71st Special Operations Squadron

71st Special Operations Squadron
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm
71st Special Operations Squadron Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm
Insignia
71st Special Operations Squadron emblem
71st Special Operations Squadron emblem (1987-1993)
71st Air Commando Squadron emblem
71st Troop Carrier Squadron emblem

The 71st Special Operations Squadron is part of the

Bell Boeing CV-22 Osprey

conducting special operations flying training.

Mission

Provide Combat Ready CV-22 Aircrews to Air Force Special Operations Command.

History

World War II

Established in early 1943 as a Douglas C-47 Skytrain transport squadron under First Air Force, later trained under I Troop Carrier Command in the eastern United States. Deployed to England in late 1943, being assigned to IX Troop Carrier Command to participate in the buildup of forces prior to the Allied landings in France during D–Day in June 1944.

Engaged in combat

paratroops into Normandy on D-Day (6 June 1944) and releasing gliders with reinforcements on the following day. The unit received a Distinguished Unit Citation

and a French citation for these missions.

After the Normandy invasion the squadron ferried supplies in the United Kingdom. The squadron also hauled food, clothing, medicine, gasoline, ordnance equipment, and other supplies to the front lines and evacuated patients to rear zone hospitals. It dropped paratroops near Nijmegen and towed gliders carrying reinforcements during the airborne attack on the Netherlands. In December, it participated in the Battle of the Bulge by releasing gliders with supplies for the 101st Airborne Division near Bastogne.

Moved to France in early 1945, and participated in the Western Allied invasion of Germany, participating in the air assault across the

Rhine River in March 1945, each aircraft towed two gliders with troops of the 17th Airborne Division and released them near Wesel

.

Returned to the United States in August 1945, becoming a domestic troop carrier squadron for Continental Air Forces, inactivated July 1946.[1] For its perseverance and bravery, the 71st received the Distinguished Unit Citation and the French Croix de Guerre with Palm.

Air Force reserve and Korean War

It conducted Reserve troop carrier training after the war. The 71st was called to active duty status during the Korean War from, 1951–1953.

Return to reserve operations

The squadron was again called to active duty during the

Air Force Logistics Command, while training in operations of AC-119G gunships.^[1]

Vietnam War

On 15 June 1968, about a month after its parent

Lockbourne Air Force Base

, Ohio, and converted to AC-119 gunship operations. On that same date, the 71st was redesignated as the 71st Air Commando Squadron, a name that lasted less than a month, as the unit became the 71st Special Operations Squadron on 8 July. Conversion from tactical airlift to gunship operations in the AC-119 brought significant changes. The crew composition increased from five to eight as the crew acquired a second navigator and two gunners while the loadmaster cross-trained as an illuminator operator. Also, a change in the ratio of crews to airplanes increased total crew requirements from sixteen to twenty-four.

By 21 November 1968, the crews had formed and were ready. The aircrews left for Vietnam on 5 December; four days later, other elements of the squadron left via

452d Bombardment Wing was relieved at Pusan East (K-9) Air Base

, South Korea, on 7 May 1952 during the Korean War.

The squadron was relieved from active service and returned to Bakalar Air Force Base on 18 June 1969. It was inactivated on 1 October 1973.

Southwest Asia

In 1987, the squadron was reactivated in the Air Force Reserve with HH-3E aircraft at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona as a geographically separated unit of the

919th Special Operations Group at Duke Field, Florida. The squadron was mobilized to active duty status on 1 January 1991 and carried out combat search, rescue, visual reconnaissance and other special operations in Southwest Asia from, January–April 1991. The 71st was again relieved from active status on 21 April 1992 and returned to Reserve status. In 1993, it was transferred from the Air Force Reserve to the Air Education and Training Command and reassigned and relocated to the 58th Special Operations Wing at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico.^[3]

Air Education and Training Command

The 71 SOS was reactivated on 20 May 2005 at

Bell Boeing CV-22 Osprey training squadron. The unique capabilities of the CV-22 required the creation of a separate squadron from existing Air Education and Training Command

training squadrons. Regular training operations began in early 2007.

Campaigns and decorations

Campaigns. World War II: Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe. Vietnam: Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase IV; TET 69/Counteroffensive. Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait.

Decorations.
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: 14 February 1968–[1] June 1969.^[1]

Lineage

Constituted as the 71st Troop Carrier Squadron on 30 January 1943

Activated on 9 February 1943

Inactivated on 31 July 1946

Activated in the reserve on 15 March 1947

Redesignated 71st Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 1 July 1949

Ordered to active service on 1 May 1951

Inactivated on 1 February 1953

Activated in the reserve on 1 February 1953

Ordered to active service on 28 October 1962

Relieved from active service on 28 November 1962

Redesignated 71st Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 July 1967

Ordered to active service on 13 May 1968

Redesignated 71st Air Commando Squadron on 15 June 1968

Redesignated 71st Special Operations Squadron on 8 July 1968

Relieved from active service on 18 June 1969

Inactivated on 1 October 1973

Activated in the Reserve on 1 October 1987

Inactivated on 1 October 1993

Activated on 20 May 2005 [1]

