352nd SOG, 67th SOS retire first MC-130P

  • Published
  • By Patrick Charles
  • 352nd Special Operations Group historian
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  The 352nd Special Operations Group and 67th Special Operations Squadron flew their first MC-130P Combat Shadow, tail number 65-0992, from RAF Mildenhall to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., for operational retirement March 8, 2013. The retirement officially marks the beginning of Special Operation Command Europe's transition from the Combat Shadow to new aircraft.

Since the mid-1980s, the MC-130P has participated in special operations missions ranging from air refueling of the military's vertical lift platforms; precision airdrop of personnel and equipment; and the execution of night, long-range, low-level infiltration, exfiltration, and resupply of special operations forces in hostile, denied or politically-sensitive territory. The Combat Shadow has deployed for Operation Just Cause in Panama, Operation Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia and Turkey, Operation Deny Flight in Yugoslavia, Operations Restore Democracy and Uphold Democracy in Haiti, Operations Deliberate Force and Joint Endeavor in Bosnia, Operation Assured Response in Liberia, Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, Operations Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn in Iraq and Operation Odyssey Dawn in Libya.

In terms of tail number 65-0992's history, the airframe's role in special operations began almost immediately after being manufactured by Lockheed Aug. 30, 1966. Initially designated as a HC-130H--with the prefix "H" denoting a rescue and recovery code -- tail 65-0992 made its way from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., to serve in Vietnam rescue operations from June 1969 to February 1973. From there, 65-0992 was tasked with satellite capsule recovery as a primary mission and a secondary mission of rescue and recovery at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, which continued at the former McClellan Air Force Base, Calif.

It was not until 1989 that 65-0992 was attached to a special operations squadron -- the first being the 17th Special Operations Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan. In 2010, 65-0992 joined the 352nd SOG's inventory where it has not only assisted in training with European and African special operations forces, but also taken part in Northern Africa contingency operations.

Set to be "mothballed" at Davis-Monthan AFB, 65-0992 will be placed in a storage configuration and could possibly be assigned to a new unit for future assignments.