522nd Special Operations Squadron

522nd Special Operations Squadron
522nd Special Operations Squadron
	A new MC-130J Commando II taxis on the flightline at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., 29 September 2011
Active	1940–1945; 1946–2007; 2011–2014
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	special operations
Part of	Air Force Special Operations Command
Garrison/HQ	Cannon AFB, New Mexico
Nickname(s)	Fireballs
Motto(s)	Air Commando (2011–2014)
Engagements	Southwest Pacific Theater; Mediterranean Theater of Operations; Korean War; Vietnam War[1]
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation; Air Force Meritorious Unit Award; Air Force Outstanding Unit Award; Philippine Presidential Unit Citation; Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation; Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm[1]
Insignia
522nd Special Operations Squadron emblem (approved 25 June 1951)[1]
522nd Fighter-Bomber Squadron emblem (World War II)[2]

The 522nd Special Operations Squadron, nicknamed the Fireballs, was a unit of the United States Air Force. It was part of the 27th Special Operations Group, the flying component of the 27th Special Operations Wing at Cannon Air Force Base. It was the first to operate the MC-130J Commando II.

The 522nd was originally organized in 1940 as the 16th Bombardment Squadron. When the United States entered World War II the squadron was deploying to the Philippines. Its ground echelon fought as infantry, with most members surrendering at Bataan, while the air echelon fought in the Netherlands East Indies, earning the squadron three Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC)s. In May 1942, the squadron reformed at Hunter Field, Georgia. It deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, where it was redesignated the 522nd Fighter-Bomber Squadron and was awarded an additional three DUCs. Following V-E Day, the squadron served in the occupation forces in Germany until the fall of 1945, when it returned to the United States and was inactivated.

The 522nd was reactivated in 1946 and assigned to Strategic Air Command (SAC) as a fighter escort unit. During the Korean War, the squadron deployed to Japan and Korea and was awarded its seventh DUC. In 1957, SAC transferred its fighter squadrons to Tactical Air Command and the squadron became the 522nd Tactical Fighter Squadron the following year. It conducted numerous deployments to bases in Europe and the Pacific, including one to Thailand, where it again saw combat during the Vietnam War. The squadron was inactivated in 2007, when its parent wing converted from the fighter to the special operations mission.

The squadron was reactivated in 2012 as a special operations unit, but was inactivated in 2014 and its mission, personnel and equipment were transferred to the 9th Special Operations Squadron.

History

World War II

The 522nd was originally constituted in 1939 as the 16th Bombardment Squadron (Light) and activated on 1 February 1940.[1] It was stationed at Barksdale Field, Louisiana, and later at Hunter Field, Georgia, before moving to Luzon in the Philippines in 1941. After war began between the United States and Japan, the unit's air echelon operated in Australia. When American units in the Philippines surrendered, ground elements of the unit were part of the Bataan Death March.

The unit was redesignated the 522nd Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 23 August 1943 and then the 522nd Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 30 May 1944. During World War II, it was one of the most decorated U.S. Army Air Force units. The unit later served in conflicts such as the Korean and Vietnam wars, and flew almost a dozen different aircraft in support of various missions.

Strategic Air Command

522nd Fighter-Escort Squadron F-84Gs, Bergstrom AFB, Texas, 1952

Tactical Air Command

522nd TFS F-100D Super Sabre – 56-3150 about 1960

Air Combat Command

522nd F-16C Block 50P 92-3921

The 522nd Fighter Squadron inactivated in 2007 when the 27th Fighter Wing became the 27th Special Operations Wing.[3]

Special operations

The 522nd Special Operations Squadron was reactivated at Cannon Air Force Base on 7 April 2011. The first to be equipped with the Lockheed MC-130J Commando II special operations aircraft, it was tasked with supporting special operations commanders through day and night low-level infiltration, exfiltration, resupply, and air refueling of helicopters.[1][4] In 2012, it achieved initial operational capability.

The unit was inactivated and a ceremony marking this was held on 9 December 2014. The squadron's personnel, aircraft, and equipment were transferred to the 9th Special Operations Squadron,[5] which moved to Cannon without personnel or equipment from Hurlburt Field.

