Task Force Hawk
Encyclopedia
Task Force Hawk was the unit constructed and deployed by General Wesley Clark
to provide additional support to NATO's Operation Allied Force
by NATO operations against the former Yugoslavian government during the 1999 unrest in Kosovo
. The task force would operate from the March 1999 when its formation was announced until June 1999 when Slobodan Milošević
withdraw the Yugoslavian Army from Kosovo.
Task Force Hawk, which never fired a round, has been hailed as both one of the largest blunders and largest successes by the US Military in recent years. This action has been reviewed and analyzed from every angle to determine what went right and what went wrong.
, Germany; even though, the planning for Operation Allied Force had begun in the winter of 1998. Gen Clark and Admiral James O. Ellis
, while at the Warfighter Exercise, discussed how to utilize the Apaches to augment the Air Force assets posed to strike in 4 days
. The Army's planners would be strapped for time to put together a plan to deploy a mission that had never been employed by an AH-64 Apache unit. Instead of supporting ground troops the Apaches would be supporting Air Force missions. Gen. Clark's vision for the unit was to destroy the Yugoslavian units stationed in Kosovo supporting the Serbian police force. The Yugoslavian units were not formed in the company
or battalion
sized formations
but rather spread out through the countryside. This made acquiring the targets and relaying the information to bomber units who couldn't spot them easily. It was projected that the Apache units would be able to identify and eliminate these targets more efficiently, due to their effectiveness in the first Gulf War
. The Apaches would be supported by MLRS units conducting SEAD missions. Gen. Clark's hope was that by eliminating a large enough portion of the Serbian forces would force Yugoslavian government to end the conflict. Gen. Clark would face opposition to this opinion from several members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
.
By 22 March 1999, the planners would be finished with the initial plans for operation. These plans projected that the forces would be deployed to Macedonia, but the Macedonian government refused to allow offensive NATO operations to be speared from their country. "Army planners in Germany learned the mission would probably be cancelled on the Friday before Easter." Many soldiers would be given their first day off in weeks due to the Warfighter Exercise, hasty redeployment from Grafenwohr, and preparations for deployment on Task Force Hawk; however, on 3 April, Gen. Clark would decide to deploy the task force. It was announced on 4 April 1999 by the Department of Defense
that Task Force Hawk would be deployed to Albania to assist in Operation Allied Force. The original size of the task force was estimated at 2000 but had to be increase due to the lack of force protection that was present in Macedonia.
Many units would begin the movement to Ramstein Air Base
in Ramstein-Miesenbach
, Germany, the main departure point as many of the units were part of V Corps. The airlift was directed by the U.S. Air Force’s Air Mobility Operations Control Center (AMOCC) at the Ramstein Air Base, who was also coordinating the relief effect flights to Rinas. The Air Force would utilize the C-17 Globemaster III
instead of C-5 Galaxy
to deploy the Task Force to Tirana
's Rinas Mother Teresa Airport
airfield due to the runaway length, taxiway, and ramp requirements. The short runaway length would not be the only challenge for the deployment at Rinas. Operation Shining Hope
was also utilizing the airfield to spearhead the humanitarian effects for the refugees of the war. The limited number of runaways would only allow 20 sorties to be flown in the base per day. It would take 200 sorties to deploy full complement of equipment. Despite this being the first time that the United States Transportation Command
"gave a theater tactical control of a significant number of strategic airlift aircraft for a specific deployment, Gen Montegomery C. Meigs
later called one of the most successful
airlift operations in history."
The Apaches self deployed from Illesheim, Germany in support of Task Force Hawk. The route taken was dictated by the fact that Austria and Switzerland would not allow use of their airspace due to the aircraft deploying to an armed conflict. The aircraft had to circumnavigate those two countries by first flying west into France around the western end of the Alps. From the southeast corner of France the flight turned south towards the Mediterranean Sea to follow the coast into northwest Italy where the aircraft and crews were made to wait for several days until the assembly area at Tirana airport was prepared for their arrival. (The ground was very soft and became quite muddy when driven over by army vehicles. The assembly area was not on a hard surface, positioned immediately west of the runway in the grass. The aircraft would have sunk up to their bellys if perforated steel planking had not been laid down. A mile long wood sidewalk had to be constructed to allow the flight and maintenance crews to walk from the assembly area to the aircraft parking area without sinking in the mud.)
Once the assembly area was built up enough to support the aircraft, the crews were given the go-ahead to continue south, down and across the Italian peninsula to the Brindisi airport where the aircraft were armed, and provisions made for the crews, for the 90 nautical miles (166.7 km) flight over the open water of the Adriatic sea to Tirana.
Soldiers from the Task Force were also tasked with providing base security, establishing two Forward Operating Bases. The exact function of these FOB's are not quite known other by the military personell stationed on them.
