318th Special Operations Squadron

318th Special Operations Squadron
	318th Squadron Pilatus PC-12 at Cannon AFB
Active	1944–1946; 1971–1974; 2007–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Special Operations
Part of	Air Force Special Operations Command
Garrison/HQ	Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico
Engagements	Southwest Pacific Theater[1]
Decorations	; Philippine Presidential Unit Citation[1]
Insignia
318th Special Operations Squadron emblem (approved 10 July 2008)[1]

The 318th Special Operations Squadron flies the Pilatus PC-12 and is currently stationed at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. The 318th is under the command of the Air Force Special Operations Command. Crews plan, prepare, and execute nonstandard aviation missions in support of joint special operations forces while directly supporting theater special operations commanders by conducting night vision infiltration, exfiltration, resupply and other combat taskings on unimproved runways.[2]

History

The squadron was activated on 1 May 1944 as the 318th Troop Carrier Squadron (Commando) at Camp Mackall, North Carolina and serving under the 3d Air Commando Group. The unit participated in the Southwest Pacific Theater, flying the Waco CG-4 glider and C-47 Skytrain transport. The squadron was inactivated 25 March 1946.

Reactivated on 15 November 1971 at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina, the unit was stood up as the 318th Special Operations Squadron, serving under 1st Special Operations Wing. The unit's mission was to provide unconventional warfare support in Vietnam with the Lockheed C-130 Hercules until inactivation on 1 June 1974.

The unit was most recently reactivated on 16 May 2008. The unit replace a detachment that had operated the Pilatus PC-12 since 27 July 2007, first at Hurlburt Field, Florida as 1st Special Operations Group, Detachment 4, then after 30 December 2007 at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico as 27th Special Operations Group, Detachment 2.[2]

Lineage

Constituted as the 318th Troop Carrier Squadron, Commando on 1 May 1944 and activated

Inactivated on 25 March 1946

Redesignated 318th Special Operations Squadron on 21 October 1971

Activated on 15 November 1971

Inactivated on 1 June 1974

Activated on 2 May 2008[1]

Assignments

3d Air Commando Group, 1 May 1944 – 25 March 1946.
1st Special Operations Wing, 15 November 1971 – 1 June 1974
27th Special Operations Group, 2 May 2008 – present[1]

Stations

Camp Mackall, North Carolina, 1 May 1944
Dunnellon Army Air Field, Florida, 15 August 1944
Camp Mackall, North Carolina, 12 September 1944
Baer Field, Indiana, 30 September-ii October 1944
Nadzab Airfield Complex, New Guinea, 26 October 1944;
Leyte, Philippines, (undetermined location), 5 January 1945
Mangaldan Airfield, Luzon, Philippines, 26 January 1945
Laoag Airfield, Luzon, Philippines, 15 April 1945
Ie Shima Airfield, Okinawa, 9 August 1945 (operated from Atsugi Airfield, Japan, 20 September-7 October 1945)
Chitose Air Base, Japan, 27 October 1945 – 25 March 1946.
Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina, 15 November 1971 – 1 June 1974
Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, 2 May 2008 – present[1]

Aircraft

Waco CG-4, 1944[2]
Douglas C-47 Skytrain, 1944–1946[2]
Lockheed C-130 Hercules, 1971–1974[2]
PZL C-145A Skytruck, 2007–2013[3]
Pilatus PC-12, 2007–present[2]

References

Notes

Robertson, Patsy (7 August 2008). "Factsheet 318 Special Operations Squadron (AFSOC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
"318th Special Operations Squadron". Cannon Air Force Base. United States Air Force. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014. Retrieved 23 January 2010.
Pons Abascal, Alexxis. "C-145As take final flight at Cannon AFB, relocate to Duke Field". United States Air Force. Retrieved 9 September 2013.

Bibliography

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.
Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.
Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947–1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.

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[318SOSfacts-1] Robertson, Patsy (7 August 2008). "Factsheet 318 Special Operations Squadron (AFSOC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 7 August 2017.

[Factsheet-2] "318th Special Operations Squadron". Cannon Air Force Base. United States Air Force. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014. Retrieved 23 January 2010.

[3] Pons Abascal, Alexxis. "C-145As take final flight at Cannon AFB, relocate to Duke Field". United States Air Force. Retrieved 9 September 2013.