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The 601st Air Expeditionary Wing is a provisional
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...
organization. It was last active as the 601st Air Base Wing with the Seventeenth Air Force at
Sembach Air Base Sembach Kaserne is a United States Army post in Donnersbergkreis, Germany, near Kaiserslautern, and is about 19 miles (30 km) east of Ramstein Air Base. Prior to 2010, the installation was a United States Air Force installation and prior to ...
, Germany, where it was inactivated on 31 March 1995. The
wing A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is e ...
was first activated as the 601st Tactical Control Wing at Sembach in July 1968, when it replaced the 601st Tactical Control Group as the headquarters for Seventeenth Air Force's tactical control units and the 603d Air Base Wing as the host organization for Sembach. For most of its existence, the unit controlled elements of the Tactical Air Control SystemThe Tactical Air Control (System 407L) was developed in the 1960s by the United States Air Force as a mobile system to provide semi-automatic command and control of forces and to interface with Army and Naval Forces. It incorporated Aircraft Control and Warning, Tactical Air Support, Air Traffic Control and Command Communications subsystems. Study of the U.S.A.F. Tactical Control System, pp. 1–2 in Germany. In 1973, the wing moved to
Wiesbaden Air Base Wiesbaden () is a city in central western Germany and the capital of the state of Hesse. , it had 290,955 inhabitants, plus approximately 21,000 United States citizens (mostly associated with the United States Army). The Wiesbaden urban area ...
, but it returned to Sembach in November 1975. Its mission changed in 1992 to supporting Air Force units at Sembach and elsewhere in Germany and it was inactivated in 1995. The wing was converted to provisional status in February 2001 and assigned to
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 f ...
to activate or inactivate as required, but there have been no reports of its activation as an expeditionary unit.


History

Through much of its history the mission of the
wing A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is e ...
was to provide an effective tactical air control system for
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 f ...
and
Allied Air Forces Central Europe Allied Air Forces Central Europe (AAFCE) was the NATO command tasked with air and air defense operations in NATOs Allied Forces Central Europe (AFCENT) area of command. History Allied Air Forces Central Europe was activated on 2 April 1951 at Fon ...
. The wing employed a mobile radar network and forward air control flying operations. The wing controlled offensive missions against ground targets and defensive missions for air-to-air intercepts, later interfacing with
Airborne Warning and Control System Airborne or Airborn may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Airborne'' (1962 film), a 1962 American film directed by James Landis * ''Airborne'' (1993 film), a comedy–drama film * ''Airborne'' (1998 film), an action film sta ...
aircraft.


Background

The 601st Tactical Control Group had been activated at
Sembach Air Base Sembach Kaserne is a United States Army post in Donnersbergkreis, Germany, near Kaiserslautern, and is about 19 miles (30 km) east of Ramstein Air Base. Prior to 2010, the installation was a United States Air Force installation and prior to ...
, Germany in 1965. Its staff was composed of personnel from the former 601st Tactical Control Squadron. The 603d Air Base Wing had provided support to all units at Sembach since September 1966, when the 38th Combat Support Group was inactivated as part of the draw down of the 38th Tactical Missile Wing's
CGM-13B Mace The Martin Mace was a ground-launched cruise missile developed from the earlier Martin TM-61 Matador. It used a new self-contained navigation system that eliminated the need to get updates from ground-based radio stations, and thereby allowed ...
missiles in Germany. The 60lst Tactical Control Wing was organized at Sembach on 1 July 1968. The new wing assumed the missions of the 601st Tactical Control Group and 603d Air Base Wing, which were inactivated. On 14 November 1968, the
86th Air Division The 86th Air Division (86 AD) is a former designation of the 86th Airlift Wing, a United States Air Force organization. It was assigned to United States Air Forces in Europe at Ramstein Air Base, West Germany. It was inactivated on 14 November ...
at Ramstein Air Base, which controlled United States air defense units in Germany, was inactivated. Three of its aircraft control and warning squadrons were transferred to the wing at the beginning of the month, although the 602d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron at
Giebelstadt Giebelstadt is a municipality in the district of Würzburg in Bavaria in Germany. History The town is the birthplace of Florian Geyer (1490–1525), also known as "Florian Geier from Giebelstadt", a Franconian nobleman who led the Black Compa ...
was inactivated and its mission assumed by a German Air Force radar at Lauda.Siso, p. xiv Detachments of the wing were also organized at fixed radar sites operated by the German Air Force. Another detachment was organized at Ramstein to provide a central maintenance facility for these units.The former 86th Air Division units operated European Aircraft Control and Warning System (System 412L) fixed radars. System 412L began its deployment to both United States and German Air Force sites in 1965. Siso, p. 5.The Ramstein 412L maintenance facility was combined with the 407L maintenance operation at Sembach in February 1969. 601 TCW Chronology, 1968–1986, p. 47.


