The Secret Sixth (Special Operations Squadron)
Imagine what it’s like to sit on a white, sandy, endless beach in Florida, on the Gulf coast, with the sun out and weather fine – when you suddenly see a white Mi-17 transport helicopter fly by, unmistakably a Russian design, the least thing any aviation enthusiast expects to be in American airspace.
Chances are high you have seen an aircraft of the 6th SOS, which fullfills a very special job at the 1st SOW: To assess, train, assist and advice foreign powers in Airpower deployment, sustainment and force integration. Just as the Army Special Forces (“Green Berets”, but don’t ever call them that) are highly active in training other nation’s ground forces, so has the Air Force realized the need for a similar program involving foreign aviation assistance. The official name for this kind of Spec Ops mission is “Foreign Internal Defense”, and it has been a key mission for USSOCOM since its foundation.
To familiarize themselves with foreign equipment, the 6th operates a varied mix of airframes likely to be found in host countrys of their deployment, primary Mi-17, Mi-8 and UH-1 helicopters, Casa 212 “Aviocar” transport aircraft and C-130E in standard version, which are also sometimes used for general AFSOC transport needs. The other airframes are – at least officially – not deployed outside of CONUS. Some of the squadron’s pilots are also rated for An-2, An-26 and An-32 transport aircraft, though none of these are stationed at Hurlburt. According to credible sources, a lot of their helicopter and fixed wing ratings are attained in the Ukraine.
Students of foreign Air Forces will either be trained by special “Operational Detachments” deployed to the host country, on their own airframes, or may be invited to Hurlburt Field for local training.
The Sixth has been deployed to locations as diverse as Jordan and the Philippines; they also currently support the newly emerging Iraqi and Afghani Air Forces. This of course requires a strong focus not only on aviation qualifications, but also on teaching and language skills. As the only unit of its kind on the USAF, demand for the 6th is high, and the unit is set to expand in size constantly, in a time when other Air Force units are cutting back.
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I saw a few of them from time to time during my three years stationed a few miles away at Eglin.
One of the MI-8's is often seen at Destin Municipal as well.
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Mil-Mi-8 ... 344a9069de