They combined with the Pacific Air Forces rescue helicopter unit also from Kadena, and the relief operation confronted terrible weather conditions and radiation warning areas to penetrate the area where cell towers, roads, and electricity no longer existed. They used an outlying airfield to deploy Special Tactics airmen with tactical vehicles to penetrate the affected area to conduct reconnaissance and to open and begin clearing Sendai Airport in eastern Japan.
The Combat Controllers and Pararescuemen established face-to-face communications with Japanese officials at Sendai, cleared a 4,900-foot portion of the devastated airfield, and received the first MC-130P Combat Shadow aircraft from the 17th Special Operations Squadron (SOS) within a day of arriving and only three days after the tsunami. The Air Commandos quickly opened the airfield for C-130 operations of the Shadows and Combat Talons (1st SOS), and received people and equipment that could clear the rest of the field for more robust relief operations.
Members of the 320th Special Tactics Squadron arrive at Sendai Airport March 16, 2011, and begin to assess the damage and determine what they can do to help in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel Morse
Over the next two days, the 353rd SOG operation cleared the airfield of numerous wrecked aircraft, literally hundreds of destroyed automobiles, and a total of more than 300 tons of debris.
By March 20, the airfield could receive C-17 Globemaster III and C-5 Galaxy aircraft, greatly increasing the amount of humanitarian assistance that could arrive at the airfield. In all, over eight days of assistance before fully transitioning control of the airfield to the Japanese government, the 353rd SOG facilitated air delivery of more than 500 people, 2.5 million pounds of relief supplies, and 15,000 pounds of fuel.
Growth of the 27th Special Operations Wing at Cannon AFB, N.M.
The 27th SOW stood up at Cannon AFB in October 2008 with one aircraft and about 150 people. Growing steadily, it now has squadrons of AC-130Hs, MC-130Ws, CV-22s, two squadrons flying UAVs, two squadrons of small airplanes, and another of Special Tactics airmen. In 2010, it exceeded 2,200 people and was picking up aircraft more rapidly, reaching 40 by the end of that year. In 2011, the wing had nearly 80 aircraft and a population of 5,000.
Col. Albert M. “Buck” Elton commands, and points out that his wing is programmed to exceed the population of the wing at Hurlburt, with end-strength of more than 6,000. He also said the maintenance and support squadrons of the base have grown accordingly, along with the stand-up of a training squadron to train new people before they move into their operations or maintenance squadron homes. Construction is booming on the base as C-130 hangars are going up, as well as several squadron operations buildings, dormitories, and warehouses, totaling 23 active construction projects at the end of 2011.
A Mission Matures: Remotely Piloted Aircraft/Unmanned Aerial Systems
A rapidly maturing mission in AFSOC is that of unmanned aircraft or remotely piloted aircraft (RPA). In order to support SOF in the field with SOF airmen, AFSOC acquired two squadrons of RPAs: the 3rd SOS with MQ-1 Predators and the 33rd SOS now with MQ-9 Reapers. Between them the squadrons have approximately 40 aircraft and support 10 continuous missions, or combat air patrols (CAPs). All of these missions are now controlled or flown from Cannon AFB or by the augmenting 2nd SOS Reserve Squadron at Nellis AFB, Nev. The actual aircraft are flying over classified locations, and they constitute about one-third of RPA missions that are flown in support of SOF missions and targets.
A CV-22 Osprey with the 20th Special Operations Squadron at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., descends on the Air Force Academy Cadet Area during the Academy’s Polaris Warrior event April 28, 2012. Polaris Warrior combined several military training challenges designed to reinforce skills that cadets may need in the field. U.S. Air Force photo by Raymond McCoy
When asked by email if and how RPA flight crews attain and maintain a relationship with the supported SOF ground units, Elton explained that is “one of the largest challenges we have within RPA. We all grew up within AFSOC building habitual relationships through countless exercises before we finally deployed downrange, where we employed our aircraft in direct support of the very same people we supported through exercises.
“Unfortunately, that is not how it works within RPA. One of the many nuances we have with this weapons system is that we fly nearly 100 percent of the time in actual combat vs. what you see in a ‘traditional’ flying squadron where you train 80 percent of the time and employ the weapons system in combat the other 20 percent of the time. Because we have our aircraft airborne almost continually (24/7/365), it gives us very few opportunities to accomplish any sort of continuation training, which limits the opportunities we have to interact with our supported units to enable habitual relationships – not to mention the fact that we are not co-located with any of the teams we support.
“Recently we broke through this barrier with our Navy friends on the East Coast, where we have had their leadership, JTACs and intel folks out to Cannon to work through different target sets … we are visiting them (next week matter of fact) to continue to foster our working relationship. Additionally, we are working on building a communications infrastructure between Cannon and our supported units that will allow our crews to speak with the teams on an instantaneous basis to help with crew/team interaction.”