The 27th SOW created a newly deployable unit as well, in the 3rd SOS, which flies unmanned vehicles. Units flying the MQ-1 Predator usually fly them remotely from operations centers in the United States. Sensing a need to have the remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) crews fully informed and involved in some SOF missions, the 27th SOW has built the first and only deployable alert package, ready to deploy within hours of notification, to provide RPA support worldwide and to co-locate with the Joint Special Operations Task Force (JSOTF) or CJSOTF Headquarters. The wing was able to say that the package did deploy on a time-critical basis in 2012 and that it was successful, but no other details could be divulged.

The aforementioned relief of the 16th SOS was enabled by an overall increase in the numbers of gunships available as the AC-130W Stinger IIs provided persistent fire support with lethal and precision weapons. The rapid development of the W-model gunship and its movement into combat, even while testing of additions to its weapons suite continued at Cannon, has proved AFSOC’s responsiveness to the needs of combat. The ability of the W-models to fly higher and to provide daytime support has allowed for tactical support of village/tribal engagement operations. The additional benefit of W-model development is the carryover into the coming development of the AC-130J Ghostrider as the future AFSOC gunship.

Related to the gunship story is the growth of AFSOC in numbers of aircraft and in numbers of people over the past four years, which has enabled a significant change in how the command deploys its capability. Squadrons now can rotate in total and not in part. Before, the gunship squadrons deployed flights of three or four aircraft, and rotated other flights to maintain the capability forward. Now, one squadron takes the entire load for a deployment period, then comes home. This is true with the MC-130P Combat Shadows and the MC-130H Combat Talon IIs as well. The change enables an overall compliance with the Joint Operations and Readiness Training (JORTS) cycle of other components of U.S. SOCOM. The predictable nature of the cycle allows for enhancements of training and even of family activity, according to Slife.

Probably, the AFSOC wing most closely associated with surface forces is the 24th Special Operations Wing, made up of the battlefield airmen – combat controllers, pararescuemen, combat weathermen, and joint tactical air controllers. All deployments of special operations forces benefit from the inclusion of Special Tactics/battlefield airmen as part of the force mix. The year’s summary of operations provided by the 24th SOW shows that 60 percent of its people deployed to combat during the year:

The ST total force of approximately 1,900 Airmen is comprised of Special Tactics Officers, Combat Controllers, Combat Rescue Officers, Pararescuemen, Combat Weather Officers, Special Operations Weather Technicians, Air Liaison Officers, Tactical Air Control Party operators and a number of combat support specialties. … The 24 SOW was globally engaged in 2012 conducting operations in 75 locations around the world supporting 11 joint task forces. Over 1,100 24 SOW personnel were deployed in support of combat operations and, on average, 24 SOW operators and support personnel conducted 35 combat missions daily.

Providing an example of the actions of Special Tactics airmen, the AFSOC History Office provided record of an AFSOC ceremony held on April 12, 2012, to award Capt. Barry Crawford Jr., a joint terminal attack controller (JTAC), the Air Force Cross for heroism. “Capt. Crawford controlled airspace above a 10 hour battle opposing over 100 insurgents,” according to the History Office. “He called in numerous air strikes, controlled several different aircraft types, helped move his comrades out of an ambush kill zone, and saved the lives of his task force team made up of Army Special Forces and Afghan Command Team.” Indeed, Crawford’s story is one among many in the 24th SOW, the most decorated wing in the USAF, with 97 of those awards being Purple Hearts, 17 of which were posthumously awarded.

AFSOC’s Special Operations Groups (SOGs) permanently assigned overseas, the 352nd SOG at Mildenhall, England, and the 353rd SOG at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan, contributed to their part of the fight by augmenting the deployments to the Middle East with aircrew and support personnel throughout the year. They do this while maintaining continuous support to SOF missions in their own theaters.

The 352nd SOG completed the first-ever combined unit inspection (CUI), conducted by the AFSOC inspector general, and earned a rating of “Excellent.”

Of particular note, the European theater has lacked any organic vertical lift SOF assets for years. The 352nd anticipates the assignment of CV-22 Osprey aircraft to the group in 2013, which will be a tremendous positive change in organic capability available to both Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR) and Special Operations Command Africa. The 7th SOS modified its aircraft to perform air refueling and qualified its crews for that mission during 2012 and will be ready to welcome the scheduled arrival of the CV-22, coincident in timing with the SOF Industry Conference in May.