the exercise, they dropped inert GBU-24 Paveway III laser-guided bombs and fired live AGM-65 Maverick antitank missiles on Utah test range. The hit rate was one of the highest ever seen in the Air Force, showcasing the lethality of the Block 40 F-16. During Operation Allied Force in 1999, the squadron was "on-call" duty to augment forces. The quick termination of hostilities precluded the unit from seeing action. On 11 September 2001 when terrorists attacked the World Trade Center in New York City and The Pentagon in Washington, D.C., aircraft from the squadron went on air defense alert. In December 2002, the 524th deployed to Kuwait and participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom, dropping nearly a million pounds of precision guided munitions, more than any other F-16 Block 40 squadron in history. Special Operations On 1 April 2009, Air Force Special Operations Command prepared for the expansion of the 27th Special Operations Group by activating the 7524th Special Operations Squadron, Provisional at Cannon Air Force Base. As the squadron approached full strength, the 524th was activated again as the 524th Special Operations Squadron and assumed the provisional unit's mission, personnel, and equipment. On 19 November 2009 a Bombardier Dash 8 crashed, destroying the aircraft and injuring all nine passengers and crew, three seriously. An investigation blamed the crash on crew error, citing the crew's failure to load an adequate amount of fuel on the aircraft for the flight and refusing to turn back or seek an alternate landing site as it became apparent that the aircraft did not have sufficient fuel to reach its destination. The Air Force declined to provide details as to whether the crew was punished for the crash. Around 31 May 2017, the 524th SOS was relocated to Duke Field to become part of the 492d Special Operations Wing, in order to better coordinate with its reserve Total Force partner unit, the 919th Special Operations Wing's 859th Special Operations Squadron. Lineage Constituted as the 11th Reconnaissance Squadron (Light) on 20 November 1940 Activated on 15 January 1941 Redesignated 91st Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 14 August 1941 Redesignated 524th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 23 August 1943 Redesignated 524th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 30 May 1944 Inactivated on 7 November 1945 Activated on 20 August 1946 Redesignated 524th Fighter Squadron, Two Engine on 22 July 1947 Redesignated 524th Fighter Squadron, Jet on 1 December 1949 Redesignated 524th Fighter-Escort Squadron