Tactical Air Command
One
of the lessons of World War II was that the airplane was invaluable in
the support of ground forces, both in the close air support and
transport role. When the Army Air Force reorganized in 1946,
Tactical Air Command was established as one of it's three major
commands. Within TAC, Troop Carrier Command was organized to
control its troop carrier units. When the war ended, the C-47 was the
primary troop carrier aircraft, but surplus C-54s that had been
originally purchased for the Air Transport Command had become available
for troop carrier use. New designs, particularly the Chase/Fairchild
C-82 and Douglas C-74 were entering the inventory. When Soviet
forces blockaded Berlin, TAC C-54s were sent to Germany to replace the
C-47s that began the airlift to sustain the blockaded city. At least
one C-82 participated in the airlift for several weeks.
In June 1950 North Korean troops
invaded South Korea and within a few weeks, TAC's 314th Troop Carrier
Group was on the way to Japan to introduce the C-119 to the conflict.
The 314th was ordered to Japan primarily to support the 187th
Regimental Combat Team, an Army airborne unit that was on the way to
Japan by ship, but when the crews arrived, they found themselves
heavily involved in logistical support operations between Japan and
Korea as well as airdropping cargo and the occasional airborne
operation. In 1951 TAC began receiving the new Douglas C-124
Globemaster, and once the crews were checked out, they went to work
supporting the Military Air Transport Service in logistical operations
from the CONUS to Japan. TAC troop carrier squadrons also continued
operating the venerable C-47 and trained crews for duty in Korea even
though the mainstay of troop carrier operations had become the
Fairchild C-119. In 1953 TAC's troop carrier mission was
reorganized as the Eighteenth Air Force was established at Donaldson
AFB, SC as the troop carrier air force. Aerial port squadrons
were established at TAC troop carrier bases to be ready to deploy at a
moment's notice. TAC also recieved the former "pathfinder" mission from
the Army and combat control sections were established within the new
aerial ports.
The advent of the Jet Age saw TAC with
a new mission, as it became the focal point for a new military
philosophy based on the rapid deployment of heavily armed TAC
fighter/bomber units and Army airborne and light infantry units to
overseas "troublespots" before conflicts could escalate into full-scale
war. To assist TAC's troop carrier wings, the command was
authorized to draw transports from MATS, particularly for transport of
items of cargo too large for airlift in C-119s. The outset of the
Korean War led to the development of a brand new jet-prop powered
transport for TAC, with deliveries of the new C-130 beginning at the
end of 1956. TAC also took deliveries of the Fairchild C-123
Provider, a twin-engine transport designed for assault operations into
landing zones that had been only rudimentarily prepared. With the
advent of the C-130, TAC established the Composite Air Strike Force,
commonly known as a CASF, which was centered around troop carrier
C-130s supplemented by MATS aircraft to deliver support personnel and
cargo for TAC fighter/bombers to overseas destinations at a moment's
notice. A reorganization of troop carrier forces included the
transfer of TAC's heavy-lift C-124 wings to MATS, where they retained
their troop carrier identity and were remained dedicated to support TAC
on troop deployments.
Beginning with the deployment of a
CASF to Turkey in 1958 in response to a military coup in Iraq, TAC
C-130s were involved in a series of deployments to both sides of the
globe in the late 50s and early to mid 60s. Immediately after the
Lebanon Crisis, TAC deployed a CASF to the Far East in response to
troubles in the Formosa Straits. A TAC C-130 squadron was in place at
Ashiya, Japan where the 315th Air Division's 483rd Troop Carrier Wing
was beginning the transition to the C-130. Overseas rotations became a
regular part of troop carrier life as TAC maintained TDY units in
Europe supporting 322nd Division and in the Far East supporting 315th
Air Division, both of which had their own C-130 squadrons.
