67th Special Operations Squadron

The 67th Special Operation Squadron is an active unit assigned to the 752d Special Operations Group, United States Air Force, and is based at Royal Air Force base RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, eastern England.

67th Special Operations Squadron
Squadron MC-130J Commando II at RAF Mildenhall
Active1952–1960; 1961–present
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
RoleSpecial Operations
Part ofAir Force Special Operations Command
Garrison/HQRAF Mildenhall
Nickname(s)Night Owls (1994-present)
EngagementsDesert Storm
Kosovo War[1]
DecorationsAir Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device
Air Force Gallant Unit Citation
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation[1]
Insignia
67th Special Operations Squadron emblem (approved 8 May 2007)[1]
67th Special Operations Squadron emblem (approved 16 June 1994)[2]
67th Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Squadron emblem (approved 15 August 1985)[2][3]
67th Air Rescue Squadron emblem

Mission

From their base at RAF Mildenhall, the 67th Special Operations Squadron's MC-130J Commando II flies single or multi-ship low-level air refueling missions for special operations helicopters, and infiltration, exfiltration, and resupply of special operations forces by airdrop or airland. The MC-130P primarily flies missions at low-altitude at night to reduce probability of visual acquisition and intercept by airborne threats.[4]

MC 130P aircraft

The squadron completed transitioned from the Lockheed MC-130P Combat Shadow in February 2014.[5] The squadron currently operates the Lockheed MC-130J Commando II.

History

The unit was constituted as the 67th Air Rescue Squadron on 17 October 1952. It was activated on 14 November 1952 at RAF Sculthorpe, England, and discontinued, and inactivated, on 18 March 1960 at Prestwick Airport, Scotland. It was activated again on 10 May 1961, and organized on 18 June 1961 at Prestwick Airport, Scotland. The unit was redesignated 67th Air Recovery Squadron on 1 August 1965, and then as the 67th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron on 8 January 1966.[6]

It was transferred to Morón Air Base, Spain on 1 July 1966. On 15 January 1970, the 67th ARRS transferred to RAF Woodbridge, England. The unit operated the Lockheed HC-130 fixed wing (also used as rotational support for their detachment of H-3 helicopters stationed at NAS Keflavik, Iceland) and Sikorsky MH-53 rotary wing aircraft.[6]

On 1 June 1988 the unit was split into two units redesignated the 67th Special Operations Squadron for the HC-130 aircraft and the 21st Special Operations Squadron for the HH-53 rotary wing. On 1 April 1992 they moved to RAF Alconbury, UK. The 67th moved to RAF Mildenhall on May 7 1993.[7] Flying the HC-130 since 1965 (designated the MC-130P since 1996). June 7 2013, the squadron received its first MC-130J Commando II.[8] It is currently stationed at RAF Mildenhall, UK.[6]

Lineage
  • Constituted as the 67th Air Rescue Squadron on 17 October 1952
Activated on 14 November 1952
Discontinued and inactivated on 18 March 1960
  • Activated on 10 May 1961 (not active)
Organized on 18 June 1961
Redesignated 67th Air Recovery Squadron on 1 August 1965
Redesignated 67th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron on 8 January 1966
Redesignated 67th Special Operations Squadron on 1 June 1988[1]

Assignments
  • 9th Air Rescue Group, 14 Nov 1952 (attached to Third Air Force after 15 November 1953)
  • Air Rescue Service, 24 Jun 1958–18 March 1960
  • Military Air Transport Service, 10 May 1961 (not organized)
  • Air Rescue Service (later Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Service), 18 June 1961
  • Atlantic Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Center (later, 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing), 8 April 1967
  • 39th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing (later 39th Special Operations Wing), 17 May 1973 (under operational control of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 12–27 June 1976, attached to Joint Special Operations Task Force: 13 January–18 March 1991, 6 April–10 June 1991)
  • 352d Special Operations Group, 1 December 1992 (attached to Joint Special Operations Task Force, 2 March–12 July 1993)[1]
  • 752d Special Operations Group,

Stations
  • RAF Sculthorpe, England, 14 November 1952
  • Prestwick Airport, Scotland, 7 November 1953–18 March 1960
  • Prestwick Airport, Scotland, 18 June 1961
  • Moron Air Base, Spain, 1 July 1966
  • RAF Woodbridge, England, 15 January 1970 (deployed at RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus, 13–27 June 1976; Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, 13 January–18 March 1991 and 6 April–10 June 1991)
  • RAF Alconbury, England, 1 April 1992 (deployed at Brindisi Air Base, Italy and Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, 2 March–12 July 1993)
  • RAF Mildenhall, England, 17 February 1995 – present[1]

Aircraft
  • Boeing SB-29 Superfortress, 1952-1956
  • Fairchild C-82 Packet, 1952-1953
  • Douglas C-47 Skytrain, 1953-1955
  • Douglas SC-54 Skymaster (later HC-54), 1955-1958, 1962-1965
  • Sikorsky SH-19 (later HH-19), 1955-1960, 1962-1964
  • Grumman SA-16 Albatross (later HU-16), 1957-1960, 1962-1963
  • Douglas C-54 Skymaster, 1962-1965
  • Lockheed HC-130 Hercules (later MC-130), 1965-2014
  • Lockheed MC-130J Commando II, 2013
  • Kaman HH-43 Huskie, 1966-1969, 1970, 1971-1972
  • Sikorsky HH-3 Jolly Green Giant, 1969-1971
  • Sikorsky HH-53 Super Jolly Green Giant, 1971-1988[1]

See also

References

Notes
  1. Robertson, Patsy (20 June 2011). "Factsheet 67 Special Operations Squadron (AFSOC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
  2. Endicott, p. 630
  3. "Approved insignia for: 67th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron". National Archives Catalog. 4 February 1986. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
  4. "Factsheets : 352nd Special Operations Group". Air Force Special Operations Command. 2012. Archived from the original on 10 December 2008. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  5. "The Last Shadow – MC-130P Retirement". Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  6. "67th Special Operations Squadron". globalsecurity.org. 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  7. "RAF Mildenhall History". Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  8. "352nd SOG welcomes MC-130J". Retrieved 23 March 2020.

Bibliography

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

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