1st Special Operations Equipment Maintenance Squadron

The 1st Special Operations Equipment Maintenance Squadron is dedicated to providing the 1st Special Operations Wing with the best quality in maintenance, ensuring the wing can accomplish its mission "Any Time, Any Place." Comprised of five flights, more than 300 people provide essential maintenance with a broad range of capabilities.

The Maintenance Flight provides heavy and light maintenance for the various C-130 platforms assigned to Hurlburt Field and Eglin Air Force Base. The civilian-contracted C-130 Isochronal Dock performs major and minor isochronal inspections and special inspections on all Air Force Special Operations Command aircraft. The Repair and Reclamation element is responsible for heavy maintenance of flight control, landing gear, doors and all associated equipments. This element is also charged with providing crash recovery response.

The Fabrication Flight is comprised of four elements and accomplishes extensive metal, fiberglass, and fabric repair. The Nondestructive Inspection Element detects flaws on and in aircraft components using state of the art equipment. The Corrosion Element prevents aircraft part failures by combating effects of environmental exposure and metal fatigue while the Sheet Metal Element and the Metals Technology Element utilize advanced equipment and techniques to reverse engineer and manufacture parts as well as providing welding support to the 1st Special Operations Maintenance Group.

The Munitions Flight provides storage, assembly, delivery, inspection and control of conventional munitions.

Maintaining and inspecting the weapons of the AC-130U gunship is the responsibility of the Weapons Flight. Weapons Flight Airmen are able to repair, functional check, and configure the many different weapons unique to AFSOC aircraft.

The Aerospace Ground Equipment Flight repair, services, inspects, and delivers more than 540 pieces of powered and non-powered flightline support equipment. The flight is comprised of three Combat AGE Teams, Maintenance, Inspections, and Serving and Dispatch sections.

Finally, overseeing day-to-day functions, maintenance supervision provides clear lines of communication between each flight. The mobility section mobilizes personnel and equipment to support operations worldwide at a moment's notice. A staff of production supervisors ensures that the 1st SOEMS works effectively with the numerous supported squadrons in the wing.

Lineage
Constituted 1st Materiel Squadron, and activated, on 1 Sep 1940. Redesignated: 1st Service Squadron on 14 Jul 1942; 1st Air Service Squadron on 20 Aug 1943. Disbanded on 6 Jun 1945. Reconstituted, and redesignated 1st Special Operations Equipment Maintenance Squadron, on 21 Sep 1992. Activated on 22 Sep 1992. Inactivated on 1 Oct 1993. Activated on 16 Nov 2006.

Assignments
3rd Air Base Group, 17 Jan 1941 (attached to 91st Air Base Group, 16 Feb-23 Mar 1942); 19th Service Group, 1 Jan 1944 (attached to I Tactical Air Force [P], 28 Oct 1944-); IX Air Force Service Command, 10 Nov 1944 (remained attached to I Tactical Air Force [P], through 20 May 1945)-6 Jun 1945. 1st Special Operations Logistics Group, 22 Sep 1992-1 Oct 1993. 1st Special Operations Maintenance Group, 16 Nov 2006-.

Stations
Selfridge Field, MI, 1 Sep 1940; Mitchel Field, NY, c. Jan 1942; Florence, SC, 24 Mar 1942; Wilmington, NC, 20 Apr-20 May 1942; London, England, 9 Jun 1942; Mers-el-Kebir, Algeria, 11 Nov 1942; Tafaraoui, Algeria, 20 Feb 1943; Telergma, Algeria, 18 Jun 1943; Mateur, Tunisia, 12 Aug 1943; Corniche, Tunisia, Oct 1943; Naples, Italy, 20 Oct 1943; Pomigliano, Italy, 31 Oct 1943; Cercola, Italy, 31 Dec 1943; Pignataro, Italy, 14 May 1944; La Banca, Italy, 15 Jun 1944; Montalto, Italy, 14 Jul 1944; Ghisonaccia, Italy, 14 Aug 1944; St Ylie, France, 15 Oct 1944-6 Jun 1945. Eglin Aux Air Field #9 (Hurlburt Field), FL, 22 Sep 1993-1 Oct 1993. Eglin Aux Air Field #9 (Hurlburt Field), FL, 16 Nov 2006-.

Honors
Service Streamers
None

Campaign Streamers
World War II: Algeria-French Morocco; Naples-Foggia; Rhineland; Rome-Arno; Southern France

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers
None

Decorations
Meritorious Unit Citation: Italy, 1 Feb-31 May 1944

Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor
[16 Nov 06]-30 Jun 07

Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
[22 Sep] 1992-[1 Oct 1993]

Emblem Significance
Blue and yellow are the Air Force colors. Blue alludes to the sky, the primary theater of Air Force operations. Yellow refers to the sun and the excellence required of Air Force personnel. The gray fist of iron depicts the strength of the unit to perform its worldwide maintenance functions in all conditions. The wrench and munitions symbolize the expertise of squadron personnel in maintaining equipment.

Units