The 128th Airborne Command and Control Squadron is a unit of the Georgia Air National Guard
116th Air Control Wing located at
Robins Air Force Base
Robins Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force installation located in Houston County, Georgia, United States. The base is located just east of the city of Warner Robins, south-southeast of Macon and approximately south-southeast ...
, Georgia. The 128th is equipped with the
E-8C Joint STARS
The Northrop Grumman E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) is a United States Air Force airborne ground surveillance, battle management and command and control aircraft. It tracks ground vehicles and some aircraft, col ...
.
The
squadron
Squadron may refer to:
* Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies
* Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...
's first predecessor is the
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
840th Aero Squadron, which was organized on 1 February 1918 and, after training in Texas, served in France as a depot unit. It returned to the United States in the March 1919 and was demobilized .
The 128th Observation Squadron was allotted to the
Georgia National Guard
The Georgia National Guard is the National Guard of the U.S. state of Georgia, and consists of the Georgia Army National Guard and the Georgia Air National Guard. (The Georgia State Defense Force is the third military unit of the Georgia Depa ...
and was organized in May 1941. Four months later it was
mobilized
Mobilization is the act of assembling and readying military troops and supplies for war. The word ''mobilization'' was first used in a military context in the 1850s to describe the preparation of the Prussian Army. Mobilization theories and ...
, and trained in
aerial reconnaissance
Aerial reconnaissance is reconnaissance for a military or strategic purpose that is conducted using reconnaissance aircraft. The role of reconnaissance can fulfil a variety of requirements including artillery spotting, the collection of ima ...
. In June 1942, the squadron began
antisubmarine
An anti-submarine weapon (ASW) is any one of a number of devices that are intended to act against a submarine and its crew, to destroy (sink) the vessel or reduce its capability as a weapon of war. In its simplest sense, an anti-submarine weapo ...
patrol missions over the Gulf of Mexico, being redesignated as the 21st Antisubmarine Squadron in the spring of 1943. After the
Navy
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...
assumed control of the squadron's mission, it began training as a
heavy bomber
Heavy bombers are bomber aircraft capable of delivering the largest payload of air-to-ground weaponry (usually bombs) and longest range (takeoff to landing) of their era. Archetypal heavy bombers have therefore usually been among the larges ...
unit as the 818th, then the 840th Bombardment Squadron. It deployed to the
Mediterranean Theater of Operations
The Mediterranean Theater of Operations, United States Army (MTOUSA), originally called the North African Theater of Operations, United States Army (NATOUSA), was a military formation of the United States Army that supervised all U.S. Army forc ...
in 1944, and engaged in strategic bombing until the end of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, earning two
Distinguished Unit Citation
The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enem ...
s before being inactivated in September 1945 at
Pisa Airport
Pisa International Airport ( it, Aeroporto Internazionale di Pisa) , also named Galileo Galilei Airport is an airport located in Pisa, Italy. It is the main airport in Tuscany and the 10th in Italy in terms of passengers. It is named after Galil ...
, Italy. During the war, it was consolidated with the World War I aero squadron.
In May 1946, the squadron was allotted to the
National Guard
National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards.
Nat ...
as the 128th Fighter Squadron. It was mobilized again for the
Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
, but deployed to France to reinforce
United States Air Forces Europe
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...
's fighter force. When its activation was ended in July 1942, it was inactivated and transferred its personnel and planes to the
494th Fighter-Bomber Squadron
The 494th Fighter Squadron (494th FS), nicknamed ''the Panthers'', is part of the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom, where they operate the McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle.
Mission
The 494th FS is a combat-ready McDonne ...
, activating the same day in the
Georgia Air National Guard
The Georgia Air National Guard (GA ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Georgia, United States of America. It is, along with the Georgia Army National Guard, an element of the Georgia National Guard.
As state militia units, the units in ...
as the 128th Fighter-Bomber Squadron. The squadron trained as a
fighter unit until 1961, when it assumed the
airlift
An airlift is the organized delivery of supplies or personnel primarily via military transport aircraft.
Airlifting consists of two distinct types: strategic and tactical. Typically, strategic airlifting involves moving material long distanc ...
mission as the 128th Air Transport Squadron. In 1973, the squadron returned to the fighter mission as the 128th Tactical Fighter Squadron. It became the 128th Bomb Squadron in 1996, and assumed its current role in 2003.
History
World War I
The 128th Airborne Command and Control Squadron traces its origins to the 840th Aero Squadron, which was organized at
Rich Field
Rich Field is a former World War I military airfield, located in Waco, Texas, near what is now the intersection of Bosque Boulevard and 41st Street. It operated as a training field for the Air Service, United States Army from 1917 until 1919. The ...
, Waco, Texas on 4 February 1918. However, the 840th's history itself dates to the middle of December 1917 when many of the squadron members first enlisted in the Army at
Fort Slocum
Fort Slocum, New York was a US military post which occupied Davids Island in the western end of Long Island Sound in the city of New Rochelle, New York from 1867 to 1965. The fort was named for Major General Henry W. Slocum, a Union corps comm ...
, New York and the
Columbus Barracks
Fort Hayes is a military post in Columbus, Ohio, United States. Created by an act of the United States Congress on July 11, 1862, the site was also known as the Columbus Arsenal until 1922, when the site was renamed after former Ohio Governor ...
