711th Special Operations Squadron | |
|---|---|
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| Active | 1943–1945; 1949–1951; 1955–1957; 1971–present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Special operations,Close Air Support,Interdiction, [[Aerial reconnaissance|Armed Reconnaissance]] |
| Part of | Air Force Reserve Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Hurlburt Field, Florida |
| Colors | Blue (World War II)[1] Brown (beret color, 2013-2022) |
| Engagements | European Theater of Operations Operation Just Cause Operation Desert Storm |
| Decorations | Gallant Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award withCombat "V" Device Air Force Outstanding Unit Award |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Major General Richard S. Haddad[2] |
| Insignia | |
| 711th Special Operations Squadron Emblem[a][3] |  |
| 711th Bombardment Squadron emblem[b][4] |  |
| World War II fuselage code[1] | IP |
| 447th Bombardment Group tail marking | Square K |
| Combat Aviation Advisorberet flash[5] |  |
The711th Special Operations Squadron is an active reserve squadron of theUnited States Air Force, part of the919th Special Operations Wing and stationed atHurlburt Field, Florida. The unit is operationally gained byAir Force Special Operations Command if called to active duty. As of February 2025 the squadron is being stood up to operate theLockheed AC-130J Ghostrider from Hurlburt Field, Florida.[6]
The squadron was first activated duringWorld War II as the711th Bombardment Squadron. After training in the United States, it deployed to theEuropean Theatre of Operations, where it engaged in thestrategic bombing campaign against Germany.2d Lieutenant Robert E. Femoyer, of the 711th Bombardment Squadron, was awarded theMedal of Honor for his heroic actions during a mission overMerseburg, Germany, on 2 November 1944. The squadron returned to the United States following the war and was inactivated.
The squadron was activated in the reserves as alight bomber unit in 1949 and served until it was called to active duty in 1951 as a result of theKorean War and its personnel used as fillers for other units. In 1955, the squadron was again activated in the reserves as the711th Fighter-Bomber Squadron. It trained withLockheed F-80 Shooting Stars andNorth American F-86 Sabres until being replaced by the69th Troop Carrier Squadron in 1957.
The squadron activated in 1971 as the711th Tactical Airlift Squadron atDuke Field, Florida with the mission of intratheater airlift, usingLockheed C-130 Hercules Aircraft. Three years later, it converted to theAC-130 gunship model of the Hercules and became the711th Special Operations Squadron. In 1995 it converted to a third type of C-130 when it began to fly theMC-130 Combat Talon model. In 2013 it re-equipped withPZL C-145A Skytrucks and its mission became one of providing training and support for friendly nations. The Squadron was inactive between 2022 and 2025 after the retirement of the MC-145. In February 2025 the air force announced the squadron would begin operating the AC-130J out ofHurlburt Field, Florida.[6]
The squadron was first activated on 1 May 1943 atEphrata Army Air Base, Washington as the711th Bombardment Squadron, one of the four squadrons of the447th Bombardment Group.[4][7]
The original mission of the squadron was to be anOperational Training Unit.[8] However, by the time the 447th group reached full strength in October it had been identified for overseas deployment and its key personnel were sent to theArmy Air Forces School of Applied Tactics atOrlando Army Air Base, Florida for advanced tactical training. Thecadre trained atBrooksville Army Air Field with the1st Bombardment Squadron, engaging in simulated attacks againstMobile, Alabama,Charleston, South Carolina andNew Orleans. The squadron then trained atRapid City Army Air Base, South Dakota with the17th Bombardment Training Wing. In June 1943 the group moved toHarvard Army Air Field, Nebraska for Phase I training.[9] The unit sailed on theRMS Queen Elizabeth on 23 November 1943 and arrived at theFirth of Clyde on 29 November 1943.[10] The squadron's B-17s began to move from the United States to the European theater of operations in November 1943.[4]
The squadron was stationed atRAF Rattlesden, England, from December 1943 to August 1945. It flew its first combat mission on 24 December 1943 against aV-1 flying bomb launch site nearSaint-Omer in Northern France.[11]
