1st Special Operations Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 1st Special Operations Squadron (1 SOS) is part of the 353d Special Operations Group
at Kadena Air Base
, Japan. It operates MC-130 Combat Talon II aircraft providing special operations capability. Air crews are trained in night, low-level flying using night vision goggles
.
or landing.
The 1st flew combat missions in Southeast Asia
from, 8 July 1963–7 November 1972 and 15 December 1972–28 January 1973. It also trained Vietnamese Air Force
pilots in counter-insurgency
operations from, July 1963 – November 1972. Acquired the Combat Talon mission from the redesignated 90th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 15 December 1972. Three MC-130 Combat Talon
s from the 1st SOS led the Night One mission of Operation Eagle Claw
, the hostage rescue mission in Iran, in April 1980.
The 1st operates the MC-130H Combat Talon II aircraft in support of joint and allied special operations forces.
, South Vietnam, and was assigned to the 34th Tactical Group
. It was reassigned the following year, on 8 July, to the 6251st Tactical Fighter Wing (though attached to the 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing
, from 21 November 1965–8 March 1966). Relocating to Pleiku Air Base
, South Vietnam, it was reassigned to the 2nd Air Division on 18 February 1966, and reassigned again to the 14th Air Commando Wing
on 8 March 1966. Redesignated as the 1st Air Commando Squadron, Fighter, on 15 August 1967, it was reassigned on 20 December 1967 to the 56th Air Commando Wing
(redesignated the 56th Special Operation Wing
in August 1968), and moved to Nakhon Phanom RTAFB, Thailand
. On 1 August 1968 the 1st ACS was redesignated as the 1st Special Operations Squadron (1st SOS).
The 1st saw extensive combat in Southeast Asia, from 8 July 1963–7 November 1972 and from 15 December 1972–28 January 1973. In its early years in Southeast Asia, the squadron flew a variety of aircraft, beginning with the B-26 Invader
and T-28 Trojan
in 1963 and 1964, both aircraft used for close air support. While at its initial home base Bien Hoa AB, aircrews of the 1st Air Commando Squadron performed the first combat tests of the famous FC-47 gunship
, beginning in December 1964. In 1964 the 1st began flying the A-1 Skyraider
, the aircraft with which it is most closely associated, but continued to fly other aircraft into 1966. Its primary mission after the move to Nakhon Phanom RTAFB was interdiction along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, but its pilots and planes also flew cover for pilot rescue missions, and it continued to fly close air support missions for U.S. and Vietnamese ground forces. It also trained Vietnamese Air Force pilots in counterinsurgency operations, from July 1963 – November 1972. Aircraft flown by the 1st SOS were the B–26 (1963–1964); T–28 (1963–1964); U–10 (1963–1966); C–47 (1963–1966); RB–26 (1963–1964); A–1 (1964–1972); FC–47 (1964–1965); AC–47 (1965); and the C(later, MC)–130 beginning in 1972.
Among its pilots was Maj. Bernard Francis Fisher
, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions on 10 March 1966 over South Vietnam. In the first action of the Vietnam War that merited the award of the Air Force Cross, Capt. Howard Rudolph Cody and his navigator First Lt. Atis Karlis Lielmanis both received the award posthumously for extraordinary heroism in on 24 November 1963 while flying a B-26 out of Bien Hoa AB on a close air support mission. Two other early recipients of the Air Force Cross were Maj. Carl Berg Mitchell and his navigator, Capt. Vincent Joseph Hickman. Maj. Mitchell and Capt. Hickman were awarded the medal posthumously for a B-26 mission over Dong Nai Province on 14 January 1964. Capt. John Edgar Lackey received the award for extraordinary heroism during a search and rescue mission over Laos on 18 and 19 March 1972. The last pilot of the 1st to be awarded the Air Force Cross was Maj. James C. Harding, for extraordinary heroism in action near Tchepone, Laos from 10 to 13 April 1972.
In August 2000, a crew from the 1st SOS, along with another from the 17th SOS, flew a C-130 each to deliver 19 tons of disaster relief aid across the Pacific to assist in Vietnam’s worst flooding in a century. Nearly 22,000 pounds of plastic sheeting, 3,600 blankets and 5,000 water containers were flown from Guam, to Okinawa and then on to Vietnam by two Kadena-based C-130s.
