The 352nd Special Operations Group at RAF Mildenhall, UK, was official elevated to wing status, becoming the 352nd Special Operations Wing in a ceremony on March 23. “We’re thickening up that particular overseas location,” Air Force Special Operations Command boss Lt. Gen. Bradley Heithold said, speaking at a recent Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies event. With the addition of CV-22s and the conversion to the MC-130J Commando II, the group surpassed the 1,000 personnel-mark required for consideration as a wing. In addition, the unit supports US Central Command on top of US European Command and US Africa Command and “we think it will be better with regard to commanding and controlling it as we make it a wing,” Heithold said. The wing numbers some 1,200 personnel comprising the 67th Special Operations Squadron with 10 MC-130Js, the 7th SOS with 10 CV-22s, as well as 321st SOS special tactics airmen, and support and maintenance units, according to a release. (For more from the Mitchell event, see also Congress’ MC-12 Verdict and Gunship Mini-Me, Microwave, and Lasers)
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md.—The Department of the Air Force will be taking over the Pentagon’s prototype Joint Fires Network, or JFN, as it transitions to a fully fledged program of record, program executive officer for command, control, communications, and battle management...