522nd Special Operations Squadron The 522D SOS, located at Cannon AFB, NM, is one of eight flying squadrons within the 27th Special Operations Wing. The squadron is currently awaiting the delivery of its first MC-130J Commando II aircraft, expected 29 Sep 11. Following an extensive Operational Test and Evaluation of the airframe and its new capabilities, the unit will utilize these aircraft to accomplish global special operations taskings as an Air Force component of USSOCOM. MC-130J aircrews will plan, prepare, and execute missions to directly support special operations commanders through day and night low level infiltration/exfiltration, helicopter/tilt-rotor aerial refueling, and aerial delivery resupply of special operation forces. Lineage Constituted 16 Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 22 Dec 1939. Activated on 1 Feb 1940. Redesignated: 522 Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 23 Aug 1943; 522 Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 30 May 1944; 522 Fighter Squadron, Two Engine, on 22 Jul 1947. 522 Fighter Squadron, Jet, on 1 Dec 1949; 522 Fighter-Escort Squadron on 1 Feb 1950; 522 Strategic Fighter Squadron on 20 Jan 1953; 522 Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 1 Jul 1957; 522 Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 Jul 1958; 522 Fighter Squadron on 1 Nov 1991. Inactivated on 21 Dec 2007. Redesignated as 522 Special Operations Squadron on 2 Mar 2011. Activated on 7 Apr 2011. Assignments 27 Bombardment (later, 27 Fighter-Bomber; 27 Fighter) Group, assigned 1 Feb 1940-7 Nov 1945. 27 Fighter (later, 27 Fighter-Escort) Group, 20 Aug 1946 (attached to 27 Fighter-Escort Wing, 6 Aug 1951-15 Jun 1952); 27 Fighter-Escort (later, 27 Strategic Fighter; 27 Fighter-Bomber; 27 Tactical Fighter; 27 Fighter) Wing, 16 Jun 1952 (attached to unkn, 6 Sep-18 Dec 1958; TUSLOG, 18 Oct 1959-22 Feb 1960; 405 Fighter Wing, 23 Feb 1960-7 Mar 1961; TUSLOG, 5 Feb-15 Jun 1962; 2 Air Division, 12 Dec 1962-15 Feb 1963 and 16 Mar-6 May 1964; 405 Fighter Wing, 8 Aug-20 Sep 1964; 2 Air Division, 20 Sep-15 Nov 1964; 405 Fighter Wing, 15 Aug-25 Nov 1965; 27 Operations Group, 1 Nov 1991-21 Dec 2007. 27 Special Operations Group, 7 Oct 2011-. Stations Barksdale Field, Louisiana, 1 Feb 1940; Hunter Field, Georgia, 7 Oct 1940-19 Oct 1941; Fort William McKinley, Luzon, Philippines, 20 Nov 1941; Lipa Airfield, Luzon, Philippines, 22 Dec 1941; Cabcaben, Luzon (Ground echelon), 25 Dec 1941; Air echelon operated from Archerfield Airport, Brisbane, Australia, 24 Dec 1941-16 Feb 1942; Bataan, Luzon (Ground echelon), 29 Dec 1941; Air echelon operated from Batchelor Airfield, Australia, 17 Feb-c. 8 Mar 1942; Air echelon operated from Archerfield Airport, Brisbane, Australia, c. 10-c. 25 Mar 1942; Charters Towers Airfield, Australia, Apr-4 May 1942; Hunter Field, Georgia, 4 May 1942; Key Field, Mississippi, 14 Jul 1942; Hattiesburg Army Airfield, Mississippi, 15 Aug 1942; Harding Army Airfield, Louisiana, 25 Oct-21 Nov 1942; Sainte-Barbe du Tlélat Airfield, Algeria, 26 Dec 1942; Nouvion Airfield, Algeria, 5 Jan 1943; Ras el Ma Airfield, French Morocco, 4 Apr 1943; Korba Airfield, Tunisia, c. 8 Jun 1943; Gela Airfield, Sicily, 18 Jul 1943; Barcelona Landing Ground, Sicily, 3 Sep 1943; Capaccio Airfield, Italy, 18 Sep 1943; Paestum Airfield, Italy, 4 Nov 1943; Pomigliano Airfield, Italy, 19 Jan 1944; Castel Volturno Airfield, Italy, 10 Apr 1944; Santa Maria Airfield, Italy, 9 May 1944; Le Banca Airfield, Italy, 7 Jun 1944; Ciampino Airfield, Italy, 12 Jun 1944; Voltone Airfield, Italy, 4 Jul 1944; Serragia Airfield, Corsica, 10 Jul 1944; Le Luc Airfield, France, 25 Aug 1944; Salon-de-Provence Air Base (BA 701), France, 30 Aug 1944; Loyettes Airfield (Y-25), France, 11 Sep 1944; Tarquinia Airfield, Italy, 2 Oct 1944; Pontedera Airfield, Italy, 3 