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U.S. SOCOM commander visits 352nd SOW Air Commandos

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Joseph Barron
  • 352nd Special Operations Wing

U.S Army Gen. Richard D. Clarke, United States Special Operations Command commander, visited Air Commandos of the 352nd Special Operations Wing at RAF Mildenhall, England, Sept. 12, 2019.

“Leadership visits, such as this one, are extremely valuable in helping our higher headquarters gain ground-level understanding of operations and needs of our units,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Robert Horton, Vice Commander for the 352nd Special Operations Wing. “During his time here, Gen. Clarke was able to meet with 352 SOW members and see how their daily roles contribute to the fight.”

As the 12th commander of USSOCOM, Clarke oversees approximately 70,000 Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and civilians from the Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps Special Operations Forces and the Theater Special Operation Commands.

This marked Clarke’s first visit to the European theatre as USSOCOM commander. During his time at RAF Mildenhall, he received an orientation 352 SOW’s mission, observed capability demonstrations of the MC-130J Commando II and CV-22 Osprey, learned about various innovative projects, and spoke with special tactics operators.

“One of our most important missions is to provide worldwide responsive combat airpower and support to the European theatre,” said Horton. “Our Air commandos stay ready to support the full spectrum of SOF missions, any time any place.”