The Laotian civil war led to a
deployment of TAC C-130s to Okinawa, where they remained as a TAC
rotation until a squadron from Sewart went PCS to increase the
size of 315th Air Division's own C-130 force two years later. In
November 1961 TAC was alerted to move a squadron of C-123s to Clark
Field, Philippines for further deployment to South Vietnam. In early
December a squadron of C-123s left Pope AFB, NC for the move to Clark.
In early January the squadron began operating in South Vietnam. The
464th Troop Carrier Wing maintained two TDY squadrons of C-123s in
South Vietnam until mid-1963, when they were replaced by personnel on
permanent assignment. Pope's C-123s transferred to Hurlburt
Field, Florida and became part of the Air Commando mission, which had
been established in 1961 to provide advisors and counter-insurgency
forces to America's allies.
Original Air Force plans were for TAC
troop carrier to have two wings of C-130s, the 314th and 463rd, both of which began
converting to the new turboprop transport in early 1957, with the 463rd
receiving its first airplanes in mid-December of the preceeding year.
The two wings consolidated at Sewart AFB, Tennessee when the 463rd's
base at Ardmore, Oklahoma was placed on the closing list. Two other
wings were to be based overseas, one on either side of the globe. When
the Air Force contracted for a new version of the C-130, the B-model, a
third C-130 wing was activated at Dyess AFB, Texas. The requirement to
support construction of the Defense Early Warning System in Greenland
and Northern Canada and Alaska led to the development of a ski-equipped
version of the Hercules, which were assigned to the 314th TCW at
Sewart. In the early 1960s as low intensity conflicts began breaking
out throughout the Third World, the Air Force was authorized to equip
three more wings with a new version of the C-130 which had been
developed as an interim for MATS until a new jet transport could be
developed. By 1964 the 464th at Pope was transitioning into
C-130Es while a former SAC B-47 wing at Forbes AFB, Kansas was
equipping with B-models that were being replaced with brand-new C-130Es
at Sewart. The wing at Dyess had undergone a redesignation (the
Air Force personnel people refer to such events as "replacement") and
had given up it's C-130As and equipped with E-models.
The year 1964 was a big one for TAC
troop carriers. Early in the year the 317th TCW transferred from France
to Lockbourne and TAC became responsible for providing C-130s for
airlift operations in Europe. An earthquake in Alaska saw TAC C-130s
and helicopters deployed to Elmendorf for relief operations. A
rebellion in the Congo led to the deployment of a detachment of C-130s
from the 464th at Pope to Leopoldville. The Gulf of Tonkin Crisis in
August led to the deployment of One Buck, which included three TAC
C-130 squadrons. One squadron returned home after deploying TAC
fighters but the other two set up rotational squadrons in the
Philippines and at Naha, Okinawa that would remain until late 1965 when
they were replaced by PCS squadrons. November 1964 saw one of the most
dramatic moments in troop carrier history when C-130s from the 464th
TCW rotational squadron at Evereux, France dropped and airlanded
Belgian paratroopers at Stanleyville and Paulis in the former Belgian
Congo to rescue hostages held by Simba rebels. The 464th was awarded
the prestigious MacKay Trophy for the most meritorious flight of the
year.
While 1964 was big, in some ways 1965
was even bigger. In April President Johnson commenced the ROLLING
THUNDER bombing of North Vietnam and two more TAC squadrons deployed to
the Pacific, bringing the total to four. A fifth squadron deployed to
the tiny island of Mactan later in the year. TAC had troop
carrier squadrons deployed on both sides of the world while another was
operating in the Canal Zone. In late April TAC troop carrier crews
found themselves engaged in a combat operation in the Caribbean when a
large force of over 140 C-130s took off from Pope to drop paratroopers
from the 82nd Airborne Division onto San Isidro airfield in the
Dominican Republic. The mission changed while the assault force was in
the air and the paratroopers were landed, rather than being delivered
by parachute. For the next year TAC C-130s supported by MATS aircraft
operated between Pope and San Isidro. In 1965 TAC troop carrier picked
up a new mission when specially modified C-130Es equipped with the
Fulton Recovery System were assigned to the 779th TCS at Pope.
