Lineage. Constituted as 67 Air Rescue Squadron on 17 Oct 1952. Activated on 14 Nov 1952. Discontinued, and inactivated, on 18 Mar 1960. Activated on 10 May 1961. Organized on 18 Jun 1961. Redesignated as: 67 Air Recovery Squadron on 1 Aug 1965; 67 Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron on 8 Jan 1966; 67 Special Operations Squadron on 1 Jun 1988.
Assignments. 9 Air Rescue Group, 14 Nov 1952 (attached to Third Air Force, 15 Nov 1953-24 Jun 1958); Air Rescue Service, 24 Jun 1958-18 Mar 1960. Military Air Transport Service, 10 May 1961; Air Rescue (later, Aerospace Rescue and Recovery) Service, 18 Jun 1961; Atlantic Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Center (later, 40 Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing), 8 Apr 1967; 39 Aerospace Rescue and Recovery (later, 39 Special Operations) Wing, 17 May 1973 (under operational control of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 12-27 Jun 1976; attached to Joint Special Operations Task Force: 13 Jan-18 Mar 1991, 6 Apr-10 Jun 1991); 352 Special Operations Group, 1 Dec 1992- (attached to Joint Special Operations Task Force, 2 Mar-12 Jul 1993).
Stations. Sculthorpe RAF Station, England, 14 Nov 1952; Prestwick, Scotland, 7 Nov 1953-18 Mar 1960. Prestwick, Scotland, 18 Jun 1961; Moron AB, Spain, 1 Jul 1966; RAF Woodbridge, England, 15 Jan 1970 (deployed at RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus, 13-27 Jun 1976; Incirlik AB, Turkey, 13 Jan-18 Mar 1991 and 6 Apr-10 Jun 1991); RAF Alconbury, England, 1 Apr 1992- (deployed at Brindisi AB, Italy and Incirlik AB, Turkey, 2 Mar-12 Jul 1993); RAF Mildenhall, England, 17 Feb 1995-.
Commanders. Capt Gerald E. Weatherman, 14 Nov 1952; Lt Col Edward C. Lass, 4 Mar 1953; Lt Col Maurice H. Bauer, 1954; Lt Col Kent J. Bowlan, 17 Sep 1956; Lt Col Ernest O. Ewan, Oct 1957; Maj Ralph Bradley, 15 Jun 1958; Lt Col Ernest O. Ewan, 1 Jul 1958; Lt Col Thomas L. Huddleston, 1959-18 Mar 1960. Unkn, 18 Jun 1961; Maj Virgil W. Ruppert, 11 Feb 1962; Lt Col Thomas L. Huddleston, 22 Feb 1962; Maj Virgil W. Ruppert, 3 Jun 1962; Lt Col Malcolm C. Frazee, 14 Jun 1962; Lt Col Jack W. Holman, 13 Jun 1965; Lt Col Noble L. Webster Jr., 11 Jul 1966; Maj Ralph W. Brown, 1968; Lt Col Carl W. Rottmann Jr., 26 Sep 1968; Lt Col Herbert R. Zehnder, 16 Feb 1971; Lt Col Donald R. Gibson, 24 Nov 1971; Lt Col Stanley G. Maratos, 25 Mar 1974; Lt Col Donald L. Jenson, 1 Jul 1976; Col Charles M. Teed, 19 Aug 1977; Col Charles E. Wicker, 25 Jul 1980; Col Donald E. Gilbert, 13 Aug 1982; Col Howard M. Epstein, 19 Aug 1983; Col Robert E. Thomas, 26 Jun 1985; Lt Col Robert A. Rossi, 24 Jun 1987; Lt Col William E. Godwin, 3 Jun 1988; Lt Col Donald B. Bortner, 25 Jun 1990; Lt Col Johnnie H. Wauchop, 30 Jan 1992; Lt Col Mark D. Bartels, 4 Jun 1993; Lt Col Michael A. Stanley, 10 Mar 1995; Lt Col Dale A. Nagy, 9 Jul 1996; Lt Col Michael W. Callan, 1 May 1998; Lt Col Ross A. Victor, 15 Jun 1999; Lt Col Kevin D. Degnan, 14 Jun 2001; Lt Col Preston M. Plous, 14 Feb 2003; Lt Col John A. Glaze, 15 Jun 2004; Lt Col Brent P. Markowski, 2 Jun 2006; Lt Col Stephen Bissonnette, 2 May 2008; Lt Col Kelly S. Passmore, Jul 2009-.
Aircraft. SB-29, 1952-1956; C-82, 1952-1953; C-47, 1953-1955; SC-54, 1955-1958; SH-19, 1955-1960; SA-16, 1957-1960. SC-54, 1962; HC-54, 1962-1965, 1966; C-54, 1962-1965; SA-16, 1962; HU-16, 1962-1963; SH-19, 1962; HH-19, 1962-1964; HC-130/MC-130, 1965-; HH-43, 1966-1969, 1970, 1971-1972; HH-3, 1969-1971; HH-53, 1971-1988.
Operations. Conducted rescue and recovery operations in the European area, including spacecraft recovery in the Atlantic, Oct 1952-Mar 1960 and May 1961-Jun 1988. Supported special operations forces conducting NATO operations over Northern Iraq, 1991 and 1993. Conducted extraction, infiltration and resupply missions into hostile territory; also supported search and rescue, medical evacuations, humanitarian operations and air refueling to special operations helicopters and tilt rotor aircraft, 2000-.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaign Streamers. Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait. Kosovo: Kosovo Air.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device: 14 Jan-23 Mar 1991; 1 Aug 1998-31 Jul 1999; 1 Aug 2000-31 Jul 2002; 1 Aug 2003-31 Jul 2005. Gallant Unit Citations: 15 Oct 2001-15 Apr 2002; 12 Feb-12 May 2003. Meritorious Unit Awards: 1 Oct 2005-30 Sep 2007; 1 Oct 2007-30 Sep 2009. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jul 1965-30 Jun 1967; 8 Feb 1969-30 Apr 1970; 1 May 1971-30 Apr 1972; 1 Jul 1972-30 Jun 1974; 1 Jul 1976-30 Jun 1978; 1 Jul 1978-30 Jun 1980; 1 Jun 1985-31 May 1987; 1 Jun 1987-30 Jun 1988; 24 Mar 1991-31 Jul 1992; 1 Aug 1992-31 Jul 1993; 1 Aug 1994-31 Jul 1996; 1 Aug 1996-31 Jul 1998; 1 Aug 1999-31 Jul 2000. Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation: 1 Jul 1967-26 Jul 1969.
Lineage, Assignments, Stations, and Honors through May 2011.
Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through Apr 2011.
Supersedes published information contained in: Judy G. Endicott (ed.), USAF Active Flying, Space, and Missile Squadrons as of 1 October 1995 (Washington: USGPO, 1999).
Emblem. Approved on 27 Jul 1998; newest rendition approved on 8 May 2007.
Prepared by Patsy Robertson.
Reviewed by Daniel Haulman.