Fixed radar systems

The long term goal was to transfer operation of the 412L fixed radar sites entirely to German Air Force operation. However, it was not until 1972 that the German Air Force agreed to assume operation of the radar sites at Dobraberg Air Station and Wasserkuppe Air Station. Dobraberg was transferred on 1 July 1974, six months ahead of the agreed date. Maintenance of the remaining site at Wasserkuppe was transferred to a civilian contractor and on 1 January 1979 the Wasserkuppe site was turned over to the German Air Force and the wing's last aircraft control and warning squadron operating a fixed control and reporting postControl and reporting posts performed surveillance and early warning and controlled aircraft using radar and radio communications. Siso, p. 3 was inactivated. In September 1980 the 412L system was replaced by the German Air Defense Ground Environment system. The 615th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron continued to operate a combined control and reporting centerIn addition to the functions of a control and reporting post, control and reporting centers supervised one or more control and reporting posts and identified targets. They had the authority to commit air defenses by scrambling
interceptors An interceptor aircraft, or simply interceptor, is a type of fighter aircraft designed specifically for the defensive interception role against an attacking enemy aircraft, particularly bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. Aircraft that are ca ...
to identify potentially hostile aircraft. Siso, p. 3
until 1980, when it was inactivated.


Mobile radar systems

Upgrades to the wing's mobile radars began soon after activation The new two dimensional
AN/TPS-44 The AN/TPS-44 is a transportable 2-dimensional air search radar produced in the United States originally by Cardion Electronics. Description The AN/TPS-44 is a ground-based, non-fixed (i.e.: transportable) search radar.The US Military descript ...
radar to be used at Forward Air Control PostsForward Air Control Post were radar elements in forward combat areas to provide control of tactical missions. Handoff of aircraft to forward air controllers in a target area was also another function of this element. They had the capability for limited intercept and airspace control. became operational in November 1968. In June 1969, wing Control and Reporting Posts accepted their first
AN/TPS-43 The AN/TPS-43 is a transportable air search 3D radar produced in the United States originally by Westinghouse Defense and Electronic Division, which was later purchased by Northrop-Grumman. It is used primarily for early warning and tactical co ...
, three dimensional radar.Two dimensional radars determine the distance and relative bearing of a target from the radar. If the target's altitude is to be known, a separate height finder radar must be added. Three dimensional radars provide distance, bearing and altitude. However, problems arose which precluded the upgrades from being completed quickly. Lacking a firm delivery date for the radar to be used for training, Air Training Command could not establish start date for training to begin. Also, an interface kit was required to allow the use of the AN/TPS-43 until the wing received the new AN/TSQ-91V Operations Centrals with were not expected to be delivered until 1971.These were not received until February 1972. Radar sites were linked together by AN/TRC-97 wideband radios. This set provided
line of sight The line of sight, also known as visual axis or sightline (also sight line), is an imaginary line between a viewer/observer/ spectator's eye(s) and a subject of interest, or their relative direction. The subject may be any definable object taken ...
, point-to-point communications in the German countryside. The AN/TRC-97 was eventually replaced by the digital AN/TRC-170 radio, which required substantially less maintenance. In 1969 computer programming modifications permitted 4,096 possible transponder codes for friendly aircraft radar identification. This permitted assignment of a unique code to each military aircraft in the
Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force (4 ATAF) was a NATO military formation under Allied Air Forces Central Europe tasked with providing air support to NATO's Central Army Group (CENTAG) in southern West Germany. 4 ATAF commanded all flying units bas ...
region, providing positive identification capability. In 1976 the 601st Wing expanded its mobile radar coverage to Northern Germany by activating units in the
Second Allied Tactical Air Force Second Allied Tactical Air Force (2 ATAF) was a NATO military formation under Allied Air Forces Central Europe tasked with providing air support to NATO's Northern Army Group (NORTHAG). 2 ATAF commanded all flying units based within its sector and ...
area of responsibility in Projects Creek North and Creek Control. By year's end, the wing's mobile network grew by 40 percent. The first new sites in this expansion were at Hessisch Oldendorf Air Station, Bad Muender and Schwelentrup. Equipment for these sites came from a tactical control unit at
Cannon Air Force Base Cannon Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base, located approximately southwest of Clovis, New Mexico. It is under the jurisdiction of Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). The host unit at Cannon is the 27th Special Operatio ...
, New Mexico and from Air National Guard units in Connecticut and Massachusetts. These first three new sites were a former Royal Netherlands Air Force
Hawk missile The Raytheon MIM-23 HAWK ("Homing all the way killer") is an American medium-range surface-to-air missile. It was designed to be a much more mobile counterpart to the MIM-14 Nike Hercules, trading off range and altitude capability for a much s ...
battery headquarters and two of its satellite missile launch sites. The 609th Tactical Control Squadron and 6l9th Tactical Control Flight were activated at Bad Muender and Schwelentrup respectively on 1 April 1976. A month later, on 1 May 1976, the 629th Tactical Control Flight was also activated at Schwelentrup. A little less than a year later Project Creek Brahman activated three more radar units at Carl Schurz Kaserne near
Bremerhaven Bremerhaven (, , Low German: ''Bremerhoben'') is a city at the seaport of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, a state of the Federal Republic of Germany. It forms a semi-enclave in the state of Lower Saxony and is located at the mouth of the Riv ...
.


