Air Force Special Operations: How Far We’ve Come

By Donny Wurster, Lt Gen, USAF (Retired)

This article first appeared in the Air Commando Journal Volume 2, Issue 2 August 2023

As Lt Gen Bauernfeind flew the last MC-130H Combat Talon II to the boneyard recently, it brought me to a moment of reflection regarding AFSOC and how far the command has come.

In the early years between the end of the war in Southeast Asia and the tragic events at Desert One in 1980, the forces had slowly aged and been reduced over time. In the late 70s Hurlburt Field was owned by TAC (Tactical Air Command, now Air Combat Command) and the entire stateside special operations inventory consisted of six MC-130E Combat Talons in the 8th SOS, ten AC-130H Spectre gunships in the 16th SOS, and six Hueys and four CH-3Es in the 20th SOS. Overseas there were four MC-130E Combat Talons assigned in each of the 1st SOS and 7th SOS with these assets being assigned to the theater. Additionally, the Air Force Reserves in the 919th Special Operations Group (SOG) flew SOF AC-130As while the Air National Guard’s 193rd Electronic Warfare Group, (later SOG in 1983) flew EC-130 Commando Solos in a PSYOP role. Within that small but dedicated community, the flames of commitment to mission and precision execution burned brightly.

Following the mishap at Desert One national leadership sought to reconstitute a more robust special operations capability. Congress approved budgetary actions to procure new MC-130s and AC-130s, but they would take years to deliver. Rapid, immediate actions moved the nine existing HH-53H Pave Low helicopters to the 1st SOW replacing the UH-1Ns and CH-3Es. These were promptly employed in numerous difficult exercise scenarios to rapidly develop capabilities and tactics that are still in use today.

Courageous and shrewd staff actions resulted in numerous modifications and logistics upgrades to the aged fleets as well as the modification of all remaining C/HH-53s to the MH-53J Pave Low configuration. MH-60G Pave Hawks were purchased and filled the role of dedicated combat rescue for SOF.

There was significant turbulence as forces moved from TAC to MAC (Military Airlift Command, now Air Mobility Command), as 23rd Air Force stood up under MAC and moved to Hurlburt Field, and the later challenges of personnel and asset reallocation when AFSOC became an Air Force major command (MAJCOM). MAC established the 834th Air Base Wing (ABW) at Hurlburt with the 1st SOW as a tenant wing. MAC selected commanders for the 1st SOW who frequently had little or no SOF experience. Additionally, response time and priority of 834th ABW assets needed to successfully execute the 1st SOW rapid deployment mission generated points of friction. Eventually, the 1st SOW gained control of Hurlburt Field and most assigned support organizations were included in AFSOC. In the midst of this SOF forces were heavily employed in operations in Grenada and Panama. Following the 1987 Goldwater-Nichols Congressional action that established USSOCOM and collected additional fixed and rotary wing forces into the special operations community, the force structure increased dramatically bringing numerous MC-130Ps into the inventory, as well as the rest of the H-53 fleet. Also, all overseas special operations forces came under the centralized SOF command structure.

Most of these actions stabilized by the early 1990s and over the next few years the MC-130H Combat Talon II and AC-130U Spooky fleets were delivered to the field. Most of AFSOC’s inventory were still Vietnam era aircraft and needed replacement, especially since, frequently only one aircraft would be assigned to a difficult, but critical mission. The logistics and maintenance teams that kept these machines flying were exceptional, but recapitalization of the fleets was needed. The first graphic on page 10 shows AFSOC forces in the year 2000.

But national requirements left little time for modernization as combat actions in Desert Storm, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq stressed the aging fleet as well as the crews who flew and maintained them, however, the commitment to mission and precision execution remained steadfast in the growing SOF community. Four MC-130Ps and all of the MH-60Gs were reduced by budget cuts at USSOCOM, four Combat Talon IIs, one MC-130P, and one AC-130H were lost due to combat and accidents, Four MC-130Es were cut from the budget, and the rest of them were moved into the 919th SOW (AFRC) while the AC-130As were sent to the boneyard. Several MH-53s were lost in the difficult environments of high altitudes and brownouts in the desert campaigns, further reducing AFSOC’s force structure. MC-130Ws had been added to support combat operations, but the pressing need for armed overwatch resulted in the diversion of these aircraft and crews from a mobility mission to an AC-130W gunship capability.

