Air Force Combat Controllers

AIR FORCE COMBAT CONTROLLERS edit

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PURPOSE: This Wiki is dedicated to the collection and preservation of CCT heritage, history and exploits. The living document will aid future generations in researching a small, but vital segment, of United States Air Force (USAF) history. (ak)

CCT COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION: Active duty, retired, former combat controllers and their friends are strongly encouraged to submit new information, correct old information and add photographs to this Wiki. Each individual is encouraged to mark his input with his operating initials, eg:(ak). Broad categories are listed in later sections, they will help you in sorting and uploading your input. (ak)

ANCIENT HISTORY: Army pathfinders originated in 1943 out of need for accurate airdrops during airborne campaigns of World War II. These pathfinders preceded main assault forces into objective areas to provide weather information and visual guidance to inbound aircraft through the use of high-powered lights, flares and smoke pots. (ak)

When the Air Force became a separate service, Air Force pathfinders, later called combat control teams, were activated in 1953 to provide navigational aids and air traffic control for a growing Air Force tactical airlift fleet. In the Vietnam War, combat controllers helped assure mission safety and expedited air traffic flow during countless airlifts. Of particular interest was CCT participation in the battle of Khe Sahn. Their actions proved to be a major contribution to the successful outcome of the 77-day seige.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Khe_Sanh

Combat controllers also flew as forward air guides in support of indigenous forces in Laos and Cambodia. (ak) See http://www.fac-assoc.org/Ravens/TheRavens.htm (ak)

Combat controllers continue to be the "First There" when they are called upon to participate in international emergencies and humanitarian relief efforts. (ak)

CCT - THE BEGINNING: The first USAF PATHFINDER TEAM was activated at Donaldson AFB, SC on January 15, 1953. They've had a long and proud tradition - having served with distinction in every major conflict since their formation. (ak)

See http://www.usafcct.com/imagery/teams/pages/tm0001.htm Gene Adcock 14:15, 12 September 2007 (UTC)Reply

—Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.55.203.67 ([[User talk:71.55.203.67|talk]]) 12:45, 3 September 2007 (UTC)Reply

CCT - INTRODUCTION: The Combat Controllers (Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) 1C2X1) are ground operators certified to act as air traffic controllers in hostile and dangerous environments. They can take over or construct an airstrip, set up navigational equipment, and direct airplanes and helicopters to a safe landing without the use of a tower or elaborate communications system. They also control air attacks of fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft from all military services.(ak)

See http://www.answers.com/topic/air-force-combat-control (ak)

CCT - TRAINING: Their training includes Air Traffic Control School at Keesler AFB, Combat Controller School at Pope AFB, U.S. Army Basic Airborne Course at Fort Benning, Georgia, AFSOC Advanced Skills Training at Hurlburt Field, Florida, U.S. Air Force Combat Dive Course in Panama City, Florida, U.S. Army Military Freefall School, and U.S. Navy Underwater Egress Training at NAS Pensacola. Their training pipeline lasts approximately two years and is sometimes referred to as "Superman School". On average, eight out of every ten trainees fail to graduate. (ak)

AIR FORCE SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND (AFSOC): Combat controllers are a part of the 720th Special Tactics Group, Hurlburt AFB, FL and are assigned to 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 320th, 321st, 123rd Special Tactics Squadron and 125th Special Tactics Squadron. They can be distinguished by their scarlet beret. www2.afsoc.af.mil/ (ak)

MOTTO: "First There, Last Out". (ak)

THE GROUP: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Force_Special_Tactics

THE SQUADRONS:

CCT - TRAINING: Their training includes Air Traffic Control School at Keesler AFB, Combat Controller School at Pope AFB, U.S. Army Basic Airborne Course at Fort Benning, Georgia, AFSOC Advanced Skills Training at Hurlburt Field, Florida, U.S. Air Force Combat Dive Course in Panama City, Florida, U.S. Army Military Freefall School, and U.S. Navy Underwater Egress Training at NAS Pensacola. Their training pipeline lasts approximately two years and is sometimes referred to as "Superman School". On average, eight out of every ten trainees fail to graduate. (ak)

Combat controllers are among the most highly trained personnel in the U. S. Air Force. They complete the same technical training as all air traffic controllers, and maintain air traffic control qualification skills throughout their careers. (ak)

Many qualify and maintain currency in joint terminal attack control procedures, in addition to other special operations skills. Their 35-week training and unique mission skills earn them the right to wear the scarlet beret. (ak)

