| 2nd Special Operations Squadron | |
|---|---|
 U.S. Air Force MQ-9A Reaper armed with a Paveway and 2 AGM-114 Hellfire missiles | |
| Active | 1917–1922; 1930–1942; 1949–1961; 2009–present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Special Operations |
| Part of | Air Force Reserve Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Hurlburt Field, Florida |
| Nickname(s) | 2 SOS |
| Engagements |  World War I
 Occupation of the Rhineland |
| Insignia | |
| Emblem of the 2nd Special Operations Squadron |  |
| Patch with 2nd Strategic Support Squadron emblem (approved 26 February 1951)[1] |  |
The 2nd Special Operations Squadron is an Air Force Reserve Command unit, assigned to the 919th Special Operations Wing. Stationed at Hurlburt Field, Florida, the unit operates General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted vehicles.
The unit is one of the oldest units in the United States Air Force, being formed on 25 September 1917 at Fort Omaha, Nebraska. During World War I, the unit was part of the Balloon Section, American Expeditionary Forces, becoming the first American balloon company to reach the Western Front in France and enter combat. The 2nd thus holds the distinction among all USAF units of being "the first complete American air unit in history to operate against an enemy on foreign soil."[3]
It was part of the Army Balloon School after the war, being a balloon training unit until the beginning of World War II. It was later part of the Strategic Air Command during the Cold War.
- ^ a b Robertson, Patsy (3 April 2009). "Factsheet 2 Special Operations Squadron (AFRC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
- ^ Battle Participation of Organizations of the American Expeditionary [page needed]
- ^ Schiver, p. 49