, Ohio. Just before Christmas, 1917, the men were transported to
Kelly Field
Kelly Field (formerly Kelly Air Force Base) is a Joint-Use facility located in San Antonio, Texas. It was originally named after George E. M. Kelly, the first member of the U.S. military killed in the crash of an airplane he was piloting.
In ...
, near San Antonio, Texas where they began indoctrination into the Army as an unorganized unit. Many men were transferred into and out of the unit in its first weeks at Kelly. On 8 January, the men was transferred to Rich Field, and placed in temporary squadrons. Time was taken up by drills, hikes, physical training and other exercises. Also the men attended various lectures about military courtesies and customs. Finally, on 4 February 150 men from the group were selected and formed into the 840th Aero Squadron.
[Gorrell]
After several more weeks of Army indoctrination training, the
squadron
Squadron may refer to:
* Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies
* Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...
was ordered for overseas service, being transferred to the Aviation Concentration Center, Garden City, Long Island. It arrived at
Mineola Field
Roosevelt Field is a former airport, located east-southeast of Mineola, Long Island, New York. Originally called the Hempstead Plains Aerodrome, or sometimes Hempstead Plains field or the Garden City Aerodrome, it was a training field (Hazel ...
on 4 March 1918 where it was prepared and equipped for overseas duty. On 15 April, the squadron was ordered to the port of embarkation,
Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken ( ; Unami: ') is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 60,417. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 58,690 i ...
, where it boarded the former
White Star Line
The White Star Line was a British shipping company. Founded out of the remains of a defunct packet company, it gradually rose up to become one of the most prominent shipping lines in the world, providing passenger and cargo services between t ...
liner . After an uneventful Atlantic crossing, the squadron arrived at
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
, England where it boarded a train headed south to
Winchester
Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...
, where it arrived at the Romney Rest Camp. There, the 840th was detached to the
Royal Flying Corps
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colors =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries =
, decorations ...
for technical training, arriving at the No. 3 Western Aircraft Depot,
RFC Yatesbury, Wiltshire, on 4 May. There squadron personnel were placed in different departments of the depot and were engaged in the production and repair of airplanes. The 840th was the second American squadron assigned to the depot, and there was quite a curiosity by the English about them. The men were warmly received in the villages around the depot and celebrated in
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
. On 13 August, training ended and the squadron moved to
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
for transport across the English Channel to France.
The 840th arrived at
Le Havre
Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, very cl ...
, France on 18 August, where the squadron was greeted by a German air-raid on its "rest" camp. The squadron was hurriedly moved during the raid to a race track, where some ammunition was stored. However, after the "All Clear" was given, it returned to its barracks. After three days, the squadron was transported to Courban Aerodrome, in eastern France where it was assigned to the No. 3 Aircraft Depot,
Independent Air Force
The Independent Air Force (IAF), also known as the Independent Force or the Independent Bombing Force and later known as the Inter-Allied Independent Air Force, was a First World War strategic bombing force which was part of Britain's Royal Air ...
, RAF. There, the squadron began work on
Handley Page
Handley Page Limited was a British aerospace manufacturer. Founded by Frederick Handley Page (later Sir Frederick) in 1909, it was the United Kingdom's first publicly traded aircraft manufacturing company. It went into voluntary liquidation a ...
and de Havilland planes. The squadron had the distinction of turning out the first Handley Page aircraft to be assembled in France. It also saw its first United States-built
Liberty Engine
The Liberty L-12 is an American water-cooled 45° V-12 aircraft engine displacing and making designed for a high power-to-weight ratio and ease of mass production. It saw wide use in aero applications, and, once marinized, in marine use both i ...
at the depot. The 840th was one of only three Air Service squadrons assigned to the British depot. The squadron remained at Courban until the end of the war. The squadron turned out two squadrons of
Dayton-Wright DH-4
The Dayton-Wright Company was formed in 1917, on the declaration of war between the United States and Germany, by a group of Ohio investors that included Charles F. Kettering and Edward A. Deeds of Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company ( DELCO ...
aircraft, prepared for the attack on
Metz
Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand E ...
that was about to commence at the time of the Armistice.
The squadron was moved to Latrecey Aerodrome, on 20 November 1918 where it waited for orders to return home. It finally moved to the port of
Brest
Brest may refer to:
Places
*Brest, Belarus
**Brest Region
**Brest Airport
**Brest Fortress
* Brest, Kyustendil Province, Bulgaria
* Břest, Czech Republic
*Brest, France
** Arrondissement of Brest
**Brest Bretagne Airport
** Château de Brest
*Br ...
on 1 February, where it sailed on a troop ship for the United States, moving to
Langley Field Langley may refer to:
People
* Langley (surname), a common English surname, including a list of notable people with the name
* Dawn Langley Simmons (1922–2000), English author and biographer
* Elizabeth Langley (born 1933), Canadian perform ...
, Virginia in early March 1919. There the squadron was demobilized and returned to civilian life.
World War II
Antisubmarine operations
The 128th Observation Squadron was allotted to the
Georgia National Guard
The Georgia National Guard is the National Guard of the U.S. state of Georgia, and consists of the Georgia Army National Guard and the Georgia Air National Guard. (The Georgia State Defense Force is the third military unit of the Georgia Depa ...
, activated in May 1941 at
Atlanta Airport as an army observation squadron, and equipped with several types of observation aircraft. The squadron was called into federal service in September 1941 and assigned to
II Air Support Command
The II Air Support Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Third Air Force at Biggs Field, Texas, as the II Tactical Air Division, where it was inactivated on 22 December 1945.
