USAF Patch Spec Ops Vietnam c 315 ACW Air Commando Wing SPS Security Police HW

USAF Patch 315 Air Commando Wing 315 SPS HW Security Police Squadron Heavy Weapons Patch Phan Rang Vietnam C 123 Provider UC 123 1967 Vietnam Local Made embroidered on twill cut edge 97mm three and three quarter inches diameter.

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History

Following its Korean War from 10 June 1952 service as 315 Troop Carrier Wing Medium equipped with C 46 Commando aircraft carrying out troop and cargo airlift and airdrop paratroop airdrop leaflet drops spray missions air evacuation search and rescue and other aerial missions and special operations the Wing was inactivated on 18 January 1955.

The Wing was reactivated on 21 February 1966 as 315 Air Commando Wing Troop Carrier based at Tan Son Nhut Air Base South Vietnam from 8 March 1966 equipped with UC-123 and C-123 Provider carrying out special operations and unconventional warfare missions directly under Seventh Air Force in Saigon. The Wing relocated to Phan Rang AB on 15 June 1967 and flew UC-123 aerial spraying aircraft for Operation Ranch Hand defoliation missions over South Vietnam. The Wing was redesignated 315 Air Commando Wing on 1 August 1967 and 315 Special Operations Wing on 1 August 1968.

Special Operations missions were phased out in 1970 with the wing was redesignated 315 Tactical Airlift Wing on 1 January 1970 providing in theater transport missions within South Vietnam. The Wing added A-37 Dragonfly and O-2 Skymaster to its fleet in 1971 under 8 Special Operations Squadron SOS and 9 SOS and began training South Vietnamese Air Force C-123 aircrews. 315 TAW was inactivated on 31 March 1972.

This patch dates from 1967.