Combat Control Orientation Course, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas This two-week orientation course focuses on sports physiology, nutrition, basic exercises, combat control history and fundamentals. (ak)

Combat Control Operator Course, Keesler AFB, Miss. This 15 and a half-week course teaches aircraft recognition and performance, air navigation aids, weather, airport traffic control, flight assistance service, communication procedures, conventional approach control, radar procedures and air traffic rules. This is the same course that all Air Force air traffic controllers attend and is the core skill of a combat controller's job. (ak)

U.S. Army Airborne School, Fort Benning, Ga. -- Trainees learn the basic parachuting skills required to infiltrate an objective area by static line airdrop in a three-week course. See http://www.army.com/articles/june_jump_school.html

U.S. Air Force Basic Survival School, Fairchild AFB, Wash. -- This two and a half-week course teaches basic survival techniques for remote areas. Instruction includes principles, procedures, equipment and techniques, which enable individuals to survive, regardless of climatic conditions or unfriendly environments and return home. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SERE

Combat Control School, Pope AFB, N.C. -- This 13-week course provides final combat controller qualifications. Training includes physical training, small unit tactics, land navigation, communications, assault zones, demolitions, fire support and field operations including parachuting. At the completion of this course, each graduate is awarded the 3-skill level (journeymen), scarlet beret and CCT flash.

Special Tactics Advanced Skills Training, Hurlburt Field, Fla. -- Advanced Skills Training is a 12-to-15-month program for newly assigned combat controller operators. AST produces mission-ready operators for the Air Force and U.S. Special Operations Command. The AST schedule is broken down into four phases: water, ground, employment and full mission profile. The course tests the trainee’s personal limits through demanding mental and physical training. Combat controllers also attend the following schools during AST:

1. U.S. Army Military Free Fall Parachutist School, Fort Bragg, N.C., and Yuma Proving Grounds, Ariz. -- This course instructs free fall parachuting procedures. The five-week course provides wind tunnel training, in-air instruction focusing on student stability, aerial maneuvers, air sense, parachute opening procedures and parachute canopy control. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HALO

2. U.S. Army Combat Divers School, Panama City, Fla. -- Trainees become combat divers, learning to use scuba and closed circuit diving equipment to covertly infiltrate denied areas. The four-week course provides training to depths of 130 feet, stressing development of maximum underwater mobility under various operating conditions. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diving_Badge

3. U.S. Navy Underwater Egress Training, Pensacola Naval Air Station, Fla. -- This one-day course teaches how to safely escape from an aircraft that has ditched in the water. Instruction includes principles, procedures and techniques necessary to get out of a sinking aircraft.

COMBAT CONTROL ASSOCIATION: http://www.usafcct.com/vectors.htm

COMBAT CONTROL SCHOOL ASSOCIATION: http://www.combatcontrolschoolassociation.org/

SGT MAC'S BAR: http://www.sgtmacsbar.com

USAF MUSEUM, WRIGHT PATTERSON AFB, OH: http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum

== THIS SECTION WILL LEAN HEAVILY ON INPUTS FROM INDIVIDUAL COMBAT CONTROLLERS, PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE. ==

GREAT WAR STORIES AND PHOTOS FROM THE 1950'S:

GREAT WAR STORIES AND PHOTOS FROM THE 1960'S:

1. VIENTIEN, LAOS EARLY 1960's -- BUTTERFLY FORWARD AIR CONTROL (FAC) OPERATIONS --

See http://www.fac-assoc.org/Ravens/TheRavens.htm (ak)

2. DEPLOYMENT OF FIRST CONVENTIONAL CCT TO VIETNAM,JULY 1965

In June of 1965 the commander of the 7th Aerial Port Squadron (Tachikawa AB, Japan) received orders to deploy a Combat Control Team to Vietnam for a period of 90 day to provide air traffic control on that countries many landing zones and small airfields that did not have permanent control towers. Combat Control Teams were assigned at two of the locations of the 7th APS – at the Headquarters at Tachikawa AB (7 men) in Japan and at Detachment 1 Naha AB (12 men) in Okinawa.