Assignments

434th Troop Carrier Group
, 9 February 1943 – 31 July 1946
434th Troop Carrier Group, 15 March 1947 – 1 February 1953
434th Troop Carrier Group, 1 February 1953
434th Troop Carrier Wing
, 14 April 1959
930th Troop Carrier Group
, 11 February 1963
1st Air Commando Wing
, 1 June 1968
14th Special Operations Wing, 20 December 1968
930th Special Operations Group, 10 June 1969 – 1 October 1973
Fourth Air Force, 1 October 1987
919th Special Operations Group
, 1 April 1990
919th Operations Group, 1 August 1992 – 1 October 1993
58th Operations Group, 20 May 2005 – present^[1]

Stations

Alliance Army Air Field
, Nebraska, 9 February 1943
Baer Field
, Indiana, 4–28 September 1943
RAF Fulbeck (AAF-488),^[4] England, Oct 1943
RAF Welford (AAF-474),^[4] England, Nov 1943
RAF Fulbeck (AAF-488), England,^[4] 10 January 1944
RAF Aldermaston (AAF-467),^[4] England, 3 March 1944
Mourmelon-le-Grand Airfield (A-80),^[5] France, Feb–Jun 1945
Baer Field, Indiana, 5 August 1945
Alliance Army Air Field, Nebraska, 15 September 1945
George Field, Illinois, 11 October 1945
Greenville Army Air Base
, South Carolina, 2 February-31 Jul 1946

Lunken Airport, Ohio, 1 August 1947
Atterbury Air Force Base, Indiana, 1 July 1949
Lawson Air Force Base
, Georgia, 23 January 1952 – 1 February 1953
Atterbury Air Force Base (later Bakalar Air Force Base), Indiana, 1 February 1953
Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio, 17 June-c. 20 December 1968
Nha Trang Air Base, South Vietnam, 20 December 1968 – 1 June 1969
Bakalar Air Force Base, Indiana, 10 June 1969
Grissom Air Force Base
, Indiana, 15 January 1970 – 1 October 1973
King Fahd Airport
, Saudi Arabia, 12 January 1991 – c.16 March 1992)
Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, 20 May 2005 – present^[6]

Aircraft

Douglas C-47 Skytrain
L-4 Grasshopper
(1943–1945)
L-5 Sentinel
(1943–1945)
Stinson L-1 Vigilant (1944–1945)
Noorduyn UC-64 Norseman
(1944–1945)
Curtiss C-46 Commando (1953–1957)
Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar (1957–1968, 1970)

Fairchild AC-119 Shadow (1968–1969)
Cessna A-37 Dragonfly (1971–1973)
Sikorsky CH-3
(1987–1990)
Sikorsky HH-3 Jolly Green Giant
(1987–1992)
Sikorsky MH-60 Black Hawk
(1992–1993)
CV-22 Osprey (2005 – present)^[1]

References

Notes

Explanatory notes

^ Approved 27 June 2005.
^ Approved 28 April 1960.

Citations

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Robertson, Patsy (10 May 2011). "Factsheet 71 Special Operations Squadron (AETC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 263-264
^ https://www.afhra.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/432358/71-special-operations-squadron-aetc/
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Station number in Anderson.
^ Station number in Johnson.
^ Station information in Robertson, except as noted.

Bibliography

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

Anderson, Capt. Barry (1985). Army Air Forces Stations: A Guide to the Stations Where U.S. Army Air Forces Personnel Served in the United Kingdom During World War II (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL yes: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 January 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
Johnson, 1st Lt. David C. (1988). U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO) D-Day to V-E Day (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 September 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2017.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.
LCCN 61060979
.

Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.
OCLC 72556
.

External links

71 SOS Veterans Page

[2] Approved 27 June 2005.

[3] Approved 28 April 1960.

[71SOSfacts-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Robertson, Patsy (10 May 2011). "Factsheet 71 Special Operations Squadron (AETC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 30 August 2015.

[Maurer71TCS-4] Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 263-264

[5] ttps://www.afhra.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/432358/71-special-operations-squadron-aetc/

[Anderson-6] Station number in Anderson.

[7] Station number in Johnson.

[8] Station information in Robertson, except as noted.

[note 1]

[1]

[note 2]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

v t e Air Education and Training Command
Air Forces	Second Nineteenth Air University
Bases	Altus Columbus Goodfellow Gunter Annex Holloman Keesler Lackland Laughlin Luke Maxwell Randolph Sheppard Tyndall Vance
Wings	12th Flying Training 14th Flying Training 17th Training 33d Fighter 37th Training 42d Air Base 47th Flying Training 49th Wing 56th Fighter 58th Special Operations 59th Medical 71st Flying Training 80th Flying Training 81st Training 82d Training 97th Air Mobility 314th Airlift 502d Air Base
Groups	336th Training Group 381st Training Group