1 - The Black Vault

PRAETORIAN STARSHIP
radome had experienced structural failure. Inspection
of the Combat Talon II fleet identified
several other radomes with cracks and soft spots
that severely impacted the operational readiness
of the weapons system. 144
The following month one 7th SOS Combat
Talon deployed to Norway for Exercise Arctic Express.
The squadron provided almost all of the personnel
for the exercise since most of the 352d SOG
was still heavily committed in Brindisi, Italy.
Colonel Scott served as the Joint Special Opera -
tions Air Component Command (JSOACC) commander
and established his base of operations at
Bardufoss, Norway. In addition to the 7th SOS
Combat Talon II, the 160th Special Operations
Aviation Regiment from Fort Campbell, Kentucky,
deployed a contingent of CH-47D aircraft for the
duration of the exercise. The exercise consisted of
insertion, extraction, and resupply of special forces
ground units. While on the ground the units executed
special reconnaissance of strategic points
(beach heads, fjord inlets, airports, and transportation
routes), and direct action missions and were
prepared to execute personnel recovery missions
as required. Although the Combat Talon was hampered
by the loss of a transformer rectifier early in
the exercise, most exercise objectives were accomplished
by the squadron. 145
The 352d had not received an ORI for several
years, and one was scheduled in the spring of
1994. Continued tasking for Operation Provide
Promise II/Deny Flight had prevented an earlier
inspection. To allow the group the opportunity to
complete its ORI, Headquarters AFSOC agreed to
assume the Brindisi commitment with other a s-
signed forces and temporarily to release the 352d
SOG. Elements from the 16th SOW, including two
8th SOS Combat Talon Is, assumed the SAR alert
duty on 1 March. The last of the 352d SOGs personnel
departed Brindisi on 4 April. The 16th
SOW remained at Brindisi until 17 June, when
the 352d returned to assume the alert duties. 146
During March and April the group conducted
two operational readiness exercises (ORE) to help
prepare for the ORI scheduled for May. The AF-
SOC IG team originally wanted the group to deploy
to Italy for the inspection, but when Italian
officials denied permission due to the saturated
airspace caused by the Balkan operation, they
had to look elsewhere. Locations in Spain, Germany,
and the United Kingdom were considered,
but in the end the only viable location turned out
to be home station. The scenario for the exercise
included a terrorist event in a Middle Eastern
country controlled by religious fundamentalists.
For the 7th SOS the unit committed all three of
its Combat Talon IIs to the ORE. Five days after
completion of the second ORE, SOCEUR issued
an exercise warning order to the group, which put
into motion Phase I of the ORI. On 27 April a
SOCEUR exercise execute order was issued, and
the initial deployment phase of the inspection began.
After marshaling cargo and generating all
participating aircraft, the deployment phase was
complete after 36 hours. On 4 May Phase I employment
operations began and continued until 11
May. During Phase I of the ORI, crews completed
100 percent of tasked missions, flying 44 sorties
and 145.4 hours. After completion of the first
phase, the group stood down for 48 hours to reconstitute
before Phase II. Between 18 and 24
May, group assets deployed to RAF Macrihanish
and executed a complex exercise scenario, with
two 7th SOS Combat Talon IIs participating. At
the completion of Phase II, the deployed assets
returned to RAF Alconbury for ORI termination.
Overall, the group received a grade of excellent,
having received an outstanding for initial response,
a satisfactory for unit employment, and
an excellent for combat support. The manner in
which the group and the 7th SOS performed validated
its combat capability. 147
With the ORI successfully behind them, group
personnel redeployed to Brindisi to assume once
again SAR alert duties in support of Operation
Provide Promise/Deny Flight. By midmonth elements
of the 21st SOS, 67th SOS, and the 321st
STS were in position at Brindisi. For the 7th SOS
preparations were under way for a change of command
for the squadron. On 1 July 1994 Colonel
Scott assumed command of the squadron from
Lauderdale. Scott had been the operations officer
before taking command, and he continued to emphasize
training and support of the group’s exercise
and JCET program.
Throughout the spring and summer, a civil
war had raged in the Central African country of
Rwanda. By July the situation had deteriorated
to such a degree that the US government publicly
committed itself to providing humanitarian relief
to the besieged people living there. As a result of
this commitment, SOCEUR was tasked by
USEUCOM to provide air and ground support,
and on 22 July it issued a warning order for the
352d SOG to be prepared to deploy all available
7th SOS Combat Talon IIs in support of Operation
Support Hope. Four hours later the group
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