First Combat Control Team Combat Deployment, 7 th Aerial Port Combat Control Team The 7th Aerial Port Combat Control Team, (CCT), deployed in July of 1965, was the first CCT to be used in a combat theater role since the development and initial operational use of the teams in the mid nineteen fifties, i.e. a structured team providing terminal air traffic control at forward assault strips, concurrently maintaining long range communications between the Air Lift Control Element, (ALCE), and the Air Lift Control Center, (ALCC). The initial team consisted of lLt Robert A. Farmer, TSgt Stanley P. Williams, TSgt Albert Eugene Adcock, joined by SSgt Louis Benavides of the Squadron detachment team based in Okinawa. While of course a significant event to us, and implying a historical moment, it went quietly unnoticed in the wider Air Force community. They were initially deployed to Tan Son Nhut Air Base, arriving at night, and the next morning, July 2, were sent up country to cover a major push from Cheo Reo. Due to the intensity of operations, it was to be two days before they were able to catch their breath and properly prepare for a mission. On arrival at Cheo Reo they arranged quarters at the nearby Special Forces B team camp and worked the rest of the day controlling air traffic at the co-located assault strip. After darkness they retired to the B team camp for the night. A grenade attack on the Special Forces shack where welcomed them to the sharper end of the war, and the rest of the night was spent sharing defensive positions with our Special Forces hosts. The team was attached for logistics and administrative support to the Eighth Aerial Port Squadron. The senior personnel at the Eighth Aerial Port Squadron had for the most part never seen a CCT, and they were treated with a bemused but accommodating and friendly attitude. To their credit, the personnel of the Eighth provided a warm in country home, and when they returned to Tan Son Nhut Air Base between missions, they were able to establish enough useful logistics and operations contacts, to enable us to support our constantly deploying team. The next thirty days were kept very busy providing air traffic control at forward operating bases, (detailed in the unofficial log now in the CCT museum, kept by then TSgt, now CMSgt, (ret), Gene Adcock,). The team was on a very steep learning curve to say the least, and this gave rise to unforeseen difficulties. The team encountered many problems and frustrations arising from the fact that this was the first time for CCT combat use. Chief among these was the U. S. Army aviation’s almost total disregard for any communication or control, (outside of unit communications), at an airhead, even if it provided an increased measure of safety. Helicopters came, and helicopters went, completely incommunicado, generally treating us as if CCT were only put on the airhead to further complicate their war. Contacting aviation command sections did little to initially improve the situation. In their defense, they had never encountered CCTs before, and were highly unlikely to have even heard of them. Consequently, the number of hair-raising events between U.S. Air Force C-123s, HU-1B’s (Huey’s), and the occasional Caribou kept us in a constant sweat, and their guard could never let down. Traffic advisories to in-coming and departing airlift aircraft were our only remedy. However, with steady pressure, and frequent gentle reminders, they eventually, albeit slowly, gained a degree of cooperation. As the tempo of the war, and the air traffic increased, this was very welcome. 1 The team was made up of four people: 1st Lt. Robert (Bob) Farmer - HQ, 7th APS TSgt Stanly P. Williams - HQ, 7th APS - Second from left TSgt Gene Adock - HQ, 7th APS - Third from left SSgt Louis Benivides – Det 1, 7th APS - Left below Picture taken by Lt. Farmer -July of 1965 – The other major problem was equipment. The perpetual peacetime environment had provided us with little in the way of tactical equipment that was not designed in World War Two. A commercial six-passenger pick-up truck with AM/MRC-20, VHF-AM and VHF-FM radios to suited our peacetime training role. A locally manufactured cover sheltered the “MRC-20” bed, and aircraft antennae were permanently installed on the roof. While adequate for static drop zone training use, and the many road miles we traveled between them in Japan, it was hardly a tactical vehicle. Large and shiny blue with bits of chrome, it was a sitting duck, and a visual beacon, perched as it usually was on an elevated and cleared vantage point to allow us as complete a view as possible of the runway and surrounding air traffic area. Our