1 - The Black Vault

to MAC’s newly formed Twenty-Third Air Force,
which was responsible for all special operations
and SAR forces. The Twenty-Third Air Force was
located at Scott AFB, Illinois, and was made up
primarily of rescue personnel that had been assigned
to the deactivated Air Rescue Service.*
The immediate result of the reorganization for the
1st SOS was felt in the maintenance area. Since
coming to Clark AB as part of the 3d TFW, the
squadron had developed an excellent and dedicated
maintenance capability for Combat Talon
unique systems. When the squadron was transferred
to MAC, the 3d TFW retained many of the
squadron’s specialized maintenance personnel in
its wing, with the remainder transferred to the
374th TAW. The 374th TAW then assigned the
specialists throughout its maintenance shops,
thus resulting in a huge decrease in maintenance
capability for the 1st SOS. 63 The decreased maintenance
capability would affect the squadron for
the remainder of the year.
A few days after the reorganization, the 1st
SOS deployed two aircraft and a CAFSOB support
package to Korea for Team Spirit 83 and
operated out of Kimhae AB from 5 to 22 March.
Some of the former 3d TFW dedicated maintenance
personnel already had been committed to
the exercise before the conversion to MAC, resulting
in smooth maintenance operations during
the exercise. Aircraft and personnel from the
374th TAW and the 317th TAW (located at Pope
AFB) also deployed for the exercise, each with a
“MAC mission commander” designated to command
its respective element. The resulting confusion
had an impact on the exercise, with CAF-
SOB planners from the 1st SOS questioned by
other MAC-committed units as to command and
control arrangements. During the exercise 66
missions were successfully completed out of a
tasked 95, with weather being responsible for 16
cancellations. Overall, the exercise was a success
due to the commitment of all exercise partici -
pants. 64
Concerned with decreasing maintenance indicators
since the transfer to MAC, Colonel Cox visited
Clark AB and the 1st SOS from 18 to 20
April. What Cox saw so concerned him that he
sent an immediate message to the commander of
Twenty-Third Air Force, relaying the problems
FROM DESERT ONE TO POINT SALINES
faced by the squadron. Since consolidation under
MAC, 1st SOS aircraft had deteriorated to a point
that the specialized subsystems installed on the
aircraft were marginally operational. One assigned
aircraft had 67 delayed discrepancies, and
the aircraft suffered from low-maintenance priority
within the 374th TAW. Documents revealed
that the host wing did not work the Combat Talons
until they appeared on the flying schedule—
and only then were systems critical for flight repaired.
The sophisticated radar and ECM equipment
were rarely in fully mission-capable status.
With the reorganization the 374th TAW had not
maintained the capability to repair the radar, the
inertial navigation system, the electronic countermeasures
system, or the aerial refueling system
installed on the Combat Talon. After returning to
Hurlburt Field, Cox sent a report to Twenty-Third
Air Force outlining the problems he found at
Clark AB. 65 Some improvements were seen locally
for the squadron after Cox’s visit, but little increase
in maintenance capability was seen until
after the end of the calendar year.
* * * * * *
The year of 1982 had been extremely busy for
the 8th SOS, and 1983 promised to be the same,
with traditional exercises scheduled along with
quarterly joint events. In addition, weekly training
was scheduled to keep joint components ready
to respond to the growing worldwide terrorist
threat to the United States.
Throughout the latter part of January, 1st
SOW forces participated in the Alaskan Exercise
Brim Frost 83, with the 8th SOS deploying one
aircraft and crew. Hobson was designated the AF-
SOB commander for the exercise. The Combat
Talon flew two air defense exercises on 24 and 25
January as a slow-moving airborne penetrator.
On 31 January the 8th SOS flew an infiltration
mission and, on 1 February, exfiltrated two Special
Forces teams from Fort Wainwright. The
Combat Talon flew nine sorties and 50.5 hours
during the exercise. 66
Beginning on 1 February, the 1st SOW was
alerted for a no-notice quarterly exercise named
Prairie Runner. For the next 48 hours, the wing
mobilized and prepared to launch forces to Patrick
AFB, Florida. On 4 February one Combat
__________
*When Air Rescue Service was deactivated, the facilities that it occupied at Scott AFB, along with most of its personnel, were transferred to the
newly established Twenty-Third Air Force. The primary emphasis of the headquarters (as perceived by Combat Talon operators) heavily leaned
towards improving combat rescue capabilities rather than those of special operations. Over succeeding years resentment grew between the two
factions, with career special operations personnel being forced into assignments at Scott AFB when volunteers were not available. Promotions
suffered for SOF personnel assigned to the headquarters, as MAC and Twenty-Third Air Force looked out for their career officers who had grown
up in the MAC system, or at least that was the perception within the Combat Talon community.
265