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Cannon's Predator squadron wins AFSOC Squadron of Year honors

  • Published
  • By Capt. Mae-Li Allison
  • 27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  The 3rd Special Operations Squadron has earned the 2008 Air Force Special Operations Command Squadron of the Year award. 

The 3 SOS accomplishments extend from its successful efforts to move from Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., to Cannon with no degradation of its mission capability or 24/7 support to fighting Overseas Contingency Operations, to its people's efforts in assisting and improving the communities they've lived in.

"Despite its operational workload exceeding manning, [the 3 SOS] was heralded as the DoD's model Unmanned Aerial System organization and has a persistent, tangible impact on the battlefield all day, every day," AFSOC commander Lt. Gen. Donald C. Wurster wrote in a letter to the 27th Special Operations Wing commander. "The men and women of the squadron also demonstrated exceptional performance off duty, making significant contributions to their community and seeking self-improvement through higher education."

Each month in 2008, the 3 SOS "Dragons" flew more hours than the rest of AFSOC combined. The squadron is also going to set the example for the eventual creation of AFSOC's first Reserve UAS squadron, named the 2nd Special Operations Squadron, the command's first MQ-9 Reaper UAS squadron, named the 33rd Special Operations Squadron, and the first-ever Special Operations' UAS Wing Operations Center.

"The Airmen of the 3 SOS amaze me every day," said Lt. Col. Bob W. Brock, 3 SOS commander. "I have never seen an organization where junior officers and junior enlisted members are given so much responsibility and asked to do so much. They succeed well beyond expectations every day." 

The squadron's actions have not gone unrecognized in 2008, leading to many individual and squadron awards. The 3 SOS was awarded the Air Force Meritorious Unit Award and was named the Air Force Association Citation of Honor winner. Also, Dragons volunteered locally and globally, competed for and won prestigious awards, including 11 from the 27 SOW, and continued to raise the bar in AFSOC, the UAS community, the USAF, and the entire DoD.

At the AFSOC level, the 3 SOS garnered the Lance P. Sijan Senior Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year, Weather NCO of the Year, Weather SNCO of the Year, and a Flight Safety Officer award. Additionally, a 3 SOS Airman 1st Class won the Air Force Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Award Program's Outstanding Airman ISR Contributor of the Year award.

At the Air Force level, members of the squadron's newly-established career development division have been nominated for an Air Force "best practice" for their efforts to establish a professional development workshop-style teaching program, educating squadron members on the multitude of Air Force fundamental programs, such as performance feedback, Air Force writing skills and commissioning programs.

In the area of base and community involvement, the Dragons also excelled, taking an extremely active role in the development of the future of both Las Vegas, Nev., and Clovis, N.M. While maintaining a blistering ops tempo, the Dragons donated 1,800 hours to local youth programs. These included coaching more than a dozen teams in six different sports, leading local Civil Air Patrol squadrons and serving as scout and pack leaders in local Boy Scouts of America troops. 

Further, Dragons pursued community involvement through mentorship at five different elementary schools and active involvement in local schools as Parent/Teacher Organization representatives, as well as volunteered at the local Shriner's Hospital and local YMCA centers. In all, these efforts benefited more than 700 local children.
Members of the 3 SOS also donated more than 1,100 hours while volunteering in the Las Vegas area--Special Olympics events, homeless shelters, the Humane Society, graffiti clean-up efforts and many more. In Clovis, Dragons dedicated time teaching first graders to read, served food at a local homeless shelter each month, and even drove to Amarillo, Texas, to share time and memories with hospitalized veterans. 

"Our Airmen get it - they seek to accomplish shared goals and they dream of shared success," said Colonel Brock. "I'm exceedingly proud to command this group of dedicated, selfless warriors. The men and women of the 3 SOS truly represent America's heroes. They certainly are mine."