The 24th Special Operations Wing (Air Force Special Tactics) is a United States Air Force active-duty wing that was activated on 12 June 2012. Its headquarters is at Hurlburt Field, Florida and it has component groups located in North Carolina, Georgia and Washington. It is the third special operations wing in

Air Force Special Operations Command Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), headquartered at Hurlburt Field, Florida, is the special operations component of the United States Air Force. An Air Force major command (MAJCOM), AFSOC is also the U.S. Air Force component command ...

(AFSOC). The 24th SOW is a reactivation of the 24th Wing, previously assigned with the Twelfth Air Force, stationed at Howard Air Force Base, Panama. It was inactivated on 1 November 1999. The inactivation of the 24th Wing and the closure of Howard Air Force Base ended an 82-year United States Air Force presence in Panama, which began with the formation of the 7th Aero Squadron on 29 March 1917. The 24th Special Operations Wing is the only Special Tactics Wing in the Air Force. Its primary mission is to conduct global air, space, and cyber-enabled special operations across the spectrum of conflict to prepare to fight. The 24 SOW is U.S. Special Operations Command's tactical air/ground integration force and the Air Force's special operations ground force that leads global access, precision strike, personnel recovery and battlefield surgery operations. Core capabilities encompass airfield reconnaissance, assessment, and control; personnel recovery; joint terminal attack control; battlefield surgery; and environmental reconnaissance.

Organization

As of April 2020 the wing is organized as follows: * 24th Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, FL ** Special Tactics Training Squadron, Hurlburt Field, FL ** 720th Special Tactics Group, Hurlburt Field, FL ***

21st Special Tactics Squadron The 21st Special Tactics Squadron is one of the special tactics units of the United States Air Force Special Operations Command. It is garrisoned at Pope Field, North Carolina. Mission Special Tactics Squadrons are organized, trained and equipped ...

, Pope Field, NC ***

22nd Special Tactics Squadron The 22nd Special Tactics Squadron is a Special Tactics unit of the United States Air Force Special Operations Command, based at Joint Base Lewis–McChord. Constituted and activated in 1984 as the 1722nd Combat Control Squadron at McChord Air Fo ...

, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA ***

23rd Special Tactics Squadron The 23rd Special Tactics Squadron (23rd STS) is an active ground unit, within the 24th Special Operations Wing (24 SOW) United States Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). It is garrisoned at Hurlburt Field, Florida. The 23rd STS was pre ...

, Hurlburt Field, FL ***

26th Special Tactics Squadron The 26th Special Tactics Squadron is one of the Special Tactics units of the United States Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). It is garrisoned at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. From 1991 to 1992, the squadron's predecessor, the 7026 ...

, Cannon Air Force Base, NM *** 720th Operations Support Squadron, Hurlburt Field, FL ** 724th Special Tactics Group, Pope Field, NC ***

17th Special Tactics Squadron The 17th Special Tactics Squadron is one of the ten Special Tactics Squadrons of United States Air Force Special Operations Command. It is garrisoned at Fort Benning, Georgia. Overview Special Tactics operators with the 17th STS, 24th Special ...

, Ft. Benning GA ***

24th Special Tactics Squadron The 24th Special Tactics Squadron is one of the Special Tactics units of the United States Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). It is the U.S. Air Force component to Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). It is garrisoned at Pope Fie ...

, operationally assigned to Joint Special Operations Command, Pope Field, NC *** 724th Operations Support Squadron, Pope Field, N.C. *** 724th Intelligence Squadron, Pope Field, NC *** 724th Special Tactics Support Squadron, Pope Field, N.C. ** 123rd Special Tactics Squadron (Air National Guard), Standiford Field, KY ** 125th Special Tactics Squadron (Air National Guard), Portland International Airport, OR

History

World War II

It was activated on 25 December 1942 to control all

Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

units on Iceland and subsequently disestablished in June 1944.

Post war era

From August 1946 until replaced by the

Antilles Air Division The Antilles (; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Antiy; es, Antillas; french: Antilles; nl, Antillen; ht, Antiy; pap, Antias; Jamaican Patois: ''Antiliiz'') is an archipelago bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the south and west, the Gulf of Mex ...

in July 1948 the wing supervised large numbers of major and minor bases and Air Force units in the Caribbean area from Puerto Rico to

British Guiana British Guiana was a British colony, part of the mainland British West Indies, which resides on the northern coast of South America. Since 1966 it has been known as the independent nation of Guyana. The first European to encounter Guiana was S ...

