AUTHORIZED, ASSIGNED, POSSESSED - THE DIFFERENCE

In Air Force operations the process was complicated by the fact that two seperate organizations were considered necessary to accomplish the mission. The 46th TRW provided the platform and "front end" crews, while the 6994th Security Squadron furnished the SI-cleared "back end" crews for operations of the ARDF and intelligence collection systems. Flight frags were issued for front end crews, to tell them where to go; control frags were used for tactical air control, and command and control purposes. Detailed instructions on what to look for, fix, or collect were provided to the back end crews by the ACC. The navigator, although provided by the 460th TRW, had to work in close coordination with the back end people, and so was SI cleared.

Also true, however, was tha inescapable fact that, in the cramped confines of the EC-47, with the lavatory back behind the equipment and operators, the front end crew flying seven-hour missions day in and day out, could not help but be cognizant to some degree of the sensitive aspects of the mission. Recognizing this, and aware that full crew integrity would be beneficial to over-all mission accomplishment, the 460th DCOE forwarded a letter to the 7AF Air Force Special Security Office (AFSSO) requesting that all crew members be granted SSIR clearance, in addition to their already-required Top Secret clearance. Once this was accomplished, the front end and back end personnel whould be able to work together as a more effective team. By AFSSO USAF message, dated 031834Z August 1970, authority to clear and indoctrinate front end crews was granted.

EXTENT OF CONTROL

Although MACV was a joint command, representing all services, it was heavily Army- dominated at all levels. (This situation extended into the realm of doctrine, discussed further in Chapter V.) On 8 March 1968 COMASMACV designated his Deputy Commander for Air Operations (Commander, Seventh Air Force) as the Single Manager for control of tactical air resources in South Vietnam and the extended battle area. This control was to be over all fixed-wing tactical strike and reconnaissance forces, as well as USAF airlift assets, but would not include Army and USMC helicopters and airlift. Ample documentation exixts, however, to show that COMUSMACV did not consider this concept to include control of the Air Force ARDF assets and efforts, although they were "fixed-wing," "USAF," and "performing a reconnaissance mission." Deployment and re-deployment of the TEWS, or even individual aircraft, could not be made without MACV study and concurrence. Concerning this, a Thirteenth Air Force Operations Plan (13AF OPLAN 5C21, 7 January 1970) stated that Seventh Air Force "will provide four EC-47s if the plan is implemented." On the same subject, the 7AF DCS/Operations wrote the Director of Plans that: