From force to hope: The challenge of the Four Horsemen

  • Published
  • By Robert Allen
  • 352nd Special Operations Group Historian
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  This year marks the 10th anniversary of operations in Serbia and Albania, and the 352nd Special Operations Group played a major role in both.

From the early combat days of Operation Allied Force (24 March 24 through June 10, 1999) to the humanitarian Operation Shining Hope (April 4 through July 10, 1999), the 352nd Special Operations Group was active in applying Allied air power where it was needed in Serbia and Albania. 

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (Pestilence, War, Famine and Death) that had been unleashed by President Slobodan Milosevic against his own citizens were overcome by the benevolent Four Horsemen of RAF Mildenhall's special operations group (7th Special Operations Squadron, 21st Special Operations Squadron, 67th Special Operations Squadron and 321st Special Tactics Squadron).

Operation Allied Force had been launched by NATO to counter the brutality of Serbian soldiers and police who were killing or evicting the ethnic Albanians in Serbia's southernmost province of Kosovo. During the 10-week war, almost all of the NATO combat action against the Serbs was from the air. The American portion of the campaign was called Noble Anvil. As recently mentioned on this Web site, KC-135s from RAF Mildenhall were active in that air campaign.

The MC-130Hs of the 7th SOS flew 29 missions to drop 90 percent of the 102 million leaflets used by the Allies to weaken Serb enthusiasm for Milosevic's destructive policies. It was the largest airborne psychological effort since World War II. These Combat Talons were also used for aerial delivery of humanitarian supplies to refugees in Kosovo.

In addition to providing combat search and rescue from Brindisi Air Base, Italy, for Allied fliers downed in Serbia, the 21st and 67th Special Operations Squadrons were the backbone for Operation Shining Hope in April 1999. They took over 40 tons of rations, water, medicine and shelters from Tirana, Albania, to Kosovar refugees in camps near the Serbian border (and within range of enemy missiles). 

The 321st STS troops were assigned as members of rescue teams on alert, and they were important to the successful rescues of pilots shot down over Serbia while flying fighters (VEGA 31, HAMMER 34). 

During such missions, these special tactics personnel flew on both MH-53s and MH-60s (55th SOS), which were supported by MC-130Ps (67th SOS) and A-10s (from Aviano Air Base, Italy). 

During Operation Allied Force, the 352nd SOG flew 1,771 hours in 728 sorties. The Group's success in this combat campaign was the major factor in its being awarded a second Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with "V" for 1998-1999. 

Awards for SOG personnel included the Brig. Gen. Ross G. Hoyt Award as the Air Force's most outstanding air refueling crew of 1999 for an MC-130P crew from the 67th SOS. They had accompanied rescue helicopters over Serbia and returned the F-117 pilot of VEGA 31 to his home base.