| 193rd Special Operations Wing | |
|---|---|
 193rd Special Operations Squadron EC-130J Commando Solo aircraft prepares to land at an air base in Southwest Asia. | |
| Active | 1967–present |
| Country |  United States |
| Allegiance |  Pennsylvania |
| Branch |  Air National Guard |
| Type | Wing |
| Role | Psychological warfare |
| Part of | Pennsylvania Air National Guard |
| Garrison/HQ | Harrisburg Air National Guard Base, Pennsylvania |
| Mottos | "Never Seen, Always Heard" |
| Commanders | |
| Special Operations Wing Commander[citation needed] | Colonel Robert S. Noren |
| Insignia | |
| 193rd Special Operations Wing emblem |  |
| Aircraft flown | |
| MC-130J | |
The193rd Special Operations Wing is a unit of thePennsylvania Air National Guard, stationed atHarrisburg Air National Guard Base, Middletown, Pennsylvania. The wing is gained by theCommonwealth of Pennsylvania when in a "state" status, as well as by theUnited States Air Force andAir Force Special Operations Command in its Federal capacity as part of theAir National Guard. Thewing was organized as agroup, the193rd Tactical Electronic Warfare Group. Although it has never been mobilized as a unit, most of its equipment and personnel have been individually called up to serve in Southeast Asia and inDesert Storm.
The 193rd's primary wartime and contingency operations mission is to broadcast radio and television signals to target populations from an airborne transmitter, jamming existing television and radio signals where necessary. Messages are not developed within the wing itself, but are provided by staff of theUnited States Army's4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne), based atFort Bragg, North Carolina.[1]
In the Spring of 1964, the 140th Aeromedical Transport Squadron's mission and designation changed to 140th Air Transport Squadron and the Air National Guard operation atOlmsted Air Force Base expanded to agroup, with the formation of the 168th Air Transport Group. Other squadrons assigned into the group were the 168th Material Squadron (later replaced by the 168th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and 168th Supply Squadron), 168th Support Squadron, and the 168th USAF Dispensary. These units were located atOlmsted Air Force Base and operated theLockheed C-121 Constellation. In 1966 the group became the 168th Military Airlift Group.
FollowingOperation Power Pack, the United States military intervention during the 1965 crisis in the Dominican Republic,[note 3]Robert McNamara, theUnited States Secretary of Defense directed the Air Force to develop a capability to disrupt civilian broadcasting networks and guerillacommand and control networks. In response,Tactical Air Command began to test a tactical electronic warfare support system that would be installed on C-121s, named Coronet Solo. Coronet Solo aircraft would be able to join or disrupt commercial radio and television and to broadcast prerecorded programs, in addition to having an ECM capability.[3]
Threatened by the closure of Olmsted Air Force Base (now Harrisburg Air National Guard Base) and by the downsizing of all conventionally powered transport aircraft, the National Guard Bureau volunteered the unit for a psychological warfare capability named "Coronet Solo" in 1967.[4][5] The 168th Military airlift Group and its components were inactivated and its resources were transferred to the new193rd Tactical Electronic Warfare Group, becomingTactical Air Command's first tacticalelectronic warfare unit that was not an active duty unit. Tactical Air Command replacedMilitary Airlift Command as its mobilization gaining command, although the unit continued to operate the C-121s of the old 168th Group until November 1977, when its last C-121C was flown to theMilitary Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center atDavis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona.[6]
The firstLockheed EC-121S Coronet Solo was delivered to the unit on 16 July 1968.[3] In July 1970, theJoint Chiefs of Staff directed the deployment of a task force of two EC-121s and supporting personnel toKorat Royal Thai Air Force Base as Operation Coronet Cobra. The task force arrived at Korat on 31 July, where it began Operation Commando Buzz, retransmitting civilian radio broadcasts to outlying areas of Cambodia until improved ground transmitters were available to cover the area. The 193rd deployed guardsmen on temporary duty for periods of thirty to sixty days to support this mission. Although Commando Buzz was intended to last only ninety days, flights continued until 24 December, and the task force returned to the United States in early January 1971.[6] Throughout the 1970s, the wing earned a reputation as being the most deployed Air National Guard unit, sometimes deploying 10 times in a single year.[4]
In August 1977, the group received its firstLockheed C-130E Hercules. These aircraft were to be modified toLockheed EC-130E Volant Solo standard, to perform the unit mission, but the first modified airplane did not arrive until March 1979. In May of that year, the unit's (and the Air Force's) last EC-121 departed for storage. Shortly thereafter, the unit designation became the193rd Electronic Warfare Group.