353d Special Operations Group
The 353d Special Operations Group is an operational unit of the United States Air Force Special Operations Command. It is stationed at Kadena Air Base, Japan.The 353 SOG is the United States Air Force special forces contribution to the U.S...
at Kadena Air Base
Kadena Air Base
, is a United States Air Force base in the towns of Kadena and Chatan and the city of Okinawa, in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Kadena Air Base is the hub of U.S. airpower in the Pacific, and home to the USAF's 18th Wing and a variety of associate units.-Units:The 18th Wing is the host unit at Kadena...
, Japan. It operates MC-130 Combat Talon II aircraft providing special operations capability. Air crews are trained in night, low-level flying using night vision goggles
Night vision goggles
A night vision device is an optical instrument that allows images to be produced in levels of light approaching total darkness. They are most often used by the military and law enforcement agencies, but are available to civilian users...
.
Mission
Deliver troops and equipment into denied areas during adverse weather conditions at night by airdropAirdrop
An airdrop is a type of airlift, developed during World War II to resupply otherwise inaccessible troops, who themselves may have been airborne forces. In some cases, it is used to refer to the airborne assault itself. Early airdrops were conducted by dropping or pushing padded bundles from...
or landing.
History
The 1st conducted gunnery testing and training from, 1939–1942. It flew administrative airlift from, 1949–1952 and 1953–1954.The 1st flew combat missions in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
from, 8 July 1963–7 November 1972 and 15 December 1972–28 January 1973. It also trained Vietnamese Air Force
Vietnam Air Force
The Vietnam Air Force began with a few hand-picked men chosen to fly alongside French pilots during the State of Vietnam era. It eventually grew into the world’s sixth largest air force at the height of its power, in 1974...
pilots in counter-insurgency
Counter-insurgency
A counter-insurgency or counterinsurgency involves actions taken by the recognized government of a nation to contain or quell an insurgency taken up against it...
operations from, July 1963 – November 1972. Acquired the Combat Talon mission from the redesignated 90th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 15 December 1972. Three MC-130 Combat Talon
MC-130 Combat Talon
The Lockheed MC-130 is the basic designation for a family of special mission aircraft operated by the United States Air Force Special Operations Command , a wing of the Air Education and Training Command, and an AFSOC-gained wing of the Air Force Reserve Command...
s from the 1st SOS led the Night One mission of Operation Eagle Claw
Operation Eagle Claw
Operation Eagle Claw was an American military operation ordered by President Jimmy Carter to attempt to put an end to the Iran hostage crisis by rescuing 52 Americans held captive at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran on 24 April 1980...
, the hostage rescue mission in Iran, in April 1980.
The 1st operates the MC-130H Combat Talon II aircraft in support of joint and allied special operations forces.
Combat Operations During the Vietnam War
The 1st Special Operations Squadron was originally constituted as the 1st Air Commando Squadron, Composite (1st ACS), and activated on 17 June 1963 under Pacific Air Forces. It organized on 8 July 1963 at Bien Hoa Air BaseBien Hoa Air Base
Bien Hoa Air Base is a Vietnam People's Air Force military airfield located in South-Central southern Vietnam about 20 miles from Saigon near the city of Bien Hoa within Dong Nai Province....
, South Vietnam, and was assigned to the 34th Tactical Group
34th Training Wing
The 34th Training Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The commander of the 34th Training Wing is dual-hatted as the Commandant of Cadets at the Academy....
. It was reassigned the following year, on 8 July, to the 6251st Tactical Fighter Wing (though attached to the 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing
3d Wing
The 3d Wing is a unit of the United States Air Force, assigned to the Pacific Air Forces Eleventh Air Force. It is stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska....
, from 21 November 1965–8 March 1966). Relocating to Pleiku Air Base
Pleiku Air Base
Pleiku Air Base is a former air force base in Vietnam. It was established by the South Vietnamese Air Force in 1962 at an undeveloped airstrip, and was used by the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War in the II Corps Tactical Zone of South Vietnam. It was seized by the Vietnam People's...
, South Vietnam, it was reassigned to the 2nd Air Division on 18 February 1966, and reassigned again to the 14th Air Commando Wing
14th Flying Training Wing
The 14th Flying Training Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi.-Mission:...
on 8 March 1966. Redesignated as the 1st Air Commando Squadron, Fighter, on 15 August 1967, it was reassigned on 20 December 1967 to the 56th Air Commando Wing
56th Fighter Wing
The 56th Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command's Nineteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona where it also is the host unit....
