The 12th Special Operations Squadron is assigned to the 27th Special Operations Group at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. Its mission is the launch and recovery of MQ-9 ReaperRemotely Piloted Aircraft from unprepared locations throughout the world. The squadron was activated in 2015 to replace a detachment that had been performing the same mission since October 2013.[4]
The mission of the 12th is to launch and recover Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) operationally employed by the 2d, 3d and 33d Special Operations Squadrons. To avoid the inherent delay in transmitting commands through satellite communications to RPAs from distant stations, the squadron deploys to locations where it can operate the craft for takeoff and landing using line of sight signals. This minimizes risk during critical flight operations, while permitting mission operations to be performed from more remote secure locations.[4]
Responding to the critical need for fighters in the Pacific, in February 1942 the squadron deployed to Christmas Island. The 12th flew patrols over the Indian Ocean from Christmas Island between February and October 1942. During this time the squadron was equipped with P-39 and P-400 aircraft. It began combat operations from Fighter Strip No.2 on Guadalcanal on 19 November 1942, moving to Guadalcanal in February. The squadron was subsequently equipped with P-38 Lightning aircraft at this time. The squadron participated in Operation Vengeance, the successful operation to kill Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto of the Imperial Japanese Navy on 18 April 1943. Operations during this time were frequently split. Although based on Guadalcanal until August 1944, flight operations were conducted from Mono Airfield on Stirling Island. The 12th moved to Mar Drome, Sansapor, Netherlands East Indies that month although starting on 8 November, a portion of the squadron operated from Morotai. The split operation lasted until 10 January 1945, and three days later the squadron moved to Lingayen Airfield in the Philippines, although the squadron moved to Hill Strip little more than a week later, its rear echelon continued to operate from Lingayen until 24 April 1945, when it leapfrogged forward to become the advanced echelon at Moret Field on 24 April, being joined by the rest of the squadron on 4 May. Combat operations continued until 14 August 1945 from Moret (and from Puerto Princesa Airfield between 26 April and 11 May 1945).[1]
After the Inchon Landings, United Nations forces rapidly moved north and the squadron was able to establish a detachment at Pyongyang East Air Base on 5 November 1950, with the entire squadron arriving just over two weeks later. However, Chinese intervention in Korea forced the squadron to withdraw in December, first to Suwon Air Base, then to Chinhae Air Base (although a detachment of the squadron continued to operate from Suwon until 4 January 1951). Part of the squadron resumed Suwon operations again on 24 March 1951, while another part flew out of Pusan West Air Base Suwon operations lasted until 4 May 1951, while those in Pusan lasted only until 23 April.
12th Fighter-Bomber Squadron F-86F at Taegu
Although still stationed at Chinhae, The squadron operated from Seoul Air Base, closer to the front lines, from 8 May to 9 August 1951 and again from 18 August until 30 September, after which it began operations at Hoengseong Air Base. It moved entirely to Hoengseong on 2 June 1952.[1]
It continued to fly combat missions in Korea from until 8 January 1953 and again, after re-equipping with the North American F-86 Sabre, from 25 February to 27 July 1953.[1]
The 12th Fighter-Bomber Squadron Deployed to Tainan Air Base, Taiwan from 27 January – 19 February 1955, 3 September – 30 November 1955, from 18 – 25 April 1961, 18th Tactical Fighter Wing deployed a detachment of 12th Tactical Fighter Squadron aircraft to Kung Kuan Air Base.
The 12th deployed to Vietnam twice in 1965, first from 1 February to March 1965 and 15 June to 25 August 1965.[1] It supported air defense alert capability in Southeast Asia between 1968 and 1972.[1]
The squadron stood alert in South Korea from 23 January to 13 June 1968, after the seizure of the USS Pueblo by North Korea.[1]
Operations in the Pacific
The squadron was unmanned and unequipped from May 1972 until November 1975. It remanned and reequipped with McDonnell F-4 Phantom II aircraft in late November 1975. Through 1980, it flew offensive and defensive exercises in support of its wing, the 313th Air Division, and Pacific Air Forces. It converted to McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle aircraft in 1980. In 1981, the 12th earned the Hughes Trophy in recognition as the outstanding fighter squadron in the USAF.
On 5 November 1999, the squadron moved without personnel or equipment to Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska where it joined the 3d Wing on 28 April 2000. Between 2000 and 2008, it performed offensive and defensive counter-air missions with current air-to-air weaponry, including night vision goggles (NVG), to achieve air superiority in support of taskings from 3 Wing.[1]
At Elmendorf Air Force Base, the squadron employed the F-15C air superiority fighter in global expeditionary support of war-fighting commands.[5] The squadron was inactivated in September 2006, due to the Base Realignment and Closure of 2005.
Remotely piloted vehicles
The 12th was redesignated the 12th Special Operations Squadron and activated at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico to operate RPVs from forward deployed locations during critical flight maneuvers when operating the craft by transmitting signals through satellites could potentially endanger them due to the delay in signal transmission. It absorbed the personnel and equipment of a small detachment that had been performing the same mission at Cannon since October 2013. The squadron is the first of its kind in the United States Air Force, and was considered as a model for similar units by Air Combat Command.[4] Later, the 414th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron was activated to carry out the same type of mission from Incirlik Air Base in Turkey.
Lineage
Constituted as the 12th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 20 November 1940
Activated on 15 January 1941
Redesignated 12th Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942
Redesignated 12th Fighter Squadron, Two Engine on 26 January 1944
Redesignated 12th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 6 May 1946
Redesignated 12th Fighter Squadron, Jet on 23 December 1949
Redesignated 12th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 20 January 1950
Redesignated 12th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 July 1958
Redesignated 12th Fighter Squadron on 1 October 1991
Inactivated in October 2007
Redesignated 12th Special Operations Squadron on 10 February 2015
50th Pursuit Group (later 50th Fighter Group), 15 January 1941 (attached to 7th Interceptor Command (later VII Fighter Command, 10 February – 17 August 1942
^Aircraft is North American P-51D-30-NA Mustang serial 44-74617, taken on a South Korean airfield in 1950
^Detachments operated from Sanga-Sanga in the Sulu Archipelago from 11 June 1945 until the end of the war and from Tacloban from 25 July – c. 30 July 1945
Watkins, Robert A. (2013). Insignia and Aircraft Markings of the U.S. Army Air Force In World War II. Vol. V, Pacific Theater of Operations. Atglen,PA: Shiffer Publishing, Ltd. ISBN978-0-7643-4346-9.
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United States
United States Air Force
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