966th Airborne Air Control Squadron

966th Airborne Air Control Squadron

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 AFOUA w/ V Device
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]

Activated on 15 July 1942
Inactivated on 1 April 1944
Activated on 3 September 1944
Inactivated on 3 November 1945
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

Assignments[2]

Bases stationed[2]

  • 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 AFB, Florida, 1 February 1962 – 31 December 1969
  • Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, since 1 July 1976

Aircraft operated[2]

  • B-17 Flying Fortress (1942)
  • B-24 Liberator (1942–1943)
  • L-5 Sentinel (1944–1945)
  • C-64 Norseman (1944–1945)
  • RC-121 (1962–1963)

  • TC-121 (1962–1963)
  • EC-121 Warning Star (1963–1969)
  • WC-135 (1977–1979)
  • E-3 B/C/G Sentry (since 1977)

Operations[2]

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

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

See also