (Retired)
Former Commander, 919th Special Operations Logistics Group,
Niceville, FL
ACA Life Member #6392

Larry,
Your comments were forwarded to me by the ACA front office, I am the Editor of the Air Commando Journal. Thank you for your feedback and I understand your points. I received one or two other critiques from members about missing details.
Gen Fister wrote the article from his perspective as the last senior commander alive. His intent was pretty much an overview of the first night operation to get Kurt Muse and take down the Commandancia and ultimately getting Noriega. The general did not mention several of the units that participated in the operation or the details of all the missions that all AFSOC units supported. I added the MH-53s and MH-47s (without unit names) deployment because I felt it added to the scale of the deployment–nearly a 12-hour over water flight. (I was not one of the deployers).
The bottom line is it was a relatively short article (1,750 words) and he wrote it from his perspective, memory and notes, and did not intend for it to be a history of the whole operation’s moving parts. I hope you understand that he did not intend to slight any of the units and their great work over the course of the operation. Clay McCutchan gave a great overview of what the 919th did during Just Cause in the ACJ Vol 3/4
Again, thank you for reaching out with your comments…we take them all.
Sincerely,
Paul Harmon, Colonel, USAF (Retired)
Editor-in-Chief Air Commando Journal


Air Commando Foundation Assist

A former 24 SOW member and his family lost their home in a devastating fire. They lost everything with the exception of their vehicles.
They are working closely with the insurance company and have raised money from a go-fund-me site, private individuals and a church who are assisting with immediate and personal needs.
They managed to find a rental home and move in, but as you can imagine living conditions are sparse.
Taking that into consideration, the Air Commando Foundation will be helping to offset costs by purchasing $3,000 worth of furniture and another $500 toward the family to cover any additional needs.
The family expressed their appreciation by stating: “Thank you so much for doing this for my family…for keeping track of us…so many moving parts…what you are doing for families past, present, and future. I want to give back. I appreciate you all. I am…speechless.”

Episode


In This Issue


Air Commando Journal

  • Publisher

    Maj Gen William Holt, USAF (Retired)

  • Editor-in-Chief

    Col Paul Harmon, USAF (Retired)

  • Managing Editor

    Lt Col Richard Newton, USAF (Retired)

  • Senior Editor

    Major Scott McIntosh, USAF (Retired)

  • Public Affairs/Marketing Director

    Melissa Gross


ACA Partner Showcase

This article/publication is for the information, interest, and enjoyment of our readers. Views and opinions expressed are of the author or source of material and do not necessarily reflect opinions, views, or endorsements of the Air Commando Association. Material in the Air Commando Journal (ACJ) may be reproduced provided the source is credited. Air Commando Journal is not sponsored by DoD, USAF, or AFSOC.

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Chindit Chatter Vol 13-2

Volume 13: Issue 2

Chindit Chatter

Hello Air Commandos and welcome to this online edition of the the Air Commando Journal. Obviously not what you are used to, more about that in a bit. First, I’d like to introduce the articles in this issue.
Paul Harmon, Colonel, USAF (Retired) Editor-in-Chief


First up a little history and heritage of the 27th Special Operations Wing. When AFSOC first took over Cannon AFB in 2007, we all knew the 27th Fighter Wing flew a collection of fighters for decades, but several Air Commandos did a deep-dive on their heritage and found their roots actually go back to the 27th Bombardment Group in the Philippines “Holding the Steadfast line” against Japanese aggression during the very early days of World War II!

“Any Time, Any Place: Thailand’s Secret Air Commandos” is written by a regular contributor, Lt Col Dan Jackson. His latest essay is based on an interview with four Thai airmen who volunteered to fight in the secret war in Laos from 1961 until 1974. Many of our senior Air Commandos, who flew in Laos, likely know the story, but for the more junior folks, Dan’s article will be an interesting read about Thailand’s Fireflies.

The issue moves forward to 1980’s with regular contributor Rick Newton’s retelling of Air Commando support in saving lives during the 1980 MGM Grand fire in Las Vegas, Nevada. Paul Fremsted (Hall of Fame Class – 2023) writes about Operation Honey Badger, the planned mission to go back into Iran after Desert One to rescue American hostages, from his perspective as an Intel NCO who supported the new HH-53H Pave Lows assigned to the 1550th Aircrew Training &Test Wing at Kirtland AFB.

More recently, two of our great NCOs attending the Naval Post-Graduate School wrote an interesting article titled, “Forging Agility” and it is about expeditionary logistics possibilities using advanced manufacturing techniques to support our Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment philosophy. Allie Hulcher, Communications Specialist at University of Alabama in Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, gives us, “From UAB to Afghanistan: How an Air Force Special Operations Surgical Team saved lives during the last days of the War in Afghanistan.” The title pretty much says it all.

Finally, Steve Hreczkosij, Lt Col (Ret), USAF, another regular contributor, gives us his review of the book, Visual Friendlies, Tally Targets: How Close Air Support in the War on Terror Changed the Way America Made War (Volume I – Invasions) – Ethan Brown, Casemate Publishing, November 2024. Visual Friendlies heralds the Air Force’s role in the recent wars, and is about the men who became emblematic of our air wars, the Joint Terminal Air Controllers, aka JTACs. Hreczkosij writes the book is not just war stories, but also delves into close air support doctrine “efficiently” and the evolution for the “digital” JTAC. Great review of the book which should be on the streets now.

Thanks to all the authors contributing articles to this edition of the Air Commando Journal.

About the change in the Air Commando Journal. It has been a number of months since our last Journal was published and the delay is due to cost (about $10,000 an issue) and lack of content. As a result, the publication of the Air Commando Journal will be suspended for now. Let me say thank you to all Air Commandos and corporate partners for your unwavering support to the ACA and the Air Commando Journal.

Over the last, 13 years, we have published 40 print issues of the Air Commando Journal, which contain nearly 450 articles and book reviews. In those articles, we have pretty much covered most of our fantastic Air Commando history and heritage from “World War II until tonight”… in war and peace. As Airmen, we always are wowed by the equipment, but in each and every story, authors emphasized the outstanding, and many time courageous, Air Commandos who got after the mission and made it happen, whether it be flyers, Special Tactics, maintenance, logistics, and all of the many support functions, without which nothing happens. We know that, “Humans are more important than hardware”, so the Air Commando Journal has always been yours and their story. Without all of you, the ACA could not have done it. Thank you! And thank you for the multitude of compliments and kudos on each and every issue.

Going forward, we are working through the process on how we can continue to bring our members some great reading and updates on today’s Air Commandos. This effort was discussed at the last ACA board meeting and the idea was put forth to do one issue a year that highlights the new class of Air Commando Hall of Fame inductees. The ACA’s annual banquet was changed last year to sync up with AFSOC’s annual Outstanding Airmen of the Year banquet where the command and the ACA honors its best for the year and provides an outstanding forum to introduce our new Hall of Fame inductees. The goal is to publish a print issue to honor the inductees as well as the other award recipients and will include the articles from this electronic issue. In essence, our goal will be one big issue per year published in the August timeframe.

In closing let me reiterate, none of this was possible without all of our great authors who, over the years, took the time to write down their story, passing on their contribution to our history and heritage to the next generation. We at the Air Commando Association and Journal staff remain incredibly grateful for your support in providing Air Commando history, heritage.

Paul Harmon, Colonel, USAF (Retired)
Editor-in-Chief, Air Commando Journal
editor@aircommando.org

Episode

In This Issue


Air Commando Journal

  • Publisher

    Maj Gen William Holt, USAF (Retired)

  • Editor-in-Chief

    Col Paul Harmon, USAF (Retired)

  • Managing Editor

    Lt Col Richard Newton, USAF (Retired)

  • Senior Editor

    Major Scott McIntosh, USAF (Retired)

  • Public Affairs/Marketing Director

    Melissa Gross


ACA Partner Showcase


This article/publication is for the information, interest, and enjoyment of our readers. Views and opinions expressed are of the author or source of material and do not necessarily reflect opinions, views, or endorsements of the Air Commando Association. Material in the Air Commando Journal (ACJ) may be reproduced provided the source is credited. Air Commando Journal is not sponsored by DoD, USAF, or AFSOC.

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Air Commandos Need Your Help

Giving to Air Commandos today makes your gift last beyond tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after…

Thank You for Your Generosity!!

2024 ACA Board of Directors Election Ballot

2024 ACA Election Ballot

The Air Commando Association presents the following nominees for the upcoming 2024 ACA election for Board of Director(s) and Executive projected vacancies. 

The following positions are vacant and are required to be filled for the 2024 ACA election:
• President
• Vice President
• Treasurer
• Director(s) – 6

The ACA Nomination and Governance Committee has vetted all personnel listed and ensure they meet requirements of the Air Commando Association By-Laws. The deadline for all votes is 29 November 2024. The votes will be tallied and the Chairman and President/CEO will notify the new Directors and then the results will be sent to membership. Next class of Directors’ tenures begin 1 January 2025.

Very Respectfully
Joe Mast
//SIGNED//
Joseph M. Mast, Command CMSgt (Ret), USAF
Nomination and Governance Committee Chair

The following candidates are running unopposed for executive positions on the board. (There is no vote needed for the following positions)


Candidates running for six (6) open director(s) positions: Vote for a total of 6 candidates.

  • Lloyd Moon (Incumbent)

    Location: Fort Walton Beach, FL

    Tell us about yourself:

    Col (Ret) Lloyd B Moon Jr completed 25 years of service as the Commander, 816 Contingency Response Group. He is a command pilot with over 5,300 hours in the MC-130E and MC-130H aircraft as instructor and evaluator, with 10 additional years as a MC-130E/H contractor instructor pilot in the 19 SOS.

    He commanded at the group and squadron levels, commanding the 8th Special Operations Squadron during the initial Operation Enduring Freedom employments. He led the initial Afghanistan deployments at multiple locations, completing nearly 600 combat missions.

    He has extensive staff experience as Chief Requirements Division and Deputy Chief, Fixed Wing Assessments, USSOCOM. He served as a MC-130H Test Director completing operational testing and Chief Technology Branch, HQ AFSOC guiding all their acquisition special access programs.
    He attended the Florida State University, a distinguished ROTC graduate completing a degree in physics with interdiscipline in computer science. He also completed masters’ degrees at Troy University and Embry Riddle University.

    He was a Boy Scouts of America Assistant Scoutmaster for 9 years and is currently an active member of Destiny Worship Center Fort Walton Beach as a small group leader and coach.

    He is now retired. He has been married to Sandy for 35 years with three grown children. His son-in-law was a combat controller – now a KC-135 copilot, one son is currently in EOD training at Eglin AFB, and one son is working for American Airlines. He and Sandy are active in Cross Fit.

    Why do you want to serve?

    Lloyd Moon is currently serving as a Director and would like to continue.

  • Rebecca Shelley (Incumbent)

    Location: Navarre, FL

    Tell us about yourself:

    Chief Master Sergeant Rebecca Shelley served the nation for 27 years as a maintainer. Prior to retirement, she was the Weapons Systems Superintendent for Headquarters, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Florida. As the superintendent, she was responsible for the maintenance and logistics of the command’s aircraft, providing overarching guidance to field and DEPOT level repair and modification functions. She advised the AFSOC Director of Logistics, Engineering, and Force Protection on maintenance operations, policies, procedures, budget, and force structure.

    Chief Shelley was born in Taipei, Taiwan and spent her youth as an Air Force brat before entering the Air Force herself in February 1993. Her assignments include tours in Florida, Guam, New Mexico, and Japan. As a C-130 Crew Chief she has maintained and managed the MC-130P, AC-130W, AC-130H, AC-130J, MC-130H, and MC-130J special operations fleets. In January 2021, Chief Shelley was hand-selected to fill the AFSOC Weapons System Superintendent position. She has deployed numerous times in support of Operations PROVIDE COMFORT II, NORTHERN WATCH, SOUTHERN WATCH, ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM, INHERENT RESOLVE and FREEDOM’S SENTINEL.
    Prior to assuming her current position, she served as 353d Aircraft Maintenance Unit Superintendent at Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan.

    Why do you want to serve?

    Rebecca Shelly is currently serving as a Director and would like to continue.

  • Shelley Woodworth (Incumbent)

    Location: Golden, CO

    Tell us about yourself:

    Colonel Shelley A. Woodworth retired from the Air Force in February 2021, as the Chief, Programming, Force Structure, and Basing Division, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Florida. In this position, she led a team of 22 personnel to resource and equip 19,000 Air Commandos through force structure planning and programming, military basing initiatives, and development of the command’s program objective memorandum across both Air Force and US Special Operations Command funding totaling $26 billion.

    Shelley previously commanded the 58th Operations Group, training 1,700 students annually as well as executing operational responses to search and rescue missions, contingencies, and humanitarian missions. Prior to command, she served as the Senior Aviation Advisor for Counterterrorism Operations for the Assistant Secretary of Defense, Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict, located in the Pentagon, Washington, DC. Colonel Rodriguez is a command pilot with 3,500 flying hours, serving in numerous operations worldwide. During her last deployment completed July 2019, she served as the Senior Air Advisor to the Afghan Ministry of Defense for North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s Resolute Support Mission located in Kabul, Afghanistan.

    Currently, Shelley serves as Air Commando Association´s Operations and Communications Director and strongly desires to continue to serve Air Commandos and their families. As one of the original creators of what is now known as the SOCOM Care Coalition, she has a strong background in organizing resources to assist others and believes she can help further the ACA Mission. As testament to her commitment to others, Shelley has immersed herself in the evacuation of Afghan allies, working to not only evacuate but help resettle Afghan partners and their families.

    Why do you want to serve?

    Shelley Woodworth is currently serving as a Director and would like to continue.

  • Leslie Babich

    Location: Lutz, FL

    Tell us about yourself:

    Nominated by Shelly Woodworth

    Leslie is a 26 yr AFSOC veteran, first female to fly in Talon I and II, a former squadron and deployed group commander, serving both overseas and stateside. She retired from USSOCOM as the lead Assessment Director, a highly selective and GO-nominated position. She is now the Director for SOFWERX. An exceptional leader with outstanding communication and team-building skills. She would be a tremendous asset to the ACA organization.

    Why do you want to serve?

    She is perpetually giving back to the SoF community both in her job and in her free time. She is beyond vested in SOF and lives the #1 SOF truth of humans are more important than hardware. She lives in the Tampa area and would serve remotely.

  • Bob Bieber

    Location: Kansas City, MO

    Tell us about yourself:

    I began my military service on 02 Aug 1964 when I reported into the 1st Air Commando Wing (1st ACW) Hurlburt Fld. FL . Disqualified for pilot training not having the required 20/20 vision. Was fortunate to have then Major Bud Day, Professor of Air Science for the ROTC program at St Louis University, assist me in getting assigned to the home of President John Kennedy’s “Jungle Jim” program. The start of a career as an Air Commando/Special Operations soldier that would last over 31 years covering a 38 year span: 1964- 2002. While in-processing I met legendary Combat Controllers (CCT) Capt Jack Teague and MSgt Jim Howell. Was then assigned to 4420th Combat Support Group as Admin Officer and for the next 22 months awaited acceptance and completion of CCT’s initial qualification courses: Air Traffic Control School (ATC) and Jump School (ABN). In Dec 1965 the 1st ACW re-located to England AFB. I and 8 other CCTers remained at Hurlburt and supported aircrew training for those scheduled to deploy overseas. Also participated in monthly day/night aerial/firepower demonstrations. Mission: Train in Drop Zone, Landing Zone, Extraction Zone and Assault zone set up, utilization and control. Foremost was training in Forward Air Control (FAC) and Forward Air Guide (FAG) tactics, techniques and procedures for Close Air Support (CAS) role. A/C supported were A-1E, AT-28D, A/B-26, A-37, A/C-47, A/C-119, C-7, C-123, U-10, O-1E, O-2A, OV-10, and UH-1D. Then onto Tan Son Nhut AB Republic of Vietnam as officer-in-charge (OIC) of 48 man CCT (1971-72). Deployed on 22 combat missions to include Lam Son 719; 2nd Mobile Aerial Port Squadron (MAC) as Chief of CCT and Combat Control School (CCS) Commandant (1972-76); 1300 Military Airlift Squadron (MAC), Panama Canal Zone (1976-79) Conducted missions throughout Central and South America. Separated from USAF rank of Captain in Feb 1979. Break in service Mar 1979-Sep 1985. Enlisted as SSG (E-6) in the U.S. Army Special Forces (Reserves) at Richards Gebaur AFB, Mo. (OCT 1985). Duty; Air Ops Specialist and Ops/Intell NCO at ODA, Company and Battalion level. Coincided with Department of Army Civil Service (GS-12) employment as Military Analyst for Combat Developments – Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict (LIC) at Ft. Leavenworth, KS. (1985-99). Was Honor Graduate from Army Reserve’s Military Intelligence course (MOS96B), Ft. McCoy, Wisc. (1994). Became Intell Analyst for Joint Task Force-6 headquartered in El Paso, TX. Duty with DEA Phoenix, AZ; Joint FBI/DEA Drug, Intelligence Gp. Albuquerque, N.M. and JIATF-E, Key West, Fl. Following 11Sep01 attack mobilized to active duty MacDill AFB, FL. Billeted and served in the Special Operations Joint Interragency Collaberation Center (SOJICC). Retired in May 2002, rank: Captain, U.S. Army.

    Why do you want to serve?

    I’ve always been proud to identify myself as a USAF veteran Air Commando Combat Controller and Army Special Operations Forces Soldier. I joined the Air Commando Association (ACA) in its initial establishment year in the late 1960s. My ACA number is 0105. Beginning this year I’m able to devote any and all necessary time to duties of a Board member. Although I do not live in the FWB area I have several friends and relatives who do. I’ve been told I am welcome to stay with them whenever.

  • Michael Black

    Location: Washington, DC

    Tell us about yourself:

    I retired at the end of 2022 after over 27 years active duty service, many of which were in or supporting the SOF air mission, including tours in non-standard aviation and at the headquarters, serving under the command of Lt Gens Fiel, Heithold, and Webb, eventually moving to Air Force International Affairs and finally as the chief of the Office of Defense Cooperation in Abu Dhabi. I applied my AFSOC experience toward USAF and CENTCOM security cooperation and international affairs to successful effect, and I remain shaped post-retirement by the mentorship and development my time in AFSOC afforded me. I now live in DC and support the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Defense Exports and Cooperation, working and coordinating daily with the Pentagon to advance national security interests and requirements.

    My most recent military duties included significant emphasis on regional and/or global strategy and force posture, particularly embodying SOF truths I, II, and V on behalf of the Air Force and international partners. The SOF truths ring accurately across the joint force and resonate well with our allies, regardless of branch or purpose, and like many of my colleagues of the past and present, they remain a guiding beacon in pursuing U.S. security interests in our second chapters. I’m grateful for the seeds AFSOC planted in me and gratefully submit my candidacy to serve the community in the position of director upon the approval of our at-large membership.

    Why do you want to serve?

    I will always appreciate what the AFSOC family provided me and my family at a formative time, and I am compelled and honored to offer my own service back to the community should my experience and skills fill the need. I feel my proximity to our national defense and service headquarters and leadership, as well as proximate service organizations, can support the Air Commando Association’s mission to our active duty and veteran membership. Thank you for your consideration.

  • Dave Clark

    Location: Yuma, AZ

    Tell us about yourself:

    USAF 1967 – 1975 MC-130E and C-141A Loadmaster. Emergency/ Trauma Registered Nurse 1979 – 2011. Retired in 2011
    Life Member: Air Commando Association, Distinguished Flying Cross Society, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Professional Loadmaster Association
    Ran a small wood working business for several years

    Why do you want to serve?

    Having been a member of the Air Commando Association for a long time I now would like to serve on the board to give back. I’m hard working and feel I can help take the association into the future.

  • Robert Gibbons

    Location: Albuquerque, NM

    Tell us about yourself:

    I am a 30 Air Force veteran, I served as Maj Gen William Holts and Brig Gen Brenda Cartier’s Command Chief. I helped Cannon AFB transition to AFSOC and was a career maintainer.

    Why do you want to serve?

    I want to serve because I feel strongly about the organization. Maj Gen Bill Holt let me know that there were open positions

  • Ioannis Koskinas

    Location: Westport, CT

    Tell us about yourself:

    “Born and raised” Air Commando. I started in AFSOC right after flight school and worked SOF assignments throughout nearly all of my time on Active Duty. Served as MC-130, AC-130, U-28 navigator and system operator, Flight Commander, Squadron Commander, Expeditionary Group Commander, JSOAD Commander, JSOAC Deputy, as well as JSOC/Air Staff/OSD staff member. Since retirement, I’ve continued to focus on national security issues and advocate for Air Commandos and things that matter to them. Hopefully, the folks considering this know who I am. If someone joins the board of this grouping and a sufficient part of the decision makers – our ACA teammates – do not know who this is, it means that this individual should likely not represent the group.

    Why do you want to serve?

    The ACA is our principal voice our community of those who have served, currently serve, or even will serve in the future. There are other smaller and functional groupings (i.e. Spectre Association, Combat Control Association, etc) but there is only ONE overall ACA. We need to keep the ACA relevant, and meaningful; the one stop for things that matter to the Air Commandos (old and new) and our families. As “gray beards” we must remain stay involved in our AFSOC community; particularly, those of us still active in national security space.

  • Michael Lewis

    Location: Navarre, FL

    Tell us about yourself:

    Lieutenant Colonel (Ret) Michael Lewis is an International Captain for a major US airline and a multi-award-winning author of six novels. Lt Colonel Lewis retired from the Air Force in 2014 while an Assistant Operations Officer and AC-130U Evaluator Pilot at the 19th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field. Other assignments included the 1 SOW Battlestaff Director, Aircraft Commander AC-130U 4 SOS, and HC-130 Aircraft Commander 17 SOS, Okinawa, Japan, T-38 Instructor Pilot Vance AFB, and T-37 Instructor Pilot at Columbus AFB during a brief stint in the Air Force Reserves. During his career, he accumulated over 4,400 hours as a Pilot in the AC-130U Spooky Gunship, HC-130 Combat Shadow, T-38 Talon, and T-37 Tweet. He has flown combat missions in Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He is a 1985 graduate of Louisiana State University with a Masters Degree from Golden Gate University. Lt Colonel Lewis and his wife Kim have two children and one grandchild.

    Why do you want to serve?

    I want to serve because I’ve been a lifetime member since 1995, it’s time I give back.

  • Jon Longoria

    Location: Sedalia, MO

    Tell us about yourself:

    In 2024, I completed 21+ years of active-duty service, retiring as a Technical Sergeant. My career culminated in the role of Chief, Acquisitions & Strategic Communications at Stealthwerx, a rapid prototyping organization at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. Initially designated as a 3C/Communications Systems Operations technician, I transitioned to become arguably one of the most operationally experienced 6F/Comptroller & Financial Management professionals in the career field’s history. Post-retirement, I continue to serve leaders, organizations, and operators as a Strategic Business Consultant, primarily within Innovation and Defense Technology (DefTech), providing advisory services on acquisitions pipelines, product design, resource allocation, venture networking, and dual-use technology investment strategy.
    My assignments spanned the gambit of serving under Air Force Material Command, Air Combat Command, U.S. Forces Afghanistan, U.S. Air Forces Europe, Air Force Special Operations Command, the Air Staff, and Air Force Global Strike Command. Across more than 100 combat missions, I supported operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and some undisclosed locations, as well as in France, Latvia, and Albania. These missions contributed to operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, the European Reassurance Initiative, Inherent Resolve, and joint exercises such as Saber Strike and Steadfast Javelin. My unconventional career, aligned to the range of joint, conventional, contingency response, and special operations forces, led up to an embed with the U.S. Army’s Security Assistance Office-Afghanistan (SAO-A) for a year out operating of Kabul. Additionally, I’ve served as a subject-matter expert on panels, including the U.S. Air Force Special Operations School’s (USAFSOS) Anti-Terrorism Officer Course (ATOC). My diverse experiences earned me special experience identifiers in ground combat, contingency response, and the Defense Ventures Fellowship, where I provided strategic guidance to and generated defense takeaways with ventures like Firehawk Aerospace on hybrid rocket engines and 3D-printed fuels.
    While with the Air Staff where I was managing/analyzing a $31.1B budget portfolio, I worked extensively with the AFSPECWAR family that I deeply love/served with as part of the Air Commando community of the 1 SOW. My efforts were instrumental in crafting key narratives from first-hand tacit knowledge for the Justification Books (J-Books) and advising on the implementation of pivotal compensation programs like Battlefield Airman Skill Incentive Pay (BASIP) [now Special Warfare Skill Incentive Pay (SWSIP)], Special Duty Assignment Pay (SDAP), and the 724th Special Tactics Group (STG) Operator Assignment Incentive Pay (AIP). These initiatives significantly impacted entitlements for elite Airmen, enhancing their operational readiness and ensuring fair compensation based on rigorous standards. My advisory contributions helped secure legislative support for these programs, ultimately earning endorsement from the President and Congress.

    Why do you want to serve?

    I am passionate about contributing to the welfare of the Air Commando community. By serving as a Trustee with extensive experience in defense operations, leadership, strategic communications, and financial decision-support from field to Air Staff, I would like to offer my expertise to drive innovation, cultivate a legacy of mentorship, and enhance outreach efforts. My goal is to honor the legacy of our Air Commando community while strengthening the association’s impact for future generations. Together, we can achieve more! Any Time, Any Place.

  • Jeffery Maberry

    Location: Shalimar, FL

    Tell us about yourself:

    I spent 27 years in the USAF and the majority of that time in AFSOC. I was in the 16th SOS and then numerous AFSOC Squadrons as a First Sergeant. I did a tour in HQ AFSOC and retired in 2015 as the 1 SOW Command Chief. Since retiring I have worked in the Air Force Wounded Warrior Program as a Recovery Care Coordinator at Hurlburt Field. My passion has always been taking care of Airmen and their families. I know the good ACA and would like to give back and get more involved with my Air Commando Family. Thanks for your consideration.

    Why do you want to serve?

    I owe a great deal to this community and would love to give back to our Air Commando family.

  • Michael McKinney

    Location: Navarre, FL

    Tell us about yourself:

    Mr. Michael McKinney retired from the USAF in 2010 as a Lt Col (O-5). He spent the majority of his career in AFSOC as an MH-53J/M Pave Low and CV-22 Osprey pilot and participated in numerous named operations. He holds a BA in International Studies from the University of South Florida, and an MS in Aeronautical Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He was commissioned through AFROTC Det. 158 at USF, and is currently a Department of Air Force Civilian in the position of Branch Chief, AFSOC Weapons & Tactics at HQ AFSOC.

    Assignments:
    • UPT – H, (3588 FTS), Ft. Rucker, AL
    • Det 10, 37 ARS, F.E. Warren AFB, WY
    • 20 SOS, Hurlburt Field, FL
    • 21 SOS, RAF Mildenhall, UK
    • Det 3, USAFWS, (14 WPS), Hurlburt Field, FL
    • HQ AFSOC/A3TW, Hurlburt Field, FL
    • 71 SOS, Kirtland AFB, NM
    • 58 TRS, Kirtland AFB, NM

    Career Highlights:
    • Command Pilot with 4000+ total hours (mil/civ)
    • 16 SOW LNO to the 75th Ranger Regiment
    • Initial cadre selection for the development of the SOF Weapons School Division (USAFWS)
    – USAFWS graduate, class 21B.
    • Initial cadre selection for the introduction of the CV-22 Osprey (71 SOS)
    – CV-22 pilot #10.

    Personal Accomplishments/Highlights:
    • Co-author of “Chariots of the Damned: Helicopter Special Operations from Vietnam to Kosovo”; 2001.
    • Published author and photographer, Vertical magazine, Road & Track, National Speed Sport News, Skies magazine, AFSOC Safety Journal, Heliops magazine.
    • Helicopter Program Manager, Aspen Avionics, Albuquerque, NM.
    • Chief Pilot, Mountain Air Helicopters, Los Lunas, NM.
    • Chief Pilot, CV-22 Functional Test Flight team, M1 Support Services, Kirtland AFB, NM.
    • CV-22 Simulator Instructor Pilot, Lockheed Martin/The Rockhill Group, Hurlburt Field, FL.
    • Life Member, Air Commando Association.
    • Associate member, American Society of Aviation Artists.
    • Holley by the Sea Improvement Association, Board of Directors, president.
    • Married to Kristin, two children.

    Why do you want to serve?

    I want to serve because I believe in participating in organizations that you choose to be a member. I’m a passionate amateur historian with particular interest in the Air Commandos and special operations helicopters. The ACA needs diversity and creativity to appeal to the younger Air Commando community…I feel I bring that to the table. I want to increase outreach to this demographic, ignite their interest, and instill pride in being an Air Commando. “Air Commando is a way of thinking, not a branch of the Air Force”, Maj. Gen. John Alison

  • James (JD) Walker

    Location: Niceville, FL

    Tell us about yourself:

    I’ve had the privilege of serving with AFSOC for over thirty years. I served worldwide as a MC -130H navigator, mission commander, operations officer, deployed J3, and staff officer. My assignments included the 15 SOS, 7 SOS, HQ AFSOC, and various positions within the 1st Special Operations Wing. I recently retired from 18 years as the 1 SOW Director of Staff.
    – 15 SOS: Initial cadre, Chief of Stan/Eval, Chief of Mobility
    – 7 SOS and 352 SOG: Stan/Eval, Chief of Plans
    – HQ AFSOC: Chief of Fixed Wing Stan/Eval, Plans and Programs Force Structure
    – 1 SOW: Chief of Wing Plans and Programs
    – Retired as Lt Col in 2007
    – Then served as 1 SOW Director of Staff (as a civil servant) until December 2023.

