960th Airborne Air Control Squadron

The 960th Airborne Air Control Squadron is part of the 552d Air Control Wing at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. It operates the E-3 Sentry aircraft conducting airborne command and control missions.

This article is about the 60th Bombardment Squadron of World War II. For the 60th Bombardment Squadron of Strategic Air Command, see 60th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron.
960th Airborne Air Control Squadron
552d Wing Boeing E-3 Sentry
Active1941–1944; 1944–1945; 1955–1969; 1979–1992; 2001–present
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
TypeAirborne Command and Control
Part ofAir Combat Command
Garrison/HQTinker Air Force Base
EngagementsPacific Ocean Theater[1]
DecorationsDistinguished Unit Citation
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device
Air Force Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award[1]
Insignia
960th Airborne Air Control Squadron emblem (approved 8 May 1980)[1]
Patch with 960th Airborne Early Warning and Control Squadron emblem (approved 25 June 1956)
60th Bombardment Squadron emblem
World War II tail code and squadron numbers[2]Square P Numbers 1-20

The first predecessor of the squadron was activated in the buildup for World War II as the 60th Bombardment Squadron. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, it flwe antisubmarine patrols off the north Pacific coast. It then became a heavy bomber training unit until inactivating in the spring of 1944 when the Army Air Forces reorganized its training and support units in the United States. It was immediately reactivated as a Boeing B-29 Superfortress unit. After training in the United States, it moved to Guam, where it participated in the strategic bombing campaign against Japan, earning two Distinguished Unit Citations for its actions. Following V-J Day, it returned to the United States and was inactivated in 1945.

The squadron's second predecessor was activated in 1955 as the 960th Airborne Early Warning and Control Squadron. It provided early warning off the Atlantic coast of the United States until 1969. The squadron also provided aircraft and aircrew for Lockheed C-121 missions in Southeast Asa. It was reactivated in 1979 as the 960th Airborne Air Control Support Squadron. The two squadrons were consolidated in 1985.

Mission

Provide the Combat Air Force with airborne systems and personnel for surveillance, warning and control of strategic, tactical, and special mission forces.[3]

History

Organization and crew training

Established as a pre-World War II B-17 Flying Fortress bomber squadron, activated at Fort Douglas, Utah in January 1941. After training, was assigned to Gieger Field, Washington as part of the Army Air Corps Northwest Air District in July. After the Pearl Harbor Attack, the squadron initially flew antisubmarine patrols along the Northwest Pacific Coastline.

Reassigned to II Bomber Command at Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona in February 1942 where the parent group became a B-17 Operational Training (OTU) unit for newly formed heavy bomb groups; operated as a training squadron for new and later replacement bomber crew members. Inactivated on 1 April 1944 with the end of heavy bomber training.

B-29 Superfortress operations against Japan
39th Bombardment Group B-29s bombing Japan

Re-designated on 1 April 1944 as a B-29 Superfortress Very Heavy bombardment squadron. When training was completed moved to North Field Guam in the Mariana Islands of the Central Pacific Area in January 1945 and assigned to XXI Bomber Command, Twentieth Air Force. Its mission was the strategic bombardment of the Japanese Home Islands and the destruction of its war-making capability.

Flew "shakedown" missions against Japanese targets on Moen Island, Truk, and other points in the Carolines and Marianas. The squadron began combat missions over Japan on 25 February 1945 with a firebombing mission over Northeast Tokyo. The squadron continued to participate in wide area firebombing attack, but the first ten-day blitz resulting in the Army Air Forces running out of incendiary bombs. Until then the squadron flew conventional strategic bombing missions using high explosive bombs.

The squadron continued attacking urban areas with incendiary raids until the end of the war in August 1945, attacking major Japanese cities, causing massive destruction of urbanized areas. Also conducted raids against strategic objectives, bombing aircraft factories, chemical plants, oil refineries, and other targets in Japan. The squadron flew its last combat missions on 14 August when hostilities ended. Afterwards, its B 29s carried relief supplies to Allied prisoner of war camps in Japan and Manchuria

Squadron remained in Western Pacific, although largely demobilized in the fall of 1945. Some aircraft scrapped on Tinian; others flown to storage depots in the United States. Inactivated as part of Army Service forces at the end of 1945.

Air Defense Command
Lockheed F-104As & EC-121 of the 552d Wing

It provided early warning radar surveillance along the East Coast of the United States from, 1955–1969. It supported two deployed rotating aircraft with crews in Iceland to provide early detection of Soviet aircraft flying between Iceland and Greenland from, 1979–1992.

Airborne air control
552d Wing Boeing E-3B Sentry

Operations and decorations
  • Combat Operations: Conducted bombardment missions against Japan, c. 6Apr-14 Aug 1945. Supported two deployed rotating aircraft with crews in Iceland to provide early detection of Soviet aircraft flying between Iceland and Greenland, 1979–1992.
  • Campaigns: World War II: Western Pacific; Air Offensive, Japan.
  • Decorations: Distinguished Unit Citations: Japan, 10 May 1945; Tokyo and Yokohama, Japan, 23–29 May 1945. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jul 1957-31 Oct 1958; [1 Sep 1979]-30 Jun 1980; 1 Jul 1982-30 Jun 1984; 1 Apr 1987-31 Mar 1989; 1 Dec 1989-1 Dec 1991.

Lineage
60th Bombardment Squadron
  • Constituted as the 60th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 20 November 1940
Activated on 15 January 1941
Inactivated on 1 April 1944
  • Redesignated 60th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy and activated, on 1 April 1944
Inactivated on 27 December 1945
Consolidated with the 960th Airborne Air Control Squadron as the 960th Airborne Air Control Squadron on 19 September 1985[1]
960th Airborne Air Control Squadron
  • Constituted as the 960th Airborne Early Warning and Control Squadron on 8 December 1954
Activated on 8 March 1955
Inactivated on 31 July 1969
  • Redesignated 960th Airborne Warning and Control Support Squadron on 31 July 1979
Activated on 1 September 1979
Redesignated 960th Airborne Warning and Control Squadron on 1 January 1982
  • Consolidated with the 60th Bombardment Squadron which on 19 September 1985
Inactivated on 1 July 1992
  • Redesignated 960th Airborne Air Control Squadron on 26 January 2001
Activated on 1 March 2001.[1]

Assignments

Stations

Aircraft

References

Notes
  1. Dolman, TSG David (13 October 2016). "Factsheet 960 Airborne Air Control Squadron (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  2. Watkins, pp. 80-81
  3. 552 OG Fact Sheet Archived 22 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

External links=
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