United States special operations forces (SOF) are the active and reserve component forces of the United States Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force within the US military, as designated by the Secretary of Defense and specifically organized, trained, and equipped to conduct and support special operations. All active and reserve special operations forces are assigned to the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).
Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), headquartered at Hurlburt Field, Florida, is the special operations component of the United States Air Force. An Air Force major command (MAJCOM), AFSOC is also the U.S. Air Force component command to United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), a unified combatant command located at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. AFSOC provides all Air Force Special Operations Forces (SOF) for worldwide deployment and assignment to regional unified combatant commands.
The Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency was until 29 September 2014 a field operating agency of the United States Air Force headquartered at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. On that date it was redesignated Twenty-Fifth Air Force and aligned as a numbered air force (NAF) of the Air Combat Command.
The 480th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing is headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia.
Special Reconnaissance (SR)—formerly Special Operations Weather Technician or Team (SOWT)—is conducted by trained Air Force personnel assigned to Special Tactics Squadrons of the United States Air Force Special Operations Command who operate deep behind enemy lines to conduct covert direction of air and missile attacks, place remotely monitored sensors, and support other special operation units. Like other special operations units, SR units may also carry out direct action (DA) and unconventional warfare (UW), including guerrilla operations. As SOWTs they were tactical observer/forecasters with ground combat capabilities and fell under the Air Force Special Tactics within the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). The mission of a Special Operations Weather Technician was to deploy by the most feasible means available into combat and non-permissive environments to collect and interpret meteorological data and provide air and ground forces commanders with timely, accurate intelligence. They collect data, assist mission planning, generate accurate and mission-tailored target and route forecasts in support of global special operations, conduct special weather reconnaissance and train foreign national forces. SOWTs provided vital intelligence and deployed with joint air and ground forces in support of direct action, counter-terrorism, foreign internal defense, humanitarian assistance, special reconnaissance, austere airfield, and combat search and rescue.
The 17th Training Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command Second Air Force. It is stationed at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas. The wing is also the host unit at Goodfellow. It was activated as a non-flying wing on 1 July 1993. Its mission is to train intelligence personnel in all the branches of the armed forces, as well as firefighters and a few other specialties. The wing trains Air Force enlisted intelligence, cryptology and linguist AFSCs 1N0, 1N1, 1N2, 1N3, 1N4, 1N5, 1A8, Air Force intelligence officer AFSC 14N, and military firefighters from all branches. Many corresponding Army, Navy, Space Force, and Marine Corps intelligence personnel are also trained at Goodfellow AFB, and assigned to the local units.
The 18th Intelligence Squadron is an intelligence organization of the United States Air Force, located at Buckley Space Force Base, Colorado.
The 24th Special Operations Wing is a United States Air Force active-duty wing that was activated on 12 June 2012. Its headquarters is at Hurlburt Field, Florida and it has component groups located in North Carolina, Georgia and Washington. It is the third special operations wing in Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC).
The 566th Intelligence Squadron is a support unit to the Aerospace Data Facility in conjunction with the Buckley Garrison, Buckley Space Force Base, Colorado. The 566th is part of the 544th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group, headquartered at Buckley Space Force Base, Colorado.
The United States Air Force's 7th Space Operations Squadron is an Air Force reserve space operations unit located at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado.
The 363rd Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing is a United States Air Force unit. The group is assigned to the United States Air Force Sixteenth Air Force, stationed at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia.
The United States Air Force's 548th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group is an intelligence unit located at Beale AFB, California.
The United States Air Force's 361st Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group is an intelligence unit located at Hurlburt Field, Florida. It provides intelligence support to Air Force Special Operations Command.
The United States Air Force's 324th Intelligence Squadron is an intelligence unit located at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam, Hawaii.
The 11th Special Operations Intelligence Squadron is an intelligence unit of the United States Air Force. It provides tailored full-motion video processing, exploitation and dissemination for special operations forces engaged in both combat and non-combat operations worldwide.
Aiken Air Force Station is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located 6.4 miles (10.3 km) north-northeast of Aiken, South Carolina. It was closed in 1975.
Twenty-Fifth Air Force, also known as Air Force Intelligence, was a numbered air force (NAF) within the United States Air Force (USAF), and served as the Air Force's premier military intelligence organization. 25 AF was established on 29 September 2014 by redesignating the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency under Headquarters, United States Air Force, to a numbered air force aligned under Air Combat Command. The USAF also realigned the 9th Reconnaissance Wing and the 55th Wing under the new NAF. It was headquartered at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.
The United States Air Force's 28th Intelligence Squadron is an intelligence unit located at Hurlburt Field, Florida. The 28th Intelligence Squadron is a classic reserve associate unit supporting the 25th Intelligence Squadron conducting airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to provide threat warning to Air Force Special Operations Command. The squadron was previously active during World War II in the Pacific Theater, providing photographic support to a very heavy bomber group and in the early years of the Cold War as a photographic processing and interpretation unit for a strategic reconnaissance wing.
The United States Air Force's 43d Intelligence Squadron is an intelligence unit located at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. It provides intelligence support to Air Force Special Operations Command.
The United States Air Force's 306th Intelligence Squadron is an intelligence unit located at Will Rogers Air National Guard Base, Oklahoma. It oversees advanced technical training and initial qualification of airborne intelligence operators preparing to support Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC).
