522 SOS relocates

Published Aug. 28, 2013
By Senior Airman Whitney Tucker
27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs

CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- Members of the 522nd Special Operations Squadron, charged with the responsibility of providing rapid global response supporting Air Force, joint and coalition special operations forces by conducting air refueling of vertical lift assets and infiltration, exfiltration and resupply of special operations forces, have abandoned their previous operations center in favor of a newly minted, high end hangar.

Prior to the move, the 522 SOS doubled up with the 27th Special Operations Group before inhabiting a transitional space, which members affectionately dubbed the Combat Doublewide.

"Before we became an official squadron, we shared an office space with the 27 SOG," said Maj. Eric Mann, MC-130J Commando II aircraft commander and assistant director of operations. "Once we were activated as a special operations squadron, we grew quickly and moved to some temporary office trailers. Early this summer, our building was completed and we finally moved into our permanent home."

The squadron, one of eight flying squadrons assigned to the 27th Special Operations Wing, is entrenched in a rich and sorrowful history that can be traced back to its constitution as the 16th Bombardment Squadron in December 1939.

After brief stints at both Barksdale Field, La., and Hunter Field, Ga., the squadron was relocated to the island of Luzon in the Philippines in 1941. Shortly thereafter, war erupted between the United States and Japan, thrusting the region into turmoil. When American units stationed in the Philippines surrendered, ground-based elements of the 16th Bombardment Squadron were forced to take part in a torturous, 70-mile trek that is now infamously known as the Bataan Death March. Twenty-two members of the squadron lost their lives during the journey.

Two years after the inhumane march, the squadron was redesignated as the 522nd Fighter-Bomber Squadron, and again as the 522nd Fighter Squadron, Single Engine in 1944. The appellation breathed new life into the squadron and it became one of the most decorated Army Air Force units of World War II.

The unit continued to be an invaluable asset, aiding in conflicts such as the Korean and Vietnam wars in which members flew a myriad of diverse aircraft in support of high-priority missions. Having served faithfully for decades, the 522nd Fighter Squadron was officially deactivated in 2007 before rising again as the 522 SOS on April 7, 2011.

Not content to rest on the laurels of its already colorful past, the resurrected squadron staked a fresh claim on history when it became the Air Force's first MC-130J squadron. With seemingly endless ingenuity and a top-of-the-line facility enabling advancement, the sky is the limit for members of the 522 SOS.

"The MC-130J is the lead aircraft in the Air Force Special Operations Command C-130J Super Hercules Enterprise," Mann said. "In fact, one of our MC-130Js is being fitted out to be the first AC-130J. We have been able to roll-in all the legacy MC-130 experience, knowledge and heritage and begin building new tactics, techniques and procedures for a next generation aircraft. As we continue to add new capabilities like Terrain Following/Terrain Avoidance and high speed airdrops, we will be able to replace the aging legacy MC-130 fleet. This is an exciting time in our Command and aircraft."