In 1973, Military Airlift Command (MAC) activated the 1550th Aircrew Test and Training Wing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.

It was inactivated in 1994 and its mission, personnel and equipment were transferred to the 58th Special Operations Wing, which was simultaneously activated.

It also provided pararescue training and, operational test and evaluation of materiel, and performed local search and rescue missions.

[3] In 1983, the wing deployed three aircraft to support Operation Urgent Fury, the invasion of Grenada in the Windward Islands.

[6] With General Merrill McPeak's call to retain historic United States Air Force units on the active list, the 542d was inactivated on 1 April 1994, while the newly redesignated 58th Special Operations Wing took over its training mission.

Its mission was to design, acquire, install, and sustain electronic warfare, avionics, support equipment, vehicles, missiles, automatic test systems and weapons.

It was responsible for supply chain management for F-15, C-130 and C-5 aircraft and provided calibration standards and certification of Precision Measurement Laboratories worldwide.