• 353rd SOG conducts first heritage flight formation

    Crews from the 1st Special Operations Squadron and the 17th Special Operations Squadron came together to perform a formation flight that symbolizes the past, present and future of the 353rd Special Operations Group. The 353rd Special Operations Group conducted a unique heritage formation flight

  • 353rd SOG honor 2014 annual award winners

    Officials from the353rd Special Operations Group announced the group's top Airmen during its 2014Annual Awards Luncheon here Jan 12.The individual award winners are: Airman of the Year Staff Sgt. Travis Jordan, 320thSpecial Tactics SquadronNoncommissioned Officer of the Year Tech. Sgt. Tijuana

  • America’s Air Commandos: Postured for success in 2015

    Air Commandos: As we say goodbye to 2014 and look ahead to 2015, the Command Chief and I wanted to take a moment to say thank you for your incredible dedication, hard work and selfless sacrifice over the past year. We are extremely impressed and proud of your successes on and off the battlefield.

  • 17th Special Operations Squadron begins upgrade to MC-130J

    Kadena’s newest aircraft touched down here, Dec. 21, 2014, after a flight across the Pacific to its new home with the 353rd Special Operations Group.The MC-130J Commando II is replacing the retiring MC-130P Combat Shadow assigned to the 353rd SOG’s 17th Special Operations Squadron.“The Commando II

  • USSOCOM leadership visits 353rd SOG

    U.S. Army Gen. Joseph Votel, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, speaks with Staff Sgt. Dustin Gorski, a pararescueman from the 320th Special Tactics Squadron, during a visit to the Human Performance Center at Kadena Air Base, Japan Dec. 15, 2014. General and Mrs. Votel toured the

  • 353rd SOG spouses support Kadena cookie drive

    Rachel Trube, a cookie drive volunteer, places a box of cookies on a tray during the holiday cookie drive on Kadena Air Base, Japan, Dec. 9, 2014. More than 50 volunteers from several base agencies helped pack the cookies into individual portions and deliver them to approximately 2,100 Airmen,

  • AFSOC leadership visits Pacific Air Commandos

    Lt. Gen. Bradley Heithold shakes hands with Master Sgt. Edith Smith, 353rd Special Operations Maintenance Squadron, maintenance operations flight chief, during a visit Dec. 5, 2014 at Kadena Air Base, Japan. AFSOC leadership visited the Airmen of the 353rd Special Operations Group to get a closer

  • 353rd SOG conducts 5k fun run to raise awareness of KSO

    The 353rd Special Operations Group conducts a 5k fun run to support of the Kadena Special Olympics on Kadena Air Base, Japan, Oct. 31, 2014. The 5k fun run is an annual event intended to raise awareness of the Kadena Special Olympics. This year marks the 15th annual KSO, scheduled for Nov. 8. (U.S.

  • 353rd Special Operations Group hosts Spouses Day

    Staff Sgt. Joshua Mills, a loadmaster with the 17th Special Operations Squadron, gives a tour of an MC-130P Combat Shadow during Spouses Day Oct. 3, 2014 Kadena Air Base, Japan. The static tour was part of the 353rd Special Operations Group Spouses Day. The day gave the group’s spouses an

  • 17th SOS pays tribute to MC-130P retirement

    From providing helicopter air-to-air refueling to conducting long-range support of Special Operations Forces, the MC-130P Combat Shadow has provided a critical service to the U.S. military for nearly 50 years.The 17th Special Operations Squadron highlighted the beginning of the MC-130P Combat Shadow