USAF Patch Spec Ops USAFE b 21 SOS Special Operations Squadron Dust Devils c4srb

USAF Patch USAFE 21 SOS Special Operation Squadron MH 53 Pave Low Subdued Red Bright Green Face 1990s RAF Woodbridge embroidered on twill cut edge 92mm by 78mm three and eleven sixteenth inches by three and one sixteenth inches.

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History

21 Helicopter Squadron was activated on 9 July 1956 at Donaldson AFB SC with H 21 Shawnee helicopters and was assigned to the Eighteenth Air Force but attached to the 63 Troop Carrier Wing from 9 July 1956 until 30 June 1957 when it attached to 314th Troop Carrier Wing. It was reassigned to Ninth Air Force on 1 September 1957 remaining attached to 314 TCW until the Squadron was inactivated on 5 October 1957.

21 Helicopter Squadron reactivated on 30 June 1967 with CH 3 helicopters at Shaw AFB assigned to Tactical Air Command under the 507 Tactical Control Group. The Squadron was reassigned to the 56 Air Commando Wing and relocated to Nakhon Phanom RTAFB Thailand on 27 November 1967 and began combat operation over Vietnam with call signs Dusty Skycap and finally Knife. The Squadron was re designated 21 Special Operations Squadron on 1 August 1968 with 56 ACW becoming 56 Special Operations Wing and saw action in Laos 1970 and 1971.

On 8 August 1970 21 SOS received its first CH 53 Super Stallion BUFF helicopter and in September 1970 operated with eleven CH 3E helicopters and one CH 53 helicopter. The CH 3Es were replaced with BUFFs by the end of the year. 21 SOS had detachments locally deployed Ubon RTAFB 11 April to 13 April 1975 USS Midway 20 April to 2 May 1975 for Operation Frequent Wind and U Tapao RTNAF May 1975. The Squadron suffered aircraft and personnel combat losses in South East Asia including four CH 53s and 7 Crew KIA amongst the casualties during the rescue of the SS Mayaguez from the Khmer Rouge in May 1975. 21 SOS was reassigned to Thirteenth Air Force on 30 June 1975 attached to the 656 Special Operations Wing before inactivating on 22 September 1975 at U Tapao Air Base Thailand.

67 ARRS at RAF Woodbridge England which operated both the HC 130 Hercules and HH 53 Super Jolly Green Giant was split into two units at RAF Woodbridge on 1 May 1988 with 67 ARRS redesignated to 67 Special Operations Squadron retaining the HC 130s and 21 Special Operations Squadron reactivated as the new rotary wing squadron reequipping with MH 53J Pave Low III helicopters with both squadrons assigned to the 39 Special Operations Wing

21 SOS was attached to the Joint Special Operations Task force at Batman Air Base Turkey from 13 January to 18 March 1991 for Operation Desert Storm and to Incirlik AB and Diyarbakır AB Turkey from 6 April to 10 June 1991 for Joint Task Force Provide Comfort working with US Amy Special Forces and International Coalition partners. Operations and deployments undertaken in 1992 included Turkey Italy and Osan AB Republic of Korea. 

The Squadron relocated to RAF Alconbury England and was reassigned to the 352 Special Operations Group on 1 December 1992. Humanitarian and combat support CSAR deployments continued in operations in Iraq with Special Forces Bosnia Provide Promise Serbia Deny Flight Deliberate Force Africa humanitarian Zaire 1997 South Africa humanitarian 2000. In 2002 the Squadron carried out the rescue of two injured passengers from a damaged yacht Persuader in rough seas outside the range of UK SAR. 21 SOS was deactivated on 9 October 2007 with the retirement of the Pave LOW MH 53J and M helicopters from USAF active duty.

21 SOS reactivated on 24 June 2013 at RAF Mildenhall with V 22 Ospreys fixed wing tilt-rotor transport aircraft to provide the vertical lift aircraft element for 352 Special Operations Group providing all weather low level penetration of denied territory to provide infiltration exfiltration resupply or fire support for air ground and naval forces in Europe Southwest Asia and Africa.

This patch dates from the 1990s.