21st Special Operations Squadron

The 21st Special Operations Squadron is a unit within the 352d Special Operations Group (352 SOG), United States Air Force, United States European Command, and was based at Royal Air Force base RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, eastern England.

Mission

The 21st Special Operations Squadron, which fell under the 352nd Special Operations Group, RAF Mildenhall, UK, was inactivated on 31 October 2007 with the inactivation ceremony taking place at RAF Mildenhall, UK on 9 October temporarily ending the Air Force Special Operations vertical lift mission in Europe.

The inactivation of the Dust Devils was the first step in preparation for the arrival of the CV-22 tilt-rotor aircraft.

The 21st Special Operations Squadron's mission consisted of day or night, all-weather, low-level penetration of denied territory to provide infiltration, exfiltration, resupply, or fire support for elite air, ground, and naval forces. The unique capabilities of the MH-53J permitted the squadron to operate from unprepared landing zones.

16th Special Operations Squadron

The 16th Special Operations Squadron (16 SOS) is part of the 27th Special Operations Wing at Cannon AFB, New Mexico. It operates AC-130H Spectre aircraft in support of special operations.

Mission

Train and maintain its combat-ready force to provide highly accurate firepower in support of both conventional and unconventional forces.

History

The 16th ferried aircraft from factories to units in US and Canada and conducted pilot training from April 1942 – April 1944. It flew combat aerial transportation missions from India into Burma and China from December 1944 – October 1945.

The 16th flew combat missions in Southeast Asia where it was charged with attacking convoys on the Ho Chi Minh Trail, the defense of hamlets and fire bases, providing close air support to troops in contact with the enemy, providing convoy escort, and battlefield illumination, November 1968 – July 1974. As the war drew to a close the squadron supported Operation Eagle Pull, the evacuation of Phnom Penh, Operation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of Saigon and figured prominently in the rescue of the Mayagüez. In all 53 members of the 16 SOS were killed in action during the Vietnam War.

8th Special Operations Squadron

The 8th Special Operations Squadron (8 SOS) is a squadron of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the 1st Special Operations Wing, Air Force Special Operations Command, stationed at Hurlburt Field, Florida. The squadron is equipped with the CV-22 Osprey in support of special operations.

The 8 SOS is one of the oldest units in the United States Air Force, being organized as the 8th Aero Squadron on 21 June 1917 at Kelly Field, Texas. The squadron deployed to France and fought on the Western Front during World War I, equipped with United States-built Dayton-Wright DH-4, being used as reconnaissance aircraft.

During World War II, the squadron fought in the Southwest Pacific Area with Fifth Air Force as an attack and later B-25 Mitchell medium bomber squadron. During the Cold War, it fought in the Korean War with B-26 Invader medium bombers and Vietnam War as a B-57 Canberra medium bomber and later as an Air Commando squadron with A-37 Dragonfly counter-insurgency aircraft.

Carlos Cruz (boxer)

For the basketball player with a similar name, see Teófilo Cruz

Carlos Teo Cruz (November 4, 1937 - February 15, 1970) was a boxer from the Dominican Republic. Cruz was world lightweight champion from 1968 to 1970.

Amateur career

Cruz claimed he didn't put on his first pair of boxing gloves until his 20th birthday. He fought as an amateur from 1957–1959, posting a 14-3 record.

Personal

Cruz's father, Francisco Rosario Almonte was an army officer in the Dominican military. Cruz met his wife, Mildred Ortiz in the town of Río Piedras in Puerto Rico. They were married in 1961 when Ortiz was 24 years old. Cruz had two children; Carlos, Jr. (born 1962)who has four children, Bradely Cruz (born 1990) Clifford Allen Cruz & Clifton Allen Cruz ( born 1992 ),Brandon Miguel Cruz (born 1996 ), and Hermina (born 1963) having 2 children Alexis Tatia Cruz ( born 1998 ) and Bryant Lope Cruz ( born 2000) . Cruz's younger brother, Leo Cruz, went on to become a world champion.

Pro career

Carlos (given name)

Carlos is a masculine given name. It is a Spanish, Portuguese, and Tagalog form of Charles, Conor, Carl or Chuck. It may refer to:

Royalty

People in media

Carlos (miniseries)

Carlos is a 2010 French-German television and cinema biographical film about the life of the 1970s Venezuelan revolutionary Carlos the Jackal (Ilich Ramírez Sánchez), covering his first series of attacks in 1973 until his arrest in 1994. It premiered as a three-part TV mini-series on French pay channel Canal+, with the three parts airing on 19 May, May 26, and June 2, 2010. On the same day it premiered on Canal+, the full 5½ hour version was also shown out of competition at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.

Produced by Daniel Leconte, of French production company Film En Stock, and Jens Meuer, of German production company Egoli Tossell Film, in association with Canal+ and French Arte, it was directed by Olivier Assayas from a screenplay by Leconte, Assayas and Dan Franck, and stars Édgar Ramírez as Carlos. The film exists both as a three-part mini-series and a feature film of various lengths between 338 and 319 minutes, as well as in several abridged versions, ranging from 187 minutes (German cinema version) to 166 minutes (US video on demand version).