20th Special Operations Squadron

20th Special Operations Squadron
20th Special Operations Squadron Patch
Active	2 March 1942 – 27 November 1945 9 July 1956 – 8 March 1960 24 September 1965 – 1 April 1972 1 January 1976 – present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Special Operations
Part of	Air Force Special Operations Command 27th Special Operations Wing 27th Special Operations Group
Garrison/HQ	Cannon AFB
Nickname(s)	Pony Express/Green Hornets
Decorations	PUC GUC Outstanding Unit Award w/ V device Outstanding Unit Award RVGC w/ Palm

The 20th Special Operations Squadron (20th SOS) is part of the 27th Special Operations Wing at Cannon AFB, New Mexico. It operates Bell Boeing CV-22 Osprey aircraft in support of special operations.

Conduct day or night low-level penetration into hostile enemy territory, to accomplish clandestine infiltration and exfiltration, aerial gunnery support and resupply of special operations forces throughout the world.

The 20th Special Operations Squadron trained for aerial reconnaissance from, March 1942–December 1943, then went on to fly combat missions in the China-Burma-India Theater from, 31 January 1944 – 5 May 1945.

The squadron was reactivated as the 20th Helicopter Squadron (HS) in 1956 to perform traditional helicopter missions with H-21s for the Tactical Air Command.

In 1965, the unit's CH-3C helicopters were transferred to Southeast Asia and the squadron began participating in unconventional warfare and special operations in Laos and North Vietnam as the Pony Express.

In 1967, the 20th was joined by the UH-1F/P helicopters formerly assigned to Project Lucky Tiger and the Hueys became known as the Green Hornets. The "Green Hornets" supported Special Operations in South Vietnam and Cambodia. In August 1969 the Pony Express CH-3E's were transferred to the 21st Special Operations Squadron at Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base and the Pony Express ceased to exist. The heritage of the 20th was carried on by the 20th UH-1's Green Hornets.

The Green Hornets continued to perform unconventional warfare missions for seven years, until inactivation in 1972.