Army colleagues viewed this with a combination of sarcastic amusement and alarm. At the first opportunity it was spray-painted in an olive drab camouflage pattern. This silenced most of the derision. Another major equipment problem was the portable battery powered runway lights, (MX-290- LANTERNS). Surprisingly, (as these were one of the few items not of ancient vintage), they proved barely suitable as illumination for the night assault strips. The amount of light they shed was ineffective, and the length of their useful battery service life was not totally adequate. Another problem with these lights was 2 their susceptibility to theft. On numerous occasions newly arriving troops picked up lights while en-route to their bivouac area. It didn’t take many loads of troops to put us out of the night landing business. Occasionally this could nearly cause a serious accident. One night in particular comes to mind. After a C- 123 had attempted several unsuccessful approaches the radio vehicle was positioned at the runway threshold to provide a more useful amount of light. When the aircraft then successfully landed, the port propeller barely missed our vehicle, reinforcing to those in the vehicle, that this was not a satisfactory solution. While CCTs continued to use the battery-powered lights, it was found that using small canisters filled with diesel, or kerosene filled construction lanterns solved both problems. The small canisters had a very short service life, but the black construction lanterns would burn for several hours. Additionally, they were hot, with a dirty black oily film on the entire lantern, making them unattractive to thieves. Equally important, the flickering flame lent a sense of depth appreciated by the aircrew, and not provided by the battery-powered lights. Walking down the runway at night to fuel or re-light them, thereby silhouetting oneself was one of the more unpleasant duties, but after our experience of near disastrous C-123 night landings, the risk was worth it, and the team continued to use a mix of the two lights whenever possible. As so often in military affairs, improvisation was the order of the day. A way of dealing with stacked aircraft waiting landing clearance was to grease pencil them on the windshield- crude but effective. A real need was also seen for issuing altimeter settings to arriving aircraft, particularly at night. Although the CCT was not equipped with barometric instruments to provide this service, within a few days, the team located a C-123 that was permanently down. After removing the serviceable altimeter from the instrument panel, Sgt. Adcock shock mounted the altimeter on the dash of the radio vehicle. Upon arrival at a new landing zone, the published field elevation was dialed in and the team was able to read out the LZ altimeter setting. The reading was constantly monitored to keep up with changes in pressure. Many quick fixes followed these two patterns. After the initial July thirty day deployment, 1Lt Farmer and TSgt Adcock were tasked by Brigadier General Ellis, commander, 315th Air Division with installing ground to air radios at four ALCE’s in South East Asia. The purpose was to provide a coordination link between arriving aircraft and the ALCE’S to facilitate the on/off-load of combat support cargo. The ALCE’s chosen were Tan Son Nhut, Ben Hoa, and Danang, Viet Nam, and Bangkok International Airport, Thailand. While it was a challenge to procure and install non-existent assets at the four locations, ten days of begging and borrowing radios and power supplies, and scrounging, managed to complete the three Viet Nam stations. The most difficult was the Bangkok ALCE, where a AN/PRC-41 man-pack UHF CCT radio was installed as a last resort. Unable to find a suitable AC power converter, TSgt Adcock scrounged four heavy-duty vehicle 12volt batteries, and trained the ALCE crew to change over and charge the batteries to maintain continued daily usage. Concurrent with the initial deployment, both the Tachikawa and Naha Teams received brand new AN/MRC 94 Radio vehicles. Mounted in International Harvester six-passenger pick-up trucks, the new vehicles were only a small step forward and offered only one improvement over the old “MRC-20’s” - the TRC-75 HF radio with 1000watts output and tele-type capability. Before the end of the year, however, several AN/MRC-108 jeep mounted radio vehicles were received, diverted from the newly formed Tactical Air Control Party, (TACP) Squadron at Yokota AB, Okinawa. The new MRC-108’s offered significant improvements over previous radio vehicles; they were genuinely all terrain, smaller and easier to load on C-123 aircraft and