318th Special Operations Squadron

318th Special Operations Squadron
318th Special Operations Squadron emblem
Active	1944 – 1946 1971 – 1974 2007 – present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Part of	Air Force Special Operations Command 27th Special Operations Wing 27th Special Operations Group
Garrison/HQ	Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico
Engagements	World War II Vietnam War Afghanistan Campaign
Decorations	Philippine Presidential Unit Citation

318th Special Operations Squadron (318 SOS) flies the Pilatus PC-12 and is currently stationed at Cannon Air Force Base in Clovis, New Mexico. The 318 SOS is under the command of the Air Force Special Operations Command. Crews plan, prepare, and execute Non Standard Aviation (NSAv) missions in support of joint special operations forces while directly supporting theater special operations commanders by conducting night vision infiltration, exfiltration, resupply and other combat taskings on unimproved runways.

The squadron was activated on 1 May 1944 as 318th Troop Carrier Squadron (Commando) at Camp Mackall, North Carolina and serving under the 3rd Air Commando Group. The unit participated in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II, flying the Waco CG-4 glider and C-47 Skytrain transport. The squadron was inactivated 25 March 1946. Reactivated on 15 November 1971 at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina, the unit was stood up as the 318th Special Operations Squadron, serving under 1st Special Operations Wing. The unit's mission was to provide unconventional warfare support in Vietnam with the C-130 Hercules until inactivation on 1 June 1974. The unit was reactivated on 27 July 2007 at Hurlburt Field, Florida as 1st Special Operations Group, Detachment 4. It was relocated to Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico and redesignated as 27th Special Operations Group, Detachment 2 on 30 December 2007. The unit was most recently redesignated as 318th Special Operations Squadron on 16 May 2008.