522nd Special Operations Squadron

The 522nd was originally constituted in 1939 as the 16th Bombardment Squadron (Light) and activated on 1 February 1940. It was stationed at Barksdale Field, Louisiana, and later at Hunter Field, Georgia, before moving to Luzon in the Philippines in 1941. After war began between the United States and Japan, the unit's air echelon operated in Australia. When American units in the Philippines surrendered, ground elements of the unit were part of the Bataan Death March.

The unit was redesignated the 522nd Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 23 August 1943 and then the 522nd Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 30 May 1944. During World War II, it was one of the most decorated U.S. Army Air Force units. The unit later served in conflicts such as the Korean and Vietnam wars, and flew almost a dozen different aircraft in support of various missions.

File:522d Fighter-Escort Squadron F-84Gs 1952.jpg

{{empty section|date=November 2018}}

File:522d Tactical Fighter Squadron - North American F-100D-75-NA Super Sabre - 56-3150.jpg

{{empty section|date=November 2018}}

File:F-16C 522nd Fighter Squadron.jpg

The 522nd Fighter Squadron inactivated in 2007 when the 27th Fighter Wing became the 27th Special Operations Wing.{{Cite news|url=https://www.cannon.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/208498/last-deployment-for-fireballs-27th-fighter-wing/|title=Last deployment for Fireballs, 27th Fighter Wing|last=Wilson|first=Steven|date=1 October 2007|access-date=14 September 2017|publisher=36th Operations Group Public Affairs}}

The 522nd Special Operations Squadron was reactivated at Cannon Air Force Base on 7 April 2011. The first to be equipped with the Lockheed MC-130J Commando II special operations aircraft, it was tasked with supporting special operations commanders through day and night low-level infiltration, exfiltration, resupply, and air refueling of helicopters.{{Cite web|url=http://www.cannon.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=18868|title=522nd Special Operations Squadron|date=27 February 2012|publisher=Cannon Air Force Base|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130218035317/http://www.cannon.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=18868|archive-date=18 February 2013|url-status=dead|access-date=14 September 2017}} In 2012, it achieved initial operational capability.

The unit was inactivated and a ceremony marking this was held on 9 December 2014. The squadron's personnel, aircraft, and equipment were transferred to the 9th Special Operations Squadron,{{Cite news|url=https://www.cannon.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/558297/earning-a-new-name/|title=Earning a new name|last=Slack|first=Chip|date=9 December 2014|publisher=27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs|access-date=14 September 2017|language=en-US}} which moved to Cannon without personnel or equipment from Hurlburt Field.

• Constituted as the 16th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 22 December 1939

: Activated on 1 February 1940

: Redesignated: 522nd Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 23 August 1943

: Redesignated: 522nd Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 30 May 1944

: Inactivated on 7 November 1945

• Activated on 20 August 1946

: Redesignated 522nd Fighter Squadron, Two Engine on 22 July 1947

: Redesignated 522nd Fighter Squadron, Jet on 1 December 1949

: Redesignated 522nd Fighter-Escort Squadron on 1 February 1950

: Redesignated 522nd Strategic Fighter Squadron on 20 January 1953

: Redesignated 522nd Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 1 July 1957

: Redesignated 522nd Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 July 1958

: Redesignated 522nd Fighter Squadron on 1 November 1991

: Inactivated on 30 September 2007

• Redesignated 522nd Special Operations Squadron on 1 March 2011
• Activated 7 April 2011Lineage, including assignments, through 19 August 2016 [sic] in Dollman.
• Inactivated c. 9 December 2014

• 27th Bombardment Group (later, 27th Fighter-Bomber Group, 27th Fighter Group), 1 February 1940 – 7 November 1945
• 27th Fighter Group (later 27 Fighter-Escort Group), 20 August 1946 (attached to 27th Fighter-Escort Wing after 6 August 1951)
• 27th Fighter-Escort Wing (later 27th Strategic Fighter Wing, 27th Fighter-Bomber Wing, 27th Tactical Fighter Wing, 27th Fighter Wing), 16 June 1952

: Attached to unknown, 6 September–18 December 1958

: Attached to TUSLOG, 18 October 1959 – 22 February 1960 and 5 February–15 June 1962

: Attached to 405th Fighter Wing, 13 February–c. 7 March 1961, 8 August–c. 20 September 1964 and 15 August–25 November 1965