From December 1943 to May 1944, the squadron helped prepare for the invasion of the European continent by attackingsubmarine pens, naval installations, and cities in Germany; missile sites and ports in France; and airfields andmarshaling yards in France, Belgium and Germany.[12] The squadron conducted heavy bombardment missions against German aircraft industry duringBig Week, 20 to 25 February 1944.[7]
The unit supportedOperation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy in June 1944 by bombing airfields and other targets.[7] OnD-Day the squadron bombed the beachhead area using pathfinder aircraft.[13]
The squadron aided inOperation Cobra, the breakthrough atSaint Lo, France, and the effort to takeBrest, France, from July to September 1944.[7] It bombed strategic targets from October to December 1944, concentrating onsources of oil production.[7] It assaulted marshalling yards, railroad bridges and communication centers during the Battle of the Bulge from December 1944 to January 1945.[7] In March 1945 the group bombed an airfield in support ofOperation Varsity, the airborne assault across the Rhine. The unit flew its last combat mission on 21 April 1945 against a marshalling yard atIngolstadt, Germany.[14]
On 2 November 1944,2d Lieutenant Robert E. Femoyer, a navigator with the squadron, was flying a mission toMerseburg, Germany. His B-17 was damaged byflak and Lt. Femoyer was severely injured in his back and side. He refused morphine to relieve the pain of his injuries in order to keep his mind alert to navigate the plane out of the danger from heavily defended flak areas and then to a place of safety for his crew. Because he was too weak to climb back in his seat, he asked other crew members to prop him up so he could read his charts and instruments. For more than two hours he directed the navigation of his plane back to its home station with no further damage. Shortly after being removed from his plane, Lt. Femoyer died of his injuries.[7][15]
The 711th redeployed to the United States during the summer 1945. The air echelon ferried their aircraft and personnel back to the United States, leaving on 29 and 30 June 1945. The squadron ground echelon, along with the 709th squadron sailed 3 August 1945 on theSSBenjamin R. Milam, from Liverpool. Most personnel were discharged atCamp Myles Standish after arrival at the port ofBoston. A small cadre proceeded toDrew Field, Florida[16] and the squadron inactivated on 7 November 1945.[7]
The squadron was redesignated as alight bomber unit and activated in thereserve atLong Beach Municipal Airport, when the448th Bombardment Group was authorized a fourth squadron. However, the unit was only authorized manning of 25% of normal strength.[17] It had no tactical aircraft assigned, but flew twin engine trainers[3] under the supervision of the 2347th Air Force Reserve Training Center.[18] In August 1950, the448th Bombardment Wing's companion reserve unit at Long Beach, the452d Bombardment Wing, wasmobilized forKorean War service. In order to bring the 452d Wing to combat strength, skilled reservists and reservists who required 60 or fewer days training to qualify them as fully skilled assigned to the 448th Wing were transferred to the 452d Wing.[19] The 711th Squadron itself was called to active duty in the second wave of mobilization in March 1951 and its personnel who had not been transferred to the 452d Wing were used as fillers for other Air Force organizations, while the squadron was inactivated a few days later.[4]
The reserve mobilization for the Korean War left it without aircraft, and the reserve did not again receive aircraft until July 1952.[20] When aircraft were assigned, six reserve pilot training wings were activated. However, the Air Force desired that all reserve units be designed to augment the regular forces in the event of a national emergency. Because the pilot training wings had no mobilization mission they were discontinued on 18 May 1955, and replaced by fighter-bomber and troop carrier wings.[21] The squadron was redesignated the711th Fighter-Bomber Squadron and again activated as a reserve unit atHensley Field, Texas when the448th Fighter-Bomber Wing replaced the 8709th Pilot Training Wing. The squadron took over theNorth American T-28 Trojan aircraft of the 8709th, but soon re-equipped withLockheed F-80 Shooting Stars.
