1st Special Operations Wing
| 1st Special Operations Wing | |
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 1st Special Operations Wing emblem |
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| Active | 1932-1943, 1944-1948, 1962-present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Role | Special Operations |
| Part of | Air Force Special Operations Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Hurlburt Field |
| Motto | Any Time, Any Place |
| Engagements | War in Southwest Asia Afghanistan Campaign Iraq Campaign |
| Decorations |  DUC AFOUA w/ V Device |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Col Norman J. Brozenick Jr. |
| Notable commanders |
Charles R. Holland Norton A. Schwartz |
The 1st Special Operations Wing (1 SOW) is a wing of the United States Air Force, the Air Force component of the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOC) and the host unit at Hurlburt Field, Florida.
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Activated as the 16th Pursuit Group on December 1, 1932, in the Panama Canal Zone. Redesignated the 16th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) in 1939 and the 16th Fighter Group in 1942. Disbanded on November 1, 1943. Re-established and consolidated with the 1st Special Operations Wing on October 1, 1993, as the 16th Special Operations Wing.[1]
Established in August 1943, the 5318th Air Unit was redesignated "Provisional Composite No. 1 Air Commandos" and tasked with supporting the British Chindits. It was later renamed the 1st Air Commando Group on March 25, 1944, activated March 29, 1944 and consolidated on August 9, 1944, then inactivated on November 3, 1945; disestablished on October 8, 1948; and re-established on April 18, 1962.[1]
The 4400th Combat Crew Training Squadron (CCTS) was the official designation of the initial and parent unit formed in early 1961 as an idea of General Curtis LeMay. The designation was later changed to Air Commando (wings, squadrons, or detachments). Jungle Jim was first a code name and later a nickname of the original 4400th CCTS. Members of the unit wore an Australian type green fatigue bush hat. The Air Commandos soon deployed to Laos and South Vietnam as part of Operation Farm Gate in the Vietnam War.
It was activated and organized again on April 27, 1962; redesignated 1st Air Commando Wing on June 1, 1963; 1st Special Operations Wing on July 8, 1968; 834th Tactical Composite Wing on July 1, 1974; 1st Special Operations Wing on July 1, 1975. [1]
To comply with Air Force Chief of Staff General Merrill McPeak’s directive that no active duty units would have the same designation, the Air Force decided to redesignate the wing to the 16th SOW because the 1st Fighter Wing, located at Langley AFB, VA, possessed a higher heritage score. On October 1, 1993, the Air Force officially redesignated the 1 SOW as the 16th Special Operations Wing.[1]
In 2006, the Air Force announced the stand-up of a second active duty Air Force Special Operations Wing at Cannon AFB, NM. Because of the proud and rich heritage of special operations and Hurlburt Field, Air Force leadership decided that it would return the Hurlburt based wing back to its original 1 SOW designation and activate a new and separate 16 SOW at Cannon AFB. On November 16, 2006, the Air Force redesignated the 16 SOW back to the 1 SOW. The 1 SOW retained all the honors the 16 SOW / 1 ACW / 1 ACG / 16 PG garnered in its 74 year existence. [1]
The following units and aircraft are assigned to the 1st Special Operations Wing:[2]
- 1st Special Operations Group
- 1st Special Operations Support Squadron
- 4th Special Operations Squadron, AC-130U Spooky Gunship
- 6th Special Operations Squadron, UH-1N Iroquois, Mi-8, C-130E, An-26, C-47T
- 8th Special Operations Squadron, CV-22 Osprey
- 9th Special Operations Squadron, Eglin AFB, MC-130P Combat Shadow
- 15th Special Operations Squadron, MC-130H Combat Talon II
- 16th Special Operations Squadron, AC-130H Spectre Gunship
- 19th Special Operations Squadron (Formal Flight Training)
- 319th Special Operations Squadron, U-28A
- 1st Special Operations Maintenance Group:
- 1st Special Operations Maintenance Operations Squadron
- 1st Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
- 1st Special Operations Component Maintenance Squadron
- 1st Special Operations Equipment Maintenance Squadron
- 1st Special Operations Helicopter Maintenance Squadron
- 1st Special Operations Maintenance Squadron
- 1st Special Operations Mission Support Group:
- 1st Special Operations Civil Engineer Squadron
- 1st Special Operations Communications Squadron
- 1st Special Operations Comptroller Squadron
- 1st Special Operations Contracting Squadron
- 1st Special Operations Logistics Readiness Squadron
- 1st Special Operations Mission Support Squadron
- 1st Special Operations Security Forces Squadron
- 1st Special Operations Services Squadron
- 1st Special Operations Medical Group:
- 1st Special Operations Aero Medical Squadron
- 1st Special Operations Dental Support Squadron
- 1st Special Operations Medical Operations Squadron
- 1st Special Operations Medical Support Squadron
- Unknown- 1932-1933
- Maj Robert L. Walsh, c. Sept. 2, 1933-c. Aug. 14, 1935
- Lt Col Willis H. Hale, Sept. 1938-Aug. 8, 1939
- Maj Arthur L. Bump, c. 1939-c. Feb. 1941
- Capt Roger J. Browne, Feb. 24, 1941
- Lt Col Otto P. Weyland, May 20, 1941
- Maj John A. H. Miller, March 1, 1942
- Lt Col Philip B. Klein, April 10, 1942
- Lt Col Hiette S. William Jr., Sept. 1942
- Maj James K. Johnson, 1943
- Maj Edwin Bishop Jr., Sept. 25, 1943 - unknown
- Col Philip G. Cochran, March 29, 1944 (original unit)
- Col Clinton B. Gaty, May 20, 1944 (original unit to Aug. 9, 1944; establishment thereafter)
- Col Robert W. Hall, c. April 7, 1945 - unkn.
- Lt Col Miles M. Doyle, April 27, 1962
- Col Chester A. Jack, April 29, 1962
- Col Gerald R. Dix, March 19, 1963
- Col Harry C. Aderholt, March 28, 1964
- Col Gordon F. Bradburn, July 10, 1964
- Col Hugh G. Fly Jr., Dec. 1, 1965
- Col Alpheus W. Blizzard Jr., April 3, 1967
- Col Albert S. Pouloit, Sept. 9, 1967
- Col Leonard Volet, Feb. 14, 1969
- Col Robert W. Gates, July 15, 1969
- Col Michael C. Horgan, Oct. 31, 1970
- Col James H. Montrose, April 1, 1973
- Brig Gen William J. Holton, Jan. 11, 1974
- Col Edward Levell Jr., July 1, 1976
- Col Richard H. Dunwoody, July 29, 1977
- Col Theodore W. Stuart, March 13, 1980
- Col Hugh L. Cox III, Feb. 26, 1982
- Col Hugh L. Hunter, March 1, 1983
- Col Leonard A. Butler, July 12, 1985
- Col Hanson L. Scott, Aug. 28, 1986
- Col Dale E. Stovall, July 13, 1987
- Col George A. Gray III, June 21, 1989
- Col Gary C. Vycital, c. Aug. 29, 1990 (temporary)
- Col George A. Gray III, c. Nov. 24, 1990
- Col Gary C. Vycital, c. Dec. 24, 1990 (temporary)
- Col George A. Gray III, March 13, 1991
- Col Charles R. Holland, June 20, 1991
- Brig Gen Maxwell C. Bailey, June 7, 1993
- Brig Gen Norton A. Schwartz, June 2, 1995
- Col Richard L. Comer, May 16, 1997
- Col Donald C. Wurster, June 12, 1998
- Col David J. Scott, July 29, 1999
- Col Lyle M. Koenig, June 29, 2001
- Col Frank J. Kisner, June 28,2002
- Col Otis G. Mannon, Oct. 24, 2003
- Col Norman J. Brozenick Jr., July 7, 2005
- Col Marshall B. "Brad" Webb, July 3, 2007 to Present
- Hurlburt Field (official site)
- 1st Special Operations Wing Heritage Site
- Historian revisits wing's past, 1st Special Operations Wing Office of History
- The unofficial PAVE LOW website
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