Secretive U.S. Task Force Has Been Criss-Crossing Asian Skies

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated Jul 3, 2020 4:15 AM EDT

On Jan. 14, 2017, in one of his last trips as U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry climbed aboard a U.S. Air Force C-146 Wolfhound cargo plane at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City. The small military plane with a discreet, civilian-style paint job would take him more than 150 miles southwest to Ca Mau.

The airport serving the small city south of Mekong Delta was too small to accommodate Kerry’s more common transport, the C-32, which is a derivative of Boeing’s 757 airliner. In Ca Mau, the top American diplomat and Vietnam War veteran would take tour of some of the old battlegrounds, talk with locals about reconciliation efforts in what was once part of South Vietnam, and learn about environmental restoration projects in the area.

But this wasn’t the first time Kerry made use of a C-146 for official visits to more remote parts of Vietnam. In December 2013, a Wolfhound took the Secretary of State and more than 40 staff to the Mekong Delta region and then on to the Philippines to announce a $25 million aid package following the devastating Typhoon Yolanda.

And that time, a previously unknown U.S. special operations task force helped him get where he needed to go.

According to documents The War Zone obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, Joint Special Operations Air Detachment – SN (JSOAD-SN) was responsible for making sure Kerry reached his destinations safely. This unit is mentioned in the footnotes of a heavily redacted copy of the 2013 annual history for the Air Force’s 353rd Special Operations Group, which is headquartered at Kadena Air Base on the Japanese island of Okinawa.

We do not know what the “SN” stands for in the acronym. Censors removed nearly any mention of the detachment’s operations from the history’s main narrative. We also don’t know if the unit was still active as of January 2017, when Kerry returned to Vietnam. At the time of writing, U.S. Pacific Command had not responded to questions about the unit’s name and basic functions.

However, one can still glean a significant amount of detail from the history, related documents and other publicly available information. Most importantly, the Air Force’s 524th Special Operations Squadron undoubtedly provided the aircraft and crews. The squadron, nicknamed the Hounds, is the only unit flying the C-146s. As of June 3, 2013, there were two Wolfhounds in the Pacific region, according to another table the author previously obtained via the FOIA.

Moving Kerry around definitely seems to have been one of the bigger operations for JSOAD-SN during 2013. On Oct. 30, 2013, the detachment drafted a concept of operations specifically for the specialized airlift mission in Vietnam, according to the citations.

“The theater [commander] selected the Hounds based on their professionalism, reliability and ability to operate in austere environments,” the 524th declared in a review of its activities after being named the Air Force Special Operations Command’s (AFSOC) squadron of the year for 2013. The author received this document through yet another FOIA request.

But the detachment was not dedicated solely to moving dignitaries around remote areas of the Pacific. Soon after Typhoon Yolanda made landfall in the Philippines on Nov. 8, 2013, American special operators rushed to assess the damage, distribute aid and move wounded and displaced civilians to safety. This support came in no small part from American troops already in the country conducting counter-terrorism operations and others who had arrived shortly before for separate training exercises.

A stock shot of one of the 524th’s C-146 Wolfhound , USAF

A stock shot of one of the 524th’s C-146 Wolfhound

“On 18 November [2013], the first MAGMA C-146 crews from JSOAD-SN arrived,” according to the 353rd’s annual history. The 524th commonly uses the call-sign “Magma” on missions all around the world . The specific mention of the detachment made it clear the unit was distinct from Joint Special Operations Air Detachment – Philippines (JSOAD-P) at Edwin Andrews Air Base in Zamboanga on the island of Mindanao.

In the Philippines, the Wolfhound flew from Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base on the island of Cebu, “which they used as a hub to conduct relief shuttles to and from airports in the disaster zone.” With the help of multiple crews, the C-146 was flying nearly non-stop during the disaster relief mission, which the Pentagon dubbed Operation Damayan.

In just four days, the team from JSOAD-SN was responsible for rushing two civilians to a hospital in Manila for surgery, delivering more than 40,000 pounds of humanitarian aid and transporting nearly 270 refugees to safer areas. The special operators performed their last flights on Nov. 22, 2013.

