713th Combat Operations Squadron

Mission

The mission of the 713th Combat Operations Squadron is to provide steady state, contingency and wartime augmentation to Headquarters Pacific Air Forces Air Force Forces staff through direct augmentation, reach back capability, and the ability to deploy throughout the Pacific Theater. The 713th COS delivers mission essential, operational level command and control capability and continuity across the entire spectrum of military operations from humanitarian assistance to combat operations. The 713th develops and leverages reserve personnel subject matter expertise to integrate into the AFFOR staff to plan and create effects, from strategy to task, to meet Commander AFFOR/Joint Forces Air Component Commander goals and objectives. The 713th COS is the only U.S. Air Force Reserve unit designated to support the AFFOR mission role.

Organization

As part of 10th Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, the 713th COS is a geographically separated unit assigned to the 610th Air Operations Group, March Air Reserve Base, California. The 96-position unit is split between two locations. The 713th COS, with 75 positions, is located at Beale Air Force Base, California and its subordinate unit, the 713th COS Detachment 1 with the remaining 21 positions, is located at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. Overall, the unit has 20 Air Reserve Technicians and 80 Traditional Reservists, and is comprised of 61 different Air Force Specialty Codes. 

History

The 713th COS was originally activated as 10th AF Det. 5, at Beale AFB on Oct. 1, 2007. In March 2008, a 23-person detachment forward deployed to Hickam AFB, Hawaii as Operating Location-Alpha and began augmenting 13th AF/PACAF AFFOR staff during U.S. Pacific Command’s joint exercise Terminal Fury. On July 1, 2009 the unit was re-designated the 713th Combat Operations Squadron under the 940th Operations Group, 940th Wing, Beale AFB. Hickam OL-A was re-designated 713th COS Det. 1. The unit declared initial operational capability in July 2010.

In March 2011, the 713th COS was tasked to provide 24/7 AFFOR augmentation to HQ PACAF for Operation Tomodachi, a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief effort supporting Japan after a 9.0 earthquake resulting 60’ tsunami caused major damage to the island of Honshu, including the second largest nuclear power plant disaster in history. In November 2013, the unit was again tasked to support HQ PACAF for Operation Damayan, a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief effort supporting the Republic of the Philippines after category 5 typhoon Haiyan struck. More recently, in April 2015, the squadron supported crisis action planning for Operation Sahayogi Haat, a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief effort in response to a 7.8 earthquake that struck Nepal.

In April 2016, the 713th COS was realigned from the 940th WG to the newly established 610th AOG along with two sister squadrons, the 710th COS and 701st COS, when the 940th regained its KC-135 refueling mission.

The 713th COS continues to provide critical component major command AFFOR augmentation through direct participation in planning and executing multiple humanitarian assistance operations and annual exercises including Pacific Sentry, Keen Edge, Ulchi Freedom Guardian, Key Resolve, Talisman Saber, Red Flag-Alaska, Pacific Angel and Pacific Unity. In addition, individual volunteers supported AFFOR staffs in U.S. Air Forces in Europe & Air Forces in Africa, and U.S. Air Forces Central Command through steady state, deployments, operations, and exercises to include Austere Challenge, Juniper Micron and Odyssey Lightning.

 

(Current as of January 2017)