Mildenhall's special operators bow to their predecessors, past

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Stacia Zachary
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  "Know from whence you came," said James Baldwin, American novelist and poet. "If you know from whence you came, there are absolutely no limitations to where you can go."

It is in this vein Airmen celebrated the 352nd Special Operations Group Heritage Week March 25 to 29, 2013, and provided due deference to those who led the way carving a path of honor, tradition, excellence and sacrifice which are the hallmark of Special Operations Forces.

"We stand on the shoulders of those who've come before us," said Col. Christopher Ireland, 352nd SOG commander. "Seventy years ago, the air commandos created our legacy in England during World War II; 33 years ago Eagle Claw opened our eyes to the need for dedicated special operations forces; 10 years ago (Operation Iraqi Freedom) the 352 SOG opened up a new kind of battlefield; and 8 years ago, we lost brethren in WRATH 11. We have a legacy of events which, together, define today's special operation mission and (breed)."

The week-long tribute to the history of special operations gave an earnest look into what gives this specialized command of service members an edge over their enemies. By training as they fight, Airmen are not doomed to repeat the mistakes of yesterday, rather they will learn from them and apply corrective actions in the future - especially in crisis or rapid-response situations.

"Our history is directly tied to lessons learned - lessons learned the hard way," Ireland said. "If we pay attention to that, we do not run the risk of repeating past mistakes."

The concepts of separate funding and command structures for special operations were created after Operation Eagle Claw failed. Retired Col. John "Coach" Carney, a combat control officer who was critical in the planning and execution of the operation and subsequent creation of U.S. Special Operations Command, USSOCOM or SOCOM, directly applied crucial principles learned from the mission failure to ensure subsequent missions did not meet with the same lack of training and equipment the military experienced in 1980.

"SOCOM was created to bring us all together - Army, Air Force and Navy at the time - to train and equip joint SOF," said Carney. "That was the first time we really trained, and had the money to train, in a joint environment in joint exercises."

Thanks to the creation of USSOCOM, the sister-service SOF components now had the means to work together, opening the doors for more specialized training, equipment and assets.

"We now exercised together and it proved a valuable point to anyone watching: It does work, it can work, it should work and it will work," said Carney. "That's what these exercises showed anyone who was watching: what SOCOM would bring to the military spectrum."

People were watching and were impressed. The words "special operations" were now spoken with reverence rather than shame. The result was a dedicated group of people with high morale and a drive to push further and work harder for mission success under any circumstance.

"There was a paradigm shift that has been tremendous. The entire mission blossomed from aircraft to equipment to the willingness to give all by the troops," Carney said.

Consistently since the creation of USSOCOM in 1986, joint forces have trained together to meet a key objective: become a powerhouse on the battlefield where service affiliation does not limit or impact synchronized effort carried out when called to do so. Not simply training to a standard, 352nd SOG Airmen and other service members embrace the mindset of training to any eventuality - both known and unforeseen.

"Special Operations is a growing business and one that bears a great responsibility," Carney said. "Today, there are no obvious distinctions in looks. Joint means we look the same but our training proves we are all specialized in our jobs and we know how to stay in our lane and perform as a team."

At the all-call March 28, Ireland tested the Airmen by asking them to finish this sentence, "Slow is smooth ..."

Those in attendance answered immediately and in unison, "Smooth is fast."
This statement gives testament to the importance training plays in attaining mission success.

"We have standardized practices and principles that dictate how and why we react and perform the way we do," Ireland said. "It's how we do business. Habits are created through persistent training - here and with joint forces - that when we work together, we already have established patterns. It evolves over generations and it's built on trust."

In creating this specialized group, the SOF community also drafted principles that guide service members in how they "do business." The SOF Truths are five statements that are observed without question:

1. Humans are more important than hardware.
2. Quality is better than quantity.
3. SOF cannot be mass produced.
4. Competent SOF cannot be created after emergencies occur.
5. Most special operations require non-SOF assistance.

The fifth truth is crucial in SOF's ability to react and perform quickly and concisely - one that is often overlooked when recognizing what special operations bring to the fight. Without the support to move people, cargo and resources, all other SOF truths cannot exist.

"The closer you get to the tip of spear, the more crucial it is that everything leading up to that point is executed correctly," said Chief Master Sgt. William Markham, 352nd Special Operations Group command chief. "(Support personnel) are the most important part of our operations because if we don't have them, we can't execute the mission."

Fast forward to the present, and the awesome responsibility leveraged on all SOF components is not lost on those in service today.

"We are the 'now' generation of this legacy based on 70 years of tradition," Ireland said. "It is our turn to honor what was done to get us to this point and continue in that same manner."

Although the 352nd SOG Heritage Week has concluded, the essence of what was discussed will not fade away. The past serves as a timeline of events both telling of the success and failures as well the triumphs and sorrows. When considered together, they present a poignant story of those who had the courage to try and those who have the courage to continue.

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts," said Winston Churchill during World War II on how to solider on.