USAF Patch Spec Ops USAFE 7 SOS Special Operations Squadron MC 130 RAF Alconbury Years 30

USAF 7 SOS Squadron Patch USAFE Special Operations Squadron 30 Years MC 130H Combat Talon II 1994 RAF Alconbury Embroidered on twill merrowed edge 102mm four inches diameter

USAF 7 SOS Squadron Patch USAFE

USAFE

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Squadron History

7 Air Commando Squadron Composite was activated on 1 July 1964 at Sembach Air Base West Germany from Det 4 1 Air Commando Wing equipped with four C 123 Provider and six C 47 Skytrain transport aircraft and two U 10 Courier STOL utility aircraft tasked with Special Operations training and readiness assigned direct to USAFE. Command of the squadron was transferred to Seventeenth Air Force on 1 May 1967. The Squadron was redesignated 7 Special Operations Squadron on 15 July 1968 began receiving C 130E Combat Talon infiltration extraction and refueling Hercules aircraft to replace its C 123 Providers U 10 Couriers and four of its six C 47 Skytrains with the Squadron continuing to operate two C 47 Skytrains. 7 SOS relocated to Ramstein Air Base on 15 August 1968 and participated in Joint Combined Exercise Flintlock I in September 1968 and consisted of four sub exercises located in West Germany Greece Spain and Denmark. The squadron experienced the loss of one of its two C 47 aircraft in a training accident on 3 April 1969.

A 13 man 7 SOS Combat Talon crew participated in the preparation and execution of the Son Tay Raid North Vietnam from 28 August to 30 November 1970 to liberate POWs held in North Vietnam. The 7 SOS crew flying a 15 SOS Combat Talon 64 0523 from Takhli RTAB Thailand led a dissimilar formation of HH 53C Super Jolly Green Giants and one HH 3 Jolly Green Giant deep into and out of North Vietnam providing rescue force navigation airborne command and target illumination. Although no prisoners were found at Son Tay the Combat Talon portion of the operation was a great success.

UH 1N Huey helicopters were received in spring 1971 and the Squadron was reassigned to 26 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing on 17 November 1972 then to 86 Tactical Fighter Wing on 31 January 1973. 7 SOS was relocated to Rhein Main AB on 12 March 1973 and reassigned to 322 Tactical Airlift Wing replacing the inactivating C 130A Combat Talon equipped clandestine 7406 Support Squadron while leaving its C 47 Skytrain and UH 1N Huey flights as a 7 SOS Detachment at Ramstein AB. The Squadron was reassigned to Seventeenth Air Force on 30 June 1975 before assignment to 601 Tactical Control Wing on 15 October 1975.

In 1977 7 SOS was assigned to 7575 Operations Group when activated at Rhein Main and in March 1983 overall command was transferred from USAFE to Military Airlift Command along with all MAC special operations forces and the Squadron was reassigned to 2 Air Division under 23 Air Force. When 2 Air Division was deactivated on 1 February 1987 7 SOS was reassigned to 39 ARRW Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing at Eglin AFB Florida which provided training and logistical support with operational control residing with the Commander Special Operations Task Force Europe at Patch Barracks Stuggart West Germany. 39 ARRW was redesignated 39 Special Operations Wing on 1 March 1988.

Air Force Special Operations Command AFSOC was established On 22 May 1990 at Hurlburt Field Florida replacing 23 Air Force in 7 SOSs chain of command. On 13 January 1991 7 SOS was attached to Joint Special Operations Task Force and deployed to Incirlik AB Turkey for Operations Desert Shield Desert Storm. Retuning to Rhein Main AB on 18 March 1991 the Squadron was quickly redeployed back to Turkey on 6 April 1991 attached to JSOTF for Operation Provide Comfort carrying out the first airdrop over Northern Iraq returning on 14 May 1991. In August 1991 7 SOS deployed a crew to Kadena AB Okinawa to augment 1 SOS after their abrupt move from Clark AB Philippines which continued until April 1992 when they were deployed for Operation Silver Anvil the evacuation of 400 American citizens from Sierra Leone.

On 5 November 1992 7 SOS began its relocation from Rhein Main to RAF Alconbury and reequipped with MC 130H Combat Talon II aircraft. Some Combat Talon I crews remained at Rhein Main with the activation of Detachment 7 39 Special Operations Wing. On 1 December 1992 the Squadron was reassigned from 39 SOW to 352 Special Operations Group. The Squadron was reattached to Joint Special Operations Task Force on 22 February 1993 when it deployed back to Rhein Main AB to support of Operation Provide Promise returning on 22 March 1993.

In October 1993 7th SOS completed a historic tour of the former Soviet Asian states of Turkmenistan Uzbekistan Tajikistan Kyrgyzstan Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan transiting Russia and Georgia. In December 1993 the Squadron participated in a humanitarian relief mission to Rovno Ukraine and also deployed to Kenitra AB Morocco for Combat Talon missions over the Atlas Mountains. Two 7 SOS loadmasters deployed to Tunisia to train Tunisian Air Force loadmasters the air dropping of Combat Rubber Raiding Craft CRRC. Deployments continued for low level night flying including to Norway Germany Greece and Spain training with US Army Special Forces USN Seals and other foreign military Special Forces.

On 12 January 1995 the Squadron relocated to RAF Mildenhall joining all other 352 Special Operations Group units at the Base. 352 SOMS Special Operations Maintenance Squadron provided all organizational maintenance on the MC 130H and MC 130P aircraft assigned to 7 and 67 SOS together with 21 SOS MH 53 Pave Low helicopters until 21 SOS was inactivated 31 October 2007.

7 SOS began conversion to CV 22B Osprey tilt rotor VSTOL STOL fixed wing transport aircraft in June 2013 to provide a vertical lift aircraft element for 352 Special Operations Group with the last MC 130H Combat Talon II departing on 8 January 2015. The Squadron continued night time adverse weather long range low level penetration infiltration exfiltration in denied territory and resupply missions of special operations troops equipment and vehicles on land and water and fire support for air ground and naval forces in Europe Southwest Asia and Africa with minimal interference or detection from hostile forces. The Squadron also supports Combat Search And Rescue CSAR non combatant evacuation and humanitarian relief. When 352 SOG was upgraded to Wing status 7 SOS was reassigned to 752 Special Operations Group on 23 March 2015 with 352 Special Operations Maintenance Squadron retasked to provide all organizational and intermediate level maintenance of the CV 22B Osprey aircraft while 325 SOAMXS Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron was activated to maintain the MC 130J Commando II aircraft of 352 SOWs 67 SOS

USAF 7 SOS Squadron Patch USAFE

USAFE

This patch dates from 1994