Panama and special operations

It was organized once more in November 1967 in the

Panama Canal Zone The Panama Canal Zone ( es, Zona del Canal de Panamá), also simply known as the Canal Zone, was an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the Isthmus of Panama, that existed from 1903 to 1979. It was located within the terr ...

, replacing the 5700th Air Base Wing. The wing assumed operation and maintenance responsibilities for Howard and Albrook Air Force Bases and a special operations mission that included air transport, paramilitary

operations Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...

exercise Exercise is a body activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness. It is performed for various reasons, to aid growth and improve strength, develop muscles and the cardiovascular system, hone athletic ...

participation, civic actions in

Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

and South America,

search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...

missions,

humanitarian Humanitarianism is an active belief in the value of human life, whereby humans practice benevolent treatment and provide assistance to other humans to reduce suffering and improve the conditions of humanity for moral, altruistic, and emotional ...

operations, mercy missions,

aeromedical evacuation Aeromedical evacuation (AE) usually refers to the use of military transport aircraft to carry wounded personnel. The first recorded British ambulance flight took place in 1917 in the Sinai peninsula some 30 miles south of El Arish when a Royal ...

, and support of Army

Special Forces Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...

U.S. military The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...

assistance units, and training of Latin American air forces. From its activation in 1967 until mid-1972, the 24th Wing operated the USAF Tropic Survival School at Albrook. It also controlled various rotational detachments from 1967–1987. The wing lost UH–1 helicopters and control of search and rescue missions in the area after 1 March 1983. The wing inactivated on 31 January 1987, its subordinate components reassigned directly to the USAF Southern Air Division. The 24th was reactivated on 1 January 1989, as the 24th Composite Wing assuming responsibilities for Howard AFB and Albrook AFS. The wing flew

combat Combat ( French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is sometimes resorted to as a method of self-defense, or ...

sortie A sortie (from the French word meaning ''exit'' or from Latin root ''surgere'' meaning to "rise up") is a deployment or dispatch of one military unit, be it an aircraft, ship, or troops, from a strongpoint. The term originated in siege warfare. ...

s in the Invasion of Panama, December 1989 – January 1990. The wing trained foreign and domestic

pilots An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...

forward air control Forward air control is the provision of guidance to close air support (CAS) aircraft intended to ensure that their attack hits the intended target and does not injure friendly troops. This task is carried out by a forward air controller (FAC). ...

. It again flew search and rescue, aeromedical airlift and disaster relief missions in the Latin American region from 1989–1990. Members of the wing deployed to Southwest Asia to provide air liaison support between ground forces and air operations from 1 October 1990 – February 1991. When the 24th Composite Wing inactivated in 1991, its assets were placed under Air Forces in Panama. On 11 February 1992 the wing again reactivated as the 24th Wing and became the senior USAF organization in Panama and replaced the previous command and division-level Air Force host units. In June 1992, it began operating the only C–21, CT–43, C–27 and special mission C–130s in

Air Combat Command Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the primary provider of air combat forces for the Air Force, and i ...

. The wing provided control and support to multi-service units directed by United States Southern Command and United States Southern Air Force from 1992–1999. Missions included counter-

narcotic The term narcotic (, from ancient Greek ναρκῶ ''narkō'', "to make numb") originally referred medically to any psychoactive compound with numbing or paralyzing properties. In the United States, it has since become associated with opiates ...

s operations, aerial command and control, intratheater airlift, security assistance and defense of the Panama Canal. The wing operated both Howard Air Force Base and Albrook Air Force Station. On 1 April 1997 the 310th Airlift Squadron was reassigned to

Air Mobility Command Air Mobility Command (AMC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the U.S. Air Force. It is headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, east of St. Louis, Missouri. Air Mobility Command was established on 1 June 1992, and was formed from elements ...

's 21st Air Force. The 24th Wing was inactivated on 1 November 1999 with the closure of Howard AFB and its turnover to the Panamanian government.

Special tactics

When the wing was reactivated in June 2012 it comprised the 720th Special Tactics Group and the Special Tactics Training Squadron based at Hurlburt Field, the 724th Special Tactics Group based at Pope Army Airfield. The Special Tactics Squadrons are made up of Special Tactics Officers,

Combat Controllers United States Air Force Combat Control Teams, singular Combat Controller (CCT) ( AFSC 1Z2X1), are an elite American special operations force (specifically known as "special tactics operators") who specialize in all aspects of air-ground communi ...