were supplied with a quarter ton trailer containing a power generator. The MRC-108’s were fitted with all the radios needed to support the CCT airhead air traffic control mission. UHF, VHFAM, VHF-FM, and HF-SSB radios were mounted on a single waterproof pallet that filled the back seat area of the jeep. Although limited to only two passengers, the MRC-108 was a vast improvement over the commercial vehicles. After approximately thirty days, the initial team personnel were rotated with fresh combat controllers, coming again, from both the Headquarters, Tachikawa, Japan, team and the Squadron Detachment at Okinawa. Within the year, the Eighth Aerial Port Squadron had acquired its own permanent Combat Control Team. 3 It was an honor to have been able to serve on the initial team, but looking back through the fog of forty-two years provides a very misty picture indeed, and we are sure there are many antidotes left to tell. We must leave it to our comrades with longer and richer memories to fill in the rest of the story. Robert A. Farmer Lt Col, USAF (Ret) Albert Eugene Adcock CMSgt, USAF (Ret) First Combat Control Team Combat Deployment, Det 1, 7 th Aerial Port Combat Control Team On 27 July a replacement team made up of members from Det 1 of the 7th APS arrived in RVN. 1st Lt Donald R. Horton SSgt Melvin Drew SSgt Richard Callahan A1C Marvin Smith After a short overlap the first team returned to their home stations. Figure 1 Vung Tau - Helo airstrke in distance Our first mission (August 2) was a provide ATC for a resupply mission to Vung Tau – as it turn out the number of aircraft involved (two) and as Vung Tau Airfield was used on a daily basis for multiple sorties, CCT assistance was not required. 4 After this mission, in meetings with the Airlift commander and ALCC personnel guidelines were drawn up so the limited number of CCT would not be sent on missions were ATC would not be required. The guidelines were that: More than three aircraft would be involved Multiple sorties would be required Existing ATC facilities were not at the location During the month of July additional personnel from both the Naha and Tachikawa teams were sent in country as the 315 Air Commando Group (TC) found more and more jobs for CCT. They were SSgt Maurice Gentry SSgt Bobby E. Cottingham SSgt Willie M Tyndall TSgt William S. Johnson TSgt Thomas J Monley A1C Kay. B. Duncan A1C Tommy Botts After periods of from 30 to 45 days these personnel would rotate between their home stations and RVN until the first weeks of December 1965. MRC- 94 Communications Central The vehicles that we used were MRC 94 Communicators Centrals - Each of the 7th APS locations sent to Vietnam one of the two vehicles that they were authorized. The MRC 94 had the following package; HF, VHF, UHF, CW, and RTTY. We never used the RTTY expect for playing around. Even thought the rear radio console (rear seat area) had a stool for an operator, the vehicle could not be used as a portable tower as it had very limited visibility from inside. The nice thing about a MRC-94 was that you did not need to take a trailer on missions for extra supplies and the flat engine block was a nice place to heat C-rations. Figure 2 Tommy Botts, William Johnson, M. Drew 5 Figure 3 Maurice Gentry , Horton, Benivides, Johnson Team Briefings At first, there was not a formal CCT briefing from the ALCC. Initially the airborne mission commander (normally the AC of the aircraft that took us to our destination) would tell us what the mission was to be – number of aircraft involved and sorties required. The briefing situation improved as more personnel arrived. Coordination Problems Initially there were problems with the 315th Air Lift Control Center = While the commanders at the Division and flying squadron level agreed on the use of CCT – some of the ALCC (Call sign HILDA) did not get the word and we were dispatched on several missions where ATC facilities existed already and CCT was sent in to perform ground traffic functions – i.e.; park aircraft, count and keep records of passengers moved, and coordinate between ground personal and the aircrew. ALCC also was not monitoring the HF radio (two much static or carrier noise in the office). They were monitoring UHF for aircraft traffic but not HF for CCT coordination. Mission to Pleiku – The first large ATC mission for the second team was to provide ATC at the uncompleted new airport that was being built at Pleiku – it has been determined that the PSP runway that existed at Camp Holloway would not take the number of landings required to move the 173 Airborne Brigade to relieve a siege of the Special Forces CIDG camp at Du Co. We arrived on the July 9th and spent the night at the Army's Camp Holloway and went to the new airport at at sunrise on August 10th - 6 The runway had been completed but the taxiway and the parking ramp were incomplete. The plan, was to land 5 aircraft, park them on the end of the runway, off load them, and then take off in the opposite direction. This land -unload – takeoff procedure was utilized until mission completion – the PCS fire department, which was already in place, helped us put out flare pots and keep them lit at night. 