The 17th Test and Evaluation Squadron is a

United States Space Force The United States Space Force (USSF) is the space service branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and the world's only independent space force. Along with its sister branch, the U.S. Air Force, the Space ...

test and evaluation unit, located at

Schriever Space Force Base Schriever Space Force Base, previously Schriever Air Force Base, Falcon Air Force Base, and Falcon Air Force Station, is a base of the United States Space Force located approximately east of Peterson Space Force Base near Colorado Springs in ...

, Colorado. 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, ...

is tasked with testing and evaluating space systems and associated support equipment.

History

On 6 April 1990, at

Peterson Air Force Base Peterson Space Force Base, previously Peterson Air Force Base, Peterson Field, and Army Air Base, Colorado Springs, is a U.S. Space Force Base that shares an airfield with the adjacent Colorado Springs Municipal Airport and is home to the N ...

Colorado the 1017th Test and Evaluation Squadron was activated. The mission of the 1017th was to perform Air Staff-directed initial and follow-on operational test and evaluation of

Air Force Space Command The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing for ...

(AFSPC) space surveillance, missile warning, and command and control systems. The squadron oversaw two operating locations at

Falcon Air Force Base Schriever Space Force Base, previously Schriever Air Force Base, Falcon Air Force Base, and Falcon Air Force Station, is a base of the United States Space Force located approximately east of Peterson Space Force Base near Colorado Springs i ...

and Buckley Air National Guard Base. The unit inactivated on 15 October 1992.

On 12 July 1995, the unit reactivated as the 17th Test Squadron. Operating Location A was activated at

Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station (CMSFS) is located in Cheyenne Mountain on the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in unincorporated El Paso County, Colorado, next to Colorado Springs, The Cheyenne Mountain Complex, an underground facilit ...

, Colorado. The stand-up ceremony was held on Friday, 21 July 1996, in the Presentation Center of the Joint National Test Facility at 1300. The special guests included Col Burkhart, the 50th Space Wing Vice Commander; Col Deese, the AFSPC Comptroller; Col Kingsberry, from the AFSPC Division of Space Control; Col Mercier, Commander of Detachment 4 of the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center; and Col Springer, from AFSPC Division of Training and Standardization. After the reading of the activation orders, the 17th's guidon was unsheathed, symbolizing the activation of a new USAF squadron. Then the guidon was passed to Col Howard J. Fry, the Commander of the Space Warfare Center and the presiding officer for the stand-up. Colonel Fry passed the guidon to Lt Col Carl Cox, the first Commander of the 17th, signifying the passing of all legal and operational responsibilities. At the formation of the squadron, manning was at just over ten people. On 1 April 2013 the 17th Test Squadron was transferred to Air Combat Command under the 53d Wing, located at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, which serves as the focal point for the Combat Air Forces in electronic warfare, armament and avionics, chemical defense, reconnaissance, and aircrew training devices. The wing reports to the

Air Warfare Center The United States Air Force Warfare Center (USAFWC) at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, reports directly to Air Combat Command. The center was founded on September 1, 1966, as the U.S. Air Force Tactical Fighter Weapons Center. It was renamed ...

Nellis Air Force Base Nellis Air Force Base ("Nellis" colloq.) is a United States Air Force installation in southern Nevada. Nellis hosts air combat exercises such as Exercise Red Flag and close air support exercises such as Green Flag-West flown in " Military ...

, Nevada. The wing is also responsible for operational testing and evaluation of new equipment and systems proposed for use by these forces. On 7 August 2020 the 17th Test Squadron was transferred to the

under

Space Training and Readiness Delta (Provisional) The Space Training and Readiness Delta (Provisional) (STAR Delta (P)) was a United States Space Force unit responsible for the training and education of space professionals, as well as the development of space warfighting doctrine. It was a compone ...

Space Operations Command Space Operations Command (SpOC) is the United States Space Force's space operations, cyber operations, and intelligence field command. It is headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado and serves as the U.S. Space Force's service ...

. On 20 August 2021 the 17th Test Squadron was reassigned from Space Operations Command to

Space Training and Readiness Command Space Training and Readiness Command (STAR Command or STARCOM) is the United States Space Force's education, training, doctrine, and test field command. It is headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado. Space Training and Readiness ...

and further assigned to

Space Delta 12 Space Delta 12 (DEL 12) is a United States Space Force unit responsible for space test and evaluation. It tests space systems and capabilities in support of weapon system acquisition, operational acceptance, and readiness. It was established on ...

and redesignated the 17th Test and Evaluation Squadron.

Lineage

* Designated as the 1017th Test and Evaluation Squadron and activated on 6 April 1990 * Inactivated on 15 October 1992 * Redesignated 17th Test Squadron on 30 June 1995 * Activated on 21 July 1995 * Redisignated 17th Test and Evaluation Squadron on 20 August 2021

Assignments

* Air Force Space Command, 6 April 1990 – 15 October 1992 * Space Warfare Center, 21 July 1995 * 595th Test and Evaluation Group (later 595th Space Group), 7 April 2000 * 53d Test Management Group, 1 April 2013 – 7 August 2020 *

, August 7, 2020 - August 20, 2021. *

, August 20, 2021 - Present.

Components

* Detachment 1: Buckley Space Force Base, Colorado

Stations

* Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, 6 April 1990 - 15 October 1992 * Falcon Air Force Base (later Schriever Space Force Base), Colorado, 21 July 1995 - 5 June 1998 * Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, June 5, 1998 - July 26, 2021 * Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado, July 26, 2021 - Present

Decorations

List of commanders

* Lt Col Teddy N. Wang, 6 April 1990 - unknown * Lt Col Carl L. Cox, 21 July 1995 * Lt Col Wyatt C. Miller, 17 October 1997 * Lt Col Mark A. Johnson, 2 December 1998 * Lt Col James O'Neal, Jr., 5 December 2000 * Lt Col Richard W. Boltz, 17 March 2003 * Lt Col Scott J. Hower, 27 June 2005 * Lt Col Edward T. Ackerman, 8 June 2007 * Lt Col Peter J. Flores, 17 June 2009 * Lt Col Gregory Wood, 17 June 2011 * Lt Col Todd Bridges * Lt Col David R. Morrow, June 2015 – June 2017 * Lt Col Adam Fisher, 8 July 2017 * Lt Col Sacha Tomlinson, 2017-2019 * Lt Col Robert C. McConnell, 2021 * Lt Col Christopher W. McLeod, 8 June 2021

References

{{United States Space Force Squadrons of the United States Space Force Military units and formations in Colorado