    Why do you want to serve?

    I’ve been associated with the Air Commando Association for years. I greatly value the honorable work that the association does to promote Air Commando culture and history, while simultaneously supporting and mentoring our Airmen and their families worldwide. I’ve had the opportunity to coordinate on many of the ACA’s activities over the years. I am currently serving as the ACA Hall of Fame Committee Chairman, and now that I am fully retired, I would like to contribute further across the spectrum of ACA activities.


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Lou Orrie

Lou Orrie is currently serving as a Director and would like to serve as Vice President.
Position you are running for:

Vice President

Tell us about yourself:

I am CMSgt (ret) Louis “Lou” Orrie and I served for 30 years on active duty from Oct 1986-2016. I started out as a weapons troop for six years in USAFE before joining AFSOC when I became a MH-53J/M PaveLow Gunner, serving in that capacity for 13 years then as a MH-60G PaveHawk Gunner for two years. I earned the reputation of being Mr. Fixit, being put in charge of troubled sections and turning them around to be fully functional and effective. I was also upgraded to Instructor and eventually Evaluator Gunner during this time. It was at this time I became a C-17A Loadmaster, serving in that capacity for 3.5 years and earning the SOLL-II certification as a C-17 Evaluator Airdrop Loadmaster before becoming a Group Superintendent in PACAF for two years. I was then hired to be a Command Chief at McGuire AFB with the 305th AMW and Lackland AFB with the 37th TRW. I finished my career back in AFSOC serving on the staff as the Command Functional Manager for the Career Enlisted Aviators and A3 Superintendent. I deployed in support of numerous operations and contingencies, spending 10+ years deployed out of my 30 years of service. I bring a wealth of knowledge regarding not only the SOF world, but that of multiple major commands and varying levels of responsibility. I’ve also earned numerous awards such as NCO and SNCO of the Year as well as being the AFSOC Red Erwin SNCO of the year. I would leverage all of my experience as an ACA BoD member to propel the association to all new levels. I am a hard charging individual who does not accept failure and will devote the same type of time and effort to the ACA that I did while serving on active duty. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Security Management and am currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Strategic Intelligence and Analysis through Northeastern University. I am married to a wonderful woman of nearly 20 years and we enjoy spending time with our three children and five grandchildren. I am also medically retired, so it will allow me the opportunity to focus solely on helping the organization in any way I can. Thank you for your time and trust.

Why do you want to serve?

Lou Orrie is currently serving as a Director and would like to serve as Vice President.

Dave Mobley

Dave Mobley is currently serving as ACA Treasurer and would like to serve as ACA President.
Position you are running for:

President

Tell us about yourself:

Colonel (Retired) David Mobley is AFSOC’s Deputy Chief, Strategic Plans Division (A8X). Prior to starting his current Civil Service assignment in 2018, he was a Senior Program Manager at MacAulay-Brown, Inc. managing the company’s special operations contracts at USSOCOM, SOCEUR and SOCAFRICA. Colonel Mobley retired in 2013 as Deputy Commander of the 1st Special Operations Group at Hurlburt Field after 26 years of service. During his career, he accumulated over 3,200 hours as a Navigator in the MC-130P Combat Shadow. Other special operations assignments included the 9th SOS, 17th SOS, 18FLTS, 550th SOS, SOCPAC, and HQ AFSOC A3 and A5. From 2012-2015, he served as ACA’s Vice President and was a member of the Hall of Fame Committee. He is a 1986 graduate of The Citadel and a former enlisted Marine. Colonel Mobley has been married for 29 years to Ryoko, and they have two grown children, Noah and Miya.

In Memory of Maj Gen Richard Secord

In Memory of Maj Gen Richard Secord

It is with deep sadness that we give a final salute to Maj Gen Richard Secord. General Secord, ACA life-member #44, served as the Association’s Vice-President, President, and Chairman from 2009 until 2016, leading the ACA and its membership through many transitions and phases including the formation of the Air Commando Foundation and the stand up of the Air Commando Journal magazine.

He touched the lives of so many people from his deep love and commitment to his family, to his long and dedicated military career, and his leadership and camaraderie of all Air Commandos.

  • ► Fighter Pilot… Air Commando by Paul Harmon, Colonel, USAF (Retired)

    It is impossible to include all the accomplishments and milestones of General Secord’s life in a few paragraphs, an article, or even a book. The Air Commando Journal published a snapshot of his military career and in 2022.

    Major General Secord was awarded US Special Operations Command Medal in 2007 for service and accomplishments as a pilot and Air Advisor during the war in Southeast Asia in 1962, assisting the Iranian government in suppressing a Russian-backed Kurdish insurrection in 1964-1965, and later supporting the CIA from 1966-1968. The US Special Operations Command Medal was introduced in 1994 to recognize individuals for outstanding contributions to, and in support of, special operations.

    Major General Richard V. Secord: Fighter Pilot…Air Commando

    By Paul Harmon, Colonel, USAF (Retired)

    Richard Secord comes from a patriotic family. His distant relative, Laura Secord, was a French-Canadian spy during the War of 1812, and was hailed as a Canadian national hero after she slipped through the American lines to warn the British of an impending attack. The family’s allegiance moved south to the US and the sense of obligation to one’s country continues as a persistent family trait.
    His grandfather, Vernon, was a second-generation American and master craftsman with brick and stone and had an appreciation for doing things as best he could. His father, Lowell, carried the principle forward into a trucking business he started.

    Lowell Secord believed in getting a good education and felt the Service academies provided a first-rate education and encouraged Richard to consider West Point or the Naval Academy. After high school, he applied for a congressional appointment to West Point, ultimately, securing a place in 1951 as a “plebe” with the Class of 1955. Richard Secord graduated in the top-third of his class and Capt Alexander Haig administered the oath of office and pinned on his second lieutenant bars making Richard Secord an Air Force officer.

    Young Secord spent hours droning around in his father’s Aeronca and had received a ride in a jet trainer during a field trip to Eglin AFB, FL. In those days, the US Air Force Academy didn’t exist (the US Air Force Academy graduated its first class in 1959), so the Air Force got its regular officers from the other Service academies.

    Second Lieutenant Secord began flight school in Marianna, FL in Piper Cubs and later the T-6G Texan doing well and was selected for fighter training. He flew the T-28 and then the T-33 at Greenville AFB in Mississippi and was awarded his wings in the summer of 1956. His first assignment to fly the F-86 Sabre, the “famous MIG-killer” of the Korean war, was derailed because the country’s emphasis, at the time, was on the Strategic Air Command’s bombers and tanker fleets. Several wings of tactical fighters were getting mothballed, so instead he went to Air Training Command as an instructor pilot in the T-33 at Laredo AFB in Texas.

    The instructor assignment was cut short when he received orders to the University of Oklahoma to study for a masters of arts degree in English literature because the Air Force wanted to staff the new Air Force Academy with some Service academy graduates to teach the young cadets. Nearby Tinker AFB was home to Oklahoma City Air Material Area and 1Lt Secord was able to continue maintaining flying status in the T-33, F-86, and also got some multi-engined time in the C-54 and the C-97.

    While he was going through the masters program, he was given the opportunity to volunteer for a temporary duty assignment in the top secret program called Project JUNGLE JIM. The invitation included the caveat, “May include combat.” Secord quickly raised his hand to volunteer.

    The program required psychological screening to determine a volunteer’s suitability for special operations, so he went to Lackland AFB TX and met several hundred other volunteers, some of whom became his lifelong friends. The selected group of volunteers spent several weeks in an intense survival school program in the High Sierras evading mock captors, trying to stay warm, and finding something to eat. Secord knew from his time at West Point that these ordeals were designed to winnow out the weak. A few weeks later the group made its way to Hurlburt Field.

    Hurlburt Field in the early 1960s was home to the 4400th Combat Crew Training Squadron, which back then had a veritable museum of vintage aircraft with many in the Hurlburt Field Air Park today. Secord was assigned to the ‘strike section’, which flew World War II era A-26s and AT-28Bs. The AT-28Bs were similar to the T-28 he flew in flight school, but had guns, ordnance stations, and a more powerful 1425 horsepower engine.

    The airlift section had 40 pilots and navigators and flew C-47 “Goony Birds” and other utility aircraft, like the UC-10, that had short takeoff and landing capabilities. All the aircraft were painted a dull gray with very few markings on them, unlike other Air Force aircraft.

    Col Ben King was the commander of the 4400th at the time. King and the instructors were all highly qualified, mostly from the Second World War and Korea. Secord and the strike section practiced air-to-ground gunnery and a variety of low-level tactics over the Florida and Alabama swamps and target ranges, becoming equally proficient in dropping ordnance in the daytime or at night.

    Three months into training the unit was given orders to deploy under the code name Detachment Two Alpha, to Bien Hoa AB, Republic of Vietnam, not later than 1 March 1962. The mission was to assist the South Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF) and the army in the suppressing a North Vietnamese-sponsored insurgency group known as the Viet Cong. The strategic objective was to assist the South in putting down the pro-communist insurrection and drive the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) back north across the border.

    Captain Secord had nearly 2,000 hours flying time and was the junior officer in the unit, giving one a sense of experience in Detachment Two Alpha. Major Robert Allison was the operations officer and a great pilot. Capt Tom Temple was an expert dive-bomber who amazed even the World War II veterans. Both Allison and Temple flew P-51 Mustangs over Hitler’s Europe and their experience in prop-planes was evident.

    Officially, the unit wasn’t stationed anywhere near Vietnam. The cover story for Detachment Two Alpha was they were ‘instructors’ for the VNAF pilots. The Americans didn’t wear name tags, unit patches, or rank; just dog tags. The men also gave up their Geneva Convention cards, which every serviceman carries to show he was entitled to humane treatment as a POW. The Vietnamese pilots, on the other hand, usually flew in impressive uniforms with all the ropes and whistles of a Lord Mountbatten or Idi Amin. Regardless, the most important lesson given to the “students” was to keep their hands off the flight controls when the Americans were flying.

    Gen Curtis LeMay and Capt Richard Secord. (Photo courtesy of USAF)

    In the early days, the unit did not keep track of flying hours and missions. Gen Curtis LeMay, the Air Force Chief of Staff, made a visit and stopped in front of Captain Secord who promptly rendered LeMay a crisp West Point salute. LeMay returned the salute like a man in shock and asked Secord how many missions he had flown, perhaps suspecting battle fatigue. Captain Secord replied, “I don’t know, sir.” General LeMay responded, “What do you mean you don’t know…did you just report for duty?” Secord replied,“No sir, I’ve been here two months and we aren’t permitted to log them, so they all kind of run together after a while—sir.” LeMay’s staff was unhappy, but Secord felt he owed the general a truthful answer. LeMay didn’t answer and continued with his inspection, but a few days later the unit received an order to start logging all the missions and try to recreate all the past missions.

    After a short-time, Secord was promoted to flight commander and began to lead strike missions providing air support for the infantry. Each mission was controlled by forward air controllers (FAC). The unit flew missions even during the monsoon season, which didn’t really affect them because they flew between the bands of clouds and rain. Night time missions were a double edged sword—it was difficult for the enemy to see the fighters, but there was always the terrain to worry about. The C-47s dropped parachute flares, which effectively blinded the enemy, but when the pilots pulled up out of the light, they flew into the blackness of the night.

    Secord finished his first tour in Vietnam in September 1962 and returned to the US. He was replaced by a captain who had a lot less fighter time. Secord urged him to, “Be cautious, learn the terrain, and master the tricks of the trade before you get too aggressive.” Sadly, a few days later the pilot was killed in action. This was a shock to Secord and foretold of things to come. By 1964 the strike section would lose over 22 men, about the same number of Air Commandos they started with in 1961.
    Captain Secord stayed at Hurlburt Field until 1965, but had multiple temporary duty assignments to southeast Asia and other places. In February of 1963, he deployed to the rugged mountains of northwest Iran, which was home to the Kurdish people and the site of a top-secret war that few Americans have ever read about.

    The Kurds are an independent-minded people with a warrior tradition going back to antiquity with their ancestral homeland overlapping into Turkey, Iraq, and Iran. One attempt at Kurdish independence was instigated by the Soviet Union and Secord went to assist the young Shah in helping secure the Iranian border. Back in the 60s and 70s, the US was friendly with the government of Iran because of its strategic location. This was the first of several assignments Secord would have to Iran, which became familiar territory for him throughout his career.

    The deployed team consisted of an 80-man Army Special Forces (SF) contingent and two Air Force officers, Captain Secord and Maj Arnie Tillman. Tillman had experience with SF, but Secord had more recent combat experience. Tillman was a B-17 pilot who had been shot down over Russia during the Second World War and was repatriated through Tehran.

    The team arrived in Iran in March 1963, in the dead of winter. They weren’t issued winter clothing and they slept in the basement of the Military Assistance & Advisory Group (MAAG) compound, which was like a palace compared to the pup tents on ice ledges in the field.

    When the team got to the front they found four heavy infantry divisions under an Iranian general bogged down not only by the weather and tough terrain, but also a lack of discipline, disorganization, poor communications, logistics, training, and inappropriate tactics. The US team’s first goal was to help the Iranians seal the Kurdish border between Iraq and Iran by helping them become a more effective fighting force. The advisors went to work and after the training, the US advisors went into the field with the Iranians as observers and coaches critiquing them afterward bringing back information for the US and Iranian intelligence teams.

    Secord’s air contingent had a different task. The Kurdish insurrection was a real threat to the Shah, but the whole theater was treated like a leper colony. Fighting guerrillas wasn’t glorious and those who supported the operation didn’t want to get too involved. Secord dealt with a junkyard air force of a dozen C-47s and 15 T-6Gs trainers that didn’t have weapons hard-points. They operated from a gravel strip manned mostly by misfits and malcontents from the Iranian air force (IAF). The real IAF flew F-86Fs at bases just beyond a comfortable combat radius from the scene of action.

    The good news was the foundation of the ‘air campaign’ was the local pilots who knew their equipment and were competent military pilots. Secord had the Iranians rig the T-6s with 30 caliber machine gun pods and racks of Zuni rockets for an air-strike capability and helped them build sound air-to-ground tactics. The real value of these aircraft was the ability to FAC and get artillery on target, which gave a psychological boost to the Iranians on the ground seeing their aircraft overhead.

    With six months of work, the training began bearing fruit. There were no big decisive battles, but the Iranians fought numerous firefights and ambushes, generally coming out on top and by the fall of 1963, the threat to the Shah’s government evaporated. Secord was invited back to Iran in 1964 and again in 1965 to help improve other Iranian joint operational capabilities.

    At the same time, Col Heinie Aderholt took command of the wing at Hurlburt. He was a superb officer, gutsy pilot, and experienced combat leader. Heinie flew B-17s and C-47s in the Second World War, special operations aircraft in Korea, and served on loan to the CIA in Europe earlier in his career. He was a very charismatic leader and his men loved him.

    Capt Secord in the cockpit of an AT-28. (Photo courtesy of USAF)

    Secord returned to Hurlburt Field in March 1965 and helped train replacements for the ongoing operations in Vietnam. Aderholt was subsequently transferred to Southeast Asia to take command of the 56th Air Commando Wing at Nakon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base, but before he left he recommended Major Secord for Air Command and Staff College (ACSC) at Maxwell AFB, Alabama.
    As mentioned, Aderholt previously served with the CIA in the late 1950s and early 60s. The CIA fills positions that are not normally staffed for with people from other government services. The war in Southeast Asia was expanding and there were more positions than the CIA could fill. One of these positions came down to Secord while finishing ACSC and he jumped at the opportunity. Major Secord returned to Vietnam as an air operations officer at the CIA station in Saigon.

    At first, Secord was tasked with helping manage Air America’s fleet of aircraft in routine “trash hauling” missions. Air America was a proprietary airline used by the CIA. Major Secord also had the tedious job of coordinating VIP itineraries. In his mind, this was not what a West Point trained, veteran combat pilot was supposed to be doing. After six weeks, he went to his boss and told him that he wanted a transfer to where the real action was and after some more wrangling a cable came in from CIA headquarters ordering Secord to report to CIA Station Vientiane, Laos. His boss pushed back with his own cable, but the CIA’s reply was: Referenced cable was not a request, but directive in nature.

    Excited about the new job, Secord grabbed the first flight to Udorn AB in Thailand. Udorn AB, was home to the 7/13th AF headquarters, the 432nd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, and also a 1st Air Commando Wing detachment under code name WATERPUMP with 70 AT-28s.

    Secord met a CIA staff officer, Bob Blake, an AF Academy graduate who left the service for a full time job with the CIA. Blake ran the tactical air operations for Laos. Some historians and analysts made the operations in Laos out to be a sideshow to Vietnam, but there were nearly 80,000 troops, mostly tribesmen, on the ground in Laos and Secord knew it was a real war played for high stakes.

    Richard Secord was an air advisor in Laos until 1968. During the time he flew another 285 combat missions while serving in Southeast Asia. He returned to the Eglin AFB in September 1968, and was assigned to the AF Special Operations Force, under Tactical Air Command (TAC) as assistant deputy chief of staff and began work training aircrews for the kind of missions he had just left behind in the field.

    Richard Secord, standing in the background on the right, served as liaison officer and air advisor to the CIA in South East Asia from 1966 to 1968, a period of intense combat operations, including the Tet Offense. (Photo courtesy of USAF)

    Secord was soon promoted to lieutenant colonel and given command of the the 603rd Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, a brand new unit equipped with A-37B jets. These jets had the same engines as the T-38s, without afterburner, but flew more like a prop-driven fighter, like the A-1 and AT-28s.

    In 1971, Secord attended Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. Graduating a ten months later, he went to the Pentagon as a staff assistant in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD). This was out of the ordinary because usually first-time staff officers spent two years on the Air Staff before going over to OSD. He worked as the desk officer for issues concerning Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam under the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (ISA).

    In the new job, Colonel Secord, prepared policy and analysis papers for the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF), Melvin Laird. This was mid-1972 and the US was committed to the policy of ‘Vietnamization,’ code for America’s unilateral withdrawal from Vietnam. Peace was being negotiated in Paris and the government in Hanoi was committed, but in its own way by keeping up the military pressure up because they felt victory was close at hand. By March 1972 , the NVA crossed the demilitarized zone and captured Quang Tri in the north. President Nixon responded with the Linebacker I air offensive where B-52s bombed targets over the lower reaches of North Vietnam. The sudden ramp-up of violence sobered the North Vietnamese negotiators in Paris and they drew up a cease fire plan. However, the president of South Vietnam rejected the plan and many people in the Pentagon were wary as well. Colonel Secord offered his superiors that the agreement had no penalties for North Vietnamese violations and no punitive consequences existed in case of a later invasion of the south.

    In October, Secord’s team was asked to prepare a talking paper that outlined plans to widely expand the air war, to be delivered by Laird to the President. The group was a proponent for the expanded use of the B-52s. Unfortunately, the Joint Chiefs didn’t like the proposal, especially the Air Force. It was a classic Catch-22 situation. The North Vietnamese had sophisticated Soviet SA-2s and if the B-52s used their electronic counter-measures equipment to protect themselves against the SA-2s, it would also tip off the Soviets that the US had the capability.

    In mid-December, Secord was told to dust off the plan; the SECDEF and President decided, due to the stalled Paris peace talks, they would try it. Secord’s team drafted the initial order, “Commencing on 18 December and continue until further directed, you will make maximum effort utilizing all assets currently assigned, including B-52s and naval aircraft, to attack the following targets, which are validated for strike within 48-hour period herewith. Further orders to follow.”
    Some senior officers on the staff had trouble with the meaning of ‘maximum effort.’ Secord explained, “Sir, it means, Engage the enemy with both hands, kick him in the ass, and get this damned war over with…”

    A KC-97 refulels an A-37 Dragonfly flown by Secord (Photo courtesy of Jim Ifland)

    As history has been written, Linebacker II or the “Twelve Days of Christmas” bombing campaign worked and Hanoi sued for peace. The US lost multiple B-52s and other aircraft, but the war was over with the Paris Peace Treaty signed in January 1973, followed by the rapid release of American POWs, some held for eight years.

    In the spring of 1973, the OSD staff was being downsized and Colonel Secord interviewed for a job in the Defense Security Assistance Agency (DSAA). DSAA is a little known agency that was responsible for implementing America’s arms transfers to over 70 countries worldwide. During that time, Secord helped resupply the Israelis during the 1973 Yom Kippur War with badly needed ordnance, allowing the Israeli Defense Force to ultimately prevail.

    Secord was sent to Iran with two 3-star generals to conduct a low key investigation of a program called Project Peace Crown, a multi-million dollar, developmental air-defense system for the Shah that had run into unexpected troubles. The team helped smooth the feathers of the Iranians and the contractors to keep the program going.

    In March 1975, Colonel Secord was selected as the deputy commander for operations with the 29th Flying Training Wing at Craig AFB AL. The wing flew T-37s and T-38s and he flew both aircraft types, regularly. Several months later, the wing commander took emergency leave and left Colonel Secord temporally in command and faced with a short-notice IG inspection on the base.

    As the IG team settled in, Colonel Secord was told to report to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General David Jones, the next day, because he was being considered for a high-level assignment in Iran. The position in the Air Force MAAG was a brigadier general’s billet and ten days later the Chairman picked Secord for the job.

    In September 1975, Secord returned to Iran as the Chief, Air Force Section, Military Assistance Advisory Group and was the chief advisor to the commander of the Iranian air force. He managed all the Air Force programs for Iran, which were considerable, as well as some Army and Navy security assistance programs.

    After three tough, but productive years, General Secord departed Iran. It was bittersweet after working with the Iranians at the highest levels and in close cooperation with the Near East intelligence community developing many friends. While there he worked a multitude of programs such as I-Hawk missile project and the equipment for the Iranian F-14s. The job was made easier because of the rapport he had with the many Iranian officers he met on previous assignments. By the fall of 1978, the Shah was beginning to have problems with his health and with religious factions when the name Ayatollah Khomeini first came to the fore, sadly it wouldn’t be the last.

    Secord returned to the US in July 1978 and was appointed director of military assistance and sales, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Logistics and Engineering at Headquarters Air Force. He and his staff managed several hundred billion dollars worth of defense programs in 60 different countries. In those years, all total the USAF international programs were comparable to the sales volumes of General Motors and Ford combined…exceeding the gross national product of many countries. One of the main duties was to look into each contract submission and disassemble the data to determine reasonableness and what the program should cost.

    In 1979, after President Carter negotiated the Camp David Peace Accord between Egypt and Israel. Secord was sent to Cairo to assist the Egyptian high command allocate its first US foreign military sales credits. This was a tangible reward for President Sadat doing the right thing by settling some old disputes with Israel. The highest priority was getting the first F-4 squadron in place and ready to fly.

    Late in the Carter administration, General Secord was tasked to work with the Saudis on a planned $7 billion sale of the several AWACS aircraft. There were many sides to the issue, but probably the most sensitive one was the reaction of the Israelis and pro-Israel lobby in the US. Maj Gen Jim Ahmann and Secord met with Prince Bandar, the Saudi air attache and future ambassador to the US, to work out the language and other particulars of the deal. It was a delicate process just before the 1980 election because they didn’t know what a possible new administration might think about the terms or even the willingness to sell the systems to Saudi Arabia.

    Just after President Reagan’s inauguration in January 1981, the Air Force Chief of Staff told General Secord, he was being transferred to OSD under the new Secretary of Defense, Caspar Weinberger, because of his familiarity with the AWACS program. This was a surprise because acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Near East, Africa, and South Asia was normally a political appointment and it never had an active duty military officer in that seat. In April 1981, the temporary assignment was made permanent and as such, General Secord held two US government commissions: one as an active duty officer and the other as a political appointee.

    Major General Secord jumped at the opportunity and was excited to blaze a new trail. Secord’s direct boss was Bing West, the Assistant Secretary of Defense-ISA, but on the issue of working with the Saudis and Israelis, Secord reported directly to Caspar Weinberger and his deputy, Frank Carlucci. There were many political and legislative issues with the AWACS sale, far too many to discuss in this work, but Secord’s early respect for Weinberger grew to admiration because of his strong principles and willingness to stand behind them. Ultimately, after many arguments and bruised egos, the AWACS sale passed the Senate, 52-48 in October 1981.

    General Secord’s last campaign in uniform came in April 1983, when he led an effort to sell F-16s to Pakistan. The deal raised a lot of ire on multiple fronts, including the Air Force because of the AN/ALR-69 radar warning receiver on the F-16s. The US used the same equipment and there was much back and forth about giving away secrets. After weeks of handwringing and appearances before a congressional committee, General Secord informed the committee that the same system microprocessor used for the ALR-69 was already a part of the ground-based intercept radar previously sold to Pakistan.

    General Secord made multiple visits to Congress to provide testimony on the deal. The last visit was particularly acrimonious and finally Secord informed the chairman of the hearings, “These hearings are at an end” and walked out without looking back. Ultimately, F-16s were sold to Pakistan.

    Major General Richard V. Secord’s retirement ceremony was held in May 1983, in the Secretary of Defense’s conference room, officiated by Caspar Weinberger himself. The Secretary commended General Secord for his tireless efforts and presented him with his second Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the highest peacetime award the department can offer a military man. General Secord’s first DDSM was authorized by President Reagan for, “Service above and beyond the strict call of duty” during the aforementioned AWACS battle. When the small quiet ceremony was finished, General Richard Secord’s 32 years in uniform quietly came to an end.

    After his business career, General Secord also made huge contributions in his various roles in the Air Commando Association. In 1969, then Colonel Aderholt stood up the ACA. Aderholt and Secord’s careers intersected several times from the early 1960s on and as a result, General Secord became a very close confidant to Heinie and even served as the executor of his will.

    In July of 2010, General Secord was the Vice President of the organization and when the president, CMSgt Chuck Keeler, suddenly passed away, General Secord stepped in to become the president of the ACA serving in that role until 2014. At that point, General Secord was voted to be the first Chairman of the Board as the association continued to evolve and move forward with the times.

    In his role as president and later, chairman of the board, General Secord led the organization through one of its most turbulent times. It was during this period that the ACA transformed itself from a primarily fraternal organization to one that truly serves Air Commandos and their families past, present, and future. As the Association started this reinvention there were many long-time, senior members that were not keen to see the changes. General Secord had the bona fides as one of the original members to stave off even the most ardent nay sayers and moved the Association forward. It was during this period that ACA published the first, now highly renowned, Air Commando Journal, and even more importantly, established the philanthropic arm of the ACA in the form of the Air Commando Foundation. The Foundation helps Air Commandos, past and present, financially in times of great stress and need. Further, the ACA actively reached out and embraced the active duty Air Commandos with various award and recognition programs, thus ensuring that ACA survived and took a forward looking posture as well as honoring the past. For his leadership during the transition forward, the ACA and all Air Commandos owe General Secord a huge debt of gratitude.

    Note: the source for this article is, Honored and Betrayed by Richard V. Secord with Charles J. Wurts (Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 1992). A large portion of the text is used and/or excerpted from the book in order to accurately detail General Secord’s military career. I highly recommend the book to those interested for more in-depth detail of the general’s military and business careers.


    About the author: Colonel Harmon retired from the USAF in 2010 after 30 years of service. He held several command positions in operations and training, and served three tours as the Director, Special Operations Liaison Element in Central Command’s Combined Air Operations Center during Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.
  • ► Obituary of Richard Secord

    Major General Richard Vernon Secord, a legendary combat aviator, distinguished leader, and brilliant military strategist, passed away on October 15, 2024, at the age of 92. General Secord’s military career spanned more than three decades and included pivotal roles in the Vietnam War, Laos, Central Intelligence Agency, and U.S. strategic efforts in pre-revolution Iran. Known for his leadership and innovation in special operations, he was an early member of the Air Commandos, the U.S. Air Force’s elite special operations unit. He was subsequently awarded the US Special Operations Command Medal in 2007 for his outstanding contributions to, and in support of, special operations.

    Born in 1932 in LaRue, Ohio, General Secord graduated from The United States Military Academy at West Point in 1955. Upon graduation, General Secord was sworn in as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force by then Captain Alexander Haig. General Secord began a remarkable career that would span over the next three decades and was involved in some of the most challenging and high-stakes operations of the 20th century. His introduction into special operations began when 1st Lieutenant Secord volunteered as a member of the famed 4400th Combat Crew Training Squadron executing Operation Jungle Jim in Vietnam. Later, he led air operations in support of the Ban Naden raid, the only successful POW rescue during the war. As a Colonel, he developed plans for the famous Vietnam air campaign later designated Operation Linebacker II, the largest US bombing campaign since World War II which arguably forced North Vietnamese officials back into peace talks in 1972.

    Most notably, General Secord’s involvement in Iran is where he gained the most notoriety. In 1963, General Secord was sent to Iran for the first of many assignments there to assist Shah Mohammad Rezi Pahlavi secure the northwestern border against a Kurdish insurrection. His final tour in Iran was in 1975 for three years where he paved the way for Iranian I-Hawk and F-14 procurement and development. He departed Iran with his family in 1978 before the Iranian Revolution of 1979.

    Major General Secord’s retirement was in May 1983, and was officiated by Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger. He was presented a Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the highest non-combat related military award and the highest joint service decoration. The Defense Distinguished Service Medal is normally awarded to the most senior officers such as the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff or Chiefs of military services. This was General Secord’s second. Major General Richard Secord’s 32 years of faithful and dedicated service came to an end. However, his actions and involvement in many world events continue to resonate and exist today on the modern battlefield and in global affairs.

