The Department of the Air Force has selected Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona as the new location for the 492nd Special Operations Wing, moving the unit away from Hurlburt Field and Duke Field.
- The relocation plan, originally announced in August 2023, has been refined to prioritize mission effectiveness, cost efficiency and alignment with Air Force and Department of War priorities, according to a Friday press release from Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs.
Following the required environmental analysis, several local units will relocate to Davis-Monthan AFB. These include:
- Headquarters, 492nd Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field
- 492nd Special Operations Theater Air Operations Squadron at Duke Field
- 319th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field
- A new Air Combat Command Intelligence Squadron will also be activated at the Arizona base.
As part of a refined plan, Davis-Monthan AFB is identified as the preferred location for additional units currently stationed elsewhere. The 34th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field may join the relocation, along with the 20th Special Operations Squadron and 20th Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron currently at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico.
The 492nd Special Operations Wing serves as a primary support unit of the Air Force Special Operations Command and is responsible for training Air Force special operations forces as well as the command’s non-standard aviation program supporting Air Force Special Operations Forces worldwide.
In July 2023, Senator Rick Scott, along with then-Senator Marco Rubio and former Congressman Matt Gaetz, had been seeking information from former Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall regarding “programmatic basing actions” that could involve moving some members of AFSOC away from Hurlburt Field.
In the statement, Senator Scott expressed his relief after a conversation with Kendall, during which he was informed that the Air Force Special Operations Command would continue its strong presence at Hurlburt Field. The base has been home to the Special Operations Command since 1990.
- The announcement clarified that approximately 600 of the nearly 9,000 service members stationed at Hurlburt Field will be relocated to Davis-Monthan Air Base in Arizona within the next five years.
The wing is currently transforming from a training wing into the Air Force Special Operations Command’s fifth power projection wing. In its new role, the unit will be capable of executing special operations forces strike, mobility, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
The Air Force will begin the required environmental analysis on proposed changes beginning fall 2025.
One Response
Certainly an impactful loss for our Community.