A reader told me to check out the 435th Security Forces Squadron and was I gobsmacked! Looks like the USAF is ahead of the US Army and are equipped and ready to setup an airfield in austere locations.
I mean where there is no runway...only jungle or desert or forest, to drop in secure the area and then clear it to make it suitable for an airstrip or LAPPES drops.
If you take the skill set of the boys in the Red Horse Squadrons (think airborne engineers from the 82nd with the skill set of SeaBees) along with the 435th then you have a one stop shop for expeditionary airfield ops.
Check out the history of the 435th on Wikipedia but a small tidbit...
In March 2003 the 786 SFS participated in a combat parachute drop into Bashur Airfield in conjunction with the 173rd Airborne Brigade to open up the northern front in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 786 SFS is the first conventional Air Force unit to participate in a combat parachute airborne jump.Interesting.
I'm seeing a curious trend here. Much like USMC snipers are sometimes attached to Special Ops teams...just as EOD Units are, we're seeing a USAF unit that seems to blur the line between conventional and Special Operations.
Nice.
Actually the full open an airfield in an austere environment is resident in the 435th Contingency Support Group. The 435th Security Forces Squadron is the force protection element of this organization but it also includes a Red Horse-like/Red Horse-lite, construction capability in the 435th Construction and Training Squadron and a squadron that forms the core of an airfield operations capability in the 435 Air Mobility Squadron.
ReplyDeleteThe 435 CRG executes 10 Europe/Africa Theater-unique and theater-wide mission sets. Primary is the 12-hour response airfield assessment (Airborne capable) and airfield opening mission.
While not technically considered an airfield seizure capability, the CRG can support such an operation with its airborne assessment team and then run the airfield and ramp operations immediately following to rapidly build combat power, deliver humanitarian assistance/disaster relief or evacuate non-combatants.
It is designed to support larger units/operations but can execute and airfield operation autonomously in a permissive/semi-permissive threat environment.
It is not a SOF unit but very much SOF-like in its capabilities, rapid response posture, expeditionary mind-sets, team composition and small footprint. It has worked closely with SOF units but is primarily focused on support to conventional forces like the 173d ABCT.
Expeditionary airfield operations in a joint environment often requires the CRG to support non-AF assets to include rotory wing assets and have invested in sending some of its personnel to Army Air Assault and Pathfinder training.
Other missions include construction, training, aircraft arresting gear support and building partnership capacity.
For a very small investment in resources this unit has a huge impact in ensuring we have crisis response coverage in Europe and Africa.