1 - The Black Vault

COMBAT KNIFE
conference, attendees felt that the format and
content of the conference was about right and
they were very enthusiastic about attending future
annual meetings. The conference adjourned
at 1500 on 13 March 1969 after having addressed
critical Combat Talon issues that had not been
consolidated or reviewed during the previous four
years. 21 The CTMR conference would remain an
annual meeting until the Combat Talon program
was transferred from LAS Ontario to Warner
Robins, Georgia, in 1995.
Effective 19 May 1969, Lt Col Robert W. Folts
assumed command of Detachment 2. His initial
assessment of his unit’s effectiveness contained
in official Air Force documents reflected his concern
over the impact of operational requirements
on the detachment. While maintaining fully
qualified combat crews, Detachment 2 also fulfilled
the combat crew training function by training
six 11-man crews annually for SEA and replacement
crews for itself and the 7th SOS in
Europe. The 7th SOS had been organized the
year prior, with most of its personnel on threeyear
overseas tours. To meet experience levels for
Combat Spear, Detachment 2 instructors (both
maintenance and aircrew alike) were assigned to
SEA duty, resulting in a 70 percent annual turnover
rate. New personnel assigned to Detachment
2 remained just long enough to gain the
required experience to qualify for overseas duty.
Colonel Folts campaigned hard for a three-year
stabilized tour for his assigned instructors. 22 Not
until Nha Trang AB closed in 1972, however, and
Combat Spear moved to Kadena AB, Japan, did
Detachment 2 get much relief from the constant
turnover.
Because of TAC and Air Staff initiatives from
the previous year, a Combat Knife mission statement
was developed and published by TAC for the
first time in the fall of 1969. The mission of Combat
Knife was articulated
to provide a global unconventional warfare C-130 force
(Combat Talon) to support unconventional warfare plans
of CINCEUR, CINCPAC and CINCLANT for both lim -
ited and general war; secondary mission is the pickup of
escapee and evadee personnel from designated ‘safe
areas’ within enemy territory; correlative mission is the
initial qualification training of replacement aircrew personnel
and the initial training of certain select aircraft
maintenance personnel assigned to all Combat Talon
units. 23
Specific tasks were developed within TAC to
support the successful execution of the above mission
by Combat Knife assets. Detachment 2 was
tasked to maintain trained crews and combatready
aircraft equipped to penetrate enemy airspace
for long distances, accomplish an airdrop,
surface-to-air recovery, or airlanding; and then
safely return to friendly territory. Combat Knife
also had to be prepared to resupply US Army Special
Forces and other US government agency personnel
engaged in clandestine operations. Exfiltration
capabilities included extraction from both
land and water. Another task specifically assigned
to Combat Knife was the dissemination of
psychological warfare materiel. 24
On 12 November 1969, Lt Col Peyton E. Cook
assumed command of Detachment 2. Lt Col Albert
P. “Friday” Blosch was appointed his operations
officer. 25 In October Blosch attended a TACdirected
AFM 51-130, Flying Training, C-130
Aircrew Training Manual, conference at Hurlburt
Field, Florida. The purpose of the conference was
to revise AFM 51-130. Detachment 2 was tasked
to write chapter 6, which for the first time included
the Combat Talon weapons system. Colonel
Hellier was the recognized expert for Combat
Talon training, and his input to Blosch was the
key to creating a meaningful document that could
be used in the field. 26 Since the creation of Combat
Talon in 1966, little had been published for
use in the Pope AFB schoolhouse due to concern
over security classifications. Maj John Gargus
authored the main text for the AFM 51-130 update,
while Blosch concentrated on tactical checklists.
The combined effort of the three officers resulted
in a superior Combat Talon training
document.
The long anticipated OT&E for the Stray Goose
modifications to the aircraft was begun in August
1969 with TAC as the office of primary responsibility.
TAC Test Plan 69-416, dated August 1969,
was the test directive under which the OT&E was
flown. In accordance with the directive, TAWC
and SOF were designated joint test agencies. The
program was divided into four phases, with aircraft
and personnel from Detachment 2 supporting
all four phases. From October to December
1969, Phase I and all but one flight of Phase II
were completed. 27
1970: Combat Knife Participates
in the Son Tay Raid
Combat Knife continued to improve and strive
for excellence. As a geographically separated unit
from its parent wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida, it
faced unique challenges at Pope AFB. In February
1970 the 464th TAW selected Detachment 2
as the best large support squadron. Considering
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