USAF Special Air Warfare Forces 1965 US Air Force 1st Air Commando Wing FR-426 (Patreon)

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Originally a public domain film from the US Air Force, slightly cropped to remove uneven edges, with the aspect ratio corrected, and one-pass brightness-contrast-color correction & mild video noise reduction applied.

The soundtrack was also processed with volume normalization, noise reduction, clipping reduction, and/or equalization (the resulting sound, though not perfect, is far less noisy than the original).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Force_Special_Operations_Air_Warfare_Center

Wikipedia license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

The United States Air Force Special Operations Air Warfare Center (AFSOAWC) is headquartered at Hurlburt Field, FL, with satellite locations at Duke Field, FL, and Robins AFB, GA. It works under the supervision of the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC); Its primary function is to organize, train, educate and equip forces to conduct special operations missions; lead MAJCOM Irregular Warfare activities; execute special operations test and evaluation and lessons learned programs; and develop doctrine, tactics, techniques and procedures for Air Force Special Operations Forces. The Vision is, "Transforming Airmen into Air Commandos who possess the specialized skills and warrior ethos to fight and win anytime, anywhere."

History/Overview

The Special Operations Air Warfare Center was originally formed at Hurlburt Field in 1962 to train and deploy some of the first special operations airmen, known as Air Commandos, in irregular warfare. The first graduates eventually took on advisory and combat roles assisting the Army of the Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam War. The program was dissolved after the war due to budget cuts.

The Air Force Special Operations Air Warfare Center was activated on February 11, 2013 with the deactivation of the Air Force Special Operations Training Center (AFSOTC). As a result, the major units that fall under the center include: U.S. Air Force Special Operations School, 371st Special Operations Combat Training Squadron, 19th Special Operations Squadron, 551st Special Operations Squadron from Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., 18th Flight Test Squadron, 6th Special Operations Squadron and the 745th Special Operations Squadron from Eglin AFB, FL, which were formerly assigned to AFSOTC.

The center was inactivated on 17 May 2017 and its functions were assumed by the 492d Special Operations Wing.

Leadership

Brigadier General Jon Weeks, took command of the newly created Air Force Special Operations Air Warfare Center at a ceremony on Duke Field, Florida on February 11, 2013...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/492nd_Special_Operations_Wing

The 492d Special Operations Wing is a United States Air Forces unit stationed at Hurlburt Field, Florida. It was activated in May 2017 to replace the Air Force Special Operations Air Warfare Center.

During World War II the unit entered combat in May 1944, and sustained the heaviest losses of any other Consolidated B-24 Liberator group for a three-month period. The group was withdrawn from combat with its personnel and equipment being reassigned to other units. The 801st Bombardment Group (Provisional) was replaced by the 492d Bombardment Group, and the group performed special operations missions throughout the remainder of the war in Europe. It was inactivated on 17 October 1945.

In June 2017 official USAF descriptions said that the wing organized, trained and equipped forces to conduct special operations missions. It led Major Command irregular warfare activities and executes special operations test and evaluation programs. It also developed doctrine, tactics, techniques and procedures for United States Air Force special operations forces...