67th Special Operations Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 67th Special Operation Squadron is an active unit within the 352d Special Operations Group
(352 SOG), United States Air Force
, United States European Command
, and is currently based at Royal Air Force
base RAF Mildenhall
in Suffolk
, eastern England
.
, the 67th Special Operations Squadron's Combat Shadow flies single or multi-ship low-level air refueling missions for special operations helicopters, and infiltration, exfiltration, and resupply of special operations forces by airdrop or airland. The MC-130P primarily flies missions at night to reduce probability of visual acquisition and intercept by airborne threats. In addition it is able to serve the same mission as the 7th SOS's MC-130H Talon IIs, provided the weather is really nice for the employment of the MC-130P and the mission doesn't involve flying closer to the ground than 300' AGL, heavy equipment, HSLLADS or dropping more than 12 CDS bundles at once.
The squadron operates the Lockheed
MC-130P Combat Shadow, a USAF Special Operations variant of the HC-130
. The most notable addition to this aircraft is its compatibility with night vision goggles
, and as such, it does most of the group's heavy night work. The Combat Shadow also has the ability to refuel the group's helicopters in flight, making it a most valuable addition to the group, and to the Air Force in general.
Constituted 67th Air Rescue Squadron on 17 Oct 1952. Activated on 14 Nov 1952 RAF Sculthorpe
, England. Discontinued, and inactivated, on 18 Mar 1960 at Prestwick
, Scotland. Activated again on 10 May 1961, organized on 18 Jun 1961 at Prestwick
, Scotland. Transferred to Moron AB, Spain on 1 Jul 1966.
Redesignated 67th Air Recovery Squadron on 1 Aug 1965 and then 67th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron on 8 Jan 1966. On 15 Jan 1970, the 67th ARRS transferred to RAF Woodbridge
, UK. The unit operated HC-130
fixed wing (also used as rotational support for their Detachment of H-3 helicopters stationed at Keflavik, Iceland) and HH-53 rotary wing aircraft.
On 1 Jun 1988 the unit was split into 2 units redesignated the 67th Special Operations Squadron for the HC-130
aircraft and the 21st Special Operations Squadron
for the HH-53 rotary wing. On 1 Apr 1992 they moved to RAF Alconbury
, UK. They are still active as the 67th SOS and have flown the HC-130
since 1965 (designated the MC-130P since 1996), currently stationed at RAF Mildenhall
, UK
352d Special Operations Group
The 352d Special Operations Group is an operational unit of the United States Air Force Special Operations Command. It is stationed at RAF Mildenhall, England. Its heritage dates back to 1944 as an air command unit....
(352 SOG), United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, United States European Command
United States European Command
The United States European Command is one of ten Unified Combatant Commands of the United States military, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Its area of focus covers and 51 countries and territories, including Europe, Russia, Iceland, Greenland, and Israel...
, and is currently based at Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
base RAF Mildenhall
RAF Mildenhall
RAF Mildenhall is a Royal Air Force station located at Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. Despite its status as an RAF station, it primarily supports United States Air Force operations and is currently the home of the 100th Air Refueling Wing...
in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, eastern England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Mission
From their base at RAF MildenhallRAF Mildenhall
RAF Mildenhall is a Royal Air Force station located at Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. Despite its status as an RAF station, it primarily supports United States Air Force operations and is currently the home of the 100th Air Refueling Wing...
, the 67th Special Operations Squadron's Combat Shadow flies single or multi-ship low-level air refueling missions for special operations helicopters, and infiltration, exfiltration, and resupply of special operations forces by airdrop or airland. The MC-130P primarily flies missions at night to reduce probability of visual acquisition and intercept by airborne threats. In addition it is able to serve the same mission as the 7th SOS's MC-130H Talon IIs, provided the weather is really nice for the employment of the MC-130P and the mission doesn't involve flying closer to the ground than 300' AGL, heavy equipment, HSLLADS or dropping more than 12 CDS bundles at once.
Assignments
Lockheed Corporation
The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company. Lockheed was founded in 1912 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995.-Origins:...
