55th Special Operations Squadron

55th Special Operations Squadron
Active	15 November 1952 – 18 June 1960 10 May 1961 - 2007
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Special Operations
Nickname(s)	Night Hawks
Decorations	AFOUA 75 px Navy MUC 75 px CG MUC

The 55th Special Operations Squadron (55 SOS) most recently was part of the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida. It operated MH-60G Pave Hawk aircraft in support of special operations.

History

The 55th trained and performed rescue and recovery missions from, 1952–1960. The squadron supported manned spacecraft recovery operations from, June 1961–January 1966. It supported special operations missions from March 1988 – 2007 including combat in Panama, 20 December 1989 – 14 January 1990, and Southwest Asia, 1 January–12 March 1991.

Operations

• Operation Just Cause
• Operation Desert Storm

Operation Provide Comfort

Lineage

• 55th Air Rescue Squadron (1952–1966)
• 55th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron (1966–1988)
• 55th Special Operations Squadron (1988–2003)

Assignments

• 6th Air Rescue Group (1952–1958)
• Air Rescue Service (1958–1960)
• Military Air Transport Service (1961)
• Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Service (1961–1970)
• 39th Special Operations Wing (1970–1989)
• 1st Special Operations Wing (1989–2007)

Bases stationed

• Thule Air Base, Greenland (1952–1960)
• Kindley Air Force Base, Bermuda (1960, 1961–1970)
• McCoy Air Force Base, Florida (1970–1971)
• Eglin Air Force Base, Florida (1971–1993)
• Hurlburt Field, Florida (1993–2003)

Aircraft Operated

• SB-17 (1952–1955)
• SC-47 (1952–1954)
• H-19 Chickasaw (1953–1957)
• SA-16 (1953–1959)
• YH-21 Work Horse (1953–1955)
• SC-54 (1956–1957)
• SH-21B Work Horse (1956–1960)
• HC-54 (1961–1964)

• HH-19 (1961–1963)
• HH-43 Huskie (1963–1964)
• HC-97 (1964–1966)
• HC-130 (1966–1968)
• HH-53 Super Jolly Green Giant (1973–1980)
• H-3 (1980–1982)
• MH-60G Pave Hawk (1982–2007)

References

Bibliography

• USAF 55th Special Operations Squadron History