Forward air control

On 15 February 1970, the wing acquired another mission with the arrival of three
Cessna O-2A Skymaster The Cessna O-2 Skymaster (nicknamed "Oscar Deuce") is a military version of the Cessna 337 Super Skymaster, used for forward air control (FAC) and psychological operations (PSYOPS) by the US military between 1967 and 2010. Design and developm ...
aircraft and an airborne Forward Air Control capability. The use of airborne forward air controllers was a new concept of operations for tactical air forces in Europe. The wing was assigned operational control of these aircraft, which flew from Ramstein Air Base, but that the
26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing The 26th Information Operations Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with United States Air Forces in Europe at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, where it was inactivated on 5 July 2006. The wing was first establi ...
would be responsible for their maintenance and ground support. The first operational flight of a wing O-2A occurred on 2 March. Nine days later, the wing deployed its Skymasters to Italy for Operation Dawn Patrol 70. The 0-2s remained at Ramstein until joining the wing at Wiesbaden on 16 July 1973. In October 1973 the Skymasters were organized into the 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron In July 1974, the 601st Tactical Air Support Squadron (Helicopter) joined the 20th Squadron in the 601st Tactical Air Support Group in preparation for the arrival of
Sikorsky CH-53 The CH-53 Sea Stallion (Sikorsky S-65) is an American family of heavy-lift transport helicopters designed and built by the American manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft. It was originally developed in response to a request from the United States N ...
helicopters. However, the wing's first CH-53C would not arrive until six months later. The wing's first two helicopters arrived on 15 January 1975, and flying operations commenced on 6 February. Five additional CH-53Cs were received during the last two months of the year. On 21 June 1974, the wing's first two North American OV-10 Bronco aircraft were ferried to Wiesbaden Air Base from
Hurlburt Field Hurlburt Field is a United States Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation and is home to Headquarters Air Force Spe ...
, Florida, where they were assigned to the 20th Squadron. Flying operations began on 12 July and three months later, on 10 October 1974, the 20th Squadron flew the first OV-10A forward air control mission during Exercise Certain Pledge. Additional OV-10As arrived from Thailand and, on 18 December 1974, O-2A flying operations terminated and the last Skymaster was transferred to the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
. Twelve additional OV-l0As arrived at Wiesbaden in August 1975, followed by 10 more two months later. On 4 July 1976, a second Bronco squadron, the
704th Tactical Air Support Squadron 7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube. As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion, mythology, ...
was activated at Sembach. Second, on 1 November 1976, wing OV-10A aircraft, pilots from the 20th TASS, and maintenance personnel from the 601st Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron deployed to
Zaragoza Air Base Zaragoza Air Base is a base of the Spanish Air and Space Force located near Zaragoza, Spain. It is located west of Zaragoza, west of Barcelona, and northeast of Madrid. It shares infrastructure with the Zaragoza Airport. in the past, Zaragoza ...
, Spain for a four-month weapons training detachment deployment nicknamed "Creek Tally". This was the first time wing aircraft deployed to Spain for this type training. In a related operation, the 611th Tactical Control Flight also deployed their Forward Air Control Posts to Zaragoza at the same time. While there, the 611th provided radar and radio coverage for dissimilar air combat training missions between Northrop F-5E Tiger lIs of the 527th Tactical Fighter Training Aggressor Squadron and
McDonnell F-4 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 ...
s. Also, the 611th Tactical Control Flight was airlifted in two Lockheed C-5A Galaxies rather than the
Lockheed C-130 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally desig ...
or
Lockheed C-141 Starlifter The Lockheed C-141 Starlifter is a retired military strategic airlifter that served with the Military Air Transport Service (MATS), its successor organization the Military Airlift Command (MAC), and finally the Air Mobility Command (AMC) of the ...
s normally used for radar airborne movements. The major aircraft related event of 1977 involved the arrival of four additional OV-10As from the states on 9 September 1977. Also, the first two wing OV-10As to receive camouflage painting returned to Sembach from Alverca, Portugal, where the work was performed. In 1980, The 601st Tactical Air Support Group gained additional CH-53Cs and OV-10As. Due to a congressionally-imposed European troop strength ceiling, all 45 wing OV-10A aircraft along with approximately 800 support personnel of both flying squadrons (the 20th and 704th Tactical Air Support Squadrons) and much of the maintenance complex returned to the states during the period 5 June 1984 through 29 August 1984. The 45 OV-1OA aircraft previously assigned to the wing were now assigned to the 27th Tactical Air Support Squadron at
George Air Force Base George Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base located within the city limits, 8 miles northwest, of central Victorville, California, about 75 miles northeast of Los Angeles, California. Established by the United States Army Air C ...
, California, and the wing's two Bronco squadrons (the 20th and 704th TASS) were inactivated on 30 September 1984.


Base support

The 60lst Wing moved to
Wiesbaden Air Base Wiesbaden () is a city in central western Germany and the capital of the state of Hesse. , it had 290,955 inhabitants, plus approximately 21,000 United States citizens (mostly associated with the United States Army). The Wiesbaden urban area ...
on 1 June 1973. Wing headquarters and tactical air control operations and maintenance units at Sembach moved to Wiesbaden as units. Support units moved to Wiesbaden without personnel or equipment and assumed the mission of the 7101st Air Base Wing, which was inactivated upon their arrival. The 7400th Air Base Group assumed their personnel to continue the operation of Sembach. By 1 October 1973, the wing's relocation to Wiesbaden was complete.