The new mission involved supporting US Army special forces teams
operating deep inside hostile territory.
In June 1965 the Air Force decided to
officially base C-130s in South Vietnam, where they had been operating
for several years, and TAC C-130s TDY to 315th Air Division began
supporting a rotation at Tan Son Nhut. President Lyndon Johnson
introduced US ground combat troops into the war for the first time and
the need for C-130s in South Vietnam where five squadrons of C-123s
were operating became apparent. TAC C-130s also were operating a
mission in Thailand, supporting the up-country bases where TAC and
PACAF fighters were operating from on missions against North Vietnam.
Later that year Headquarters USAF decided to transfer several TAC units
to the Pacific, and all of TAC's troop carrier wings were affected.
Pope, Dyess, Lockbourne, Sewart and Forbes each lost one squadron while
the entire 463rd wing at Langley transferred to the Philippines and the
314th wing headquarters left Sewart and ened up at Ching Chang Kuan Air
Base on Taiwan. All in all, TAC lost eight squadrons of C-130s and a
ninth would transfer to Taiwan three years later.
After
the 463rd left Langley, TAC was
authorized to activate a new C-130 wing at Langley. A new wing was also
activated at Sewart to replace the 314th. Readiness Training
Units were set up at Sewart, Pope and Lockbourne to train crewmembers
for the new squadrons at Langely and to replace those who rotated back
to the US from bases overseas. TAC continued maintaining rotational
squadrons in Europe, first in France then at Mildenhahl, England after
the French threw all US military personnel out of France. The new
Military Airlift Command which replaced MATS was heavily tasked
supporting the war in Vietnam and TAC C-130s began flying "Rare Date"
cargo missions to Europe. TAC's troop carrier role in Southeast Asia
had
come to a temporary end, but in early 1968 TAC C-130s, now referred to
as "tactical airlifters", returned to the Pacific to augment 315th Air
Division's C-130 force, which now consisted of twelve squadrons. TAC
rotational squadrons from four wings supplemented the PACAF squadrons.
TAC
tactical airlift squadrons remained on rotation in the Pacific through
1968, then were withdrawn when the ninth TAC squadron went PCS to CCK
from Dyess. TAC's tactical airlift force was increased when all of the
C-130Es operated by MAC transferred to TAC, with squadrons going to
Dyess and Langley.
TAC C-130s returned to the war in
Southeast Asia in 1972 when North Vietnam invaded South Vietnam in
force in the spring. The PACAF C-130 force had been substantially
reduced as US ground troops and air units were withdrawn from the war,
and was down to only five squadrons, one of which was in the process of
deactivation. TAC squadrons from Pope and Little Rock were sent to
Taiwan and Thailand to augment the PACAF C-130 force. The TAC airplanes
were equipped with the new all-weather air drop system referred to as
AWADS and were put to work dropping cargo and supplies to friendly
forces in South Vietnam and Laos.
The war in South Vietnam ended in
April 1975. One of the "lessons" learned from the war was that there
was a large duplication of aerial port facilities between MAC, TAC and
PACAF and a study group recommended the consolidation of all airlift
forces as a money-saving measure. In 1975 all of TAC's C-130 units
transferred to MAC. The TAC troop carrier legacy that dated back
to World War II had come to an end.
All airlift remained under MAC until
after the Gulf War in 1990, where problems resulted due to the lack of
control over airlift by the theater commanders. When the Air
Force was reorganized (again) in 1991, most of MAC's C-130s left the
command and went to the Air Combat Command, which had replaced TAC.
Once again, transport crews wore the flaming sword of TAC on their
flight suits. The arrangment lasted for just under a decade. At the end
of the 1990s, most of the Air Combat Command tactical airlift squadrons
returned to MAC, which had been redesignated as the Air Mobility
Command.