45th Operations Group

45th Operations Group

Emblem of the 45th Operations Group
Active 1941-1942, 1991-present
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
Cassini–Huygens spacecraft launch by the 45th OG, 15 October 1997
World War II 45th Bombardment Group Emblem

The 45th Operations Group is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 45th Space Wing, stationed at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.

Overview

The 45th Operations Group was responsible for program management and operation of five squadrons which perform all Eastern Range launch operations including Delta II, Delta III, Atlas II, Atlas III, Titan IV, Space Shuttle, Pegasus, and Athena space launch vehicles.

The Operations Group provides support to Naval Ordnance Test Unit operations. In support of space launch operations, the Operations Group coordinates training for the wing, manages all wing spacecraft services systems and facilities, and manages the Patrick AFB air traffic complex, handling more than 24,000 aircraft operations annually.

Components

Provides to the NASA, U.S. Air Force, Navy, and other DOD partners range operations, operations support management, and scheduling services.
Promote assured access to space to fulfill war-fighting, CINC and national requirements by providing policy decisions, training, and airfield operations for the 45th Operations Group, while managing all airfield and air traffic control services for the 45th Space Wing.
Provides behind-the-scenes support for all launches. Acting as protocol, the launch operations support flight helps coordinate tours and launch viewing for distinguished visitors and coordinating launch critical briefings and conferences.
Manages the Patrick AFB airfield and provides air traffic control services in support of the space range and the National Airspace System.
Coordinates and implements Wing-level policies and procedures which provide the structure for launch operations.
Provides Wing training policy and guidance for more than 100 space launch operators.
Provide operations and maintenance services for all range instrumentation and critical launch facilities and quality assurance support to wing and delegated contractual efforts
Provides telemetry and radar tracking data to support space launches out of the Eastern Range. When not supporting space launches, it provides radar tracking data for locating and cataloging space objects in support of U.S. Space Command's Space Surveillance Network.
Provides telemetry and radar tracking data to support space launches out of the Eastern Range. When not supporting its primary mission, the unit has the secondary mission of providing radar tracking data for locating and cataloging space objects in support of the United States Space Command Space Surveillance Network.
Detachment 3, 45th Operations Group, Patrick AFB, FL coordinates DOD contingency support for United States human space flight programs. Chartered in 1959 by the Secretary of Defense as the DOD Mercury Support Office (later renamed DOD Manned Space Flight Support Office (DDMS)), it provides support to the U.S. human space flight effort. Since its inception the office has continued to be the principle facilitator for all DOD contingency support to Projects Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo; the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project; the Space Shuttle Program, the International Space Station (ISS)/Soyuz Program; the Orion Program; and the Presidential commercial space initiative.

History

See 45th Space Wing and 45th Launch Group for additional lineage and history information

Organized in early 1941 as a First Air Force bombardment group equipped with A-20 Havocs, and later B-18 Bolos. After the United States entered World War II the group was ordered to search for German U-Boats and to fly aerial coverage of friendly convoys off mid and southeast Atlantic east coast from Delaware, then from South Florida, expanding its patrols to the Gulf of Mexico and Florida Straits.

Reassigned to Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command in October 1942 and inactivated shortly afterwards, its component squadrons being redesignated Antisubmarine Squadrons and reassigned to the 25th Antisubmarine Wing.

Reactivated and re-designated in 1991 under Air Force Space Command. Operated "Down-Range" facilities at Antigua, Ascension Island, and Cape Canaveral, Florida; launched DOD payloads into orbit; and collected flight data for evaluation of ballistic missile systems launched from Eastern Launch sites for DOD, NASA, and commercial customers. Provided support for DOD, NASA, and commercial manned and unmanned space programs.

There were several organizational changes in the Wing in 1997 and 1998. Detachments 1 and 2 of the 45th Operations Group were inactivated on Antigua and Ascension on 1 June 1997, but they were replaced by Detachments 1 and 2 of the 45th Logistics Group on the same day. The 5th Space Launch Squadron was inactivated at Cape Canaveral Air Station on 29 June 1998, and its resources were absorbed by the 3rd Space Launch Squadron.

Launch operations reassigned to 45th Launch Group on 1 December 2003

Lineage

Activated on 15 January 1941
Redesignated 45th Bombardment Group (Medium) on December 1941
Inactivated on 8 December 1942
Activated on 12 Nov 1991.

Assignments

Squadrons

Commanders

Stations

Heraldry

Azure, three aerial bombs or, a chief potentee of the last. Motto: DE ASTRA—From the Stars. (Approved 6 January 1942.)

References

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

  1. ↑ http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=9693
  2. ↑ http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=9693
  3. ↑ http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=9693
  4. ↑ http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=9693
  5. ↑ http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=9693
  6. ↑ http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=9693
  7. ↑ http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=9693
  8. ↑ http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=9693
  9. ↑ http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=9693
  10. ↑ http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=9693
  11. ↑ http://www.losangeles.af.mil/library/biographies/bio.asp?id=13845
  12. ↑ http://www.patrick.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123312528
  13. ↑ http://www.patrick.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123312528
  14. ↑ http://www.patrick.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123417749

External links