193d Special Operations Squadron The 193d Special Operations Squadron ( 193 SOS ) is a unit of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard 193d Special Operations Wing located at Harrisburg Air National Guard Base , Middletown , Pennsylvania , The 193d is equipped with the EC - 130J Commando Solo . Mission . Flying the EC - 130J Commando Solo , a specially - modified four - engine Hercules transport , the 193d Special Operations Squadron conducts information operations , psychological operations and civil affairs broadcasts in AM , FM , HF , TV and military communications bands . A typical mission consists of a single - ship orbit offset from the desired target audience – either military or civilian personnel . The Air Force Special Operations Command ' s 193d Special Operations Wing , Middletown , Pa . , has total responsibility for the Commando Solo missions . History . World War II . Activated on 1 October 1942 at RAF Duxford , England as the 347th Fighter Squadron . Initially assigned to VIII Fighter Command , reassigned to Twelfth Air Force and engaged in combat in the North African Campaign and later based in Italy as part of the Mediterranean Theater of Operations ( MTO ) . Engaged in combat during Sicilian and Italian Campaigns , also flew combat missions from Sardinia and in the Rhone Valley of France , 1944 . Inactivated on 7 November 1945 . Pennsylvania Air National Guard . The wartime 347th Fighter Squadron was reactivated and re - designated as the 148th Fighter Squadron , and was allotted to the Pennsylvania Air National Guard , on 24 May 1946 . It was organized at Reading Municipal Airport , Pennsylvania and was extended federal recognition on 27 February 1947 . The 148th Fighter Squadron was entitled to the history , honors , and colors of the 347th . The squadron was equipped with F - 51 Mustang s and was assigned to the 112th Fighter Group at Pittsburgh Airport as a Geographically Separated Unit ( GSU ) . Air Defense . The unit was called to active federal service on 1 February 1951 for duty in the Korean War . The squadron was sent to Dover AFB , Delaware where it assumed an air defense mission . The squadron was re - equipped with F - 84C Thunderjet s to perform air defense over the Delmarva Peninsula . It was upgraded to the dedicated F - 94B Starfire interceptor by October 1951 . It was released from active duty and returned to Pennsylvania commonwealth control on 1 November 1952 . Remained under ADC control after return Reading , was re - designated as a Fighter - Interceptor Squadron . Equipped with F - 51D Mustangs with an air defense mission for Southeastern Pennsylvania and Philadelphia . With the end of the line for the Mustang in USAF service , the United States Air Force , in an effort to upgrade to an all jet fighter force , required Air National Guard Air Defense Command units to upgrade to jet - powered aircraft . The Reading Airport Commission and National Guard authorities found themselves in a conflict over the use of Reading Municipal Airport for tactical jet operations . Unable to resolve these differences the Air Force inactivated the 148th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron on 30 June 1956 . Airlift . However , the National Guard Bureau ' s and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ' s desire to retain the unit brought a new mission and a numeric designation to the organization , the 140th Aeromedical Transport Squadron which was allotted to the Pennsylvania Air National Guard , and activated on 1 July 1956 using propeller - driven aircraft . The 140th Aeromedical Transport Squadron was bestowed the lineage and history of the inactivated Pennsylvania ANG 148th Fighter Interceptor Squadron . The unit was re - equipped , flying the C - 46 Commando and in 1958 the C - 119 Flying Boxcar . In 1960 , the 140th was notified that it would be converting once again to the much larger and faster C - 121 Constellation . Due to runway requirements , the C - 121s could not fly from Reading Airport and on 1 February 1961 , the unit relocated to its current location at Olmsted Air Force Base ( present day Harrisburg Air National Guard Base ) due to the inadequate facilities at Reading . On 15 October 1964 , the 140th Air Transport Squadron was authorized to expand to a group level by the National Guard Bureau . However , due to a designation conflict with an existing 140th Fighter Group with the Colorado ANG , the units designation was changed to the 168th Air Transport Squadron , being assigned to the new 168th Air Transport Group as its flying squadron . Other squadrons assigned into the group were the 168th Headquarters , 168th Material Squadron ( Maintenance ) , 168th Combat Support Squadron , and the 168th USAF Dispensary . Special operations . Threatened by the closure of Olmsted Air Force Base and by the downsizing of all conventionally powered transport aircraft , the National Guard Bureau volunteered the unit for a psychological warfare capability named " Coronet Solo . " Following the Arab - Israeli War of June 1967 , psychological warfare once again became a U . S . military priority . The unit was again re - designated as the 193rd Tactical Electronic Warfare Group and transferred to Tactical Air Command ( TAC ) . Four of its C - 121s were converted to EC - 121S Coronet Solos for its electronic warfare mission . The mission later transitioned to the EC - 130E ( 1980 ) and eventually to the EC - 130J ( 2004 ) . Soon after the 193d SOG received EC - 130s , the Air National Guard unit participated in the rescue of American citizens in Operation Urgent Fury in 1983 . Then known as Volant Solo , the aircraft acted as an airborne radio station , keeping the citizens of Grenada informed about the U . S . military action . Several years later in 1989 , Volant Solo was instrumental in the success of coordinated psychological operations in Operation Just Cause . During this mission it broadcast throughout the initial phases of the operation , helping to end the Noriega regime . In the mid - 1980s , along with all other USAF special operations units , it was assigned to the 23d Air Force of the Military Airlift Command ( MAC ) . In 1990 , the 193d joined the newly formed Air Force Special Operations Command , and the wing ' s aircraft were redesignated Commando Solo , with no change in mission . In 1990 – 91 , Commando Solo was deployed to Saudi Arabia and Turkey in support of Operations Desert Shield and DESERT STORM . Its missions included broadcasting the " Voice of the Gulf " and other highly successful programs intended to convince Iraqi soldiers to surrender . In 1994 , Commando Solo was used to broadcast radio and TV messages to the citizens and leaders of Haiti during Operation Uphold Democracy . President Jean - Bertrand Aristide was featured in these broadcasts , which contributed to the orderly transition from military rule to democracy . Continuing its tradition , in 1997 the 193 SOW and Commando Solo supported the United Nations ' Operation Joint Guard with radio and TV broadcasts over Bosnia - Herzegovina in support of stabilization forces operations . In 1998 , the unit and its aircraft participated in Operation Desert Thunder , a deployment to Southwest Asia to convince Iraq to comply with U . N . Security Council resolutions . The Commando Solo was again sent into action in 1999 in support of Operation Allied Force . The aircraft was tasked to broadcast radio and television into Kosovo to prevent ethnic cleansing and assist in the expulsion of the Serbs from the region . In 2001 , the Commando Solo aircraft broadcast messages to the local Afghan population and Taliban soldiers during Operation Enduring Freedom . In 2003 , the Commando Solo was deployed to the Middle East in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom . Most recently , the EC - 130J was redeployed to the Middle East in support of the War on Terror .