00467472
3-5707-1
UNCLASSIFIED
2439673
07-01-1967
2440038
06-30-1968
DIVISION/0834/AIR
HISTORY
K-DIV-834-HI V.1
VOL I OF III
11602
P0824
898
1298
35
2448549
10-19-1991
STATION: TAN SON NHUT AIR BASE, REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM (RVN). ASSIGNED TO 7 AIR FORCE, PACIFIC AIR FORCES. INCLUDES FOREWORD. STATES THAT 834 AIR DIVISION (834 AD) WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR AND MANAGED ALL TACTICAL AIRLIFT OPERATIONS IN RVN. INCLUDES CHRONOLOGY. COMMANDER: BRIG GEN WILLIAM G. MOORE, JR. BRIG GEN HUGH E. WILD ASSUMED COMMAND VICE GEN MOORE. DIVISION ACQUIRED MISSION DESCRIBED AS AREA DENIAL. MISSION STATEMENT: COMMAND AND CONTROL OF ALL TACTICAL AIRLIFT AND CARGO AND PASSENGER HANDLING RESOURCES IN RVN; MAINTENANCE OF ALL RESOURCES IN CONTINUAL READINESS TO PERFORM OPERATIONAL MISSION; ACCOMPLISH TACTICAL AIRLIFT TASKS IN VIETNAM AS FOLLOWS UNDER DIRECTION OF MILITARY ASSISTANCE COMMAND VIETNAM (MACV), COMBAT OPERATIONS CENTER (COC) AND TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT AGENCY (TMA): INTRATHEATER AIRLIFT OF FREE WORLD FORCES AND CARGO SUPPORTING TACTICAL OPERATIONS; AIRLAND AND AIRDROP MISSIONS IN SUPPORT OF FRIENDLY FORCES; MAINTENANCE OF AIR LINE OF COMMUNICATIONS (ALOC) RESUPPLY SYSTEM FOR COMBAT UNITS; AIRBORNE DEFOLIATION OPERATIONS; SPECIAL AIRLIFT OPERATIONS IN SUPPORT OF MILITARY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (MAP); AND ADVISE AND ASSIST COMMANDER, 7 AIR FORCE, ON MATTERS OF LOGISTICS, PLANNING AND TACTICS PERTAINING TO AIRLIFT IN VIETNAM. UNDERWENT 7 AIR FORCE GENERAL INSPECTION. AREA DENIAL MISSIONS WERE ORIGINALLY KNOWN AS INFERNO MISSIONS AND ARE DESCRIBED AS FREE FALL AIRDROPS OF DIESEL FUEL AND JET FUEL (JP-4) FROM C-130 AIRCRAFT TO BURN FOLIAGE ON THE GROUND TO DENY ENEMY FORCES SPECIFIC AREAS OF TERRAIN. THESE MISSIONS WERE LATER DESIGNATED BANISH BEACH AND CONSISTED OF FREE FALL DROP OF 55 GALLON DRUMS OF FUEL WHICH WAS LATER IGNITED WITH NAPALM AIRSTRIKES BY FIGHTER AIRCRAFT. AREA DENIAL TACTIC EMPLOYED AT REQUEST OF 1 MARINE DIVISION IN OPERATION ALLEN BROOK. STATES THAT SMOKE GRENADES DROPPED FROM C130 AIRCRAFT WERE LATER USED TO IGNITE FUEL. INCLUDES NARRATIVE SECTION ON AIRLIFT SUPPORT OF DEFENSE OF KHE SANH. STATES THAT SUPPORT OF KHE SANH EMPLOYED SIX NEW AIRDROP OR AIR DELIVERY SYSTEMS: GROUND CONTROLLED APPROACH (GCA); AIRBORNE RADAR APPROACH (ARA); ADVERSE WEATHER AERIAL DELIVERY SYSTEM (AWADS); GROUND RADAR AERIAL DELIVERY SYSTEM (GRADS); LOW ALTITUDE PARACHUTE EXTRACTION SYSTEM (LAPES); AND GROUND PROXIMITY EXTRACTION SYSTEM (GPES). STATES THAT DUE TO DAMAGE TO RUNWAY AT KHE SANH AND LIKELYHOOD