, Combat Rescue Officers, Pararescuemen, Special Reconnaissance (formerly Special Operations Weather Technicians), Air Liaison Officers, Tactical Air Control Party operators, and a number of combat support airmen which comprise 58 Air Force specialties. Special Tactics Airmen often embed with United States special forces including Navy SEALs, Army Green Berets and Rangers to provide various skills from combat air support to medical aid and personnel recovery.

Lineage

* Established as the 24th Composite Wing (Special) on 19 November 1942 : Activated on 25 December 1942 : Disestablished on 15 June 1944 * Reestablished as 24th Composite Wing on 5 August 1946 : Activated on 25 August 1946 : Inactivated on 28 July 1948 * Activated on 30 October 1967 (not organized) : Organized on 8 November 1967 : Redesignated 24th Air Commando Wing on 15 March 1968 : Redesignated 24th Special Operations Wing on 15 July 1968 : Redesignated 24th Special Operations Group on 30 June 1972 : Redesignated 24th Composite Group on 15 November 1973 : Redesignated 24th Composite Wing on 1 January 1976 : Inactivated on 31 January 1987 * Activated on 1 January 1989 : Inactivated on 15 February 1991 : Redesignated 24th Wing on 1 February 1992 : Activated on 11 February 1992 : Inactivated on 1 November 1999Lineage, including assignments, stations, aircraft and components through 1999 in AFHRA Factsheet, 24 Wing * Redesignated 24th Special Operations Wing : Activated on 12 June 2012

Assignments

Iceland Base Command Iceland Base Command (IBC) is an inactive United States Army organization. It was established for the United States defense of the Kingdom of Iceland during World War II. It was inactivated on 4 March 1947. History Origins Iceland was an impor ...

, US Army Forces, Iceland, 25 December 1942 – 15 June 1944 * Sixth Air Force, 25 August 1946 – 28 July 1948 * United States Air Forces Southern Command, 30 October 1967 * United States Air Force Southern Air Division, 1 January 1976 – 31 January 1987 * 830th Air Division, 1 January 1989 – 15 February 1991 * Twelfth Air Force, 11 February 1992 – 1 November 1999 *

, 12 June 2012 – present

Components

Groups * 24th Operations Group: 11 February 1992 – 1 November 1999 * 130th Special Operations Group: attached 30 January 1971 – 27 February 1971, 5–14 February 1973 * 134th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Group: attached 1 November 1943 – 15 June 1944 * 143d Air Commando Group: attached 8 February – 9 March 1969 *

342d Composite Group Iceland Base Command (IBC) is an inactive United States Army organization. It was established for the United States defense of the Kingdom of Iceland during World War II. It was inactivated on 4 March 1947. History Origins Iceland was an impor ...

: 25 December 1942 – 18 March 1944 * 720th Special Tactics Group: 12 June 2012 – present * 724th Special Tactics Group: 12 June 2012 – present Squadrons *

33d Fighter Squadron The 33rd Special Operations Squadron is a United States Air Force unit, assigned to the 27th Special Operations Group at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. The squadron operates the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper. The unit is one of the oldest squ ...

: 18 March 1944 – 15 June 1944 *

91st Reconnaissance Squadron The 91st Cyberspace Operations Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit, currently assigned to the 67th Cyberspace Wing at Kelly Annex, part of Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. The 91st delivers cyber warfare capabilities to combatant ...

: 12 January 1948 – 26 July 1948 * 330th Transport Squadron: 25 August 1946 – 15 October 1946 * 24th Air Transport: 15 March 1968 – 30 June 1971 * 605th Air Commando Squadron (later 605th Special Operations Squadron): 8 November 1967 – 30 April 1972 * 24th Special Operations Squadron (later 24th Composite Squadron; 24th Tactical Air Support Squadron): 18 March 1969 – 1 July 1975; 1 January 1976 – 31 January 1987; 1 January 1989 – 15 February 1991 * Special Tactics Training Squadron: 12 June 2012 – present Detachments * Det A, Fighter Command (IBC, US Army Forces, Iceland): attached 12 Feb – 15 June 1944 * Det, 314 Troop Carrier Group: attached 1 October 1946 – 26 July 1948 * TAC A-7 Rotational Element (various detachments): attached 13 November 1972 – 30 September 1978 * ANG A-7 Rotational Element (various detachments): attached 1 October 1978 – 31 January 1987 * ANG A-10 Rotational Element (various detachments): attached Feb–Apr 1985 * TAC C-130 Rotational Element (various detachments): attached 8 November 1967 – 30 November 1974 * MAC C-130 Rotational Element (various detachments): attached 1 December 1974 – 30 September 1977 * AFRES and ANG C-130 Rotational Element (various detachments): attached 1 Oct 1977 – c. 1 December 1984

