Spec Ops unit honored for Ugly Baby gallantry - Air Force News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Air Force Times

Spec Ops unit honored for Ugly Baby gallantry

The 352nd Special Operations at RAF Mildenhall, England, has been honored with the Gallant Unit Citation for its roll in the opening weeks of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The Secretary of the Air Force Personnel Council announced the honor Monday.

The 352nd joins a select list of Air Force units to receive award, including the 16th Special Operations Group, Hurlburt Field, Fla., and 919th Special Operations Wing, Duke Field, Fla.

The Mildenhall unit’s award covers operations from Feb. 12 to May 12, 2003. During that time, the 352nd helped open the northern front of Iraqi Freedom, flying in elements of the Army’s 10th Special Forces Group to Kurdish-held locations and setting the stage for the arrival of conventional Air Force and Army units.

Because Turkey had denied the U.S. permission to fly into Iraq from Turkish airspace, the 352nd’s MC-130H Combat Talons II had to reach Kurdish strongholds on March 22, 2003 by flying at low levels across Iraq, at times taking heavy enemy fire. The mission became known as Operation Ugly Baby, after an Army NCO saw the mapped flight route and declared, “Boy, that is an ugly baby.”

The citation is presented for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after Sept. 11, 2001, according to the Air Force’s award standards. The citation requires a lesser degree of gallantry, determination and esprit de corps than that required for the Presidential Unit Citation. The degree of heroism required is the same as that which would warrant award of the Silver Star which is awarded for individual gallantry and heroism of high degrees, including risk of life in action.