1st Combat Evaluation Group

The 1st Combat Evaluation Group (initially "1CEG", later "1CEVG") was a Strategic Air Command (SAC) unit. It was formed on 1 August 1961 to merge the 3908th Strategic Standardization Group for SAC aircrew evaluation with the 1st Radar Bomb Scoring Group that had originated from the 263rd Army Air Force Base Unit which transferred from 15th AF to directly under Strategic Air Command . The 1CEVG formed after SAC switched to low-level tactics to counter Soviet surface-to-air missiles ("Oil Burner" training routes in 1959) and SAC had "developed a Radar Bomb Scoring field kit for use in NIKE Systems" in early 1960 for scoring SAC training missions against US Hercules SAM sites. The 1CEVG headquarters included an Office of History and a "standardization and evaluation school" for command examiners.

Standardization and evaluation

The 1CEVG deputy commander for standardization and evaluation was responsible for performance assessment of SAC tanker and bomber flight crews. 1CEVG also evaluated the RC-135 units at Eielson, Kadena, and Offutt, the flight crew standardization of the U-2, the DC-130 reconnaissance drone program, CH-3 helicopter drone recovery program, ndthe SR-71 program at Beale AFB.

The Fairchild Trophy was Strategic Air Command's top Bombardment Award, for which the Group administered flight checks and evaluated standardization and training activities.

Divisions

1CEVG included a Command Instrument Flight Division and an RBS Division with 3 squadrons.

Radar Bomb Scoring Division

The Radar Bomb Scoring Division controlled the group's Radar Bomb Scoring units. As with the preceding 1st Radar Bomb Scoring Group at Carswell AFB, the division had 3 Radar Bomb Scoring Squadrons (10th, 11th, 12th) with RBS detachments at fixed radar stations and at semi-mobile radar stations (Mobile Duty Locations (MDLs)). The MDLs were set up for SAC special missions, with their equipment, trailers, books, etc., stored at Barksdale AFB when not in use. Each squadron manned an RBS Express train, but the squadrons were inactivated in 1966 after Vietnam War deployments had begun. The three squadrons in 1959 had 29 AUTOTRACK sites. 1CEVG temporary duty personnel at Nike Defense Areas also scored mock SAC raids tracked by the Army.

RBS trains were inactivated later in the war after the 1968-9 Project 693 discharging 1st term SAC airmen up to 11 months early. The division included a maintenance office. After the Vietnam War ended, the annual Combat Skyspot trophy was awarded for the outstanding RBS detachment (e.g., Louis Blotner Radar Bomb Scoring Site (Ashland Det 7) in 1985).

The squadrons initially used Matador Automatic Radar Control (AN/MSQ-1) and AN/MSQ-2 automatic tracking radar/computer systems. The Reeves AN/MSQ-35 Bomb Scoring Central was developed for the division (mid-1963 testing was at the White Sands Missile Range.) During the Vietnam War, the Statesboro Bomb Scoring Site used a Soviet T2A for training crews to jam the signal. Three US bombing systems developed during the war ( AN/MSQ-77, AN/TSQ-81, & AN/TSQ-96) were used post-war in the United States by the RBS Division, which replaced them with the solid-state US Dynamics AN/TPQ-43 Bomb Scoring Set (SEEK SCORE) developed from the AN/TPB-1C Course Directing Central.

The Electronic Systems Division 806L "Range Threat" systems for electronic warfare simulation were developed for use by 1CEVG late in the Cold War. Such systems included the US Dynamics AN/MST-T1 Miniature-Multiple Threat Emitter Simulator (MUTES), for which the group evaluated the prototype in 1977 (operational in October 1978). Similarly, TLQ-11 jammer improvements were in 1978, and in 1979 1CEVG members completed a prototype study and testing of the new Threat Reaction Analysis Indicator System (TRAINS) for analyzing how aircrews and avionics reacted to ground-based threats.

At the end of the Cold War, most RBS detachments were closed. The personnel and the assets of the RBS Division became the 1st Electronic Combat Range Group on 1 July 1989 when the 1CEVG was split, and other 1CEVG organizations transferred to SAC headquarters.

