1st Air Commando Squadron/1st Special Operations Squadron Hobos, Nakhon Phanom (NKP) Royal Thai AirbaseThe 1st Air Commando Squadron (ACS)/1st Special Operations Squadron (SOS) began combat operations in 1964, first flying out of BienHoa Air Base, and later out of Pleiku. The A-1 Skyraider was the primary aircraft flown during this period. In December 1967, the squadron began to shift its operations to Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base (NKP) in Northeastern Thailand along the Mekong River border with Laos. At NKP the 1st ACS was part of the 56th Air Commando Wing/56th SOW. It flew its last combat missions in November of 1972, the last U.S. squadron to fly A-1s in combat.
Squadron awards between 1964 and 1972: Five Presidential Unit Citations; Two Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards with Combat "V"; Two Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards; and the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm.
USAF Congressional Medal of Honor winner Bernard F. Fisher earned his country’s highest decoration for bravery in 1966 while flying with the 1st ACS out of Pleiku Vietnam.http://Sciacchitano.photos.military.com/Other/1st-Air-Commando-Squadron1st/David-NKP-April-1969/293004257_b3g4z-Ti.jpghttp://Sciacchitano.photos.military.com/gallery/4907615_UcumS/2008-05-10T12:18:38ZCopyright 2009, the copyright holder of each photograph. Some portions copyright SmugMug. All rights reserved.SmugMugSSgt. David Sciachitano at NKP, 1st ACS/SOS. Hot, tired, and squinting into the sun, 1969.<p><a href="http://Sciacchitano.photos.military.com">David Andrew Sciacchitano (Sciacchitano)</a><br />SSgt. David Sciachitano at NKP, 1st ACS/SOS. Hot, tired, and squinting into the sun, 1969.</p><p><a href="http://Sciacchitano.photos.military.com/Other/1st-Air-Commando-Squadron1st/4907615_UcumS#293004257_b3g4z" title="SSgt. David Sciachitano at NKP, 1st ACS/SOS. Hot, tired, and squinting into the sun, 1969."><img src="http://Sciacchitano.photos.military.com/Other/1st-Air-Commando-Squadron1st/David-NKP-April-1969/293004257_b3g4z-Th.jpg" width="150" height="150" alt="SSgt. David Sciachitano at NKP, 1st ACS/SOS. Hot, tired, and squinting into the sun, 1969." title="SSgt. David Sciachitano at NKP, 1st ACS/SOS. Hot, tired, and squinting into the sun, 1969." style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p>2009-06-23T07:17:53ZDavid Andrew Sciacchitano (Sciacchitano)http://Sciacchitano.photos.military.comhttp://Sciacchitano.photos.military.com/Other/1st-Air-Commando-Squadron1st/David-NKP-April-1969/293004257_b3g4z-Th.jpgJeffry (Jeff) Steinke at NKP in front of his A-1 Skyraider loaded with napalm, 1969.<p><a href="http://Sciacchitano.photos.military.com">David Andrew Sciacchitano (Sciacchitano)</a><br />Jeffry (Jeff) Steinke at NKP in front of his A-1 Skyraider loaded with napalm, 1969.</p><p><a href="http://Sciacchitano.photos.military.com/Other/1st-Air-Commando-Squadron1st/4907615_UcumS#293004266_ideEv" title="Jeffry (Jeff) Steinke at NKP in front of his A-1 Skyraider loaded with napalm, 1969."><img src="http://Sciacchitano.photos.military.com/Other/1st-Air-Commando-Squadron1st/Jeff-at-NKP-1969/293004266_ideEv-Th.jpg" width="150" height="150" alt="Jeffry (Jeff) Steinke at NKP in front of his A-1 Skyraider loaded with napalm, 1969." title="Jeffry (Jeff) Steinke at NKP in front of his A-1 Skyraider loaded with napalm, 1969." style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p>2009-06-23T07:15:58ZDavid Andrew Sciacchitano (Sciacchitano)http://Sciacchitano.photos.military.comhttp://Sciacchitano.photos.military.com/Other/1st-Air-Commando-Squadron1st/Jeff-at-NKP-1969/293004266_ideEv-Th.jpgJeff steinke downtown, NKP, 1969.<p><a href="http://Sciacchitano.photos.military.com">David Andrew Sciacchitano (Sciacchitano)</a><br />Jeff steinke downtown, NKP, 1969.</p><p><a href="http://Sciacchitano.photos.military.com/Other/1st-Air-Commando-Squadron1st/4907615_UcumS#293004271_2oWEK" title="Jeff steinke downtown, NKP, 1969."><img src="http://Sciacchitano.photos.military.com/Other/1st-Air-Commando-Squadron1st/Jeff-NKP-Downtown/293004271_2oWEK-Th.jpg" width="150" height="150" alt="Jeff steinke downtown, NKP, 1969." title="Jeff steinke downtown, NKP, 1969." style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p>2009-06-23T07:15:35ZDavid Andrew Sciacchitano (Sciacchitano)http://Sciacchitano.photos.military.comhttp://Sciacchitano.photos.military.com/Other/1st-Air-Commando-Squadron1st/Jeff-NKP-Downtown/293004271_2oWEK-Th.jpgA1C Jeff Steinke, AKA the New Jersey Kid, on the flightline at NKP, 1969.<p><a href="http://Sciacchitano.photos.military.com">David Andrew Sciacchitano (Sciacchitano)</a><br />A1C Jeff Steinke, AKA the New Jersey Kid, on the flightline at NKP, 1969.</p><p><a href="http://Sciacchitano.photos.military.com/Other/1st-Air-Commando-Squadron1st/4907615_UcumS#293004275_cEKsT" title="A1C Jeff Steinke, AKA the New Jersey Kid, on the flightline at NKP, 1969."><img src="http://Sciacchitano.photos.military.com/Other/1st-Air-Commando-Squadron1st/Jeff-SEA/293004275_cEKsT-Th.jpg" width="150" height="150" alt="A1C Jeff Steinke, AKA the New Jersey Kid, on the flightline at NKP, 1969." title="A1C Jeff Steinke, AKA the New Jersey Kid, on the flightline at NKP, 1969." style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p>2009-06-23T06:56:09ZDavid Andrew Sciacchitano (Sciacchitano)http://Sciacchitano.photos.military.comhttp://Sciacchitano.photos.military.com/Other/1st-Air-Commando-Squadron1st/Jeff-SEA/293004275_cEKsT-Th.jpg