(redesignated the 56th Special Operation Wing
56th Fighter Wing
The 56th Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command's Nineteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona where it also is the host unit....
in August 1968), and moved to Nakhon Phanom RTAFB, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. On 1 August 1968 the 1st ACS was redesignated as the 1st Special Operations Squadron (1st SOS).
A-26 Invader
The Douglas A-26 Invader was a United States twin-engined light attack bomber built by the Douglas Aircraft Co. during World War II that also saw service during several of the Cold War's major conflicts...
and T-28 Trojan
T-28 Trojan
The North American Aviation T-28 Trojan is a piston-engined military trainer aircraft used by the United States Air Force and United States Navy beginning in the 1950s...
in 1963 and 1964, both aircraft used for close air support. While at its initial home base Bien Hoa AB, aircrews of the 1st Air Commando Squadron performed the first combat tests of the famous FC-47 gunship
C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
, beginning in December 1964. In 1964 the 1st began flying the A-1 Skyraider
A-1 Skyraider
The Douglas A-1 Skyraider was an American single-seat attack aircraft that saw service between the late 1940s and early 1980s. It became a piston-powered, propeller-driven anachronism in the jet age, and was nicknamed "Spad", after a French World War I fighter...
, the aircraft with which it is most closely associated, but continued to fly other aircraft into 1966. Its primary mission after the move to Nakhon Phanom RTAFB was interdiction along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, but its pilots and planes also flew cover for pilot rescue missions, and it continued to fly close air support missions for U.S. and Vietnamese ground forces. It also trained Vietnamese Air Force pilots in counterinsurgency operations, from July 1963 – November 1972. Aircraft flown by the 1st SOS were the B–26 (1963–1964); T–28 (1963–1964); U–10 (1963–1966); C–47 (1963–1966); RB–26 (1963–1964); A–1 (1964–1972); FC–47 (1964–1965); AC–47 (1965); and the C(later, MC)–130 beginning in 1972.
Among its pilots was Maj. Bernard Francis Fisher
Bernard Francis Fisher
Bernard Francis "Bernie" Fisher is a retired United States Air Force officer and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor...
, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions on 10 March 1966 over South Vietnam. In the first action of the Vietnam War that merited the award of the Air Force Cross, Capt. Howard Rudolph Cody and his navigator First Lt. Atis Karlis Lielmanis both received the award posthumously for extraordinary heroism in on 24 November 1963 while flying a B-26 out of Bien Hoa AB on a close air support mission. Two other early recipients of the Air Force Cross were Maj. Carl Berg Mitchell and his navigator, Capt. Vincent Joseph Hickman. Maj. Mitchell and Capt. Hickman were awarded the medal posthumously for a B-26 mission over Dong Nai Province on 14 January 1964. Capt. John Edgar Lackey received the award for extraordinary heroism during a search and rescue mission over Laos on 18 and 19 March 1972. The last pilot of the 1st to be awarded the Air Force Cross was Maj. James C. Harding, for extraordinary heroism in action near Tchepone, Laos from 10 to 13 April 1972.
Post Vietnam Operations
Following the end of combat operations at the end of 1972, the 1st SOS was reassigned to the 18th Tactical Fighter Wing (15 December 1972) and relocated to Kadena AB, Japan (though a segment of squadron operated from Nakhon Phanom RTAFB, from 15 December 1972–28 January 1973). The 1st SOS was reassigned to the 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing, on 15 January 1981, relocating in the process to Clark AB, Philippines. On 1 March 1983 the squadron was reassigned to 2nd Air Division; to Twenty-third Air Force on 1 February 1987; and to the 353rd Special Operations Wing (later, 353rd Special Operations Group), on 6 April 1989. The 1st SOS relocated to Kadena AB, Japan, on 5 February 1992.In August 2000, a crew from the 1st SOS, along with another from the 17th SOS, flew a C-130 each to deliver 19 tons of disaster relief aid across the Pacific to assist in Vietnam’s worst flooding in a century. Nearly 22,000 pounds of plastic sheeting, 3,600 blankets and 5,000 water containers were flown from Guam, to Okinawa and then on to Vietnam by two Kadena-based C-130s.