Wesley Clark
Wesley Kanne Clark, Sr., is a retired general of the United States Army. Graduating as valedictorian of the class of 1966 at West Point, he was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to the University of Oxford where he obtained a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, and later graduated from the...
to provide additional support to NATO's Operation Allied Force
Operation Allied Force
The NATO bombing of Yugoslavia was NATO's military operation against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The strikes lasted from March 24, 1999 to June 10, 1999...
by NATO operations against the former Yugoslavian government during the 1999 unrest in Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
. The task force would operate from the March 1999 when its formation was announced until June 1999 when Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević was President of Serbia and Yugoslavia. He served as the President of Socialist Republic of Serbia and Republic of Serbia from 1989 until 1997 in three terms and as President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1997 to 2000...
withdraw the Yugoslavian Army from Kosovo.
Task Force Hawk, which never fired a round, has been hailed as both one of the largest blunders and largest successes by the US Military in recent years. This action has been reviewed and analyzed from every angle to determine what went right and what went wrong.
Planning / pre-deployment
Planning for Task Force Hawk didn't start until 20 March 1999 in GrafenwohrGrafenwöhr
Grafenwöhr is a town in the district Neustadt , in the region of the Upper Palatinate in eastern Bavaria, Germany. It is widely known for the United States Army military installation and training area, called Grafenwöhr Training Area, located directly south and west of the town.- Early History:The...
, Germany; even though, the planning for Operation Allied Force had begun in the winter of 1998. Gen Clark and Admiral James O. Ellis
James O. Ellis
Admiral James O. Ellis, Jr. is a retired 4-star admiral and former Commander, United States Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. He currently is President and Chief Executive Officer, Institute of Nuclear Power Operations and serves on the board of directors of Lockheed...
, while at the Warfighter Exercise, discussed how to utilize the Apaches to augment the Air Force assets posed to strike in 4 days
. The Army's planners would be strapped for time to put together a plan to deploy a mission that had never been employed by an AH-64 Apache unit. Instead of supporting ground troops the Apaches would be supporting Air Force missions. Gen. Clark's vision for the unit was to destroy the Yugoslavian units stationed in Kosovo supporting the Serbian police force. The Yugoslavian units were not formed in the company
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
or battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
sized formations
Tactical formation
A tactical formation is the arrangement or deployment of moving military forces such as infantry, cavalry, AFVs, military aircraft, or naval vessels...
but rather spread out through the countryside. This made acquiring the targets and relaying the information to bomber units who couldn't spot them easily. It was projected that the Apache units would be able to identify and eliminate these targets more efficiently, due to their effectiveness in the first Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
. The Apaches would be supported by MLRS units conducting SEAD missions. Gen. Clark's hope was that by eliminating a large enough portion of the Serbian forces would force Yugoslavian government to end the conflict. Gen. Clark would face opposition to this opinion from several members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Joint Chiefs of Staff is a body of senior uniformed leaders in the United States Department of Defense who advise the Secretary of Defense, the Homeland Security Council, the National Security Council and the President on military matters...
.
By 22 March 1999, the planners would be finished with the initial plans for operation. These plans projected that the forces would be deployed to Macedonia, but the Macedonian government refused to allow offensive NATO operations to be speared from their country. "Army planners in Germany learned the mission would probably be cancelled on the Friday before Easter." Many soldiers would be given their first day off in weeks due to the Warfighter Exercise, hasty redeployment from Grafenwohr, and preparations for deployment on Task Force Hawk; however, on 3 April, Gen. Clark would decide to deploy the task force. It was announced on 4 April 1999 by the Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
that Task Force Hawk would be deployed to Albania to assist in Operation Allied Force. The original size of the task force was estimated at 2000 but had to be increase due to the lack of force protection that was present in Macedonia.
Deployment
Ramstein Air Base
Ramstein Air Base is a United States Air Force base in the German state of Rheinland-Pfalz. It serves as headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe and is also a North Atlantic Treaty Organization installation...
in Ramstein-Miesenbach
Ramstein-Miesenbach
Ramstein-Miesenbach is a municipality in the district of Kaiserslautern in Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany.-History:As a result of the State of Rheinland-Pfalz administrative reform, Ramstein-Miesenbach, which has a population of approx. 9200, was created on 7 June 1969 from the independent...
, Germany, the main departure point as many of the units were part of V Corps. The airlift was directed by the U.S. Air Force’s Air Mobility Operations Control Center (AMOCC) at the Ramstein Air Base, who was also coordinating the relief effect flights to Rinas. The Air Force would utilize the C-17 Globemaster III
C-17 Globemaster III
The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft. Developed for the United States Air Force from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas, the C-17 is used for rapid strategic airlift of troops and cargo to main operating bases or forward operating bases throughout...
instead of C-5 Galaxy
C-5 Galaxy
The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is a large military transport aircraft built by Lockheed. It provides the United States Air Force with a heavy intercontinental-range strategic airlift capability, one that can carry outsize and oversize cargos, including all air-certifiable cargo. The Galaxy has many...
to deploy the Task Force to Tirana
Tirana
Tirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over...