    Perhaps General Secord’s greatest accomplishment was his 62-year marriage to the love of his life, Jo Ann. Jo Ann stood faithfully by General Secord throughout every twist and turn of his career and was a formidable presence in her own right. Jo Ann preceded him in death on January 7th, 2024. Together, they have three children: Julie, Laura, and John; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

    As we remember Major General Richard Secord, we celebrate a life dedicated to duty, honor, and country. His contributions to the United States Air Force and the nation will leave an enduring legacy for generations to come. His profound impact on the military community and his unwavering commitment to service will not be forgotten.

    Celebration of Life and Burial Details to follow. Please direct all inquiries to Verne Speirs, Family Representative, at 850 270-3331.


    Courtesy of the Northwest Florida Daily News https://www.nwfdailynews.com/obituaries/psar0982906

Photo Gallery of General Richard Secord

We would like to share some photos of the General and his enduring commitment to the Air Commando Association over the many years he volunteered on behalf of all Air Commandos.

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Continue reading

Members who have flown west

The following is a list of Air Commandos who we have lost since the spring of 2024. While some of the individuals may have passed away before 2024, the ACA has just been notified.

Michael Bailey

Franklin Blum

Paul Cartter

Robert Clark

Dr. William Cohen

Bruce Kramer

Robert Mason

Bruce Nyberg Sr.

Thomas Palmer

Carroll Rands

ACA Welcomes Newest Members

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ACA Nomination Form

The Association also needs more candidates from the Hurlburt area.

The call for nominations has been closed. We will complete the slate of nominees by close of business 8 November 2024, and ballots will go out 15 November 2024.

Next class of Directors’ tenures begin 1 January 2025.

Please make our jobs hard by nominating high-quality Air Commandos for these vital positions.

Thank you in advance.

Respectfully,

//signed//

Joe Mast, CMSgt, USAF, Retired
Vice President, Air Commando Association
Nominating and Governance Committee


Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

The positions of President, Vice President, Treasurer and four (4) directors are available.
Every single member of the Air Commando Association is eligible for any of these positions and we want any of you to step up and serve (self-nominations)! Voting will be done via email with your Air Commando Association membership.

I Nominate: (Self Nominations Accepted)
Please submit information similar to the Air force bios, along with a few bulletized dates/accomplishments/timelines. No classified information should be sent. (Limit 500 words)
Position You (or your nominee) Is Running For:
Please tell us why you (or your nominee) want to serve on the ACA Board of Directors. (300 word limit)

Seeking Information on 4 Lima Site-85 Prisoners of War

By William R. Peterson, TLC Brotherhood, Vietnam War Commemoration Chair
[Note to the reader—There will be a much expanded version of this request for information in the Air Commando Journal in November]

I am looking for any information that someone out there might have, regarding the three POWs, Master Sergeant Calfee, Technical Sergeant Hall, and Staff Sergeant Worley from the attack on Lima Site 85 (Laos) 10-11 March 1968.

Who Am I?

During my tour in Vietnam I served as the Senior Director of the TACC-North Sector, a state of the art digital control center, that was the forward Battle Staff for HQ 7th Air Force responsible for Operations Rolling Thunder, Barrel Roll and Steel Tiger. After Vietnam, I went back to the USAF Air Defense Command as Senior Director, followed by a career in Special Intelligence and served for two years as NSA Liaison to the OSD Special Office for POW-MIA.

The Search Begins

Thirty two years after I left Vietnam I discovered Colonel Gerald Clayton on the internet. He was the commander of all the precision radar-guided bombing system sites, known as SKYSPOT, in Vietnam, Thailand, and Lima Site 85 in northeast Laos and we worked together to solve problems together during the war.

We became good friends in 2005 and began a partnership to discover what happened to his 16 men working the radar system at LS 85 after the battle on 11 March 1968—4 men were rescued and 12 men were designated MIA. Almost everything about the site was still classified and we had to wait for the classified document downgrading schedule to take effect.

The first problem was the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Office had written a narrative that was of little use because it was filled with errors and omissions. Our personal knowledge of events was at odds with the “official” narrative and why I am reaching out to the ACA members.

Aerial View Late 67 Early 68

Some Facts After the Attack:

Late on the day of the attack the U.S. Ambassador declared that all 16 Commando Club men were KIA during the battle. The real accounting should have been: Four rescued by Air America on the day of the attack. Four escaped and were MIA evading somewhere on the mountain. One was rescued by USAF Jolly 67 from the top of the mountain. Seven others, sadly, were KIA verified by surviving witnesses.

During our investigation, we learned that the group of three Americans arrived at the hamlet of Houei Hok northwest the Phou Pha Thi mountain on the morning of 14 March 1968. Airman Price, one of the three, died and was buried at some unknown location on the periphery of that hamlet, leaving Worley and Calfee. Airman Price’s remains have been found, very recently verified, and returned to his family. Hall was delivered by the PAVN making three captives.

In our search, we discovered that Worley and Hall were taken to a major POW cave complex near Xam Neua and Calfee was taken to a different camp. Finally, we have a report that indicates four POWs, two pilots and two LS-85 technicians, were flown by a Russian aircraft to a prison in the USSR. That is where their trail ends, for now.

What We Need To Know

We would like to fill in some blanks regarding each of the three remaining POW/MIAs from Commando Club at LS 85— Hall, Worley, and Calfee.

TSgt Hall is a mystery because nobody can account for his whereabouts before and during the battle. He should have been on top the mountain, like the other support troops, ready to receive incoming Frag Orders for 12 March air operations and/or solve any radio or crypto problems. What he knew was extremely high on the enemy list of essential elements of information and he would have been a high value target to capture.

SSgt Worley’s specialty in radar technology and scope operations would have made him a high value person, same as TSgt Hall. Both Hall and Worley were reported to be in a prison in Chechnya and that is where their trail goes cold.

MSgt Calfee had a great amount of experience on the tracking system used to determine B-52 bombing effectiveness. When the attack occurred he was the third person to be shot, the other two died. Sergeant Calfee crawled under the radar ops van with his M-16 and over the next five hours killed enemy commandos, saving two American lives, as reported by one of the survivors he saved. In making his escape, he broke through “the enemy line” using close contact fighting to kill one other Dac Cong soldier and taking his weapon. Years later, the enemy reported losses of 16 out of 20 commandos. Calfee’s actions delayed the enemy attack on the helicopter, which facilitated the rescue of his four team mates. MSgt Calfee was awarded the Silver Star 42 years after the battle at LS 85.

In Conclusion

After 55 years of misinformation, disinformation, lazy, incorrect narratives copied without further or critical investigation, our 11 next of kin families have yet to learn what they yearn to know about their loved one. If you can provide us with one more precious piece of information you believe is factual and the source is reliable, please contact me at pr@tlc-brotherhood.com or call my cell at 410-739-9998 Eastern. My team and I will take it from there.

William R. Peterson, MA, MS
Denton, MD

Thailand-Laos-Cambodia Brotherhood
Vietnam War Commemoration Chair
Monkey Mountain, Vietnam
Korat RTAFB Thailand
Houaphan Air Missions, Laos
1967-1968

ACA Golf Tourney Oct 17th

We invite you to join us on Thursday, October 17th  for the 2024 ACA Heritage Golf Tournament.

Whether you’re a seasoned golfer or just starting out, this tournament promises a fun-filled day for all skill levels. Tee off with friends and fellow Air Commandos on Thursday, Oct 17th as you navigate the challenging course and SWING for a good cause.

When: October 17th, 2024 from 12:30 PM to 6:00 PM
Location: 600 Golf Course Drive, Niceville32578
All proceeds to benefit the Air Commando Association a 501c(3) Non-profit.

 

What is a 109?

The AFSOC History Office has received a Vietnam veteran’s memento from 20 SOS (1969-70) – a UH-1 tail rotor blade!
The donor (son of the deceased veteran) asked a question about one of the inscriptions on the blade.
On the blade is written “What is a 109?” The History Office trying to find that answer for the donor to satisfy a decade’s long ponderance.
If you know the answer, send the ACA the answer!

Paul “Two T” Cartter Takes Final Flight

It is with a heavy heart the ACA posts the following:

A Note from Warren “Smokey” Hubbard on the loss of Green Hornet—Paul B. Cartter.

I wanted to let my fellow Air Commandos know of the loss of retired 20th SOS Green Hornet gunner, Technical Sergeant Paul “Two T” Cartter. He passed away peacefully on 5 August at his Tucson, AZ home surrounded by friends and family. A memorial service will be held at Hudgel’s Swan Mortuary in Tucson at 11:00 on 31 August.
I had the pleasure of logging many flight hours with Two T on my crew. Two T took pride in his work as an UH-1N door gunner and could be depended on to clear a “bent gun” and have it back on line before the next pass as skillfully as he could lay an aimed burst from his minigun accurately on target. Paul had an “Anytime, Anyplace” attitude and manner that made him a positive influence on turning any crew into an efficient, smooth operating team.

Last year, the Air Commando Journal commemorated the 40th anniversary of the 20th SOS’s participation in the U.S. drug interdiction mission called Operation Bahamas and Turks or OpBat.
The issue featured an interview with TwoT and recounted his involvement in OpBat and the injuries he received during an aircraft accident that took place on 9 January 1984 taking the lives of his three aircrew mates, a DEA Agent, and a Bahamian Police Officer. Link to interview: https://aircommando.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Interview-Paul-Cartter-Two-T-ACJ-12_2.pdf

Two T fought to remain on active duty following the accident, but his injuries affected his mobility and required his medical retirement in November 1984.
Not one to let these injuries slow him down, Paul became a law enforcement dog trainer with Arizona Search and Rescue Association. Two T and his dogs assisted the FBI and local law enforcement agencies throughout the country saving many and bringing comfort to more.

In later years, the progression of the disability from his injuries confined TwoT to a wheelchair. However, again, he did not let this slow his active lifestyle. Two T on his outside chair, a motorized track mounted vehicle, brought to mind the 2nd Armored Division slogan “Hell on wheels!” He continued to lead an active life and in a recent phone conservation he enthusiastically spoke of his plans to participate in an upcoming Paralyzed Veterans Association tournament where he enjoyed wheelchair basketball, bowling, and shooting sports.

Two T was a good man. He was my friend and he will be missed.
Lt Col Smokey Hubbard, USAF (Retired)

https://www.swanfuneral.com/obituaries/paul-cartter

The Mighty Roar of the Dragon

By Mike Russell, Colonel, USAF (Retired)

What typically comes to mind when we think about classic Air Force Special Operation aircraft are the AC-130 gunships, MC-130 Combat Talons and Combat Shadows, MH-53M Pave Low and MH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, and CV-22 Ospreys. Some folks may remember, the Hueys and H-3s, perhaps even AC-119s, SC-47s, or AT-37s or any of the myriad of birds proudly perched in the airpark at Hurlburt Field. Each played a significant role and has earned its place in the legacy of special operation aviation. But for the last 18 years a decidedly low-key platform has been hard at work “in the shadows” performing tactical air mission coordinator duties and providing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) in support of special operations ground forces as well as search and rescue, and humanitarian missions.
This aircraft was dubbed the U-28A and, in 2019, was given the official nickname Draco…Latin for dragon and a constellation in the far northern sky. Since their introduction, this small fleet of low-profile aircraft have become an increasingly important component of US counter-terrorism operations, providing real time ISR and time sensitive mission support all over the world.

Off The Shelf
In October 2005, the Air Force’s 319th Special Operations Squadron (SOS) received a new aircraft. It was the small but mighty PC-12; a single-engine turboprop passenger and cargo aircraft. After under going a series of modifications, the newly designated U-28 flew its first combat mission in June 2006, six U-28As became part of the 319th Special Operations Squadron. The Air Force’s U-28 fleet has since grown to 28 aircraft.
The U-28A is a military version of the Swiss-made Pilatus PC-12, a plane popular with commercial users all over the world since 1991, and is a relatively inexpensive aircraft with modest operating costs. The non-militarized PC-12 can carry up to nine passengers and cargo from remote airstrips and has a range of approximately 1,500 miles. It has a cruising speed at altitude of 310 miles per hour and can successfully take off in 2,450 feet and land in 3,050. It is excellent for landing on dirt and grass strips, making the airframe well suited for missions in the Middle East and Africa. The U-28A retains the PC-12’s commercial profile and blends in well with civilian aircraft operating in those areas during sensitive operations. The initial mission of the 319th SOS was tactical mobility supporting US Special Operations Forces. According to Air Force Special Operations Command’s Capt Kristen K. Duncan, “These aircraft give us the flexibility to (quietly) move smaller amounts of people and cargo to remote or austere airfields that our larger aircraft could not use.” By 2012 the 319th’s mission had fully evolved and was announced as tactical ISR…. Continue reading this article

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The Mighty Roar of the Dragon

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Operation Just Cause; A Senior Commander’s Perspective

By Lt Gen Bruce L. Fister, USAF (Retired)

Much has been written about Operation Just Cause, which in the early planning stages was known as “Blue Spoon.”This paper is written from my vantage point as the sole surviving senior commander of the Joint Special Operations Task Force for the Panama mission. My boss during this time was General Wayne Downing who passed away a few years ago. Wayne was a dear friend and one of the best commanders with whom I had the pleasure of serving.

As I recall, planning for Blue Spoon began in May of 1989. Combat operations were set to begin at 0100 on 20 December 1989. The night before, Gen Jim Lindsay, commander US Special Operation Command, called me at my headquarters and asked if we could call the Panama operation something other than Blue Spoon— a spoon didn’t seem to inspire, even if it was blue. I agreed and we settled on Operation Just Cause.
Prior to the operation, during November, I was deployed with an undercover force to Panama called Nifty Package. We resided in Hanger One at Howard AFB on the south end of the Panama Canal zone. This force included a small contingent of Army special operators, four MH-60 Blackhawks and six A/MH-6 “Little Birds,”two of which were armed with guns and rockets, and two Air Force AC-130H gunships. It was a loose cover and we had two missions if conflict started. First, was to rescue Kurt Muse held in the Panamanian prison, across the street from the Panamanian Army Headquarters. Kurt was an undercover agent in Panama operating among other things, a pirate radio station. Our second mission was to capture Panamanian dictator Manual Noriega.
During the November deployment to Howard AFB, we conducted rehearsals every other night using the Department of Defense elementary school, which was approximately midway up the Canal Zone. The elementary school building had the same planform as the Panamanian prison, so it was perfect for rehearsals and to practice various contingency operations that might occur should things not go exactly as expected. Additionally, every other night we sent an MH-60 from Howard to the Gorgas Army Hospital helicopter pad in Panama City, with directions to extend their flight path over the prison so personnel guarding Kurt Muse grew accustomed to hearing helicopter noise so as to not be alerted if and when we assaulted the prison. This also gave us the opportunity to record videos of the prison and to serve as a morale booster for Kurt.
At the end of November of 1989, the Pentagon directed that we redeploy our force back to the United States. This didn’t last very long. On the 15th of December four American service members were assaulted by members of the Panamanian Defense Force (PDF). One American died of his wounds. Sometime later that evening, a Navy couple in town for dinner were also assaulted by the PDF. These incidents were the final straw and President George H. W. Bush ordered US Forces to invade Panama…

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Operation Just Cause; A Senior Commander’s Perspective

By Lt Gen Bruce L. Fister, USAF (Retired)

Much has been written about Operation Just Cause, which in the early planning stages was known as “Blue Spoon.”This paper is written from my vantage point as the sole surviving senior commander of the Joint Special Operations Task Force for the Panama mission. My boss during this time was General Wayne Downing who passed away a few years ago. Wayne was a dear friend and one of the best commanders with whom I had the pleasure of serving.

As I recall, planning for Blue Spoon began in May of 1989. Combat operations were set to begin at 0100 on 20 December 1989. The night before, Gen Jim Lindsay, commander US Special Operation Command, called me at my headquarters and asked if we could call the Panama operation something other than Blue Spoon— a spoon didn’t seem to inspire, even if it was blue. I agreed and we settled on Operation Just Cause.
Prior to the operation, during November, I was deployed with an undercover force to Panama called Nifty Package. We resided in Hanger One at Howard AFB on the south end of the Panama Canal zone. This force included a small contingent of Army special operators, four MH-60 Blackhawks and six A/MH-6 “Little Birds,”two of which were armed with guns and rockets, and two Air Force AC-130H gunships. It was a loose cover and we had two missions if conflict started. First, was to rescue Kurt Muse held in the Panamanian prison, across the street from the Panamanian Army Headquarters. Kurt was an undercover agent in Panama operating among other things, a pirate radio station. Our second mission was to capture Panamanian dictator Manual Noriega.
During the November deployment to Howard AFB, we conducted rehearsals every other night using the Department of Defense elementary school, which was approximately midway up the Canal Zone. The elementary school building had the same planform as the Panamanian prison, so it was perfect for rehearsals and to practice various contingency operations that might occur should things not go exactly as expected. Additionally, every other night we sent an MH-60 from Howard to the Gorgas Army Hospital helicopter pad in Panama City, with directions to extend their flight path over the prison so personnel guarding Kurt Muse grew accustomed to hearing helicopter noise so as to not be alerted if and when we assaulted the prison. This also gave us the opportunity to record videos of the prison and to serve as a morale booster for Kurt.
At the end of November of 1989, the Pentagon directed that we redeploy our force back to the United States. This didn’t last very long. On the 15th of December four American service members were assaulted by members of the Panamanian Defense Force (PDF). One American died of his wounds. Sometime later that evening, a Navy couple in town for dinner were also assaulted by the PDF. These incidents were the final straw and President George H. W. Bush ordered US Forces to invade Panama.
With the President fully engaged, Gen Wayne Downing and his small staff immediately flew to Panama on the 18th of December and set up a joint operations center in Hanger One. Shortly thereafter, President Bush ordered that we execute Operation Just Cause with a D-day, 20 December and H-hour of 0100. As General Downing’s deputy, I worked with General Lindsay to begin movement of forces to Panama. This was a major undertaking which involved Army Special Forces from Ft Bragg, North Carolina, the 82d Airborne Division also from Ft Bragg, Navy SEALs from Dam Neck, Virginia, Army Rangers from both Hunter Army Airfield, South Carolina, and McChord AFB, Washington, KC-135 and KC-10 aerial refueling tankers from McGuire AFB, New Jersey, four additional AC-130H gunships from Hurlburt Field, Florida, two EF-111s from Cannon AFB, New Mexico, additional C-130s from Pope AFB and Hurlburt Field, and C-141s from Charleston AFB, South Carolina. All these forces had to travel through the Yucatan Gap, the part of the Gulf of Mexico between Cuba and Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and in order not to be detected by the Cubans, all air assets descended to 500 feet while transiting through the area. We also put an F-15 fighter combat air patrol west of the planned route, just off the coast of Mexico in case the Cubans detected the force and tried to intercept it with their fighter aircraft. Finally, there were MH-53 Pave Low and MH-47 special operations helicopters coming from Hurlburt Field, which inflight refueled with HC-130 tankers from nearby Eglin AFB. Finally, four MH-60 Pave Hawks were delivered to Howard AFB in a C-5 Galaxy transport. There were 65 aircraft total in this movement.
As mentioned, the mission of this military operation was to first rescue Kurt Muse, then capture Manuel Noriega, while also protecting American citizens, and ensure the security of the Panama Canal. The Joint Special Operations Task Force was assigned 27 targets for the operation. By the 19th of December our forces were in place to begin the operation and 15 C-141s were enroute to air drop the Rangers on Torrijos-Tocumen Airfield (Panama’s large international airport) and 15 C-130s were enroute to air drop Rangers on Rio Hato Airfield, located toward the western boundary of Panama. This was a complicated air plan and Colonel Mark Race directed the planning and execution of the air operation. I deployed aboard the C-130 Airborne Command, Control, and Communications aircraft (ABCCC) from Pope AFB, departing just before an ice storm precluded us from flying.
As the 0100, 20 December H-hour approached, General Downing had reason to believe that the operation was compromised and he directed that H-hour be advanced 15 minutes to 0045, 20 December. This change in the H-hour went smoothly, but that successful adjustment had a back story from five years earlier.
Back in February 1985 the Joint Task Force was involved in an exercise off Guam, where the target was an abandoned airfield on Tinian Island. During this exercise, I recommended to Gen Carl Stiner, the task force commander at the time, that we move H-hour forward 15 minutes because there was no opposition force observed on the Tinian runway. Unfortunately, our procedures for moving a time forward had never been practiced and there were problems with communications all of which resulted in a major aircraft accident; an MC-130E landed on top of an MH-60 helicopter that was hovering in the touchdown zone. There were some serious injuries, but fortunately there were no fatalities. After this accident, I was determined that our task force be able to move H-hour either forward or backwards and we practiced that during subsequent exercises. So on 20 December, when General Downing directed that H-hour be moved forward 15 minutes, it went off without a hitch.
At 0045, 20 December four MH-6 Little Birds landed on top of the Panamanian prison infiltrating several special operators while two Little Bird gunships eliminated PDF .50 caliber machine gun positions located on two high rise apartments, each looking down on the prison. Simultaneously, two AC-130H gunships destroyed the eight buildings within the PDF headquarters compound across the street from the prison in less than eight minutes. A Special Forces shooter fast roped down the side of the prison and shot the PDF guard, who was directed to kill Kurt Muse in the event there was a rescue attempt. The special operators entered the prison, flex cuffed all the guards, and freed Kurt from his cell. They took Muse up to the roof and put him on the side of an MH-6 Little Bird and began to escape from the prison. Unfortunately, the Little Bird received enemy fire and a round hit the engine and the helicopter fluttered off the side of the prison wall. The pilot maintained control and air-taxied two blocks, turned left a block and then crashed. The five operators took Kurt and formed a defensive position to wait for an M-113 armored personal carrier to pick him up and take him to the rendezvous location in an elementary school yard in Panama City. We had practiced this contingency event multiple times at the elementary school in the Canal Zone, as I mentioned earlier. Kurt Muse was later flown out of Panama and reunited with his wife, Ann, in Virginia. (For those interested, I recommend Kurt Muse’s book Six Minutes to Freedom.)
I remained airborne in the ABCCC on the 20th for the duration of initial operations and finally returned to Ft Bragg after 22 hours in the air. Two days later I was back in Hanger One at Howard as we ran stability operations across Panama and captured the leaders of the PDF and further dissolved the PDF. One of our most successful tactics was the “Ma Bell” maneuver where we would put an AC-130H above a PDF cantonment, called them on the telephone, told them to stack arms, and then we would take them prisoner. Another was to put operators in M-113s, send them to suspect PDF hideouts throughout the city, knock on the door, and invite them aboard and take them to a makeshift cantonment area in the Canal Zone as guests of the United States. Prisoners remained there until their names could be cleared, or they could further be imprisoned.
During these several days, our forces tracked Noriega, but were always two hours behind. They checked all his suspected hideouts, but finally cornered him in the Papal Nunica in Panama City; a property we could not violate. I kept an AC-130 over the Papal Nunciature 24 hours a day and General Downing kept his cot at the end of the causeway that connected the Papal Nunciature and the adjacent parking garage. Then over a couple of days and a lot of loud rock music, Noriega finally surfaced. A few days later, I was in our joint operations center when we put him on an MC-130E Combat Talon and made him a guest of the United States via the FBI in Miami, Florida.
This ended the operation for us special operators. The 7th Infantry Division came to Panama to conduct stability operations and put the government into the hands of the rightfully elected Panamanian leaders. It was off to the next exercise or operation which happened to be Desert Shield/Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq in August 1990. All in a day’s work and for me, off to Hurlburt Field to become the second commander of the new Air Force Special Operations Command.


About the Author: Lt Gen Bruce Fister served as an Air Force officer and pilot for over 32 years accumulating 7,000 hours flying time in multiple aircraft with 1,000 combat hours flying the C-123 during the Vietnam conflict. During his career, General Fister commanded at multiple levels and had leadership roles in Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada in 1983 and Operation Just Cause in Panama in 1989. He became the wing commander at Rhein Main AB in Germany days after the headquarters was bombed by the Bader Meinhof gang in 1985 and led the wing through the recovery and further defense against terrorist attacks. General Fister served as the second commander of Air Force Special Operations Command (1991-1994) followed by commanding the 15th Air Force before retiring. After retiring from the Air Force, he was the Executive Director of a Christian nonprofit organization for 10 years. General Fister has written two books: Growing and Building Faith, Prayer, and Leadership and Growing and Building Revised for you the Leader. He is also co-author of Lead to Serve, Serve to Lead. Leading Well in Turbulent Times with retired Brigadier General, Gwyn Armfield.

A Bias for Understanding: The Irregular Warfare Mindset in the Indo-Pacific

By Joe Tomczak, Lt Col, USAF

With more than two decades of counterinsurgency in the rear-view mirror and a renewed focus on deterring peer adversaries, articulating SOF’s role within the context of great-power competition is more important than ever. History has shown that strategic competition often manifests as brushfire conflicts, below the threshold of war, and in remote, austere locations. During the Cold War, this was where SOF thrived. In 2020, the Irregular Warfare Annex to the National Defense Strategy challenged the DoD to “embrace” and “make permanent the mindset” of irregular warfare—a task becoming more urgent as the collective memory and combat experience from 20 years of counterinsurgency exits the services. Given the attention on the “irregular warfare mindset,” what are its desirable attributes, and what contributions have Airmen made to these characteristics?

The parallel stories of two prominent Americans help further the discourse on the irregular warfare mindset. Two Airmen, Maj Gen Edward G. Lansdale and Lt Gen Donald C. Wurster, successfully navigated the intricacies of supporting a partner nation to achieve joint Filipino and American political objectives during two different eras in that country’s history. While Lansdale is better known for his controversial exploits in Vietnam, and Wurster is renowned for his time in command of AFSOC, the parallel stories of how these two officers employed irregular warfare strategies with remarkable symmetry present a compelling case study in special operations leadership. An examination of Lansdale and Wurster’s stories revealed five common traits: the ability to communicate a vision, build relationships, listen, question assumptions, and seek understanding before taking action. This article will explore those traits.

Then-Lt Col Edward Lansdale was a former marketing professional from California who set aside his career during World War II to work for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). After the war, he was assigned to the Philippines as an Air Force intelligence officer. Between 1946 and 1953 Lansdale helped the government of the Republic of the Philippines suppress a revolt by a communist-aligned insurgent group during the Hukbalahap Insurrection. As the US navigated the first years of the Cold War, Lansdale led a small team of unconventional warfare (UW) specialists who advised Ramón Magsaysay, the Philippine Secretary of Defense. Together they developed and executed a counterinsurgency strategy to defeat the Huk leader, Luis Taruc. Lansdale built trust and consensus among stakeholders, sought out the enemy’s motivations, and prioritized the indirect application of military force.

A half-century later, then-Brig Gen Donald Wurster led Joint Task Force-510 (JTF-510) during the initial US effort to counter a violent extremist organization known as the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) on the island of Basilan in the southern Philippines from 2001 to 2002. Wurster was a pragmatic helicopter pilot whose time in rescue and special operations units imbued him with a leadership style that valued trust, discipline, and communication based on mission-type orders. Wurster was commanding Special Operations Command Pacific in the summer of 2001 when three Americans were taken hostage by ASG. JTF-510 was established to provide personnel and resources to support the Philippines in a counterinsurgency effort against ASG. In the early, uncertain days of the Global War on Terror, while much of the world’s attention was on Afghanistan, Wurster and his JTF successfully developed a counterinsurgency strategy, managed an array of political and military stakeholders, and communicated his vision for a light-footprint approach while honoring the realities of local politics. JTF-510’s advise, train, and assist mission culminated in an operation to rescue the American hostages held by ASG and a separate direct action where Philippines forces eliminated the terrorist group’s leader, Abu Sabaya.

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A Bias for Understanding: The Irregular Warfare Mindset in the Indo-Pacific

By Joe Tomczak, Lt Col, USAF

Separated by nearly fifty years, two Airmen, Edward Lansdale and Donald Wurster, led irregular warfare efforts in the Philippines. What can the next generation of AFSOF Airmen learn from their stories?

Editor’s note: The following article is adapted from the full-length monograph “Parallel Lives in the Indo-Pacific: Edward Lansdale, Donald Wurster, and the Irregular Warfare Mindset.” Air University Press, Kenney Papers on Indo-Pacific Security Studies, no. 5 (May 2023).