Despite itsfighter bomber designation, the squadron was gained byAir Defense Command (ADC) upon mobilization. ADC required the squadron be designed to augment active duty squadrons capable of performingair defense missions for an indefinite period after mobilization independently of its parent wing.[22] The squadron flew the F-80 until 1957, when it began converting to theNorth American F-86 Sabre.[18]
However, theJoint Chiefs of Staff were pressuring the Air Force to provide more wartime airlift. At the same time, about 150Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars became available from the active force. Consequently, in November 1956 the Air Force directedContinental Air Command to convert three reserve fighter bomber wings to the troop carrier mission by September 1957. In addition, within the Air Staff was a recommendation that the reserve fighter mission given to theAir National Guard and replaced by the troop carrier mission.[23] As a consequence in November 1957, the 711th[4] and the remainder of the 448th Wing were inactivated[18] when reserve operations at Hensley converted to theairlift mission and the69th Troop Carrier Squadron moved to Hensley fromTinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma.[24]
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The unit reactivated in 1971 atDuke Field, Florida as the711th Tactical Airlift Squadron, a reserve intratheater airlift squadron equipped with theLockheed C-130A Hercules. Its mission was the airlift of personnel and cargo as well as airdrop support forArmy paratroopers duringexercises.[3]
In late 1974, the squadron began transitioning to the AC-130A Spectre aircraft[3] and when transition to gunships was complete the squadron was redesignated as the711th Special Operations Squadron in the summer of the following year.[3]Close air support of conventional and special operations ground forces became the unit's primary duty, but additional capabilities included the ability to perform armed interdiction,reconnaissance, and escort,forward air control andcombat search and rescue in conventional or unconventional warfare settings.[25]
Because the Spectres' advanced sensors were useful in range reconnaissance and range clearing tasks, the 711th also provided missile range support to the Air Force'sEastern Range atCape Canaveral Air Force Station from 1979 to 1989 andSpace Shuttle support toNational Aeronautics and Space Administration atKennedy Space Center from 1981 to 1988.[3][25]
The 711th flew pre-strike reconnaissance,fire support, escort, and air base defense sorties duringOperation Just Cause, the United States intervention inPanama from 8 December 1989 to 7 January 1990, for which it earned anAir Force Outstanding Unit Award.[3]
The 711th again flew combat missions duringOperation Desert Storm in Southwest Asia from February through March 1991.[3] The squadron deployed five aircraft and eightaircrews toKing Fahd International Airport, nearDhahran, Saudi Arabia, arriving on 7 February and flying its first sortie two days later.[26] On 26 February three of the squadron's AC-130As attacked theJahra to Basra road, which was being used by fleeing Iraqi troops. Fighter aircraft had struck the road, and numerous vehicles were backed up on the road, struggling to make their way north. Ghost 10 was the first squadron aircraft to attack, but it had to depart the area after destroying five vehicles due to its low fuel situation. It was replaced by Ghost 06 and Ghost 07, which destroyed an additional 29 vehicles, including four armored personnel carriers. The squadron flew 59 sorties during the war, and performed airlift as well as gunship missions. It departed the theater on 12 March and arrived at Duke on 19 March.[27]
The squadron's primary mission changed in late 1995 as the unit transitioned to the MC-130E Combat Talon I aircraft. In its new role, the squadron provided long-rangeclandestine delivery of special operations forces and equipment. It periodically deployed personnel and aircraft to support special operations contingency operations worldwide, as well as numeroushumanitarian missions.[3] Beginning on 1 October 1997, the 711th also provided the flight portion of MC-130E Combat Talon I training for bothAir Force Special Operations Command andAir Force Reserve Command.[3]
After September 2001, the 711th frequently deployed aircraft and personnel to Iraq and Afghanistan in support ofOperation Iraqi Freedom andOperation Enduring Freedom.[28]
The squadron ended forty-two years of operating with the Hercules in 2013, when it transitioned into thePZL C-145 Skytruckshort takeoff and landing aircraft.[29][30] The unit's new mission is aviation foreign internal defense. Aviation foreign internal defense is a special operations forces mission employing airmen as combat aviation advisors to assess, train, advise and assist foreign nations in aviation. It supports friendly nations to assist the United States in achieving strategic political and military goals. In this mission, the squadron is a reserve associate unit operating and maintaining aircraft of the6th Special Operations Squadron a colocated regular unit.[31]
In 2015, the 711th SOS shares a building, flightline, aircraft and mission with the active-duty6th Special Operations Squadron atDuke Field. The 6th moved fromHurlburt Field to Duke Field in 2012, as the 711th transitioned from the MC-130E to theforeign internal defense role, the two units jointly assuming the new mission. "As the only two Air Force operational squadrons performing this mission, their deployment tempo is best described as continuous averaging around one deployment a month."[32]
On 15 December 2022, the squadron retired the C-145A from active service.[33] According to two 2022 articles inTask & Purpose, the 711th was programmed to be inactivated.[34][35] However the 711th was still shown on the 919th Special Operations Wing's af.mil website at the time as an active squadron.