: Attached to 2nd Air Division, 12 December 1962 – c. 15 February 1963, 16 March–6 May 1964 and c. 20 September–15 November 1964

• 27th Operations Group, 1 November 1991
• Twelfth Air Force, 1 October 2007 – 21 December 2007 (attached to 712th Operations Group (Provisional))
• 27th Special Operations Group, 7 April 2011 – c. 9 December 2014

{{Col-begin}}

{{Col-break|width=50%}}

• Barksdale Field, Louisiana, 1 February 1940
• Army Air Base, Savannah, Georgia, 7 October 1940 – 19 October 1941
• Fort William McKinley, Luzon, Philippines, 20 November 1941
• Lipa Airfield, Luzon, Philippines, 22 December 1941
• Cabcaben, Luzon, Philippines, (Ground echelon), 25 December 1941

: Air echelon operated from Archerfield Airport, 24 December 1941 – 16 February 1942

• Bataan, Luzon, Philippines, (Ground echelon), 29 December 1941

: Air echelon operated from Batchelor Airfield, Australia, 17 February-c. 8 March 1942

: Air echelon operated from Archerfield Airport, Brisbane, Australia, c. 10-c. 25 March 1942

• Charters Towers Airfield, Australia, April-4 May 1942
• Hunter Field, Georgia, 4 May 1942
• Key Field, Mississippi, 14 July 1942
• Hattiesburg Army Air Field, Mississippi, 15 August 1942
• Harding Field, Louisiana, 25 October–21 November 1942
• Sainte-Barbe du Tlélat Airfield, Algeria, 26 December 1942
• Nouvion Airfield, Algeria, 5 January 1943
• Ras el Ma Airfield, French Morocco, 4 April 1943
• Korba Airfield, Tunisia, c. 8 June 1943
• Gela Airfield, Sicily, 18 July 1943
• Barcellona Landing Ground, Sicily, Italy, 3 September 1943
• Capaccio Airfield, Italy, 18 September 1943
• Paestum Airfield, Italy, 4 November 1943
• Pomigliano Airfield, Italy, 19 January 1944
• Castel Volturno Airfield, Italy, 10 April 1944
• Santa Maria Airfield, Italy, 9 May 1944
• Le Banca Airfield, Italy, 7 June 1944
• Ciampino Airfield, Italy, 12 June 1944
• Voltone Airfield, Italy, 4 July 1944
• Serragia Airfield, Corsica, France, 10 July 1944
• Le Luc Airfield, France, 25 August 1944
• Salon de Provence Airfield (Y-16),Station number in Johnson. France, 30 August 1944
• Loyettes Airfield (Y-25), France, 11 September 1944
• Tarquinia Airfield, Italy, 2 October 1944
• Pontedera Airfield, Italy, 3 December 1944

{{Col-break|width=50%}}

• St-Dizier Airfield (A-64), France, 21 February 1945
• Toul/Ochey Airfield (A-96), France, 19 March 1945
• Biblis Airfield (Y-78), Germany, 5 April 1945
• AAF Station Mannheim/Sandhofen (Y-79), Germany, 23 June 1945
• AAF Station Stuttgart/Echterdingen (R-50), Germany, 15 September–20 October 1945
• Camp Shanks, New York, 6–7 November 1945
• AAF Station Fritzlar, Germany, 20 August 1946
• AAF Station Bad Kissingen, Germany, 25 June 1947
• Andrews Field, Maryland, 25 June 1947
• Kearney Army Air Field (later, Kearney Air Force Base), Nebraska, 16 July 1947
• Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas, 16 March 1949

: Deployed to Taegu Air Base (K-9),Station number in Endicott. South Korea, 5 December 1950 – 30 January 1951

: Deployed to Itazuke Air Base, Japan, 31 January–20 June 1951

: Deployed to Misawa Air Base, Japan, 13–16 October 1952

: Deployed to Chitose Air Base, Japan, 17 October 1952 – c. 13 February 1953

: Deployed to RAF Sturgate, England, 7 May–17 August 1955

: Deployed to Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, 6 September–18 December 1958

• Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, 18 February 1959 – 30 September 2007

: Deployed to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, 18 October 1959 – 22 February 1960

