The 605th Special Operations Squadron is an inactive

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 ...

unit. Its last assignment was with the 24th Special Operations Wing at

Howard Air Force Base Howard Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located in Panama. It discontinued military operations on 1 November 1999 as a result of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties, which specified that US military facilities in the former P ...

Panama Canal Zone The Panama Canal Zone (), also known as just the Canal Zone, was a International zone#Concessions, concession of the United States located in the Isthmus of Panama that existed from 1903 to 1979. It consisted of the Panama Canal and an area gene ...

, where it was inactivated on 30 April 1972.

History

The squadron was first active during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

as the 5th Fighter Squadron, Commando. After training in the United States the squadron moved to the China Burma India Theater, where it served in combat until the

surrender of Japan The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was Hirohito surrender broadcast, announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally Japanese Instrument of Surrender, signed on 2 September 1945, End of World War II in Asia, ending ...

. The squadron returned to the United States where it was inactivated in November 1945.Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 35 The squadron was activated again in October 1963 as the United States expanded its

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 ...

units and was stationed in the

, where it trained units of various Latin American air forces until it was inactivated in late 1972.

Lineage

* Constituted as the 5th Fighter Squadron, Commando on 9 August 1944 : Activated on 1 September 1944 : Inactivated on 3 November 1945 * Disbanded on 8 October 1948 * Reconstituted 24 October 1963, redesignated 605th Air Commando Squadron, Composite and activated (not organized) : Organized on 15 November 1963''See'' Ravenstein, pp. 25–26 : Redesignated 605th Special Operations Squadron on 1 August 1968 : Inactivated on 30 April 1972

Assignments

* 1st Air Commando Group, 1 September 1944 – 3 November 1945 (attached to 1st Provisional Fighter Group, February 1945 – May 1945) *

Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Lang ...

, 24 October 1963 (not organized) * 1st Air Commando Wing 15 November 1963 (attached to USAF Southern Command (?) November 1963 – July 1964) * 5700th Air Base Wing. 1 July 1965 * 24th Air Commando Wing (later 24th Special Operations Wing), 8 November 1967 – 30 April 1972Ravenstein, pp. 25–26

Stations

* Asansol,

Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...

, India, 1 September 1944 **one detachment operated from

Cox's Bazar Cox's Bazar (; ; ) is a city, fishing port, tourism centre, and Cox's Bazar District, district headquarters in south-eastern Bangladesh. Cox's Bazar Beach, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Bangladesh, is the longest uninterrupte ...

Bengal Bengal ( ) is a Historical geography, historical geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural term referring to a region in the Eastern South Asia, eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. The region of Benga ...

, India, 15–21 Oct 1944, and another from Fenny Airfield, Bengal, India, 8–30 Nov 1944) *Fenny Airfield, Bengal, India, 28 December 1944; *Hay, India, 7 February 1945 * Asansol, Bihar, India, 13 May 1945 * Kalaikunda Air Force Station, Bengal, India, 23 May 1945 * Asansol, Bihar, India, 22 June 1945 – 6 October 1945 * Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, 1 November 1945 – 3 November 1945. *

15 November 1963 – 30 April 1972

Aircraft

* Helio U-10 Courier * Douglas A-26K Invader *

Douglas C-47 Skytrain The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II. During the war the C-47 was used for tro ...

North American T-28 Trojan The North American Aviation T-28 Trojan is a Radial engine, radial-engine military trainer aircraft manufactured by North American Aviation and used by the United States Air Force and United States Navy beginning in the 1950s. Besides its use ...

North American P-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in 1940 by a team headed by James H. Kin ...

(1945) *

Republic P-47 Thunderbolt The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter, and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bombe ...

(1944–1945) Curtiss C-46 Commando

References

Notes

Bibliography

* * * {{cite book, last=Ravenstein, first=Charles A., title=Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977, year=1984, url=https://archive.org/details/airforcecombatwi0000rave, publisher=Office of Air Force History, location=Washington, DC, isbn=0-912799-12-9, url-access=registration

External links

AFHRA USAF squadronsAFHRA 5th Fighter Squadron (CommandoAFHRA 605th Special Operations Squadron
Special operations squadrons of the United States Air Force