7th Airborne Command and Control Squadron

7th Airborne Command and Control Squadron

7th Airborne Command and Control Squadron Patch
Active 24 March 1942 - 1 April 1944
1 May 1944 - 15 January 1946
18 October 1954 - 8 January 1966
13 February 1968 - October 1998
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
Type Airborne Command and Control
Decorations PUC
AFOUA w/ V Device
PPUC
RVGC w/ Palm
Lockheed C/EC-130E-LM Hercules Serial 62-1857 of the 7th ACCS at Korat, 10 May 1974. This aircraft survived the Vietnam War and was converted to C-130E-II, later to be redesignated EC-130E in 1976. Later, this aircraft served as an EC-130E ABCCC aircraft at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona (1999)
Emblem of the AFLC 7th Logistics Support Squadron

The 7th Expeditionary Airborne Command and Control Squadron (7 EACCS) is part of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. It operates the E-8 Joint STARS aircraft, conducting airborne command and control missions.

History

The 7th ferried lend-lease aircraft to Alaska for turnover to Soviets from, June 1942–March 1944. It conducted aerial transportation in the Southwest and Western Pacific from, 13 December 1944–September 1945.

Reestablished in 1952 as a Headquarters. Air Force Logistics Command-controlled logistics squadron. Its mission was to provide world-wide airlift of nuclear weapons and related equipment, with a secondary mission to airlift other Department of Defense cargo as required when space was available. The squadron also provided airlift support during Cuban Missile Crisis from, 17 –28 October 1962. Inactivated in 1965 with inactivation of storage sites.[1]

Became a Military Air Transport Service (later Military Airlift Command) C-124 Globemaster II strategic transport squadron flying worldwide airlift operations. Inactivated with retirement of C-124 in 1966.

Reactivated in 1968 and performed Airborne Battlefield Command and Control (ABCCC) mission in Southeast Asia from, 1 March 1968 – 15 August 1973 and controlled airborne forces during the recovery of the SS Mayagüez in May 1975, in Grenada from, 23 October–21 November 1983, in Panama from, December 1989–January 1992, and in Southwest Asia from, 1 September 1990 – 16 March 1991.[1]

In 1994, the 7 ACCS was moved from Keesler AFB, Mississippi, to Offutt AFB, Nebraska where it transitioned from EC-130 aircraft flying the ABCCC mission to the EC-135 aircraft flying the Airborne Command Post (ABNCP) "Looking Glass" mission in support of nuclear command and control for United States Strategic Command.[2] In October 1998, the "Looking Glass" mission was transferred to the Navy's E-6 fleet, the last of the US Air Force's EC-135 fleet was retired, and the 7 ACCS was inactivated.

In March 2008, the unit was again reactivated - this time as the 7th Expeditionary Airborne Command and Control Squadron (7 EACCS) - to be the forward operating squadron for E-8 Joint STARS supporting the United States Central Command Area of Responsibility.

Lineage[1]

Activated on 24 March 1942
Redesignated 7th Ferrying Squadron on 12 May 1943
Disbanded on 1 April 1944
Consolidated (19 September 1985) with: 7th Combat Cargo Squadron
Constituted on 25 April 1944
Activated on 1 May 1944
Inactivated on 15 January 1946
Disbanded on 8 October 1948
Constituted 7th Logistics Support Squadron on 22 June 1954
Activated on 18 October 1954
Redesignated 7th Air Transport Squadron, Special, on 1 July 1964
Discontinued, and inactivated, on 8 January 1966
Organized on 1 March 1968
Inactivated on 1 October 1998.

Assignments[1]

Attached to Seventh Air Force, 31 October 1968–
Remained attached to Seventh Air Force to 15 August 1973
Attached to US Support Activities Group/Seventh Air Force, 15 August 1973–c. 21 May 1974
Attached to Thirteenth Air Force, 22 May 1974–
Remained attached to Thirteenth Air Force to 14 August 1975
Attached to Air Division Provisional, 15, 5 December 1990–c. 16 March 1991 (See Organization of United States Air Force Units in the Gulf War)
Attached to: 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, Undetermined dates

Stations[1]

Operated from Udorn RTAFB, Thailand), 1 March 1968

Deployed at Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, 1–25 September 1991
Deployed at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 25 September 1990–16 March 1991
Deployed at Aviano AB Italy, Support Bosina. Need exact date. 1991-1995
  • Offutt AFB, NE, 19 July 1994 – 1 October 1998
  • Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, 19 March 2008–present (E-8C JSTARS deployed as 116 EACCS November 2001 - 18 March 2008)

Aircraft[1]

Operations[1]

References

Notes

Bibliography

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