966th Airborne Air Control Squadron

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966th Airborne Air Control Squadron
966th Airborne Air Control Squadron.jpg
966th Airborne Air Control Squadron Patch
Active 15 July 1942 – 1 April 1944
3 September 1944 – 3 November 1945
18 December 1961 – 31 December 1969
1 July 1976 – present
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
Type Airborne Command and Control
Part of Air Combat Command
12th Air Force
552d Air Control Wing
552d Operations Group
Garrison/HQ Tinker Air Force Base
Decorations Outstanding Unit ribbon.svg AFOUA w/ V Device
Vietnam gallantry cross unit award-3d.svg RVGC w/ Palm

The 966th Airborne Air Control Squadron (966 AACS) 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.

Mission

Provide the Combat Air Force with airborne systems and personnel for surveillance, warning and control of strategic, tactical, and special mission forces.[1]

History

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. 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.[2]

Lineage[2]

  • 466th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy)
    • Constituted on 9 July 1942
Activated on 15 July 1942
Inactivated on 1 April 1944
  • 166th Liaison Squadron (Commando)
    • Constituted on 9 August 1944
Activated on 3 September 1944
Inactivated on 3 November 1945
  • 966th Airborne Early Warning and Control Squadron
    • Constituted and Activated on 18 Dec 1961
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
  • 466th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) consolidated with 166th Liaison Squadron (Commando) and 966th Airborne Warning and Control Training Squadron as 966th Airborne Warning and Control Training Squadron on 19 Sep 1985
    • Redesignated 966th Airborne Air Control Squadron on 1 Jul 1994

Assignments[2]

Bases stationed[2]

Aircraft operated[2]

Operations[2]

B-17 Flying Fortress B-24 Liberator L-5 Sentinel UC–64 Norseman
B-17 Flying Fortress
(1942)
B-24 Liberator
(1943–1944)
L-5 Sentinel
(1944–1945)
UC–64 Norseman
(1944–1945)
RC-121 EC-121 Warning Star WC-135 E-3 Sentry
RC-121
(1962–1963)
EC-121 Warning Star
(1963–1969)
WC-135
(1977–1979)
E-3 Sentry
(since 1977)

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

See also