492nd Special Operations Wing at Davis-Monthan: Impact on Sierra Vista & Fort Huachuca Airspace

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The 492nd Special Operations Wing Is Coming to Davis-Monthan—Here’s What It Means for Us in Southeastern Arizona


Davis-Monthan Air Force Base is about to look a little different. Tucson is getting ready to welcome the 492nd Special Operations Wing (492 SOW), a unit with roots going all the way back to World War II. And while this is a big shift for the Air Force, it also has some ripple effects down here in Cochise County—yes, even for folks around Fort Huachuca and Sierra Vista.

A Quick Look Back

The 492nd’s story starts in WWII as the 492nd Bombardment Group. They flew into combat in May of 1944 and suffered some of the heaviest bomber losses in the European Theater. After being pulled from those missions, the group shifted into special operations for the rest of the war. Fast-forward a few decades, and the modern wing has been at Hurlburt Field, Florida, training and supporting Air Force Special Operations Command.

Why the Move to Tucson?

In 2023, the Air Force announced that the 492nd would be relocating to Davis-Monthan. By 2025, the plan was refined: the wing is being re-imagined as a “Power Projection Wing.” That means they won’t just train—they’ll actively carry out missions in strike, mobility, ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance), and air-to-ground integration.

To make room for all this, the beloved A-10 Warthog squadrons will be retired from Davis-Monthan by 2026. It’s the end of an era for close air support in Tucson, but the beginning of something bigger in the world of special operations.

So What About the Airspace?

Here’s what people around Sierra Vista and Fort Huachuca really want to know: are we going to hear or see more jets overhead?

  • No new restricted airspace. The 492nd will be flying in the same MOAs and routes that are already in use, like Tombstone MOA and Restricted Area R-2303 over Fort Huachuca.

  • Fewer total flights. Believe it or not, annual flights will actually go down compared to the old A-10 tempo.

  • More night training. The catch? Special ops requires nighttime readiness. Expect about 364 extra late-night operations across Arizona and New Mexico airspace each year. That’s spread out, so it’s not like the skies will suddenly be buzzing all night long, but you may notice a little more activity between 10 PM and 7 AM.

  • Noise impact. For Fort Huachuca specifically, the Air Force’s environmental study says the increase in noise will be modest and still within safe limits. Most folks won’t notice a difference, but people who live near the ranges—or the wildlife out there—might hear a bit more nighttime activity.

On the ground, some of the 492nd’s Special Tactics units will occasionally use Huachuca’s ranges, but nothing outside of what the ranges already handle. No new ammo types, no extra intensity—just folded into the existing schedule.


What This Means for Sierra Vista and Fort Huachuca

If you’ve lived here a while, you’re used to the sound of military training in the background. With the 492nd coming in, the “soundtrack” of our skies will shift, but not in a way that disrupts daily life.

  • You’ll see fewer A-10s overhead, but you may start spotting aircraft like the MC-130J Commando II, OA-1K, or even a CV-22 Osprey now and then.

  • Overall flight numbers are dropping, but late-night operations will tick up a little.

  • The ranges and airspace are staying the same.

In short: it’s more of a role change than a full upheaval. The Air Force is pivoting Davis-Monthan to special ops power projection, and we’re in the flight path of history as it unfolds.

The Bigger Picture

For Arizona, this is another chapter in our long military legacy. From bomber groups in WWII to today’s elite special operators, the 492nd SOW carries both history and future with it. For us in Sierra Vista, it means the skies might sound a little different, but the mission of Fort Huachuca and our connection to the military community stays strong.

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Location: Fort Huachuca, Sierra Vista, AZ, USA

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