The command was organized in S ...
, which moved it to
Lawson Field
Lawson may refer to:
Places Australia
* Lawson, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra
* Lawson, New South Wales, a town in the Blue Mountains
Canada
* Lawson, Saskatchewan
* Lawson Island, Nunavut
United States
* Lawson, Arkansa ...
, Georgia as the United States mobilized prior to
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. It continued to train as an observation unit after the
Pearl Harbor Attack
The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, j ...
, standardizing on
North American O-47
The North American O-47 is an American observation fixed-wing aircraft monoplane designed in the mid-1930s and used by the United States Army Air Corps during the Second World War. It has a low-wing configuration, retractable landing gear, and a t ...
s, until June 1942.
[
On 20 June 1942, the squadron moved to New Orleans Army Air Base, Louisiana, where it was attached to the Gulf Task Force and began ]antisubmarine
An anti-submarine weapon (ASW) is any one of a number of devices that are intended to act against a submarine and its crew, to destroy (sink) the vessel or reduce its capability as a weapon of war. In its simplest sense, an anti-submarine weapo ...
patrols over the Gulf of Mexico. It was attached to Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command
The Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command was formed in the fall of 1942 to establish a single command to control antisubmarine warfare (ASW) activities of the Army Air Forces (AAF). It was formed from the resources of I Bomber Command, which ...
in the fall of 1942, and was assigned to the command in March 1943, when it was redesignated the 21st Antisubmarine Squadron. 1943 also saw the conversion of the squadron to the more capable North American B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Major General William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allied air forces, the B-25 served in e ...
.[
The squadron moved to Gulfport Army Air Field, Mississippi in May 1943 and ended antisubmarine operations.][ In July 1943, the ]Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
and the Navy
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...
reached an agreement to transfer the coastal antisubmarine mission to the Navy. This mission transfer also included an exchange of AAF long-range bombers equipped for antisubmarine warfare for Navy Consolidated B-24 Liberators without such equipment.
Heavy bomber operations
Like many antisubmarine units flying heavy bomber
Heavy bombers are bomber aircraft capable of delivering the largest payload of air-to-ground weaponry (usually bombs) and longest range (takeoff to landing) of their era. Archetypal heavy bombers have therefore usually been among the larges ...
s, the 21st became part of Second Air Force
The Second Air Force (2 AF; ''2d Air Force'' in 1942) is a USAF numbered air force responsible for conducting basic military and technical training for Air Force enlisted members and non-flying officers. In World War II the CONUS unit defended ...
. It moved to Ephrata Army Air Base
Ephrata Municipal Airport is a public use airport located southeast of the central business district of Ephrata, a city in Grant County, Washington, United States. It is included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2 ...
as the 818th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 28 September 1943, where it became the 818th Bombardment Squadron, helping form the cadre
Cadre may refer to:
*Cadre (military), a group of officers or NCOs around whom a unit is formed, or a training staff
*Cadre (politics), a politically controlled appointment to an institution in order to circumvent the state and bring control to th ...
for the new 483d Bombardment Group. In November, the squadron moved to MacDill Field
MacDill Air Force Base (MacDill AFB) is an active United States Air Force installation located 4 miles (6.4 km) south-southwest of downtown Tampa, Florida.
The "host wing" for MacDill AFB is the 6th Air Refueling Wing (6 ARW), assig ...
, Florida, where it trained with Flying Fortresses under Third Air Force
The Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe) (3 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). Its headquarters is Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It is responsible for all U.S. air forces in E ...
. At MacDill, it exchanged designations with another squadron, becoming the 840th Bombardment Squadron, and was consolidated with the World War I 840th Aero Squadron.[Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 354–355]
The 840th deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations
The Mediterranean Theater of Operations, United States Army (MTOUSA), originally called the North African Theater of Operations, United States Army (NATOUSA), was a military formation of the United States Army that supervised all U.S. Army forc ...
, where it became part of Fifteenth Air Force
The Fifteenth Air Force (15 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base. It was reactivated on 20 August 2020, merging the previous units of the Ninth Air Force ...
at Sterparone Airfield in Southern Italy.[ The squadron's air element flew its Flying Fortresses to Sterparone via Tortorella Airfield, while the ground element moved to Sterparone via troop ship. It began operations in April 1944 with an attack on a cement factory in ]Split
Split(s) or The Split may refer to:
Places
* Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia
* Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay
* Split Island, Falkland Islands
* Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua
Arts, enterta ...
, Yugoslavia.
The squadron engaged in long-range strategic bombardment of enemy military, industrial and transport targets, including factories, oil refineries
An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where petroleum (crude oil) is transformed and refined into useful products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, asphalt base, fuel oils, heating oil, kerosene, liquefie ...
, marshalling yard
A classification yard (American and Canadian English (Canadian National Railway use)), marshalling yard (British, Hong Kong, Indian, Australian, and Canadian English (Canadian Pacific Railway use)) or shunting yard (Central Europe) is a railway ya ...
s, airfields, and troop concentrations in Italy, France. Southern Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, and the Balkans.[ In June 1944, the squadron participated in a shuttle mission, departing Italy and landing in the Soviet Union, attacking targets en route and on the return flight. This enabled attacks on targets too far from the squadron's base to strike and return home.] The squadron received a Distinguished Unit Citation
The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enem ...
for combat action two months later. On 18 July 1944 the squadron, along with the other elements of the 483d Group, bombed the objective, an airfield
An aerodrome (Commonwealth English) or airdrome (American English) is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for publ ...
and installations at Memmingen
Memmingen (; Swabian: ''Memmenge'') is a town in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany. It is the economic, educational and administrative centre of the Danube-Iller region. To the west the town is flanked by the Iller, the river that marks the Baden-Wü ...
