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===Assignments===
===Assignments===
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*Headquarters Camp Kelly (1917)
* Headquarters Camp Kelly, 21 Jun 1917
*Headquarters Selfridge Aviation Field (1917)
* Headquarters Selfridge Aviation Field, 8 Jul 1917
*Headquarters Aviation Concentration Depot (1917)
* Headquarters Aviation Concentration Depot, 28 Oct 1917
*Headquarters American Rest Camp (1917–1918)
* Headquarters American Rest Camp, 8 Dec 1917
*Headquarters American Air Service Camp (1918)
* Headquarters American Air Service Camp, 1 May 1918
*I Corps Observation Training Center (1918)
* I Corps Observation Training Center, 30 Jul 1918
* [[4th Corps Observation Group (World War I)|IV Corps Observation Group]] (1918)
* IV Corps Observation Group, 31 Aug 1918
: Attched to: First Division, AEF, 8-14 Sep 1918
* [[6th Corps Observation Group (World War I)|VI Corps Observation Group]] (1918–1919)
* VI Corps Observation Group, 23 Oct 1918
*Advanced Section Services of Supply (1919)
* Advanced Section Services of Supply, 5 Feb-21 Apr 1919
*[[3d Wing|3d Bombardment Group]] (1919–1957)
* Unkn, 21 Apr-1 Jul 1919
*[[3d Wing|3d Bombardment Wing]] (1957–1964)
* Army Surveillance (later, 1 Surveillance; 3 Attack; 3 Bombardment) Group, 1 Jul 1919
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*[[41st Air Division]] (1964)
: Attached to 3 Bombardment Wing, 13 Aug 1956-24 Oct 1957
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*[[Thirteenth Air Force]] (1964)
* 3 Bombardment Wing, 25 Oct 1957
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: Attached to 41 Air Division, 1 Sep 1963-7 Jan 1964
*[[405th Fighter Wing]] (1964–1968)
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* 41 Air Division, 8 Jan 1964
**Attached: 33d Tactical Group (18–28 January 1965)
: Attached to 405 Fighter Wing, 9-23 Apr 1964
⚫
**Attached: [[2d Air Division]] (28 June - 7 July 1965)
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* Thirteenth Air Force, 24 Apr 1964
**Attached: 6252d Tactical Fighter Wing (8 July - 15 August 1965, 16 October - 16 December 1965)
**Attached: 6252d Tactical Fighter Wing (15 February - 7 April 1966)
: Attached to 405 Fighter Wing, 24 Apr-17 Nov 1964
: Further Attached to 34 Tactical Group, 5 Aug-3 Nov 1964
**Attached: [[35th Fighter Wing|35th Tactical Fighter Wing]] (8–18 April 1966, 15 June - 15 August 1966)
* 405 Fighter Wing, 18 Nov 1964
**Attached: [[35th Tactical Fighter Wing]] (12 October - 12 December 1966, 11 February - 12 April 1967)
: Attached to 33 Tactical Group, 18-28 Jun 1965
**Attached: [[35th Tactical Fighter Wing]] (7 June - 2 August 1967, 26 September - 21 November 1967)
⚫
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*[[35th Tactical Fighter Wing]] (1968–1969)
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* 2 Air Division, 28 Jun-7 Jul 1965
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*[[3d Wing|3d Tactical Fighter Wing]] (1969–1970)
*[[35th Tactical Fighter Wing]] (1970–1971)
: Attached to: 6252 Tactical Fighter Wing, 8 Jul-15 Aug 1965, 16 Oct-16 Dec 1965 and 15 Feb-7 Apr 1966
: Attached to: 35 Tactical Fighter Wing, 8-18 Apr 1966, 15 Jun-15 Aug 1966, 12 Oct-12 Dec 1966, 11 Feb-12 Apr 1967, 7 Jun-2 Aug 1967, and 26 Sep-21 Nov 1967
*[[315th Airlift Wing|315th Tactical Airlift Wing]] (1971–1972)
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* 35 Tactical Fighter Wing, 15 Jan 1968
*[[377th Air Base Wing]] (1972)
*[[405th Fighter Wing]] (1972–1974)
: Attached to 405 Fighter Wing, 15-17 Jan 1968
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* 3 Tactical Fighter Wing, 15 Nov 1969
*[[1st Special Operations Wing]] (1974–Present)
* 35 Tactical Fighter Wing, 30 Sep 1970
: Attached to 315 Tactical Airlift Wing, 16-30 Jul 1971
* 315 Tactical Airlift Wing, 31 Jul 1971
* 377 Air Base Group (later, 377 Air Base Wing), 15 Jan 1972
: Attached to 6251 Air Base Squadron, 1-14 Sep 1972
: Attached to Detachment 2, 377 Air Base Wing, 15-30 Sep 1972
* 405 Fighter Wing, 1 Oct 1972
* 1 Special Operations (later, 834 Tactical Composite; 1 Special Operations) Wing, 1 Mar 1974
* 1 Special Operations (later, 16 Operations; 1 Special Operations) Group, 22 Sep 1992-Present.<ref name="AFHRA"/>
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<ref name="AFHRA"/>
===Stations===
===Stations===
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Revision as of 14:30, 5 May 2013

