5/20/2009 -  Two 16th Special Operations Squadron AC-130H Spectre gunships land on the Cannon flightline May 19. These are the first of about eight gunships that will be assigned to the base by the end of the summer (U.S. Air Force photo/ Airman 1st Class James Bell)

5/20/2009 - Each of the two AC-130H Spectre gunships assigned to Cannon will sport a unique symbol. The Spectre has been the symbol of the 16th Special Operations Squadron and the AC-130 gunship since inception in the late 1960s. The Spectre represents the unit's special operations mission, usually carried out at night, where they attack quickly and precisely and then vanish, much like the phantoms of folklore do. The unit's motto, "Spectre," represents the nickname of the aircraft the squadron has flown since the Vietnam era. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class James Bell)

5/20/2009 - One of two 16th Special Operations Squadron AC-130H Spectre AC-130H gunships taxis onto the flightline May 19. The 16 SOS formerly transfers from the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hulburt Field, Fla., to the 27th Special Operations Wing at the end of June. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class James Bell)