1st Airborne Command and Control Squadron

1st Airborne Command and Control Squadron
1st Airborne Command and Control Squadron E-4 in flight
Active	25 September 1917 - 15 July 1922 17 May 1929 - 6 February 1942 15 April 1942 - 1 April 1944 1 July 1969 - Present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Airborne Command and Control
Part of	Air Combat Command 8th Air Force 55th Wing 55th Operations Group
Garrison/HQ	Offutt Air Force Base
Decorations	AFOUA
Insignia
1st Airborne Command and Control Squadron emblem

The 1st Airborne Command and Control Squadron (1 ACCS) is part of the 55th Wing at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. It operates the E-4 aircraft conducting airborne command and control missions.

The squadron is one of the oldest in the United States Air Force, its origins dating to 25 September 1917, being organized at Fort Omaha, Nebraska. It served overseas in France as part of the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I. The squadron saw combat during World War II, and became part of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) during the Cold War.

History

The squadron was first established as an observation unit on front lines with French Eighth Army and American I Corps from, 19 April–17 October 1918 and served with III Corps as part of occupation forces from, November 1918–April 1919.

It ferried aircraft from factories in the Western Procurement District to overseas departure points from, April 1942–March 1944. Since 1969 it has provided aircraft for National Emergency Airborne Command Post in support of Presidential requirements.

Lineage

• Organized as Company A, 2 Balloon Squadron on 25 Sep 1917

Re-designated as 1 Balloon Company on 19 Jun 1918

Inactivated on 25 Jul 1922

• Re-designated 1 Airship Company on 24 Mar 1923

Consolidated (31 Jul 1929) with 1 Balloon Company

Constituted on 18 Oct 1927

Activated, on 17 May 1929

Re-designated 1 Balloon Squadron on 1 Oct 1933

Disbanded on 6 Feb 1942

• Reconstituted and consolidated (19 Sep 1985) with: 1 Ferrying Squadron

Constituted as 1 Air Corps Ferrying Squadron on 18 Feb 1942

Activated on 15 Apr 1942

Re-designated 1 Ferrying Squadron on 12 May 1943

Disbanded on 1 Apr 1944

• Consolidated (19 Sep 1985) with the 1 Airborne Command Control Squadron

Constituted on 9 May 1969

Activated on 1 Jul 1969

Assignments

• Unkn, 25 Sep 1917-1918
• Balloon Wing, I Army Corps, Jul 1918
• Balloon Group, I Army Corps, 8 Oct 1918
• Balloon Group, III Army Corps, c. 20 Nov 1918-16 Apr 1919
• Balloon School, Ross Field, CA (later, Air Service Balloon Observers School), Jul 1919
• Ninth Corps Area, 30 Jun-25 Jul 1922
• Sixth Corps Area, 17 May 1929

• Field Artillery School, Jun 1929
• III Air Support Command (attached to Field Artillery School), 1 Sep 1941-6 Feb 1942. * 6th Ferrying Group, 15 Apr 1942-1 Apr 1944
• 1st Composite Wing, 1 Jul 1969
• 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, 1 Nov 1975
• 55th Operations Group, 1 Sep 1991–Present

Stations

• Ft Omaha, NE, 25 Sep 1917
• Garden City, NY, 30 Nov-7 Dec 1917
• Camp de Souge, Gironde, France, 3 Jan 1918
• Brouville (near Baccarat), France, 15 Apr 1918
• Les Ecoliers (near Montreuil-aux-Lions), France, 19 Jul 1918
• Epaux-Bezu, France, 22 Jul 1918
• Epieds, France, 25 Jul 1918
• Artois Ferme (near Courpoil), France, 28 Jul 1918
• Mareuil-en-Dole, France, 5 Aug 1918
• Courcelles-sur-Vesle, France, 13 Aug 1918
• Tremblecourt, France, 23 Aug 1918
• La Queue de Theinard (near Domevre-en-Haye), France, 29 Aug 1918
• Bois de Brule (near Neuvilly-en-Argonne), France, 27 Sep 1918
• Varennes-en-Argonne, France, 2 Oct 1918

• Chatel-Chehery, France, 11 Oct 1918
• Auzeville-en-Argonne, France, 17 Oct 1918
• Mercy-le-Bas, France, 21 Nov 1918
• Euren, Germany, 8 Dec 1918
• Niederberg (near Coblenz), Germany, 19 Dec 1918
• Colombey-les-Belles, France, 17 Apr 1919
• St Nazaire, France, c. 5 May 1919-unkn
• Camp Lee, VA, c. 6 Jun 1919
• Ross Field, CA, Jul 1919-25 Jul 1922
• Scott Field, IL, 17 May 1929
• Post Field, OK, 24 Jun 1929-6 Feb 1942
• Long Beach, CA, 15 Apr 1942-1 Apr 1944
• Andrews AFB, MD, 1 Jul 1969
• Offutt AFB, NE, 1 Jul 1977–Present

Aircraft and Balloons

• Type R Observation Balloon, 1918-1919, 1919-1922
• A-6 and A-7 Spherical Balloon, 1929-1942
• C-3 Observation Balloon, 1929-c. 1939
• C-6 Observation Balloon, 1937, 1938-c. 1942
• D-2 Barrage Balloon, 1939

• D-3, D-4, D-5, and D-6 Barrage Balloon, 1940-1942
• Unkn, 1942-1944
• EC-135J, 1969-1975
• E-4, 1974 – Present

References

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