8th Special Operations Squadron
8th Special Operations Squadron CV-22 flies over Florida's Emerald Coast
Active21 June 1917 - Present
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
RoleSpecial Operations
SizeSquadron
Part of  Air Force Special Operations Command
Garrison/HQHurlburt Field, Florida
Engagements
Decorations DUC
PUC
GUC
AFOUA w/V Device
PPUC
ROK PUC
RVGC w/ Palm
Insignia
Identification
symbol

The 8th Special Operations Squadron (8 SOS) is a squadron of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the 1st Special Operations Wing, Air Force Special Operations Command, stationed at Hurlburt Field, Florida. The squadron is equipped with the CV-22 Osprey in support of special operations.[1]

The 8 SOS is one of the oldest units in the United States Air Force, being organized as the 8th Aero Squadron on 21 June 1917 at Kelly Field, Texas. The squadron deployed to France and fought on the Western Front during World War I, equipped with United States-built de Havilland DH-4 pursuit aircraft.[2]

During World War II, the squadron fought in the Southwest Pacific Area with Fifth Air Force as an attack and later B-25 Mitchell medium bomber squadron. During the Cold War, it fought in the Korean War with B-26 Invader medium bombers and Vietnam War as a B-57 Canberra medium bomber and later as an Air Commando squadron with A-37 Dragonfly counter-insurgency aircraft.Historical Studies Office, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. [3]

Mission

The primary mission of the 8 SOS is insertion, extraction, and re-supply of unconventional warfare forces and equipment into hostile or enemy-controlled territory using airland or airdrop procedures.[4]

History

The 8th saw combat as observation unit with IV and VI Army Corps from, c. 25 August 1918 – 11 November 1918. It flew Mexican border patrol from, August 1919-June 1921. The squadron went on to train in attack aviation and participated in field exercises and army maneuvers from, 1921-1941.[5]

It flew Antisubmarine patrols from, December 1941-January 1942 before going into combat in Southwest and Western Pacific from, 1 April 1942 – 29 July 1942 and 24 May 1943-12 August 1945.[5]

It again flew combat missions in Korea, 27 June 1950-27 July 1953 and in Southeast Asia, April 1964-September 1972.[5]

The 8th became the U.S.-based operator of the MC-130 Combat Talon in 1974, and provided five of the eight Talon crews participating in Operation Eagle Claw. Its members crewed the lead Talon and all three of the EC-130E refuelers on the Night One mission to "Desert One", and was to crew the four Talons of the Night Two phase of the Iranian hostage rescue attempt in April 1980. It flew combat missions in Grenada from 24 October 1983 – 3 November 1983, Panama, 20 December 1989-14 January 1990, and in Southwest Asia from, 16 January 1991 – 17 March 1991. The squadron has routinely deployed personnel and aircraft to contingency operations in the Balkans and Southwest Asia from, 1991-2001.[5] From 1999 until its conversion to the CV-22 in 2007, it was the only reverse-Associate unit in the USAF, co-located with the 711th SOS of the Air Force Reserve and having no aircraft of its own, flying the 711th's MC-130Es.

The 8th has participated in combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq since 2001 and 2003 respectively.[4]

CV-22 Osprey from the 8th Special Operations Squadron "Black Birds" flies during a local training mission at Hurlburt Field, Fla., Feb. 1, 2011.

In June 2009, the 8th delivered humanitarian supplies to Honduras.[6] In November 2009, the 8th returned from a three-month deployment in Iraq.[7]

Lineage

  • Organized as 8th Aero Squadron on 21 Jun 1917
Redesignated: 8th Squadron (Surveillance) c. Jun 1921
Redesignated: 8th Squadron (Attack) c. Nov 1921
Redesignated: 8th Attack Squadron on 25 Jan 1923
Redesignated: 8th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 15 Sep 1939
Redesignated: 8th Bombardment Squadron (Dive) on 28 Sep 1942
Redesignated: 8th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 25 May 1943
Redesignated: 8th Bombardment Squadron, Light, c. Apr 1944
Redesignated: 8th Bombardment Squadron, Light, Night Intruder, on 25 Jun 1951
Redesignated: 8th Bombardment Squadron, Tactical, on 1 Oct 1955
Redesignated: 8th Attack Squadron on 18 Nov 1969
Redesignated: 8th Special Operations Squadron on 30 Sep 1970
Redesignated: 8th Fighter Squadron on 1 Jul 1973
Redesignated: 8th Special Operations Squadron on 1 Mar 1974.[1]

Assignments

Stations

[1]

Aircraft

[1]

Operations

See also

References

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

  1. ^ a b c d e 8 Special Operations Squadron (AFSOC)
  2. ^ Series "E", Volume 9, History of the 1st and 8th Aero Squadrons. Gorrell's History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917–1919, National Archives, Washington, D.C.
  3. ^ ISBN 0-89201-097-5
  4. ^ a b c 8 SOS Fact Sheet
  5. ^ a b c d AFHRA 8 SOS Page
  6. ^ Hurlburt Field Ospreys deliver aid to Honduras
  7. ^ Moore, Mona. "CV-22s return from first deployment with 8th SOS Homecoming". nwfdailynews.com, 12 November 2009.
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