580th Air Resupply Sqdn.

• Special Operations Role: The 580th Air Resupply Squadron (ARS) was a specialized unit of the United States Air Force, organized for unconventional warfare, psychological operations, and clandestine missions during the early Cold War. • Activated in 1951: The squadron was activated on 15 September 1951 at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, in response to the growing need for psychological warfare and special operations capabilities during the Korean War. • Psychological Warfare Missions: The 580th ARS was tasked with dropping leaflets, broadcasting propaganda, and conducting psychological operations behind enemy lines, mainly in the European theater. • Secretive Deployments: The squadron operated in secrecy, often flying low-level night missions to infiltrate agents and supplies, and exfiltrate personnel from hostile territories. • Stationed in England: In 1953, the 580th ARS was relocated to RAF Wheelus, Libya, and later to RAF Molesworth, England, supporting NATO and U.S. interests in Europe and the Mediterranean. • Unique Aircraft: The squadron flew a variety of modified aircraft, including the B-29 Superfortress, C-119 Flying Boxcar, and SA-16 Albatross, equipped for airdrops, agent insertions, and psychological ops. • Collaboration with the CIA: The 580th ARS frequently worked in coordination with the Central Intelligence Agency for covert Cold War operations, including support for resistance groups behind the Iron Curtain. • Infiltration and Exfiltration: The unit specialized in inserting and extracting special forces, intelligence agents, and refugees from Soviet-controlled areas in Europe. • Deactivation: The unit was inactivated on 25 October 1956 as the Air Force reorganized its special operations and psychological warfare capabilities. • Legacy: The 580th ARS set the precedent for later Air Force special operations units, such as Air Commando and Special Operations Squadrons, and its history is recognized in the lineage of today’s Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC).