Jeff Bingaman United States Senator from New Mexico

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Pete Domenici today announced that the 3rd Special Operations Squadron will move to Cannon Air Force Base from its current home at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada.

The squadron flies MQ-1 Predators, which are unmanned aerial vehicles. It will now do high altitude training at Melrose Range. The move will bring an additional 84 officers and 155 enlisted personnel to Clovis.

“This is an elite, high-tech squadron that we’re very happy has been assigned to Cannon,” Bingaman said. “The move will further expand the presence of the Air Force Special Operations Command in our state.”

“The squadron’s presence will be good for Cannon and the Clovis area. It adds another important facet of the mission AFSOC is building at the base, and further recognizes Cannon’s assets that were wisely not abandoned during the last BRAC process,” said Domenici, who serves on the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.

This is the second announcement this month about a new squadron being assigned to Cannon. On May 13, the Air Force announced that the 16th Special Operations Squadron was also moving to Clovis, bringing an estimated 600 military personnel and 300 contractors to the state.