602d Special Operations Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 602d Special Operations Squadron was a United States Air Force
squadron that operated in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War.
The 602d Fighter Squadron (Commando) was activated in May 1964, and along with the 1st Air Commando Squadron
, was a part of the 34th Tactical Group
. The squadron became operational at Bien Hoa on 15 October 1964. By 1966 the squadron had been renamed the 602d Air Commando Squadron and moved, first to Nha Trang AB in South Vietnam, and then to Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base
. In March 1968 it moved again to Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base. On 1 August 1968 it was redesignated the 602d Special Operations Squadron, and was disbanded on 31 December 1970 at Nakhon Phanom.
Third Air Force, 20 Apr 1944; 2d Air Commando Group, 22 Apr 1944-12 Nov 1945. 1st Air Command Group (later 1st Air Commando Wing), 1 May 1963; Pacific Air Forces, 1 Oct 1964; 34th Tactical Group, 18 Oct 1964; 6251st Tactical Fighter Wing, 8 Jul 1965; 3d Tactical Fighter Wing, 21 Nov 1965; 14th Air Commando Wing, 8 Mar 1966; 56th Air Commando (later, Special Operations) Wing, 8 Apr 1967-31 Dec 1970.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
squadron that operated in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War.
History
1st Special Operations Squadron
The 1st Special Operations Squadron 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...
, was a part of 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....
. The squadron became operational at Bien Hoa on 15 October 1964. By 1966 the squadron had been renamed the 602d Air Commando Squadron and moved, first to Nha Trang AB in South Vietnam, and then to Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base
Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base
Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base is a Royal Thai Air Force base, the home of 2nd Air Division/23rd Wing Air Combat Command.The 231 Squadron "Hunter" is assigned to Udorn, equipped with the Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet-A.-History:...
. In March 1968 it moved again to Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base. On 1 August 1968 it was redesignated the 602d Special Operations Squadron, and was disbanded on 31 December 1970 at Nakhon Phanom.
Lineage
Constituted 2d Fighter Reconnaissance Squadron on 11 Apr 1944. Activated on 20 Apr 1944. Redesignated 2d Fighter Squadron, Commando on 2 Jun 1944. Inactivated on 12 Nov 1945. Disbanded on 8 Oct 1948. Reconstituted, redesignated 602d Fighter Squadron, Commando, and activated, on 15 Apr 1963. Organized on 1 May 1963. Redesignated 602d Special Operations Squadron on 1 Aug 1968. Inactivated on 31 Dec 1970.Assignments
Stations
- Lakeland Army Airfield, 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...
, 20 Apr 1944 - Cross City Army Airfield, 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...
, 9 Jun 1944 - Alachua Army Airfield, 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...
, 21 Jun 1944 - Drew Field, 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...
, 17 Aug 1944 - Lakeland Army Airfield, 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...
, 22 Aug-23 Oct 1944 - Kalaikunda,India, 15 Dec 1944
- Cox's Bazaar, IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, 13 Feb 1945 - Kalaikunda, India, 14 May-22 Oct 1945
- Camp KilmerCamp KilmerCamp Kilmer, New Jersey is a former United States Army camp that was activated in June 1942 as a staging area and part of an installation of the New York Port of Embarkation. The camp was organized as part of the Army Service Forces Transportation Corps. Troops were quartered at Camp Kilmer in...
, New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, 11-12 Nov 1945 - Eglin Air Force Base Aux Airfield#9, 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...
, 1 May 1963 - 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....
, VietnamVietnamVietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, 12 Oct 1964 - Nha Trang Air BaseNha Trang Air BaseNha Trang Air Base is a Vietnam People's Air Force military airfield in Vietnam. It is located northwest of Nha Trang in Khanh Hoa Province....
, VietnamVietnamVietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, 1 Feb 1966 - Udorn Air Base, 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...
, 15 Dec 1966 - Nakhon Phanom Air Base, 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...
, 30 Jun 1968-31 Dec 1970
Aircraft
- North American P-51D MustangP-51 MustangThe North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
, 1944–1945 - North American F-6 MustangP-51 MustangThe North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
, 1945 - Douglas B-26B/C InvaderA-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 - Douglas A-1E/G/H/J 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...
, 1964-1970.