Air Force Special Operations Command inactivated the 745th Special Operations Squadron during a ceremony at Hurlburt Field, Fla. More than 200 airmen and guests attended the Aug. 23 ceremony, according to a base release. “Initially, the 745th SOS was developed to solve a short-term, one-year capability gap,” said Lt. Col. Rick Seymour, 745th SOS commander, who presided over the event. “However, that temporary mission eventually turned into a six-year commitment, which is now coming to an end,” he said. When the squadron initially stood up in 2007, its mission was to organize, train, equip, and deploy RC-26B aircrews in support of special operations missions. With its four assigned aircraft, the unit completed more than 10,000 combat sorties totaling about 46,000 combat flying hours in Iraq and Afghanistan, states the Aug. 26 release. “The 745th SOS is one of the most highly decorated squadrons with more than 1,500 combat citations awarded,” said Seymour. (Hurlburt report by SSgt. Melanie Holochwost)
An Air Force F-16 pilot designed a collapsible ladder that weighs just six pounds and folds into the unused cockpit map case.