MC-130P Combat Shadow, a USAF Special Operations variant of the HC-130
HC-130
The Lockheed HC-130 is an extended-range, search and rescue and Combat search and rescue version of the C-130 Hercules transport. The HC-130H and HC-130J versions are operated by the United States Coast Guard in a SAR and maritime reconnaissance role. The HC-130P and HC-130N Combat King models...
. The most notable addition to this aircraft is its compatibility with night vision goggles
Night vision goggles
A night vision device is an optical instrument that allows images to be produced in levels of light approaching total darkness. They are most often used by the military and law enforcement agencies, but are available to civilian users...
, and as such, it does most of the group's heavy night work. The Combat Shadow also has the ability to refuel the group's helicopters in flight, making it a most valuable addition to the group, and to the Air Force in general.
History
RAF Sculthorpe
RAF Sculthorpe is a military training facility for the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence, situated about west of Fakenham in Norfolk, England...
, England. Discontinued, and inactivated, on 18 Mar 1960 at Prestwick
Prestwick
Prestwick is a town in South Ayrshire on the south-west coast of Scotland, about south-west of Glasgow. It adjoins the larger town of Ayr, the centre of which is about south...
, Scotland. Activated again on 10 May 1961, organized on 18 Jun 1961 at Prestwick
Prestwick
Prestwick is a town in South Ayrshire on the south-west coast of Scotland, about south-west of Glasgow. It adjoins the larger town of Ayr, the centre of which is about south...
, Scotland. Transferred to Moron AB, Spain on 1 Jul 1966.
Redesignated 67th Air Recovery Squadron on 1 Aug 1965 and then 67th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron on 8 Jan 1966. On 15 Jan 1970, the 67th ARRS transferred to RAF Woodbridge
RAF Woodbridge
Royal Air Force Station Woodbridge, more commonly referred to as RAF Woodbridge, is a former Royal Air Force military airbase situated to the east of Woodbridge in the county of Suffolk, England...
, UK. The unit operated HC-130
HC-130
The Lockheed HC-130 is an extended-range, search and rescue and Combat search and rescue version of the C-130 Hercules transport. The HC-130H and HC-130J versions are operated by the United States Coast Guard in a SAR and maritime reconnaissance role. The HC-130P and HC-130N Combat King models...
fixed wing (also used as rotational support for their Detachment of H-3 helicopters stationed at Keflavik, Iceland) and HH-53 rotary wing aircraft.
On 1 Jun 1988 the unit was split into 2 units redesignated the 67th Special Operations Squadron for the HC-130
HC-130
The Lockheed HC-130 is an extended-range, search and rescue and Combat search and rescue version of the C-130 Hercules transport. The HC-130H and HC-130J versions are operated by the United States Coast Guard in a SAR and maritime reconnaissance role. The HC-130P and HC-130N Combat King models...
aircraft and the 21st Special Operations Squadron
21st Special Operations Squadron
The 21st Special Operations Squadron is a unit within the 352d Special Operations Group , United States Air Force, United States European Command, and was based at Royal Air Force base RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, eastern England.-Mission:...
for the HH-53 rotary wing. On 1 Apr 1992 they moved to RAF Alconbury
RAF Alconbury
RAF Alconbury is an active Royal Air Force station in Cambridgeshire, England. The airfield is adjacent to the Stukeleys [Great and Little] and located about northwest of Huntingdon; about north of London....
, UK. They are still active as the 67th SOS and have flown the HC-130
HC-130
The Lockheed HC-130 is an extended-range, search and rescue and Combat search and rescue version of the C-130 Hercules transport. The HC-130H and HC-130J versions are operated by the United States Coast Guard in a SAR and maritime reconnaissance role. The HC-130P and HC-130N Combat King models...
since 1965 (designated the MC-130P since 1996), currently stationed at RAF Mildenhall
RAF Mildenhall
RAF Mildenhall is a Royal Air Force station located at Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. Despite its status as an RAF station, it primarily supports United States Air Force operations and is currently the home of the 100th Air Refueling Wing...
, UK