To remain relevant, AFSOC had to modernize and recapitalize. The CV-22 was coming, but too slowly. The first aircraft arrived in 2007, but the MH-53s had been drawn down in the USSOCOM budget and they were gone from the inventory by the end of that year. New mission sets had produced new requirements in combat and manned and unmanned ISR became a priority mission for AFSOC. Procurement of Predator (MQ-1) and later Reaper (MQ-9) remotely piloted aircraft, and U-28 Dracos became a pressing priority and the entire command and acquisition community responded to this need, fielding each system in minimum time along with the processing, exploitation, and dissemination architectures to make them effective. Within a year, thanks to the herculean efforts of many, these systems were up and running while growing capability rapidly and supporting combat operations.

The future of AFSOC required a modern, balanced, recapitalization effort that supported both old and new missions. In 2007, a detailed way ahead was captured in what became known as ‘The Little Airplane Brief.” These charts laid out the types and numbers of aircraft needed to build AFSOC to answer the challenges of current combat operations and future requirements. The plan would bring non-standard aviation into the inventory to support small team movements, manned and unmanned ISR, CV-22s, and a variant of the C-130J for both mobility and strike roles. Missions for active, reserve, and National Guard units would be adjusted to match the current and evolving mission needs of USSOCOM’s air component and gained forces.

The graphic titled AFSOC Force–Future, is the last chart from the “Little Airplane Brief” that represented the vision of what AFSOC would become and beyond. It was never shown outside the command as all of us worked to completely recapitalize the AFSOC fleet. The vision of a 94 C-130J recapitalization across the entire AC and MC-130 inventory promised to be a challenge.

With Tony’s nostalgic flight to the boneyard, that vision is complete. To the best of my knowledge, the aircraft that entered AFSOC’s inventory first in today’s force is probably a U-28 that we bought out of Trade-A-Plane in the early days of that highly accelerated effort, although the Dornier’s had time on them when they entered the inventory. This effort succeeded with only relatively minor adjustments because six commanders in a row shared a vision of the future and carried it out. General Holland’s words that the command always needs a “consistent, compelling message” proved true.

All of the Vietnam era aircraft (AC-130H, MC-130E, MH-53, UH-1N, and MC-130P) and even the post-Desert One procurements (AC-130U, MH-60G, MC-130H, M/AC-130W) have been retired, replaced by MC-130Js, AC-130Js, CV-22s, U-28s, NSAVs, RPAs, and others. Although the M-28s were lost to a budget cut, the C-146 Wolfhounds continue support theater commander requirements effectively. Further, our special tactics squadrons and force overall grew dramatically, eventually becoming a wing after reacting aggressively to a critical Joint Terminal Attack Control shortfall, resulting in the most decorated enlisted force since the Vietnam era PJs.

Decades ago, before USSOCOM was established, one would wonder if a handful of Hueys and later Pave Lows, a few Spectres, and disparate Combat Talon squadrons could spawn an organization of 20,000 Air Commandos who would prove on a daily basis that the culture of excellence and commitment could expand to that magnitude. At a time when the 1st SOW consisted of three small SOF operational squadrons on a hosted base that would frequently import a wing commander from outside the community…one would wonder if such a result could occur.

The command has responded in ways unimagined, the leadership of officers and NCOs across the board have driven the pillars of integrity, excellence, and service before self deeply into the culture of the command… I would add courage to that list too.

Since the sad times of an imported wing commander, AFSOC has produced about 40 general officers. Take a look at the faces in the picture of the Cannon AFB 10 year reunion. Last year AFSOC had six 3-star officers on active duty simultaneously. Three former AFSOC commanders have gone on to a second 3-star position and one now serves as the first HAF/Directorate… in the A-3, no less. A CSAF, JSOC commander, USSOCOM commander, multiple USSOCOM deputy commanding generals, two deputy commanding generals of combatant commands, the National Defense University commander and more talent on the rise. The command has arrived and is seen with respect by our Air Force, our nation, and our enemies.

Well done Air Commandos!