Unit Profile
The 16th Special Operations Wing is the Air Force component for Special Operations Command Central. The lineage of the unit can be traced back to the 16 Pursuit Group and the World War II 1 Air Commando Group. The current Special Operations Wing was activated on October 1st 1993. The unit is tasked with missions in North America, South America and the Middle East. The unit received it’s aircraft, equipment and personnel from the deactivated 1st Special Operations Wing.
Mission
- Direct Action
- Unconventional Warfare
Raised and Disbanded
- Raised: March 24th 1923, 16 Pursuit Group
- Activated on December 1st 1932
- Redesignated: December 6th 1939, 16 Pursuit Group (Interceptor)
- Redesignated: May 15th 1942, 16 Fighter Group
- Disestablished: November 1st 1943
- Reestablished and consolidated, October 1st 1993 with the 1 Special Operations Wing
- Raised: August 9th 1944, 1 Air Commando Group
- Inactivated: November 3rd 1945
- Disestablished: October 8th 1948
- Reestablished: April 18th 1962
- Redesignated: June 1st 1963, 1 Air Commando Wing
- Redesignated: July 8th 1968, 1 Special Operations Wing
- Redesignated: July 1st 1974, 834 Tactical Composite Wing
- Redesignated: July 1st 1975, 1 Special Operations Wing
- Redesignated: October 1st 1993, 16 Special Operations Wing
Units
- 4th Special Operations Squadron, Ghostriders (1993-Present)
- 6th Special Operations Squadron, Commandos (1993-Present)
- 8th Special Operations Squadron, Blackbirds (1993-Present)
- 9th Special Operations Squadron, Night Wings (1993-Present)
- 15th Special Operations Squadron, Global Eagles (1993-Present)
- 16th Special Operations Squadron, Spectre (1993-Present)
- 20th Special Operations Squadron, Green Hornets (1993-Present)
Headquarters
- Hurlburt Field, United States