9th Special Operations Squadron (United States)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| 9th Special Operations Squadron | |
|---|---|
 9th Special Operations Squadron Patch |
|
| Active | 1 April 1944 - 18 October 1948 2 January 1951 - 15 September 1963 9 January 1967 - 29 February 1972 1 March 1988 - Present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Type | Special Operations |
| Part of | Air Force Special Operations Command 1st Special Operations Wing 1st Special Operations Group |
| Garrison/HQ | Eglin Air Force Base |
| Motto | Night Wings |
| Decorations |  DUC PUC GUC AFOUA w/V Device RVGC w/ Palm |
The 9th Special Operations Squadron (9 SOS) is part of the 1st Special Operations Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. It operates HC-130 Hercules aircraft in support of special operations. The 9th SOS specializes in the use of night vision goggles and close interval formation tactics to refuel large helicopter formations.
Contents |
[edit] Mission
Clandestine penetration of enemy territory using low-level formation procedures to provide aerial refueling of special operations helicopters and the insertion, extraction, and resupply of special operations forces by low or high altitude airdrop or airland operations.[1]
[edit] History
The 9th flew combat missions in Western Pacific from, 27 January-14 August 1945. No personnel were assigned from, 25 April 1947 until its deactivation on 18 October 1948.[2]
While retaining combat capability, the 9th trained B-52 crews for Strategic Air Command from 15 July 1959-September 1963. It flew combat missions in Southeast Asia from, March 1967-January 1972.[3]
It has trained for special operations, refueling and resupply missions using modified C-130 aircraft since 1988. It has seen combat in Panama, 20 December 1989-14 January 1990 and Southwest Asia, 16 January-5 April 1991. It routinely deployed personnel and aircraft to contingency operations in the Balkans and Southwest Asia from, 1991-2001. The squadron has participated in combat operations in Afghanistan since October 2001 and Iraq since March 2003.[4]
[edit] Operations[5]
- World War II
- Vietnam War
- Operation Just Cause
- Operation Desert Storm
- Operation Enduring Freedom
- Operation Iraqi Freedom
[edit] Lineage[6]
- 9th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy (1944 - 1950)
- 9th Bombardment Squadron, Medium (1950 - 1952)
- 9th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy (1952 - 1967)
- 9th Air Commando Squadron (Psychological Operations) (1967 - 1968)
- 9th Special Operations Squadron (1968 - Present)
[edit] Assignments[7]
- 6th Bombardment Group (1944 - 1948)
- 6th Strategic Aerospace Wing (1951 - 1963)
- Pacific Air Forces (1967)
- 14th Special Operations Wing (1967 - 1971)
- 315th Tactical Airlift Wing (1971 - 1972)
- 39th Special Operations Wing (1988 - 1989)
- 1st Special Operations Wing (1989 - Present)
[edit] Bases stationed[8]
- Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas (1944)
- Grand Island Army Air Field, Nebraska (1944)
- North Field, Tinian (1944 - 1946)
- Clark Field, Luzon (1946 - 1947)
- Kadena Air Base, Japan (1947 - 1948)
- Walker Air Force Base, New Mexico (1951 - 1963)
- Pleiku Air Base, South Vietnam (1967)
- Nha Trang Air Base, South Vietnam (1967 - 1969)
- Tuy Hoa Air Base, South Vietnam (1969 - 1970)
- Phan Rang Air Base, South Vietnam (1970 - 1972)
- Eglin Air Force Base, Florida (1988 - Present)
[edit] Aircraft Operated[9]
- B-17 Flying Fortress (1944)
- B-29 Superfortress (1944 - 1947, 1951 - 1952)
- B-36 Peacemaker (1952 - 1957)
- B-52 Stratofortress (1957 - 1963)
- C-47 Skytrain (1967 - 1972)
- U-10 Super Courier (1967)
- O-2 Skymaster (1967 - 1972)
- HC-130 Hercules (1988 - Present)
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
[edit] Bibliography
[edit] Also See
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
