Air Force special operators in England hail British ‘Chindits’ of WWII as inspiration

Members of an Air Force special operations wing based in England paid respects last weekend at a memorial near Birmingham honoring a British-led World War II special operations force whose legacy intertwines with their own.

Originally called the Long-range Penetration Groups, the units colloquially known as the Chindits were made up of specially trained British and Indian army troops who fought behind Japanese lines in Burma. The country later was renamed Myanmar.

Their legacy continues to influence U.S. military special operations air commandos, an Air Force official said.

Col. Shane Muscato, commander of the 352nd Special Operations Wing based at RAF Mildenhall, praised the determination of the Chindits at a commemoration Saturday. He added that the conditions they and the Americans faced weren’t ideal.

“Challenges help today’s air commandos build a mental framework which transforms adversity into opportunity for growth and mission success,” Muscato said. “It is a fantastic reminder that in chaos and times of crisis there is opportunity.”

A U.S. MC-130J Commando II from the 352nd Special Operations Wing performs a flyover at the National Memorial Arboretum near Birmingham, England, on Aug. 15, 2026. The wing’s heritage includes the 1st Air Commando Group, which served as an aerial task force supporting British-led special operations in World War II. (Benjamin Sutton/U.S. Air Force)

Muscato attended the Chindit and Burma Star Memorial Day event with Chief Master Sgt. Vanessa Leon, the wing’s top enlisted leader. They stood side by side with American and British armed forces veterans and allies to remember the fallen.

Visitors watched as one of the wing’s MC-130J Commando II warplanes performed a flyover of the Chindit memorial.

Guests also laid wreaths at the foot of the monument, which features a bronze statue of a chinthe, a mythical creature that stands guard outside Burmese pagodas and from which the Chindit forces derived their name and insignia.

The observance also served as a reminder of the wing’s interconnectedness with the U.K.

In particular, the 352nd Special Operations Wing claims direct heritage to the 1st Air Commando Group, a unit devised and assembled as an aerial task force to support the Chindits during their risky operations deep behind enemy lines. 

Four wreaths lay at the base of the Chindit Memorial statue at the National Memorial Arboretum near Birmingham, England, on Aug. 15, 2026. The memorial honors a British-led special operations force in World War II. (Benjamin Sutton/U.S. Air Force)

Formed under military aviation pioneer Gen. Henry “Hap” Arnold, the air commando group was in its time an “experiment looking toward future air warfare,” according to an Air Command and General Staff history study published in 1986.

It played a key role in the first Allied all-aerial invasion, a Chindit expedition codenamed Operation Thursday. Launched in March 1944, the large-scale airborne operation in Burma was aimed at disrupting Japanese supply lines and communications.

Over 10,000 allied troops and equipment, supplies, and even mules were flown into enemy territory with gliders and transport aircraft to establish fortified bases in jungle clearings.

The high-stakes mission is often considered the catalyst that pioneered the elite Air Force Special Operations Command force, according to a previous service statement.

While the changing character of war after two decades of counterterrorism operations is highlighting modern technology on the battlefield, the past still holds lessons for the future, Muscato said.

“History often repeats itself as well,” he said. “The potential conflicts on the horizon of great powers engaging with each other leads us to not only recognize the efforts of the warriors like the Chindits, but to also learn from them and appreciate how we can build our force from their example.”

U.S. airmen, British troops, representatives of the Chindit Society and a Chindit veteran pose for a photo during an event commemorating the 82nd anniversary of Operation Thursday at the National Memorial Arboretum near Birmingham, England, on Aug. 15, 2026. The operation was a large-scale airborne mission in Burma aimed at disrupting Japanese supply lines and communications. (Benjamin Sutton/U.S. Air Force)