US Air Force Special Operations Forces

From the Korean War to the present, the US Air Force’s special forces have spearheaded its operations across the globe. This book examines their evolving organization, appearance, and gear.

Since its foundation in 1947, the United States Air Force has deployed elite special-operations troops trained to the same level as the US Navy SEALs or US Army Special Forces, albeit with different specializations. Among these renowned operators are the Pararescuemen, undertaking search and rescue of US personnel, often behind enemy lines; Combat Control Teams, specializing in air–ground communications; Special Reconnaissance operators, tasked not only with weather analysis but also with broad reconnaissance, including use of electronic warfare, drones, and cyber warfare; and Tactical Air Control Party operators, coordinating terminal attack and control of rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft, as well as artillery and naval gunfire.

In this book, renowned authority Leroy Thompson describes the origins, organization, appearance, and methods of these highly trained special-operations personnel since their foundation. Eight pages of specially commissioned artwork and carefully selected photographs depict their evolving uniforms, gear, weapons, and insignia, through to the present day.