1 - The Black Vault

Chapter 10
From Desert One to Point Salines
(1981–83)
History does not teach fatalism. These are the moments when the will of a handful of free men
breaks through determinism and opens up new roads. People get the history they deserve.
—Charles de Gaulle
Tom Bradley and his 7th SOS aircraft had departed
Wadi Kena only a few days before the arrival
of the force that went to Desert One. The
7th SOS’s role in the rescue attempt had been
one of support—to establish a signature at Wadi
Kena for the Combat Talon aircraft so that undue
attention would not be aroused when the
mission aircraft deployed from there for the rescue
mission. A secondary role for the squadron
was to provide cover for the Combat Talon deployment
through Rhein Main AB, Germany, as
the 7th SOS deployed for Flintlock 80. The
squadron’s efforts were flawless, with the rescue
force deploying all the way to Masirah Island
without detection .
The personnel of the 7th SOS were disappointed
at not being able to participate in the
actual mission, but their contributions were, nevertheless,
significant. Part of the continued deception
was to execute Flintlock 80 as if nothing else
was happening in the European theater. As the
8th SOS crews transited Rhein Main AB en route
to Egypt, 7th SOS aircraft were deploying to the
United Kingdom. Special Operations Task Force
Europe established its headquarters at RAF
West Raynham, UK, and the 7575th Special Operations
Wing (made up primarily of the 7th
SOS) was established at RAF Weathersfield, UK.
Along with the four 7th SOS Combat Talons, the
8th SOS deployed one aircraft and crew commanded
by Capt Tom Hermanson. Other forces
supported the large unconventional warfare exercise,
including USAFE F-111s, Military Airlift
Command C-130s and C-141s, Strategic Air Command
B-52s, and British RAF C-130s. Ground
forces included US Army Special Forces and US
Navy SEALs, along with troops from six different
countries. 1 For the Combat Talons, the highlight
of the exercise was two live STARS recoveries,
one accomplished by the 7th SOS and another by
Hermanson’s crew from the 8th SOS. The live
recovery for the 8th SOS was accomplished during
Subexercise Schwarzes-Pferd in southern
Germany on 5 May 1980. It was the first such
event for the squadron since the mid-1960s, when
the unit was stationed at Pope AFB as the 779th
Troop Carrier Squadron.
Throughout the months of April and May 1980,
virtually the entire 7th SOS remained deployed
for the large unconventional warfare exercise. By
the time June arrived, most personnel were back
at Rhein Main AB, and the 8th SOS Talon had
returned to Hurlburt Field. A second live recovery
for the year was conducted on 5 June 1980 by
Crew 1, commanded by Maj Mark Tuck in aircraft
64-0555. The recovery was made at Algero, Italy,
in support of SOTFE requirements. On 6 June, by
USAFE Special Order G-3, Lt Col Walter K.
Schmidt assumed command of the 7th SOS from
Tom Bradley. 2 The previous six months had been
grueling on the squadron, with an operations
tempo that brought the squadron to near exhaustion.
June provided a brief break in the hectic
pace, and squadron personnel used the time to
become reacquainted with their families. July began
another busy cycle, with deployments to the
United Kingdom, Italy, Denmark, and Greece. Beginning
in August the last subexercise of the 1980
Flintlock series—Zeus 80—was flown from 30 August
to 17 September. 3 The squadron deployed
two aircraft and three crews, along with associated
maintenance and support personnel, to Hellenikon
AB, Greece. As had been the case in Zeus
78, the staging base was excellent, and the flying
was outstanding. The major critique of the exercise
was its lack of sufficient mission tasking for
the Combat Talons, which resulted in the return
of one aircraft to Rhein Main AB earlier than
originally planned. With the US Navy SEALs and
US Army Special Forces dispersed to different locations
throughout Greece, communications between
them and the 7th SOS at Hellenikon AB
were difficult. The lack of reliable communica -
tions was partly to blame for the low-utilization
rate of the deployed Combat Talons. 4
The remainder of the year saw portions of the
squadron deployed to the United Kingdom, Norway,
Greece, and Italy. The biggest problem that
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