10 Things You Might Not Know About AFSOC

AFSOC does frequent joint training excercises and global humanitarian missions with Special Operations Forces in each service. What we are trying to say is "if you know we are there, it's already too late."

Like a lot of things...we ripped it off from the Brits. In 1943, General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold met with British Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten to discuss plans for the American air support of British commando expeditions in the China-Burma-India theater of operations. It was then that he coined the term "air commando" to honor Lord Mountbatten. Wish we still had those cool uniforms (nice sash) like the gentleman on the right.

AFSOC serves a dual role as an Air Force Major Command and United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) air component. That means AFSOC derives its core missions from USSOCOM core activities and operations. This means we get to be both Airmen AND Air Commandos. Pictured in the photo is Navy Admiral William H. McRaven, the USSOCOM commander. As you can see we hang on his every word.

If you are on the map, we can find you--and--if we want--extract you. AFSOC participates in humanitarian missions at home and abroad, like the former 374th Rescue Wing's relief effort in New Orleans, LA during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Speaking of movies film makers love SpecOps and AFSOC. Aspects of AFSOC have even been in blockbusters like Transformers: Dark of the Moon, filmed at Hurlburt Field, Florida and Lone Survivor, filmed at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico.