Air Force Special Operations Command activated the 24th Special Operations Wing in a ceremony at Hurlburt Field, Fla., June 12. The new wing, AFSOC’s third, is meant to help the command meet the growing demand for the unique capabilities that special tactics air commandos provide, according to the command’s release. It joins the 1st SOW at Hurlburt and the 27th SOW at Cannon AFB, N.M., under AFSOC’s umbrella. The 24th SOW “allows a single commander to lead the recruiting, training, and development of our special tactics warriors, and ultimately provide combatant commanders with world-class airmen to accomplish their mission,” said AFSOC Commander Lt. Gen. Eric Fiel at the activation ceremony. Resident in the wing will be expertise in airfield reconnaissance, assessment, and control. Its air commandos also will engage in joint terminal attack control, personnel recovery, weather, and environmental reconnaissance, states the release. The special tactics career field is among the most decorated Air Force career field and also one of the most dangerous. (Hurlburt report by Rachel Arroyo)
A provision in the fiscal 2025 defense policy bill will require the Defense Department to include the military occupational specialty of service members who die by suicide in its annual report on suicide deaths, though it remains to be seen how much data the department will actually disclose.