With more than two decades of counterinsurgency in the rear-view mirror and a renewed focus on deterring peer adversaries, articulating SOF’s role within the context of great-power competition is more important than ever. History has shown that strategic competition often manifests as brushfire conflicts, below the threshold of war, and in remote, austere locations. During the Cold War, this was where SOF thrived. In 2020, the Irregular Warfare Annex to the National Defense Strategy challenged the DoD to “embrace” and “make permanent the mindset” of irregular warfare—a task becoming more urgent as the collective memory and combat experience from 20 years of counterinsurgency exits the services. Given the attention on the “irregular warfare mindset,” what are its desirable attributes, and what contributions have Airmen made to these characteristics?
The parallel stories of two prominent Americans help further the discourse on the irregular warfare mindset. Two Airmen, Maj Gen Edward G. Lansdale and Lt Gen Donald C. Wurster, successfully navigated the intricacies of supporting a partner nation to achieve joint Filipino and American political objectives during two different eras in that country’s history. While Lansdale is better known for his controversial exploits in Vietnam, and Wurster is renowned for his time in command of AFSOC, the parallel stories of how these two officers employed irregular warfare strategies with remarkable symmetry present a compelling case study in special operations leadership. An examination of Lansdale and Wurster’s stories revealed five common traits: the ability to communicate a vision, build relationships, listen, question assumptions, and seek understanding before taking action. This article will explore those traits.
Then-Lt Col Edward Lansdale was a former marketing professional from California who set aside his career during World War II to work for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). After the war, he was assigned to the Philippines as an Air Force intelligence officer. Between 1946 and 1953 Lansdale helped the government of the Republic of the Philippines suppress a revolt by a communist-aligned insurgent group during the Hukbalahap Insurrection. As the US navigated the first years of the Cold War, Lansdale led a small team of unconventional warfare (UW) specialists who advised Ramón Magsaysay, the Philippine Secretary of Defense. Together they developed and executed a counterinsurgency strategy to defeat the Huk leader, Luis Taruc. Lansdale built trust and consensus among stakeholders, sought out the enemy’s motivations, and prioritized the indirect application of military force.
A half-century later, then-Brig Gen Donald Wurster led Joint Task Force-510 (JTF-510) during the initial US effort to counter a violent extremist organization known as the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) on the island of Basilan in the southern Philippines from 2001 to 2002. Wurster was a pragmatic helicopter pilot whose time in rescue and special operations units imbued him with a leadership style that valued trust, discipline, and communication based on mission-type orders. Wurster was commanding Special Operations Command Pacific in the summer of 2001 when three Americans were taken hostage by ASG. JTF-510 was established to provide personnel and resources to support the Philippines in a counterinsurgency effort against ASG. In the early, uncertain days of the Global War on Terror, while much of the world’s attention was on Afghanistan, Wurster and his JTF successfully developed a counterinsurgency strategy, managed an array of political and military stakeholders, and communicated his vision for a light-footprint approach while honoring the realities of local politics. JTF-510’s advise, train, and assist mission culminated in an operation to rescue the American hostages held by ASG and a separate direct action where Philippines forces eliminated the terrorist group’s leader, Abu Sabaya.
Separated by five decades, Lansdale and Wurster employed effective information operations, civic actions, and partner force capacity building to achieve their military objectives and further joint Filipino and American interests in the Indo-Pacific region. Although the motivations and the nature of the enemies differed, each officer used the military and information resources at their disposal to further American foreign policy objectives while navigating the wider sensitive relationship between the US and the Philippines. As a secular evangelist for democracy, Lansdale demonstrated that a small group of Americans could help build the legitimacy of the Philippine government and undermine a communist insurgency without a large deployment of troops. Lansdale advocated for an approach based on influence and capacity-building to decision-makers in Washington desperate for solutions that did not require a substantial commitment of American troops. In the same vein, Wurster keenly assessed both the political sensitivities of operating in the Philippines as well as Washington’s desire to respond globally to Islamic extremism—offering an approach that carefully straddled the two overarching dynamics at play.
The following five common attributes in these two stories stand out. Each of these attributes alone is not unique to irregular warfare, but collectively they are well beyond the expectations of military leaders conducting conventional operations in traditional warfare. While not intended to be all-encompassing or a definitive definition of the irregular warfare mindset, Lansdale and Wurster’s common attributes help explain why they succeeded in accomplishing their missions in a complex and unstructured environment.

Trait 1: The Ability to Communicate a Vision and Control a Narrative
British author Emile Simpson asserts that “strategic narrative is the explanation of actions” that interprets events for a target audience through a lens of policy objectives. He further notes that “the key to counterinsurgency is to match actions and words so as to influence target audiences to subscribe to a given narrative.” Both Lansdale and Wurster understood the importance of providing the Philippine population with a convincing counter-narrative that undermined the insurgency. Equally as important to developing a counter-narrative was ensuring that the Philippine government had the capacity to follow through on what they were promising their people. Simpson draws an apt comparison to advertising when he notes, “The application of counter-insurgency doctrine can be compared to that of a sales technique. One may be the best salesman and apply the technique, but if the product is poor, one will still struggle to make the technique work.” Lansdale understood that the people of Luzon had to experience the military reforms Ramón Magsaysay touted publicly to choose the government over the Huks. Likewise, Wurster knew that his message of working shoulder to shoulder with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Basilan would not resonate with the population unless they actually witnessed US troops supporting the AFP and improving life on the island in a way that ASG could not.
Both officers understood that their messaging had to, as Simpson put it, “align the rational and the emotional.” Lansdale and Wurster were fluent in the dialects of heart and mind, infusing emotion into their narrative to the Philippine public while communicating a national interest-based argument to stakeholders in Washington. After identifying potential in Ramón Magsaysay after a chance encounter at a dinner in Washington, DC, in 1950, Lansdale lobbied leaders in Washington to pressure Philippine President Elpido Quirino to install Magsaysay as Secretary of Defense. Likewise, Wurster not only continually reassured Philippine government officials that JTF-510 would work through and not around the AFP, but he also effectively persuaded influential US senators to fund humanitarian construction on Basilan by articulating why civic action could help JTF-510 expel ASG from the island.
The performance of these two officers in the Philippines shows it is not simply enough to create a strategic narrative. Leaders in unstructured environments must also communicate it effectively though deeds. Both officers faced similar challenges in communicating their strategic messages, and each came to appreciate the role the press could play in narrative shaping. Lansdale and Wurster were both initially inclined to avoid public relations, as evidenced by Lansdale’s assertion of military public affairs being the “lowest form of life” and Wurster’s claim that he would “rather eat glass” than talk to the press. Despite these sentiments at the outset, both officers quickly evolved to harness the power of media to communicate their respective narratives.
Lansdale’s advertising background meant that he could set aside his reservations and recognize the importance of building a positive affiliation with the press in Manila. Similarly, Wurster used close ties with the press to shape the narrative that JTF-510’s operations in the Sulu archipelago were a continuation of the Balikatan series of joint military exercises. He was conscious that the symmetry of effort on the parts of the American and Philippine forces had to be visually represented and continually reinforced with messaging. At regular press conferences, Wurster sat side by side with Philippine Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes and AFP Marine General Emmanuel Teodosio to reassure the public that the US was treating the AFP as an equal partner and not a little brother, as had been the perception during the colonial era. This shaping of public opinion was critical to the Philippine government’s ability to endorse the operation and mitigate public outcry regarding the presence of American troops in the country.

Trait 2: The Ability to Build Relationships and Network for Effect
Inherent to the irregular warfare mindset is a distinct emphasis on the importance of relationships with key stakeholders who can enable mission success. Lansdale cultivated his most important relationship with Magsaysay, first by introducing him to decision-makers in Washington, then by inviting Magsaysay to live in Lansdale’s own quarters in Manila during a shortage of available housing. There is little doubt the US would have faced a nearly insurmountable challenge in encouraging the military reforms needed to bolster the Philippine government’s credibility without the mutually beneficial nature of this relationship. Lansdale observed that “the most endearing quality to the Filipino was that the American trusted him… when trust is bestowed, wisely, the result is the strongest bond.” Like Lansdale, Wurster created buy-in from the important players in the Philippines from the outset. He was able to proceed because he understood what Philippine politicians valued the most—that the AFP would be in the lead. Wurster forged relationships with top military and civilian officials in Manila despite an initially contentious dynamic that Secretary Reyes adopted with Wurster in front of the media.
These relationships and the networks both Lansdale and Wurster built, enabled both officers to articulate the value of counterinsurgency and building partner capacity to their allies in the Philippines and leaders in Washington. Compared to traditional warfare, progress in irregular warfare is comparatively difficult to measure. Gaining reliable intelligence on insurgents and building the credibility of partner forces takes considerable time and effort. Therefore, leaders in irregular warfare must work to build trust and influence among stakeholders both in the partner nation and their own government so that they can articulate the value of protracted efforts.
Trait 3: Strategic Listening, Empathy, and Respect
Max Boot, one of Landsdale’s biographers, described his unique style of patience and attentiveness as “strategic listening,” whereby he would absorb what others had to say before offering his own thoughts. Lansdale’s ability to listen and form meaningful connections with others was a rare gift, noted during his earlier work with the OSS. This skill was exceptionally useful during Lansdale’s tours in Manila, where informal coffee klatsches at his home evolved into caffeine-fueled incubators for fresh counterinsurgency ideas. Lansdale’s tolerant, unassuming sensibility made it easy for him to bring disparate players into a conversation, be they Philippine military officials or power brokers in Washington. It was common for Lansdale to listen intently, resist the urge to fill natural lulls in the conversation, then summarize the speaker’s points and offer his own interpretation on the matter. In this way, Lansdale ensured that Magsaysay and other Philippine officers listening fully owned the decisions made during the conversations. Lansdale railed against the narrow-mindedness and “seeming pragmatism” of Americans who attempted to make short-term gains without realizing the long-term consequences. In the same sense, Wurster’s attentiveness to AFP leadership made him sensitive to the fact that placing Americans in the lead during operations would be detrimental to the credibility and capability of the AFP. Seeing the situation from the AFP’s perspective, Wurster knew that Filipino military leaders and soldiers had to own their fight if they were to achieve lasting progress against the insurgency.
While Lansdale’s upbringing forged his particular listening abilities, Wurster’s emerged from key flying experiences. Wurster’s background in piloting rescue helicopters in remote locations instilled a great respect for the expertise of those closest to a given problem. In Wurster’s view, the Air Force culture of decentralized execution imprinted on Airmen a high degree of trust in the disparate units and forces that make up airpower. This trust and respect for others’ expertise are reflected in the leadership style of a commander who listens to an array of voices. This attribute was on display when, as the commander of the JTF, Wurster listened to his staff and the Army Special Forces officers such as then-Col David Fridovich who had practical experience in building partner capacity. Wurster’s non-parochial style of leadership enabled a wide array of voices to be heard and ideas to be discussed. For example, anyone on the JTF staff, from military lawyers to psychological operations officers, was free to offer ideas on how to solve the task force’s operational dilemmas. These personnel felt comfortable raising suggestions because they knew the command climate allowed their ideas to be entertained on their own merits. Lansdale’s coffee klatsches and Wurster’s informal band of innovative staff officers enabled the most creative ideas to percolate to the top.
Both Lansdale and Wurster prided themselves on their ability to view the situation from the perspective of the local population. In Lansdale’s case, his tours of Huk-controlled Luzon and the dialogue those visits generated fostered an empathy that informed his policy suggestions to Magsaysay. Similarly, Wurster met with college students in Mindanao to develop a sense of what was important to them and how they thought about the problems in the southern Philippines. An understanding of the local population’s priorities gave Wurster confidence that his approach would work. Civic actions would improve lives and bolster the credibility of the government, while a small footprint of disciplined, respectful US troops would not trigger negative emotional responses rooted in local political sensitivities. Wurster would later describe his approach this way, “The bottom line is whether, in the end, our forces contribute to improvements that make lives better. I tell my people that we’ve got to figure out how to not lose while we are creating the opportunity to win.” For Wurster, creating the opportunity to win meant maintaining high standards of discipline and respect within the ranks of his command.
Trait 4: Willingness to Question Assumptions and Reevaluate Approaches
Lansdale and Wurster continually questioned assumptions both in their personal careers and in the efforts they led. Both officers had surprisingly non-linear career trajectories—Lansdale entered into intelligence and military work in his mid-thirties after Pearl Harbor, and Wurster even briefly separated from active duty to teach high school before being inspired to rejoin the Air Force after the failed hostage rescue attempt in Iran. Their non-standard career paths demonstrate that both men maintained identities separate from their military service. This dynamic informed their abilities to employ out-of-the-box thinking when confronted with challenges later in their careers. Both had little use for existing orders of unspoken hierarchy, especially when that hierarchy impeded mission accomplishment. They also both valued open-mindedness and encouraged the participation of members of their teams regardless of an individual’s specialty.
The fact that Lansdale was not a career military officer and had both corporate and intelligence experience to draw from meant that he was able to identify and propose indirect and innovative solutions to the Huk Insurrection. A military officer of a more conventional background may have witnessed the ineffective and brutal tactics used by the Philippine Constabulary and doubled down by simply employing more combat power against the insurgents—a predictable military response to poor battlefield performance. In the same sense, Wurster’s identity as an Airman operating in a joint environment meant that he was eager to entertain unconventional approaches to problem-solving when confronted with the dual challenges of capacity building and counterinsurgency.
Trait 5: Bias for Understanding
Instead of a predisposition for action, both Lansdale and Wurster displayed a bias for understanding. Before they pursued action against the adversary, each man sought to understand the environment and the people involved. While understanding the enemy is important in any form of warfare, it is complicated in irregular warfare by the “identification problem”—where insurgents cannot be reduced to a single identity and the population is often reluctant to identify those in the insurgent ranks. Where Lansdale used his excursions into Central Luzon with Magsaysay to build his knowledge of the Huks, Wurster relied on proxies under his command, such as Special Forces soldiers conducting assessments of local villages and collecting intelligence during civic actions delivering medical and dental care. The information resulting from both Lansdale and Wurster’s efforts shaped how they approached their respective missions.
Lansdale privately acknowledged that Huks were largely comprised of poor resistance fighters with socio-economic grievances. When reporting back to Washington, though, he emphasized their communist ties so as to hold the attention of political leaders. His description of the Huks generally lacked nuance but ultimately succeeded in ensuring that Magsaysay received the required resources and political support from Washington. Lansdale’s use of hyperbole and black-and-white characterization of the enemy for decision-makers in Washington was unquestionably a cognitive blind spot.
Wurster, conversely, maintained a clear-eyed perception of ASG throughout JTF-510’s operations. He accurately saw ASG as a band of criminals who had been reduced to kidnapping after they fell out of favor with global Islamic extremist groups in the late 1990s. What changed the equation, in Wurster’s understanding, was that ASG posed a direct threat to US interests in the Sulu archipelago. Furthermore, his review of the assessments done by his Special Forces soldiers informed his selection of a COIN model that would bring structure to an ill-defined problem. Wurster remained steadfast in his understanding of the adversary, so much so that after the recovery of the hostages and the raid against Abu Sabaya, he resisted efforts by the Philippine government and US Pacific Command to expand the American mission to a direct combat role on the neighboring island of Jolo. Wurster carefully distinguished between ASG and other violent Islamist groups in the region and determined a combat role on Jolo would mark an unnecessary shift in the approach to COIN in the Philippines.
It is particularly significant that Wurster acted as a moderating force in 2002 when the US political climate was more hospitable to large-scale military commitments. Where Lansdale’s Cold War-era faith in what the full range of US national power could achieve only increased as his time in the Philippines wore on, Wurster demonstrated an uncommon restraint when confronted with an expanding mission that had no immediate connection to broader American interests.
Risks Inherent to the Irregular
Warfare Mindset
The comparison of Lansdale and Wurster’s stories revealed another key area of divergence—the way in which both men managed (or failed to manage, in Lansdale’s case) the inherent risks and pitfalls of conducting irregular warfare. Irregular warfare practitioners frequently operate at the seams between peace and war. In places where SOF may not have the same amount of oversight as conventional forces, there exists an ever-present risk of overstepping moral and ethical boundaries. When undisciplined forces are allowed to operate with too much latitude, lapses in judgment have the potential to undermine the trust between Americans and their partner forces—or even compromise hard-won access and placement. Further still, actions by SOF that are inconsistent with political objectives and strategic messaging might spark unwanted escalation between competing powers.
Occasionally, innovative ideas accelerate ahead of policy objectives and can take on minds all their own. Disaggregated units with leaders who enjoy wide latitude and authorities must always be cognizant of the power they wield and the unintended consequences that may incur in the strategic environment. Lansdale in particular was susceptible to this pitfall. Even though he initially touted the impact that economic programs, military reforms, and non-kinetic operations would have in defeating the Huks, by the end of his second tour in the Philippines he and his team were employing ruthless psychological operations with questionable military necessity and openly lobbying his superiors for the transfer of napalm weapons to the Philippine Army. In dealing with a brutal war, irregular warfare practitioners can become brutal themselves.
Wurster effectively insulated his command from the risks inherent in irregular warfare. Though his units were disaggregated and operated with wide latitude, Wurster’s emphasis on discipline and honoring political sensitivities prevented American misbehavior or brutality that would have undoubtedly been on full display in the Philippine press. In this way, high standards of discipline, as a way to set conditions for achieving objectives, ensured JTF-510 did not lose the hard-won access and placement achieved through diplomatic efforts. One of the most important lessons from JTF-510 is that discipline can mitigate the risks and pitfalls associated with irregular warfare.
Conclusion
When assessed side-by-side, what is perhaps most remarkable about the two officers is that they operated during a nadir of expertise in irregular warfare within the US military. In Lansdale’s case, there was little institutional competency in irregular warfare following the conventional victories of World War II. In Wurster’s era, only small pockets of established memory remained from the lessons learned in Vietnam, and the Army’s counterinsurgency field manual would not be published until 2006 in response to Iraq and Afghanistan. That left both leaders to rely heavily on their own judgment, curiosity, and intellect as they listened to teams of experts and built the understanding needed for effective action. SOF have an imperative to break what the Irregular Warfare Annex labels the boom and bust cycle of institutional knowledge by seeking the best practices found in the community’s history. In the Philippines, both Lansdale and Wurster exhibited the attributes of communicating their vision, building relationships, listening, questioning assumptions, and seeking to understand before taking action.
Importantly, both Lansdale and Wurster led efforts on the periphery of larger American political and military campaigns. Landsdale operated against the backdrop of the Cold War, and Wurster commanded JTF-510 while the main efforts of the Global War on Terror occurred in the Middle East and Central Asia. In the present era of renewed great power competition, SOF will again be expected to operate on the edge—where communication, relationships, and discipline can enable leaders to harness the truly creative essence of special operators while avoiding potential hazards.
By seeking first to understand the enemy and the environment, Lansdale and Wurster successfully navigated an array of political, cultural, and economic factors. Their approaches to complex problems reveal common traits that further the discourse on institutionalizing the irregular warfare mindset for future generations of special operators.


About the author: Lt Col Joe Tomczak is a special operations pilot serving at the Pentagon. His career has included multiple deployments and more than 320 combat missions in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. In 2019, he commanded the 4th ESOS during the final AC-130U gunship deployment of the war in Afghanistan. He is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Col Mark Race Laid to Rest

On 1 May 2024, Col Mark Race, Air Commando Hall of Fame inductee, was remembered and buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Washington DC. His wife, family and many friends attended the memorial service at Ft Myers Old Post Chapel.

Mark was an influential Air Commando having led many SOF warriors representing a small field of expertise. He retired after 30 years of service to the AF and leading the AFSOC/DOS team.

Two ACA members attended his funeral, Steve Dreyer (HoF) and Bill Bassett. The Commander, USSOCOM, GEN Fenton also attended Col Race’s service and funeral.

Submitted by ACA Member Bill Bassett

Fly By Knights

In 2022, Col (Ret) Roger Graham published Fly By Knights: Air Force A/B/RB-26 Air Commando Missions in the Vietnam War

We are pleased to share the most recent book review from the Air Commando Journal Vol 13, Issue 1, page 49 with our readers. This book is available for purchase at https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/fly-by-knights/


So there I was, at a fairly recent air show in the Midwest…

I knew from my research that the Douglas A-26 could be an unforgiving airframe, challenging for an unskilled pilot. So when I saw one—billed as the oldest flying example—I had to climb the air stairs and look into the tandem cockpit. I was there with an aero engineer friend, and we were discussing the fact that one needed to be on his toes to fly such a great airplane, and I figured whoever was bringing this shiny, beautiful machine into exhibitions throughout the country had to have some serious multi-engine time in it to do so.

A young man—twenties-ish, dressed in a ground crew outfit with sunglasses—was suddenly at my shoulder asking if I had any questions about the A-26 and I think he was a bit surprised when I asked what the bailout procedure was for this aircraft. I figured it would be something like push the canopy open, doff your headset, and go over the wing-root to get clear of the airplane. I was instead assured that this particular aircraft never suffers any mechanical issues, so…. Needless to say, I was still curious about the fundamental operation of the A-26, which, as Fly By Knights: Air Force A/B/RB-26 Air Commando Missions in the Vietnam War (2022, McFarland & Company, Inc., 278 pp.) elucidates, demanded at least two experienced operators in those front seats to ideally prosecute these dangerous missions over the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

I was amped when offered the chance to review this particular history.

The most famous mishap—and it is one mentioned repeatedly in the book—was the loss of a B-26 in 1964 at Eglin in a demonstration “over Range 52 (left wing separated from aircraft coming off of strafing pass).” There had occurred, however, at least two other aircraft losses in Southeast Asia during Operation Farm Gate for similar reasons in 1963. “The crews and maintenance personnel were aware of structural fatigue problems associated with heavy ordnance wing loads while taxiing over rough taxiways, and due to wing stress during pull-ups from dive-bombing passes.” The Eglin crash investigation revealed “extensive corrosion in the wing area adjacent to the engine nacelles,” and it was concluded that carrying less ordnance or limiting g-loads would no longer be adequate safety precautions. These World War II-era airframes were grounded until all 40 operational aircraft in the USAF inventory could be overhauled at the On Mark Engineering Company in Van Nuys, California.

It is the On Mark chapter, though, that I found particularly insightful. There is a long history of the federal government partnering with private industry to solve hard problems, and the B-26 overhaul is a sterling example. In the days before Lear Jet and the Cessna Citation were flying executives all over the US, On Mark was converting A-26Cs into civilian executive airplanes, upgrading instrument panels, engines, control surfaces, and other components. Of course, the wing roots were rebuilt and fortified to handle the 4–5Gs experienced in a rolling dive pull-out, to a level of sturdiness that eight wing pylons were fitted to carry more napalm and bombs above and beyond those in the internal bay.

After these upgrades, the airplanes were ferried over the Pacific to the airfield at Nakhon Phanom (NKP), Thailand to launch interdiction and other missions over the Ho Chi Minh Trail (HCMT); there are at least two chapters in the work that describe the multi-leg ferry flights from the West Coast to NKP, in a World War II-era airplane with few navigational aids and a couple of historic maintenance issues. Folding up the wings and rolling the aircraft like a row of ducks into a C-5 was not an efficient option at this point in USAF history.
After new aircrews made daytime familiarization flights in-country, the missions were conducted usually at night, for two reasons—truck drivers on the HCMT did not want to be observed from the air, and the A-26 crews (callsign “Nimrod”) did not want to be seen by the anti-aircraft gun crews protecting the trail. “Due to the rugged terrain, frequent bad weather, and heavy antiaircraft defenses, the nighttime dive-bombing missions were extremely demanding,” as Chapter 3 illustrates, and above the coordination demanded within the crew, frequently other assets rolled in to prove that teamwork makes the dream work. Nimrods frequently cooperated with forward air controllers talking them onto targets from both the air and ground; other strike aircraft such as AT-28s and B-57s; and aircraft dropping flares to illuminate kill zones over the trail.

Editor Roger D. Graham has collected a number of first-hand vignettes to describe these missions to the reader from pre-brief to engine shut-down—bringing in not only the crews, but maintainers, “gun plumbers ,” and family members awaiting the Air Commandos’ return from the war. There are cameos from both Heinie Aderholt and Richard Secord here, as well as narratives on the coup against Diem and the siege of Lima Site 85, and some high-quality photographs of the people and airplanes that comprise the unit histories. Chapter 5 contains unit rosters and quarterly histories, but it is the observations in the book’s epilogue which may be most important to the modern reader. To paraphrase: there will always be a need for “significant numbers of relatively inexpensive US attack combat aircraft” for small wars—carrying heavy armament loads, filled with plenty of fuel to facilitate long loiter times over targets, and the power plants for doing it low and slow. As the SOF Truths dictate, the humans to operate these aircraft are more important than the hardware itself, and a roster of competent aircrews to handle it cannot be suddenly ginned up when the need arises.

If there is a complaint to make about this work it is a common one, but one that can be easily rectified in a second edition. Graham includes three maps in the book to orient the reader to the AOR, and they all cover a congruent area of Southeast Asia. In Chapter 2, the book describes four identifiable interdiction points on the HCMT that were monitored/serviced: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and Delta. These were sections of the HCMT that had been bombed repeatedly to the point that the craters, etc. made truck traffic through these checkpoints hazardous to the enemy. These choke points were about 100 miles east of NKP and south of Mu Gia Pass. The tactic was to try to catch trucks driving through this area and drop ordnance or to use the 50-caliber guns to stop and destroy the vehicles.

If two of the three provided maps show both Nakon Phanom, the Mu Gia Pass, and the Ho Chi Minh Trail, then Points Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and Delta should be depicted, too, to orient the reader. But—again—an easy fix if there is a second edition in the future.

My engineer friend and I have discussed this book and the refinements made at On Mark quite a bit, and he particularly marvels at “those upgraded fat blades on the prop for clearance on bad runways and higher horsepower engines”—i.e., two Pratt & Whitney 2500-horsepower R-2800-52 water-injected upgrades. He cleared up some of the book’s technical jargon regarding those power plants, like “mag drops” and “brake mean effective pressure.” A glossary of terms might also help in the second edition, though, if you don’t have engineer friends to discuss it with you over evening cigars in the garage. I was thrilled to inform him, though, that per Bruce Kramer’s vignette in Chapter One, the standard procedure for bailing out of an A-26 was “jettisoning the canopies and bailing out over the wing. As far as I know,” Kramer relates, however, “only one person got as far as actually bailing out and he hit the horizontal stabilizer, which didn’t do him much good.”

Fly By Knights relates some exciting stories and laugh-out-loud moments as it conveys the history of a small, secret, and highly professional subculture of the Air Force. For a historian, it is disquieting that we have a shrinking window between the declassification of these exploits and the time remaining to cull the first-person accounts from the Airmen who lived them. Colonel Graham has continued to provide great service to the community by collecting these memories and making them available to an interested audience.


About the Reviewer: Scott E. McIntosh, Maj, USAF (ret.), is a former Leadership and Command instructor at Air Command and Staff College, as well as former South-Central Asia Orientation Course Director at USAF Special Operations School. He is currently a doctoral candidate within the military history program at Kansas State University.

 

Designate ACA for Your Qualified Charitable Distributions

The ACA can now be a designated charity for your IRA. Within the past couple of years, the Air Commando Association was reclassified as a 501(c)(3) and this is important because many donors who have limited their charitable donations to only 501(c)(3) non-profit charities can now consider donating to the ACA. Another benefit for the ACA reclassification to 501(c)(3) is it opens the door for individuals to make Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCD) from their IRAs to the ACA, free from federal income taxes.

If you have reached the age of 70+ years, we strongly recommend investigating making QCD from your non-Roth IRAs to the ACA — or any worthy 501(c)(3) non-profit; they are federal income tax free. The year you reach age 72, you will be required to take “Required Minimum Distributions” from your IRAs—or lose 50 percent of those amounts each year to federal tax penalties. QCDs may be a good fit for your family situation.

NOTE: QCDs cannot be made from Thrift Savings Plan accounts.

The QCD process is relatively simple. A QCD must flow directly from your IRA custodian to your designated charity. Your custodian will report that amount to the IRS. When your taxes for that year are prepared, QCDs will be excluded from taxable income. The process is simple but each of you should consult your IRA custodian and tax preparer as you move forward. If you have QCD questions, please contact the ACA office at (850) 581-0099 or info@aircommando.org.

For more information: IRS website

Additional resource of information on QCDs from Fidelity Charitable
(the ACA has no affiliation with this institution) 

My Thirty Year Journey in the Shadow of Special Operation Giants

The Air Commando Association Press is pleased to offer “My Thirty Year Journey in the Shadow of Special Operation Giants” by retired Colonel Larry Ropka. The epitome of the “Quiet Professional”, Colonel Ropka shares his incredible journey from flying the globe as a young Military Air Transport navigator to planning CIA airdrops into Tibet in 1957, early operations in Laos in 1961, and planning the audacious attempt to rescue American POWs from North Vietnam in 1970. As young captain Ropka met his boss and mentor, Major Harry “Hienie” Aderholt, and became his “right-hand man” learning the ins and outs of special air operations from Aderholt’s experiences during World War II, Korea, and a tour with the CIA.
Along the way, Ropka’s adventures intersected with the likes of Dick Secord, Joe Kittinger, Erich von Marbod, Johnny Johnson, Jerry Klingaman, Richard Armitage among others, and through those experiences prepared him for his greatest challenge, working in Washington DC to collaborate, coordinate, and ultimately help create the legislation which gave us U.S. Special Operations Command. Journey also feature’s “Ropka’s Paradigm For Strategic Assessment” which highlights basic and timeless processes, actions, and functions inherent in developing and executing special operations in almost every era, with virtually no budget or manpower impact. “My Thirty Year Journey” is available for $16 and can be purchased through the ACA at https://aircommando.org/civicrm/contribute/transact/?reset=1&id=25 All proceeds benefit the Air Commando Association, a 501(c)3 non profit organization. 

ACA Supports Run to Honor

ACA supported and volunteered at the 2024 Run to Honor event at Hurlburt Field this past May. The primary goal of the Run to Honor event was to honor and remember all Air Force Special Operation Command fallen members while providing a promise of continued connectedness to the AFSOC community. The event adopted a 5K Run/Walk format with upwards of 600 participants. The day was perfect for the participants and the volunteers!

