Country United States Garrison/HQ Duke Field | Type Special Operations | |
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Active 1944–1945; 1962–1969; 1994 – present Branch United States Air Force Part of Air Force Special Operations Command
Air Force Special Operations Air Warfare Center | ||
The 6th Special Operations Squadron is part of the Air Force Special Operations Air Warfare Center at Duke Field, Florida. It is a Combat Aviation Advisory unit.
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Its mission is to assess, train, advise, and assist foreign aviation forces in airpower employment, sustainment and force integration.
The unit is manned by Combat Aviation Advisors (CAA), who are specially trained Air Commandos responsible for the conduct of special operations activities by, with, and through foreign aviation forces.
History
The squadron was first activated at Asansol Airfield, India in September 1944 as the 6th Fighter Squadron (Commando). In its first months of operation, it flew from several stations, maintaining detachments at Cox's Bazar from 15 to 21 October 1944, 2 to 8 November 1944 and 11 to 18 January 1945, and from Fenny Airfield from 1 to 24 December 1944. The 6th flew combat missions in the China-Burma-India Theater of World War II from 17 October 1944 – 8 May 1945.
It again flew combat missions from 1 March 1968 to 15 November 1969 during the Vietnam War. It was inactivated in Operation Keystone Cardinal, the first reduction in United States Air Forces combat forces as ceilings on forces in South Vietnam were reduced as the United States began to withdraw. Its Douglas A-1 Skyraiders were transferred to the 56th Special Operations Wing, stationed in Thailand.
The squadron went on to conduct replacement training for US and allied pilots in Cessna A-37 Dragonfly aircraft from January 1970 – September 1974.
Since 1994 the squadron has sent advisers to help US-allied forces employ and sustain their own airpower resources and, when necessary, integrate those resources into joint and multi-national operations.
The unit moved from Hurlburt Field to Duke Field in 2012, as the 711th Special Operations Squadron transitioned from the MC-130E to the foreign internal defense role, the two units jointly assuming the new mission. "As the only two Air Force operational squadrons performing this mission, their deployment tempo is best described as continuous averaging around one deployment a month."
In 2015, the 6th SOS shares a building, flightline, PZL C-145 Skytruck aircraft and mission with the Air Force Reserve's 711th SOS at Duke Field.