Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), headquartered at Hurlburt Field, Florida, is the special operations component of the United States Air Force. An Air Force major command (MAJCOM), AFSOC is also the U.S. Air Force component command to United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), a unified combatant command located at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. AFSOC provides all Air Force special operations forces (SOF) for worldwide deployment and assignment to regional unified combatant commands.
Before 1983, Air Force special operations forces were primarily assigned to the Tactical Air Command (TAC) and were generally deployed under the control of U.S. Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) or, as had been the case during the Vietnam War, Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). Just as it had relinquished control of the C-130 theater airlift fleet to Military Airlift Command (MAC) in 1975, TAC relinquished control of Air Force SOF to MAC in December 1982.
AFSOC was initially established on 10 February 1983 as Twenty-Third Air Force (23 AF), a subordinate numbered air force of MAC, with 23 AF headquarters initially established at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. On 1 August 1987, 23 AF headquarters moved to Hurlburt Field, Florida. AFSOC elements include Combat Controllers (CCT), Pararescuemen (PJ), Special Reconnaissance (SR), and Tactical Air Control Party (TACP).
Predecessor USAAF and USAF special operations units World War II
1st Air Commando Group: Late 1943 – November 1945 Operation Carpetbagger: Early 1944 – July 1945
Korean War Air Resupply and Communications Service: 23 February 1951 – 12 October 1956 Combined Command Reconnaissance Activities, Korea: December 1951 – December 1953 B Flight, 6167th Operations Squadron: 1 April 1952 – 31 December 1953 6004th Air Intelligence Service Squadron: c. March 1951 – 1955 6006th Air Intelligence Service Squadron: c. 1953–1955 22nd Crash Rescue Boat Squadron: c. July 1952 – 1954 581st Air Supply and Communications Wing: July 1951 – September 1955 582nd Air Supply and Communications Wing 580th Air Supply and Communications WingHaas, Michael E., "Apollo’s Warriors: US Air Force Special Operations during the Cold War", Air University Press, Maxwell AFB, Alabama, 1997, page 36.
Early Cold War era 129th Air Resupply Group: April 1955 – c. 1975 130th Air Resupply Group: October 1955 – c. 1960 135th Air Resupply Group: August 1955 – c. 1971 143rd Special Operations Group: November 1955 – 1975 1045th Observation, Evaluation, and Training Group: 23 February 1951 – 1 January 1954Haas, Apollo's Warriors: U.S. Special Operations During the Cold War
Vietnam War era Jungle Jim / 4400th Combat Crew Training Squadron Farm Gate Operation Waterpump Raven Forward Air Controllers Project 404 Palace Dog 56th Air Commando Wing
Late Cold War era 4400th Combat Crew Training Group 1st Special Operations Wing Twenty-Third Air Force
Lineage Established as Twenty-Third Air Force on 10 February 1983 Activated on 1 March 1983 Redesignated Air Force Special Operations Command and made a major command on 22 May 1990
Assignments Military Airlift Command, 1 March 1983 United States Air Force, 22 May 1990 – present
Stations Scott AFB, Illinois, 1 March 1983 Hurlburt Field, Florida, 1 August 1987 – present
Components Air Forces Special Operations Center (redesignated 623d Air and Space Operations Center): 13 December 2005 – 1 January 2008 Twenty-Third Air Force (Air Forces Special Operations Forces): 1 January 2008 – 4 April 2013 AFSOC Operations Center: 4 April 2013 – present23rd AF deactivates [sic] . Afsoc.af.mil. Retrieved on 21 July 2013. 2nd Air Division, 1 March 1983 – 1 February 1987 Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Service, 1 March 1983 – 1 August 1989 Air Rescue Service, 1 August 1989 – 1993 1st Special Operations Wing, 1 February 1987 – present 24th Special Operations Wing, 12 June 2012 – 16 May 2025 27th Special Operations Wing, 1 October 2007 – present 41st Rescue and Weather Reconnaissance Wing, 1 October 1983 – 1 August 1989 352nd Special Operations Wing, 1 October 1983 – present 353rd Special Operations Wing, 6 April 1989 – present 375th Aeromedical Airlift Wing: 1 January 1984 – 1 February 1990 492nd Special Operations Wing: 10 May 2017 – present 720th Special Tactics Group: 1 October 1987 – Present 724th Special Tactics Group: 29 April 2011 – Present 1550th Aircrew Training and Test Wing (later, 1550th Combat Crew Training Wing): 1 October 1983 – 21 May 1990 USAF Special Operations School, 1 February 1987 – 22 May 1990 Air Force Special Operations Training Center, 8 October 2008 – 11 February 2013 Air Force Special Operations Air Warfare Center, March 5, 2024 - present
Units Air Force
The following list contains the flying and Special Tactics squadrons of the Air Force Special Operations Command:
1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Florida 1st Special Operations Group 4th Special Operations Squadron, AC-130J Ghostrider 8th Special Operations Squadron, CV-22B Osprey 15th Special Operations Squadron, MC-130J Commando II 34th Special Operations Squadron, U-28A 65th Special Operations Squadron, MQ-9 Reaper 73rd Special Operations Squadron, AC-130J Ghostrider 319th Special Operations Squadron, U-28A 24th Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Florida Special Tactics Training Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Florida 720th Special Tactics Group, Hurlburt Field, Florida 21st Special Tactics Squadron, Pope Field, North Carolina 22nd Special Tactics Squadron, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Florida 26th Special Tactics Squadron, Cannon AFB, New Mexico 724th Special Tactics Group, Pope Field, North Carolina 17th Special Tactics Squadron, Fort Benning, Georgia 24th Special Tactics Squadron, Pope Field, North Carolina 27th Special Operations Wing, Cannon AFB, New Mexico 27th Special Operations Group 3rd Special Operations Squadron, MQ-9 Reaper 9th Special Operations Squadron, MC-130J Commando II 12th Special Operations Squadron, MQ-9 Reaper 16th Special Operations Squadron, AC-130J Ghostrider 20th Special Operations Squadron, CV-22B Osprey 33rd Special Operations Squadron, MQ-9 Reaper 310th Special Operations Squadron, U-28A 318th Special Operations Squadron, U-28A 352d Special Operations Wing, RAF Mildenhall, UK 752d Special Operations Group 7th Special Operations Squadron, CV-22B Osprey 67th Special Operations Squadron, C-146A Wolfhound 321st Special Tactics Squadron 353d Special Operations Wing, Kadena Air Base, Japan 1st Special Operations Squadron, MC-130J Commando II 21st Special Operations Squadron, CV-22B Osprey, Yokota Air Base 320th Special Tactics Squadron 492d Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Florida 492d Special Operations Training Group United States Air Force Special Operations School 5th Special Operations Squadron, U-28A 6th Special Operations Squadron, MC-130J Commando II, Cannon AFB 17th Special Operations Squadron, OA-1K Skyraider II, Will Rogers Air National Guard Base 18th Special Operations Test and Evaluation Squadron 19th Special Operations Squadron, training AC-130J, and MC-130J crews 371st Special Operations Combat Training Squadron, ground training 524th Special Operations Squadron, C-146A Wolfhound, Duke Field
Air National Guard 137th Special Operations Wing, Oklahoma Air National Guard, Will Rogers Air National Guard Base, Oklahoma 137th Special Operations Group 185th Special Operations Squadron, MC-12W Liberty 138th Combat Training Flight, ground training 193d Special Operations Wing, Pennsylvania Air National Guard, Harrisburg Air National Guard Base, Pennsylvania 193d Special Operations Group 193d Special Operations Squadron, MC-130J Commando II
Additionally, the Air Force Special Operations Command would gain the following units from Air Mobility Command or Air Combat Command aligned Air National Guard wings:
427th Special Operations Squadron, CASA/IPTN CN-235 123rd Special Tactics Squadron, Kentucky Air National Guard, Louisville Air National Guard Base, Kentucky 125th Special Tactics Squadron, Oregon Air National Guard, Portland Air National Guard Base, Oregon 150th Special Operations Squadron, New Jersey Air National Guard, New Jersey 209th Special Operations Civil Engineer Squadron, Mississippi Air National Guard, Gulfport Combat Readiness Training Center, Mississippi 280th Special Operations Communications Squadron, Alabama Air National Guard, Dothan Regional Airport, Alabama
Air Force Reserve Command The Air Force Reserve Command units of Air Force Special Operations Command are:
919th Special Operations Wing, Duke Field, Florida 919th Special Operations Group 2nd Special Operations Squadron, MQ-9 Reaper, Hurlburt Field 711th Special Operations Squadron, AC-130J Ghostrider, Hurlburt Field 859th Special Operations Squadron, C-146A Wolfhound
Personnel and resources
AFSOC has about 20,800 active-duty, Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard and civilian personnel.U.S. Seeks Faster Deployment; Smaller, More Flexible Special-Operations Teams Would Tackle Emerging Threats Under New Plan 7 May 2012
The command's SOF units are composed of highly trained, rapidly deployable airmen who are equipped with specialized aircraft. These forces conduct missions ranging from precision application of firepower, to infiltration, aviation foreign internal defense, exfiltration, resupply and aerial refueling of SOF operational elements.
In addition to the pilots, combat systems officers, and enlisted aircrew who fly AFSOC's aircraft, there is a support force of maintenance officers and enlisted aircraft maintenance personnel who maintain aircraft and their support systems, a cadre of premier intelligence officers and enlisted intelligence specialists taught special operations, as well as logisticians, security forces and numerous other support officers and personnel.
Another aspect of AFSOC is Special Tactics, the U.S. Air Force's special operations ground force. Similar in ability and employment to Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC), U.S. Army Special Forces and U.S. Navy SEALs, Air Force Special Tactics personnel are typically the first to enter combat and often find themselves deep behind enemy lines in demanding, austere conditions, usually with little or no support.
The command's Special Tactics Squadrons are led by Special Tactics Officers (STOs). Special Tactics Squadrons combine Combat Controllers (CCT), Tactical Air Control Party (TACP), Air Force Special Reconnaissance (SR), Pararescuemen (PJs) and Combat Rescue Officers (CROs) to form versatile SOF teams. AFSOC's unique capabilities include airborne radio and television broadcast for psychological operations, as well as combat aviation advisors to provide other governments military expertise for their internal development.
Due to the rigors of the career field, Special Tactics' year-long training is one of the most demanding in the military, with attrition rates between 80 and 90 percent. In an attempt to reduce the high attrition, Special Tactics is very selective when choosing their officers. Special Tactics Officers (STO) undergo a highly competitive process to gain entry into the Special Tactics career field, ensuring only the most suitable leaders are selected. STO leadership and role modeling during the difficult training reduces the attrition rate for enlisted trainees.