352nd SOG opens Heritage Library to share, discuss Air Commando history

  • Published
  • By Karen Abeyasekere
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  Air Commandos at RAF Mildenhall can now enhance their professional reading and get together to discuss Special Operations Forces history, as the 352nd Special Operations Group Heritage Library officially opened here April 17.

Col. Gary McCollum, 352nd SOG commander, cut the ribbon using a Commando dagger - one of the historical SOF symbols - aided by Chief Master Sgt. Paul Henderson, 352nd SOG command chief, and Patrick Charles, 352nd SOG historian.

"I think it's important for all my Air Commandos to continually develop and grow, and one of the ways to do that is through professional reading," said McCollum.

"Due to the nature of our business, it's difficult to check out a book for three weeks, then be able to turn it in on time; although the base library is a valuable resource, it often doesn't fit into the operational environment in which we (352nd SOG) work," McCollum said..

The commander said he wanted to provide a separate resource for the Air Commandos, which allowed the materials to be tailored to the needs and interests of the group.

McCollum explained the Heritage Library is open 24-hours-a-day, so it fits in better with their schedule, adding that it also allows them to keep the shelves stocked with items that are particularly useful or informative for special operations personnel.

"One of the main benefits of the library is ease of access," explained McCollum. "If they're slow readers like I am, they don't have to worry about turning in a book after only a few weeks if they haven't finished it. They can keep it for as long as they need, then turn it in for the next person to read."

"The intent is to develop professional discussion within the 352nd SOG, so that we not only have books to read, but then take it a step further and generate professional discussions about what we've read and what we've learned," he said. "People can then pass on to others what resources they thought were particularly valuable and which ones perhaps weren't quite so worthwhile."

To begin the collection, the 352nd SOG started with the professional reading lists, from the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Gen. Norton Schwartz; sister service chiefs and other senior military leaders. They also took recommendations from leadership within the group, based on materials they had read in the past and found particularly useful.

"This is an augmentation to the base library," the 352nd SOG commander said.

The Heritage Library also houses digital sources of information, such as newspaper clippings from World War II, and all the documents from the group's lineal ancestor, the 2nd Air Commando Group (1944 to 1945), said the historian.

"It also has different areas of SOF history, from the 1960s all the way to the turn of the century," Charles said. "It's all digital, so they can pull a New York Times article from 1942 on the Air Commandos, or they can pull the actual war-time documents processed by the World War II Air Commandos."

He added there are many general articles from peace journals on subjects such as constitutional and international law, so the Air Commandos can understand how SOF developed and understand that it is a global portfolio.

McCollum said unclassified historical after-action reports are also available in digital format, and the library collection will continue to grow, based on feedback and recommendations from his group.

The 352nd SOG command chief explained that the Heritage Library is one piece of a huge effort.

"The initial effort was the Heritage Room here that we're developing within the group; the library is a perfect addition to this area for our Air Commandos," Henderson said.

"There will also be memorabilia in here reflecting our Air Commando heritage, and each squadron will take ownership of a tabletop and engrave their squadron emblem onto it," he said.

"The next step is to figure out how to spur conversation and get ideas and feedback (on the collection)," the colonel said. "We have a lot of Air Commandos who already do their own personal and professional reading at home and on the road. By getting conversation started, I think we'll see a significant increase in the scope, energy and impact of this initiative.

"Eventually, we hope to expand our discussion to the larger SOF community across the globe," McCollum said.