The 1st Special Operations Squadron Today
As an integral part of the 353rd Special Operations Group, the 1st Special Operations Squadron operates the MC-130H Combat Talon II aircraft in support of joint and allied special operations forces. This aircraft is capable of delivering troops and equipment into denied areas during adverse weather conditions at night by airdrop or landing. Its air crews are specially trained in night, low-level flying using night vision goggles. The 353rd Special Operations Group is the focal point for all U.S. Air Force special operations activities throughout the USPACOM theater. The group is contains more than 750 Airmen and five squadronsLineage
- 1st Pursuit Squadron (Single Engine) (1939)
- 1st Pursuit Squadron (1939–1949)
- 1st Liaison Squadron (1949–1963)
- 1st Air Commando Squadron, Composite (1963–1967)
- 1st Air Commando Squadron, Fighter (1967–1968)
- 1st Special Operations Squadron (1968 – Present)
Assignments
- Air Corps Proving Ground Group (1939–1942)
- 12th Air Force (1949–1950)
- 14th Air Force (1950)
- Tactical Air CommandTactical Air CommandTactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
(1950–1951) - 9th Air Force (1951–1952)
- 479th Fighter-Bomber Wing (1953–1954)
- 34th Tactical Group (1963–1965)
- 6251st Tactical Fighter Wing (1965–1966)
- 14th Air Commando Wing14th Flying Training WingThe 14th Flying Training Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi.-Mission:...
(1966–1967) - 56th Special Operations Wing56th Fighter WingThe 56th Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command's Nineteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona where it also is the host unit....
(1967–1972) - 18th Tactical Fighter Wing18th WingThe United States Air Force's 18th Wing is the host wing for Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan and is the Air Force’s largest combat wing. It is the largest and principal organization in the Pacific Air Forces Fifth Air Force....
(1972–1981) - 3d Tactical Fighter Wing3d WingThe 3d Wing is a unit of the United States Air Force, assigned to the Pacific Air Forces Eleventh Air Force. It is stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska....
(1981–1983) - 2d Air Division (1983–1987)
- 23rd Air Force (1987–1989)
- 353d Special Operations Group353d Special Operations GroupThe 353d Special Operations Group is an operational unit of the United States Air Force Special Operations Command. It is stationed at Kadena Air Base, Japan.The 353 SOG is the United States Air Force special forces contribution to the U.S...
(1989 – Present)
Bases stationed
- Maxwell FieldMaxwell FieldMaxwell Field was the football stadium located behind the former location of Louisville Male High School, 911 S. Brook St., Louisville, Kentucky, 40203 which was bounded by the streets of Brook, Breckinridge, Floyd, and Caldwell streets in Louisville, Kentucky. In 1984 a double murder known locally...
, AlabamaAlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
(1939–1940) - OrlandoOrlando, FloridaOrlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
(1940–1941) - Eglin Field, Florida (1941–1942)
- Biggs Air Force Base, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
(1949–1952) - George Air Force BaseGeorge Air Force BaseGeorge Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located within city limits, 8 miles northwest of central Victorville, California, about 75 miles northeast of Los Angeles, California. The facility was closed by the Base Realignment and Closure 1992 commission at the end of the Cold...
, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
(1953–1954) - Bien Hoa Air BaseBien Hoa Air BaseBien Hoa Air Base is a Vietnam People's Air Force military airfield located in South-Central southern Vietnam about 20 miles from Saigon near the city of Bien Hoa within Dong Nai Province....
, South VietnamSouth VietnamSouth Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
(1963–1966) - Pleiku Air BasePleiku Air BasePleiku Air Base is a former air force base in Vietnam. It was established by the South Vietnamese Air Force in 1962 at an undeveloped airstrip, and was used by the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War in the II Corps Tactical Zone of South Vietnam. It was seized by the Vietnam People's...
, South Vietnam (1966–1967) - Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force BaseNakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force BaseNakhon Phanom Royal Thai Navy Base , formerly Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base, is a Royal Thai Navy facility used for riverine patrols along the Mekong River. It is located approximately 365 miles northeast of Bangkok, 9 miles west of Nakhon Phanom city in Nakhon Phanom Province in the...
, ThailandThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
(1967–1972) - Kadena Air BaseKadena Air Base, is a United States Air Force base in the towns of Kadena and Chatan and the city of Okinawa, in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Kadena Air Base is the hub of U.S. airpower in the Pacific, and home to the USAF's 18th Wing and a variety of associate units.-Units:The 18th Wing is the host unit at Kadena...
, Japan (1972–1981) - Clark Air BaseClark Air BaseClark Air Base is a former United States Air Force base on Luzon Island in the Philippines, located 3 miles west of Angeles City, about 40 miles northwest of Metro Manila. Clark Air Base was an American military facility from 1903 to 1991...
, Philippines (1981–1992) - Kadena Air Base, Japan (1992 – Present)
Aircraft Operated
- P-36 HawkP-36 HawkThe Curtiss P-36 Hawk, also known as the Curtiss Hawk Model 75, was an American-designed and built fighter aircraft of the 1930s and 40s. A contemporary of both the Hawker Hurricane and Messerschmitt Bf 109, it was one of the first of a new generation of combat aircraft—a sleek monoplane design...
(1939–1942) - YP-37 (1939–1940)
- O-38Douglas O-38-References:*The complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft Editors: Paul Eden & Soph Moeng, , 1152 pp.-External links:...
(1940) - B-12Martin B-10The Martin B-10 was the first all-metal monoplane bomber to go into regular use by the United States Army Air Corps, entering service in June 1934...
(1940) - C-40 ElectraLockheed Model 12 Electra JuniorThe Lockheed Model 12 Electra Junior, more commonly known as the Lockheed 12 or L-12, is an eight-seat, six-passenger all-metal twin-engine transport aircraft of the late 1930s designed for use by small airlines, companies, and wealthy private individuals...
(1940) - P-40 WarhawkCurtiss P-40The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was an American single-engine, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry into production and operational...
(1941–1942) - L-13 GrasshopperStinson L-13-References:*"." Flight, 9 September 1955, p. 466.* rare photos of L-13 folded for towing by jeep*Harding, Stephen. U.S. Army Aircraft Since 1947. Shrewsbury, UK:Airlife, 1990. ISBN 1-85310-102-8....
(1949–1952) - C-45 ExpeditorBeechcraft Model 18The Beechcraft Model 18, or "Twin Beech", as it is better known, is a 6-11 seat, twin-engine, low-wing, conventional-gear aircraft that was manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas...
(1952) - L-20 BeaverDe Havilland Canada DHC-2 BeaverThe de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver is a single-engined, high-wing, propeller-driven, STOL aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada, primarily known as a bush plane. It is used for cargo and passenger hauling, aerial application , and has been widely adopted by armed forces as a utility aircraft...
(1952, 1953–1954) - H-19 Chickasaw (1953–1954)
- B-26 MarauderB-26 MarauderThe Martin B-26 Marauder was a World War II twin-engine medium bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, it was also used in the Mediterranean Theater and in Western Europe....
(1963–1964) - T-28 TrojanT-28 TrojanThe North American Aviation T-28 Trojan is a piston-engined military trainer aircraft used by the United States Air Force and United States Navy beginning in the 1950s...
(1963–1964) - U-10 Super CourierHelio CourierThe Helio Courier is a light C/STOL utility aircraft designed in 1949.Around 500 of these aircraft were manufactured in Pittsburg, Kansas from 1954 until 1974 by the Helio Aircraft Company. During the early 1980s, new owners made an attempt to build new aircraft with direct-drive Lycoming engines,...
(1963–1966) - C-47 SkytrainC-47 SkytrainThe Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
(1963–1966) - RB-26A-26 InvaderThe Douglas A-26 Invader was a United States twin-engined light attack bomber built by the Douglas Aircraft Co. during World War II that also saw service during several of the Cold War's major conflicts...
(1963–1964) - A-1 SkyraiderA-1 SkyraiderThe Douglas A-1 Skyraider was an American single-seat attack aircraft that saw service between the late 1940s and early 1980s. It became a piston-powered, propeller-driven anachronism in the jet age, and was nicknamed "Spad", after a French World War I fighter...
(1964–1972) - FC-47 (1964–1965)
- AC-47 SpookyAC-47 SpookyThe Douglas AC-47 Spooky was the first in a series of gunships developed by the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War...
(1965) - MC-130 Combat Talon (1972 – Present)