ACJ Vol 13/1

Col Paul Harmon
Paul Harmon, Col, USAF (Retired) Editor-in-Chief Air Commando Journal

Welcome to this issue of your Air Commando Journal. Up first, the ACA’s new Chairman of the Board, Maj Gen Bill Holt, USAF (retired), introduces himself to the members in this issue’s Chindit Chatter. We also feature a SITREP, which provides a short overview of the mission and goals of the newly formed Air Commando Heritage Foundation.
Getting into the articles, and not in any particular order, we take a look at three cases of irregular warfare in action. Lt Col Joe Tomczak provides a “Bias for Understanding: The Irregular Warfare Mindset in the Indo-Pacific.” His article examines five leadership traits of two renowned Airmen, Maj Gen Edward Lansdale and Lt Gen Donald Wurster during irregular warfare campaigns in the Philippines during the Hukbalahap Insurrection (1946-1953) and early in the Global War or Terror against the Abu Sayyaf Group. Tomczak focuses on the leadership and success of both Airmen to bring about stability by working in partnership with the Philippine government. Fast-forward to today, accomplished author, retired Colonel Mike Haas, shines a light on the brutal attack of 7 October 2023 by Hamas on the nation of Israel. Haas analyzes this 21st century style of IW and how the Israeli Defense Force and the US attempt to combat the unprovoked asymmetric aggression on land and at sea.
Next, taking a look back at the first major combat operation of the newly created US Special Operations Command Lt Gen Bruce Fister, Air Commando and former AFSOC commander, provides his insights and perspectives as a senior officer involved in leading our joint special operations force during Operation Just Cause in December of 1989.
In his “The Mighty Roar of the Dragon,” retired Colonel Mike Russell provides another look at the U-28A. Russell recaps the metamorphosis of the PC-12 into the U-28A and how it received the “Draco” moniker. He also recaps some of the tough missions taken on around the world highlighting the great success and recognition of several Draco aircrews. One crew was awarded the Mackay Trophy for the most meritorious mission in 2018. Three other aircrews’ courage and resourcefulness was conspicuously displayed while supporting the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Kabul, Afghanistan in August 2021. For their actions during that chaotic operation, all ten crew members were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Rounding out the issue we have 1st Lt Remington Sawed’s short article recounting the 352nd Special Operations Wing’s participation in the recent celebration of the legendary Chindits from 1944. He highlights our Air Commando’s historical ties and partnership with England and her Chindits over the decades. Additionally, we feature two photo essays of today’s Air Commandos and joint partners from Special Operations Command Europe in Exercise Trojan Footprint ‘24 and closer to home, Special Operations Command North during Exercise Arctic Edge ‘24.
Finally, Scott McIntosh provides a review of Fly By Knights: Air Force A/B/RB-26 Air Commando Missions in the Vietnam War. The book is an outstanding collection of “war stories” written by some of the men who flew the A/B-26 in Vietnam, collected and edited by retired Col Roger D. Graham.
In closing, our goal at the ACA is to inform and educate our readers about our tremendous Air Commando history and heritage, and also provide insight into more recent operations. Let us know how we are doing. Thank you to all our great retired and active duty contributors for another great issue of the Air Commando Journal.
PS — I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Col Larry Ropka’s new book My Thirty Year Journey in the Shadows of Special Operations Giants and Richard Newton’s Valor Untold: Air Commandos During the Jonestown Massacre Recovery, 1978. Details on the back inside cover. All proceeds support the Air Commando Association.

Interactive ACJ 13/1 PDF Available Here

We have improved the readability of our ACJ Online, open the PDF and scroll to page 3 (Table of Contents) and click on any headline and it will take you directly to that article in the PDF. Look for more interactive features in the next online issue of the Journal.

CMSgt (Ret) Wayne Norrad Awarded the Bull Simons Award

Congratulations and well deserved Chief!

As most of you know, CMSgt Wayne Norrad served on the ACA Board of Directors over the years and was the President in recent years. We were privileged to receive Chief Norrad’s guidance and honored to follow his leadership. Wayne has been and still is, a driving force for all things Air Commando and we celebrate his achievements.

The ACA is pleased to share the following social media post from the AFSOC Commander, Lt Gen Tony D. Bauernfeind, “Earlier this month during SOFWEEK 2024, Chief Master Sgt. (Ret) Wayne Norrad received the Col. Arthur “Bull” Simons award, a lifetime achievement award and USSOCOM’s highest honor.

This award is named after the legendary Col. Arthur “Bull” Simons who gained national recognition for an American POW rescue attempt at Son-Tay during the Vietnam War and for the rescue of 2 American business executives held prisoner in Iran during the 1979 Revolution. It’s presented to those who embody the spirit, values and skills of a Special Operations Unconventional Warrior.

Chief Norrad, nicknamed “The God Father” in the special operations community, enlisted on Feb. 25, 1966 as a B-52 nuclear bomb loader. Norrad separated from the Air Force for about 10 months before he returned seeking to add more excitement in his career. In June 1971, he began his training as a Combat Controller.

During his 30-year career, Chief was instrumental to the success of many combat and contingency operations to include: JUST CAUSE in Panama, URGENT FURY in Grenada, and DESERT STORM/SHIELD in Iraq. He was essential to integrating Special Tactics into Joint Special Operations teams while developing high altitude/high opening parachute tactics. As the AFSOC Senior Enlisted Advisor, he led the charge on multiple enduring efforts, such as the creation of Special Duty Assignment Pay, codifying battlefield lessons into procedure and enabling the “Valor” device for Air Force Commendation and Achievement medals. He also is credited for leading Special Tactics Airmen in the first set of Memorial Pushups, a now staple of AFSOC heritage and tradition, in the aftermath of a training accident that resulted in the death of a CCT.

We are lucky to have people like Chief Norrad in our Air Commando family who paved the way for us. Congrats on this momentous honor!”

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Tom Lutz

Tom Lutz

Attorney

Attorney

Col (ret) Thomas L. Lutz retired from the Air Force in 2007, his final assignment serving as Deputy Commander of the 1st Special Operations Group at Hurlburt Field. During his career, he accumulated over 4,700 hours of flying time as an Aircraft Commander, Instructor Pilot & Evaluator Pilot, primarily in the MC-130P Combat Shadow. After retiring, he continued to serve the Air Force in a civil service capacity, as the Deputy Director of the 1st Special Operations Group at Hurlburt Field from 2007-2019. He retired from civil service in 2019 and entered Law School.

He graduated with honors from FSU School of Law in May 2022. During Law School, gained a wide range of practical experience, completing internships with the State Attorney’s Office, the State Attorney General’s Office, and with an individual practitioner focusing primarily on Family Law. In addition, Tom participated in the School’s Veterans Clinic, assisting Veterans with housing and employment issues. He is currently an attorney with the Goodwin Law Group in Shalimar Florida, primarily practicing Property, Construction, and Probate law. He assumed the role as pro bono counsel for the ACA in October 2023.

Tom and his wife Marge have lived in the Fort Walton Beach area since 2002. Marge teaches Middle School at St Mary Catholic School. They have two children, their son Chris and his wife Debby are both Attorneys living in Washington DC, and their daughter Katie is the Communications Manager for the Global Food Bank Network based in Chicago.

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Air Commandos at 24 SOF Week

Stop by the Air Commando Foundation’s booth at the upcoming SOF Week in Tampa. Air Commando Foundation’s mission: Support Air Commandos and their families Past, Present & Future. “Every dollar you give – gives back.” #aircommandos #aircommandoassociation #GSOF #SOFWeek
If you haven’t seen the official SOF Week video you can view it here: https://youtu.be/TmTlCJoJ8HQ?si=y4689lxJDUJysrJe

2024 ACA Annual Convention Photos

The 2024 ACA Convention was another success!

Thank you ACA volunteer, Miss Megan Gamblin, for sharing photos taken at the Thursday Night Early Bird Social. We also extend a heartfelt thank you US AFSOC Public Affairs for providing photos from the Air Commando Association’s Heritage Seminar, the AFSOC OAY/ACA 2024 Awards Banquet, and ACA Memorial at Hurlburt Air Park.

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ACA Blog & Photos

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In Memory of Our Fallen Air Commandos

The following is a list of Air Commandos who we have lost since the winter of 2023. While some of the individuals may have passed away before 2023, the ACA has just been notified.

Alfredo Tulle

Anton F. Bautz

Antonio Cano Jr.

Billy J. Roberson

Bruce A. Nagle

Charles E. Bowen

Ellis Akins

Forest Kimsey

James W. McClain Sr.

Jimmy Ifland

Mark Race

Robert Dambach

Robert J. Jones

William B. Byrd Jr.

William H. Byerley

William H. F. Page

Newest ACA Members

The Air Commando Association is pleased to welcome the following Air Commandos to the ACA!

Thank you for your membership and support!

Christopher Backus

Christopher Brewer

Ken Byrd

Jeremy Campbell

Michael Cannioto

Matthew Colbert

Seth Constien

Julia Crutchfield

Christopher Cunard

Bradley Davis Jr.

Bruce Eddy

Seth Ewing

Riley Feeney

Matthew Fredericksen

Michael Freed

Mike Friedman

James Gherdovich

Jessica Gronert

Scott Hartman

Jake Heathcott

Zane Holscher

Tanner Homan

Christian Leon

Roy Lofts II

Michael Lowe

Clifford Lucas

Tommy Marberry

Billy Mason

Joseph Orr

Kyle Palmateer

Joseph Perez

Kenneth Ruisi

Nicholas Sanchez

Michael Savage

Ryan Schmidt

Jerry Scott

Randolph Smith

TV Smith

John Spencer

Paul Stenseng

Donald Trillanes-Messig

Patrick Tritz

Makensy Umscheid

Aaron Wardlaw

Grant Willis

Sharron Wynn

From the President: 2024 ACA Convention Recap

Air Commandos

Our 2024 convention was a huge success after weeks of hectic planning and coordination. All the events came off pretty much without a hitch, culminating with our first ever combined awards banquet with AFSOC’s Outstanding Airmen of the Year. Teamwork between the AFSOC Committee and our own ACA group led to all parties in attendance agreeing it was a huge success as the young active duty award winners were highlighted along with five exceptional Air Commando Hall of Fame inductees.

The weekend began on Thursday with a Ice Breaker at the Island in Fort Walton Beach, FL. There were a few perhaps slightly embellished war stories exchanged as everyone had a good time getting together with old friends.

Friday morning we had a very nice breakfast emceed by our own CMSgt (ret) Joe Mast. AFSOC Commander Lt Gen Bauerenfiend and Command Chief Green presented nine ACA sponsored  AFSOC level awards to well deserving active duty Air Commandos. Additionally, Dr Alex Balbir of Sound Off, gave a presentation on how his organization and the ACA are working together to try to cut the rate of military suicide.

Afterwards, on Friday afternoon Air Commandos gathered for our memorial in the Hurlburt Air Park in recognition of those who have flown west. Capt Ben Hoyt, the ACA Hurlburt Chapter president, presided over the event with mentorship and assistance from ACA board member Col (ret) Lloyd Moon. Col Patrick Dierig, 1 SOW Commander, gave a very thoughtful and poignant talk and Col (ret) Jerry “Padre” Houge served as the Chaplain. Les Matheson performed moving renditions on the bagpipe. Lest we forget.

The Saturday morning open house at the ACA building was an enjoyable event attended by many. Hosted by Jeanette Elliott and Melissa Gross, with Rachel Halvorson and Pat Barnett manning the Commando Store and selling ACA swag.

As mentioned earlier, the main event of the week was the annual awards banquet at the Destin/Fort Walton Beach Convention Center which was attended by approximately 430 Air Commandos. Our emcee for the evening was Col (ret) Shelley Woodworth who teamed up with a very talented young airman from AFSOC and entertained the audience with lively exchanges between the two of them. This banquet required a large amount of effort behind the scenes and was led by Melissa and Jeanette along with a host of ACA and AFSOC volunteers. A special thank you to Dawn Hart of AFSOC PA for her invaluable assistance. ACA Advisor, Sherri Hayes once again organized and orchestrated the seating and signing in for all in attendance and was assisted by Jeanette and Melissa along with Pat Barnett and several airmen from AFSOC. ACA board members Col (ret) Rene Leon, CMSgt (ret) Rebecca Shelley and Col (ret) Lloyd Moon made sure the Partner VIP Social was a huge success. The Air Commando Hall of Fame committee, led by Lt Col (ret) JD Walker and CMSgt (ret) Gordo Scott did a superb job of ushering the new Hall of Fame inductees throughout the evening and presenting the prestigious awards on stage.

None of these events would have been possible if it were not for the very generous support of our sponsors. We would like to acknowledge Emerald Coast Harley-Davidson who is the overall convention sponsor; the Awards Banquet Sponsor L3Harris; the Air Commando Association’s Heritage Breakfast Sponsor was Lockheed Martin; and both CMSgts (ret) Rick and Julie Crutchfield along with Lockheed Martin’s support ensured the ACA Partner VIP social was a success.

Photos of the 2024 ACA Convention

I would be remiss if I did not express our sincere gratitude to our Corporate Partners for their support of the Air Commando Association throughout the year. Because of their generosity we were able to sponsor over 40 active duty Airmen at the awards banquet free of charge.

All in all, a great week of comradery in recognition of heroes young and old and renewed and extended friendships.

Any Time – Any Place
Col (ret) Dennis Barnett
President/CEO Air Commando Association

Robby Roberson Flies West

Billy Joe Roberson, SMSgt, USAF (Retired) affectionately known as Robby, passed away on 11 April 2024 in Brandon, Florida. He was born in Sylacauga, Alabama, on 3 February 1934. Robby volunteered for Jungle Jim in 1961 and was part of the first group to deploy to Bien Hoa. As Chief of Admin, he served under Colonels Ben King, Gerald Dix, Heinie Aderholt, and Gordon Bradburn.
As Air Commando Association (ACA) life member holding Card No. 2, he worked closely with General Aderholt in the formation of the ACA.
Robby is survived by his wife Dolores (Dee) Roberson, and daughters Rosemarie Litchfield and Charlene Murphy, along with four grandchildren, Christine Lukasik, Brent Litchfield, Trevis Litchfield, and Alexis Litchfield.

 

Gen Harry “Hienie” Aderholt and Robby Roberson
Robby Roberson at ACA social
Robby Roberson with Gen Harry “Hienie” Aderholt, and Christine Lukasik
Air Commandos – Robby on the right
Air Commandos – Robby Roberson on the right
Dee and Robby Roberson, Christine Lukasik, and Howie Pearson
Jeanette Elliott and Robby Roberson
ACA Banquet 2011 – Gen Richard Secord and Robby Roberson
ACA Banquet 2013 – Robby and Dee Roberson, Jeanette and Ken Elliott, and Lynnette Petsinger
ACA Banquet 2019

Embolden Valor: Capture, Curate, and Continue

I met Jim Ifland 6 months ago. He was spry, lively, engaging, curious and welcoming. His quality of life at 92 years of age was a blessing most of us will only hope for. I quickly struck up a friendship with Jim and we conversed many times over the past few months. It was imminently clear to me the Jim had a passion for our United States of America. Jim was a patriot. He knew the importance of action when required and could think outside the box to complete whatever problem lay before him. Jim personified the bold character we hope for from the men and women that stand-up and step-forward to serve our nation. Jim’s experience and lessons learned likely have numerous applications in today’s near-peer competition. He would have been a great resource to today’s strategist and young Airmen. Unfortunately, as most of you know Jim passed away this past December.

I recently performed a search for Jim on popular social media sites and only found his funeral service. This is unfortunate, because Jim had so much to share. With today’s technology, we could preserve Jim’s own words, in his own voice, sharing a lifetime of valuable lessons. Jim’s passing highlights a difficult truth. We lose approximately 250 WWII veterans; 600 Korean War veterans, and 390 Vietnam veterans every day. Of the 16 million U.S. service members that served during WWII, under 60,000 will be alive by 2025. With each loss of great Americans from previous generations we lose hard earned lessons regarding the spirit of ingenuity and pathways of action. We need to capture and preserve these stories.

The Embolden Valor Foundation sees this issue and is working hard to preserve the voices behind such valuable, yet perishable, lessons. We are seeking out and capturing stories of bold decision making, unconventional leadership, and impactful innovation. We curate that information with artificial intelligence and machine learning to uncover trends and themes–what we are calling the “First Principles of Valor.” We use the First Principles to create and deliver products and presentations to inspire boldness and courage in current and future warfighters. We need your help.

I am confident that the members of the ACA both have personal accounts and know of individuals who have stories and examples of decision making that should be captured and curated for future generations. Please email us at info@emboldenvalor.org or visit our website at www.emboldenvalor.org to share such examples so that our team can reach out and capture as many of these stories as possible.

ACA Stepping Up to Support Fellow Air Commandos

By Lou Orrie, CMSgt, USAF (ret)

Suicide rates among active duty and veterans continue to spike and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. Military members, both active and retired, have scars both seen and unseen. It is those unseen scars that seem to carry the greatest burden as they are the most difficult to tackle as some of those scars run deep. To that end, the Air Commando Association has teamed up with the organization SoundOff where members of the Air Commando community can get mental health assistance anonymously free of charge. As “Quiet Professionals” we are often caught in the world of complexity, one where it is often challenging to ask for help. With SoundOff, one simply has to download the app, answer a couple of quick questions and you are up and running, getting the chance to chat with either a licensed clinician or a battle buddy. You get the chance to choose which clinician or battle buddy you would like to communicate with and the system hides your identity by automatically assigning you a random screen name. This allows you the chance to discuss various issues with the clinician or battle buddy. It all comes down to taking care of one another, ensuring the care of Air Commandos, past, present, and future. At this time this service is for current and past military members of the SOF community.

To get started, simply scan either the Apple or Google code to be directed to the SoundOff app. Once you have downloaded the app, choose the user path that will ask you to create a password and then a PIN. One word of advice is to be sure and write down the screen name the system assigns as it is not recoverable, even by the system administrators of SoundOff. You will then find yourself with several organizations to choose from. Select SOCOM, then Air Force Special Operations Command, as a minimum because the ACA funding is tied to that selection. There are other organizations that you can choose from and feel free to pick those that are applicable to your career path. Once all of that is done, you are now presented with one last choice and that is to pick your state of residence. You are now ready to receive one on one assistance from either a clinician or battle buddy. One of the benefits of this program is you get a chance to review the clinicians and battle buddies This allows you the opportunity to find someone you can open up to and receive the assistance you are looking for.

Along with being a great user platform to provide anonymous mental health assistance, you will also have the opportunity to become a battle buddy, which is just as vital as the clinicians. There are a few additional steps needed to become a battle buddy, but it is well worth the time invested. Battle buddies bridge the gap between the user and clinician. Oftentimes it takes a simple interaction with a battle buddy to stop a bad situation from becoming worse. Being a battle buddy is not anonymous so that others looking for assistance can choose someone that best aligns with their own background and experiences. To become a battle buddy/peer supporter, simply check the peer support icon that will take you to a page where you will enter your email address, phone number, and password. After registering, you will need to complete a quick program that discusses how to be a battle buddy and getting individuals the help they need.

I hope many of you that are dealing with issues find the fortitude to sign up for help and take advantage of this great program. Please consider signing up for assistance, if needed, or at least becoming a battle buddy to provide peer support to other fellow Air Commandos in need. You just may be the one to keep one of our friends or neighbors from taking their own life because they feel there is nowhere else to turn. Thank you for your time and please direct any questions to info@aircommando.org.

Veteran’s Honor Flights

By Dave Clark, ACA Life Member

I was recently selected for and went on an HONOR FLIGHT to Washington DC from Seattle, WA, along with 57 veterans including a WW II Veteran, 7 Korea War Veterans, and the rest Vietnam Veterans. What is an Honor Flight? An Honor Flight is conducted by non-profit organizations dedicated to transporting as many United States military veterans as possible to see the memorials in Washington DC at no cost to the veterans.

Alaska Airlines has specially painted planes for the occasion and donates flights and crews. Other airlines also donate planes and crews from different parts of the country. Buses, Hotels and food are all donated. The memorials we saw were the WW II, Korean, Vietnam, Lincoln, FDR, Navy Museum, Women’s memorial, Marine’s, Air Force memorial, Arlington’s tomb of unknown Solider, and changing of the Guard.

Some Honor flights are done in 1-day, others take 2 days. It all depends what area of the country you’re leaving from. Veterans may be required to have a guardian. The guardian is there to assist the veteran during the tours. There are many people who sign up to be guardians for veterans if he or she needs one. My nephew was a guardian for me.

These Honor Flights are amazing. What caught me off guard were the emotions I thought were long gone. I highly recommend that all eligible veterans sign up for an HONOR FLIGHT. YOU DESERVE IT. Contact the Honor Flight Group for your area and fill an application. There are no federal dollars funding these flights, it’s all done by donations.

USSOCOM Memo on Cancer Study

Air Commandos – Read memo from USSOCOM regarding cancer study.

March 5, 2024

U.S. Special Operations Command Teammates,

We are conducting an in-depth study to characterize cancer risk and diagnosis within the active duty and retired Special Operations Forces (SOF) population. The study is in cooperation with ongoing Defense Healthcare Agency efforts that inform Department of Defense (DOD) senior leaders, healthcare providers, and biomedical innovators, and will focus on personnel that have been assigned to SOF units during their careers. In line with the First SOF Truth, this effort will enable the SOF enterprise to pursue force health protection measures that reduce excess health risk, as well as support our teammates who have been, our currently, or may be diagnosed with cancer.

Click to view

To accurately characterize cancer risk within the SOF community, we encourage individuals to take necessary steps below to ensure the study team can access their diagnosis:

• Ensure any cancer diagnosis is documented in DOD or U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical records. While there is no need to move ongoing cancer care or surveillance from existing facilities to a DOD or VA facility, it is critical that documentation from external providers is transferred and incorporated into these official DOD/VA medical records.

• Complete routine cancer screenings. For men, these include prostate screenings and colonoscopies. For women these include breast exams/mammograms, pap smears, and colonoscopies.

People are our competitive advantage. We will support Service members diagnosed with cancer by ensuring they have access to advanced treatment options and robust resources to enable their ability to continue to serve our Nation. The Warrior Care Program and Command Surgeon will share information discovered in the study with the Force as it becomes available.

Shane W. Shorter
Command Sergeant Major, U.S. Army
Command Senior Enlisted Leader

Brian P. Fenton
General, U.S. Army
Commander

2024 ACA Annual Convention Registration Is Open

ACA Convention Registration Is Open

Air Commandos, our 2024 annual convention is held in Fort Walton Beach, FL again. Along with the 2023 Air Commando Hall of Fame induction ceremony we welcome AFSOC 12OAY to the annual awards banquet. The ACA welcomes all Air Commandos and their families: Past, Present, and Future to our annual convention.

  • Heritage Seminar Breakfast

    Friday @ 8:00 am

    Air Commando Association’s Heritage Seminar Breakfast at 8:00 am at The Island Resort at Fort Walton Beach.

  • Memorial Retreat

    Friday @ 4:00 pm

    We will be hosting a memorial retreat at the Hurlburt Field Air Park at 4:00 pm.

  • ACA Open House

    Saturday @ 9:00 am

    We welcome all visitors to the Air Commando Association’s Open House on Saturday, 13 April at 9:00 am – noon.

  • Award Banquet

    Saturday @ 5:30 pm

    We will be honoring the 2023 Air Commando Hall of Fame inductees and AFSOC 12OAY awards at the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center on Okaloosa Island in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.

  • Ice Breaker

    Thursday @ 5:00 pm

    Our early bird social starts at 5:00 pm at The Island Resort at Fort Walton Beach.

Awards Banquet

2024 ACA Convention

Gather with fellow Air Commandos in honoring the Class of 2023 Hall of Fame and AFSOC 12OAY awards at the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center on Okaloosa Island in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Social hour starts at 5:30 pm and dinner begins at 6:30 pm. Cost is $75 per person and cash bars will be located throughout the venue. Dress code is semi-formal for civilians and Service dress for active duty personnel.

REGISTER HERE

Our Sponsors

Title Sponsor

Emerald Coast
Harley-Davidson

Proud Supporter of Air Commandos.

At Emerald Coast Harley-Davidson, Our Customers Come First. At Emerald Coast Harley-Davidson, we value the opportunity to create a long term relationship with our customers, and we do that by giving you unparalleled customer service.

Banquet Sponsor

L3 Harris

Part of the Special Operations Community.

In a fast moving and increasingly complex world, L3Harris is anticipating and rapidly responding to challenges with agile technology – creating a safer world and more secure future.

VIP Social Sponsor

Lockheed Martin

Ensuring those we serve always stay ahead of ready.

We specialize in defense tech, solving complex challenges, advancing scientific discovery and delivering innovative solutions that help our customers keep people safe.

VIP Social Sponsor

CMSGTs (Ret.) Rick & Dr Julie Crutchfield

Over 70 years of serving our nation.

REGISTER HERE

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ACJ Vol 12/3

Maj Gen Greg Lengyel, USAF (Retired) Former Commander, Special Operations Command-Europe ACA Life Member #4267
Maj Gen Greg Lengyel, USAF (Retired)

As we stand at the threshold of a new year, it is with great pleasure and pride that I welcome you to the January 2024 issue of the Air Commando Journal. In the ever-evolving tapestry of military service, the Air Commando Hall of Fame serves as a hallowed repository of valor, leadership, and dedication. Within these pages, we are honored to introduce five remarkable individuals whose indelible contributions have left an enduring mark on the legacy of Air Commandos.
As we unveil the stories of these extraordinary Hall of Fame inductees, we also delve into the annals of history to bring you a riveting account of a heroic rescue mission during the war in Southeast Asia. Through the tale of then-Maj Phil Conran’s courage and leadership, this narrative captures the essence of the Air Commando spirit and the unwavering commitment to the principles that define our profession. Fittingly, Colonel Conran is also a member of the Air Commando Hall of Fame—Class of 1998.
Another highlight of this issue is a wonderful interview with Lt Col George Hardy, who began his military service during World War II as an 18 year old Tuskegee Airman flying “Red Tail” P-51s escorting USAAF bombers. By 1950 he was a bomber pilot flying B-29s during the very early days of the Korean War and after a number of staff jobs and academic assignments, Colonel Hardy completed his military career as an Air Commando flying AC-119 gunships with the 18th Special Operations Squadron.
This issue further explores the enduring relevance of the Special Operations Forces Truths – timeless wisdom that continues to guide the men and women of the Air Commando community in their pursuit of excellence. In our journey through Hurlburt Field street namesakes, we discover the significance behind the names that adorn the thoroughfares of our home base, paying homage to the trailblazers and heroes who paved the way for future generations.
Looking back at our more recent Non-Standard Aviation history, we uncover the ingenuity and adaptability that have characterized our community. Through innovative approaches and unconventional solutions, Air Commandos have always risen to the occasion, leaving a noteworthy mark on the history of SOF aviation.
Rounding out this issue we revisit the compelling narrative of the 1997 Mackay Trophy mission, a testament to the Air Commandos who rescued 56 people from destruction and civil war in the Republic of the Congo; Special Operations Command-North leading joint airpower exercise in the Arctic; and Chief Lou Orrie’s experience at the Warrior Games. Through the lens of these stories, we gain insights into the broader impact of our community on the global stage.
As we embark on this literary journey, may the narratives within these pages inspire and resonate with the indomitable spirit that defines Air Commandos and this Association. Thank you for joining us on this exploration of valor, heritage, and the unyielding commitment that binds us as America’s Air Commandos. Here’s to a year filled with new achievements, shared camaraderie, and the unwavering pursuit of excellence.
I’m humbled to have served in this great community, and I thank the ACJ staff for all they do to recognize Air Commandos, past and present, while nurturing their legacy and our heritage for those who will follow.

Interactive ACJ 12/3 PDF Available Here

We have improved the readability of our ACJ Online, open the PDF and scroll to page 3 (Table of Contents) and click on any headline and it will take you directly to that article in the PDF. Look for more interactive features in the next online issue of the Journal.

352nd SOW Heritage and Unity Dinner at Prestigious Ely Cathedral

RAF Mildenhall’s 352nd Special Operations Wing Heritage and Unity Dinner at Prestigious Ely Cathedral

By Brice Harmon, 352 SOW Dining Out Committee Member

Ely, United Kingdom – The 352nd Special Operations Wing at RAF Mildenhall orchestrated a dining event last August 2023, honoring their heritage and lineage at the esteemed Ely Cathedral. The gathering, organized by a dedicated 22-member in-house committee, brought together over 250 personnel, dignitaries, and special guests to honor the Wing’s legacy.

Maj Gen Edwards with with Chindit Society

Among the distinguished attendees were representatives from the revered Chindit Society (Alice Wingate, granddaughter of Maj Gen Orde Wingate, the founder of the Chindits; Sid Machin, a 99-year-old Chindit veteran; and Lt Col Paul Corden from today’s 77th Brigade, named after the first Chindit Brigade), the Honorary Commanders from each Squadron, and the Special Operations Command Europe Commander, Maj Gen Edwards and his family (pictured right). Their participation underscored the event’s significance in acknowledging the shared values, experiences, and the enduring spirit of service.

Lady Chapel – Ely Cathedral

The 2nd Chapter of the Air Commando Association significantly enhanced the event, both through their fundraising efforts and a generous donation. They raised over $4,000, which greatly contributed to the event’s scale and success. Furthermore, their donation of 900 sterling pounds, earmarked for the Chindits and other crucial support functions, demonstrated their deep commitment to honoring the Wing’s heritage. This support played a key role in fostering the spirit of camaraderie and mutual aid that is central to the Air Commando community.

The presence of Maj Gen Edwards stressed the worth of the occasion in his speech, highlighting the Wing’s critical role within the broader spectrum of special operations and international partnerships. He emphasized the 352 SOW’s abilities for “innovating to meet the needs of our nation is nothing new and have helped lead AFSOC’s transition by standing up the first Theater-Air Operations squadron.”

The event at the Ely Cathedral showcased the Wing’s steadfast ambassadorship with the United Kingdom and its people. Its strategic location amidst the cathedral’s historic grandeur served as a symbolic gathering to the enduring partnership and collaboration that stands beyond time. Amidst the ambiance of companionship and mutual respect, attendees lauded the event’s ability to reinforce the bonds between the Wing and its allies, highlighting the shared commitment to peace, remembrance, and cooperation.