Stations

Detachments 7 & 50

Detachment 7, 1 CEVG was a Matagorda Island Air Force Base radar site for the "Busy Skyspot" training program for automatic tracking radar crews to use the Reeves AN/MSQ-77 Bomb Directing Central before transferring to Vietnam War operating locations. A CONUS AN/MSQ-77 had initially been used at the mountainous Nellis Air Force Range before being moved to the Gulf Coast of the United States, then the detachment moved to Bergstrom Air Force Base and was redesignated Det 50 for long range tracking of bombers on 2 Matagorda Island Air Force Range routes (low- and high-level). On 29 February 1968, on the low-level Matagorda route a Boeing B-52 Stratofortress crashed into the Gulf of Mexico.

Detachment 15

Detachment 15, 1CEVG at the Vietnam War's Tan Son Nhut Air Base served as an "administrative link between he operating locationsand Headquarters 1st Combat Evaluation Group" after Reeves AN/MSQ-77 Bomb Directing Centrals were produced and deployed in 1965 for Combat Skyspot bomber operations by tactical fighter, B-52, and other units. On 5 June 1966 near Đông Hà Combat Base close to the DMZ, six 1CEVG technicians were killed while conducting a preliminary site location survey.

Lineage

:Constituted as the 3903d Radar Bomb Scoring Group from the 3903d RBS Squadron (at Carswell AFB beginning 24 Feb 48) and predecessor 263rd AAF Base Unit
: Redesignated 1st Radar Bomb Scoring Group on 10 August 1954
: Merged with the 3958 Opl Evaluation & Tng Gp for the B-58 on 15 Mar 60
: Redesignated 1st Combat Evaluation Group at Carswell AFB prior to 21 July 1961 for the merger of the Barksdale AFB 3908th Strategic Standardization Group and 1st RBS Group
: Redesignated 1st Electronic Combat Range Group on 1 July 1989 from the assets and personnel of the Radar Bomb Scoring Division, 1CEVG

Squadrons

* 10th Radar Bomb Scoring Squadron, 10 August 1954 – 19 September 1966
* 11th Radar Bomb Scoring Squadron, 10 August 1954 – 22 August 1966, March AFB, California
* 12th Radar Bomb Scoring Squadron, 10 August 1954 – 25 July 1966, Turner AFB, Georgia
* 13th Radar Bomb Scoring Squadron, 10 August 1954 – unknown, Ellisville, MS

Commanders

* Col. Joseph D. White, 1 Aug 1961 – 20 May 1964
* Col. Melvin R. Schultz, 20 May 1964 – 16 May 1966
*
* Col. Willie H. Sontag, 1 Feb 1970 – 1 Jul 1971
* Col. Alvin E. Prothero, 1 Jul 1971 – 25 Apr 1975
* Col. Edward F. Gehrke, 25 Apr 1975 – 27 Oct 1978
*
* Col. Larry S. DeVall, 1 Dec 1979 - 16 Sept 1981
* Col. John R. Rader, 16 Sept 1981 - 28 Jul 1983
* Col. Billy F. Price, 28 Jul 1983 – 15 Jan 1988
* Col. John C. Dalton, 16 Jan 1988 – 23 Jan 1989
* Col. Joseph M. Hudson, Jr., 23 Jan 1989 – ?https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:PGwYDgFicUYJ:groups.yahoo.com/group/combatevaluationgroup/message/854%3Fthreaded%3D1%26var%3D1+%22Col+Joseph+D.+White+1+Aug+1961+-+20+May+1964%22&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

References

{{Reflist , refs=

{{cite web , title=Detachment 2 Holbrook, AZ , url=http://1cevga.com/det2.htm , last=McDonald , first=Steven Ray , date=29 January 2002 , work=1 CEVG/DET 2 History (A fluid Document) , publisher=1CEVGA.com , accessdate=24 January 2015 , quote=1 CEVG/Det. 2 was moved from Wall, SD to Holbrook, AZ in 1968. We were up and running around the middle of April. ...1990 when we became 99 ECRG/DET 2 . The last RBS/ECM sortie was on or about September 13, 1993. The last ECM-only sortie was on or about September 30, 1993. A B1-B from Dyes (not positive) flew the last RBS/ECM mission. A C-130 from Hulburt Field flew the last ECM mission. The period of time between 1 October 1993 and Christmas was used for decommissioning the systems.

