The Department of the Air Force has chosen Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona as the new home for the 492nd Special Operations Wing (SOW), the service announced in a statement.
Currently a training wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida, the Air Force said the 492nd will be restructured as a “Power Projection Wing” to carry out the full mission set of Air Force Special Operations Command, including strike, mobility, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and air-ground coordination.
Following the required environmental review, several units will also relocate to Davis-Monthan, including the 492nd Special Operations Theater Air Operations Squadron from Duke Field, Florida, the 319th Special Operations Squadron from Hurlburt Field, and a newly activated Air Combat Command Intelligence Squadron.
The plan also designates Davis-Monthan as the preferred location for the 34th Special Operations Squadron from Hurlburt Field, as well as the 20th Special Operations Squadron and the 20th Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron from Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico.
Davis-Monthan, recognized as the Air Force’s best base in 2018, hosts the 355th Wing, 12th Air Force, 55th Electronic Combat Group, and the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, along with reserve, Guard, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection units.
The relocation and restructuring coincide with the retirement of the base’s A-10 Thunderbolt II fleet.
