The 550th Special Operations Squadron (nicknamed "Wolfpack")
was a
special operations
Special operations or special ops are military activities conducted, according to NATO, by "specially designated, organized, selected, trained, and equipped forces using unconventional techniques and modes of employment." Special operations ma ...
flying training squadron of the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
.
It was activated in 1971 as the 1550th Flying Training Squadron, responsible for helicopter flying training. It relocated from
Hill Air Force Base
Hill Air Force Base is a major U.S. Air Force (USAF) base located in Davis County, Utah, just south of the city of Ogden, and bordering the Cities of Layton, Clearfield, Riverdale, Roy, and Sunset with its largest border immediately adja ...
to
Kirtland Air Force Base
Kirtland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base. It is located in the southeast quadrant of the Albuquerque, New Mexico, urban area, adjacent to the Albuquerque International Sunport. The base was named for the early Army aviator C ...
in 1976 and in 1987 converted to special operations training and was reequipped with fixed-wing aircraft. The squadron was redesignated as the 550th Flying Training Squadron in 1991 and as the 550th Special Operations Squadron in 1994, when it became part of the
58th Special Operations Wing
The 58th Special Operations Wing (58 SOW) is a combat unit of the United States Air Force stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. The 58 SOW is part of the Air Education and Training Command (AETC) Nineteenth Air Force.
The 58 SOW ...
at
Kirtland Air Force Base
Kirtland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base. It is located in the southeast quadrant of the Albuquerque, New Mexico, urban area, adjacent to the Albuquerque International Sunport. The base was named for the early Army aviator C ...
, New Mexico. It operated
Lockheed HC-130
The Lockheed HC-130 is an extended-range, search and rescue (SAR)/combat search and rescue (CSAR) version of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft, with two different versions operated by two separate service ...
s and
Lockheed MC-130
The Lockheed MC-130 is the basic designation for a family of special mission aircraft operated by the United States Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), a wing of the Air Education and Training Command, and an AFSOC-gained wing of the ...
s and was inactivated in 2016.
History
The squadron was activated on 1 April 1971 as the 1550th Flying Training Squadron (FTS) at
Hill Air Force Base
Hill Air Force Base is a major U.S. Air Force (USAF) base located in Davis County, Utah, just south of the city of Ogden, and bordering the Cities of Layton, Clearfield, Riverdale, Roy, and Sunset with its largest border immediately adja ...
with the
1550th Aircrew Training and Test Wing (later redesignated the 1550th Combat Crew Training Wing). It developed, conducted, and monitored helicopter flying training and was equipped with the Bell
UH-1 Huey
The Bell UH-1 Iroquois (nicknamed "Huey") is a utility military helicopter designed and produced by the American aerospace company Bell Helicopter. It is the first member of the prolific Huey family, as well as the first turbine-powered helico ...
and its training variant, the TH-1. The 1550th received
Kaman HH-43 Huskie
The Kaman HH-43 Huskie is a helicopter developed and produced by the American rotorcraft manufacturer Kaman Aircraft. It is perhaps most distinctive for its use of twin intermeshing rotors, having been largely designed by the German aeronautical ...
rescue helicopters in 1973, although it ended operations with the HH-43 in 1975. In late 1975, the 1550th included nine
Sikorsky HH-53B/C "Super Jolly Green Giant" helicopters and one
Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion
The CH-53 Sea Stallion (Sikorsky S-65) is a family of American heavy-lift transport helicopters designed and built by the American manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft. The Sea Stallion was originally developed in response to a request from the Unite ...
for training. On 15 March 1976, the squadron was relocated to
Kirtland Air Force Base
Kirtland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base. It is located in the southeast quadrant of the Albuquerque, New Mexico, urban area, adjacent to the Albuquerque International Sunport. The base was named for the early Army aviator C ...
, where it added responsibility for search and rescue missions.
In 1987, the 1550th FTS switched to providing special operations and combat rescue aircrew training, being reequipped with the
Lockheed HC-130
The Lockheed HC-130 is an extended-range, search and rescue (SAR)/combat search and rescue (CSAR) version of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft, with two different versions operated by two separate service ...
search and rescue aircraft, which it operated until 1996. On 1 October 1991, it was redesignated as the 550th FTS and became part of the 542nd Operations Group when the 1550th Wing became the 542nd Crew Training Wing. In June 1992, the squadron received its first
Lockheed MC-130H Combat Talon II aircraft, specially equipped for supporting special operations. The 550th transferred to the
58th Special Operations Wing
The 58th Special Operations Wing (58 SOW) is a combat unit of the United States Air Force stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. The 58 SOW is part of the Air Education and Training Command (AETC) Nineteenth Air Force.
The 58 SOW ...
's
58th Operations Group
The 58th Operations Group (58 OG) is the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 58th Special Operations Wing. It is stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.
During World War II, the units predecessor unit, the 58 ...
on 1 April 1994, and was concurrently renamed the 550th Special Operations Squadron (SOS).
