Cannon wing to be 27th SOW

Published Aug. 29, 2007
By Denise Boyd
AFSOC Public Affairs

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- Officials announced today that the new Air Force Special Operations Command wing at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., will be designated the 27th Special Operations Wing.

The 27th designation, currently used as the 27th Fighter Wing at Cannon AFB, will change from fighter to special operations when the wing changes mission October 1. The 27th SOW will join its sister wing, the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Fla.

The unit designation was selected through a process that started in the command historian's office.

"After coordinating with Air Combat Command and determining they were not planning to use the 27th Fighter Wing designation, we decided to formally request that one," said Herb Mason, AFSOC command historian.

According to Mr. Mason, the 27th's impressive lineage, and its history while at Cannon Air Force Base, made it an obvious choice for a new special operations wing.

"It's a well-known number and it's held a variety of missions since 1940. Now we will add our own unique mission and aircraft to its heritage," he said.

AFSOC's commander, Lt. Gen. Michael Wooley, is excited about the upcoming changes.

"This is an historical time for Air Force special operations; we're experiencing an unprecedented growth in the history of this command, increasing in numbers of Airmen and aircraft," said General Wooley. "We need a second wing. People are recognizing the importance of the special operations mission and our impact on the Global War on Terror."

"Special operations units and our Air Commandos have had wartime assignments since 1944, but nothing like what we are seeing today," he said. "We've been running at full steam since Desert Storm, and that's not likely to change anytime soon."

AFSOC leadership briefly considered designating the Cannon wing the 16th SOW after the Hurlburt Field wing was redesignated the 1st SOW, but quickly realized the heritage, lineage and honors wouldn't transfer with the 16th and would remain with the 1st SOW.

The 27th has a long and distinguished history since it's inception as the 27th Bombardment Group (Light) at Barksdale Field, La., Feb. 1, 1940. Elements of the 27th BG were in the Philippines when the Japanese invaded the island in December 1941, and aided in the fight against the invading force. The Japanese eventually overran the country, and as a result, many members of the 27th BG were taken prisoners of war and forced to participate in the Bataan Death March in 1942.

Throughout the last 67 years, the 27th designation has been assigned to several groups and wings at a myriad of locations. The 27th was organized as a fighter wing in August 1947, at Kearney Airfield, Neb. Later, in February 1958, in a move to preserve the heritage of the 27th, Air Force leadership transferred the designation to Cannon AFB replacing the 312th Wing, a unit without a significant lineage.

Since 1958, the wing has supported F-100s, T/AT-33s, F-111s and most recently, F-16s. Soon, the New Mexico base will add to that list AFSOC AC-130s, MC-130s and Predator aircraft, to name a few.

Located in the high planes of eastern New Mexico, Cannon AFB is named in honor of the late Gen. John K. Cannon, former commander of Tactical Air Command from 1945-1951.