8th Special Operations Squadron - History

History

The 8th saw combat as observation unit with IV and VI Army Corps from, c. 25 August 1918 – 11 November 1918. It flew Mexican border patrol from, August 1919-June 1921. The squadron went on to train in attack aviation and participated in field exercises and army maneuvers from, 1921-1941.

It flew Antisubmarine patrols from, December 1941-January 1942 before going into combat in Southwest and Western Pacific from, 1 April 1942 – 29 July 1942 and 24 May 1943-12 August 1945.

It again flew combat missions in Korea, 27 June 1950-27 July 1953 and in Southeast Asia, April 1964-September 1972.

The 8th became the U.S.-based operator of the MC-130 Combat Talon in 1974, and provided five of the eight Talon crews participating in Operation Eagle Claw. Its members crewed the lead Talon and all three of the EC-130E refuelers on the Night One mission to "Desert One", and was to crew the four Talons of the Night Two phase of the Iranian hostage rescue attempt in April 1980. It flew combat missions in Grenada from 24 October 1983 – 3 November 1983, Panama, 20 December 1989-14 January 1990, and in Southwest Asia from, 16 January 1991 – 17 March 1991. The squadron has routinely deployed personnel and aircraft to contingency operations in the Balkans and Southwest Asia from, 1991-2001. From 1999 until its conversion to the CV-22 in 2007, it was the only reverse-Associate unit in the USAF, co-located with the 711th SOS of the Air Force Reserve and having no aircraft of its own, flying the 711th's MC-130Es.

The 8th has participated in combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq since 2001 and 2003 respectively.

In June 2009, the 8th delivered humanitarian supplies to Honduras. In November 2009, the 8th returned from a three-month deployment in Iraq.