OF FOREIGN OBJECT DAMAGE (FOD) TO C-130 AIRCRAFT, THAT ONLY C-123 AIRCRAFT WERE UTILIZED IN AIRLAND MISSIONS TO KHE SANH. INCLUDES STATISTICAL DATA FOR 834 AD SUPPORT OT KHE SANH. MAINTAINED DETACHMENT 1 AT TAN SON NHUT AIR BASE, DETACHMENT 2 AT CAMRANH BAY AIRFIELD RVN (THESE LAST WERE FORMERLY DETACHMENT 5 AND DETACHMENT 6 OF 315 AIR DIVISION (315 AD)) TO OPERATE C-130 AIRCRAFT FORCES AT THOSE BASES THAT HAD BEEN SUPPLIED BY 315 AD WINGS FROM MAIN OPERATING BASES (MOB) OUTSIDE VIETNAM. C-123 AIRCRAFT AND C-7A AIRCRAFT WERE PROVIDED BY 315 AIR COMMANDO WING AND 483 TACTICAL AIRLIFT WING, RESPECTIVELY. 315 AD DEPLOYED TASK FORCE ALPHA (UNDER 834 AD OPERATIONAL CONTROL) EQUIPPED WITH C-130 AIRCRAFT TO TUY HOA AIR BASE RVN WHICH WAS REPLACED WITH 834 AD DETACHMENT 3, PROVISIONAL. AIRLIFT CONTROL ELEMENT (ALCE) ACTIVATED AT CAN THO RVN AND ANOTHER MOBILE ALCE WAS STATIONED AT BAN ME THOT RVN RAISING THE NUMBER OF 834 AD ALCE IN RVN TO FIFTEEN. DESCRIBES ISSUES SURROUNDING REDESIGNATIONS, PARTICULARLY RANCH HAND (12 AIRCOMMANDO SQUADRON) TO COMMANDO DART AND FROM AIR COMMANDO AND TROOP CARRIER UNIT DESIGNATIONS TO TACTICAL AIRLIFT UNIT DESIGNATIONS. DISCUSSES INTEGRATION OF C-7A CARIBOU AIRCRAFT INTO RVN TACTICAL AIRLIFT SYSTEM. STATES THAT C-130 AIRCRAFT SHUTTLE FORCE WAS COMPRISED OF AIRCRAFT AND CREWS ON TDY (TEMPORARY DUTY) FROM CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES (CONUS) AND ASSIGNED TO TWO TAC ROTATIONAL SQUADRONS OPERATING FROM JAPAN AND MAINTAINING 16 AIRCRAFT IN RVN AT ANY ONE TIME. STATES THAT AN AVERAGE OF NEARLY EIGHTY-EIGHT C-130 AIRCRAFT WERE MAINTAINED IN RVN OVERALL. TAC MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL WERE ROTATED IN AND OUT OF RVN ON 29 DAY CYCLE. INCLUDES LARGE AMMOUNT OF INFORMATION REGARDING DIVISION MANNINGSITUATION. SUMMARY STATES THAT IT WAS THE TET OFFENSIVE WHICH CREATED A DEMAND FOR EVEN MORE MASSIVE AIRCRAFT AND SUPPORT PERSONNEL AUGMENTATION TO VIETNAM. INCLUDES CHAPTER FOOTNOTES. INCLUDES DETAILED NARRATIVE SECTION ON COMMON SERVICE AIRLIFT SYSTEM (CSAS) TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT. DISCUSSES PROBLEMS IN SCHEDULING. OTHER NARRATIVE SECTIONS INCLUDE C-7A AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS, DEDICATED USER SYSTEM, C-123 AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS, C-130 AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS, AND ESTABLISHMENT OF IN COUNTRY C-130 AIRCRAFT WING. INCLUDES ORGANIZATION CHARTS, SPECIAL ORDERS, MOVEMENT ORDERS, ROSTERS OF KEY PERSONNEL, STATISTICAL DATA AND LIST OF SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS.
NONE
CORONA HARVEST NO. 0242854.