1 - The Black Vault

culmination of years of hard work by programmers,
planners, operators, and maintainers.
Activation of the 15th SOS
On 13 April 1992 a Headquarters USAF/MO
letter to AFSOC/CC formally announced the activation
of the 15th SOS, effective on or about 16
October 1992, with its assignment to AFSOC.
The letter noted that the squadron had been previously
inactivated on 31 October 1970, and it
directed AFSOC to issue a G-series order in accordance
with applicable Air Force regulations.
Headquarters AFSOC subsequently issued Special
Order GA-011 on 1 June 1992, which activated
the 15th SOS, effective 1 October 1992, and
further assigned the squadron to the 1st SOW.
With the G-series orders issued, Saier (the CT II
operations officer of the 8th SOS and commanderdesignate
of the new squadron) had a target date
to get his personnel and equipment ready. His
focus was on CT II preparations, while his counterpart
in the 8th SOS, Poole, concentrated on
the CT I and the issue of absorbing maintenance
into the CT I squadron. By September all was
ready to divide personnel and equipment assigned
to the 8th SOS and to stand up the new
CT II unit. Special Order GB-014, issued by
Headquarters AFSOC and dated 1 October 1992,
formally designated Saier as the new commander
of the 15th SOS. 52
On 1 October, in a formal ceremony held on the
Hurlburt Field flight line, Saier assumed command
of the 15th SOS with Colonel Schwartz officiating.
The squadron’s history dated back to 5
February 1942 when it was initially activated as
the 18th Observation Squadron. Nine months
later it was redesignated the 15th Antisubmarine
Squadron (Heavy) (H) and was assigned to the
26th Antisubmarine Wing, Miami, Florida. The
unit flew the B-24 Liberator until 1944, when it
converted to the B-29 and was redesignated the
15th Bomb Squadron (BS) (Very Heavy) (VH). It
soon deployed to the Pacific theater and participated
in the Allied offensive against mainland Japan.
During the Japanese surrender ceremony onboard
the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, 15th BS
(VH) aircraft provided a formation fly-over to
honor Allied lives lost during the defeat of Japan.
The unit was inactivated after WWII, but was
formed again as the 15th Air Commando Squadron
at Nha Trang AB, Vietnam, on 15 March
1968.* Five months after activation (on 1 August
MOUNT PINATUBO TO OPERATION JOINT ENDEAVOR
1968) the unit was renamed the 15th Special Operations
Squadron. 53
For the next two years, the 15th SOS distinguished
itself in Southeast Asia as the primary
air component of MACVSOG, flying the MC-130E
Combat Talon on both psychological operations
and personnel infiltration/resupply missions into
North Vietnam and Laos. On 31 October 1970 the
15th SOS was inactivated, and the squadron was
redesignated the 90th SOS. From 31 October
1970 until 1 October 1992, the 15th SOS remained
in an inactive status. Thus, when Saier
took the flag from Schwartz during the formal
activation and assumption of command ceremony,
one of the most decorated Combat Talon squadrons
from the past was again active. With the
assignment of the CT II weapons system, the 15th
SOS was once again an operational Combat Talon
squadron molded in the proud tradition of its
Vietnam–era Stray Goose ancestors. 54
Although the new MC-130H CT II performed
the same mission as the MC-130E CT I, it incorporated
a highly automated control and display
system that was designed to reduce cockpit workload
while providing on-line information to the
flight crew. The entire cockpit and cargo compartment
were compatible with NVGs, thus eliminating
the need to reduce light levels or to tape critical
warning lights that were required in the CT I.
The cockpit configuration was designed around
the pilot and copilot displays on the cockpit instrument
panel, and the navigator/EWO displays,
which were mounted in a two-position console located
in the right rear area of the cockpit. Although
not a complete “glass” cockpit, each crew station
had two video displays and a data-entry keyboard.
One of the two EWO video displays was dedicated
to electronic warfare data, while the t wo naviga -
tor videos displayed navigational infor mation. Integral
to each video display was a switch that con -
tained 21 variable-function, software-controlled
switches. Key legends were shown on the video
display next to each switch to indicate the current
switch function. The five switches in the top row
were used for the primary display mode selection,
while the eight switches on each side provided
controls appropriate to the selected primary display
mode. 55
The primary pilot and copilot display formats
included basic flight instrumentation and situational
data. There were several varieties of vertical
display formats for control of the aircraft and
__________
*Personnel and aircraft making up the 15th Air Commando Squadron had deployed to Southeast Asia in 1966 as the original Stray Goose
detachment from Pope AFB, North Carolina.
381