: Deployed to Clark Air Base, Philippines, 13 February–c. 7 March 1961

: Deployed to England Air Force Base, Louisiana, 29 March–5 May 1961

: Deployed to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, 5 February–15 June 1962

: Deployed to MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, 21 October–1 December 1962

: Deployed to Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam, 16 Mar-6 May 1964 (B Flight)

: Deployed to Clark Air Base, Philippines, 8 Aug-25 Nov 1964 (further deployed to Bien Hoa Air Base, South Vietnam, after 15 August 1964)

: Deployed to Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, 13 April–12 May 1966

• Cannon AFB, New Mexico, 1 October 2007 – 21 December 2007
• Cannon AFB, New Mexico, 7 April 2011 – c. 9 December 2014Station information in Dollman, except as noted.

{{col-end}}

{{Col-begin}}

{{Col-break|width=50%}}

• Trained with B-18 Bolos and A-18 Shrikes, 1940–1941
• A-24 Banshee, 1941–1942
• A-20 Havoc, 1941, 1942–1943
• A-36 Apache, 1943–1944
• P-40 Warhawk, 1944
• P-47 Thunderbolt, 1944–1945; 1946–1947
• P-51 Mustang, 1947–1948

{{Col-break|width=50%}}

• F-82 Twin Mustang, 1948–1950
• F-84 Thunderjet, 1950–1951, 1951–1957
• F-101 Voodoo, 1957–1958, 1958
• F-100 Super Sabre, 1959–1969
• F-111D Aardvark, 1969–1970, 1970–1971, 1971–1998
• F-16 Falcon, 1996–2007
• MC-130J Commando II, 2011 – present

{{col-end}}

{{Commons category}}

{{Reflist|40em}}

{{Air Force Historical Research Agency}}

• {{cite book|editor=Endicott, Judy G.|title=The USAF in Korea, Campaigns, Units and Stations 1950–1953|url= https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330297/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-045.pdf |access-date=17 December 2016|year=2001|publisher=Air Force Historical Research Agency|location=Maxwell AFB, AL|isbn=0-16-050901-7}}
• {{cite book|last=Johnson|first=1st Lt. David C.|title=U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO) D-Day to V-E Day|url= http://www.afhra.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-081010-026.pdf |year=1988| publisher=Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center| location=Maxwell AFB, AL|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150929064443/http://www.afhra.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-081010-026.pdf |archive-date=29 September 2015|access-date=26 June 2017}}
• {{cite book|editor=Maurer, Maurer|title=Air Force Combat Units of World War II|orig-year= 1961|url= http://media.defense.gov/2010/Sep/21/2001330256/-1/-1/0/AFD-100921-044.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161220180735/http://media.defense.gov/2010/Sep/21/2001330256/-1/-1/0/AFD-100921-044.pdf |url-status= dead |archive-date= 20 December 2016 |edition=reprint|year=1983|publisher=Office of Air Force History|location=Washington, DC|isbn=0-912799-02-1|lccn=61060979}}
• {{cite book|editor=Maurer, Maurer|title=Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II|orig-year=1969|url= http://media.defense.gov/2010/Dec/02/2001329899/-1/-1/0/AFD-101202-002.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161220180455/http://media.defense.gov/2010/Dec/02/2001329899/-1/-1/0/AFD-101202-002.pdf |url-status= dead |archive-date= 20 December 2016 |edition= reprint|access-date= 17 December 2016|year=1982|publisher=Office of Air Force History|location=Washington, DC|isbn=0-405-12194-6|oclc=72556|lccn=70605402}}
• {{cite book|last=Ravenstein|first=Charles A.|title=Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947–1977|url=https://archive.org/details/airforcecombatwi0000rave|access-date=17 December 2016|year=1984|publisher=Office of Air Force History|location=Washington, DC|isbn=0-912799-12-9|url-access=registration}}
• {{cite book|last=Watkins|first=Robert A.|title=Insignia and Aircraft Markings of the U.S. Army Air Force in World War II|volume=IV, European-African-Middle Eastern Theater of Operations|year=2009|publisher=Shiffer Publishing, Ltd.|location=Atglen,PA|isbn=978-0-7643-3401-6}}

{{USAF Special Operations Command}}

Category:Military units and formations in New Mexico

Category:Special operations squadrons of the United States Air Force