1 - The Black Vault

PRAETORIAN STARSHIP
fall separately from the aircraft, the MREs would
flutter to the ground, much like Halverson’s
candy during the Berlin relief operation. Delivery
of individual MREs had two advantages—a wider
distribution of food and increased safety for civilians
on the ground. The four-man team altered
procedures already used for leaflet airdrops by
substituting a slightly larger box filled with individual
MREs. Thus, the delivery was virtually the
same for the aircrews as leaflet drops, with minimal
additional aircrew training required. The
team cut cardboard boxes, taped and strapped
them back together, and placed individual MREs
in them. On 7 March 1993 members of the 7th
SOS completed a test of the system and determined
that it worked as planned. The following
day, Colonel Scott, the 7th SOS Operations officer,
traveled to Ramstein AB to brief the Joint
Force Air Component commander for Operation
Provide Promise II on the new system. 101
Seven days later the first TRIADS drop was
completed in Bosnia-Herzegovina by tasked C-130
crews out of Rhein Main AB, and it was a resounding
success. More drops were requested, and personnel
from the 352d SOG were tasked to train
37th TAS personnel on the rigging and delivery of
the TRIADS. The 7th SOS stood ready to employ
the new system, but the mid-level drop by conventional
C-130s proved to be the method of choice for
JTF planners. The TRIADS was effective and became
the primary delivery method in Bosnia-
Herzegovina. With no tasking received for the 7th
SOS, the three Combat Talon IIs were redeployed
to RAF Alconbury on 22 March 1993, thus ending
their initial support to Operation Provide Promise
II. 102 The SAR/PR mission at Brindisi continued
throughout the remainder of the year.
The 7th SOS and the
352d SOG JCET Program
With the majority of the 352d SOG committed
to Operation Provide Promise II in Italy and Provide
Comfort II in Turkey, most other group commitments
fell to the 7th SOS. Along with supporting
these commitments, the squadron became
heavily involved in planning for another unit
move after USAFE made the decision to close
RAF Alconbury. From 13 to 19 March, the first
project task force (PROTAF) was conducted at
RAF Mildenhall to consider requirements to relocate
the 352d SOG to that location. On 7 May
1993 Headquarters USAFE announced that the
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*The 1st SOW had been redesignated the 16th SOW in conjunction with CSAF reorganization directives.
352d SOG would move to RAF Mildenhall during
FY 94, a move necessitated by the USAFE deci -
sion to close RAF Alconbury. For an organization
almost totally committed to contingency operations,
a second move was almost more than the
group could bear. 103
May marked the first major exercise for the
352d SOG since the New Year. From 10 to 20
May the group participated in Exercise Carthage
Express. Crews of the 7th SOS carried their own
support personnel and deployed one aircraft to
Brindisi, Italy, with an operations stop in Stuttgart
to onload additional personnel from SOCEUR. The
Italian base was used as the forward staging base
for the exercise. The scenario for Carthage Express
centered on the recovery of three American
citizens held captive by a notional terrorist organization
on the Tunisian island of Zembra. The op -
erational portion of the exercise began on 16 May
when the 7th SOS Combat Talon II inserted a
SEAL team by way of a CRRC water drop 20 miles
from the island. The SEALs navigated to shore
and maneuvered overland to the notional terrorist’s
location. Three MH-53Js, supported by two
HC-130s, departed Brindisi during the night of 18
May and inserted a direct action team to conduct
the recovery operation. After successfully engaging
the notional terrorists, the rescue force, along with
the three American hostages, were exfiltrated by
the MH-53Js and transported to Sidi Ahmed Airfield,
Tunisia, where they were transloaded on to
the waiting MC-130H CT II. The 7th SOS crew
then flew back to Brindisi, where the exercise terminated.
Although coordination problems detracted
from the realism of the operation, the exercise
was a success, with 352d SOG forces receiving
overall excellent training. 104
On 24 May Colonel Orrell (the 352d SOG commander)
sent a request to Headquarters AFSOC
for help in meeting the ongoing tasking for his
group. As a result of this initiative, Headquarters
AFSOC relieved the 352d SOG of its commit -
ments to Provide Comfort II in Turkey, effective
13 July 1993. Elements of the 20th SOS, the 55th
SOS, and the 9th SOS, all assigned to the 16th
SOW at Hurlburt Field, assumed responsibility
for the Turkish mission.* 105 With the reduced commitment
the 352d SOG was able to continue plans
for the upcoming move to RAF Mildenhall and
support the heavy commitment to Operation Provide
Promise II at Brindisi. Early August found
the 7th SOS in Africa supporting Exercise Roa r -
ing Lion. The scenario for the exercise centered on
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