| 15th Special Operations Squadron | |
|---|---|
15th Special Operations Squadron Patch |
|
| Active | 18 October 1942 - 2 November 1943 1 April 1944 - 15 April 1946 1 August 1947 - 27 June 1949 13 February 1968 - 31 October 1970 1 October 1992 - 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 | Hurlburt Field |
| Decorations | DUC PUC GUC AFOUA w/V Device RVGC w/ Palm |
The 15th Special Operations Squadron (15 SOS) is part of the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida. It operates MC-130H Combat Talon II aircraft in support of special operations.
Contents |
Global, day and night, adverse weather capability to insert, extract, and resupply special operations forces by low or high altitude airdrop or airland operations.[1]
Established in late 1942 as the 520th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) and equipped with B-25 Mitchell medium bombers. Was reassigned from Third Air Force to Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command in November, being redesignated as the 15th Antisubmarine Squadron. Flew antisubmarine patrols over the South Atlantic coastline and the Gulf of Mexico from Drew Field, near Tampa Florida until August 1943 when the Navy took over the Antisubmarine mission.
The 15th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) was activated as part of the 16th Bombardment Group on April 1, 1944 at Dalhart Army Airfield as a B-29 Superfortress unit. Received Bell B-29B Superfortresses designed for fast low-level bomb runs. Deployed to the Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO), assigned to Northwest Field, Guam under XXI Bomber Command. Flew very long range strategic bombardment missions over the Japanese Home Islands, attacking military, industrial and transportation targets. Switched to night incendiary raids attacking major Japanese cities, causing massive destruction of urbanized areas. Continued strategic bombing raids and incendiary attacks until Japanese Capitulation in August 1945.
Squadron remained in Western Pacific, although largely demobilized in the fall of 1945. Some aircraft scrapped on Tinian; others flown to storage depots in the United States. The 15th BS was inactivated on April 15, 1946, then briefly reactivated as a part of the Air Force Reserve between August 1, 1947, and June 27, 1949.[2]
The designation was revived and reactivated in Southeast Asia in 1968. The 15th Special Operations Squadron saw combat and performed special operations missions from March 15, 1968, to October 31, 1970, flying the C-130E (I) Combat Talon.[2] The unit was again inactivated, but was consolidated with the 15th Antisubmarine Squadron and the 15th Bombardment Squadron in September 1985.
The 15th SOS was reactivated on October 1, 1992, to operate the MC-130H Combat Talon II and assigned to the 1st Special Operations Wing.
The Combat Talon was first operational as Detachment 1, 314th Troop Carrier Wing beginning September 1, 1966, as a support unit for MACV-SOG.[3] On March 15, 1968, the detachment was designated the 15th Air Commando Squadron, and then the 15th Special Operations Squadron on August 1, 1968, and made part of the 14th Special Operations Wing. In Vietnam, the aircraft was used to drop leaflets over North Vietnamese positions, and to insert and resupply special forces and indigenous units into hostile territory throughout Southeast Asia. Combat Talon crews operated unescorted at low altitudes and at night.[4]
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||