Stations

* Camp Olympia, Reykjavík, Iceland, 25 December 1942 * Camp Tripoli, Reykjavik, Iceland, 13 March – 15 June 1944 * Borinquen Field (later Borinquen Army Air Field, Borinquen Field, Ramey Air Force Base), Puerto Rico, 25 August 1946 – 28 July 1948 * Albrook Air Force Base,

, 8 November 1967 * Howard Air Force Base, Panama Canal Zone, 3 January 1968 – 31 January 1987 * Howard Air Force Base, Panama Canal Zone (later Panama), 1 January 1989 – 15 February 1991 * Howard Air Force Base, Panama, 11 February 1992 – 1 November 1999 * Hurlburt Field, Florida, 12 June 2012 – present

Aircraft

The 24th Special Operations Wing currently does not have any aircraft; it is composed of ground operators. *

Lockheed P-38 Lightning The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinctive twi ...

(1942–1944) * Bell P-39 Airacobra (1942–1943) * Curtiss P-40 Warhawk (1943–1944) *

Republic P-47 Thunderbolt The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bombe ...

(1944) *

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Theater ...

(1946–1948) * Douglas C-47 Skytrain (1946–1948, 1967–1970) * Douglas C-54 Skymaster (1947–1948, 1967–1972) *

Beechcraft F-2 Expeditor The Beechcraft Model 18 (or "Twin Beech", as it is also known) is a 6- to 11-seat, twin-engined, low-wing, tailwheel light aircraft manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas. Continuously produced from 1937 to November ...

(1948) * Douglas A-26 Invader (1967–1968) *

Curtiss C-46 Commando The Curtiss C-46 Commando is a twin-engine transport aircraft derived from the Curtiss CW-20 pressurised high-altitude airliner design. Early press reports used the name "Condor III" but the Commando name was in use by early 1942 in company pub ...

(1967–1968) * Douglas C-118 Liftmaster (1967–1971) * Lockheed C-130 Hercules (1967–1984, 1992–1999) * Convair C-131 Samaritan (1967–1968) * Sikorsky CH-3 (1967–1970) * Sikorsky H-19 (1967–1969) * North American T-28 Trojan (1967–1970) * Convair VT-29 (1967–1970) * Helio U-10 Courier (1967–1971) *

Bell UH-1 Iroquois The Bell UH-1 Iroquois (nicknamed "Huey") is a utility military helicopter designed and produced by the American aerospace company Bell Helicopter. It is the first member of the prolific Huey family, as well as the first turbine-powered helic ...

(1967–1983) * Cessna A-37 Dragonfly (1967–1972) * Grumman HU-16 Albatross (1969) * Fairchild C-123 Provider (1970–1975) * Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar (1971, 1973) * Cessna O-2 Skymaster (1971–1986) * LTV A-7 Corsair II (1972–1987) *

Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is a single-seat, twin-turbofan, straight-wing, subsonic attack aircraft developed by Fairchild Republic for the United States Air Force (USAF). In service since 1976, it is named for the Republ ...

(1985) * Cessna OA-37 Dragonfly (1985–1991) * Learjet C-21 (1992–1999) *

Boeing T-43 The Boeing T-43 is a modified Boeing 737#737-200, Boeing 737-200 that was used by the United States Air Force for training navigators, now known as USAF combat systems officers, from 1973 to 2010. Informally referred to as the Gator (an abbrevi ...

(1992–1999) * Alenia C-27 Spartan (1992–1999)

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * {{USAAF 6th Air Force World War II Military units and formations in Florida

024 4 (four) is a number, numeral (linguistics), numeral and numerical digit, digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is tetraphobia, considered unlucky in many East Asian c ...

1942 establishments in Iceland