7 Illustration 1: Callahan, Drew and Smith Illustration 2: C-130 take off at Pleiku Mission to Na Trang . Our next mission, we were told, it would be a ATC mission – and since none on my team had been to Na Trang we figured that the regular tower was out – or with the mission traffic they needed help – anyway it was not the tower that needed help – ALCC needed pax control. Figure 4 CCT Lean-To to keep cool 8 Illustration 3: Getting dark at Pleiku The CCT job a was to coordinate the loading of Vietnamese refugees – the refugees were brought to Na Trang in C-123s. It took three C-123 loads to fill up a C-130 so while waiting the refugees set in the shade under the wings of the aircraft. The team had to watch out for people building fires to cook or make tea. Figure 5 Refugees under wing FLARE MISSIONS After four additional personnel arrived from Tachikawa and Naha and there were two teams that we could deploy each day we had some days that we could take off. ALCC would alert us to missions as soon as they published the mission orders for the next day – this usually came around mid afternoon. With Col. Hannah's permission and no other missions assigned some of us would fly on the nightly flare missions – C-123's with the call signs Smokey Red, Blue and Green. Our job was to set the fuses for the correct altitude and hand them to the loadmaster who ejected them using a hand launcher that was wedged in the rear cargo ramp – between the aircraft floor and the overhead door. MISSIONS A Landing Zone control officer was required on each mission. The LZ officer had to be a CCT officer or pilot - as there was only one CCT officer deployed and could not be everywhere ALCC would normally assign pilots to help us cover the missions. My personal Air Force Form 11 for my two Temporary Duty (TDY) tours to Vietnam showed 59 combat missions, 82 flying hours and a total of 77 days in country. This would be somewhat typical for all of the personnel assigned , when I was there. My TDY days in Vietnam were 27 July to 12 September and 11 October to 11 November – plus a week in early December when I went back to recover equipment when teams from the 7th APS were replaced by the PCS team. 9 AN KHE 24-25 August 1965 On the 23rd of August the team was sent to An Khe to control the arrival of the 1st Calvary Division. We spent the night in the Special Forces C team camp. This was the only American presence in the area at that time. But that had changed by the next night We set up our MRC-94 mid-runway opposite the old French Villa. 10 Illustration 4: August 24 Anh Ke - C-130 and French Villa Illustration 5: Sgt Callahan, Lt Horton,Sgt Drew in truck 11 Illustration 6: Sgt Callahan (on top) and Airman Smith Illustration 7: Smith and Callahan from back The mission was completed on August 25 – on the afternoon of the 24th a C-130 (base out of Mactan AB, PI) on arrival asked if were CCT and on the “Affirmative” answer said they had a case of San Miguel beer on board for us – the next day the same announcement was made – The Special Forces thought we were gods after that ,with MANNA from heaven. Colonel George L Hannah wrote a letter of appreciation for the team that and sited its size and scope. 12 Other missions were to: (there were others that I have forgotten – as I lost my Airport guide that I was checking them off in. Dak To II, Cheo Reo, Ban Me Thuot, Phuoc Vinh, Song Be, Duc Ha Duc Co. Second Deployment I returned to Okinawa on 12 September for thirty days of rest and returned again to Vietnam on 11 October - I to not have pictures of the missions during this period as my brief case and camera did not make the trip from Okinawa. On arrival, Colonel Hannah (Commander, 315th ACG) informed me that I was to bring my team to the VNAF hanger near the 315 Group Headquarters the next day and to tell no one that we were going anywhere. The team arrive and found that we were going to be entertained by the traveling troop of HELLO DOLLY staring Mary Martin. Travel for this group was classified so a large gathering of personnel could not be targeted by the VC. After the show, I obtained the autograph of Martha Ray who was siting near me.

