10th CWS deactivates at Hurlburt Field

by Airman 1st Class Jeff Parkinson
1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs

5/14/2014 - HURLBURT FIELD, Fla.  -- The 24th Special Operations Wing deactivated its 10th Combat Weather Squadron May 7 during a ceremony here.

Col. Kurt Buller, 720th Special Tactics Group commander, presided over the ceremony with more than 100 Airmen in attendance.

"When you leave this building and find your new buildings, your new team rooms, I want you to excel because there are a lot of people depending on you," said Buller. "There are a lot of reasons for people to depend on you."

Special operations weathermen from the unit will be integrated into 720th STG, joining fellow ST Airmen in combat control, pararescue and tactical air control party.

Air Force Special Tactics has nearly 1,000 operators around the world working alongside Navy SEALs, Army Special Forces and Army Rangers to provide U.S. Special Operations Command with a highly trained SOF capability.

Special Tactics is SOCOM's premiere tactical air-to-ground integration force. The organization is also the Air Force's special operations ground force to enable global access and deliver precision strike, environmental reconnaissance and personnel recovery.

After initial activation at Derrick Field, Md., June 24, 1942, and staging from Camp Stoneman, Calif., the former 10th Weather Squadron formed as a weather region headquartered at New Delhi, India under the 10th Air Force in January 1943.

The 10th CWS had significant historical lineage with ties to combat and special operations since 1943, said Master Sgt. April Dalessandro, 10th CWS first sergeant.

During its history, more than 1,000 Air National Guardsmen nationwide have either volunteered or deployed with this squadron.

The 10th CWS will officially deactivate May 16 as Detachment 1, 720th Special Tactics Group.