15th Special Operations Squadron


The 15th Special Operations Squadron is part of the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida. It operates Lockheed MC-130H Combat Talon II aircraft in support of special operations.
The squadron was first activated in 1942 as the 520th Bombardment Squadron. It engaged in antisubmarine warfare operations as the 15th Antisubmarine Squadron off the Atlantic coast of the United States until 1943 when the Navy assumed responsibility for the mission. It was disbanded in the fall of that year.
In 1944, the 15th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy was activated as a Boeing B-29 Superfortress unit. It participated in combat operations against Japan in 1945, receiving a Distinguished Unit Citation. The squadron was inactivated on Guam in 1946. It was again briefly active in the Air Force Reserve from 1947 to 1949.
The 15th Special Operations Squadron was activated in Vietnam as a Lockheed C-130 Hercules gunship squadron. It participated in combat until it was inactivated in 1970, earning a Presidential Unit Citation, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat V device and Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm.
The 15th Antisubmarine Squadron and 15th Bombardment Squadron were consolidated with the 15th Special Operations Squadron in September 1985, but remained inactive until 1992, when the squadron again activated as a special operations C-130 unit.

Mission

Global, day and night, adverse weather capability to insert, extract, and resupply special operations forces by low or high altitude airdrop or airland operations.

History

Antisubmarine warfare

The first predecessor of the squadron was activated at Jacksonville Municipal Airport in late 1942 as the 520th Bombardment Squadron, one of the four original squadrons of the 378th Bombardment Group. The squadron apparently drew its cadre from the 18th Observation Squadron, which moved on paper from Jacksonville to Birmingham Army Air Field, Alabama the same day. It was originally equipped with a mixture of observation aircraft and medium bombers. Using these aircraft, the squadron began flying antisubmarine patrols off the Atlantic Coast.
AAF Antisubmarine Command soon reorganized, eliminating its groups and assigning its squadrons directly to its two wings. As a result, the squadron became the 15th Antisubmarine Squadron and was assigned to the 26th Antisubmarine Wing. Although assigned to the 25th Wing, the squadron flew most missions in the area north of its station, moving its operations to Langley Field, Virginia in 1943, so it was attached to the 25th Antisubmarine Wing until July 1943, when it moved its operations to Drew Field, Florida.
In July 1943, the AAF and Navy reached an agreement to transfer the coastal antisubmarine mission to the Navy. This mission transfer also included an exchange of AAF long-range bombers equipped for antisubmarine warfare for Navy Consolidated B-24 Liberators without such equipment. The squadron continued operations from Batista Field, Cuba until it was disbanded on 2 November 1943.

B-29 bombardment squadron

The second predecessor of the squadron is the 15th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy, which was activated as part of the 16th Bombardment Group on 1 April 1944 at Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas as a Boeing B-29 Superfortress unit. It moved to Fairmont Army Airfield, Nebraska for training in August 1944 and received Bell B-29B Superfortresses designed for fast low-level bomb runs. The squadron deployed to the Pacific Theater of Operations, where it was stationed at Northwest Field, Guam under XXI Bomber Command's 315th Bombardment Wing. It flew very long range strategic bombardment missions over the Japanese Home Islands concentrating on oil industry targets, particularly refineries and coal liquification facilities. No B-29s from the squadron were lost during combat operations over Japan.
The squadron was inactivated on Guam 15 April 1946. Its personnel returned to the United States and its aircraft were sent to storage in the Southwest United States.
The squadron was briefly reactivated as a part of the Air Force Reserve between 1 August 1947 and 27 June 1949.

Combat Talon

The designation was revived and reactivated in Southeast Asia in 1968. The 15th Special Operations Squadron saw combat and performed special operations missions from 15 March 1968, to 31 October 1970, flying the C-130E Combat Talon. The unit was again inactivated, but was consolidated with the 15th Antisubmarine Squadron and the 15th Bombardment Squadron in September 1985.
The 15th SOS was reactivated on 1 October 1992, to operate the MC-130H Combat Talon II and assigned to the 1st Special Operations Wing.
The Combat Talon was first operational as Detachment 1, 314th Troop Carrier Wing beginning 1 September 1966, as a support unit for MACV-SOG. On 15 March 1968, the detachment was designated the 15th Air Commando Squadron, and then the 15th Special Operations Squadron on 1 August 1968, and made part of the 14th Special Operations Wing. In Vietnam, the aircraft was used to drop leaflets over North Vietnamese positions, and to insert and resupply special forces and indigenous units into hostile territory throughout Southeast Asia. Combat Talon crews operated unescorted at low altitudes and at night.

Lineage

; 15th Antisubmarine Squadron
; 15th Bombardment Squadron
; 15th Special Operations Squadron