| 352d Special Operations Group | |
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Emblem of the 352d Special Operations Group |
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| Active | 1944–1945; 1959–1961; 1970–1992; 1992–present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Role | Air Commando |
| Part of | USAF Special Operations Command |
| Garrison/HQ | RAF Mildenhall |
The 352d Special Operations Group (352 SOG) is an operational unit of the United States Air Force Special Operations Command. It is stationed at RAF Mildenhall, England. Its heritage dates back to 1944 as an air command unit.
The group serves as the focal point for all U.S. Air Force special operations activities throughout the European theater, including Africa and the Middle East. The 352d SOG is prepared to conduct a variety of high priority, low-visibility missions supporting U.S. and allied special operations forces throughout the European theater during peacetime, joint operations exercises, and combat operations. It trains and performs special operations in the European Command area of operations, including establishing air assault landing zones, controlling close air support by strike aircraft and gunships, and providing trauma care for wounded and injured personnel.
The group's origins date to 1944 as the 2nd Air Commando Group. The unit was assigned to Tenth Air Force in India, whose elements operated in Burma flying a mixture of fighters, bombers, transports, military gliders and small planes performing operations behind the Japanese lines, and providing close air support for the British Fourteenth Army in the Burma Campaign.
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It is made up of the:
The group's lineage and honors have to be traced not just through its own history, but through the history of three earlier organizations, the 2nd Air Commando Group (1944–1945); the 702nd Strategic Missile Wing (ICBM-Snark) (1959–1961) and the 39th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery (later Special Operations) Wing (1969–1992).
The Air Commando Groups were born out of a simple need. That need was to support via light airplanes the evacuation and resupply requirements of British Long Range Penetration (LRP) groups, or Chindits, as they were affectionately called. Carrying the lethal firepower of both bombers and fighters combined with the logistical tentacles of a gamut of transports, gliders, and light aircraft, this organization would reach deep behind enemy lines to do battle.
Formed as the 2d Air Commando Group in Lakeland, Florida on 22 April 1944 and sent to India under Colonel Arthur DeBolt. The unit served in the China-Burma-India Theatre of operations with the fighter units flying missions over Bangkok, Thailand. Following the collapse of the Japanese in Burma, the 2nd Air Commando Group was sent to Okinawa to prepare for the invasion of Japan, but the war ended. The unit was sent to the United States and disbanded on 12 November 1945.[1]
The group trained for operations with North American O-47s, P-51 Mustangs, C-47 Skytrains and L-5 Sentinel aircraft as part of Third Air Force and trained at the Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics in Florida. Moved to India, October–December 1944: the troop carrier squadron flew their C-47s to India, arriving by late Oct; a group advanced echelon arrived mid-Nov; and the majority of the group arrived mid-Dec.
Moved to India, September–November 1944 assigned to Tenth Air Force. Between November 1944 and May 1945 the group dropped supplies to Allied troops who were fighting the Japanese in the Chindwin Valley in Burma; moved Chinese troops from Burma to China; transported men, food, ammunition, and construction equipment to Burma; dropped Gurka paratroops during the assault on Rangoon; provided fighter support for Allied forces crossing the Irrawaddy River in February 1945; struck enemy airfields and transportation facilities; escorted bombers to targets in the vicinity of Rangoon; bombed targets in Thailand; and flew reconnaissance missions.
After May 1945 the fighter squadrons were in training; in Jun the group's C-47's were sent to Ledo to move road-building equipment; during June— July most of its L-5's were turned over to Fourteenth Air Force. The group returned to the US during October–November 1945.
As the only SM-62 Snark missile wing in the USAF, the 702nd Strategic Missile Wing performed intercontinental missile test operations from Patrick AFB, Florida, April–June 1959, and from the Atlantic Missile Range at Cape Canaveral AFS, Florida, c. December 1959 – June 1961. Its operational component was the 556th Missile Squadron. On 27 May 1959, the wing received its first operational missile at Presque Isle AFB, Maine. Ten months later, on 18 March 1960, the Snark missile officially went on alert status. Thirty are known to have been deployed.
The 702nd was not declared fully operational until February 1961. In March 1961, President John F. Kennedy declared the Snark "obsolete and of marginal military value" and on 25 June 1961 the 702nd was deactivated.
The 39th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing flew numerous rescue sorties and from January 1970 until mid-1971, and supported Strategic Air Command missile silos. After moving to Eglin AFB, Florida in June 1971, wing assumed responsibility for numerous rescue detachments in the Western Hemisphere and Europe.
Later, the 39 Special Operations Wing (SOW) trained and participated in special operations exercises, as well as flew rescue sorties. Wing headquarters and one squadron moved to Germany in May 1989 and became the air component of Special Operations Command Europe.
In response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait on 2 August 1990, the majority of the 39 SOW personnel deployed to Turkey (12–17 January 1991), and operated as part of the Joint Special Operations Task Force (JSOTF) ELUSIVE CONCEPT.
The wing moved to England effective 1 January 1992 and served as the air component for Special Operations Command Europe. Trained for and performed special operations airland and airdrop missions in the European Command area of operations, including establishing air assault landing zones, controlling close air support by strike aircraft and gunships, and providing trauma care for wounded and injured personnel. Deployed elements participated in PROVIDE COMFORT II. During the 1990s, the group supported numerous humanitarian and combat operations in Europe, Africa, and Southwest Asia, including Operations PROVIDE PROMISE, DENY FLIGHT, and Operation Allied Force in Yugoslavia, and PROVIDE COMFORT and NORTHERN WATCH over northern Iraq.
The unit rushed troops to Dubrovnik, Croatia, when an Air Force CT-43 carrying Commerce Secretary Ron Brown crashed into a mountain. Arriving in a nasty rainstorm, 21st SOS Pave Lows inserted the first search-and-rescue teams, followed by a 67th SOS MC-130P. Mildenhall crews remained on scene until the last body was removed.
In 2002 the Group took part in Operation Autumn Return, the non-combatant evacuation of American citizens from Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire.[2]
Today the 352d SOG develops and implements peacetime and wartime contingency plans to effectively use fixed wing, helicopter, and personnel assets to conduct infiltration, exfiltration, and resupply of U.S. and allied special operations forces.
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This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
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