Lineage

Constituted as the 16th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 22 December 1939

Activated on 1 February 1940

Redesignated: 522nd Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 23 August 1943

Redesignated: 522nd Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 30 May 1944

Inactivated on 7 November 1945

Activated on 20 August 1946

Redesignated 522nd Fighter Squadron, Two Engine on 22 July 1947

Redesignated 522nd Fighter Squadron, Jet on 1 December 1949

Redesignated 522nd Fighter-Escort Squadron on 1 February 1950

Redesignated 522nd Strategic Fighter Squadron on 20 January 1953

Redesignated 522nd Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 1 July 1957

Redesignated 522nd Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 July 1958

Redesignated 522nd Fighter Squadron on 1 November 1991

Inactivated on 30 September 2007

Redesignated 522nd Special Operations Squadron on 1 March 2011
Activated 7 April 2011[6]
Inactivated c. 9 December 2014[5]

Assignments

27th Bombardment Group (later, 27th Fighter-Bomber Group, 27th Fighter Group), 1 February 1940 – 7 November 1945
27th Fighter Group (later 27 Fighter-Escort Group), 20 August 1946 (attached to 27th Fighter-Escort Wing after 6 August 1951)
27th Fighter-Escort Wing (later 27th Strategic Fighter Wing, 27th Fighter-Bomber Wing, 27th Tactical Fighter Wing, 27th Fighter Wing), 16 June 1952

Attached to unknown, 6 September–18 December 1958

Attached to TUSLOG, 18 October 1959 – 22 February 1960 and 5 February–15 June 1962

Attached to 405th Fighter Wing, 13 February–c. 7 March 1961, 8 August–c. 20 September 1964 and 15 August–25 November 1965

Attached to 2nd Air Division, 12 December 1962 – c. 15 February 1963, 16 March–6 May 1964 and c. 20 September–15 November 1964

27th Operations Group, 1 November 1991
Twelfth Air Force, 1 October 2007 – 21 December 2007 (attached to 712th Operations Group (Provisional))
27th Special Operations Group, 7 April 2011 – c. 9 December 2014[6][5]

Stations

Barksdale Field, Louisiana, 1 February 1940
Army Air Base, Savannah, Georgia, 7 October 1940 – 19 October 1941
Fort William McKinley, Luzon, Philippines, 20 November 1941
Lipa Airfield, Luzon, Philippines, 22 December 1941
Cabcaben, Luzon, Philippines, (Ground echelon), 25 December 1941

Air echelon operated from Archerfield Airport, 24 December 1941 – 16 February 1942

Bataan, Luzon, Philippines, (Ground echelon), 29 December 1941

Air echelon operated from Batchelor Airfield, Australia, 17 February-c. 8 March 1942

Air echelon operated from Archerfield Airport, Brisbane, Australia, c. 10-c. 25 March 1942

Charters Towers Airfield, Australia, April-4 May 1942
Hunter Field, Georgia, 4 May 1942
Key Field, Mississippi, 14 July 1942
Hattiesburg Army Air Field, Mississippi, 15 August 1942
Harding Field, Louisiana, 25 October–21 November 1942
Sainte-Barbe du Tlélat Airfield, Algeria, 26 December 1942
Nouvion Airfield, Algeria, 5 January 1943
Ras el Ma Airfield, French Morocco, 4 April 1943
Korba Airfield, Tunisia, c. 8 June 1943
Gela Airfield, Sicily, 18 July 1943
Barcellona Landing Ground, Sicily, Italy, 3 September 1943
Capaccio Airfield, Italy, 18 September 1943
Paestum Airfield, Italy, 4 November 1943
Pomigliano Airfield, Italy, 19 January 1944
Castel Volturno Airfield, Italy, 10 April 1944
Santa Maria Airfield, Italy, 9 May 1944
Le Banca Airfield, Italy, 7 June 1944
Ciampino Airfield, Italy, 12 June 1944
Voltone Airfield, Italy, 4 July 1944
Serragia Airfield, Corsica, France, 10 July 1944
Le Luc Airfield, France, 25 August 1944
Salon de Provence Airfield (Y-16),[7] France, 30 August 1944
Loyettes Airfield (Y-25),[7] France, 11 September 1944
Tarquinia Airfield, Italy, 2 October 1944
Pontedera Airfield, Italy, 3 December 1944

