Editing Lockheed MC-130 (section)

===Southeast Asia operations===
The aircraft received for modification as Combat Talons were assigned in July 1965 to the [[464th Troop Carrier Wing]] at [[Pope Air Force Base]], [[North Carolina]]. Because of a lack of ramp space caused by the buildup of forces for deployment to [[South Vietnam]], they were temporarily housed at [[Sewart Air Force Base]], [[Tennessee]]. The wing's [[779th TCS]] was designated as the training squadron for the modified C-130E(I)s, under Project ''Skyhook'', in addition to its normal airlift function. Selected crew members received instructor training in their respective systems and returned to Pope by 1 May to begin crew training of six crews for deployment to Vietnam under Project ''Stray Goose''.<ref name=ct58/>

[[File:15th Special Operations Squadron.png|thumb|15th Special Operations Squadron]]
The Combat Talon I first saw operational action in the [[Vietnam War]], beginning 1 September 1966. The six ''Stray Goose'' crews deployed to [[Ching Chuan Kang Air Base]], Taiwan, and forward deployed to [[Nha Trang Air Base]], [[South Vietnam]]. The deployment, known as ''Combat Spear'', preceded operational deployment of other Combat Talons to Europe (''Combat Arrow'') and the United States (''Combat Knife'').

''Combat Spear'' was administratively assigned as '''Detachment 1, 314th Troop Carrier Wing''', but was operationally controlled by MACV-SOG.<ref name="ct7778">Thigpen (2001), pp. 77–78.</ref> On 9 October 2009, Detachment 1, 314th Troop Carrier Wing received the [[Presidential Unit Citation (United States)|Presidential Unit Citation]] for its support of MACV-SOG activities. [[Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force|Chief of Staff of the Air Force]] General [[Norton A. Schwartz]] presented the award to the unit during a ceremony at Hurlburt Field, culminating a six-year campaign by former ''Stray Goose'' member Richard H. Sell<ref>Thigpen (2001), pp. 84–85. Sell was co-pilot of 64–0563 when it flew the first resupply mission into North Vietnam on 17 January 1967, to support a SOG Road Watch team, for which the entire SG-05 crew received the [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)|Distinguished Flying Cross]].</ref> to achieve the recognition after the unit was not included in a PUC awarded 4 April 2001, to MACV-SOG for the same period.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Schanz |first=Marc|date=December 2009 |title=Vietnam War Unit Honored|journal=Air Force Magazine|publisher=Air Force Association |volume=92 |issue=12 |page=19}}</ref>

On 15 March 1968, the detachment was designated the 15th Air Commando Squadron, and then the [[15th Special Operations Squadron]] on 1 August 1968, and made part of the [[14th Special Operations Wing]]. In Vietnam, the aircraft was used to drop leaflets over [[North Vietnam]]ese positions, and to insert and resupply special forces and indigenous units into hostile territory throughout Southeast Asia. Combat Talon crews operated unescorted at low altitudes and at night.<ref name="ct82">Thigpen (2001), pp. 82–83.</ref>

By 1970 twelve Combat Talons were operational in three units of four aircraft each:<ref name="ct139">Thigpen (2001), p. 139.</ref>
* [[7th Special Operations Squadron]], [[Ramstein Air Base]], Germany;
* 15th Special Operations Squadron, Nha Trang Air Base, South Vietnam; and
* Detachment 2, [[1st Special Operations Wing]], Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina, (redesignated 318th SOS in 1971 and 8th SOS in 1974).<ref name="ct67">Thigpen (2001), p. 67. By tradition, the Talon base within the continental United States, because of its training responsibilities, is referred to as "the schoolhouse," a nickname first passed to Hurlburt Field, then to Kirtland Air Force Base when the 550th SOS began operations.</ref>

The 15th SOS was redesignated the 90th SOS on 23 October 1970,<ref>Thigpen (2001), p. 111. The 90th had been an [[A-37 Dragonfly]] attack squadron, and when the A-37's were turned over to the Vietnamese Air Force, its designation was transferred to preserve its long heritage.</ref> relocated to [[Cam Ranh Bay Air Base]],<ref>Thigpen (2001), p. 113,</ref> then moved to [[Kadena Air Base]], [[Okinawa Island|Okinawa]], in April 1972 as part of the drawdown of U.S. forces in Vietnam. It was again redesignated, becoming the 1st SOS on 15 December 1972, and began transition from the "Clamp" to the "Yank" variant.<ref>Thigpen (2001), p. 114. The following Talons served in Southeast Asia at some point between 1966 and 1972: 64–0523, −0547 (lost), −0551, −0555, −0558, −0561, −0562, −0563 (lost), −0567, and −0568.</ref>

====Kingpin====
[[File:Sontayraiders.jpg|thumb|Mixed formation of helicopters and Combat Talon of the Son Tay rescue operation during a practice mission]]
Two Combat Talons were employed as navigation escorts and for airborne control during ''[[Operation Ivory Coast|Operation Kingpin]]'', the operational phase of the attempted rescue of [[prisoner of war|prisoners of war]] from [[Son Tay]] prison camp in North Vietnam on 21 November 1970. 64-0523 was drawn from the 15th SOS at Nha Trang<ref>Thigpen (2001), p. 143. The Talon was already at LAS Ontario for previously-scheduled modifications when it was sourced to the rescue operation.</ref> and 64-0558 from Det. 2, 1st SOW at Pope AFB. The aircraft were modified at LAS Ontario with installation of FL-2B [[Forward looking infrared|FLIR]] sets borrowed from the ''Heavy Chain'' project to compensate for difficulties in terrain-following created by the slow speeds necessitated by the mixed aircraft force.<ref>Gargus, John (2007), ''The Son Tay Raid: American POWs in Vietnam Were Not Forgotten'', Texas A&M Press. {{ISBN|1-58544-622-X}}, p. 58. Gargus was radar navigator on ''Cherry 02'' and a mission planner.</ref>

24 primary and five backup crew personnel, all ''Stray Goose''/''Combat Spear'' veterans detached from 7th SOS (''Combat Arrow'') and 1st SOW (''Combat Knife''), developed helicopter-fixed wing formation procedures for low level night missions and jointly trained with selected Special Forces volunteers at [[Eglin Air Force Base]], Florida. Between the end of August and 28 September 1970, Talon, helicopter, and [[A-1 Skyraider]] crews supervised by Combat Talon Program Manager Lt. Col. Benjamin N. Kraljev rehearsed the flight profile in terrain-following missions over southern [[Alabama]], flying 368 sorties that totalled more than 1,000 hours.<ref>Gargus (2007), pp. 63–64.</ref> A month of intensive joint training with the Special Forces rescue force followed at a replica of the prison camp.

In early November the task force deployed to [[Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base]], Thailand. The 24 primary crew members, a 7th SOS crew (''Cherry 01'') under Major Irl L. "Leon" Franklin and a 1st SOW crew (''Cherry 02'') commanded by Lt Col Albert P. "Friday" Blosch, conducted the mission, which was successfully executed without loss of any personnel. However the operation failed when the prison was found not to contain any prisoners.<ref name="kp">Thigpen (2001), pp. 139–157.</ref>