| 522d Special Operations Squadron | |
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Emblem of the 522d Fighter Squadron |
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| Active | 1939-Present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Part of | Air Force Special Operations Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Cannon AFB, New Mexico |
| Nickname | Fireballs |
The 522d Special Operations Squadron (522 SOS), the Fireballs, is a unit of the United States Air Force. It is part of the 27th Special Operations Group, the flying component of the 27th Special Operations Wing at Cannon AFB. It will be the first to operate the MC-130J Combat Shadow II.[1]
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The mission of the 522 SOS will be infiltration, aerial refueling of Special Operations Forces aircraft, and the resupply of joint and coalition SOF via airdrop in hostile, denied, and politically sensitive areas. The unit will achieve Initial Operational Capability in 2012.
The 522 SOS was originally constituted in 1939 as the 16th Bombardment Squadron (Light) and activated on 1 February 1940.[2] It was stationed at Barksdale Field, LA, and later Hunter Field, GA, before being assigned to Luzon in the Philippines in 1941. After war began between the United States and Japan, the unit's air echelon operated Australia. When American units in the Philippines surrendered, ground elements of the unit were part of the Bataan Death March.
The unit was redesignated as the 522d Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 23 Aug 1943 and then the 522d Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 30 May 1944. During World War II, it was one of the most decorated U.S. Army Air Force units. The unit later served in conflicts such as the Korean and Vietnam wars, and flew almost a dozen different aircraft in support of various missions. The 522d Fighter Squadron inactivated in 2007 when the 27th Fighter Wing became the 27th Special Operations Wing.[3]
The 522d Special Operations Squadron was reactivated on 07 April 2011 using the lineage of the 522d Fighter Squadron. Lt. Col. Paul Pendleton assumed command of the 522 SOS and will lead the unit in its new role as the U.S. Air Force's first MC-130J Combat Shadow II squadron.
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This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
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