's Rinas Mother Teresa Airport
Rinas Mother Teresa Airport
Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza is Albania's only international airport. It is commonly known as Rinas International Airport, as it is located northwest of Tirana, in the village of Rinas. In 2001, the airport was named after Mother Teresa...
airfield due to the runaway length, taxiway, and ramp requirements. The short runaway length would not be the only challenge for the deployment at Rinas. Operation Shining Hope
Operation Shining Hope
Joint Task Force Shining Hope was the United States contribution to Operation Allied Harbour. The mission of JTF Shining Hope was to conduct foreign humanitarian assistance operations in support of US government agencies and non-governmental and international organizations engaged in providing...
was also utilizing the airfield to spearhead the humanitarian effects for the refugees of the war. The limited number of runaways would only allow 20 sorties to be flown in the base per day. It would take 200 sorties to deploy full complement of equipment. Despite this being the first time that the United States Transportation Command
United States Transportation Command
The United States Transportation Command is one of nine unified commands of the United States Department of Defense. The mission of USTRANSCOM is to provide air, land and sea transportation for the Department of Defense, both in time of peace and time of war.USTRANSCOM, located at Scott Air Force...
"gave a theater tactical control of a significant number of strategic airlift aircraft for a specific deployment, Gen Montegomery C. Meigs
Montgomery Meigs
Montgomery Cunningham Meigs is a retired United States Army General. He is the great-great-great grandnephew of Montgomery C. Meigs...
later called one of the most successful
airlift operations in history."
The Apaches self deployed from Illesheim, Germany in support of Task Force Hawk. The route taken was dictated by the fact that Austria and Switzerland would not allow use of their airspace due to the aircraft deploying to an armed conflict. The aircraft had to circumnavigate those two countries by first flying west into France around the western end of the Alps. From the southeast corner of France the flight turned south towards the Mediterranean Sea to follow the coast into northwest Italy where the aircraft and crews were made to wait for several days until the assembly area at Tirana airport was prepared for their arrival. (The ground was very soft and became quite muddy when driven over by army vehicles. The assembly area was not on a hard surface, positioned immediately west of the runway in the grass. The aircraft would have sunk up to their bellys if perforated steel planking had not been laid down. A mile long wood sidewalk had to be constructed to allow the flight and maintenance crews to walk from the assembly area to the aircraft parking area without sinking in the mud.)
Once the assembly area was built up enough to support the aircraft, the crews were given the go-ahead to continue south, down and across the Italian peninsula to the Brindisi airport where the aircraft were armed, and provisions made for the crews, for the 90 nautical miles (166.7 km) flight over the open water of the Adriatic sea to Tirana.
Soldiers from the Task Force were also tasked with providing base security, establishing two Forward Operating Bases. The exact function of these FOB's are not quite known other by the military personell stationed on them.
Units deployed
- Task Force Command Group (V Corps Headquarters – Minus)
- V Corps ArtilleryV Corps ArtilleryV Corps Artillery was part of the United States Army V Corps in Heidelberg, Germany. V Corps Artillery moved to Tompkins Barracks in Schwetzingen, Germany from Wiesbaden, Germany in 2001 and remained there until inactivation in July 2007....
Headquarters – Minus - U.S. 41st Field Artillery BrigadeU.S. 41st Field Artillery BrigadeThe 41st Fires Brigade is a field artillery brigade of the United States Army based in Fort Hood, Texas. It is a subordinate unit of III Corps.-History:...
– Headquarters - 1st Battalion, 27th Field Artillery (MLRS – Plus)
- A Battery, 2nd Battalion, 18th Field Artillery, 212th Brigade (MLRS)
- 12th Aviation Brigade – Minus
- 11th Attack Helicopter Regiment (Two Squadrons Plus of Apache Pilots, One Squadron of AH-64A Apache Attack Helicopters)
- 2d BCT, 1st Armored Division1st Armored Division (United States)The 1st Armored Division—nicknamed "Old Ironsides"—is a standing armored division of the United States Army with base of operations in Fort Bliss, Texas. It was the first armored division of the U.S...
– Minus (Force Protection)- 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry (Mechanized) Augmented with A Battery 4th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Paladin and FA Target Acquisition Section, C co 1st Battalion, 35th Armored
- 2d Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment Augmented with A and C Company, 2d Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment and C Battery 1st Battalion 319th Field Artillery M119, 2nd Platoon,C Company 307th EN BN,82nd Airborne Division, Ft Bragg, North Carolina.
- 7th Corps Support Group – Minus
- 32nd Signal Battalion – Dco (Long Haul Platoons), LEN and SEN Platoons, Aco (Node Center 2).
- 3rd Plt 212th Military Police Company
- Psychological Operations Detachment
- Special operations Command and Control Element