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Mission
The 24th Special Operations Wing is one of four Air Force active duty special operations wings assigned to Air Force Special Operations Command. The 24th SOW is based at Hurlburt Field, Fla., and is the only Special Tactics wing in the Air Force.
The primary mission of the 24th SOW is to provide Special Tactics forces for rapid global employment to enable airpower success. Special Tactics Airmen are U.S. Special Operations Command’s tactical air-ground integration force and the Air Force’s special operations ground force to enable Global Access, Precision Strike, Personnel Recovery and Battlefield Surgery operations.
Core capabilities encompass: airfield reconnaissance, assessment, and control; personnel recovery; joint terminal attack control; environmental and urban reconnaissance; tactical damage control surgery.
The Special Tactics community is comprised of Special Tactics Officers, Combat Controllers, Combat Rescue Officers, Pararescuemen, Special Reconnaissance Airmen, Tactical Air Control Party Officers and Airmen, Special Operations Surgical Teams, as well as a number of combat mission support personnel, which comprise approximately 60 Air Force specialties.
These unique skills provide a full-spectrum, air-focused special operations capability to the combatant commander in order to ensure airpower success. With their unique skill sets, Special Tactics operators are often the first special operations elements deployed into crisis situations. Special Tactics Airmen often embed with Navy SEALs, Army Green Berets and Rangers to provide everything from combat air support to medical aid and personnel recovery, depending on their specialty.
Special Tactics Airmen are some of the most highly-trained warriors in the U.S. Air Force, as well as the most decorated group of Airmen for heroism and gallantry since the Vietnam War.
Since Sept. 11, 2001, 20 Special Tactics Airmen have fallen in battle. In addition, there have been 11 Air Force Crosses, 50 Silver Stars and hundreds of Bronze Stars with Valor awarded to Special Tactics Airmen.
Organization
The wing has two operational groups and a training squadron. Altogether, the wing has elements in 16 locations, with Airmen currently deployed to more than 73 locations.
The 123rd Special Tactics Squadron based at Standiford Field, Kentucky, and the 125th STS based at Portland International Airport, Oregon, are Air National Guard units, which augment the 24th SOW in support of national security objectives, combat operations, humanitarian efforts and training.
The 320th Special Tactics Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Group based at Kadena Air Base, Japan and the 321st STS, 352nd Special Operations Wing based at RAF Mildenhall, England are two other Special Tactics units, which the wing supports with training, personnel functions and resources.
Units
720th Special Tactics Group, Hurlburt Field, Fla.:
720th Special Tactics Group, Detachment 1, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
17th Special Tactics Squadron, Ft. Benning, Ga.
21st Special Tactics Squadron, Pope Field, N.C.
22nd Special Tactics Squadron, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
23rd Special Tactics Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
26th Special Tactics Squadron, Cannon Air Force Base, N.M.
720th Operations Support Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
724th Special Tactics Group, Pope Field, N.C.
Special Tactics Training Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.:
The Special Tactics Training Squadron recruits, assesses, selects, trains and develops five-level combat controllers, special reconnaissance Airmen, pararescuemen, special operations qualified tactical air control party members for the 24th SOW, while also providing initial joint terminal attack control training to Army, Marine Corps and Air Force special operations forces.
Current as of October 2020
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