Photo By Capt. Remington Sawade | Over the last two years, 352 SOW members have invested in events across the UK with...... read more read more
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“To sum up, it is proposed to assemble and employ a force of the highest fighting qualities capable of employment in widely separated columns… that it should be allocated an objective behind the enemy’s lines, the gaining of which will decisively affect the campaign.” – Maj. Gen. Orde Wingate
Wingate was an expert in unconventional operations, called upon by the British War Office in World War II to disrupt Japanese communication and supply lines in Burma using Long Range Penetration techniques resupplied by aircraft. He named his troops after the Chinthe, a fierce creature from Burmese mythology. It was a name that would soon be known around the world: Chindits.”
The Air Commando was born thanks to the unconventional thinking of Wingate and others like him. Today, the Air Commandos of Air Force Special Operations Command stand on the shoulders of Wingate and the Chindits. This legacy is exemplified by the 352nd Special Operations Wing.
Based at RAF Mildenhall in the United Kingdom, the 352 SOW has a unique connection to the few remaining Chindit veterans, their families and the Chindit Society, an organization dedicated to honoring their service and legacy.
Members of the 352nd have been able to participate in a variety of remembrance events and celebrations, building and strengthening connections between the United States and their gracious host, the United Kingdom.
Col. Mark McGill, 352 SOW Commander, has heavily emphasized relationships with partners and allies as vital to successful operations in Europe, and worked to extend those relationships beyond the interoperability of operational servicemembers.
“Understanding the history of one’s unit is key to continuing the tradition of excellence. The 352nd Special Operations Wing strives each and every day to honor that tradition,” said McGill. “The Air Force memorializes, in the Airman’s creed, that we uphold a ‘Legacy of Valor’, and few units can hold a candle to the legacy of valor built by the Chindits.”
Looking briefly over the last two years, 352 SOW members have invested in the Chindit Reunion, Remembrance Day Cenotaph Parade, and Operation Thursday Anniversary, as well as hosted Chindits for a tour of RAF Mildenhall and the 352 SOW Formal Dining Out in Ely Cathedral.
Each event provides new opportunities for each group that few outside of this partnership will be privileged enough to experience.
The 2022 Chindit Reunion saw the introduction of current SOW leadership to the Chindit Society and the next evolution of the relationship. McGill’s background as a Special Tactics Officer meant close ties to the Air Commando tradition of unique and irregular mission sets. His perspective added new energy to the engagements.
A contingent of SOW members attended the 2023 Chindit Reunion, including the wing commander, command chief, chaplain, aircraft maintainers, CV-22B Osprey and MC-130J Commando II aircrew. Airmen from a variety of backgrounds had the unique opportunity to speak with three Chindit veterans about their experiences.
At the 2023 Cenotaph Parade, two Air Commandos were given the honor of being the first American service members to march in the parade. A 7th Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron aircraft maintenance officer and a 321st Special Tactics Squadron combat controller represented today’s Air Commandos alongside Chindit veterans and their families in front of U.K. dignitaries.
January 2024 brought a truly special opportunity with two Chindits, their families and Chindit Society representatives visiting the 352nd at its home, RAF Mildenhall.
The visitors got an up-close look at special tactics equipment, the CV-22 and the MC-130J as Air Commandos from the operations and maintenance squadrons provided briefings on the mission capabilities of each weapons system.
Chindit veteran Sid Machin, along with his son, Neil, and Paul Corden of the Chindit Society, flew on an MC-130J familiarization flight during the visit. Only a handful of days before his 100th birthday, Sid eagerly boarded a military aircraft for the first time since his service in World War II and saw the cliffs of Dover from the air.
March 2024 brought about a special moment in remembering the legacy of the Chindits. 2024 marked the 80th Anniversary of Operation Thursday and an inspiring reminder of the Chindits’ fortitude, living in the Burmese jungle for months and fighting Japanese forces day after day to accomplish their mission.
Aircrew from the 67th Special Operations Squadron, who flew the aircraft for Sid’s familiarization flight and ones who conducted the flyover of the previous Chindit Reunion, spent time getting to know the Chindit families and honored them as part of a ceremony at the Chindit monument in London.
“The most honoring moment of the event was being able to eat lunch and converse with Holly Wingate and Alice Wingate-Pearce, Major General Orde Wingate’s daughter-in-law and granddaughter,” said a pilot with the 67th Special Operations Squadron.
The 352 SOW looks forward to continued involvement in the Air Commando story. As the wing welcomes a new commander in the summer of 2024, the bonds are as strong as ever between British and American Air Commandos, past and present.
| Date Taken: | 04.12.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 04.15.2024 10:05 |
| Story ID: | 468526 |
| Location: | GB |
| Web Views: | 95 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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