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Lt. Col. Douglas Distaso, 1st Special Operations Group deputy commander, relinquishes command to Col. Shawn Cameron, 1st SOG commander, during the 9th Special Operations Squadron transfer ceremony at the 9th Aircraft Maintenance Unit at Hurlburt Field, Fla., Oct. 3, 2014. The 9th SOS will be relocated to Cannon AFB, NM and operate the new MC-130J Commando II airframe. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Jeff Parkinson)

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Lt. Col. Samuel Kwan, Detachment 1, 1st Special Operations Group commander, assumes command from Col. Shawn Cameron, 1st SOG commander, during an activation ceremony at the 9th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Fla., Oct. 3, 2014. Det. 1 will facilitate the MC-130P, 9th SOS drawdown and accommodate personnel permanent change of station and permanent change of assignment actions, and eventually retire the MC-130P in May 2015. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Jeff Parkinson)

9th SOS steps down, Det. 1 stands up

Published Oct. 16, 2014
By Airman 1st Class Jeff Parkinson
1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- Two historic events, involving a flying unit, took place at the 9th Special Operations Squadron at Cannon Air Force Base.

A ceremony to transfer the 9th SOS flag to Cannon AFB, preceded an activation of Detachment 1, 1st Special Operations Group.

During the ceremony, Lt. Col. Douglas Distaso, 1st SOG deputy commander, relinquished command of the 9th SOS to Col. Shawn Cameron, 1st SOG commander.

In the near future, the 1st SOG will transfer the 9th SOS to the 27th SOG at Cannon AFB, and eventually the 522nd SOS will become the 9th SOS and fly the MC-130J Commando II airframe.

The 9th SOS flew the MC-130P Combat Shadow, which is scheduled to retire in May of 2015.

Chief Master Sgt. Matt Caruso, Air Force Special Operations Command command chief, who served as a flight engineer on the MC-130P, spoke about the occasion.

“It’s sad to see an aircraft retire, but we will retain the best of what the shadow community has done for AFSOC and our nation, and move that to the next aircraft,” he said. “It means AFSOC is making progress in meeting the Air Force’s vision of modernizing our aging fleet.”

Later in the day, Det. 1, 1st SOG, stood up, and Lt. Col. Samuel Kwan assumed command of the new unit from Col. Cameron.

Det. 1, 1st SOG will facilitate the MC-130P, 9th SOS drawdown, and accommodate personnel permanent change of station and permanent change of assignment actions.

“Taking care of our Airmen is our top priority,” said Cameron. “During this transitional phase we will also drawdown the MC-130P and stand up the MC-130J; Det. 1 will continue to provide aerial refueling to SOF vertical lift assets as well as support infiltration and exfiltration operations and SOF mobility for our joint partners.”

After the MC-130Ps are retired, Det. 1, 1st SOG will deactivate.