ALCC informed me on the 13th that a team was needed to go to Bong Son for a two days mission. The team operated out of Bong Son for the next 17 days, only staying there one night, as the aircraft that was coming in to pick us up received ground fire, or thought they received ground fire. 13 The story – After ordering us to leave each day (at dark) on the last aircraft, ALCC would inform us as after landing in TSN late at night that we were going back the next day. Needless to say we had standing reservations at the SF camp in just in case . The night we stayed, it was after dark and a C-123 called that they were there to pick us up. We did not put out light landing lights at the direction of the C-123 pilot. He asked that we fire a flare so he could locate the strip – Sgt Cottingham loaded the flare pistol and before he could fire the C-123 pilot said he saw the flare – when told that we had not fired – we heard the engines go to full throttle and he said – “Aw shucks” and see you tomorrow. Bong Son was a 1380 foot runway on the top of a hill (no overrun) with parking space for 3 C-123s. The mission was to haul in RVN Marines one day and as soon as we got them in (maybe three days) we would start hauling somebody else in (RVN Rangers or Airborne troops) and taking the Marines out then we would do the same with the Rangers and Airborne. I do not know what they were doing but the mission was to fly them in C-123s to Pleiku and then they were taken in C-130s back to TSN or visa versa . I remember two missions in the Delta after the missions to Bong Son – the first was moving RVN troops from one base to another prior to a B-52 strike the next day. The mission was task for one CCT to be at the on- load base only. A CCT was not needed at the off load base. We deployed with our usual 4 people – a MRC 94 with portable gear for backup. The mission was delayed and went in to night operations –We were told by HILDA to split the team which consisted of ME – Sgt Callahan, Airman Smith (controllers) and Sgt Drew (radio maintenance) - I took the portable gear and left the other three to complete the mission. The first C-123 aircraft that took off after mine – crashed on takeoff, (engine failure) but all 75 got out OK. The pilot landed kept the aircraft level and landed straight ahead. The pilot of this aircraft was the only 1st Lt. AC in the C-123 squadrons – hope he got a big medal. When I got to my destination it was black dark and the strip was lit with flare pots. The aircraft were flying with no lights, as they were taking ground fire from a village on the approach end of the strip. Consequently – “air traffic control” was rather difficult . I could only tell where an aircraft was by sound and the position reports that they gave me. The only time their exact location was known was when they flared for landing. As they flared they would turn on the landing lights and then turned them off for taxiing to the offload point. My fingers were crossed the whole mission. Another mission to the Delta, was to a very short red clay strip in the middle of a lot of rice paddys. We took portable gear only, as they did not want to tie up a sortie on pulling us out at the end of the mission, i.e.; just take us out on the last mission support flight. You could see a small village about ½ mile away at the end of the road that led to the LZ. There were no buildings on the LZ just a few mounds of dirt near the road junction with the strip. We arrived just after dawn – latter on we made a lean-to for shade out of a aircraft (463L) pallet that was along side the strip. After a few hours with no air traffic contact was attempted with HILDA on the HF but was not successful. Sometime during the day a man, wearing only shorts and carrying a Thompson Sub-machine gun, walked down the road from the village, stopped about 100 yards away – waved - and returned to the village. That was our only traffic. About dusk a C-123 came and picked us up -and told us “the mission was canceled for a higher priority.” I questioned HILDA about radio contact and the answer was that “nobody thought about it”. This, I took to mean, they had not turned on the HF radio again. I returned to Okinawa on November 11. 14 My final trip to Vietnam was in early December to retrieve equipment that the 7th APS team had taken down. A 24 man team with two officers was almost fully in place and the 7th APS team was being withdrawn. While on this trip, I went out with the PCS team to the Michelin Rubber Plantation, 45 miles northwest of Saigon. There had been a really big fight here in late November and this was clean up. 15 Illustration 8: Bumgarten and Bradley - they had been on my Sewart Team in 64 Illustration 9: Pumprey, Callahan, Setson and Bradley(back) The following picture is of what I believe to be the first camouflaged C-123 in Vietnam. It as taken at the Michelin Rubber Plantation. The 7th APS received the Unit Citation for this period of time. The citation portion pertaining to CCT is below. h. On 2 July 1965, a 7th Aerial Port Combat Control team was deployed to Vietnam for a period of 90 days to provide air traffic control on that country's many assault strips and landing zones. This was the first deployment anywhere of a CCT team into an actual combat zone. With immediate redeployment upon arrival in Viet Nam, the CCT provided air traffic control at Cheo Reo and then at Dak To II in rapid succession. For these and other missions, this first combat control team has been awarded the Bronze Star. Subsequent CCT personnel provided the initial air traffic control for the arrival of the 1st Cavalry Division at An Khe, 24 and 25 August 1965. Colonel G. L . Hannah Jr. Commander of the 315th Air Commando Group (TC) commented “a massive airlift of this sort, performed under abnormal conditions ... requires precise handling and superior skill. The team handled the operation ...so effectively that the mission was accomplished smoothly and expeditiously.” Through out the country 315th Air Division aircrew came to depend on the 7th Aerial Port CCT personnel for air traffic control on the forward air fields. The CCT concept of operation was proven by the 7th CCT so well that a full twenty-four man team was requested for the 8th Aerial Port Squadron, Tan Son Nhut AB, RVN, approved, and was ready for duty on 10 December 1965. I returned to Okinawa on 10 December 1965. This completed the involvement of the 7th APS CCT in South Vietnam. Donald R. Horton Lt Col, USAF (Ret) OIC CCT Det 1, 7th APS, 1965-1966 Naha AB, Okinawa, Japan 16 Illustration 10: AC #624_1st Camo C-123 that I ever saw.

GREAT WAR STORIES AND PHOTOS FROM THE 1970'S:

GREAT WAR STORIES AND PHOTOS FROM THE 1980'S:

GREAT WAR STORIES AND PHOTOS FROM THE 1990'S:

GREAT WAR STORIES AND PHOTOS FROM THE 2000'S: