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318th Special Operations Squadron
U-28A Draco
Active	1944–1946; 1971–1974; 2007–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Special Operations
Part of	Air Force Special Operations Command
Garrison/HQ	Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico
Engagements	Southwest Pacific Theater[1]
Decorations	Philippine Presidential Unit Citation[1]
Insignia
318th Special Operations Squadron emblem(approved 10 July 2008)[1]

The318th Special Operations Squadron flies thePilatus U-28A Draco and is currently stationed atCannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. The 318th is under the command of theAir Force Special Operations Command. The U-28A provides a manned fixed wing, on-demand/surge capability for ImprovedTactical Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Targeting (ISR&T) in Support ofSpecial Operations Forces.^[2][3]

The squadron was activated on 1 May 1944 as the318th Troop Carrier Squadron (Commando) atCamp Mackall, North Carolina and serving under the3d Air Commando Group. The unit participated in theSouthwest Pacific Theater, flying theWaco CG-4 glider andC-47 Skytrain transport. The squadron was inactivated 25 March 1946.

Reactivated on 15 November 1971 atPope Air Force Base, North Carolina, the unit was stood up as the318th Special Operations Squadron, serving under1st Special Operations Wing. The unit's mission was to provideunconventional warfare support in Vietnam with theLockheed C-130 Hercules until inactivation on 1 June 1974.

The unit was most recently reactivated on 16 May 2008. The unit replaced a detachment that had operated thePilatus PC-12 since 27 July 2007, first atHurlburt Field, Florida as1st Special Operations Group, Detachment 4, then after 30 December 2007 atCannon Air Force Base, New Mexico as27th Special Operations Group, Detachment 2.^[4] Flying the PC-12, crews planned, prepared, and executed nonstandard aviation missions in support of joint special operations forces while directly supportingtheaterspecial operations commanders by conductingnight vision infiltration,exfiltration, resupply and other combat taskings on unimprovedrunways.^[4] In the same role and at the same time, the squadron also operated theC-145A Combat Coyote.^[3]

Eventually the squadron transitioned to theU-28A Draco, with the last PC-12 mission being flown in September 2016. The squadron's C-145s were moved to the6th special operations squadron in 2013.^[3] The U-28 is a modified PC-12 which providestactical airborne ISR to special operations forces on the ground.

• Constituted as the318th Troop Carrier Squadron, Commando on 1 May 1944 and activated

Inactivated on 25 March 1946

• Redesignated318th Special Operations Squadron on 21 October 1971

Activated on 15 November 1971

Inactivated on 1 June 1974

Activated on 2 May 2008^[1]

• 3d Air Commando Group, 1 May 1944 – 25 March 1946.
• 1st Special Operations Wing, 15 November 1971 – 1 June 1974
• 27th Special Operations Group, 2 May 2008 – present^[1]

• Camp Mackall, North Carolina, 1 May 1944
• Dunnellon Army Air Field, Florida, 15 August 1944
• Camp Mackall, North Carolina, 12 September 1944
• Baer Field, Indiana, 30 September-ii October 1944
• Nadzab Airfield Complex, New Guinea, 26 October 1944;
• Leyte, Philippines, (undetermined location), 5 January 1945
• Mangaldan Airfield,Luzon, Philippines, 26 January 1945
• Laoag Airfield, Luzon, Philippines, 15 April 1945
• Ie Shima Airfield, Okinawa, 9 August 1945 (operated fromAtsugi Airfield, Japan, 20 September-7 October 1945)
• Chitose Air Base, Japan, 27 October 1945 – 25 March 1946.
• Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina, 15 November 1971 – 1 June 1974
• Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, 2 May 2008 – present^[1]

• Waco CG-4, 1944^[4]
• Douglas C-47 Skytrain, 1944–1946^[4]
• Lockheed C-130 Hercules, 1971–1974^[4]
• PZL C-145A Combat Coyote, 2007–2013^[5][3]
• Pilatus PC-12, 2007–2016^[4]
• Pilatus U-28A Draco, 2016–today^[3]

Notes

 This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961].Air Force Combat Units of World War II(PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.ISBN 0-912799-02-1.LCCN 61060979. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 20 December 2016.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969].Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II(PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.ISBN 0-405-12194-6.LCCN 70605402.OCLC 72556. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 20 December 2016.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984).Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947–1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.ISBN 0-912799-12-9.

• Special operations squadrons of the United States Air Force

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