The 67th Special Operation Squadron (67th SOS), nicknamed the Night Owls, is an active United States Air Force unit operating the Lockheed MC-130J Commando II. It is based at RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk, in the United Kingdom and assigned to the 752d Special Operations Group. It was originally activated at RAF Sculthorpe in 1952, transferred to Morón Air Base in Spain in 1966, relocated to RAF Woodbridge, Suffolk, in 1970, transferred to RAF Alconbury, Cambridgeshire in 1992 and, finally, moved to RAF Mildenhall in 1995. The 67th SOS is tasked with flying single or multi-ship low-level air refueling missions for special operations helicopters, infiltration, exfiltration and resupply of special operations forces by airdrop or airland.[4]
History
1952–1994
The unit was constituted as the 67th Air Rescue Squadron (67th ARS) on 17 October 1952. It was activated on 14 November 1952 at RAF Sculthorpe, England and discontinued, followed by inactivation, on 18 March 1960 at Prestwick Airport, Scotland. It was activated again on 10 May 1961 and organized on 18 June 1961 at Prestwick Airport, Scotland. The unit was redesignated 67th Air Recovery Squadron (67th ARS) on 1 August 1965, and then as the 67th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron (67th ARRS) on 8 January 1966.[5]
On 1 June 1988, the unit was split into two units redesignated the 67th Special Operations Squadron (67th SOS) for the HC-130 aircraft and the 21st Special Operations Squadron for the HH-53 rotary wing. On 1 April 1992, they moved to RAF Alconbury, Cambridgeshire, UK.
On 7 May 1993, it was announced that the 352nd Special Operations Group, including the 67th SOS, would relocate to RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk.[6] However, this move was not completed until 30 April 1995, with the 67th SOS arriving on 17 February 1995.[1]
On 7 June 2013, the Night Owls began to replace their MC-130P Combat Shadows when their first Lockheed MC-130J Commando II (10-5714) arrived.[8] The last MC-130P sortie was flown on 24 January 2014, which saw a tour of the country over locations including Prestwick, Alconbury and the Dumfries. The squadron completed the transition from the MC-130P to the MC-130J on 3 February 2014, when 66-0215 departed for Hurlburt Field, Florida.[9]
On 8 January 2015, the United States Department of Defense announced that RAF Mildenhall would be closing, with the 67th SOS relocating to Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany.[10] After a prolonged assessment on the future of Mildenhall, the Department of Defense revealed on 29 July 2020 that the decision on Mildenhall would be reversed,[11] while Spangdahlem Air Base would lose its flying mission with the relocation of the 480th Fighter Squadron to Aviano Air Base, Italy.[12]
Air Rescue Service (later Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Service), 18 June 1961
Atlantic Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Center (later, 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing), 8 April 1967
39th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing (later 39th Special Operations Wing), 17 May 1973 (under operational control of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 12–27 June 1976, attached to Joint Special Operations Task Force: 13 January–18 March 1991, 6 April–10 June 1991)
Prestwick Airport, Scotland, 7 November 1953 – 18 March 1960
Prestwick Airport, Scotland, 18 June 1961
Moron Air Base, Spain, 1 July 1966
RAF Woodbridge, England, 15 January 1970 (deployed at RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus, 13–27 June 1976; Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, 13 January–18 March 1991 and 6 April–10 June 1991)
RAF Alconbury, England, 1 April 1992 (deployed at Brindisi Air Base, Italy and Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, 2 March–12 July 1993)
RAF Mildenhall, England, 17 February 1995 – present[1]
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United States
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