Scott Braund

27th Special Operations Wing

U.S. Air Force

The 27th Special Operations Wing is a special operations unit of the United States Air Force based at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico. The wing is responsible for executing a variety of specialized missions, including unconventional warfare, combat search and rescue, and intelligence gathering. It is equipped with a fleet of specialized aircraft, such as the CV-22 Osprey and AC-130 gunship, to support its mission requirements. The 27th Special Operations Wing plays a critical role in supporting global missions and conducting operations in challenging and hostile environments.

The 487th Tactical Missile Wing was a United States Air Force unit activated at Comiso Air Station, Sicily, Italy, in July 1983. It was established as part of NATO’s response to the deployment of Soviet SS-20 intermediate-range ballistic missiles, operating the BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missile (GLCM). The wing played a key role in the Cold War deterrence strategy, maintaining readiness to deploy nuclear-armed missiles in support of NATO defense. Following the signing of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, the 487th TMW was inactivated in 1991, and Comiso Air Station was subsequently closed.