Mr. Herbert A. Mason Jr. "Contributions USAF Special Operations Forces Have Made to the Development of Air and Space Power, 1942 to 2012" Jan. 31, 2013 - 7:30 p.m. Until the 21st century, Special Operations was not a core mission for the USAF. Despite their wartime accomplishments and between-the-war usefulness, Special Operation Forces were severely cut back and almost eliminated entirely after the second Indo China war. The failed attempt to rescue American hostages out of Iran in April 1980 triggered a revitalization for rebuilding and reequipping USAF Special Operation Forces, a task that ultimately led to the activation of a new unified command in 1987, the United States Special Operations Command. This was followed in 1990 with the USAF activating a new major command, Air Force Special Operations Command, as the air component to the united command. This effort led by Congress ensured the U.S. had the special operations forces it needed to meet the emerging low-intensity conflict threat we faced after 9/11. During his lecture, Herbert A. Mason Jr. will discuss the contributions these Special Operations Forces have made to the air and space power over the years. In his role as the command historian for the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), Hurlburt Field, Fla., Mason is responsible for establishing policy and overseeing AFSOC's History and Museum Program, which was recently recognized as authoring the best USAF Historical Report and managing the best USAF History Program in 2009, the first time a major command History Office has garnered both Air Force level awards in the same year. This past year, Mason was once again recognized for producing the best USAF MAJCOM Historical Report. Mason was an enlisted historian from 1965-1970; thereafter, he served as a civilian historian in six major commands, which included two overseas tours, Panama and Europe. Mason's assignment included wing, centers, air divisions, numbered air force and major commands. Prior to assuming his current position in 1991 he served as the Civilian Historian and Museum Career Program Manager. Mason holds a bachelor's degree in social science from Florida State University and a master's degree in Public Administration from Georgia College. Mason has published more than 60 U.S. Air Force histories, numerous studies and monographs, and currently serves as an adjunct instructor at the Joint Special Operations University located at Hurlburt Field, Fla. Click here to return to the lecture schedule.