The dining event stood as a testament to the 352 SOW’s unwavering dedication, reflecting its commitment to honoring traditions, fostering international alliances, and commemorating the indelible contributions made by all those serving within its distinguished ranks.

The evening was not just a celebration of heritage but also a platform to express gratitude. The Dining Out Committee extends a special ‘thank you’ to the Air Commandos Association for their support throughout the event. Truly honoring their mission to preserve, protect and document the heritage of the Air Commando’s past, present, and future. Events of this caliber are the backbone of our historical fortitude and guides us to maintain the culture of camaraderie and continue to elevate the bonds of the Air Commandos across the world.

2024 ACA Convention Dates Announced

Mark your calendars for the ACA annual convention. The following is a tentative schedule of activities and events taking place this year.

Thursday, 11 April:
Ice Breaker 1730-2000 at the Island
Friday 12 April:
Heritage Seminar Breakfast and AFSOC Awards
0730-1130 at the Island
Friday evening (times and details TBD) 12 April:
Fun Run and Retreat Ceremony Hurlburt Air Park
Saturday 13 April:
ACA Open House 0900-1200 @ ACA headquarters
Saturday 13 April:
ACA Annual Awards Banquet
1700-2100 at Emerald Coast Convention Center
(Note this year’s banquet will be a joint ACA AFSOC Outstanding Airmen of the Year)

CONVENTION REGISTRATION COMING SOON!


Book your stay at the Island, click on the following link to reserve your room at the group rate with the Air Commando Association. Click the below link, select the dates and room type you are interested in on the booking screen and click BOOK NOW:

ACA 2024 CONVENTION HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS 

Guests may also book over the phone by calling 850-337-9194.
Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm CDT to make their reservations.
The group rate: Starting at $189.00 USD per night plus tax rate applies to the following dates: 11-14 April 2024

LAST DAY TO BOOK: 03/11/2024 
Cancellation Policy: 48 hours prior to arrival  
Deposit Policy: Credit Card to Guarantee, No Deposit Required  
Rate: starting at $189.00 USD per night plus tax  

Please note: Guest’s need to contact the group housing coordinator directly, if they want to extend their stay or book different room types outside of the group block (which is subject to availability and rate). Reservations needed after the cutoff date must be booked directly through group housing. The group rate after cutoff is not guaranteed, and is subject to current availability. Venessa Blackmon, Group Housing Coordinator, Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm CDT. Please Call 850-337-9194 or email vblackmon@theislandfl.com

In Memory of CMSgt Alan “Yosh” Yoshida

The Air Commando community is saddened by the recent passing of Combat Control great Alan “Yosh” Yoshida, CMSgt, USAF, Retired.  ACA has passed our condolences to the Combat Control Foundation and they have asked us to share this link for support.  https://www.facebook.com/events/989129669311902?ref=newsfeed
As an Air Commando, Yosh was a great friend and colleague to many Air Commandos…past and present. He was a true quiet professional, warrior, leader, and intellectual powerhouse, and he will be forever remembered as one of the very best our Nation has to offer! He saved U.S. and coalition lives on the battlefield and destroyed our enemies. He was an exemplary keeper of freedom and honor!

A memorial event will be held for Yosh on 16 December 2023 at 1400, at 1078 County Road 241, Hondo, TX. For logistical reasons, the Combat Control Foundation needs to get a headcount of everyone who is attending the memorial in Texas.
Please visit this CCF link to RSVP for the memorial event


Alan “Yosh” Yoshida, CMSgt, USAF, Retired
The following is an official Facebook post from Lt. Gen. Tony D. Bauernfeind, commander of Air Force Special Operations:

Over the weekend, we lost a dedicated Combat Controller, Silver Star Recipient and true hero, CMSgt (Retired) Alan “Yosh” Yoshida, who passed away on December 9, 2023.

Yoshida earned the Silver Star in 2001 for his actions against the Taliban and their surrender of Kandahar to Hamid Karzai. Over the course of 5 days, Yoshida worked with the lead elements of Northern Alliance Commander Hamid Karzai’s ground force as they advanced and seized the town of Sayyd Alma Kalay. After the Taliban launched a major counterattack, Yoshida orchestrated numerous danger-close air strikes, crushing the Taliban attack and forcing the enemy to retreat to the southern side of the river, saving both his team members and hundreds of Afghans in the nearby town.

The following day, Yoshida accompanied by friendly forces, attacked a critical hilltop overlooking the only bridge in the sector crossing the Arghendab River. Exposing himself to intense machine-gun fire and rocket-propelled grenades, Yoshida advanced toward the hilltop, plotted out three enemy positions, developed aircraft attack restrictions and determined optimal munitions selection, resulting in neutralization of the enemy threat, survival of friendly forces and ensuring the strategically vital bridge remained intact.

And while his actions on those days alone are enough to write him into our history books, Yosh was so much more than just an operator. In the years that followed, he continued to pour into others, sharing his experience and wisdom far and wide throughout AFSOC and Air Force. Among his notable accomplishments is that he was one of the primary architects of generational technological advancements and equipment modernization for the Special Tactics force. When he retired a few years ago he continued to serve through his support to organizations like the Combat Control Foundation but also got some much-deserved down time with his wife and children, who he cherished.

CMSgt Yoshida, thank you for your service and dedication to our nation, AFSOC and your fellow Air Commandos.

Donations can be made here in memory of Yosh: https://www.combatcontrolfoundation.org/donate


The following obituary for Alan T. Yoshida has been released to the Combat Control Foundation by his family. The family also gave permission to post on social media channels.

On 9 December 2023, Alan Tatsuo Yoshida, loving husband, father, son, brother, and warrior passed away at age 51.

Alan was born in Mililani, Hawaii on 27 October 1972, to Ronald and Nina Yoshida. He joined the U.S. Air Force in 1991 where he faithfully and proudly served his country for 28 years as a Combat Controller. Alan raised three beautiful children of whom he was extremely proud—his daughter Sydney, and his sons Noah and Trevor. Through them, his legacy lives on.
On 15 April 2015, he married the love of his life, Sarah. Together they enjoyed traveling the world and going on adventures.

Alan was a graduate of Norwich University and later served as the Strategic Accounts Executive for Parraid LLC. Alan chose to work for Parraid because the company empowered him to dream big and enabled him to transform his ideas into reality.

Alan’s interests were many. He was an artist, a technologist, a visionary, a warrior, and a dreamer. He loved little kids and Izzy dog. He tolerated Yeager. His passions included surfing, parachuting, hunting, fishing, and working on his land in Hondo. Alan truly loved his career. Although it left him in great pain, he never regretted a minute of his service and would do it all over again if he could. He was born to be an operator and was one of the best there ever was. He truly loved his brothers in arms and used his gifts and genius to improve their lives, safety, and survivability. But most of all, Alan loved and cherished his family. He was the happiest just spending time with his kids and Sarah. Give him a good cuddle and he was content.
Alan was preceded in death by his father Ronald. He is survived by his wife Sarah, his daughter Sydney Price, his sons Noah and Trevor, his mother Nina, his brother Dale, his sister Ann, and his nephew Joshua. A memorial service will be held for Alan on 16 December 2023 at 1400, at 1078 County Road 241, Hondo, TX.

In lieu of flowers we ask that donations be made to the Combat Control Foundation or bring a tree to plant in his orchard.

Forest M. “Woody” Kimsey Flies West

Silver Star recipient, Air Commando, dear friend, and loved one takes his final flight.

Forest Marshall Kimsey was born December 17th, 1939, in Pueblo, CO to Mildred Ferguson Kimsey and Clarence Jesse Kimsey. Survivors are his wife Joy Kean who he married, February 1st, 1962, and two sons Kris K Kimsey who is married to Tamara Cort and Kyle Kimsey who is married to Toni Greenman. He has one grandson, Joshua Kimsey in Germany and one granddaughter, Alyssa Kimsey in Florida. He is preceded in death by his parents.
Col. Kimsey graduated from high school in Colby, KS and obtained a bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University in 1962. Forest also received a Master of Arts degree from Webster College in St. Louis, MO.
After pilot training at Webb AFB, TX and helicopter school at Stead AFB, NV, he was stationed at Eglin AFB, FL in Tactical Air Warfare Center. In October 1965 the group was then sent to Southeast Asia, Udorn, Thailand, Det F, 38th ARRS (Jolly Greens). During his tour, he flew 113 combat missions and had six combat saves. He then spent four years in the Cartographic and Geodetic Service (Photo Mapping) living in Georgia and Kansas and traveling to Brazil and Ethiopia. He went to University of Southern California to study Airplane Accident Investigation after which he went to the 39th ARRS Wing Headquarter, Richards‐Gebaur and then to Eglin AFB.
In 1972, he went back to Southeast Asia and had a 3‐month tour in Ton Son Nhut. The next year, he was selected for a Coast Guard Exchange, in San Diego, for two years flying HH3F. He was next sent to Thule, Greenland as Det 14, 39th ARRS Commander. In 1975, he then went to Scott AFB as Chief of Helicopter Tactcs where he wrote the original manual for Red Flag. In Oct 1977, he was Det Commander of Det 18, 38th ARRS Plattsburg AFB, NY where he oversaw the Medical Helicopter rescue of the 1980 Winter Olympics. In 1980, he was then back to Scott AFB MAC Headquarter to be Chief of Operational Requirements. In 1981, he went to Korea to assume command of the 38th ARRS in Osan. In 1982, he was back at MAC Headquarters in Operational Requirements and worked on Special Operations Requirements. In 1983, he went to USAF Inspector General Headquarters at Norton AFB, CA where he was Functional Management Team Chief. In 1987, he as assigned to Hulburt Field with 23rd AF.
Col. Kimsey is a command pilot with over 3500 hours, mostly in the H3. His military awards include the Silver Star, Meritorious Service Medal with 4 oak leaf clusters, Air Medal with 5 oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation with 1 oak leaf cluster, Presidential Unit Citation, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, Combat Readiness Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Cross of Gallantry, Vietnam Campaign Medal. He is also a Master Mason, St. Thomas Lodge #306, Colby, KS and a Shriner, St. Louis, MO., Life Member VFW, Colby KS, Life Member Air Commando Association, Life Member Jolly Green Association, Helicopter Pilots Association, and Photo Mapping Association.


His Silver Star citation reads:

USAF Silver Star

“First Lieutenant, Forest M. Kimsey, distinguished himself by gallantry in connection with military operations against an opposing armed force in Southeast Asia on 22 April 1966. On that date, Lieutenant Kimsey, flying a rescue helicopter, voluntarily flew into an area of known hostile troops in an effort to rescue two fellow Americans. Due to intense ground fire and battle damage to his helicopter, Lieutenant Kimsey was forced to withdraw from the area. Later in the day, Lieutenant Kimsey returned to the area and despite intense ground fire, successfully rescued one survivor. By his gallantry and devotion to duty, Lieutenant Kimsey has reflected great credit upon himself and United States Air Force.”

Watch an interview of Woody in 2014 by Joe Galloway for the Veterans History Project found in the Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.109092/?

In Memory of Col Jimmy Ifland

A Final Goodbye to Col Jim ‘Jimmy’ Ifland

ACA is sad to report the passing of Jim Ifland, Col, USAF, Retired. Col Jim Ifland was a founding member of the ACA. He was the epitome of a true Quiet Professional. He was a tremendous ACA member, leader, and mentor helping form the ACA with then Col Harry ‘Heinie’ Aderholt. Jim was in the very first class of the Air Commando Hall of Fame in 1969. Among his numerous ACA contributions, Jim served as the Secretary of the Air Commando Hall of Fame Committee for many years. He was the official ACA photographer for many years. He was also a master woodworker and craftsman. His handiwork is on display throughout the ACA building. He worked tirelessly designing and building the impressive induction display for the Air Commando Hall of Fame and several other beautiful pieces of custom woodworking art. Jim’s contributions as an Air Commando are highlighted in the Air Commando Journal Vol 8 Issue 2 

He will be sorely missed. RIP Jim.

Visitation for Jim Ifland will be held at 1:00 pm with services at 2:00 pm on Saturday, 16 December at the Fort Walton Beach First United Methodist Church, 103 First St SE, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548.

  • Jim Ifland W Others

  • Jim Ifland

  • IMG 7203

  • ACA Two Trees Social 2013 10 10 025

  • ACA Lunch 7D 2012 06 04 054

  • ACA Christmas 2016 2016 12 11 019

  • ACA Banquet 2013 10 12 249

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ACA Golf Tourney Success & Photos

ACA Golf Tourney Great Fundraiser!

Thank you to everyone who sponsored, supported, and played in the 2023 ACA golf tourney. We could not have done it without you! It was a great day for golf, the weather held off, the temps were low and the Air Commando spirits were high! A special thank you to Scott Photo Works, see all the photos here!

  • ACA Golf EOSR 2023 10 12 081

  • ACA Golf EOSR 2023 10 12 142

  • ACA Golf EOSR 2023 10 12 138

  • ACA Golf 5D3 2023 10 12 143

  • ACA Golf EOSR 2023 10 12 080

  • ACA Golf EOSR 2023 10 12 069

  • CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL THE PHOTOS

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2023 ACA Election Ballot

The position for ACA Treasurer does not require a vote, Dave Mobley is currently serving as Treasurer and intends to serve again and is running unopposed.

There are three (3) candidates on the ballot for one (1) director’s position on the Air Commando Association’s Board. This director’s term is for 3 years, beginning on 1 Jan 2024 and ending on 31 Dec 2027.

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CANDIDATES FOR TREASURER:

---------------- Dave Mobley, Col, USAF (Retired) ----------------
Dave Mobley is the current treasurer and is running unopposed for an additional term.

CANDIDATES FOR DIRECTOR:

---------------- Bob Bieber, Capt, USAF (Retired) ----------------
I graduated from St. Louis University with a B.S in Psychology/Sociology. Commissioned a 2/Lt in USAF entering active duty on 31 July 1964. DQ'd from Pilot Training due to deficient visual acuity I received assistance from ROTC Prof. of Air Science, then Capt. George 'Bud' Day, to get assigned as an Admin Officer to the 1st Air Commando Wing at Hurlburt Fld, Fl. Remained as an Air Commando at Hurlburt Fld until 1971. Certified as a Phase III Combat Ready Combat Controller(CCT) in Dec 1966. Service as an Air Commando/Special OPS CCT at Hurlburt in the 1960s involved support of LZ/DZ/EZ, Comms,FAC/FAG(now known as JTAC) training/operations of the thirteen aircraft types assigned to the 1st ACW to include the A-26, A-1E,AT-28D, A-37,A/C-47,C-123,O-1,O-2, OV-10, U-10, &UH-1 aircraft.
Assignments & positions in USAF: 1. SQ OIC CCT, 1st ACW/1st Spec Ops Wg, Hurlburt Fld, Fl. (TAC) 1964-1970; 2. SQ OIC CCT, 8th APS, Tan Son Nhut AB, RVN (PACAF) 1971-1972. Twenty Two missions to include Lam Son 719 at Khe Sahn; 3. SQ Chief CCT, 2nd APS, LRAFB, AR. (MAC) 1972-1976.; 4. Sq OIC CCT, 1300 MAS, Howard AFB, CZ (MAC) 1976-1979. Was separated (RIF) from the service as a Captain in Feb 1979. Enlisted as SSG (E-6) in the U.S. Army Special Forces (Reserve) at Richards-Gebaur AFB, MO in Oct 1965 assigned to A/1/12th SFG(A) with duty as Air Ops Specialist and Ops Intell NCO coinciding with Dept of Army (DA) Civil Service (GS-12) employment as Military Analyst for Combat Developments - Special Ops Aviation and Low Intensity Conflict (LIC) at Ft. Leavenworth KS; 1985-1999. In April 1998 I secured a position as an Individual Mobilization Augmentee (IMA) In USSOCOM'S Strategy and Policy Division (SOOP-PGD) in the counterdrug cell at MacDill AFB. Following the 11 Sep 01 attack on America was mobilized to active duty; Special Operations Joint Interagency Collaboration Center (SOIO). Retired as CPT(USA) in April 2002.

I have always identified my USAF career as, first and foremost, an Air Commando with primary specialty and duty as a Combat Controller (CCT). The ACA, which I've been a member (#105) of since the first year of its founding- ca 1967 has enabled me to continue to honor that identity to the "Quiet Professionals" and "Any Time, Any Place" community/family. Now that I'm retired - retired, with much energy, I would now like to devote my primary efforts to promoting the stated Goals/Objectives and Programs of the ACA.

---------------- Brenda Cartier, Brig Gen, USAF (Retired) ----------------
AETC DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS (A3/6)| San Antonio, TX | 2021 - 2022
-Led operations of one of the world's largest training organizations
VICE COMMANDER, 19th AIR FORCE | San Antonio, TX | 2020 – 2021
-Led 36,000 civilian and military personnel and 1,608 aircraft assigned to 17 active duty, reserve, and guard wings across the U.S.
AFSOC DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS (A3) | Fort Walton Beach, FL | 2018 – 2020
-Led operations, training, and global readiness for Air Force Special Operations Command. Supervised 150+ military and civilian personnel developing and implementing operational command policy for
AFSOC’s worldwide special operations units including 20,800 personnel, 300 aircraft, and $17 billion in assets.
COMMANDER, 58th SPECIAL OPERATIONS WING | Albuquerque, NM | 2016 – 2018
-Commanded an organization of 2,300 military and civilian personnel teaching 90 courses to over 16,000 students annually.
VICE COMMANDER, AIR FORCE SPECIAL OPERATIONS AIR WARFARE CENTER | Fort Walton Beach, FL | 2014 – 2016
-Led 1200+ military and civilian personnel training, educating, and developing 13,000 Air Commandos. Directed 27 aircrew training pipelines in 7 aircraft weapon systems. Oversaw AFSOC’s Irregular
Warfare operations and global deployment of Combat Aviation Advisors in support of international partner objectives.
SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE 18TH CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF | The Pentagon | 2013 – 2014
-Assisted the Chairman in his role as the senior military advisor to the President, Secretary of Defense, and Congress."

I want to serve because I’m excited to continue serving our community with leadership, energy, strategic insight, and a deep commitment to the ACA mission. ACA is in a unique period in its history to ignite growth. I see massive opportunity in ACA’s mission and will effectively help guide the association, ensuring the welfare of members and their families. My passion & extensive AFSOC background uniquely position me to contribute to the association's growth and success, honoring the legacy that brought us here while driving it to new levels of achievement.

-------------- Rene Leon, Col, USAF (Retired) --------------
I am a 31 year veteran of the United States Air Force, retiring last summer as the longest serving A4 (Director of Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection) for Headquarters, Air Force Special Operations Command. During my career as an Aircraft Maintenance Officer, I have supported over 25 types of fixed, rotary and tilt-rotor aircraft with fleets as large as 255 aircraft valued at up to $18B. I have served across four different Major Commands, Headquarters Air Force, and USSOCOM. My command tours have all been either war-time commands in CENTCOM or within AFSOC and like many of us, I have accumulated several years of deployed experience mostly in the CENTCOM AOR. I have spent 12 of my last 15 years of service in the Special Operations community.
I am married with four children and when not working, enjoy kayaking, paddle boarding, and hiking.

I want to serve because I want to serve our Air Commandos in order to give back to the community that has borne the brunt of over 20 years of conflict and with whom I've served almost half of my Air Force career. Moreover, with my experience both in and out of AFSOC, I want to expand our "Air Commando" identity deeper into those Support Tribes that don't traditionally stay within AFSOC for an entire career, yet compose the majority of the command at any given moment. I think the Air Commando Association is an excellent resource, but currently under-utilized.

Vote for ONLY one candidate for Director
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In Memory of

The following is a list of Air Commandos who we have lost over the course of 2023. While some of the individuals may have passed away before 2023, the ACA has just been notified.

Reynold S. Adams
Richard Bingham
Richard J. Braun
William Cartwright
Michael F. Corbett
Wayne Corder
Edwin B. Denny
Bradfield Eliot
Irl Franklin
Robert Graham Jr.
Rodney Lee Guidry
Jim Hobson Jr.
John D. Hunsuck
Ben Josey
Jesse Joyce
Vic Kindurys
Donald Mack
Steve M. McCarthy
John Ordemann
William E. Powers
John Roddick
Gene Ronsick
Ronald Sampson
Gordon D. Smith
Kevin Stuart

Looking for Downed Pilot

The ACA received a call from someone who was looking for a fellow service member from the 602nd SOS who flew during the Vietnam War. They thought their friend was a Captain and that he crashed. It is not a lot to go on, but Melissa at ACA headquarters found the following website and it has a lot of information for just such a question. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency is a fantastic resource to help in locating POW/MIAs https://dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil/
Melissa was able to provide the caller with the following information: On March 1, 1969, Captain Campbell piloted an A-1J Skyraider, and for unknown reasons, his aircraft crashed in Laos. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency identified Captain Campbell’s remains in May 2010.

ACA Member Combines Family and History

ACA Lifetime member Dave Clark with grandson Kia.

Several years ago, my wife and I put together a Navajo Code Talker presentation and have done this many times to various groups over the years. Last week while visiting my daughter’s family in Virginia, I was able to do the presentation with my grandson Kai for his Civil Air Patrol Squadron. A high point of my life.

During the question and answer time besides answering questions about the code talkers, I was also asked about my ACA shirt and about being a Air Commando. Since I had several ACA coins with me I was able to trade and give away my ACA coins. I always travel with ACA coins. I will be ordering more soon. My little way of supporting a great organization. One of these days I will attend the ACA reunion.

 

For More Information on Code Talkers, visit the National WWII Museum website

ACJ Vol 12/2

Brig Gen Robert “Gwyn” Armfield, USAF (Retired)Former Commander, 24th Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, FL
Brig Gen Robert “Gwyn” Armfield, USAF (Retired)

Every edition of the Air Commando Journal squarely hits the target with value-added historical perspective for our Air Commandos. Today, our force needs the journal more than ever as they face a return to possible great power combat, but a guaranteed continuation of high-consequence special operations.
What the Air Commando Journal offers is a chance for current leaders to take a minute and learn from the past as they prepare to lead Airmen into what lies ahead. As was written long ago, there is nothing new under the sun.
Thanks to the ACJ Team for consistently producing such a professional product. I’m very humbled and honored to write this foreword.
This summer’s issue offers some golden nuggets of insight into very unique missions that our teammates got after — many times with limited resources and guidance — and in typical Air Commando fashion, made the impossible possible. That is why the word “special” is in the name. If it was easy, somebody else would have already done it.
The highlight of this edition is one of those uniquely complex and difficult missions: Operation Bahamas and Turks, aka Op BAT where Air Commandos supported a White House effort to interdict drug smugglers in the early ‘80s using Vietnam era equipment while pioneering the use of NVGs and precision navigation. As you’ll read, this was one hard mission and it came at a cost. For those who have been around for a while, your pulse will certainly quicken when you read Lt Col Warren Hubbard’s “First Report” detailing the January 1984 loss of UH-1N, callsign 44 Alpha, and the search for missing crew members.
From the Caribbean to the Pacific, Butch Gilbert recounts the near tragedy that occurred on Tinian Island during a joint readiness exercise in 1985 that provides great lessons on operating in the remote Pacific islands.
For me, the most inspiring vignette is the epic story of Capt Warren Tomsett and his crew flying their C-47, callsign Extol Pink, into rising terrain and deteriorating weather to land on a remote Vietnam hillside runway marked with a few burning rolls of toilet paper; all to save the lives of a handful of critically injured Vietnamese soldiers.
The issue opens with an AFSOC history lesson by Lt Gen Donny Wurster. I was fortunate to have served under General Wurster and he succinctly recounts how Air Force Special Operations grew from the 1st SOW being a tenant unit on Hurlburt Field with just three flying squadrons in the late 70s into what AFSOC is today. General Wurster relates how a handful of Air Commando budget programming ninjas, strategically placed on Air Force, USSOCOM, and AFSOC staffs, recapitalized our entire fleet of aircraft. Emerging leaders need to study and remember how AFSOC pulled off this recapitalization feat as it will need to be done again in the future.
This edition also highlights the dedication of the Spirit 03 memorial at USAFA so that future Air Commandos can study and honor those who did not return from their final mission.
Finally, the ACJ always provides clear-eyed and straight-shooting book reviews and this edition is no exception as they comment on Wisdom of the Bullfrog (it’s good) and hopefully bury once and for all the infamous Relentless Strike.
Hoo-yah Team, RA

Interactive ACJ 12/2 PDF Available Here

We have improved the readability of our ACJ Online, open the PDF and scroll to page 3 (Table of Contents) and click on any headline and it will take you directly to that article in the PDF. Look for more interactive features in the next online issue of the Journal.

2023 ACA Convention Rescheduled

Air Commandos, as we were finalizing preparations for the ACA 2023 Convention, we became aware of some major conflicts outside our control that would have had a significant impact on our ability to coordinate and execute our normal Convention schedule. Therefore, your board has decided to move this year’s 2023 fall activities to early spring of next year. The one exception will be the ACA Heritage Golf Tournament which will be our major fundraiser this year. Registration is coming soon for the Golf Tournament on 12 October at Rocky Bayou Country Club in Niceville, Florida.

As soon as we finalize the dates for the spring effort we will post them.

Information Operations / Special Operations MISO Policy Analyst

OVERVIEW:

The Hoplite Group is seeking to hire an Information Operations / Special Operations Related Military Information Support Operations Policy Analysis Support Services member at the Pentagon, to support the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict (OASD SO/LIC) OASD SO/LIC’s responsibilities to provide the overall supervision (including oversight of policy and resources) of special operations activities.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Ability to interface with senior level management.
  • Demonstrated excellent verbal, interpersonal and written communication skills.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Master’s degree from an accredited university in any field of study
  • Experience program budget review and force management experience.

EDUCATION

  • Bachelor’s degree from accredited university
  • Minimum 4 years of combined Joint, OSD, or Service level Information Operations (IO), Operations in the Information Environment (OIE), Information Warfare (IW), Special Operations with special emphasis on Military Information Support Operations (MISO), sensitive special activities/operations.

SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIREMENT:

  • Active Top Secret/SCI

OTHER:

  • Travel may be required, CONUS/OCONUS.
  • Normal Duty Hours – Monday-Friday, 0730-1630.
  • Mission may require extended shifts or weekend work.
  • Alternative Work Location/Telework may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

APPLY HERE: Information Operations / Special Operations MISO Policy Analyst

 

OSD and Special Operations Plans and Strategies Analyst

OVERVIEW:

The Hoplite Group is seeking to hire an OSD Plans and Strategies Analysis support services member at the Pentagon, to support the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict (OASD SO/LIC) OASD SO/LIC’s responsibilities to provide the overall supervision (including oversight of policy and resources) of special operations activities.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The OSD SOLIC Plans and Strategies Analysis support services member will provide SME analysis and advice within ASD SO/LIC for Departmental campaign planning and strategy. Staff, coordinate, and further develop strategies, concepts, campaign plans, and orders related to USSOCOM and special operations, in support of the Office of Secretary of Defense, Policy. Staff, coordinate, and further develop posture plans, in support of campaign plans related to USSOCOM and special operations, in support of the Office of Secretary of Defense, Policy. Support ASD(SO/LIC) integration into future operations, crisis action and compartmented contingency planning to inform senior leader decision-making and support combatant command special operation planning requirements. Lead and facilitate OASD(SO/LIC) integration with USSOCOM global synchronization of DOD trans-regional combating terrorism and countering weapons of mass destruction (CWMD) efforts from design and implementation through assessment of planning efforts and synchronization venues. Liaison and coordination among all participants during deliberate and crisis action planning and the execution of a crisis action team (CAT). Facilitate OASD(SO/LIC) integration into functional working groups from other agencies/departments, and the Joint Staff. Facilitate OASD(SO/LIC) integration with operational planning requirements through Joint Staff management practices and procedures. Assist in hosting/chairing meetings, visitations or conferences related to contingency and operations plans, emerging special operations opportunities and other initiatives. Analyze DoD and combatant commands operations, plans, and strategies for Special Operations equities and integration. Facilitate and support OASD(SO/LIC) integration into detailed planning, research, and analysis for deliberate and contingency planning working groups related to counterterrorism (CT), counter weapons of mass destruction (CWMD), counter-narcotics (CN) and other special operations activities. Facilitate and lead OASD(SO/LIC) integration with USSOCOM’s “Coordinating Authority” responsibility in support of the National Military Strategic Plan to Counter Trans-regional Terrorist Organizations.

QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Minimum 10 years of combined OSD, Joint Staff, USSOCOM, or Service level policy, programs, and force management experience.
  • Minimum 5 years of combined Joint, Combined, Interagency, and Regional experience working military operations, to include strategic and operational levels in joint, combined, and interagency environments
  • Minimum 4 years of experience in deliberate and crisis action planning at the operational or strategic level to include expert knowledge of the Joint Operational Plans and Execution System procedures.
  • Minimum 3 years of experience leading or participating in integrated process teams or joint planning groups at the operational or strategic levels.
  • Ability to interface with senior level management
  • Demonstrated excellent verbal, interpersonal and written communication skills
  • Demonstrated ability to provide technical support and advice

SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIREMENT:

  • Must have at Active Top Secret/with SCI eligibility

EDUCATION:

  • Bachelor’s degree from accredited university
  • Preferred: Master’s degree from an accredited university in any field of study
  • Graduate of Senior Service College or equivalent Senior Service Fellowship Program
  • Graduate of Joint Advanced Warfighting School (JAWS), School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS), School of Advanced Air and Space Studies (SAASS), Maritime Advanced Warfighting School (MAWS), School of Advanced Warfighting (SAW), or equivalent.