And that wasn’t all. The 353rd’s annual review cites two JSOAD-SN after action reports unrelated to Operation Damayan or assisting Kerry and his staff. One is dated March 13, 2013, while the unit published the other on Aug. 26, 2013.

A C-146 at Duke Field, Florida , USAF

A C-146 at Duke Field, Florida

It is entirely possible these secretive missions were actually quite banal, involving the discreet movement of advisors or gear for training exercises or other exchanges with long-standing partners, such as the Philippines or the Republic of Korea. It is equally possible these were missions of a more secretive nature.

During 2013 alone, the 524th’s activities “included discrete operator movements, SOF [special operations forces] team airlift to austere locations, hurricane evacuation, humanitarian aid, ammunition resupply for [U.S. Army] Special Forces, and even SOF airlift in support of the President of the United States,” the squadron’s report for that year proudly declared. In January 2013, the squadron’s Wolfhounds brought elite troops right to front lines in Gao, Mali to support the French-led intervention against Al Qaeda’s north African franchise. Then, in December 2015, photographs appeared on social media showing a C-146 on an apparent covert mission in Libya along with elite American troops and their gear.

There are no shortage of potential threats in the Pacific, which might require special operators and their unique skills. Since 9/11, the Pentagon has worked with allies in the Pacific to battle a number of Al Qaeda-linked terrorist groups. On top of that, U.S. military personnel have worked with counterparts throughout Asia to counter North Korean’s proliferation of missile and nuclear technology, illicit shipments of conventional weapons and other activities. Drug smuggling and piracy are always a concern, too.

What we do know is, during 2013, the “Magma” crews from JSOAD-SN were keeping busy in the Pacific and were clearly ready for whatever missions came their way.

Contact the author: joe@thedrive.com

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作者：约瑟夫·特雷维西克

更新于美国东部时间2020年7月3日凌晨4:15

2017年1月14日，在担任美国国务卿的最后几次出访之一中，约翰·克里登上了一架美国空军C-146“猎狼犬”运输机，降落在越南胡志明市的新山一国际机场。这架涂装低调、类似民用飞机的军用小型飞机将载他向西南方向飞行150多英里，抵达金瓯。

湄公河三角洲南部这座小城的机场太小，无法容纳克里常用的运输机C-32，C-32是波音757客机的衍生机型。在金瓯，这位美国高级外交官兼越战老兵将参观一些昔日的战场遗址，与当地居民探讨这片曾经属于南越的土地上的和解努力，并了解当地的环境修复项目。

但这并非克里首次使用C-146运输机对越南偏远地区进行正式访问。2013年12月，一架“狼犬”运输机曾搭载这位国务卿和40多名工作人员前往湄公河三角洲地区，随后又飞往菲律宾，宣布在台风“海燕”肆虐后提供2500万美元的援助。

当时，一支此前不为人知的美国特种作战部队帮助他到达了目的地。

根据《战区》通过《信息自由法》获取的文件显示，联合特种作战航空分遣队-SN（JSOAD-SN）负责确保克里安全抵达目的地。该部队在空军第353特种作战大队2013年年度历史的脚注中被提及，该大队总部设在日本冲绳岛嘉手纳空军基地，但该版本内容已被大量删减。

我们不知道缩写词中的“SN”代表什么。审查人员几乎从历史叙述中删除了所有关于该分遣队行动的记载。我们也不知道截至2017年1月克里重返越南时，该部队是否仍在活动。截至撰写本文时，美国太平洋司令部尚未回应有关该部队名称和基本职能的问题。

然而，我们仍然可以从历史资料、相关文件和其他公开信息中获取大量细节。最重要的是，空军第524特种作战中队无疑提供了飞机和机组人员。该中队绰号“猎犬”，是唯一一支装备C-146运输机的部队。根据作者此前通过《信息自由法》获得的另一份表格显示，截至2013年6月3日，太平洋地区共有两架“猎狼犬”运输机。

2013 年，调动克里无疑是联合特种作战航空队-南北分遣队 (JSOAD-SN) 的一项重大行动。根据嘉奖令，2013 年 10 月 30 日，该分遣队专门为越南的特种空运任务起草了一份作战概念。

“战区指挥官之所以选择‘猎犬’中队，是因为他们的专业精神、可靠性和在艰苦环境下作战的能力，”第524中队在被评为2013年度空军特种作战司令部（AFSOC）最佳中队后，在其活动回顾中如此宣称。作者通过另一份《信息自由法》申请获得了这份文件。

但该分遣队并非仅仅负责在太平洋偏远地区运送政要。2013年11月8日，台风“海燕”登陆菲律宾后不久，美国特种作战人员便迅速赶赴现场评估灾情、分发援助物资，并将伤员和流离失所的平民转移到安全地带。这项支援很大程度上来自当时已在菲律宾执行反恐行动的美军部队，以及此前不久抵达菲律宾参加其他训练演习的美军。

这是一张美国空军第524运输机大队C-146“狼犬”运输机的库存照片。

这是第524运输机大队的一架C-146“狼犬”运输机的库存照片。

根据第353特种作战航空联队年度历史记载，“2013年11月18日，来自南岛联合特种作战航空联队（JSOAD-SN）的首批MAGMA C-146机组人员抵达。” 第524特种作战航空联队在世界各地的任务中通常使用“Magma”这一呼号。文中特别提及该分遣队，明确表明该部队与驻扎在棉兰老岛三宝颜埃德温·安德鲁斯空军基地的菲律宾联合特种作战航空分遣队（JSOAD-P）有所区别。

在菲律宾，这架“狼犬”运输机从宿务岛的麦克坦-贝尼托·埃布恩空军基地起飞，“他们以此为枢纽，往返灾区各机场运送救援物资”。在多组机组人员的协助下，这架C-146运输机在灾难救援任务期间几乎不间断飞行，五角大楼将此次任务命名为“达马扬行动”。

短短四天内，来自联合特种作战航空队（JSOAD-SN）的队员们就完成了多项任务：将两名平民紧急送往马尼拉医院接受手术，运送超过4万磅的人道主义援助物资，并将近270名难民转移到安全地区。这些特种作战人员于2013年11月22日执行了他们的最后一次飞行任务。

但这还不是全部。第353联合特种作战司令部（JSOAD-SN）的年度评估报告中提到了两份与“达马扬行动”无关或未曾协助克里及其参谋人员的行动后报告。其中一份日期为2013年3月13日，另一份则由该部队于2013年8月26日发布。

一架C-146运输机停在佛罗里达州杜克机场，美国空军

一架停在佛罗里达州杜克机场的C-146运输机

这些秘密任务完全有可能实际上相当普通，例如与菲律宾或韩国等长期伙伴进行顾问或装备的秘密调动，用于训练演习或其他交流活动。当然，这些任务也可能性质更为隐秘。

仅在2013年，第524中队的行动就“包括秘密行动人员调动、特种作战部队小组空运至偏远地区、飓风灾民撤离、人道主义援助、为美国陆军特种部队提供弹药补给，甚至还为美国总统提供特种作战部队空运支援”，该中队当年的报告自豪地宣称。2013年1月，该中队的“狼犬”运输机将精锐部队直接送往马里加奥前线，支援法国领导的打击基地组织北非分支的军事行动。随后，在2015年12月，社交媒体上出现了一些照片，显示一架C-146运输机载着美国精锐部队及其装备，在利比亚执行一项疑似秘密任务。

太平洋地区潜在威胁层出不穷，可能需要特种作战人员及其独特技能来应对。自9·11事件以来，五角大楼一直与太平洋地区的盟友合作，打击多个与基地组织有关联的恐怖组织。此外，美军人员还与亚洲各地的同行合作，遏制朝鲜的导弹和核技术扩散、非法运输常规武器以及其他活动。毒品走私和海盗活动也始终令人担忧。

我们知道的是，在 2013 年，“Magma”号潜艇的船员们在太平洋地区非常忙碌，显然已经准备好迎接任何即将到来的任务。

联系作者：joe@thedrive.com

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