When the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were attacked on 11 September 2001 , the 8th was propelled into Operation Enduring Freedom in late 2001 . The squadron was nearly completely deployed , operating from several locations in Afghanistan simultaneously to unseat the Taliban rulers and install the interim government . The 8th supported operations by resupplying special operations forces operators in the field , refueling helicopters , and landing at short unprepared fields all over the country . When Operation Iraqi Freedom kicked off in 2003 , the 8th was once again at the forefront . Its crews were some of the first to cross the border as hostilities began . Such a high operations tempo led to the 8th SOS being the Air Force 's most deployed active-duty squadron in 2002 and 2003
attacked on 11 September 2001
September 11 attacks
8th Special Operations Squadron