, engaging numerous enemy aircraft in the target area despite a lack of cover from its planned fighter escort. It received a second citation for braving fighter assaults and flak
Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...
to bomb tank factories at Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
on 24 March 1945.[
The squadron was occasionally diverted from the strategic attack on Germany. It struck targets in southern France in preparation for ]Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon (initially Operation Anvil) was the code name for the landing operation of the Allied invasion of Provence (Southern France) on 15August 1944. Despite initially designed to be executed in conjunction with Operation Overlord, th ...
, the invasion of August 1944. The group also supported ground forces in northern Italy during the Allied offensive in April 1945.[
After ]V-E Day
Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easte ...
, the unit moved to Pisa Airfield
Pisa International Airport ( it, Aeroporto Internazionale di Pisa) , also named Galileo Galilei Airport is an airport located in Pisa, Italy. It is the main airport in Tuscany and the 10th in Italy in terms of passengers. It is named after Gali ...
,[ where it operated under the control of ]Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command (ATC) was a United States Air Force unit that was created during World War II as the strategic airlift component of the United States Army Air Forces.
It had two main missions, the first being the delivery of supplies and ...
's Green Project which was the movement of troops back to the United States. The squadron carried troops from Pisa to a staging area in Morocco. Its B-17s were disarmed with flooring and seats for 25 passengers installed. It carried passengers from Pisa to Port Lyautey Airfield
Naval Air Station Port Lyautey is a former United States Navy Naval Air Station in Morocco, about north-northwest of Kenitra and about northeast of Casablanca. The Naval Air Station was turned over to the Royal Moroccan Air Force and the last ...
, French Morocco for further movement them across the Atlantic. The squadron was inactivated in Italy in September 1945.[
]
Georgia Air National Guard
The wartime 840th Bombardment Squadron was re-activated and re-designated as the 128th Fighter Squadron, and was allotted to the Georgia Air National Guard
The Georgia Air National Guard (GA ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Georgia, United States of America. It is, along with the Georgia Army National Guard, an element of the Georgia National Guard.
As state militia units, the units in ...
, on 24 May 1946. It was organized at Marietta Army Airfield
Marietta may refer to:
Places in the United States
*Marietta, Jacksonville, Florida
*Marietta, Georgia, the largest US city named Marietta
* Marietta, Illinois
* Marietta, Indiana
*Marietta, Kansas
* Marietta, Minnesota
*Marietta, Mississippi
* ...
, Georgia, and was extended federal recognition on 20 August 1946 by the National Guard Bureau
The National Guard Bureau is the federal instrument responsible for the administration of the National Guard established by the United States Congress as a joint bureau of the Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force. It was cre ...
. The 128th Fighter Squadron was entitled to the history, honors, and colors of the 840th Bombardment Squadron.
The squadron was equipped with Republic F-47 Thunderbolts and was temporarily assigned to the 54th Fighter Wing
54 may refer to:
* 54 (number)
* one of the years 54 BC, AD 54, 1954, 2054
* ''54'' (novel), a 2002 novel by Wu Ming
* Studio 54, a New York City nightclub from 1977 until 1981
* ''54'' (film), a 1998 American drama film about the club
* ''54'' ...
on 20 August, then permanently to the 116th Fighter Group
The 116th Operations Group is a Georgia Air National Guard unit assigned to the 116th Air Control Wing. The unit is stationed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. The 116th Group controls all operational Northrop Grumman E-8C Joint STARS aircraft ...
on 9 September 1946. The 116th Fighter Group consisted of the 128th and the 158th Fighter Squadron at Chatham Army Air Field, near Savannah. As part of the Continental Air Command
Continental Air Command (ConAC) (1948–1968) was a Major Command of the United States Air Force (USAF) responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.
During the Korean War, ConAC provided the necessary au ...
Fourteenth Air Force
The Fourteenth Air Force (14 AF; Air Forces Strategic) was a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Space Command (AFSPC). It was headquartered at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.
The command was responsible for the organizatio ...
, the unit trained for tactical fighter missions and air-to-air combat.
Korean War federalization
The 128th was federalized on 10 October 1950 due to the Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
. It was assigned to the federalized Oklahoma Air National Guard
The Oklahoma Air National Guard (OK ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Oklahoma, United States of America. It is, along with the Oklahoma Army National Guard, an element of the Oklahoma National Guard.
As state militia units, the units in ...
137th Fighter-Bomber Wing 137th may refer to:
* 137th (Calgary) Battalion, CEF, unit in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War
* 137th Air Reconnaissance Regiment, air reconnaissance and guidance regiment, part of the SFR Yugoslav Air Force
* 137th Spec ...
and equipped with Republic F-84G Thunderjets. Along with the Oklahoma 125th Fighter Squadron and Kansas Air National Guard
The Kansas Air National Guard (KS ANG) is the aerial militia of the Kansas, State of Kansas, United States, United States of America. It is, along with the Kansas Army National Guard, an element of the Kansas National Guard.
As state militia un ...
127th Fighter Squadron, the wing was scheduled for deployment to the new Chaumont-Semoutiers Air Base, France, as part of the United States Air Forces in Europe
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...
