Six CV-22 tiltrotor aircraft and airmen from the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Fla., returned home earlier this month from a previously undisclosed three-month deployment to Southwest Asia. This was the first combat tour for the CV-22. (Its Marine Corps cousin, the MV-22, has already served in Iraq and is now operating in Afghanistan.) The Northwest Florida Daily News reported that the CV-22s were in Iraq. Asked Nov. 20 to confirm this, TSgt. Angela Shepherd, a 1st SOW spokeswoman, would only say the CV-22s went “in support of Operation Iraq Freedom.” She added that the mission commander during the deployment was “pleased with how everything went.” AFSOC, as is its practice, kept a tight lid on this mission and did not release any information until the CV-22s returned home, said Shepherd. They arrived back at Hurlburt Nov. 12. (Includes Hurlburt photo caption)
Two new electronic warfare squadrons are standing up at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., with the mission of helping combatant commanders and Air Force leaders understand and prosecute electromagnetic systems operations. Now detachments, the units are expected to become squadrons in the coming months but were activated now to speed…