Description
Computer made/mounted on velcro 4.0 inch/100mm
185th SPECIAL OPERATIONS SQUADRON
Lineage. Constituted 620th Bombardment Squadron (Dive) on 25 Jan 1943. Activated on 4 Feb 1943. Redesignated: 506th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 10 Aug 1943; 506th Fighter Squadron on 30 May 1944. Inactivated on 9 Nov 1945. Redesignated 185th Fighter Squadron, and allotted to OK ANG, on 24 May 1946. 185th Fighter Squadron (SE) extended federal recognition on 18 Dec 1947. Redesignated: 185th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 1 Feb 1951; 185th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 1 Jan 1953; 185th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 1 May 1958; 185th Air Transport Squadron on 1 Apr 1961; 185th Military Airlift Squadron on 8 Jan 1966; 185th Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 Jul 1975; 185th Airlift Squadron on 16 May 1992; 185th Air Refueling Squadron on 1 Oct 2008; 185th Special Operations squadron on 30 Jun 2015-.
Assignments. 404th Bombardment (later Fighter-Bomber; Fighter) Group, 4 Feb 1943-9 Nov 1945. 137th Fighter Group (later: Fighter-Bomber; Fighter-Interceptor; Air Transport; Military Airlift), 18 Dec 1947; 137th Military Airlift (later: Tactical Airlift) Wing, 1 Jul 1974; 137th Operations (later: Special Operations) Group, 16 May 1992-. (Attached to: 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 1 Apr 1951-1 Jan 1953)
Stations. Key Field, MS, 4 Feb 1943; Congaree AAFld, SC, 3 Jul 1943; Bums AAFld, OR, 2 Sep 1943; Myrtle Beach AAFld, SC, 13 Nov 1943-13 Mar 1944; Winkton, England, 5 Apr 1944; Chapelle, France, 6 Jul 1944; Bretigny, France, 29 Aug 1944; Juvincourt, France, 11 Sep 1944; St-Trond, Belgium, 1 Oct 1944; Keltz, Germany, 30 Mar 1945; Fritzlar, Germany, 12 Apr 1945; Stuttgart, Germany, 23 Jun-Aug 1945; Drew Field, FL, 11 Sep-9 Nov 1945. University of Oklahoma Westheimer Airport, OK, 18 Dec 1947; Will Rogers Airport (later Will Rogers ANGB), OK, 6 Sep 1949; Tinker AFB, OK, 1 Oct 2008-. (Operated from: Shaw AFB, SC, 1 Apr 1951-31 Dec 1952)
AIRCRAFT. A-24, 1943-1944; P-39, 1943-1944; P-47, 1944-1945. F-51D Mustang, 1947-1951; RF-51D, 1951-1952; RF-80A, 1952-1953; F-51D, 1953; F-80C, 1953-1958; F-86DL, 1958-1961; C-97G, 1961-1968; C-124C, 1968-1975; C-130A/H, 1975-2008; KC-135R, 2008; MC-12W, 2015-.
Operations. Combat in ETO, 1 May 1944-4 May 1945. Air Defense Mission, 1950-1951. Federalized and ordered to active service as part of the Korean War call-up on 1 Apr 1951-1 Jan 1953. Provided tactical air reconnaissance and flying aerial photography missions, 1951-1953. Fighter-interceptor mission in Air Defense Command (ADC), 1958-1961. 185th ATS augmented MATS with worldwide long-distance intercontinental airlift flights, 1961-1975. Assumed Tactical airlift mission and flew humanitarian missions worldwide, provided Counter-drug support. Worldwide air refueling mission, 2008-2015. MC-12 Formal Training unit, 2015-.
Service Streamers. American Theater.
Campaigns. Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe; Air Combat, EAME Theater.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citation: Germany, 10 Sep 1944. French Croix de Guerre with Palm: 29, 30, and 31 Jul 1944. Cited in the Order of the Day, Belgian Army: 6 Jun-30 Sep 1944; 1 Oct-17 Dec 1944; 18 Dec 1944-15 Jan 1945. Belgian Fourragere.
Emblem.