It's not all Bombs, Napalm, and Agent Orange

[deadwoodgultch]

I shared time and space with some of these guys, in fact my avatar on another board is mentioned the SA-16. My team member at Basic Training was a crew member on these helicopters in Vietnam, later attached to Special Ops. Bring them back alive, leave no man behind!

www.airforcemag.com/article/Bring-Em-Back-Alive/

Regards,

Tom

[Beth]

I am unsure if I have ever said this but this comes from the bottom of my heart, Thank You to all of the veterans on this board.

[colt45]

Thank you, Beth, for remembering us and supporting us.

[deadwoodgultch]

Beth, your above comment and Colt's thank you for it has spurred me on with some other history of USAF. When I joined another Custer Board, I was called out about being a member of the Maryland Air National National Guard, in that the member calling me out never heard of my CO, a CO I had for 11 years, I was let off the hook as he did know my next CO. The discussed unit was, at the time I joined, an Air Commando Group assigned to TAC. We were a Tactical Airlift Group, in Baltimore, attached to Hurlbert Field at Eglin AFB. My thread here "It's not all Bombs, Napalm, and Agent Orange" is just a part of other operations performed. Recently I was asked for some information pertaining to that unit by another former member. Our mission was most clearly defined, by the Kennedy administration. We were clearly not shooters, but support.

"This is another type of war, new in it's intensity, ancient in it's origin-war by guerrillas, subversives, insurgents, assassins, war by ambush instead of coin-bat...it requires ...where we must counter it...if freedom is to be saved, a whole new kind of strategy, a wholly different kind of force, and therefore a new and who[[y different kind of military training."

President John F. Kennedy
West Point June, 6 1962

Hurlburt Field, Fla.

If there was any question that the US Air Force will be given authority to expand its Air Commando forces to 5,000 men during fiscal year 1963, in accordance with President Kennedy’s determination to improve the nation’s guerrilla warfare capabilities, no such doubts were apparent at headquarters of USAF’s Special Air Warfare Center.

The mission of SAWC and its Air Commandos, representing the Air Force’s contribution to the nation’s growing counterinsurgency forces, was to train themselves and our allies in employing aircraft to wage or oppose guerrilla warfare. In practice, this calls for the Air Commandos to work closely with elements of the Army, particularly the Army’s Special Forces.

Shortly after the Presidents speech at West Point the Air Force has placed before the Department of Defense its proposal to spend $65 million for the expansion, along with aircraft, communications gear, and other equipment.

DoD is considering this proposal, together with those from the Army and Navy for their counterinsurgency operations.

As is customary when such decisions are pending, interservice arguments appeared in the press. Marine Corps adherents are protesting that neither the Army nor the Air Force knows the counterinsurgency business; the Marines, they say, are prepared as always to handle the assignment.

To make a long story short all branch requests were filled, and support units were added to the National Guard and Reserve.

The Air Commandos(founded in 1944) served in conjunction with early SEALs(founded in 1962), Green Beret(formed in 1952), and Force Recon(Formed in 1954). Being fair the air commando's were originally part of the Army.

Infiltration, exfiltration, and air support are much of the mission. The HU-16 saw extensive combat service during the Vietnam War when it was used by the Air Force's ARRS. Some of the Guard and Reserve pilot's and crew were called up during this time.

I also feel Forward Air Controller should be discussed. Maybe another time.

Regards,
Tom