{{cite web , first=Terry L. , last=Horstead , date=9 November 1983 , title=Historical Summary: Radar Bomb Scoring, 1945–1983 , url=http://www.mobileradar.org/Documents/hist_sum_rad_bom_scrg.pdf , publisher=Office of History, 1st Combat Evaluation Group , accessdate=24 January 2015

{{Cite report , last=Mueller , year=1982 , chapter=Wurtsmith Air Force Base , title=Air Force Bases as of 1982 , page=613

{{Cite report , volume=Historical Summary 116 , title=History of the Strategic Air Command: 1969 , url=http://minotb52ufo.com/archives/strategic_air_command/sac_hist_fy69_vol1_ch1.pdf , publisher=Office of Command History , accessdate=26 August 2013 , quote=SAC had 64 detachments at the end of FY-69, an increase of nine, offset by a reduction of three. One discontinued was Detachment 4, 1st Combat Evaluation Group (CEG), Oronogo, Missourie. It was the second detachment of the 1CEG to be inactivated in 1968.¹⁰⁰ ... Scoring activity stopped on 15 December, the equipment was moved,¹⁰⁵ and the detachment inactivated on 25 January.¹⁰⁶ The other two reductions were Detachments 3 and 19, 3902nd Support Squadron, at Altus and Homestead AFBs, where Manpower Evaluation Teams were no longer required. ... 100. Det 13, Ellisville, Miss, discontinued 2 Jun 68; Hist SAC, Jan–Jun 68, pp. 14–17.

{{Cite web , title=Combat Evaluation Group – A place for CEVG'ers and Range Rats to Meet , url=https://groups.yahoo.com/group/combatevaluationgroup , format=Yahoo newsgroup , date= 9 January 2000     Citations in chronological order:
*{{Cite web , author=Scott , title=Message 3276 , url=https://groups.yahoo.com/group/combatevaluationgroup/message/3276 , archiveurl=http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:S0p5yO9Q7W0J:groups.yahoo.com/group/combatevaluationgroup/message/3276+%22Site+MT+(Different+place+from+the+earlier%22&cd=5&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us , archivedate=30 August 2013 , quote=Havre {{sic, Trainig Site MT (Different place from the earlier Havre AFS air defense radar site) ... Interior RBSS, atop Hurley Butte ... The family housing unit was on the western edge of Wall. It was actually a small mobile home park. There were a few Air Force trailers (two of which ... There were 16 or 18 trailers I had the last one SE end along the fence ... I am also looking for Msgt. Mike Nelson
*{{Cite web, year=2004, title=Message 11831, url=https://groups.yahoo.com/group/combatevaluationgroup/message/11831, quote=Bismarck from October 1964 to January 1967. ... When I first got there it was Det. 10, 11th RBS Sq. and was later changed to Det. 14, 1CEG. I also served on RBS Express No. 2 at Joseph City, AZ (Nov–Dec 1965) and Ree Heights, SD (July–Aug 1966) and RBS Express No. 3 at Rion, SC (Nov–Dec 1966).
*{{Cite web, title=Message 12089, url=https://groups.yahoo.com/group/combatevaluationgroup/message/12089 ismarck opened January 1961*{{Cite web , last=McAfee , first=Emerson R , date=6 August 2005 , title=Re: Greetings! , url=http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:DIUd-Kp6_bMJ:groups.yahoo.com/group/combatevaluationgroup/message/15822+%22I+was+at+Det.+8+Richmond+from+Jun+63%22&cd=8&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us , quote=''I was at Det. 8 Richmond from Jun 63 – Apr 72. I also made trips to Browns IL but we were the ones who moved it from Mauk GA to Browns so I was only at Browns for about a week'' {{Dead link, date=September 2018 , bot=InternetArchiveBot , fix-attempted=yes
*{{Cite news , last=Ross , first=Don , date=30 August 2007 , title=Sqdns, Det 4 and Germany , url=https://groups.yahoo.com/group/combatevaluationgroup/message/38535 , accessdate=9 July 2012 , quote=''three RBS Express trains. One per sqdn''

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1961 establishments in the United States
1989 disestablishments in the United States
Military units and formations established in 1961
Military units and formations disestablished in 1989
Units and formations of Strategic Air Command