1 - The Black Vault

PRAETORIAN STARSHIP
was greatly simplified with the 1st SOW having
the mobility function assigned to it.
During the first half of 1993, the 8th SOS and
15th SOS participated in local exercises and proficiency
training events. Both squadrons concentrated
on fine-tuning their organizations after the
many changes of the previous fall. The 15th SOS
CT IIs maintained a mission capable (MC) rate of
less than 50 percent for its assigned aircraft,
while the 8th SOS CT Is averaged more than 80
percent. The low MC rate for the CT II was attributed
to the fielding of the new weapons system
and the problems associated with getting the
aircraft’s subsystems fully up to speed. Events in
Mogadishu, Somalia, required the 1st SOW to deploy
a large four-ship gunship package to Djibouti
on 7 June, but there was no requirement for
the Combat Talon . While the gunships supported
UN actions against Gen Mohamed Farrah
Aideed and his followers, the Talons remained at
Hurlburt Field. 111 The 15th SOS off-station tasking
was held to a minimum throughout 1993 so
that the aircraft’s support infrastructure could
mature, and the squadron’s aircrews could season
in the highly sophisticated aircraft. Late summer
and fall saw the 8th SOS deployed to JCS exercises
in Honduras, Egypt, and South Korea.
On 1 October 1993 the 1st SOW’s designation
was changed to the 16th SOW at Air Staff direction,
a move that infuriated Air Commando vet -
erans of World War II and Vietnam. The change
was directed after an extensive review of the
heritage and honors of all active duty Air Force
wings. As part of the new Air Force structure
created by General McPeak, no two wings could
have the same numerical designation. The 1st
Fighter Wing at Langley AFB, Virginia, was assigned
the 1st designation, while the “1st” SOW
was changed to the 16th SOW. The wing did,
however, retain all the lineage and honors of the
1st Air Commando Group of World War II and
the 1st Air Commando Wing/Special Operations
Wing of the Vietnam War. Although the change
was a highly emotional one, the newly designated
16th SOW, commanded by Gen Maxwell C.
Bailey, continued to perform its highly demanding
special operations mission without any loss of
combat capability. 112
The MC-130H Weapons System Trainer
By 1993 all Combat Talon II formal training
was being taught at Kirtland AFB. The 550th
Flight Training Squadron (FTS) was responsible
for fixed-wing training, including the HC-130P/N
and the MC-130H Combat Talon II. From 2 to 13
February 1993, the 550th FTS participated in a
bilateral exercise named Onset Thunder, which
was the first exercise in which the squadron’s
MC-130H Combat Talon II aircraft were employed.
The crews flew six missions that involved
US Army rangers from Fort Lewis, Washington.
The squadron employed NVG blacked-out airdrop
and airland operations to deliver more than
120,000 pounds of cargo and personnel. The
squadron also participated in the locally generated
Exercise Chile Flag from 8 to 12 March 1993.
Missions flown in the Combat Talon II included
IFR, airdrops, and airland operations. The Chile
Flag exercise series had begun four years earlier,
but the March iteration was the first to include
the Combat Talon II. The regularly scheduled exercise
was coordinated through USSOCOM and
usually had one special operations unit either
from the Army or the Navy as its primary customer.
During the course of the exercise, both permanent
party instructors and formal school students
received invaluable training, while the joint
customer benefited from the use of the aircraft to
complete their required training events. 113
In FY 90 USSOCOM funded four projects at
Kirkland AFB valued at $13.7 million with MFP
11 resources. During 1992 three of the projects
were completed, including the Combat Talon II
simulator building. The building was originally
designed and funded to house the MC-130H Combat
Talon II and the MC-130E Combat Talon I
weapons system trainer (WST), but when both
WST delivery dates slipped, the facility was occupied
by an MH-53J, TH-53A, and MH-60G WST.
The delivery of the MC-130H/E WSTs was slipped
until FY 94 and FY 96, respectively. The annual
simulator requirement for permanently assigned
Talon II crew members was satisfied by sending
them to Dyess AFB, Texas, where a conventional
C-130H simulator was located. 114
On 1 July 1993 the 542d CTW was transferred
to AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas, including the
four Combat Talon II aircraft flown by the 550th
FTS. The wing reported directly to Nineteenth Air
Force, which was also located at Randolph AFB.
Throughout the remainder of the year, the wing
prepared to receive the MC-130E Combat Talon I
weapons system. Four CT I aircraft were scheduled
to transfer to Kirtland AFB on 1 January
1994. As previously noted, Colonel Schwartz, the
1st Special Operations Group commander at
Hurlburt Field, had sent a letter to Headquarters
AFSOC requesting to delay the transfer due to
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