On 28 February 2025 the Air Force announced the 711th would be stationed atHurlburt Field and operate theLockheed AC-130J Ghostrider.[6]
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| Award streamer | Award | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Gallant Unit Citation | 6 October 2001-1 July 2003 | 711th Special Operations Squadron[37] |
 | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award withCombat "V" Device | 1 February 2001–31 January 2003 | 711th Special Operations Squadron[3] |
 | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 30 July 1971-31 March 1973 | 711th Tactical Airlift Squadron[3] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1975-31 January 1977 | 711th Special Operations Squadron[3] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 October 1983-1 June 1985 | 711th Special Operations Squadron[3] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 June 1987-31 May 1989 | 711th Special Operations Squadron[3] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 8 December 1989-7 January 1990 | 711th Special Operations Squadron[3] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 June 1990-31 May 1992 | 711th Special Operations Squadron[3] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 June 1992-31 May 1994 | 711th Special Operations Squadron[3] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 June 1994-31 May 1996 | 711th Special Operations Squadron[3] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 June 1996-31 May 1998 | 711th Special Operations Squadron[3] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 June 1998-31 May 2000 | 711th Special Operations Squadron[3] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 February 2003–30 September 2003 | 711th Special Operations Squadron[3] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 October 2003–31 December 2004 | 711th Special Operations Squadron[3] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 January 2005–31 December 2005 | 711th Special Operations Squadron[3] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 January 2006–31 December 2006 | 711th Special Operations Squadron[3] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 January 2007–30 April 2007 | 711th Special Operations Squadron[3] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 October 2008–30 July 2010 | 711th Special Operations Squadron[3] |
| Campaign Streamer | Campaign | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
.png) | American Theater | 1 May 1943 – 11 November 1943 | 711th Bombardment Squadron[4] |
 | Air Offensive, Europe | 29 November 1943 – 5 June 1944 | 711th Bombardment Squadron[4] |
| Normandy | 6 June 1944 – 24 July 1944 | 711th Bombardment Squadron[4] |
| Northern France | 25 July 1944 – 14 September 1944 | 711th Bombardment Squadron[4] |
| Rhineland | 15 September 1944 – 21 March 1945 | 711th Bombardment Squadron[4] |
| Ardennes-Alsace | 16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945 | 711th Bombardment Squadron[4] |
| Central Europe | 22 March 1944 – 21 May 1945 | 711th Bombardment Squadron[4] |
 | Just Cause | 20 December 1989 – 31 January 1990 | 711th Special Operations Squadron, Panama[3] |
 | Defense of Saudi Arabia | [g] | 711th Special Operations Squadron |
| Liberation and Defense of Kuwait | 9 February 1991 – 19 March 1991 | 711th Special Operations Squadron[3] |
 | Air Campaign | 711th Special Operations Squadron[3] | |
.svg) | Consolidation II | 1 November 2006 – 30 November 2006 | 711th Special Operations Squadron[3] |
| Transition of Iraq | 2 May 2003 – 28 June 2004 | 711th Special Operations Squadron[3] |
| National Resolution | 16 December 2005 – 9 January 2007 | 711th Special Operations Squadron[3] |
| Iraqi Sovereignty | 1 January 2009 – 31 August 2010 | 711th Special Operations Squadron[3] |
| New Dawn | 1 September 2010 – 31 December 2011 | 711th Special Operations Squadron[3] |
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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