OTHER:

  • Travel may be required, CONUS/OCONUS.
  • Normal Duty Hours – Monday-Friday, 0730-1630.
  • Mission may require extended shifts or weekend work.
  • Alternative Work Location/Telework may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

APPLY HERE: OSD and Special Operations Plans and Strategies Analyst

Special Operations Aviation Analyst

OVERVIEW:

The Hoplite Group is seeking to hire a Aviation Analysis Support Services member at the Pentagon, to support the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict (OASD SO/LIC) OASD SO/LIC’s responsibilities to provide the overall supervision (including oversight of policy and resources) of special operations activities.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The OSD SOLIC Aviation Analysis Support Services member will provide SO&IW staff with technical advice and analysis of SO maritime capabilities support and requirements in the OSD Planning, Programming and Budget processes and Joint Staff Requirement process resulting in OSD Program Decision Memorandum (PDM) and Program Budget Decision (PBD). Provide SO Aviation SME technical support to SO&IW representative at CAPE issue team meetings to resolve Program Objective Memorandum (POM) decisions. Provide SO&IW staff and SO/LIC leadership with technical advice on SO aviation capabilities, plans, and funding to support the drafting and development of materials needed for Department and Interagency meetings and requests from Department leadership. Provide SO&IW SO aviation analysis of USSOCOM’s Capability Planning Guidance (CPG) and Program Planning Instruction for compliance with OSD policy and priorities. Provide SO&IW analysis of USSOCOM’s POM, specifically aviation programs and, when appropriate, identify and write issue papers addressing disconnects between USSOCOM and other Services POMs related to SO aviation programs and capabilities. Provide SO&IW an analysis of USSOCOM’s SO aviation programs in POM baseline including program milestones, fielding plans, roadmaps, budgets, and execution status. Provide SO&IW an analysis of USSOCOM’s compliance with OSD priorities for SO aviation and ISR programs following USSOCOM Integrated Process Team –building POM. Provide written advice and recommendations to SO&IW representative for Functional Capabilities Board and weekly Working Group meetings, attending as necessary to maintain situational awareness and make recommendations, as required, on topics, requirements, and gaps that have SO aviation equities. Provide analysis of USSOCOM’s SOF aviation capabilities, for material acquisition, modernization, and force development programs compliance with OSD policies. Provide technical assistance on SO aviation programs for congressional reports, directed studies, briefings, GAO reviews, and DoD IG audits. Provide written technical analysis and support to ASD (SO/LIC)’s representative at SOF aviation related conferences. Provide SO aviation technical analysis and support to ASD (SO/LIC) representative at the Special Operation Policy Oversight Committee. SME duties include monitoring SOF aviation issues in debate by Congress and having detailed knowledge of any SOF aviation issues requiring Congressional reports such as, mobility, light attack/armed reconnaissance, ISR, or Aviation Foreign Internal Defense (AvFID).

QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Minimum 4 years of combined Joint, OSD, or Service level aviation policies, programs, OSD program budget review and force management experience.
  • Minimum 4 years of experience with USSOCOM Strategic Planning Process or Service force management process.
  • Ability to interface with senior level management
  • Demonstrated excellent verbal, interpersonal and written communication skills
  • Demonstrated ability to provide technical support and advice

SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIREMENT:

  • Must have at Active Top Secret/with SCI eligibility

EDUCATION:

  • Bachelor’s degree from accredited university
  • Preferred: Master’s degree from an accredited university in any field of study

OTHER:

  • Travel may be required, CONUS/OCONUS.
  • Normal Duty Hours – Monday-Friday, 0730-1630.
  • Mission may require extended shifts or weekend work.
  • Alternative Work Location/Telework may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

APPLY HERE: Special Operations Aviation Analyst

Special Operations Training, Exercise, Education and Readiness Analyst

OVERVIEW:

The Hoplite Group is seeking to hire a Training, Exercise, Education, & Readiness Analyst at the Pentagon, to support the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict (OASD SO/LIC) OASD SO/LIC’s responsibilities to provide the overall supervision (including oversight of policy and resources) of special operations activities.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The OSD SOLIC Training, Exercise, Education, & Readiness Analyst will provide technical expertise on Joint Combined Exercise for Training (JCET) authorities and research, track, coordinate within DoD and the interagency and staff for approval all JCET events. Research, track, coordinate and staff for notification and approval all Realistic Military Training events within Departmental guidelines. Provide SME technical analysis, support, written advice and recommendations the Government on Special Operations training programs to include developing budgetary and programmatic guidance. Provide SME technical analysis, support, written advice and recommendations the Government on Special Operations education programs to include developing budgetary and programmatic guidance. Provide SME technical analysis of USSOCOM’s SO training programs, Joint Special Operations University education programs, and SO exercise programs in POM baseline including program milestones, fielding plans, roadmaps, budgets, and execution status. Provide SME technical analysis on integration and policy compliance of SOF training requirements matters in the Joint process. Provide SO&IW analysis of SO- training, exercises, and education-authorities, related legislative proposals, congressional marks up, appeals, directed studies and reports. Assist in drafting Congressional testimony for Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict (ASD SO/LIC) Annual Posture Statement pertaining to SO training programs, readiness, and SOF education. Provide SME technical analysis of SOF interoperability with the general purpose forces. Provide SO SME technical support for the DoD and SOF Language Program. Provide written technical analysis and support to ASD (SO/LIC)’s representative at USSOCOM’s Personnel and Readiness conference and OSD P&R conferences. Provide SME technical analysis and support to ASD (SO/LIC) for readiness matters at the Special Operation Policy and Oversight Council.

QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Minimum 5 years of combined Joint, OSD, or Service level training policy, readiness, reporting, Joint Combined Exercise Training, education and global force management experience
  • Minimum 4 years of experience at OSD or Service level in managing SOF education and OSD language program
  • Minimum 3 years of experience with Global Force Management and the Secretary of Defense Orders Book process
  • Ability to interface with senior level management
  • Demonstrated excellent verbal, interpersonal and written communication skills
  • Demonstrated ability to provide technical support and advice

SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIREMENT:

  • Must have at Active Top Secret/with SCI eligibility

EDUCATION:

  • Bachelor’s degree from accredited university
  • Preferred: Master’s degree from an accredited university in any field of study

OTHER:

  • Travel may be required, CONUS/OCONUS.
  • Normal Duty Hours – Monday-Friday, 0730-1630.
  • Mission may require extended shifts or weekend work.
  • Alternative Work Location/Telework may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

APPLY HERE: Special Operations Training, Exercise, Education and Readiness Analyst

Special Operations Sensitive Activities and Compartmented Program Analyst

OVERVIEW:

The Hoplite Group is seeking to hire an SA & Compartmented Program Analysis support services member at the Pentagon, to support the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict (OASD SO/LIC) OASD SO/LIC’s responsibilities to provide the overall supervision (including oversight of policy and resources) of special operations activities.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The OSD SOLIC SA & Compartmented Program Analysis support services member will provide specialized sensitive activity and SAP operations expertise and advice to ASD/SOLIC and SOLIC/SO&CT staff and leadership. Provide policy analysis and subject matter expertise in support of DOD sensitive activity capabilities, plans, requirements program, budget and execution. Support ASD/SOLIC sensitive activity and SAP program reporting requirements by writing, editing, reviewing and fact-checking congressional and other reports including, but not limited to, SAP annual reports, Clandestine Quarterly report inputs, GAO audits and Departmental responses to them, and IG reports and Departmental responses to them. Such support will also include episodic or issue-specific reports arising from program activity. Provide subject matter expertise in support of SOLIC/SO&CT i to establish and/or refine, implement and monitor compliance with policy, governance and implementation documents for maritime, aviation and terrestrial SAs and programs being conducted or planned by SOF. Such documents will typically include program or organizational charters, contracts, Execute Orders, Planning Orders, Concepts of Operation, and Deployment Orders. Conceptualize, research, organize and produce briefing materials related to SOF SAs for presentation to or use by DoD staff and leadership during intra and inter-departmental engagements such as USSOCOM and GCC sensitive activity conferences, meetings, hearings and other fora and, in particular, meetings of the Special Operations Policy Oversight Council in which SOF SAs or programs are under discussion. Monitor and assess the execution of SOF SAs and programs to proactively identify, characterize and report to SOLIC/SO&CT staff and leadership, weaknesses, vulnerabilities and risks that could lead to program failure or exposure, significant policy repercussions, or embarrassment to the United States, the Department of Defense or our partners. Recommend mitigation measures or alternative courses of action to eliminate or minimize such risks, consistent with mission accomplishment. Provide experience-based, value-added operational perspective to senior policy decisions makers on SOF sensitive activities and ensure coordination with policy, legal and operational counterparts. Assist in hosting/chairing meetings, visitations or large meetings related to contingency and operations plans, emerging special operations opportunities and other initiatives.

QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Minimum 3 years of combined OSD and/or Service staff experience working SOF-related sensitive and special access program operations and policies. A combination of experience in both the maritime and aviation environment is desirable.
  • Minimum 3 years of experience with and extensive knowledge of USSOCOM special mission units.
  • Ability to interface with senior level management
  • Demonstrated excellent verbal, interpersonal and written communication skills
  • Demonstrated ability to provide technical support and advice
  • Experience with and knowledge of contracting oversight in a sensitive activities context is highly desirable, though such knowledge and experience do not have to have been obtained in a Contracting Officers Representative or similar role.

SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIREMENT:

  • Must have at Active Top Secret/with SCI eligibility

EDUCATION:

  • Bachelor’s degree from accredited university
  • Preferred: Master’s degree from an accredited university in any field of study

OTHER:

  • Travel may be required, CONUS/OCONUS.
  • Normal Duty Hours – Monday-Friday, 0730-1630.
  • Mission may require extended shifts or weekend work.
  • Alternative Work Location/Telework may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

APPLY HERE: Special Operations Sensitive Activities and Compartmented Program Analyst

Special Operations Special Access Program Analyst

OVERVIEW:

The Hoplite Group is seeking to hire a SAP Analysis support services member at the Pentagon, to support the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict (OASD SO/LIC) OASD SO/LIC’s responsibilities to provide the overall supervision (including oversight of policy and resources) of special operations activities.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The OSD SOLIC SAP Analysis support services member will provide one SME on Special Access Programs (SAP) and SO sensitive special operations (SSO) for DoD; focusing on capability development, programming, training, budget, execution and requirements. Provide day to day analysis and subject matter expertise in support of DOD SSO/SAP capabilities, roadmaps, fielding plans, Joint Staff requirements processes, program milestones, budget, and execution status. Provide experience-based specialized SSO and SAP special operations expertise and direct advice to SOIW leaders in direct support of ASD (SO/LIC). Collect, prepare, organize, log, track conduct briefs, charters, legal opinions and other foundational documents, provide reports and lead analysis of SSO/SAP capabilities. Provide SOIW an analysis of USSOCOM’s compliance with OSD priorities for Sensitive Activities and Special Access Programs following USSOCOM Integrated Process Team –building POM. Provide SOIW written SME analysis and advice for USSOCOM and OSD SOF Sensitive Activities and SSO Conferences. Provide SOIW analysis of SOF Sensitive Special Operations and Special Access Program authorities, related legislative proposals, and congressional mark ups, appeals. Provide technical assistance on SO SSO/SAP for congressional reports, directed studies, GAO reviews, DoD IG audits, and studies; Provide SME technical analysis of USSOCOM’s sensitive activity training programs, readiness reporting, and exercise programs for compliance with OSD policies and priorities. Provide SAP/SSO technical analysis and support to ASD (SO/LIC) representative for the Special Operation Policy Oversight Committee and USSOCOMs Special Access Program Oversight Counsel.

QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Minimum 3 years of combined OSD and/or Service staff working SOF-related sensitive and special access programs, requirements, planning, programming/budget processes, contracts, and policies.
  • Minimum 3 years of experience with and extensive knowledge of USSOCOM special mission units.
  • Ability to interface with senior level management
  • Demonstrated excellent verbal, interpersonal and written communication skills
  • Demonstrated ability to provide technical support and advice

SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIREMENT:

  • Must have at Active Top Secret/SCI and Special Access Program clearance

EDUCATION:

  • Bachelor’s degree from accredited university
  • Preferred: Master’s degree from an accredited university in any field of study

OTHER:

  • Travel may be required, CONUS/OCONUS.
  • Normal Duty Hours – Monday-Friday, 0730-1630.
  • Mission may require extended shifts or weekend work.
  • Alternative Work Location/Telework may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

APPLY HERE: Special Operations Special Access Program Analyst

Special Operations Maritime Program Analyst

OVERVIEW:

The Hoplite Group is seeking to hire a Maritime Program Analyst at the Pentagon, to support the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict (OASD SO/LIC) OASD SO/LIC’s responsibilities to provide the overall supervision (including oversight of policy and resources) of special operations activities.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The OSD SOLIC Maritime Program Analyst will provide technical SOF maritime support and advice. Ability to interface with senior level management. Demonstrated excellent verbal, interpersonal and written communication skills. Provide SO&IW staff with technical advice and analysis of SO maritime capabilities support and requirements in the OSD Planning, Programming and Budget processes and Joint Staff Requirement process resulting in the OSD Program Decision Memorandum (PDM) and Program Budget Decision (PBD). Provide SO maritime technical and analytical support to SO&IW representative for CAPE issue team meetings to resolve Program Objective Memorandum (POM) decisions. Provide SO&IW staff and SO/LIC leadership with technical advice on SO maritime capabilities, for congressional and interagency meetings engagements. Provide SO&IW analysis of USSOCOM’s Capability Planning Guidance (CPG) and Program Planning Instruction for compliance of SO-peculiar maritime programs to include SOF-undersea and sea surface capabilities, for material acquisition, modernization, and force development programs compliance with OSD policy and priorities. Provide SO&IW analysis of USSOCOM’s maritime programs and, when appropriate, identify and write papers addressing disconnects between SOCOM’s programs and other Services POMs. Provide SO&IW an analysis of USSOCOM’s SO maritime programs in POM baseline including SO maritime program milestones, fielding plans, roadmaps, budgets, and execution status. Provide SO&IW an analysis of USSOCOM’s compliance with OSD priorities for SO maritime program following USSOCOM Integrated Process Team –building POM; Provide written advice and recommendations to SO&IW representative for Functional Capabilities Board and weekly Working Group meetings that focus on maritime related issues. Provide technical assistance on SO maritime input for congressional reports, briefings, legislative proposals, and appeals. Provide SO maritime technical input for directed GAO reviews, DoD IG audits, and studies. Provide written technical analysis and support to ASD (SOLIC)’s representative at USSOCOM’s Maritime conference. Provide SO maritime technical analysis and support to ASD (SOLIC) representative at the Special Operation Policy Oversight Committee.

QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Minimum 4 years of combined Joint, OSD, or Service level maritime policies, programs, Joint requirements processes, and force management experience
  • Minimum 4 years of experience with USSOCOM Strategic Planning Process (SPP) or Service force management processes in the maritime area of expertise.

SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIREMENT:

  • Must have at Active Top Secret/with SCI eligibility

EDUCATION:

  • Bachelor’s degree from accredited university
  • Preferred: Master’s degree from an accredited university in any field of study

OTHER:

  • Travel may be required, CONUS/OCONUS.
  • Normal Duty Hours – Monday-Friday, 0730-1630.
  • Mission may require extended shifts or weekend work.
  • Alternative Work Location/Telework may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

APPLY HERE: Special Operations Maritime Program Analyst

Special Operations Congressional and Budget Program Analyst

OVERVIEW:

The Hoplite Group is seeking to hire a Legislative and Budget Program Analyst at the Pentagon, to support the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict (OASD SO/LIC) OASD SO/LIC’s responsibilities to provide the overall supervision (including oversight of policy and resources) of special operations activities.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The OSD SOLIC Legislative and Budget Program Analyst will provide SO&IW staff and SOLIC leadership with technical advice on Congress’ support for, interest in, and concerns regarding Special Operations (SO) man, train, equip issues. Provide SO&IW analysis of SO-personnel authorities, related legislative proposals, congressional marks up, and appeals. Provide technical support for development or processing of any SO-related Congressional hearings, reports, briefings and requests for information. Assist in drafting Congressional testimony for Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict (ASD SO/LIC) Annual Posture Statement. Provide SO&IW written advice and analysis of USSOCOM Commander’s congressional testimonies, talking points, and engagement plans. Provide technical support to SO&IW liaison to OSD/Legislative Affairs, Congress, and budget meetings. Provide SME technical support, analysis, assist in the review, develop recommendations and edits of President’s Budget (PB) justification exhibits and related briefings. Develop analysis recommendations for the PB strategy briefings and budget rollout for the ASD-SO/LIC. Assist in development, review, and monitoring of reprogramming actions, budget related conferences, and mid-year execution review.

QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Minimum 10 years of combined Joint, Interagency, OSD, or Service experience working with the staffs of the House and Senate Services and Appropriations committee
  • Minimum 10 years of experience drafting congressional testimony for senior Defense Officials
  • Minimum 7 years of experience at the Joint, Interagency, OSD or Services drafting and editing legislation, congressional reports, research, and strategic communications
  • Ability to interface with senior level management
  • Demonstrated excellent verbal, interpersonal and written communication skills
  • Demonstrated ability to provide technical support and advice

SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIREMENT:

  • Must have at Active Top Secret/with SCI eligibility

EDUCATION:

  • Bachelor’s degree from accredited university
  • Preferred: Master’s degree from an accredited university in any field of study

OTHER:

  • Travel may be required, CONUS/OCONUS.
  • Normal Duty Hours – Monday-Friday, 0730-1630.
  • Mission may require extended shifts or weekend work.
  • Alternative Work Location/Telework may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

APPLY HERE: Special Operations Congressional and Budget Program Analyst

General Support Services – Policy Oversight Analyst

OVERVIEW:

The Hoplite Group is seeking to hire a General Support Services member at the Pentagon, to support the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict (OASD SO/LIC) OASD SO/LIC’s responsibilities to provide the overall supervision (including oversight of policy and resources) of special operations activities.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The General Support Services member to support the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict (OASD SO/LIC) OASD SO/LIC’s responsibilities to provide the overall supervision (including oversight of policy and resources) of special operations activities.

QUALIFICATIONS:

The ability to prioritize and multi-task effectively in a fast-paced, publicly visible environment. Demonstrated knowledge of the executive/legislative decision-making process. Demonstrated knowledge of USSOCOM, subordinate organizations, DOD, and Service roles and missions. Skill in dealing effectively with voluminous amounts of information. Experience in preparing and presenting highly complex technical material or highly complex issues, or both, to non-specialists. Experience in assessing the political and institutional environment in which decisions are made and implemented. Demonstrated ability to exercise judgment in all phases of analysis — ranging from sorting out the most important problems, to sifting evidence, and framing feasible options. Demonstrated ability to effectively express ideas orally and in writing, using appropriate language, organizing ideas, and marshaling facts in an objective manner. Demonstrated ability to work effectively under the pressure of tight time-frames and rigid deadlines. Draft and coordinate action packages and other correspondence related to your area of special operations policy and resources expertise for senior DoD leadership; coordinate, plan, and develop policies and initiatives appropriate for strategic guidance documents or DoD issuances such as directives or instructions. Minimum 5 years of experience using communication skills, both written and oral, to include preparation of written products for senior leader (general officer/flag officer/senior executive service level).

SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIREMENT:

  • Must have at Active Top Secret/with SCI eligibility

EDUCATION:

  • Bachelor’s degree

OTHER:

  • Travel may be required, CONUS/OCONUS.
  • Normal Duty Hours – Monday-Friday, 0730-1630.
  • Mission may require extended shifts or weekend work.
  • Alternative Work Location/Telework may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

APPLY HERE: General Support Services – Policy Oversight Analyst

Elbit

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Irl Leon Franklin Takes Final Flight

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Irl “Leon” Franklin who passed away on June 11th, 2023 at his longtime home in Winnemucca NV. Leon, as he liked to be called, was 88 years old and was born in Hutchinson Kansas to Carol and Clifford Franklin.

Leon graduated from Kansas State University and later received his Master’s Degree in Education from University of Southern California (USC). He lived an exciting and fulfilling life. After finishing ROTC at Kansas State he entered the Air Force in 1956 and retired in 1979 at the rank of Lt. Col. He served in the Vietnam War as a pilot of C123’s and later C130’s. Leon’s claim to fame was the historic Son Tay raid where we tried to get our POW’s back. Although the raid was unsuccessful it did prove to influence the end of the conflict. The C130 plane Leon used in the Son Tay raid was retired and put at the gate at Cannon AFB in Clovis NM – Air Force Special Operations Command (museum).

Leon moved to Winnemucca NV in 1979 and started his second career as a Jr. High school counselor and across the street his wife Ella Mae Franklin ran the Gemini Child Care Center. Leon served Humboldt County and the State of Nevada for twenty years and retired in 1999. Leon served with distinction on the Juvenile Justice Council for the Governor of Nevada. Leon also served as chairman of the airport board for many years where he secured funding for lengthening the runways from Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Leon continued to fly (his passion) when he got to Winnemucca NV. He owned a Cessna 210 (AOPA) which he flew whenever possible and held an instructor’s license – he taught a local college course on flying. Leon would fly local mine personnel to other mines on an independent basis. Leon started the Civil Air Patrol squadron in Winnemucca NV and worked with various law enforcement agencies to allow them to see things from the sky. Leon was honored with the airfield at the airport being named in his honor “Franklin Field”. Leon was also awarded the Wright Brothers Master Pilot award from the FAA for fifty years of dedicated service to flying.

Leon served his community through Lions Club International where he served in many different positions and volunteered his time. Leon installed many of the lifeline’s for the older generation in Winnemucca NV. Leon is survived by Ella Mae Franklin, his wife of 66 wonderful years and his daughter Renee Petersen and son Mark Franklin.

It is with heart felt gratitude we thank the private health care personnel that took care of Leon (and Ella Mae) over the last year.

*Services were held on June 16, 2023 at 9 am at the Winnemucca Cemetery.

AOC Operational Training Development Personnel

The Hoplite Group is seeking Operational Training Development (OTD) Personnel highly experienced in instructional system development to support government-led maintenance and execution of all 505 TTG formal courses. Additionally, support 505 CCW operational-level training events (as required) and the 505 CCW/Advance Programs (AP) Air Component Special Technical Operations Planners Course (ACSTOPC). In addition to the courses addressed above, the following 505 TRS Formal Training Unit (FTU) courses currently require support: AOC Initial Qualification Training (IQT) Network Administrator Course, AOC IQT Systems Administrator Course, AOC Fundamentals Course, Joint Air Operations Command and Control Course, AOC IQT Air Mobility Division Course, AOC IQT Airspace Course, AOC IQT Combat Operations Division Course, AOC IQT Communications Course, AOC IQT Combat Plans Division Course, AOC IQT Integrated Air and Missile Defense Course, AOC IQT Interface Control Operator Course, AOC IQT Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Operator Course, AOC IQT Personnel Recovery Coordination Cell Course, AOC IQT Strategy Division Course, AOC IQT Combat Plans/Operations Technician Course.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

OTD Personnel will provide guidance in Instructional Systems Development (ISD) in accordance with AFH 36-2235, as well as routinely analyze system requirements to successfully determine required tasks, conditions, standards, and behavioral outcomes for courses to meet ACC training needs. Assist and advise military, government civilian, contractor instructors and course managers/directors in correctly applying instructional system design process. Conduct period reviews of instructional design plans, instructional methods and teaching strategies. Develop and review concise written polices and directives that establish evaluation and assessment procedures for all courses. Provide periodic oral and written updates on student admissions, testing and compliance metrics. Biannually compile the Graduate Evaluation Report summary report suitable for release to higher headquarters by collecting and analyzing data using electronic statistical software, and interpreting results. Conduct recurring evaluations on courseware and classroom instruction to ensure learning objectives and measurement instruments are accomplishing their intended purpose. Maintain current knowledge of available and projected educational technologies and instructional techniques. Provide accurate recommendations and detailed analysis on the selection and application of all educational technology. Oversee the operation of evaluation data system, which includes automated decision support systems and electronic database systems. Review data such as course validation statistics, test analysis statistics, comparative studies of student progress and observation of instructional methods including the use of training devices, equipment and facilities. Develop and administer surveys to obtain feedback from students, graduates, their supervisors, and instructors. Conduct analysis and summer of statistical results. Develop new instruments used in collection and recording course and instructor performance data. Develop valid and reliable questionnaires, surveys and interviews targeting course graduates and their supervisors. Conduct trend analysis on data collected and make recommendations for improving courses. Provide and maintain course material consistent with AFIs, AFTTPs, ACC and USAFWC Directives, 505 CCW and 705 TRS guidelines.

REQUIREMENTS:

· Have formal training in ISD

· At least 2 years of practical ISD application

· Understanding of AFH 36-2235 and ACCIs series directives

· 10 years of DoD military experience

SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIREMENT:

· Active TS/SCI clearance

EDUCATION:

· Bachelors degree or higher from a regionally accredited university or college​

OTHER:

· Telework will be considered on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the Unit’s SOPs

· Normal duty hours are 0730-1630, M-F. Duties may be adjusted to meet mission requirements, which could be outside the normal workweek and require extended shifts/and or weekend work.

APPLY HERE: https://www.thehoplitegroup.com/aocoperationaltrainingdevelopmentsme

HQE-SM Administrative Support – Hurlburt Field, FL

The Hoplite Group is seeking Administrative Support personnel to provide scheduling and administrative support for the Highly Qualified Expert – Senior Mentor (HQE-SM) program and for exercise support personnel who advise, and assist the operational-AFCHQ staffs, at the Director and Division Chief level, during major exercises and contingency operations at both CONUS and OCONUS locations. Identify the best capabilities for developing the Air Force’s command and control process knowledge, systems applications, and warfighting leadership. Interact with warfighters during major exercises, experiments, war games, tests, senior officer training, and academic courses. Deliver instruction in academic venues (i.e., lecture, seminar, and practicum) as well as over-the-shoulder during dynamic exercise environments. Provide peer- level advice, assistance, training, and performance feedback to warfighting professionals, enhancing their leadership and command and control skills at the operational level of war. Exercise support for each exercise typically consists of several planning conferences, several planning activities, and an exercise execution period. Senior Exercise Support personnel shall provide necessary services to support Operational Command Training Program (OCTP) directed activities with respect to all Tier 1 and major AFCHQ exercises, joint- operational warfighter exercises, senior-level academics, and senior-level developmental seminars and summits. The service will include SMEs as well as scheduling and administrative support to associated personnel. Senior Exercise Support SMEs will instruct 705 TRS academic training programs. Senior Exercise Support SMEs will be considered guest instructors and will not be required to obtain academic instructor certification; instruction will be coordinated by the respective course manager.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

HQE-SM Exercise Support Administrative Assistant coordinate with host/requesting organizations, HAF, AU, AFCHQs, and other DoD organizations. Arrange all aspects of travel, using DTS to include itineraries, rental vehicles, and hotel reservations for HQEs, and notify appropriate activity of proposed visits; time of arrival and departure, personnel to be contracted and purpose of travel. Administrative Assistant will be responsible for travel orders, country clearances and worksheets in support of program missions as well as on-boarding, security clearance, timecards and other administrative tasks pertaining to the HQE-SM Program. When available, will support training courses to include assisting with scheduling, administrative tasks, hospitality, and protocol activities as directed. Such activities will not include responsibility or the accountability/control of Government Payment sources such as but not limited to petty cash or purchasing cards. Must possess knowledge of time and attendance tracking (timecards) and reporting procedures, data management skills to prepare charts, graphs, databases, and spreadsheets in order to enter, revise, sort, research, calculate and retrieve data.

REQUIREMENTS:

· At least 2 years of Administrative experience

· Proficient with multimedia operations, Microsoft Operating Systems, and Microsoft Office Suite.

· Understanding of DOD and AF manning, training and TDY budgeting process

· Understanding of DTS

SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIREMENT:

· Active Secret clearance

EDUCATION:

· Associate degree or higher from a regionally accredited university or college

OTHER:

· Telework will be considered on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the Unit’s SOPs

· Normal duty hours are 0730-1630, M-F. Duties may be adjusted to meet mission requirements, which could be outside the normal workweek and require extended shifts/and or weekend work.

APPLY HERE: https://www.thehoplitegroup.com/hqesmadministrativesupport

AOC Senior Exercise Support Personnel – Hurlburt Field, FL

The Hoplite Group is seeking AOC Senior Exercise Support Personnel highly experienced in AFCHQ AOC and AFFOR operations to perform the duties as an AOC Director SME, Combat Plans Division Chief SME, Combat Operations Division Chief SME, ISR Division Chief SME, Non-Kinetics Effects SME, and AFCHQ AFFOR Functional Director SME to support executive-level training, advise, and assist the operational AFCHQ staffs, at the Director and Division Chief level, during major exercises and contingency operations at both CONUS and OCONUS locations. Identify the best capabilities for developing the Air Force’s command and control process knowledge, systems applications, and warfighting leadership. Interact with warfighters during major exercises, experiments, war games, tests, senior officer training, and academic courses. Deliver instruction in academic venues (i.e., lecture, seminar, and practicum) as well as over-the-shoulder during dynamic exercise environments. Provide peer- level advice, assistance, training, and performance feedback to warfighting professionals, enhancing their leadership and command and control skills at the operational level of war. Exercise support for each exercise typically consists of several planning conferences, several planning activities, and an exercise execution period. Senior Exercise Support personnel shall provide necessary services to support Operational Command Training Program (OCTP) directed activities with respect to all Tier 1 and major AFCHQ exercises, joint- operational warfighter exercises, senior-level academics, and senior-level developmental seminars and summits. The service will include SMEs as well as scheduling and administrative support to associated personnel. Senior Exercise Support SMEs will instruct 705 TRS academic training programs. Senior Exercise Support SMEs will be considered guest instructors and will not be required to obtain academic instructor certification; instruction will be coordinated by the respective course manager.

