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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed the Air Force to establish an Air National Guard special tactics squadron in Florida.
The Pentagon announced the order Oct. 21, releasing a Sept. 23 memo from Hegseth directing Air Force Secretary Troy Meink to create the new squadron.
“By utilizing the highly experienced and deeply integrated personnel of the Air National Guard,” stated the Pentagon news release, “the department is bolstering its high-end combat controller, pararescue and special reconnaissance capabilities.”
The new squadron will be established at Hurlburt Field on the Florida panhandle, with an associated new organization at MacDill Air Force Base, in Tampa.
Hurlburt is the headquarters of Air Force Special Operations Command, while MacDill is home to U.S. Special Operations Command.
Connecting the new squadron both “creates an unparalleled ecosystem of combat-ready training and mission execution,” the release added.
Special tactics squadrons organize, train and equip special warfare Airmen to integrate, synchronize and control airpower on the battlefield during special operations.
It is not clear when the new unit will be established or how many personnel it will have.
Hegseth’s memo said, “any further resourcing for this direction, to include military construction, equipment, and manpower authorizations will be developed in the President’s Budget 2028 budget cycle.”
There are only few special tactics squadrons across the Air Force. The Air Guard has two: the 123rd Special Tactics Squadron in Kentucky and the 125th Special Tactics Squadron in Oregon.
The Pentagon's announcement came less than a week after Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., alongside 13 other Floridian lawmakers called on the Pentagon to increase the size of the Florida Guard.
The lawmakers pointed to the vital role the force plays in keeping Florida communities safe, especially in the aftermath of hurricanes.
Both the 123rd STS and the 125th STS are regularly called to assist with domestic disaster response, not only in their home states but nationwide.
—By John Goheen