The 193rd participated in the rescue of American citizens inOperation Urgent Fury in 1983.[7] The aircraft acted as an airborne radio station, keeping the citizens of Grenada informed about the U.S. military action.[4]
Shortly after supporting Urgent Fury, and recognizing the importance of the group'spsychological warfare mission when compared to its electronic jamming mission, on 15 November 1983, the group became the193rd Special Operations Group and, along with all other reserve forcespecial operations units, its gaining command becameMilitary Airlift Command'sTwenty-Third Air Force.[6]
In 1989, Volant Solo was instrumental in the success of coordinated psychological operations inOperation Just Cause, operating under the control of the Joint Special Operations Task Force.[4][8] During this mission it broadcast throughout the initial phases of the operation, helping to end the Noriega regime.
In 1990,Air Force Special Operations Command became the group's gaining command, and the wing's aircraft were redesignated Commando Solo,[note 4] with no change in mission. However, the unit's aircraft contained two difference suites of electronics. Four unit aircraft had the Rivet Rider system, which enabled broadcasting of TV, AM or FM radio, and short wave radio. These planes could also conduct limited intelligence gathering and military communications jamming missions. The other four were Comfy Levy aircraft, which flew Senior Scout and Senior Hunter missions, with personnel fromElectronic Security Command in the cargo compartment. The Comfy Levy were basically "slick" C-130s with palletized mission systems and clip-on antennas. When these aircraft were not performing "Senior" missions they were used to transport cargo and passengers.[6]
Following the agreement of GovernorBob Casey Sr. for the use of members of thePennsylvania Air National Guard, on 23 August 1990,Central Command Air Forces directed the deployment of two Rivet Rider and two Comfy Levy EC-130Es from the group toKing Fahd International Airport, Saudi Arabia. The two "slick" EC-130Es made several trips each between the United States and Saudi Arabia, transporting equipment and personnel. The group flew its firstcommunications intelligence mission on 4 September. Because of limitations on the period volunteer guardsmen could serve, personnel were switched out every thirty days, with some group members serving as many as five tours. In November, the group began regular flights broadcastingVoice of America programs to Kuwait and Iraq.[9]
Due to the threat ofSCUD missile attacks, and the lack ofrevetments at King Fahd, in January 1992, the group's aircraft relocated toThumrait Air Base, Oman. WhenOperation Desert Storm replaced Operation Desert Shield, the squadron provided or supplementedelectronic countermeasures nearly every day.[10] Its missions included broadcasting the "Voice of the Gulf" and other highly successful programs intended to convince Iraqi soldiers to surrender.[4] In February, the group was partially mobilized, with 44 officers and 222 enlisted personnel being called to active duty. This enabled the group to deploy an aircraft toIncirlik Air Base, Turkey to support Joint Task Force Proven Force. On 26 March, the unit demobilized and returned to Harrisburg. 560 unit members had participated in the campaign, and flew 845 hours of combat operations.[11]
In 1992, the 193rd received its first EC-130E upgraded to Commando Solo II configuration. In 1994, the Commando Solo II aircraft were used to broadcast radio and TV messages to the citizens and leaders of Haiti duringOperation Uphold Democracy. PresidentJean-Bertrand Aristide was featured in these broadcasts, which contributed to the orderly transition from military rule to democracy.[4]
The Air National Guard reorganized its units to reflect the Combat Wing Organization in 1995. As a result, the group became the193rd Special Operations Wing with three subordinate groups.
Continuing its tradition, in 1997 the 193rd and Commando Solo supported the United Nations' Operation Joint Guard with radio and TV broadcasts over Bosnia-Herzegovina in support of stabilization force operations. In 1998, the unit and its aircraft participated in Operation Desert Thunder, a deployment to Southwest Asia to convince Iraq to comply with U.N. Security Council resolutions. The Commando Solo II was again sent into action in 1999 in support of Operation Allied Force. The aircraft was tasked to broadcast radio and television into Kosovo to prevent ethnic cleansing and assist in the expulsion of the Serbs from the region. In 2001, the Commando Solo II aircraft broadcast messages to the local Afghan population and Taliban soldiers duringOperation Enduring Freedom.
In 2002, it was announced that the unit would replace three of its EC-130Es with EC-130Js. The modification of C-130Js would be done in two phases. Phase I added an information warfare station andair refueling capability, while Phase II called for the removal of mission equipment from the EC-130s and its installation in the EC-130Js. Ultimately, while all the unit's aircraft went through Phase I, only five went through Phase II.[12]
In 2003, the Commando Solo II was deployed to the Middle East in support ofOperation Iraqi Freedom. In 2004, the 193rd received newer EC-130J aircraft. These were quickly redeployed to the Middle East in support of the War on Terror.
On 17 September 2022, the wing made its last broadcast with an EC-130J during an airshow atLancaster Airport, Pennsylvania. The unit is expected to transition to theMC-130J Commando II over a period of 2 years.[13][14]
| Award streamer | Award | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | [21] |
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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