St-Dizier Airfield (A-64),[7] France, 21 February 1945
Toul/Ochey Airfield (A-96),[7] France, 19 March 1945
Biblis Airfield (Y-78),[7] Germany, 5 April 1945
AAF Station Mannheim/Sandhofen (Y-79),[7] Germany, 23 June 1945
AAF Station Stuttgart/Echterdingen (R-50),[7] Germany, 15 September–20 October 1945
Camp Shanks, New York, 6–7 November 1945
AAF Station Fritzlar, Germany, 20 August 1946
AAF Station Bad Kissingen, Germany, 25 June 1947
Andrews Field, Maryland, 25 June 1947
Kearney Army Air Field (later, Kearney Air Force Base), Nebraska, 16 July 1947
Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas, 16 March 1949

Deployed to Taegu Air Base (K-9),[8] South Korea, 5 December 1950 – 30 January 1951

Deployed to Itazuke Air Base, Japan, 31 January–20 June 1951

Deployed to Misawa Air Base, Japan, 13–16 October 1952

Deployed to Chitose Air Base, Japan, 17 October 1952 – c. 13 February 1953

Deployed to RAF Sturgate, England, 7 May–17 August 1955

Deployed to Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, 6 September–18 December 1958

Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, 18 February 1959 – 30 September 2007

Deployed to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, 18 October 1959 – 22 February 1960

Deployed to Clark Air Base, Philippines, 13 February–c. 7 March 1961

Deployed to England Air Force Base, Louisiana, 29 March–5 May 1961

Deployed to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, 5 February–15 June 1962

Deployed to MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, 21 October–1 December 1962

Deployed to Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam, 16 Mar-6 May 1964 (B Flight)

Deployed to Clark Air Base, Philippines, 8 Aug-25 Nov 1964 (further deployed to Bien Hoa Air Base, South Vietnam, after 15 August 1964)

Deployed to Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, 13 April–12 May 1966

Cannon AFB, New Mexico, 1 October 2007 – 21 December 2007
Cannon AFB, New Mexico, 7 April 2011 – c. 9 December 2014[9][5]

Aircraft

Trained with B-18 Bolos and 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, 1958
F-100 Super Sabre, 1959–1969
F-111D Aardvark, 1969–1970, 1970–1971, 1971–1998
F-16 Falcon, 1996–2007
MC-130J Commando II, 2011 – present

References

Notes

Dollman, TSG Davis (21 October 2016). "Factsheet 522 Special Operations Squadron (AFSOC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
Watkins, pp. 18–19
Wilson, Steven (1 October 2007). "Last deployment for Fireballs, 27th Fighter Wing". 36th Operations Group Public Affairs. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
"522nd Special Operations Squadron". Cannon Air Force Base. 27 February 2012. Archived from the original on 18 February 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
Slack, Chip (9 December 2014). "Earning a new name". 27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
Lineage, including assignments, through 19 August 2016 [sic] in Dollman.
Station number in Johnson.
Station number in Endicott.
Station information in Dollman, except as noted.

Bibliography

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

Endicott, Judy G., ed. (2001). The USAF in Korea, Campaigns, Units and Stations 1950–1953 (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL: Air Force Historical Research Agency. ISBN 0-16-050901-7. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
Johnson, 1st Lt. David C. (1988). U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO) D-Day to V-E Day (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 September 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.
Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947–1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
Watkins, Robert A. (2009). Insignia and Aircraft Markings of the U.S. Army Air Force in World War II. Vol. IV, European-African-Middle Eastern Theater of Operations. Atglen,PA: Shiffer Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7643-3401-6.

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[522SOSfacts-1] Dollman, TSG Davis (21 October 2016). "Factsheet 522 Special Operations Squadron (AFSOC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 10 November 2018.

[2] Watkins, pp. 18–19

[3] Wilson, Steven (1 October 2007). "Last deployment for Fireballs, 27th Fighter Wing". 36th Operations Group Public Affairs. Retrieved 14 September 2017.

[4] "522nd Special Operations Squadron". Cannon Air Force Base. 27 February 2012. Archived from the original on 18 February 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2017.

[Earning-5] Slack, Chip (9 December 2014). "Earning a new name". 27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs. Retrieved 14 September 2017.

[522SOSfacts2-6] Lineage, including assignments, through 19 August 2016 [sic] in Dollman.

[Johnson-7] Station number in Johnson.

[8] Station number in Endicott.

[9] Station information in Dollman, except as noted.