(USAFE).
By 27 November, the wing assembled at Alexandria Air Force Base
Alexandria International Airport is a public use airport located four nautical miles (5 mi, 7 km) west of the central business district of Alexandria, in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. The airport is operated by the E ...
, Louisiana for conversion training in the newer F-84Gs. Deployment of the wing was delayed, however, by the need to transfer pilots to Korea from training and delays in receiving engines for the F-84Gs, as well as the ongoing construction at Chaumont Air Base. Training and delays continued throughout 1951. Due to these delays, many of the activated National Guard airmen were released from active duty and never deployed to France.
With mostly regular Air Force personnel and all the delays behind them, the remaining Guardsmen departed Louisiana on 5 May 1952 for Europe; however, the 128th inherited a base that was little more than acres of mud where wheat fields used to be. The only hardened facilities at Chaumont were a concrete runway and a handful of tar-paper shacks. The 128th wound up being stationed by USAFE at Neubiberg Air Base
Neubiberg Air Base is a former German Air Force and United States Air Force airfield which was closed in 1991. It is located 9 km south of the city of Munich, Germany.
Today the former base area holds the campus of Bundeswehr University of ...
, West Germany until the facilities in France were suitable for military use. The aircraft arrived at Chaumont on 25 June, being the first USAF tactical air fighters to be based permanently in France, albeit working mostly in tents and temporary wooden buildings on their new base.
The Guardsmen of the 128th ended their active-duty tour in France and returned to the United States in late June, leaving their F-84 Thunderjets in Europe.
Air Defense Command
The 116th Fighter-Bomber Group designation was returned to the Georgia Air National Guard on 10 July at Dobbins AFB. At this time the Group was restructured to include the 128th and 158th Fighter Squadrons. Initially upon their return to State Control both squadrons were equipped with the long-range F-51H Mustang
Over twenty variants of the North American P-51 Mustang fighter were produced from 1940, when it first flew, to after World War II, some of which were employed also in the Korean War and in several other conflicts.
Allison-engined Mustangs
NA ...
and given an air defense mission. The 116th was assigned to Air Defense Command
Aerospace Defense Command was a major command (military formation), command of the United States Air Force, responsible for continental air defense. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air Defense Command, was est ...
(ADC), being assigned to the 35th Air Division with a mission of the air defense of the Southeastern United States.
Commencing in February 1953 the 128th began conversion to F-84D Thunderjets, yet most were not received until mid summer. During the summer of 1955 the 128th was re-designated as the 128th Fighter Interceptor Squadron and converted the swept-wing Republic F-84F Thunderstreak
The Republic F-84F Thunderstreak was an American swept-wing turbojet fighter-bomber. While an evolutionary development of the straight-wing F-84 Thunderjet, the F-84F was a new design. The RF-84F Thunderflash was a photo reconnaissance version ...
. Strangely enough, it was not until March 1957 that the surviving D models were dispatched for salvage, with eleven of those aged D models having been lost in accidents while serving with the 128th FBS.
In 1958, the 116th implemented the ADC Runway Alert Program, in which interceptors of the 128th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron were committed to a five-minute runway alert. In 1960 the F-84s were again replaced by the North American F-86L Sabre
The North American F-86D/K/L Sabre (initially known as the YF-95 and widely known informally as the "Sabre Dog",) was an American transonic jet fighter aircraft. Developed for the United States Air Force in the late 1940s, it was an interceptor ...
, a day/night/all-weather aircraft designed to be integrated into the ADC SAGE interceptor direction and control system.
Air Transport
In 1961, the 116th FIG was reassigned to Military Air Transport Service
The Military Air Transport Service (MATS) is an inactive Department of Defense Unified Command. Activated on 1 June 1948, MATS was a consolidation of the United States Navy's Naval Air Transport Service (NATS) and the United States Air Force's ...
(MATS), trading in its Sabre interceptors for 4-engines Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter
The Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter was a long-range heavy military cargo aircraft developed from the B-29 and B-50 bombers. Design work began in 1942, the first of three prototype XC-97s flew on 9 November 1944 (none saw combat), and the first of s ...
transports. With air transportation recognized as a critical wartime need, the squadron was redesignated the 128th Air Transport Squadron, Heavy. The 116th was assigned to the MATS Eastern Transport Air Force, (EASTAF), and the squadron flew long-distance transport missions in support of Air Force requirements, frequently sending aircraft to the Caribbean, Europe Greenland, and the Middle East in support of Air Force requirements.
In 1966 MATS became the Military Airlift Command
The Military Airlift Command (MAC) is an inactive United States Air Force major command (MAJCOM) that was headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. Established on 1 January 1966, MAC was the primary strategic airlift organization of the ...
(MAC) and EASTAF became the MAC Twenty-First Air Force
The 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force (21 EMTF) was one of two EMTFs assigned to the Air Force's Air Mobility Command. It was headquartered at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. The 21 EMTF was a redesignation of Twenty-First Air ...
. The 116th was upgraded to the Douglas C-124 Globemaster II
The Douglas C-124 Globemaster II, nicknamed "Old Shaky", is an American heavy-lift cargo aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company in Long Beach, California.
The C-124 was the primary heavy-lift transport for United States Air Force (USAF ...
strategic heavy airlifter, being the first Air National Guard unit to receive the aircraft. Due to requirements generated by the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
, missions were flown across the Pacific to Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, South Vietnam, Okinawa and Thailand.