Dec 1944; St-Dizier Airfield (A-64), France, 21 Feb 1945; Toul/Ochey Airfield (A-96), France, 19 Mar 1945; Biblis Airfield (Y-78), Germany, 5 Apr 1945; AAF Station Mannheim/Sandhofen, Germany, 23 Jun 1945; AAF Station Stuttgart/Echterdingen, Germany, 15 Sep-20 Oct 1945; Camp Shanks, New York, 6-7 Nov 1945; AAF Station Fritzlar, Germany, 20 Aug 1946; AAF Station Bad Kissingen, Germany, 25 Jun 1947; Andrews Field, Maryland, 25 Jun 1947; Kearney AAFld (later, AFB), Nebraska, 16 Jul 1947; Bergstrom AFB, Texas, 16 Mar 1949; Taegu AB (K-9), South Korea, 5 Dec 1950-30 Jan 1951; Itazuke AB, Japan, 31 Jan-20 Jun 1951; Misawa AB, Japan, 13-16 Oct 1952; Chitose AB, Japan, 17 Oct 1952-c. 13 Feb 1953; RAF Sturgate, England, 7 May-17 Aug 1955; Kadena AB, Okinawa, 6 Sep-18 Dec 1958; Cannon AFB, New Mexico, 18 Feb 1959-30 September 2007; Incirlik AB, Turkey, 18 Oct 1959-22 Feb 1960; Clark AB, Philippines, 13 Feb-c. 7 Mar 1961; England AFB, Louisiana, 29 Mar-5 May 1961; Incirlik AB, Turkey, 5 Feb-15 Jun 1962; MacDill AFB, Florida, 21 Oct-1 Dec 1962; Takhli RTAFB, Thailand, 12 Dec 1962-c. 15 Feb 1963 and 16 Mar-6 May 1964; Clark AB, Philippines 8 Aug-15 Nov 1964 and 15 Aug-25 Nov 1965; Holloman AFB, New Mexico, 13 Apr-12 May 1966; Undisclosed locations in Southwest Asia as part of 27th Expeditionary Operations Group, 2002-2007; Cannon AFB, New Mexico, 1 October 2007-1 March 2008; Cannon AFB, New Mexico, 7 April 2011-Present 2009-. Aircraft B-18 Bolos & A-18 Shrikes, 1940-1941; A-24 Banshee, 1941-1942; A-20 Havoc, 1941, 1942-1943; A-36 Apache, 1943-1944; P-40 Warhawk, 1944; P-47 Thunderbolt, 1944-1945; 1946-1947; P-51 Mustang, 1947-1948; F-82 Twin Mustang, 1948-1950; F-84 Thunderjet, 1950-1951, 1951-1957; F-101 Voodoo, 1957-1958; F-100 Super Sabre, 1959-1969; F-111 Aardvark, 1969-1970, 1970-1971, 1971-1998; F-16 Falcon, 1998-2007; MC-130J Commando II, 2011-Present Operations Combat in Southwest Pacific, 8 Dec 1941-4 May 1942; ground echelon fought with infantry units in Philippine Islands, Jan-Apr 1942. Combat in Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) and European Theater of Operations (ETO), 6 Jun 1943-4 May 1945. Combat in Korea, 9 Nov 1950-31 May 1951. F-100 replacement training, 1 Jan 1966-6 Mar 1969. Conducted overseas deployments to maintain combat readiness of personnel and aircraft, 1984-1989. Rotated personnel and aircraft to Incirlik AB, Turkey in support of operations in Southwest Asia, Sep 1992-Jul 1993. Transitioned to F-16 aircraft in 1998 and trained for day and night, all weather precision attack and electronic combat operations. Maintained capability to deploy and support unified commanders worldwide with day and night combat operations, 2000-2007. Service Streamers None Campaign Streamers World War II: Philippine Islands, 1941-1942; East Indies, 1942; Sicily, 1943; Naples-Foggia, 1943-1944; Anzio, 1944; Rome-Arno, 1944; Northern France, 1944; Southern France, 1944; North Apennines, 1944-1945; Rhineland, 1944-1945; Central Europe, 1945; Air Combat, EAME Theater, 1943-1945. Korea: CCF Intervention, 1950-1951; First UN Counteroffensive, 1951; CCF Spring Offensive, 1951. Vietnam: Advisory 1961-1965, Defensive 1965-1966. Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers None Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations Philippine Islands, 7 Dec 1941-[May] 1942; Philippine Islands, 8-22 Dec 1941; Philippine Islands, 6 Jan-8 Mar 1942; Italy, 10 Sep 1943; France, 4 Sep 1944; Korea, 26 Jan-21 Apr 1951. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jan 1962-1 Jan 1964, 8 Aug 19-15 Nov 1964, 1 Jan 1981-30 Jun 1982; 1 Jan 1988-31 Dec 1989; 1 Apr 1992-31 Mar 1993; 1 Jun 1996-31 May 1998; 1 Jun 2002-31 May 2004. Philippine Presidential Unit Citation (7 Dec 1941-10 May 1942). Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation: 9 Nov 1950-31 May 1951.