65th Special Operations Squadron

The 65th Special Operations Squadron is a United States Air Force unit stationed at Hurlburt Field, Florida. It was first activated in 1941 as the 65th Bombardment Squadron when United States increased its armed forces prior to entry into World War II. It briefly served in the antisubmarine role, then deployed to the Southwest Pacific Theater, where it participated in combat against Japan, earning a Distinguished Unit Citation and a Philippine Presidential Unit Citation. It remained in the Philippines after the war ended, and was inactivated in the Philippines in 1946.

The squadron was reactivated at Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona as a Strategic Air Command bomber squadron. It continued in the strategic bomber role until 1970, flying a variety of strategic bombers, including the supersonic Convair B-58 Hustler. From 1986 to 1991, as the 65th Strategic Squadron, it controlled bombers and tankers deployed at Anderson Air Force Base, Guam. It was activated in its current role in December 2018.

B-58 operations
The squadron moved to Carswell Air Force Base without personnel or equipment on 15 April 1960. At Carswell, it was manned and equipped from the 3958th Combat Crew Training Squadron and 6592d Test Squadron, which were discontinued. The squadron immediately began training crews on the Convair B-58 Hustler and on 1 August began participating in Category III testing (operational testing) of the Hustler.

Lineage

 * Constituted as the 65th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 20 November 1940
 * Activated on 15 January 1941


 * Redesignated 65th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 21 September 1943
 * Inactivated on 29 April 1946


 * Redesignated 65th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy and activated on 1 October 1946
 * Redesignated 65th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 2 July 1948
 * Inactivated on 31 January 1970


 * Redesignated 65th Strategic Squadron on 7 April 1986
 * Activated on 1 July 1986
 * Inactivated on 2 October 1991


 * Redesignated 65th Special Operations Squadron on 26 September 2018
 * Activated on 17 December 2018

Assignments

 * 43d Bombardment Group, 15 January 1941 – 29 April 1946
 * 43d Bombardment Group, 1 October 1946
 * 43d Bombardment Wing, 16 June 1952 – 31 January 1970
 * 43d Strategic Wing (later 43d Bombardment Wing, 1 July 1986
 * 376th Strategic Wing, 1 July 1990 – 2 October 1991
 * 1st Special Operations Group, 17 December 2018 – present

Stations

 * Langley Field, Virginia, 15 January 1941
 * Bangor Airport, Maine, 29 August 1941 – 17 February 1942
 * Sydney Airport, Australia, 28 March 1942
 * RAAF Base Williamtown, Australia, 23 June 1942
 * Longreach Airport (Torrens Creek), Australia, 15 August 1942
 * Iron Range Airfield, Australia, 13 October 1942
 * Mareeba Airfield, Australia, 7 November 1942
 * Jackson Airfield, Port Moresby, New Guinea, 20 January 1943
 * Dobodura Airfield, New Guinea, c. 11 December 1943
 * Nadzab Airfield, New Guinea, March 1944


 * Owi Airfield, Schouten Islands, Netherlands East Indies, c. 11 July 1944
 * Tacloban Airfield, Leyte, Philippines, c. 24 November 1944
 * Clark Field, Luzon, Philippines, c. 16 March 1945
 * Ie Shima Airfield, Okinawa, c. 24 July 1945
 * Fort William McKinley, Luzon, Philippines, 10 December 1945 – 29 April 1946
 * Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona, 1 October 1946
 * Carswell Air Force Base, Texas, 15 March 1960
 * Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, 1 September 1964 – 31 January 1970
 * Anderson Air Force Base, Guam, 1 July 1986
 * Kadena Air Base, Japan, 11 December 1990 – 2 October 1991
 * Hurlburt Field, Florida, 17 December 2018 – present

Aircraft

 * North American B-25 Mitchell, 1941
 * Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, 1941–1943
 * Consolidated B-24 Liberator, 1942–1945
 * Boeing B-29 Superfortress, 1946–1950
 * Boeing B-50 Superfortress, 1948–1954
 * Boeing B-47 Stratojet, 1954–1960
 * Convair B-58 Hustler, 1960–1970
 * Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, 1986–1991
 * Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, 1990-1991