Post-Vietnam
In the years after the Vietnam War, the transport requirements of MAC along with the retirement of the C-124 led the 116th to be reassigned back to Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 J ...
in 1974 and was re-equipped with North American F-100 Super Sabre
The North American F-100 Super Sabre is an American supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force (USAF) from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard (ANG) until 1979. The first of the Century Series of ...
tactical fighter-bombers, many aircraft being veterans of the Vietnam War. The 116th was changed in status from a Group to a Wing with the reassignment to TAC, and the 128th flew the Super Saber jets for six accident-free years until May 1979 when the last aircraft left Dobbins AFB to be retired as part of the phaseout of the F-100 from the inventory. The F-100s were replaced with other Vietnam-era hand-me-down combat veteran aircraft by TAC during the early 1980s, as F-105G Thunderchief Wild Weasel electronic warfare aircraft were assigned, then retired and McDonnell F-4D Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and Bow ...
fighter bombers in their final years of service.
In 1986 the 116th retired the last of its Vietnam War Phantoms and received McDonnell Douglas F-15A Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an American twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter aircraft designed by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing). Following reviews of proposals, the United States Air Force selected McDonnell Douglas' ...
air superiority fighters. The F-15A was introduced into the inventory in the mid-1970s and now were being upgraded in the active duty by the improved F-15C. The 128th flew the F-15 for the next ten years. The 116th Tactical Fighter Wing developed an impressive record of accomplishment and was awarded nine Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
The Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award (ASOUA) is one of the Awards and decorations of the United States Department of the Air Force, unit awards of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. It was established in 1954 as the A ...
s.
B-1B Lancer
In 1992 as part of the post Cold-War reorganizations of the Air Force, the 116th converted to the Air Force Objective organization and the 128th was assigned to the new 116th Operations Group. In 1992 Tactical Air Command was inactivated and the 116th was assigned to the new Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the primary provider of air combat forces for the Air Force, and i ...
(ACC).
After calling Dobbins AFB home for 50 years, the 116th was presented with a new challenge in 1996. The wing simultaneously converted from the F-15 Eagle fighters to the Rockwell B-1B Lancer
The Rockwell B-1 Lancer is a supersonic variable-sweep wing, heavy bomber used by the United States Air Force. It is commonly called the "Bone" (from "B-One"). It is one of three strategic bombers serving in the U.S. Air Force fleet along with ...
strategic bomber and moved 110 miles south to Robins Air Force Base
Robins Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force installation located in Houston County, Georgia, United States. The base is located just east of the city of Warner Robins, south-southeast of Macon and approximately south-southeast ...
east og Warner Robins, Georgia. As part of the post Cold-War drawdown, the active-duty fleet of B-1Bs were being reduced for budget reductions and being taken off Alert Status by the former Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile ...
(SAC), which itself was inactivated in 1992.
Having to make the most of the available facilities, including the former Strategic Air Command alert facility at Robins, the 116th Bomb Wing was quickly up and running and participated in a number of deployments and exercises around the world in the B-1B.
Airborne Command and Control
In order to save money, in 2002 the USAF agreed to reduce its fleet of B-1Bs from 92 to 60 aircraft. The 116th Bomb Wing, having older aircraft was ordered to send its aircraft to "active storage" which meant that they could be quickly returned to service should circumstances dictate. Its first B-1B was flown to AMARC storage at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona on 20 August.
Under the Air Force's Total Force Initiative as a "blended" wing. America's first "Total Force" wing, the former 93d Air Control Wing, an active-duty Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the primary provider of air combat forces for the Air Force, and i ...
unit, and the 116th Bomb Wing, a Georgia Air National Guard unit, were inactivated effective 1 October 2002.
The 116th was immediately reactivated and redesignated as the 116th Air Control Wing. The 116th was a blend of active-duty and national guard Airmen into a single unit. The 116th ACW was equipped with the new E-8C Joint STARS
The Northrop Grumman E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) is a United States Air Force airborne ground surveillance, battle management and command and control aircraft. It tracks ground vehicles and some aircraft, col ...
airborne battle management aircraft. Its mission is command and control, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Its primary mission is to provide theater ground and air commanders with ground surveillance to support attack operations and targeting that contributes to the delay, disruption and destruction of enemy forces. The E-8C evolved from Army and Air Force programs to develop, detect, locate and attack enemy armor at ranges beyond the forward area of troops.
The 128th Airborne Command and Control Squadron has flown more than 82,000 combat hours in support of Operation Enduring Freedom
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used synonymously by the U.S. government for both the War in Afghanistan (2001–2014) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response to the September 11 at ...
, Operation Iraqi Freedom
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish)
, partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...
, Operation New Dawn, Operation Odyssey Dawn, and Operation Unified Protector
Operation Unified Protector was a NATO operation in 2011 enforcing United Nations Security Council resolutions 1970 and 1973 concerning the Libyan Civil War and adopted on 26 February and 17 March 2011, respectively. These resolutions imposed ...
. Beginning in 2011, its operational resume expanded to include support of five Combatant Commands including U.S. Pacific Command
United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) is a unified combatant command of the United States Armed Forces responsible for the Indo-Pacific, Indo-Pacific region.
Formerly known as United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) since its incept ...
, U.S. Northern Command
United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) is one of eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense. The command is tasked with providing military support for non-military authorities in the U.S., and protect ...
and U.S. Southern Command
The United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM), located in Doral, Florida in Greater Miami, is one of the eleven unified combatant commands in the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for providing contingency planning, o ...
.
On 1 October 2011 the 128th Airborne Command and Control Squadron was inactivated as a Joint Air National Guard/United States Air Force Unit. The 116th ACW was returned to the sole jurisdiction of the Georgia Air National Guard on 1 October 2011 and reactivated.
Lineage
; 840th Bombardment Squadron
* Organized as the 840th Aero Squadron (Repair) on 1 February 1918
: Demobilized in March 1919
: Reconstituted and consolidated with the 840th Bombardment Squadron as the 840th Bombardment Squadron in 1944[
; 128th Airborne Command and Control Squadron
* Constituted as the 128th Observation Squadron and allotted to Georgia National Guard on 30 Ju1y 1940
: Activated on 1 May 1941
: Ordered into active service on 15 September 1941
: Redesignated 128th Observation Squadron (Light) on 13 January 1942
: Redesignated 128th Observation Squadron on 4 July 1942
: Redesignated 21st Antisubmarine Squadron (Medium) on 3 March 1943
: Redesignated 21st Antisubmarine Squadron (Heavy) on 20 April 1943
: Redesignated 818th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 28 September 1943
: Redesignated 840th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 15 February 1944][This squadron is not related to the 840th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) that was constituted on 14 September 1943, activated on 1 October 1943 and assigned to the 488th Bombardment Group at ]Geiger Field
Spokane International Airport is a commercial airport located approximately west-southwest of downtown Spokane, Washington, United States. It is the primary airport serving the Inland Northwest, which consists of 30 counties and includes are ...
, Washington; moved to MacDill Field c. 1 November 1943; was redesignated the 818th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 15 February 1944 and disbanded on 1 May 1944.
: Consolidated with the 840th Aero Squadron in 1944
* Inactivated on 25 September 1945
* Redesignated 128th Fighter Squadron, and allotted to the National Guard on 24 May 1946[Lineage through 1946 in Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 777–778]
: Extended federal recognition on 20 August 1946
: Federalized and placed on active duty on 10 October 1950
: Inactivated on 10 July 1952
: Redesignated 128th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, returned to Georgia state control and activated on 10 July 1952
: Redesignated 128th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 1 December 1952
: Redesignated 128th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 1 July 1955
: Redesignated 128th Air Transport Squadron on 1 April 1961
: Redesignated 128th Military Airlift Squadron on 8 January 1966
: Redesignated 128th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 4 April 1973
: Redesignated 128th Fighter Squadron on 15 March 1992
: Redesignated 128th Bomb Squadron on 1 April 1996
: Inactivated on 1 October 2002
* Activated as 128th Airborne Command and Control Squadron on 1 October 2002
: Inactivated 1 October 2011
* Activated on 1 October 2011
Assignments
* Post Headquarters, Rich Field, 1 February-4 March 1918
* Aviation Concentration Center, 4 Mar-15 April 1918;
* Chief of Air Service, AEF, 4 May-13 August 1918
: Attached to: Royal Flying Corps for training
: Attached to: Number 3 Aircraft Depot, Independent Forces, RAF, 20 August 1918
* 2d Air Depot, AEF, 20 November 1918 – 29 January 1919
* Post Headquarters, Langley Field, 4 Mar–March 1919
* Georgia National Guard, 1 May 1941
* II Air Support Command, 15 September 1941
* 71st Observation Group, 1 October 1941
* Third Air Force
The Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe) (3 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). Its headquarters is Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It is responsible for all U.S. air forces in E ...
, 26 February 1942
* 77th Observation Group, 12 March 1942
: Attached to: Gulf Task Force, 3 Jul-7 Sep 1942
: Attached to: AAF Antisubmarine Command
The Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command was formed in the fall of 1942 to establish a single command to control antisubmarine warfare (ASW) activities of the Army Air Forces (AAF). It was formed from the resources of I Bomber Command, which ...
, 15 Oct 1942 – 3 Mar 1943
* AAF Antisubmarine Command
The Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command was formed in the fall of 1942 to establish a single command to control antisubmarine warfare (ASW) activities of the Army Air Forces (AAF). It was formed from the resources of I Bomber Command, which ...
, 8 March 1943
* 483d Bombardment Group, 28 Sep 1943 – 25 Sep 1945
* 54th Fighter Wing
54 may refer to:
* 54 (number)
* one of the years 54 BC, AD 54, 1954, 2054
* ''54'' (novel), a 2002 novel by Wu Ming
* Studio 54, a New York City nightclub from 1977 until 1981
* ''54'' (film), a 1998 American drama film about the club
* ''54'' ...
, 20 August 1946
* 116th Fighter Group
The 116th Operations Group is a Georgia Air National Guard unit assigned to the 116th Air Control Wing. The unit is stationed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. The 116th Group controls all operational Northrop Grumman E-8C Joint STARS aircraft ...
(later 116th Fighter-Bomber Group), 9 September 1946
* 137th Fighter-Bomber Group, Nov 1950
* 116th Fighter-Interceptor Group (later 116th Fighter-Bomber Group, 116th Fighter-Interceptor Group, 116th Air Transport Group, 116th Military Airlift Group, 116th Tactical Fighter Group), 10 July 1952
* 116th Tactical Fighter Wing, 10 December 1974
* 116th Operations Group, 15 March 1992 – 1 October 2002; 1 October 2002 – 1 October 2011;1 October 2011 – Present
Stations
* Rich Field, Waco, Texas, 1 February 1918;
* Aviation Concentration Center
Camp Albert L. Mills (Camp Mills) was a military installation on Long Island, New York. It was located about ten miles from the eastern boundary of New York City on the Hempstead Plains within what is now the village of Garden City. In September ...
