8th Special Operations Squadron
| 8th Special Operations Squadron | |
|---|---|
8th Special Operations Squadron CV-22 flies over Florida's Emerald Coast
|
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| Active | June 21, 1917 – present |
| Country |
 United States
|
| Branch |
 United States Air Force
|
| Role | Special Operations |
| Size | Squadron |
| Part of |
 Air Force Special Operations Command
|
| Garrison/HQ | Hurlburt Field, Florida |
| Nickname(s) | Blackbirds |
| Engagements |
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| Decorations |
 DUC PUC GUC AFOUA w/V Device_Streamer.png){kind=small} PPUC ROK PUC RVGC w/ Palm
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| Insignia | |
| 8th Special Operations Squadron |  |
The 8th Special Operations Squadron (8 SOS) is a squadron of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the 1st Special Operations Wing, Air Force Special Operations Command, stationed at Hurlburt Field, Florida. The squadron is equipped with the CV-22 Osprey in support of special operations.
The 8 SOS is one of the oldest units in the United States Air Force, being organized as the 8th Aero Squadron on 21 June 1917 at Kelly Field, Texas. The squadron deployed to France and fought on the Western Front during World War I, equipped with United States-built Dayton-Wright DH-4, being used as reconnaissance aircraft.
During World War II, the squadron fought in the Southwest Pacific Area with Fifth Air Force as an attack and later B-25 Mitchell medium bomber squadron. During the Cold War, it fought in the Korean War with B-26 Invader medium bombers and Vietnam War as a B-57 Canberra medium bomber and later as an Air Commando squadron with A-37 Dragonfly counter-insurgency aircraft.
The primary mission of the 8 SOS is insertion, extraction, and re-supply of unconventional warfare forces and equipment into hostile or enemy-controlled territory using airland or airdrop procedures.
The 8th Special Operations Squadron can trace its history to 21 June 1917 when the 8th Aero Squadron was organized at Kelly Field, Texas. The squadron has an unbroken history of over 95 years of service to the United States.
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Wikipedia