Patronis Demands Answers on Special Operations Relocation Staff Reports November 20, 2025 9:00 am Aviation, Eglin Air Force Base, Hurlburt Field, Mary Esther, Military, Okaloosa County, State Government In Brief: Florida lawmakers are questioning the Air Force’s plan to move a key special operations wing from Northwest Florida to Arizona. They argue the decision could hinder U.S. response times to threats in Venezuela and the Caribbean and relies on outdated climate-focused policy. The delegation is demanding detailed documentation and justification from Pentagon leaders within 30 days. WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Jimmy Patronis, joined by Florida Senators Rick Scott and Ashley Moody, issued a detailed letter to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink raising a series of pressing questions about the Air Force’s recent decision to relocate active-duty special operations personnel and key equipment from Northwest Florida to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona. The lawmakers say the move—finalized this fall—is not only strategically questionable but also potentially damaging to national security at a time of increasing instability in South America, especially Venezuela. They also argue the Air Force has failed to fully justify the shift or provide transparency about the data and cost estimates used in the decision-making process. The relocation affects the 492nd Special Operations Wing (SOW), a highly specialized unit that has long operated out of Hurlburt Field and Duke Field, both central components of Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). These installations place Special Operations Forces (SOF) close to...
Read More
