Special Operations Wing

The Special Operations Wing (SOW) of the U.S. Air Force is responsible for the air power involved in the military's counterterrorism operations.

The various SOW divisions are part of the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), which was established on May 22, 1980, at Hurlburt Field, Florida. The emerging AFSOC was supported by the 1982 Defense Guidance statement of the administration of U.S. president Ronald Reagan. This document asserted that special operations must be revitalized to address a number of issues, including the Soviet challenge.

The duties of the SOW include basic air power tasks, such as carrying cargo, dropping troops via parachute, extracting ground personnel, and providing air cover for ground operations. Such operations are carried out inside enemy lines, in conjunction with the military's other elite special operations forces (e.g., the Navy SEALs). Most missions are flown in darkness, as low as 50 feet from the ground, at 150 miles per hour. Stealth is key, as its motto “Air Commandos—Quiet Professionals” attests.

The SOW participated in the 1983 invasion of Grenada and spearheaded the 1989 invasion of Panama, in which Manuel Noriega was captured. (SOW forces destroyed Noriega's headquarters.) The SOW also played a key role in the 1991 Gulf War. They were the first forces to enter enemy air space, when they successfully dismantled two radar stations before being detected, which allowed naval forces to conduct a successful air raid with no casualties. The SOW then turned to its other major role in unconventional warfare—“psyops.”

Psyops, military lingo for psychological operations, refers to the information war waged using the SOW's EC-130 Commando Solo plane, a flying broadcast station handled by the 193rd SOW, an Air National Guard unit out of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The crew of a Commando Solo is able to broadcast AM and FM radio signals and on TV channels; it also drops leaflets, radios, and food rations. In addition, the Commando Solo can monitor, jam, and allegedly alter other existing transmissions.

In the Gulf War, SOW psyops, which became known as the “Voice of the Gulf,” included the broadcasting of prayers from the Koran, testimonials from well-treated Iraqi prisoners, instructions on how to surrender, and information on future bombing campaigns. About three-quarters of all Iraqi soldiers who surrendered are thought to have been influenced by these broadcasts. In Bosnia, the 193rd SOW played TV and radio programs produced by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, including news digests focused on Western leaders. In Afghanistan, where TVs, radios, and electricity are scarce and many are illiterate, the 193rd has dropped hand-crank-generated radios and food rations. The goal was to establish that [Page 342]the war on terror was against Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda, not the Afghan people.

A mannequin used in demonstrations at the Dynamics of International Terrorism course hangs out the window of a bullet-riddled car at the Air Force Special Operations School. The course is a weeklong symposium that teaches the principles and psychology of terrorism and basic antiterrorism tactics to military personnel and government civilians.

Defense Visual Information Center.

Although the 193rd has played a vital role in several recent military actions, the 16th SOW is the largest, oldest, and most seasoned special operations unit in the Air Force, with nearly 100 aircraft and 7,000 personnel. The 16th reports to the Atlantic, Southern, and Central Special Operations Command, and often supports special operations in Europe and the Pacific. It falls under the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOC), which includes the Army's Green Berets and Rangers, and the Navy SEALs.

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