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Air Commandos history revived in 1960s

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Jeff Michalke
  • 16th SOW history office
(This is part three in a series of Air Commando history articles leading up to the reactivation of the 1st Special Operations Wing here Nov. 16)

The 1st Air Commando Group inactivated after World War II on Nov. 3, 1945. It appeared that the group was doomed to remain a non-entity, especially after the Air Force disbanded the organization on Oct. 8, 1948. However, events in Asia during the 1960s revived the need for the type of air warfare developed by the 1st ACG during World War II.

Revival of special operations

Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev announced in 1961 that catastrophic results of a general war did not suit communist ends, and that limited wars could escalate to general wars and thus should be avoided. However, to help achieve their objectives of conquering the world, communists found a safe level of combat and a much cheaper one. Khrushchev proclaimed that the communists would wholeheartedly and without reservation support wars of liberation. This type of communist warfare involved subversive political activity designed to undermine the confidence of citizens in civil authority and to overthrow duly constituted governments, thus opening a door to communism. This was known as insurgency.

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy recognized the threat posed by communist subversive tactics, and directed the armed forces to add still another military dimension to the capabilities of meeting general or limited wars. This military dimension meant the development of a full spectrum of military, quasi-military and civil actions. President Kennedy issued a call to train airborne warfare specialists in response to Kruschev's declaration directing the spread of communism throughout the Third World.

The counterinsurgency concept entailed a joint action of military services with United States civilian agencies in assisting friendly governments to prevent the emergence of insurgency through civic action programs. The concept would also maintain or restore internal security under circumstances in which armed insurgency was threatening the existence of friendly governments.

The project to answer the call for counter-insurgency, code-named "Jungle Jim," began the revival of the Air Commando legacy here. Tactical Air Command activated the 4400th Combat Crew Training Squadron on April 14, 1961. Less than a year later, it expanded to become the 4400th Com-bat Crew Training Group, which provided the Air Force with a counter-insurgency and military assistance capability. The 4400th CCTG consisted of the 6th Fighter Squadron, Commando, the 319th Troop Carrier Squadron, the 1st Air Materiel Squadron, and the 4410th Combat Crew Training Squadron. As its responsibilities and size grew, the group assumed the Air Commando name and became the 1st Air Commando Wing on June 1, 1963.

Members of the new organization were required to undergo specialized technical training in flying, survival and hand-to-hand combat. Wing personnel also studied foreign languages and trained with small arms. Flight training included day and night assault landings, personnel, leaflet, and cargo drops, loudspeaker announcements, and various other techniques which may would be helpful to foreign aircrews engaged in civic action or combating insurgency in remote areas. The 1st ACW flew thousands of hours in C-46 Commandos, C-47 Gooney Birds, B-26 Invaders, T-28 Trojans and U-10s. As time passed, C-123 Providers and A-1E Skyraiders were added to the mix.

Worldwide deployment quickly became a way of life for the air commandos. Only four months after activation, the first deployment occurred. Detachment number 1, code-named "Sandy Beach 1", deployed to Mali, West Africa, in August 1961 to train paratroopers. Before Det. number 1 returned home, Det. number 2, code-named "Farmgate," departed Hurlburt in early November for South Vietnam to perform a six-month assignment, which was later extended. They trained South Vietnamese air force personnel and flew some of the earliest U.S. combat missions of the war. The Farmgate contingent represented a significant portion of the 4400th CCTS's authorized manning of 124 officers and 228 enlisted. This initiated the high operations tempo and hazardous duty, which came to be the hallmarks of air commando activity.

Detachment number 3 personnel and aircraft, also known as Bold Venture, deployed to Panama to initiate air commando involvement in Latin America. This country became a major area of interest to which mobile training and civic action teams deployed regularly. Panama benefited from the development of airfields, schools, water and sanitation projects, and medical care in the interior. Other countries in which air commandos operated in 1962 included Venezuela, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Paraguay, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Greece, Crete, Iran, Turkey and Germany.