1 - The Black Vault

MOUNT PINATUBO TO OPERATION JOINT ENDEAVOR
concept. The group planned to begin exercising at
Taegu AB under the JCET program, with deployments
to Korea identified as Gryphon Knife in
early 1996. 177
For the first time since World War II, the
USAF participated in a military-to-military exercise
with the Indian Air Force in India under the
JCET program. Teak Iroquois 95-4, a stand-alone
JCET conducted at Agra Air Station, India, was
not related to any other exercise that the 353d
SOG had previously flown. Teak Iroquois 95-4 included
40 members of the 353d SOG and one aircraft
from the 17th SOS (the 1st SOS was in transition
to the new CT II and could not participate).
The first-time event was another example of how
the 353d SOG supported the CINC’s Cooperative
Engagement strategy with expanded deployments
in the Pacific region. 178
After the arrival of the first CT II in July, the
1st SOS received its additional aircraft in the August
to October time frame. On 16 August aircraft
88-0264 was delivered, followed by aircraft 88-
1803 on 25 September. The last CT IIs were delivered
on 11 October (88-0191) and 15 October (88-
0192). As the new aircraft came on-line, the
remaining CT Is were returned to the United
States. Aircraft 64-1843 had been previously reassigned
from the 1st SOS in December 1994, and
on 1 August 1995, aircraft 64-0565 was transferred
to Duke Field. The last two CT Is (64-0571
and 64-0572) departed Kadena AB on 2 October
1995 in conjunction with the 1st SOS change of
command ceremony. Aircraft 63-7785 was at LAS
Ontario undergoing modification and was transferred
directly to the 919th SOW when its PDM
was completed. 179
Colonel Barwick assumed command of the 1st
SOS from Williamson on 2 October. At the conclusion
of the ceremony, Williamson boarded an
awaiting CT I and led the two-ship formation back
to the United States. The last two CT Is were
subsequently transferred to the 919th SOW at
Duke Field. Williamson returned to Kadena AB as
the 353d SOG assistant deputy commander. 180
In November the group deployed to Korea for
the annual Foal Eagle exercise. For the 1st SOS it
marked the first major deployment of its new CT
II aircraft. Throughout the 30-day exercise, the
group maintained a 99 percent mission effectiveness
rate, the best ever for any Foal Eagle. The
Combat Talon IIs performed near flawlessly, accomplishing
every mission tasked to them. 181 By
year’s end the entire group was back at Kadena
AB, and the 1st SOS was settling in with its new
weapons system.
The 7th SOS Moves to RAF Mildenhall
In Europe the 7th SOS was the first 352d SOG
unit to move from RAF Alconbury to RAF Mildenhall.
On 12 January 1995 squadron members ran
the unit’s guideon overland to the new beddown
location. The Combat Talon IIs were flown over
later that day by aircrew personnel. Five days
later the 352d SOG Headquarters’ staff moved,
and by 1 April the entire group had relocated to
RAF Mildenhall. To help facilitate the 67th SOS
move, the 8th SOS deployed from Hurlburt Field
to Brindisi from 15 February to 15 April with its
Combat Talon I aircraft, thus releasing the
tanker unit to return to home station and complete
its move. The whole process proved to be
easier than the one two years earlier. Colonel
Connelly, who had taken command of the group
from Orrell, immediately set about to integrate
group activities into those of the 100th Air Refueling
Wing (ARW), which was the host wing at RAF
Mildenhall. In a short period Connelly had made
great strides in achieving his goal. The biggest
impact on morale for 352d SOG personnel was the
lack of housing. There was not enough military
family housing on base or economy housing offbase
to satisfy group needs. Many families remained
at RAF Alconbury, and the military members
commuted the hour each way to RAF
Mildenhall. Another problem that delayed some of
the unit’s relocation was the lack of facilities. The
21st SOS was especially affected when a new hangar
was not completed in time for its move. Most
of the other problems were associated with normal
growing pains as the group settled into life at
RAF Mildenhall. 182
The first major deployment for the 7th SOS
during 1995 was to the Middle East for Exercise
Noble Rose. Two 7th SOS MC-130H Combat
Talon IIs and two HC-130P/N Combat Shadows
from the 67th SOS supported US Army Special
Forces and US Navy SEAL forces from 15 March
to 4 April. The objective of the exercise was to
recover personnel and equipment that had notionally
fallen into the hands of forces unfriendly to
the United States. Training rehearsals were conducted
during the first portion of Noble Rose. For
the exercise itself 7th SOS crews flew special
forces personnel to a forward staging base (FSB),
where they were transloaded to US Army MH-
47Es and then transported on to the target area.
While the helicopters were en route to the target
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