1 - The Black Vault

PRAETORIAN STARSHIP
had occurred frequently, with the resultant
deaths of both civilian and military personnel.
On 5 July 1997, as Hun Sen forces gained control
of Phnom Penh, his troops sacked the city, loot -
ing and plundering everything that they could
get their hands on. During the battle for the capital,
government officials estimated that more
than 150 personnel either were killed or wounded.
As Hun Sen consolidated his power, fighting
spread to northwestern Cambodia, and Ranariddh
and his followers fled the country for asylum in
France. On 10 July the US government ordered
all but 20 of its diplomats out of Cambodia and
advised the more than 1,000 Americans living in
the country to leave. 47
With the government in limbo and the country
disintegrating into anarchy, COMSOCPAC issued
an alert/deployment order on 8 July, and 12 hours
later the first Combat Talon from the 1st SOS
was airborne and headed to Thailand. 48 The 353d
SOG was tasked to support a USPACOM JTF under
the command of Brig Gen Norton A.
Schwartz. Group-assigned deploying forces included
three MC-130H Combat Talon II aircraft,
three MC-130Ps, three MH-53Js, and 340 personnel.
The JTF, identified as JTF Bevel Edge, was
tasked to assess the Cambodian situation and be
prepared to execute a noncombatant evacuation
order if required. The deployment from Kadena
AB to Utapao, Thailand, was supported by C-5,
C-17, C-141, and KC-135 aircraft. 49
The situation stabilized in Phnom Penh over
the next several days, and the new government
allowed non-Cambodian citizens to depart the
country by way of commercial air if they chose to
do so. JTF Bevel Edge remained in place until 22
July, at which time forces redeployed to home station.
Although an NEO was not required, the
group learned valuable lessons about short-notice
deployments and demonstrated its ability to react
rapidly to a real-world crisis. The 1st SOS deployed
aircraft 88-0195, 88-0191, and 88-1803 and
flew 72 hours supporting JTF Bevel Edge. 50
The following three months saw the 1st SOS
continue to support both JCS-sponsored exercises
and theater JCET events. As the JTF Bevel Edge
tasking ended, the 1st SOS deployed two Combat
Talons to Udorn RTAFB for JCET Balance Torch
97-4. More than 100 personnel deployed for the
training event. Because of other commitments a
KC-135 previously committed to Balance Torch
was withdrawn, and the resultant loss of IFR
training for the RTAF severely impacted the remainder
of the exercise. The RTAF canceled
scheduled airborne intercept training and was
generally uncooperative. As a result the training
value of the deployment was greatly reduced. In
August elements of the 1st SOS deployed along
with other members of the 353d SOG to Korea for
JCS-directed Exercise Valid Response. Two Combat
Talons, one Combat Shadow, and three Pave
Low III helicopters took part in the exercise. During
the last part of August, the group participated
in the annual JCS Exercise Ulchi Focus Lens 97,
which was sponsored by the United States and
the Republic of Korea. By the first of September
the majority of group personnel was back at
Kadena AB. 51
On 2 September 1997 Colonel Folkerts assumed
command of the 353d SOG from Beres in a ceremony
conducted in the group’s Commando West
hangar. The ceremony was presided over by Maj
Gen Charles R. Holland, who had recently become
the AFSOC commander. Like Beres, Folkerts’s
number one goal was to enhance the group’s combat
readiness. His second priority, and closely
linked to the first, was to continue 353d SOG efforts
to refine Korean War plans that included
group assets in its force structure. 52 For the opera -
tional squadrons there was little impact as the
new commander smoothly transitioned into his
role as the senior Air Force SOF commander in
WestPac.
A second Indonesian JCET was conducted by
1st SOS personnel from 5 to 22 September and
was named Teak Iron 97-4. The JCET again operated
out of Bandung, Indonesia, and only USAF
and IAF personnel participated. This was the first
time that an Air Force–only JCET event had been
conducted in that country. Previous events revolved
around a ground scenario driven by the Indonesian
army. The primary thrust of Teak Iron
97-4 was HALO operations from both US and IAF
aircraft. A problem developed when it was discovered
that IAF oxygen procedures were significantly
different from those of the United States.
As a result USAF STS personnel jumping from
IAF aircraft were restricted to a maximum altitude
of 10,000 feet. The 1st SOS aircraft dropped
from altitudes up to 25,000 feet. Constantly changing
winds on the DZ and in the surrounding mountains
restricted the number of actual drops, but an
adequate number of HALO events was completed
to make the training a success. 53
The annual Foal Eagle exercise kicked off in October
and continued into November. The 353d SOG
deployed more than 300 personnel, all four MC-
130H Combat Talons, three MC-130P (previously
430