966th Airborne Air Control Squadron

966th Airborne Air Control Squadron
	552d Air Control Wing Boeing E-3 Sentry
Active	1942–1944; 1944–1945; 1961–1969; 1976–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Airborne Command and Control
Part of	Air Combat Command
Garrison/HQ	Tinker Air Force Base
Motto(s)	Protection by Professionals (1963-1989)
Engagements	China-Burma-India Theater[1]
Decorations	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device; Air Force Outstanding Unit Award; Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm[1]
Commanders
Current; commander	Lt Col Martin J. Slovinsky
Insignia
966th Airborne Air Control Squadron emblem (approved 14 May 1989)</ref>[1]
966th Airborne Early Warning & Control Squadron emblem (approved 14 June 1963)</ref>[1]

The 966th Airborne Air Control Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit, part of the 552d Air Control Wing at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. It operates the E-3 Sentry (AWACS) aircraft conducting airborne command and control missions.

The squadron is the E-3 Sentry formal training unit (FTU) for all Airborne Warning and Control System aircrew and currently falls under the authority of Air Combat Command and Fifteenth Air Force.[2][3]

Mission

The 966th Airborne Air Control Squadron is Air Combat Command's largest flying training unit, providing training for all active and reserve E-3 Sentry pilots and mission crew. Training approximately 500 students every year.[4]

Provide the Combat Air Force with airborne systems and personnel for surveillance, warning and control of strategic, tactical, and special mission forces.[5]

History

World War II

The squadron conducted replacement training from August 1942 – November 1943 and flew evacuation missions and light transport services for ground forces in Burma from 13 November 1944 – 10 May 1945.[1]

Airborne warning and control

It provided airborne radar surveillance from 1962–1969 and rotated aircrews to Southeast Asia from c. 4 April 1965 – c. December 1969. The 966th has trained aircrews since 1977.[1]

Lineage

466th Bombardment Squadron

Constituted as the 466th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 9 July 1942

Activated on 15 July 1942

Inactivated on 1 April 1944

Consolidated with the 166th Liaison Squadron and the 966th Airborne Warning and Control Training Squadron as the 966th Airborne Warning and Control Training Squadron on 19 September 1985[1]

166th Liaison Squadron

Constituted as the 166th Liaison Squadron (Commando) on 9 August 1944

Activated on 3 September 1944

Inactivated on 3 November 1945

Consolidated with the 466th Bombardment Squadron and the 966th Airborne Warning and Control Training Squadron as the 966th Airborne Warning and Control Training Squadron on 19 September 1985[1]

966th Airborne Early Warning and Control Squadron
Constituted as the 966th Airborne Early Warning and Control Squadron and activated on 18 December 1961 (not organized)

Organized on 1 February 1962

Inactivated on 31 December 1969

Redesignated 966th Airborne Warning and Control Training Squadron on 5 May 1976

Activated on 1 July 1976

Consolidated with the 166th Liaison Squadron and the 466th Bombardment Squadron on 19 September 1985

Redesignated 966th Airborne Air Control Squadron on 1 July 1994[1]

Assignments

333d Bombardment Group, 15 July 1942 – 1 April 1944
1st Air Commando Group, 3 September 1944 – 3 November 1945
Air Defense Command, 18 December 1961 (not organized)
551st Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing, 1 February 1962
552d Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing, 1 May 1963
551st Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing, 1 July 1969
552d Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing, 15 November-31 December 1969
552d Airborne Warning and Control Wing (later 552d Airborne Warning and Control Division; 552d Airborne Warning and Control Wing; 552d Air Control Wing), 1 July 1976
552d Operations Group, 29 May 1992 – present[1]

Stations

Topeka Army Air Base, Kansas, 15 July 1942
Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas, 22 February 1943 – 1 April 1944
Burnpur Airfield, India, 3 September 1944
Yazagyo Airfield, Burma, 13 November 1944
Inbaung Airfield, Burma, 12 December 1944
Burnpur Airfield, India, 19 December 1944 (detachment operated from Arakan Airfield, Burma, c. 29 December 1944 – 23 January 1945)
Sinthe Airfield, Burma, 4 February 1945

Burnpur Airfield, India, 14 March 1945
Ondaw Airfield, Burma, 29 March 1945
Meiktila Airfield, Burma, 5 April 1945
Toungoo Airfield, Burma, 27 April 1945
Burnpur Airfield, India, 14 May – 6 October 1945
Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, 1–3 November 1945
McCoy Air Force Base, Florida, 1 February 1962 – 31 December 1969
Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, since 1 July 1976[1]

Aircraft

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress (1942)
Consolidated B-24 Liberator (1942–1943)
Stinson L-5 Sentinel (1944–1945)
Noorduyn C-64 Norseman (1944–1945)
Lockheed RC-121 Constellation (1962–1963)

Lockheed TC-121 Constellation (1962–1963)
Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star (1963–1969)
Boeing WC-135 Constant Phoenix (1977–1979)
Boeing E-3 Sentry (1977–present)[1]

Operations


B-17 Flying Fortress (1942)	B-24 Liberator (1943–1944)	L-5 Sentinel (1944–1945)	UC–64 Norseman (1944–1945)

RC-121 (1962–1963)	EC-121 Warning Star (1963–1969)	WC-135 (1977–1979)	E-3 Sentry (since 1977)

References

Notes

"Factsheet 966 Airborne Air Control Squadron". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 31 March 2008. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
"Unit Spotlight on 966th Airborne Air Control Squadron". Retrieved 8 March 2020.
Rangel, 2Lt Danny (11 May 2020). "966th Airborne Air Control Squadron Continues Mission Despite COVID-19". 72nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
"966 Airborne Air Control Squadron" (PDF). USAF Unit History. 18 March 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
"Library: Factsheets 552nd Operations Group". 552nd Air Control Wing Public Affairs. 1 June 2007. Archived from the original on 24 January 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2021.

Bibliography

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

Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.
Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9. Retrieved 17 December 2016.

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[966AACSfacts-1] "Factsheet 966 Airborne Air Control Squadron". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 31 March 2008. Retrieved 4 January 2021.

[966AAACSfacts-2] "Unit Spotlight on 966th Airborne Air Control Squadron". Retrieved 8 March 2020.

[3] Rangel, 2Lt Danny (11 May 2020). "966th Airborne Air Control Squadron Continues Mission Despite COVID-19". 72nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs. Retrieved 3 January 2021.

[4] "966 Airborne Air Control Squadron" (PDF). USAF Unit History. 18 March 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2020.

[552_OG_Fact_Sheet-5] "Library: Factsheets 552nd Operations Group". 552nd Air Control Wing Public Affairs. 1 June 2007. Archived from the original on 24 January 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2021.