REQUIREMENTS:

Exercise Support Personnel must be a USAF certified instructor or equivalent with superior written and verbal communication skills. Exercise Support Personnel must have specialized C2 training (C2WAC, JAOSC, JAC2C, JSSC, etc.) and cross-functional experience (service component and/or JTF/Combatant Command Staff Principle). Must understand exercise development, training management, and UJTL based training objectives.

AOC Director must have at least 3 years on an AFCHQ AOC or AFFOR Staff in a leadership capacity preferably as Division Chief or Director. Practical experience executing the Joint Planning Process. Actively participated in at least 2 planning events. At least 2 years as an AOC Director performing leadership duties. Participate in a Minimum of 5 exercises or real-world contingencies. AOC Director must demonstrate skills in comprehensive AOC operations, to include ATO coordinator. A working knowledge of requisite TBMCS applications, joint USAF doctrine, USAF service and functional component roles, and relationships, JOPES processes.

Combat Plans Division Chief SME must have successfully completed a military command tour at a Squadron level or above and 2 years as a Combat Plans Division Chief, performing leadership duties during minimum 5 exercises or real-world contingencies. Must have demonstrated knowledge and skill in strategy development and operational assessment activities as well as working knowledge of TBMCS applications, Joint and USAF Doctrine, to include USAF services and functional component roles and relationships. Comprehensive knowledge of TET responsibilities, development of JIPTL, MAAP team responsibilities, development of Air Battle Plan with excellent superior written and verbal communication skills. Certified USAF instructor or equivalent.

Combat Operations Division Chief SME must have successfully completed a military command tour at squadron level or above and 2 years of experience as Combat Operations Division Chief (CCO) performing leadership duties during minimum 5 exercises or real-world contingencies. Must have demonstrated knowledge and skill in CCO duties as well as the duties of a SODO to include Time Sensitive Targeting Processes, TBMCS applications and a strong knowledge of joint and USAF Doctrine to include USAF service and functional component roles and relationships.

ISRD Chief SME successfully completed a military command tour at squadron level or above and 2 years of experience as ISRD Chief performing leadership duties during a minimum of 5 exercises or real-world contingencies. Must have demonstrated knowledge and skill in full spectrum ISRD activities to include ISR operations: targeting, collection management, processing, exploitation, and dissemination management, and ACF as well as TBMCS applications and strong knowledge of Joint and USAF Doctrine to include USAF service and functional component roles and relationships.

Non-Kinetics (NK) Effects SME must have military experience at least at the 0-5 level, with a minimum of 2 years’ experience of planning and employing non-kinetics operations. The SME must have experience in Space, Cyber, and IFO capabilities with at least 2 years instructing these capabilities at the tactical and operational level. Must have demonstrated superior knowledge and skill in planning, coordinating, and integrating space, cyber and IFO capabilities into each of the ATO cycle processes (strategy, targeting, attack planning, ATO production, execution, and assessment) with working knowledge of TBMCS applications as well as have the knowledge and application of electronic warfare support, de-confliction, and targeting priorities.

AFCHQ AFFOR Functional Director SME must have served as an AFFOR Chief of Staff and have successfully completed a military command tour at squadron level or above with a minimum of 2 years’ experience as AFCHQ AFFOR HQs Chief of Staff or functional director (specifically A-2, A-3, A-4, A-5, or A-6, but no more than one from the same directorate), performing leadership duties during minimum 5 exercises or real-world contingencies. Must demonstrate superior knowledge and skill in one (preferably more) of the following: intelligence, operations, plans, communications, force protection, civil engineering, services, information management, medical, and safety with working knowledge of entire AFFOR HQ staff organization, processes, roles, and responsibilities. AFFOR SME must have the knowledge and application of Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force (AETF) requirements development, force readiness, deployment, base opening, sustainment, redeployment, and reconstitution. Must understand JOPES to include the TPFDD processes, C4I systems pertinent to primary functional area and familiarity with other key C4I systems for AFFOR HQ Staff such as GCCS, JOPS, DCAPES and SORTS. AFFOR SME must show strong knowledge of Joint and USAF Doctrine to include USAF service and functional component roles and relationships.

SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIREMENT:

· Active TS/SCI clearance

EDUCATION:

· Bachelors degree or higher from a regionally accredited university or college

OTHER:

· Must be eligible to travel CONUS/OCONUS requiring a US Passport.

· Telework will be considered on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the Unit’s SOPs

· Normal duty hours are 0730-1630, M-F. Duties may be adjusted to meet mission requirements, which could be outside the normal workweek and require extended shifts/and or weekend work.

APPLY HERE: https://www.thehoplitegroup.com/aocseniorexercisesupportpersonnel

AOCIQT Network Engineer & Administrator – Hurlburt Field, FL

The Hoplite Group is seeking AOCIQT Network Engineer/Administrator to support government-led maintenance and execution of all 505 TTG formal courses. Additionally, support 505 CCW operational-level training events (as required) and the 505 CCW/Advance Programs (AP) Air Component Special Technical Operations Planners Course (ACSTOPC). In addition to the courses addressed above, the following 505 TRS Formal Training Unit (FTU) courses currently require support: AOC Initial Qualification Training (IQT) Network Administrator Course, AOC IQT Systems Administrator Course, AOC Fundamentals Course, Joint Air Operations Command and Control Course, AOC IQT Air Mobility Division Course, AOC IQT Airspace Course, AOC IQT Combat Operations Division Course, AOC IQT Communications Course, AOC IQT Combat Plans Division Course, AOC IQT Integrated Air and Missile Defense Course, AOC IQT Interface Control Operator Course, AOC IQT Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Operator Course, AOC IQT Personnel Recovery Coordination Cell Course, AOC IQT Strategy Division Course, AOC IQT Combat Plans/Operations Technician Course.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Network Engineers/Administrators will upgrade, integrate, install, configure, test, maintain, dismantle and turn in data/video communication networks – both hardware and software. Operate, maintain, and configure routers, switches, voice systems, VoIP/Video bridges, ITNs, comm racks and closet wiring. Engineers will maintain network encryption devices intended to apply encryption internal to the base campus – i.e., TACLANE’s providing local SIPRNET, and JWICS connectivity. Engineers will perform internal campus network fault notification and management, DNS/DHCP IP administration; install and administration on base campus wireless network devices. Implement network management planning, active network monitoring, Install and administer on base network infrastructure, router/switch preventive maintenance inspections to include IOS upgrades. As well as responsibilities delegated by the AOC System Manager to optimize performance and quality of service to ensure and maintain a 98% uptime and network is available 2-days prior to course execution or as directed.

REQUIREMENTS:

· CompTIA Security Plus certificate or equivalent

· Must have experience with IT concepts, practices, and procedures as certified IAW DoD 8570.01-M IAT II and industry standards.

· Understand interconnectivity of wireless, fiber optics, coaxial and copper broadband and baseband.

SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIREMENT:

· Active TS/SCI clearance

EDUCATION:

· Bachelors degree or higher from a regionally accredited university or college

OTHER:

· Telework will be considered on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the Unit’s SOPs

· Normal duty hours are 0730-1630, M-F. Duties may be adjusted to meet mission requirements, which could be outside the normal workweek and require extended shifts/and or weekend work.

APPLY HERE: https://www.thehoplitegroup.com/aociqtnetworkengineerandadmin

AOCIQT Systems Engineer & Administrator – Hurlburt Field, FL

The Hoplite Group is seeking AOCIQT Systems Engineer/Administrator to support government-led maintenance and execution of all 505 TTG formal courses. Additionally, support 505 CCW operational-level training events (as required) and the 505 CCW/Advance Programs (AP) Air Component Special Technical Operations Planners Course (ACSTOPC). In addition to the courses addressed above, the following 505 TRS Formal Training Unit (FTU) courses currently require support: AOC Initial Qualification Training (IQT) Network Administrator Course, AOC IQT Systems Administrator Course, AOC Fundamentals Course, Joint Air Operations Command and Control Course, AOC IQT Air Mobility Division Course, AOC IQT Airspace Course, AOC IQT Combat Operations Division Course, AOC IQT Communications Course, AOC IQT Combat Plans Division Course, AOC IQT Integrated Air and Missile Defense Course, AOC IQT Interface Control Operator Course, AOC IQT Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Operator Course, AOC IQT Personnel Recovery Coordination Cell Course, AOC IQT Strategy Division Course, AOC IQT Combat Plans/Operations Technician Course.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Systems Engineer/Administrator will upgrade, integrate, install, configure, test, maintain, dismantle and turn in data and video communication networks – both hardware and software. Maintain and provide situational awareness for all systems, servers, workstations, peripherals, communication devices, and software as well as properly configured for on-line network operations and are available to customers. Engineers will perform the responsibilities delegated by the AOC System Manager to optimize performance and quality of service. Assign and maintain user IDs and passwords, administer user privileges on the system. Perform routine system maintenance. Work with the FTU Help Desk to implement network security policies/procedures. Implement software patches/security fixes required by the AOC System Manager, Information System Security Manager (ISSM), and/or program management office. Ensuring and maintaining a 98% uptime and AOC systems are available 2-days prior to course execution or as directed. System Engineer/Administrator must comply with polices IAW AFI 17-100.

REQUIREMENTS:

· CompTIA Security Plus certificate or equivalent

· Must have experience with IT concepts, practices, and procedures as certified IAW DoD 8570.01-M IAT II and industry standards.

· Understand interconnectivity of wireless, fiber optics, coaxial and copper broadband and baseband.

SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIREMENT:

· Active TS/SCI clearance

EDUCATION:

· Bachelors degree or higher from a regionally accredited university or college

OTHER:

· Telework will be considered on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the Unit’s SOPs

· Normal duty hours are 0730-1630, M-F. Duties may be adjusted to meet mission requirements, which could be outside the normal workweek and require extended shifts/and or weekend work.

APPLY HERE: https://www.thehoplitegroup.com/aociqtsystemsengineerandadmin

AOCIQT Network Engineer & Administrator – Hurlburt Field, FL

The Hoplite Group is seeking AOCIQT Network Engineer/Administrator to support government-led maintenance and execution of all 505 TTG formal courses. Additionally, support 505 CCW operational-level training events (as required) and the 505 CCW/Advance Programs (AP) Air Component Special Technical Operations Planners Course (ACSTOPC). In addition to the courses addressed above, the following 505 TRS Formal Training Unit (FTU) courses currently require support: AOC Initial Qualification Training (IQT) Network Administrator Course, AOC IQT Systems Administrator Course, AOC Fundamentals Course, Joint Air Operations Command and Control Course, AOC IQT Air Mobility Division Course, AOC IQT Airspace Course, AOC IQT Combat Operations Division Course, AOC IQT Communications Course, AOC IQT Combat Plans Division Course, AOC IQT Integrated Air and Missile Defense Course, AOC IQT Interface Control Operator Course, AOC IQT Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Operator Course, AOC IQT Personnel Recovery Coordination Cell Course, AOC IQT Strategy Division Course, AOC IQT Combat Plans/Operations Technician Course.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Network Engineers/Administrators will upgrade, integrate, install, configure, test, maintain, dismantle and turn in data/video communication networks – both hardware and software. Operate, maintain, and configure routers, switches, voice systems, VoIP/Video bridges, ITNs, comm racks and closet wiring. Engineers will maintain network encryption devices intended to apply encryption internal to the base campus – i.e., TACLANE’s providing local SIPRNET, and JWICS connectivity. Engineers will perform internal campus network fault notification and management, DNS/DHCP IP administration; install and administration on base campus wireless network devices. Implement network management planning, active network monitoring, Install and administer on base network infrastructure, router/switch preventive maintenance inspections to include IOS upgrades. As well as responsibilities delegated by the AOC System Manager to optimize performance and quality of service to ensure and maintain a 98% uptime and network is available 2-days prior to course execution or as directed.

REQUIREMENTS:

· CompTIA Security Plus certificate or equivalent

· Must have experience with IT concepts, practices, and procedures as certified IAW DoD 8570.01-M IAT II and industry standards.

· Understand interconnectivity of wireless, fiber optics, coaxial and copper broadband and baseband.

SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIREMENT:

· Active TS/SCI clearance

EDUCATION:

· Bachelors degree or higher from a regionally accredited university or college

OTHER:

· Telework will be considered on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the Unit’s SOPs

· Normal duty hours are 0730-1630, M-F. Duties may be adjusted to meet mission requirements, which could be outside the normal workweek and require extended shifts/and or weekend work.

APPLY HERE: https://www.thehoplitegroup.com/aociqtnetworkengineerandadmin

C2 KM Tactics Development Development Personnel – Hurlburt Field, FL

The Hoplite Group is seeking Tactics Development personnel with in-depth knowledge of AOC/AFFOR and C2 Portal KM to support government-led maintenance and execution of all 505 TTG formal courses. Additionally, support 505 CCW operational-level training events (as required) and the 505 CCW/Advance Programs (AP) Air Component Special Technical Operations Planners Course (ACSTOPC). In addition to the courses addressed above, the following 505 TRS Formal Training Unit (FTU) courses currently require support: AOC Initial Qualification Training (IQT) Network Administrator Course, AOC IQT Systems Administrator Course, AOC Fundamentals Course, Joint Air Operations Command and Control Course, AOC IQT Air Mobility Division Course, AOC IQT Airspace Course, AOC IQT Combat Operations Division Course, AOC IQT Communications Course, AOC IQT Combat Plans Division Course, AOC IQT Integrated Air and Missile Defense Course, AOC IQT Interface Control Operator Course, AOC IQT Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Operator Course, AOC IQT Personnel Recovery Coordination Cell Course, AOC IQT Strategy Division Course, AOC IQT Combat Plans/Operations Technician Course.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Tactics Development Personnel will assist in administrative and management responsibilities, related to air component TTPs, and evolving training events such as AGILE Flag, and ACE related courses/events. Personnel will support AFTTP updates and related products, provide command liaison to other AOCs, AFFOR staff, services, agencies, and training or exercise entities to ensure the 505 CCW is active and aware of all evolving air component tactics activities, requirements, and issues. Personnel may be asked to accomplish squadron taskers, build/deliver briefings, draft papers, conduct analysis, attend conferences, other unit directed activities, TTP updates/rewrites, exercise support and participate in continuation training. Tactical Development Personnel will provide AOC/AFFOR expertise to support Lessons Learned role and be the primary website administrator a KM support to the 505th CCW Tactics Development and C2 Portal. Tactics Development KM personnel will ensure hosting and distribution of tactics related information, products, and 505 CCW training courses, as well as coordinate updates with course management teams and 705th TRS leadership.

REQUIREMENTS:

· At least one year experience in AFCHQ Ops at an operational level of warfare as Action Officer.

· 10 years of DoD military experience

· Must have practical experience and actively participated in 2 or more planning events

· At least one year experience in TTP development to include contribution to a Flash Bulletin, Tactics Bulletin, and AFTTP 3-1/3-3 re-writes

· Previous Knowledge Management experience

· Microsoft SharePoint management experience on NIPRNET, SIPRNET and JWICS

· Proficient with multimedia operations, Microsoft Operating Systems, and Microsoft Office Suite.

SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIREMENT:

· Active TS/SCI clearance

EDUCATION:

· Bachelors degree or higher from a regionally accredited university or college

OTHER:

· Tactics Development Personnel must be eligible to travel to support tactics development conferences including CAFWEPTAC.

· CONUS/OCONUS travel may occur requiring a valid passport.

· Telework will be considered on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the Unit’s SOPs

· Normal duty hours are 0730-1630, M-F. Duties may be adjusted to meet mission requirements, which could be outside the normal workweek and require extended shifts/and or weekend work.

APPLY HERE: https://www.thehoplitegroup.com/c2kmtacticsdevelopmentpersonnel

AOC Scenario Development Personnel – Hurlburt Field, FL

The Hoplite Group is seeking Scenario Development personnel with in-depth knowledge of Joint Air, Space and Cyber Operations, Air Component, and Joint Planning Processes to support government-led maintenance and execution of all 505 TTG formal courses. Additionally, support 505 CCW operational-level training events (as required) and the 505 CCW/Advance Programs (AP) Air Component Special Technical Operations Planners Course (ACSTOPC). In addition to the courses addressed above, the following 505 TRS Formal Training Unit (FTU) courses currently require support: AOC Initial Qualification Training (IQT) Network Administrator Course, AOC IQT Systems Administrator Course, AOC Fundamentals Course, Joint Air Operations Command and Control Course, AOC IQT Air Mobility Division Course, AOC IQT Airspace Course, AOC IQT Combat Operations Division Course, AOC IQT Communications Course, AOC IQT Combat Plans Division Course, AOC IQT Integrated Air and Missile Defense Course, AOC IQT Interface Control Operator Course, AOC IQT Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Operator Course, AOC IQT Personnel Recovery Coordination Cell Course, AOC IQT Strategy Division Course, AOC IQT Combat Plans/Operations Technician Course.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Scenario Development Personnel will create robust training scenarios (media products and planning documents) to support specific learning objectives for AFCHQ operational level planning. One of the Scenario Developers will support the 505th TRS in developing, synchronizing, and maintaining scenarios, produce the Master Scenario Event List (MSEL), event scheduling utilizing Part Task Trainer (PTT). Scenario Developer personnel should understand the processes and systems used for developing and publishing the following products: CONOPS, SPINS, OPORDs, OPLANs, JAOPS, AODs, Plan Annexes/Appendices, ACPs, ATO, ACOs, FrOB, Tactical guidance/directives, FRAGOs, and RSTAs. Scenario development personnel shall attend squadron instructor academics and continuation training events, as available. Scenario Development Personnel may be tasked to accomplish squadron taskers; build/deliver briefings; draft papers; conduct analysis; attend conferences and other unit-directed activities; participate in TTP updates or rewrites; provide exercise support; and participate in continuation training. Prioritization of effort between these activities and course execution/maintenance responsibilities will be at the discretion of the Government.

REQUIREMENTS:

· Proficient with multimedia operations, Microsoft Operating Systems, and Microsoft Office Suite.

· 10 years of DoD military experience

SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIREMENT:

· Active TS/SCI clearance

EDUCATION:

· Bachelors degree or higher from a regionally accredited university or college

OTHER:

· Scenario Development Personnel must be eligible to travel to attend training, site visits and other appropriate meetings/conferences CONUS/OCONUS requiring a valid passport.

· Telework will be considered on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the Unit’s SOPs

· Normal duty hours are 0730-1630, M-F. Duties may be adjusted to meet mission requirements, which could be outside the normal workweek and require extended shifts/and or weekend work.

APPLY HERE: https://www.thehoplitegroup.com/aocscenariodevelopmentpersonnel

AOC Student Services Personnel – Hurlburt Field, FL

The Hoplite Group is seeking Student Support Services personnel for all 505 and 705th courses averaging 3,000 students/year on government-led maintenance and execution of all 505 TTG formal courses. Additionally, support 505 CCW operational-level training events (as required) and the 505 CCW/Advance Programs (AP) Air Component Special Technical Operations Planners Course (ACSTOPC). In addition to the courses addressed above, the following 505 TRS Formal Training Unit (FTU) courses currently require support: AOC Initial Qualification Training (IQT) Network Administrator Course, AOC IQT Systems Administrator Course, AOC Fundamentals Course, Joint Air Operations Command and Control Course, AOC IQT Air Mobility Division Course, AOC IQT Airspace Course, AOC IQT Combat Operations Division Course, AOC IQT Communications Course, AOC IQT Combat Plans Division Course, AOC IQT Integrated Air and Missile Defense Course, AOC IQT Interface Control Operator Course, AOC IQT Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Operator Course, AOC IQT Personnel Recovery Coordination Cell Course, AOC IQT Strategy Division Course, AOC IQT Combat Plans/Operations Technician Course.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Student Support Services personnel will manage training quotas for six MAJCOMs, Air National Guard, other services, and coalition nations that enroll students in training courses, perform all functions to support execution of assigned courses using Oracle Training Administration (OTA) system and other registration software as required. Personnel will build and/or manage course database, schedule and providing training line numbers for all courses to meet current and emerging requirements IAW MAJCOM Directives. Student Support Personnel will manage no shows and student records, budgeting to ensure AOC and AFFOR training programs are properly resourced, prepare detailed plans, budgets, and schedules for all courses, and validate annual student TDY budget. Identify training program travel funding requirements for inclusion in fiscal programing e.g., Program Objective Memorandum (POM). Provide support and advise on reprogramming funds and funding levels due to manpower, scheduling and other changes, assist in evaluating modifications to existing plans in response to changing environments. Support training courses to including with assisting with scheduling, administrative tasks, hospitality, and protocol activities as directed. Work with base organizations on behalf of students for administrative support and actions.

REQUIREMENTS:

· Proficient with multimedia operations, Microsoft Operating Systems, and Microsoft Office Suite.

· Understanding of DOD and AF manning, training and TDY budgeting process

· Understanding of MAJCOM Directives

· Working knowledge of Oracle Training Administration (OTA)

SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIREMENT:

· Active Secret clearance

EDUCATION:

· Associate degree or higher from a regionally accredited university or college

OTHER:

· Telework will be considered on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the Unit’s SOPs

· Normal duty hours are 0730-1630, M-F. Duties may be adjusted to meet mission requirements, which could be outside the normal workweek and require extended shifts/and or weekend work.

APPLY HERE:

https://www.thehoplitegroup.com/aocstudentservicespersonnel

C2 Senior Instructor SME – Hurlburt Field, FL

The Hoplite Group is seeking Senior Instructors in the following areas of expertise: Offensive Cyber Operations, Fighter/Bomber, Space, Electronic Warfare, Intelligence and/or experience from both geographic and global AFCHQs. The Senior instructors will instruct or support instruction on government led and/or contractor led maintenance and execution of 505 TTG courses and 705 TRS course management/support to the Air Component Senior Leader Course (ACSLC), Combined Senior Staff Course (CSCC), and Lead Wing Command and Control Course (LWC2C) as well as general instructor support to the following courses and training events: Command and Control Warrior Advanced Course (C2WAC), Air Force Forces (AFFOR) Intermediate Staff Course (AISC), Senior Officer Just-in-time Air Component Training (SJAT), and other courses supporting multi-domain planning and supporting select portions of Air University’s (AU’s) Combined Force Air Component Commander (CFACC) Course, Air Mobility Command’s (AMC’s) Director of Mobility Forces (DIRMOBFOR) Course, and other Air Combat Command (ACC) and 505 CCW C2 operational-level and wing-level training events/courses.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Senior Instructors support general instruction in C2WAC, LWC2C training, and AISC on a rotational and cross-matrixed basis. Senior Instructors may also support senior-level courses for lessons related to their specific area of expertise. Senior Instructors will be expected to prepare classrooms for instruction, operate training equipment, issue student course ware, observe student planning exercises and provide verbal and written feedback on student performance, update course material as needed, develop, review, and respond to end of course critiques and develop, execute evaluation plan used to determine academic instruction effectiveness based on feedback. Develop continuity folders, reference material, audiovisual library, films, Training Plans, Training Task Lists, Syllabi of Instruction, Instructor Grades, Student Guides, media and other course ware as required. May be required to assist in squadron taskers, such as briefings, draft papers, conduct analysis, attend conferences, and exercise support.

REQUIREMENTS:

· Senior Instructors must have expertise in multi-domain operations, joint planning, and the air tasking cycle.

· Highly desired that Senior Instructors have at least 3 years of AFCHQ experience, be post-2016 graduates of C2WAC and/or ACSTOPC, have participated in at least two Tier-1 operational-level exercises, have been an APG/OPG/OPT lead, graduated 13O IST or USAF Weapons School (or equivalent), rank-appropriate military PME, and/or have experience developing formal military courses.

· Or at least one year of experience within the past 5 years in an AFCHQ or as a similarly qualified instructor and/or operational level planning; such as, Battlefield Coordination Detachment (BCD) or Naval Liaison Element (NALE) with previous instructor experience.

· Preferably held positions in AFCHQs commensurate with that of an O-4 to O-6 and served as either a Branch/Team Chief or higher.

· Proficient with multimedia operations, Microsoft Operating Systems, and Microsoft Office Suite.

SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIREMENT:

· Active TS/SCI clearance

EDUCATION:

· Bachelor’s Degree or higher from a regionally accredited university or college

OTHER:

· Instruction of courses can either be located at Hurlburt Field or at off-site locations (CONUS & OCONUS) requiring a valid passport.

· Telework will be considered on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the Unit’s SOPs

· Normal duty hours are 0730-1630, M-F. Duties may be adjusted to meet mission requirements, which could be outside the normal workweek and require extended shifts/and or weekend work.

APPLY HERE:

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AF Forces Staff Instructor SME – Hurlburt Field, FL

The Hoplite Group is seeking full time highly experienced instructors with subject matter expertise in Air Force Forces (AFFOR), A4 and A5 Directorate. The instructors will instruct or support instruction on government led and/or contractor led maintenance and execution of 505 TTG courses and 705 TRS course management/support to the Air Component Senior Leader Course (ACSLC), Combined Senior Staff Course (CSCC), and Lead Wing Command and Control Course (LWC2C) as well as general instructor support to the following courses and training events: Command and Control Warrior Advanced Course (C2WAC), Air Force Forces (AFFOR) Intermediate Staff Course (AISC), Senior Officer Just-in-time Air Component Training (SJAT), and other courses supporting multi-domain planning and supporting select portions of Air University’s (AU’s) Combined Force Air Component Commander (CFACC) Course, Air Mobility Command’s (AMC’s) Director of Mobility Forces (DIRMOBFOR) Course, and other Air Combat Command (ACC) and 505 CCW C2 operational-level and wing-level training events/courses.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Instructors will be expected to prepare classrooms for instruction, operate training equipment, issue student courseware, observe student planning exercises and provide verbal and written feedback on student performance, update course material as needed, develop, review, and respond to end of course critiques and develop, execute evaluation plan used to determine academic instruction effectiveness based on feedback. Develop continuity folders, reference material, audiovisual library, films, Training Plans, Training Task Lists, Syllabi of Instruction, Instructor Grades, Student Guides, media and other courseware as required. May be required to assist in squadron taskers, such as briefings, draft papers, conduct analysis, attend conferences, and exercise support.

REQUIREMENTS:

· Proficient with multimedia operations, Microsoft Operating Systems, and Microsoft Office Suite.

· 10 years of DoD military experience in air component (A4, A5, AFFOR etc.)

· At least 1 year of previous course management software instruction

· Attend and complete 705th TRS instructor certification training

SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIREMENT:

· Active TS/SCI clearance.

EDUCATION:

· Bachelor’s Degree or higher from a regionally accredited university or college

OTHER:

· Instruction of courses can either be located at Hurlburt Field or at off-site locations (CONUS & OCONUS) requiring a valid passport.

· Telework will be considered on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the Unit’s SOPs

· Normal duty hours are 0730-1630, M-F. Duties may be adjusted to meet mission requirements, which could be outside the normal workweek and require extended shifts/and or weekend work.

APPLY AT:

Air Commandos Giving Back to Their Communities

ACA member John Heisler presented the Air Commando Award to two AF JROTC cadets in West Virginia on behalf of his Air Commando Association.

In John’s his own words, “Thank you so much for this opportunity!”

The ACA encourages every member to reach out to their local high schools to confirm they have an AF JROTC unit and to offer to present the Air Commando award to winners. There are no costs to the members, the high schools have the ribbons and the certificates. The ACA sponsors an Air Commando award to over 800 AF JROTC units around the world and it means a lot to the young cadets to have an Air Commando present the awards.

Thank you John!

Maj Gen James Hobson Takes Final Flight

Maj Gen James Hobson Takes Final Flight

ACA is saddened to report that Major Gen (ret) James L. Hobson, Jr. has taken his last flight. Gen Hobson commanded Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), Hurlburt Field, Florida from July 1994 to July 1997. During his command, AFSOC operated one wing, three flying groups and a Special Tactics Group with more than 100 aircraft and 11,900 personnel assigned worldwide.

As 8th SOS Commander, Gen Hobson courageously led the airfield seizure and rescue of Americans at Point Salines Airport, Grenada in Operation URGENT FURY. His efforts resulted in being awarded the 1983 Mackay Trophy, for the most meritorious flight of the year. Hobson became the Commander of the 8th SOS prior to the crisis in Grenada. After his heroic actions in Operation URGENT FURY, he and others were personally thanked by President Reagan. Gen Hobson also served as the Vice and then Commander of 39th Special Operations Wing at Eglin AFB, FL. After promotion to Brigadier General in 1989, Gen Hobson became the Vice Commander of 23rd AF at Hurlburt Field, and assisted in the planning of the Panama invasion in December 1989. He commanded the 322nd Airlift Division, Ramstein AB, Germany and orchestrated the massive logistical air bridge through Europe in support of Operation DESERT STORM. Next, he commanded the 435th Airlift Wing at Rhein-Main AB, Germany and then became the Director of Operations and Transportation at Air Mobility Command.

Major General James Hobson retired in 1997 as a command pilot with 6,850 military flying hours. He is a member of the Air Commando Hall of Fame and the USSOCOM Commando Hall of Honor. RIP sir and blessings to spouse Diane, family, and friends.

General Hobson’s official Air Force bio

USSOCOM Hall of Honor Citation

  • Hobson fighter jet

  • Hobson trophy

  • USSOCOM Commando Hall of Honor induction ceremony

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