The 551st Special Operations Squadron is a current Special Operations Squadron of the United States Air Force, assigned to the Air Force Special Operations Air Warfare Center until 2017 and then assigned to the 492nd Special Operations Wing.

The 551st had previously been based at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico as an Air Education and Training Command (AETC) unit within the 58th Special Operations Wing from 15 March 1976 until its inactivation on 10 May 2007.

[2] The squadron was reactivated in 2009 and assigned to Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) to train aircrews on the MC-130 and AC-130.

It is also responsible for special operations contingencies, exercises, and humanitarian rescue missions.

The Squadron conducted training on the Pave Low helicopter but suspended these operations due to the looming retirement of the helicopter.