724th STG commander at memorial ceremony for SSgt Andrew Harvell

The 724th Special Tactics Group is one of the

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 ...

ground components of the 24th Special Operations Wing, assigned to

Air Force Special Operations Command Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), headquartered at Hurlburt Field, Florida, is the special operations component of the United States Air Force. An Air Force major command (MAJCOM), AFSOC is also the U.S. Air Force component command ...

(AFSOC). The Group is headquartered at

Pope Field Pope Field is a U.S. military facility located northwest of the central business district of Fayetteville, North Carolina, Fayetteville, in Spring Lake, North Carolina, Spring Lake, Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States.. Federal A ...

, North Carolina. The Group is composed of four squadrons, also located on Pope Field.

Overview

The Group's Special Tactics Squadron is made up of Special Tactics Officers, Combat Controllers,

Combat Rescue Officer Combat Rescue Officer (CRO) is a Special Warfare Officer career field in the United States Air Force. Its Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) is 19ZXC and it was created to strengthen USAF Special Warfare personnel recovery capabilities by providin ...

Pararescuemen Pararescuemen (also known as Pararescue Jumpers or PJs) are United States Air Force Special operations, special operators who conduct personnel recovery and combat search and rescue operations as well as other missions for the U.S. military and ...

Special Reconnaissance Special reconnaissance (SR) is conducted by small units, such as a recon team, made up of highly trained military personnel, usually from special forces units and/or military intelligence organizations. Special reconnaissance teams operate behind ...

, Tactical Air Control Party Officers and

operators Operator may refer to: Mathematics * A symbol indicating a mathematical operation * Logical operator or logical connective in mathematical logic * Operator (mathematics), mapping that acts on elements of a space to produce elements of another ...

, and a number of combat support airmen which comprise 58 Air Force specialties. Special Tactics Squadrons are organized, trained and equipped specifically for various

missions facilitating air operations on the battlefield. They conduct

combat search and rescue Combat search and rescue (CSAR) are search and rescue operations that are carried out during war that are within or near combat zones. A CSAR mission may be carried out by a task force of helicopters, ground-attack aircraft, aerial refueling ta ...

missions, collect intelligence, as well as call in

close air support Close air support (CAS) is defined as aerial warfare actions—often air-to-ground actions such as strafes or airstrikes—by military aircraft against hostile targets in close proximity to friendly forces. A form of fire support, CAS requires ...

airstrikes An airstrike, air strike, or air raid is an offensive operation carried out by aircraft. Air strikes are delivered from aircraft such as blimps, balloons, fighter aircraft, attack aircraft, bombers, attack helicopters, and drones. The official d ...

against enemy combatants and are often partnered with other U.S. special operations forces overseas.

Subordinate units

17th Special Tactics Squadron The 17th Special Tactics Squadron is one of the ten Special Tactics Squadrons of United States Air Force Special Operations Command. It is garrisoned at Fort Benning, Georgia. Overview Special Tactics operators with the 17th STS, 24th Special O ...

, Fort Moore, Georgia, 1 October 2020 - Present *

24th Special Tactics Squadron The 24th Special Tactics Squadron is one of the List of United States Air Force special tactics squadrons, Special Tactics units of the United States Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). Garrisoned at Pope Field, North Carolina, it is t ...

, Pope Field, North Carolina, 29 April 2011 - Present *724th Operations Support Squadron, Pope Field, North Carolina, 29 April 2011 - Present *724th Intelligence Squadron, Pope Field, North Carolina, 29 April 2011 - Present *724th Special Tactics Support Squadron, Pope Field, North Carolina, 29 April 2011 - Present

Lineage

* Established as the 724th Training Group on 22 January 1943 and activated on 28 February 1943. Disbanded on 30 April 1944. * Reestablished, and redesignated as, 724th Special Tactics Group on 1 March 2011 and activated on 29 April 2011.

Assignments

Army Air Forces Technical Training Command An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on Ground warfare, land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include avia ...

, 28 Feb 1943 - 25 September 1943 * 76th Training Wing, 25 September 1943 - 30 April 1944 *

, 29 April 2011 - Present

Stations

* Army Air Force Training Center #7, Atlantic City, New Jersey, 28 February 1943 - 16 June 1943 * Seymour-Johnson Field, North Carolina, 16 June 1943 - 30 April 1944 *

Pope Air Force Base Pope Field is a U.S. military facility located northwest of the central business district of Fayetteville, in Spring Lake, Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States.. Federal Aviation Administration. effective 15 November 2012. Forme ...

(later Pope Field), North Carolina 29 April 2011 - Present

Commanders

*April 2011 – June 2012, Col. Matthew 'Wolfe' Davidson *June 2012 July 2014, Col. Michael Martin

References

{{Air force infantry Military units and formations in North Carolina Special tactics groups of the United States Air Force