Page 34 - DFCS NEWS MAGAZINE 2020-1

USAF Air Commandos in Vietnam
First to Fight in 1961 Flying T-28s, B-26s and C-47s By Lew Jennings
On 14 April 1961, USAF Chief of Staff General Curtis LeMay directed establishment of the 4400th Combat Crew Training Squadron (CCTS) at Hurlburt Field, Florida. The Squadron was nicknamed “Jungle Jim” with a two-fold mission to train foreign air forces in counterinsurgency operations and provide air combat support to Army Special Forces teams.
Secrecy surrounded the organization and personnel assigned to the Squadron underwent an intensive selection process and training program including psychological testing, survival training and foreign language studies. The Air Force sought volunteers with exceptional qualifications. Pilots with at least 5,000 hours
of flight time and enlisted personnel that ranked at the top in their respective specialties. Of the 3,500 applicants, only about 350 would make the grade.
“The recruiting was unique in my 38-year Air Force career,” recalled retired four-star General John “Pete” Piotrowski, who would become commander in chief of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and the U.S. Space Command. “The officer conducting my interview asked three questions: Are you willing to fly old obsolete aircraft? Are you willing to fly combat? If shot down and captured, are you willing to be disowned by your own government?” He answered yes to all three and became one of the first Air Commandos in Vietnam.
The Squadron was initially authorized 124 officers and 228 airmen. WWII vintage aircraft were assigned including eight B-26 Attack Bombers, sixteen C-47 Transports and eight T-28Ds outfitted as attack fighters, providing USAF personnel “optimum-type training for supervising the development unit combat capability in similar-type aircraft of friendly foreign nations ...”. These aircraft had the ability to operate from remote, primitive locations while providing the firepower, range and cargo-carrying capability for counter insurgency operations.
Col. Benjamin H. King was the first commanding officer with the responsibility of organizing, training and making the Squadron operational and ready for deployment. The first goal he said was "get on with the problem ... get the outfit together, learn how to fly the airplanes, learn how to maintain them, and get your supplies set up.” King was a seasoned combat pilot who flew fighters in World War II and
Korea. He led the 4400th on an intensive readiness and training program that resulted in their being combat ready in just six months.
Under the code name FARM GATE, the Squadron fielded nearly half its aircraft and personnel to Vietnam in November 1961. Detachment 2 consisted of 41 officers and 115 enlisted men with four C-47s, four B- 26s and eight T-28s. Colonel King would lead the C-47 flight himself on the arduous cross Pacific flight. The B- 26s were flown in from Kadena Air Base in Japan while the T-28s were dismantled and shipped from the U.S. by Military Aircraft Command (MAC) transports. Initially all personnel were on a 179-day temporary duty status as they converged on their new home at Bien Hoa, Vietnam. To maintain secrecy, the aircraft were painted with Vietnamese Air Force markings and U.S. personnel wore no identification on their uniforms.
Douglas B-26 Invader
In Operation FARM GATE, USAF Air Commando T-28D Trojan attack aircraft flew in VNAF markings for secrecy. USAF “Jungle Jim” personnel of the 4400th Combat Crew Training Squadron were “sanitized” with no markings or identification on their uniforms. The Air Commandos adopted the distinctive Australian Bush Hat as their headgear of choice.
34 / DFCS News Magazine / SUMMER 2020