Hurlburt Field Air Force

Hurlburt Field is home to the 1st Special Operations Wing (1st SOW), a part of Air Force Special Operations Command AFSOC).

The 1st Special Operations Wing (1st SOW) at Hurlburt Field, Fla. is one of two Air Force's active-duty Special Operations wings and falls under the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). The 1st SOW mission focus is unconventional warfare: counter-terrorism, combat search and rescue, personnel recovery, psychological operations, aviation assistance to developing nations, "deep battlefield" resupply, interdiction, and close air support. The wing has units located at Hurlburt Field, Fla., Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and Creech Air Force Base, NV.

Home of the Air Commandos since 1961. Officially designated Eglin Auxiliary Field No. 9, it served as one of the small training fields built on the sprawling Eglin Air Force Range in the 1940s. General Grandison Gardiner, Eglin commander, named it for First Lieutenant Donald Wilson Hurlburt who was killed in an aircraft crash at Eglin Auxiliary Field #9 in 1943. The Eglin Military Reservation, to include the surrounding auxiliary fields, played key roles in the training of special operations rescue forces for operations such as the 1970 Son Tay Raid in Vietnam. When the 1 SOW was renamed the 16 SOW on October 1, 1993, it retained the heritage and honors of the 1 SOW, its predecessor designations, and the 16th Pursuit and Fighter groups. On 16 Nov 06, the 16th SOW reclaimed the number 1 as part of the Wing designation. Now the 1st SOW boasts a 26-squadron wing, capable of deploying and sustaining a fight anywhere in the world at a moment's notice. For more history visit Hurlburt Field's homepage.

• Active Duty Military 8,324
• Hurlburt Reservists 784
• Civilian Employees 1,872
• Family Members 10,628
• Contractors: 2,420

2020 Population

Okaloosa County 214,542, Santa Rosa County 176,759; Okaloosa County consists of Ft. Walton Beach, Destin, Crestview, Niceville, Shalimar, Mary Esther, Valparaiso, Laurel Hill, Cinco Bayou and Baker.

Base Transportation

Currently, there is no base transportation on this installation.

Hurlburt Field is located on the Gulf of Mexico in the Florida Panhandle, 35 miles east of Pensacola (United States). This area is also known as the Emerald Coast and is a major tourist attraction for its breathtaking white beaches and emerald green waters.