19th Special Operations Squadron The 19th Special Operations Squadron ( 19 SOS ) is part of the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field , Florida . It conducts crew training for AC - 130 and MC - 130 aircraft . History . World War II . The 19th was established as a GHQ Air Force medium bomber squadron in 1940 as a result of the buildup of the United States Army Air Corps after the outbreak of World War II in Europe . It trained with a mix of Douglas B - 18 Bolo s and Martin B - 26 Marauder s . After the attack on Pearl Harbor brought the USA into World War II , the squadron was transferred to the West Coast , flying anti - submarine patrols from Muroc AAF , California from December 1941 to the end of January 1942 . It was then assigned to the new Fifth Air Force , originally based on the Philippines . Leaving the B - 18s at Muroc , the squadron moved to the South Pacific where it flew its first combat missions from Garbutt Field , Townsville , Australia , against Rabaul , New Britain . In addition to frequent raids against Rabaul , the 19th flew against enemy shipping , facilities , and troop concentrations in New Guinea and provided close air support for Allied troops fighting there , until being withdrawn from combat in January 1943 . With refurbished B - 26s , the 19th moved to New Guinea and returned to combat in mid - July 1943 . The squadron was again re - equipped , with Consolidated B - 24 Liberator s , in early 1944 , then returned to combat status on 10 March 1944 with a raid against Manus Island . Most operations were against targets in the Bismarck Archipelago until the 19th moved to Owi Island in late July . The squadron flew its first mission to the Philippines Islands on 1 September 1944 , hitting Japanese installations at Davao , Mindanao . The B - 24s hit enemy facilities in the Celebes and on Mindanao , with an occasional raid against the oil refineries at Balikpapan , Borneo . Raids continued until the squadron moved in early December 1944 to Anguar , Palau Islands . From this station , the B - 24s bombed targets throughout the Philippines . In January 1945 , the 19th moved to Samar Island , Philippines , before finally relocating in March to Clark Field . In the meantime , in mid - February , the 19th raided Formosa for the first time , and on 21 March , flew its first mission into China . In June 1945 , for a week , the B - 24s flew from Puerta Princesa , Palawan Island , to hit targets on Borneo in support of Australian forces landing there . The 19th flew its last bombing mission of the war on 18 July 1945 , to Formosa . In August the squadron moved to Okinawa and flew reconnaissance missions over Japan . The 19th flew training missions in the Far East until being moved to Smoky Hill Air Force Base , Kansas , in May 1946 . It deployed to England in November 1946 , where the it flew training missions to Accra , West Africa , Aden , Yemen , and Arabia , returning in February 1947 to Smoky Hill AFB , then to March Air Force Base , California in May . The 19th again deployed to England from November 1949 to February 1950 where the squadron flew training sorties to Germany and Dhahran , Saudi Arabia . Korean War . The squadron then deployed in July 1950 to Kadena Air Base , Okinawa , and flew its first combat mission over Korea on 13 July , hitting marshaling yards at Wonsan , North Korea . Bombing missions over both North Korea and South Korea followed , with targets such as bridges , industrial facilities , and railroads . The squadron flew its last combat mission on 19 October , and returned to the USA on 30 October . Back at March AFB , the 19th trained Boeing B - 29 Superfortress crews to be sent to the Far East Air Forces for combat duty in Korea . In February 1953 , the 19th replaced its B - 29s with Boeing B - 47 Stratojet bombers . The 19 BS made its last deployment to England between December 1953 and March 1954 , flying training missions to Sidi Slimane and French Morocco . Later the 19th deployed from April – June 1957 to Andersen Air Force Base , Guam , and from there , flew missions to Japan and Korea . In November 1957 , the 19th BS received a forward alert obligation , initially sending five B - 47s to Eielson Air Force Base , Alaska , for six months of cold weather training , then rotating a single aircraft with aircrew for two to four weeks at a time . The alert aircraft were sent in November 1958 to Elmendorf Air Force Base , Alaska , and then in January 1959 to Andersen AFB , Guam . The 19th ceased operational flying in February 1963 and ferried its B - 47s to other units and was inactivated on 15 March 1963 . Vietnam War . The 19th Air Commando Squadron was organized on 8 October 1964 , at Tan Son Nhut Air Base , just outside of Saigon , South Vietnam . The 19th received Fairchild C - 123 Provider aircraft and personnel in 1964 but did not become operational as a unit until March 1965 . It flew combat missions including cargo drops , flare missions at night in support of hamlets and outposts under attack , transporting troops and supplies to combat areas , and air evacuation of wounded and refugees from battle areas . Cargo included munitions , vehicles , spare parts , fuel and various foods . Missions were flown in support of the U . S . Air Force , U . S . Army , United States Navy , U . S . Marines and South Vietnamese forces . A Royal Thai Air Force contingent was attached to the squadron from mid - 1966 until inactivation . Whenever Tan Son Nhut Air Base came under rocket and mortar attacks , the 19th would operate for up to two weeks at a time from Phan Rang Air Base . The 19th also flew increased missions during the Tet Offensive of 1968 and shared in a Navy Presidential Unit Citation for support to U . S . Marines defending Khe Sanh from January to March 1968 . In June to August 1970 , the 19th flew airlift , airdrop , and evacuation missions in support of Allied forces fighting in Cambodia . On 19 April 1971 , the 19 SOS began to transfer the C - 123s to South Vietnam and the squadron flew its last combat mission on 30 April . The 19th ceased all operations in early May and was inactivated on 10 June 1971 . On 19 September 1985 , the unit was redesignated and combined with the 19th Tactical Intelligence Squadron . Modern era . The 19th SOS was reactivated on 24 May 1996 , at Hurlburt Field . It currently conducts all formal aircrew training for the AC - 130H , AC - 130U and MC - 130E aircraft . That training includes the initial mission qualification , requalification , aircraft commander upgrade , instructor upgrade and refresher training . The 19th SOS uses advanced aircrew training devices ( simulators ) as well as training coded aircraft ( two AC - 130Us , one AC - 130H , and one C - 130E ) for flight and ground training . The Special Operations Forces Aircrew Training System contractor provides the 19 SOS administrative support to training operations , courseware development and maintenance , classroom and flightline instruction and operations and maintenance of training and mission rehearsal devices .