The unit lineage begins with the 7026 Special Activities Squadron, activated on 1 August 1991 and stationed at Zweibrücken Air Base, Germany, before inactivation on 1 May 1992.
Unit History / Air Force Special Tactics
26th Special Tactics Squadron
The 26th Special Tactics Squadron adds an Air Force Special Operations Command ground-force partner page to the SOTF archive. The unit is tied to Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, and aligns the site with the air-ground integration lanes used by special tactics teams: combat control, personnel recovery, joint fires, airfield assessment, special reconnaissance, and forward medical support.
Core IdentitySpecial tactics · Global access · Personnel recovery · Joint terminal attack control
StationCannon Air Force Base, New Mexico
Parent Alignment720th Special Tactics Group / AFSOC special tactics enterprise
HISTORY
Public Historical Breakdown
The organization was redesignated as the 26th Special Tactics Squadron on 28 February 2014 and activated at Cannon Air Force Base on 24 April 2014.
Public Air Force historical records identify the squadron’s assignment under the 720th Special Tactics Group beginning with the 2014 activation period.
Air Force Special Tactics teams combine combat controllers, pararescue, special reconnaissance, TACP specialists, and special tactics officers to integrate ground teams with air assets and support strategic missions.
AFSOC describes special tactics expertise as including parachuting, combat diving, close air support, airfield seizure, personnel recovery, and other air-ground integration tasks.
Inside the site, 26th STS gives the unit system a joint special tactics page for airfield control, terminal attack control, personnel recovery, rescue medical response, weather/reconnaissance reporting, and link-up with Marine reconnaissance elements.
AFSC / MOS LANES
Common Specialty Tracks
Special tactics is built around Air Force specialty tracks rather than Marine MOS codes. The page still links to the site MOS directory where the roles overlap with fires, reconnaissance, rescue, aviation, and command-and-control work.
PIPELINE
Training Pipeline Overview
Assessment And Selection
Special tactics career fields use screening and selection to identify candidates with the physical ability, water confidence, mental resilience, and decision-making required for small-team operations.
Combat Control Path
CCT-oriented training builds air-traffic control, terminal attack control, small-unit tactics, airfield assessment, communications, and expeditionary global-access skills.
Pararescue / Personnel Recovery
PJ and rescue-oriented pipelines emphasize emergency medicine, personnel recovery, isolated casualty care, survival skills, extraction procedures, and integration with aviation rescue assets.
Special Reconnaissance
SR lanes focus on reconnaissance, environmental reporting, surveillance, communications, and mission support for special operations teams operating across complex terrain.
TACP / Joint Fires
Special tactics TACP specialists bring joint fires, close air support integration, mission planning, and advanced air-ground coordination to special operations teams.
Advanced Qualifications
Follow-on qualification can include static-line parachuting, military free fall, combat diver training, SERE, advanced marksmanship, communications, medical sustainment, and mission-specific insertion methods.
ATTACHED
Chain of Command Attached To This Unit
This section is controlled by command-profile unit assignment. Members appear here only when their active unit or approved attachment matches 26th Special Tactics Squadron.
SOURCES