Special Tactics Airmen assigned to the U.S. Air Force 24th Special Operations Wing are currently responding to a request to augment humanitarian aid efforts in Haiti following a 7.2 magnitude earthquake on Aug. 14. The Special Tactics Airmen responding to the relief efforts will be working with Joint Task Force-Haiti under Rear Admiral Keith Davids, the commander of U.S. Special Operations Command South. While in country, the ST Airmen will be responsible for conducting various airfield surveys to determine suitability for bringing in humanitarian aid via airlift. Special Tactics teams are also postured and ready to establish airfield operations and conduct air traffic control if necessary.
“Our Special Tactics Airmen are trained and ready for a number of humanitarian missions that we may be called upon to accomplish,” said Col. Jason Daniels, 24th Special Operations Wing commander. “Our teams are looking forward to providing assistance to the people of Haiti while working alongside our joint teammates in U.S. Southern Command in support of USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance.”
In recent years, Special Tactics Airmen have responded to several natural disasters including Hurricanes Eta and Iota in Honduras, Hurricane Michael in Florida and Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana. Special Tactics Airmen fall under Air Force Special Operations Command and U.S. Special Operations Command and are trained to execute global access, precision strike, personnel recovery and battlefield surgery operations across the spectrum of conflict. Special Tactics operators are experts in air-ground integration and have the ability to assess, open, and control major airfields to clandestine dirt strips in any environment.
The 24th Special Operations Wing (Air Force Special Tactics) is a United States Air Force active-duty wing that was activated on 12 June 2012.[3] Its headquarters is at Hurlburt Field, Florida and it has component groups located in North Carolina, Georgia and Washington. It is the third special operations wing in Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). Its primary mission is to conduct global air, space, and cyber-enabled special operations across the spectrum of conflict to prepare to fight.