, Garden City, New York, 4 Mar-15 April 1918;
* RFC Yatesbury, Wiltshire, 4 May-13 August 1918;
* Courban Aerodrome, France, 20 August 1918
* Latrecey Aerodrome, France, 20 November 1918
* Brest, France, 1–11 February 1919
* Langley Field, Virginia, 4 Mar–March 1919
* Atlanta Municipal Airport, Georgia, 1 May 1941
* Lawson Field, Georgia, 23 September 1941
* Key Field
Meridian Regional Airport is a joint civil-military public use airport located at Key Field, a joint-use public/military airfield. It is located southwest of Meridian, a city in Lauderdale County, Mississippi, United States. The Meridian Airp ...
, Mississippi, 13 April 1942
* New Orleans Army Air Base, Louisiana, 20 June 1942
* Gulfport Army Air Field, Mississippi, 2 May 1943
* Ephrata Army Air Base, Washington, 28 September 1943
* MacDill Field
MacDill Air Force Base (MacDill AFB) is an active United States Air Force installation located 4 miles (6.4 km) south-southwest of downtown Tampa, Florida.
The "host wing" for MacDill AFB is the 6th Air Refueling Wing (6 ARW), assig ...
, Florida, 7 November 1943 – 2 March 1944
* Sterparone Airfield, Italy, 9 April 1944
* Pisa Airfield
Pisa International Airport ( it, Aeroporto Internazionale di Pisa) , also named Galileo Galilei Airport is an airport located in Pisa, Italy. It is the main airport in Tuscany and the 10th in Italy in terms of passengers. It is named after Gali ...
, Italy, 15 May-25 September 1945
* Marietta Army Air Field (later Dobbins Air Force Base, Dobbins Air Reserve Base), Georgia, 9 September 1946
* Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, 1 April 1996 – 1 October 2002
* Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, 1 October 2002 – 1 October 2011
* Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, 1 October 2011 – present
Aircraft
* Curtiss A-18 Shrike
The Curtiss A-18 ''Model 76A Shrike II'' was a 1930s United States twin-engine ground-attack aircraft. It was the production test version of that company's A-14 Shrike.
Design and development
In the years leading up to World War II, the United ...
, 1941–1942
* Piper L-4 Grasshopper
The Piper J-3 Cub is an American light aircraft that was built between 1938 and 1947 by Piper Aircraft. The aircraft has a simple, lightweight design which gives it good low-speed handling properties and short-field performance. The Cub is P ...
, 1941–1942
* Douglas O-38
The Douglas O-38 was an observation airplane used by the United States Army Air Corps.
Between 1931 and 1934, Douglas built 156 O-38s for the Air Corps, eight of which were O-38Fs. Some were still in service at the time of the Pearl Harbor Attack ...
, 1941–1942
* Douglas O-43
The Douglas O-43 was a monoplane observation aircraft used by the United States Army Air Corps.
Development
Five Y1O-31A service-test aircraft were ordered in 1931, and delivered to the USAAC in early 1933 designated Y1O-43. They differed fro ...
, 1941–1942
* Douglas O-46
The Douglas O-46 was an observation aircraft used by the United States Army Air Corps and the Philippine Army Air Corps. , 1941–1942
* Stinson O-49 Vigilant, 1941–1942
* North American O-47, 1942–1943
* North American B-25 Mitchell, 1943
* Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, 1943–1945
* Republic F-47N Thunderbolt, 1946–1950
* Republic F-84G Thunderjet, 1950–1952
* North American F-51H Mustang
Over twenty variants of the North American P-51 Mustang fighter were produced from 1940, when it first flew, to after World War II, some of which were employed also in the Korean War and in several other conflicts.
Allison-engined Mustangs
NA ...
, 1952
* Republic F-84D Thunderjet, 1952–1955
* Republic F-84F Thunderstreak, 1955–1960
* North American F-86L Sabre, 1960–1961
* Boeing C-97F Stratofreighter, 1961–1965
* Douglas C-124C Globemaster II, 1965–1973
* North American F-100D Super Sabre, 1973–1979
* Republic F-105G Thunderchief, 1979–1983
* McDonnell F-4D Phantom II, 1982–1987
* McDonnell Douglas F-15A Eagle, 1986–1996
* Rockwell B-1B Lancer, 1996–2002
* E-8C Joint STARS
The Northrop Grumman E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) is a United States Air Force airborne ground surveillance, battle management and command and control aircraft. It tracks ground vehicles and some aircraft, col ...
, 2002–present.
See also
*
* List of American aero squadrons
This is a partial list of original Air Service, United States Army "Aero Squadrons" before and during World War I. Units formed after 1 January 1919, are not listed.
Aero Squadrons were the designation of the first United States Army aviatio ...
*
References
Notes
; Explanatory notes
; Citations
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
128th Airborne Command and Control Squadron Lineage and History
*
History of the Georgia Air National Guard
External links
*https://web.archive.org/web/20080518204116/http://www.dm.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123069605
{{DEFAULTSORT:128th Airborne Command And Control Squadron
Air control squadrons of the United States Air Force
Squadrons of the United States Air National Guard
Military units and formations in Georgia (U.S. state)