The squadron participated in the quarterly Chile Flag exercise in addition to training pilots and aircrew. From 11 to 24 July, it conducted night low level and airdrop recovery training with
Navy SEALs
The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the United States Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the United States Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main funct ...
from
Naval Air Station North Island
Naval Air Station North Island or NAS North Island , at the north end of the Coronado peninsula on San Diego Bay in San Diego, California, is part of the largest aerospace-industrial complex in the United States Navy – Naval Base Coronado (N ...
in exercise Chile Flag 94-04. Between 13 and 17 March 1995, one of the squadron's Combat Talon IIs participated in experimental airdrops at
Yuma Proving Ground
Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) is a United States Army series of environmentally specific test centers with its Yuma Test Center (YTC) being one of the largest military installations in the world. It is subordinate to the U.S. Army Test and Evalua ...
testing two experimental air-drop systems for the
Department of the Army
The United States Department of the Army (DA) is one of the three military departments within the United States Department of Defense. The DA is the federal government agency within which the United States Army (U.S.) is organized. It is led ...
's Early Entry and Lethality Battle Laboratories and the
Air Force Air Mobility Warfare Center. The test set world records for the heaviest payload suspended by a
parafoil
A parafoil is a nonrigid (textile) airfoil with an aerodynamic cell structure which is inflated by the wind. Ram-air inflation forces the parafoil into a classic wing cross-section. Parafoils are most commonly constructed out of ripstop nylon.
T ...
(27,000 pounds) and for the largest parafoil dropped (7,200 square feet). In the summer and fall, 550th SOS Combat Talon II instructors flew with the
7th Special Operations Squadron
The 7th Special Operations Squadron is an active flying unit of the United States Air Force. It is a component of the 752d Special Operations Group (752 SOG), United States Special Operations Command, and is currently based at Royal Air Force ...
to gain European theatre experience for training new aircrew.
From 23 July to 2 August 1996, the squadron participated in Chile Flag 96-05 with
SEAL Team Five from North Island. It also participated in Chile Flag 97-01 in September and 97-02 in October. In March and April 1997, Combat Talon IIs from the squadron participated in bilateral joint exercises with Air Force Special Operations Command. The squadron also participated in AFSOC bilateral exercises in September, October, and December. Through 1998 the 550th continued participating in Chile Flag and bilateral AFSOC exercises. In 1999, the squadron won the AETC Maintenance Effectiveness Award for the best medium-aircraft category squadron in the command.
The 550th SOS graduated an average of 200 students a year for special operations and combat search and rescue. The squadron gave up its last MC-130P Combat Shadow aircraft in September 2013. In August 2016, its last MC-130H Hercules Combat Talon II special operations support aircraft were transferred to the
19th Special Operations Squadron
The 19th Special Operations Squadron is an Air Force Special Operations Command unit, part of the 492nd Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida. It conducts crew training for Lockheed AC-130, AC-130 and Lockheed MC-130 aircraft.
His ...
, which took over the MC-130H training mission.
It was inactivated on 29 September after its HC-130P/N Combat Kings were retired from the active Air Force and transferred to the
Air Force Reserve
The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of commis ...
.
Lineage
* Designated as the 1550th Flying Training Squadron and activated on 1 April 1971
: Redesignated 550th Flying Training Squadron on 1 October 1991
: Redesignated 550th Special Operations Squadron on 1 April 1994
[
: Inactivated on 29 September 2016]
Assignments
* 1550th Aircrew Training and Test Wing (later 1550th Combat Crew Training Wing), 1 April 1971
* 542d Operations Group, 1 October 1991
* 58th Operations Group
The 58th Operations Group (58 OG) is the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 58th Special Operations Wing. It is stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.
During World War II, the units predecessor unit, the 58 ...
, 1 April 1994[ – 29 September 2016]
Stations
* Hill Air Force Base
Hill Air Force Base is a major U.S. Air Force (USAF) base located in Davis County, Utah, just south of the city of Ogden, and bordering the Cities of Layton, Clearfield, Riverdale, Roy, and Sunset with its largest border immediately adja ...
, Utah, 1 April 1971
* Kirtland Air Force Base
Kirtland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base. It is located in the southeast quadrant of the Albuquerque, New Mexico, urban area, adjacent to the Albuquerque International Sunport. The base was named for the early Army aviator C ...
, New Mexico, 15 March 1976[ – 29 September 2016]
Aircraft
* Sikorsky HH-3E Jolly Green Giant (1971– )
* Sikorsky HH-53 Super Jolly Green Giant (1971–)
* Bell UH-1N Twin Huey (1972–)
* Bell TH-1 Huey (1971–1987)
* Bell UH-1 Huey
The Bell UH-1 Iroquois (nicknamed "Huey") is a utility military helicopter designed and produced by the American aerospace company Bell Helicopter. It is the first member of the prolific Huey family, as well as the first turbine-powered helico ...
(1971–1987)
* Kaman HH-43 Huskie
The Kaman HH-43 Huskie is a helicopter developed and produced by the American rotorcraft manufacturer Kaman Aircraft. It is perhaps most distinctive for its use of twin intermeshing rotors, having been largely designed by the German aeronautical ...
(1973–1975)
* Lockheed HC-130P King (1987–2016)
* Lockheed HC-130N King (1987–2016)
* Lockheed MC-130H Combat Talon II
The Lockheed MC-130 is the basic designation for a family of special mission aircraft operated by the United States Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), a wing of the Air Education and Training Command, and an AFSOC-gained wing of the ...
(1994–2016)
* Lockheed MC-130P Combat Shadow (1996–2013)
References
Notes
Bibliography
*
*
External links
550th Special Operations Squadron Fact Sheet (2008)
{{USAF Air Force Special Operations Command
Military units and formations in New Mexico
550
__NOTOC__
Year 550 ( DL) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 550 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe ...