16th Special Operations Squadron

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Lineage

16th Ferrying Squadron (constituted 16th Air Corps Ferrying Squadron on 18 Feb 1942; activated on 16 Apr 1942; redesignated 16th Ferrying Squadron on 12 May 1943; disbanded on 1 Apr 1944; reconstituted on 19 Sep 1985) consolidated (19 Sep 1985) with the 16th Combat Cargo Squadron (constituted on 9 Jun 1944; activated on 13 Jun 1944; inactivated on 29 Dec 1945; disbanded on 8 Oct 1948; reconstituted on 19 Sep 1985) and the 16th Special Operations Squadron (constituted on 11 Oct 1968; activated on 30 Oct 1968).

Assignments

Middle West Sector, Air Corps Ferrying Command (later, 5th Ferrying Group), 16th Apr 1942?1 Apr 1944. 4th Combat Cargo Group, 13 Jun 1944; Army Air Forces, India-Burma Theater, 5 Sep 1945; 4th Combat Cargo Group, c. Oct?29 Dec 1945. 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, 30 Oct 1968 (attached to 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, 19 Jul 1974?8 Dec 1975); Tactical Air Command, 8 Dec 1975; 1st Special Operations Wing, 12 Dec 1975; 1st Special Operations (later, 16th Operations) Group, 22 Sep 1992?.

Stations

Hensley Field, Grand Prairie, TX, 16 Apr 1942; Love Field, Dallas, TX, 8 Sep 1942?1 Apr 1944. Syracuse Army Air Base, NY, 13 Jun 1944; Bowman Field, KY, 16 Aug?9 Nov 1944; Sylhet, India, 7 Dec 1944; Argartala, India, 26 Dec 1944; Chittagong, India, 31 Jan 1945; Namponmao, Burma, 11 Jun 1945; Ledo, India, 3 Sep 1945; Namponmao, Burma, Oct 1945; Ondal, India, Nov?29 Dec 1945. Ubon RTAFB, Thailand, 30 Oct 1968; Korat RTAFB, Thailand, 19 Jul 1974; Eglin AF Aux Airfield #9 (Hurlburt Field), FL, 12 Dec 1975?.

Aircraft

Unkn (ferried tactical and support aircraft), 1942?1944. C?47, 1944, 1945; C?46, 1944?1945. AC?130, 1968?.

Operations

Ferried aircraft from factories to units in US and Canada and conducted pilot training Apr 1942?Apr 1944. Combat aerial transportation from India to Burma and China, Dec 1944?Oct 1945. Combat in Southeast Asia, Nov 1968?Jul 1974; Grenada, 24 Oct?23 Nov 1983; Panama, 20 Dec 1989?14 Jan 1990; and Southwest Asia, Jan?27 May 1991.

Honors

Service Streamers. World War II American Theater.

Campaign Streamers. World War II: India-Burma; Central Burma; China Offensive. Vietnam: Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase III; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase IV; TET 69/Counteroffensive; Vietnam Summer-Fall, 1969; Vietnam Winter-Spring, 1970; Sanctuary Counteroffensive; Southwest Monsoon; Commando Hunt V; Commando Hunt VI; Commando Hunt VII; Vietnam Ceasefire. Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. Panama 1989?1990.

Decorations. Presidential Unit Citations: (Southeast Asia), 1 Dec 1969?1 Mar 1970; 1 Jan?1 Apr 1971. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards with Combat "V" Device: 1 Jan?31 Dec 1970; 1 Oct 1971?31 Mar 1972; 1 Apr?22 Oct 1972; 18 Dec 1972?15 Aug 1973; 15 Oct 1974?12 May 1975; 13?15 May 1975; 1 May 1982?30 Apr 1984. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jan 1976?31 Mar 1977; 15 Jul 1979?15 May 1980; 16 May 1980?30 Apr 1982; 1 May 1985?30 Apr 1987; 1 May 1988?30 Apr 1990; 16 Apr 1992?15 Apr 1994. Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: 30 Oct 1968?28 Jan 1973.

Emblem

Sable, a decrescent bendwise Or, surmounted by a "demi?spectre" issuant from chief descending bendwise sinister Gray habited Azure, langued, pupils and flammant from fingertips Gules armed and eyed Argent; all within a diminished inner bordure Blue and a diminished outer bordure. MOTTO: SPECTRE. Approved on 15 Nov 1994; replaced emblems approved on 23 Aug 1944 (K 2788) and on 26 Nov 1943 (K 2796).

  
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