Organization

On 1 July 1973 the detachments of the 601st Tactical Control Squadron were replaced by numbered flights and squadrons and the 601st Tactical Air Control Center Squadron replaced the wing detachment operating the tactical air control center. The 601st Tactical Air Support Group was activated to command the wing's forward air control squadrons and the 601st Tactical Control Group was reactivated to command its radar units. In October, the 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron was activated and within a few months, the wing's
tactical air control party The Tactical Air Control Party, commonly abbreviated TACP, is a small team of military personnel who provide coordination between aircraft and ground forces when providing close air support. Australia Australian TACPs are provided by the RAAF ...
detachments were transferred to the 20th Squadron. However, all these events were overshadowed by the announcement, on 8 August 1975, of Project Creek Swap, wherein the wing was notified it would again have to pack its bags and move back to Sembach. Thus, in January 1976, after a two-year stay at Wiesbaden, the wing began its move back to Sembach AB. The first OV-1OA aircraft from Wiesbaden landed at Sembach on 7 January 1976, and Colonel Fleetwood Pride Jr., the wing commander, landed another the next day to officially mark the wing's return to Sembach. By 31 March 1976, the wing's move back to Sembach was largely completed. Projects Creek North and Creek Swap in 1976 involved the expansion of the group's mobile network into northern Germany and the establishment of new radar stations. The 609th Tactical Control Squadron, with two assigned flights, was activated the spring of May 1976. On 20 September 1976, a second tactical control group, the 600th Tactical Control Group, was activated under the wing to control northern operations, while its 600th Combat Support Squadron provided base support for the new radar units. The 600th Group expanded the following year when the 606th Tactical Control Squadron and two more flights were activated at Carl Schurz Kaserne near Bremerhaven. On 1 June 1985, The
65th Air Division The 65th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with United States Air Forces in Europe, assigned to Seventeenth Air Force, being stationed at Lindsey Air Station, Germany. It was inactivated ...
was activated at Sembach to serve as the headquarters for the 601st and the newly-activated 66th Electronic Combat Wing. As part of this reorganization, the 66th Wing was assigned host wing responsibilities at Sembach which included support of the many geographically separated units of the 601st Wing. The 601st Combat Support Group was inactivated and its mission, personnel and equipment were transferred to the 66th Combat Support Group. The 601st Tactical Control Group was also inactivated and its subordinate units were assigned directly to the wing.


Saudi Arabia detachment

The
War War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
erupted on 22 September 1980. Shortly after, Saudi Arabia requested US assistance to ensure that Saudi Arabian airspace was not violated during the hostilities. Early in October 1980, the 601st Wing was ordered to deploy a survey team to
Riyadh Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of th ...
to assist in setting up a mobile radar network in Saudi Arabia. Tactical Air Control System elements in the United States dispatched a Forward Air Control Post, an AN/TSQ-91V Control and Reporting Post operations central cell, and a AN/TYC-10 MPC to Saudi Arabia. The radar operation in Saudi Arabia was collectively known as ELF One. ELF One involved three operating locations set up along the eastern edge of the Arabian peninsula on the coast of the
Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The bod ...
and in the central city of Riyadh. The Message Processing Center and Boeing E-3 Sentry aircraft operated out of the latter location. The Control and Reporting Post, along with the communications element of the Saudi Arabian Sector Operations Center, was located on
Dhahran Air Base Dhahran ( ar, الظهران, ''Al-Dhahran'') is a city located in the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. With a total population of 240,742 as of 2021, it is a major administrative center for the History of the oil ...
, just inland from the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia. The Forward Air Control Post operated out of Al Jubayl, also along the eastern coast of the country. Some 500 personnel were at the three operating locations. The primary mission of this operation was to support the Saudi Arabia through air defense radar surveillance of the Gulf area. The 601st Wing established an ELF One support detachment on 9 October 1980. After 11 April 1981, the detachment was supported by the 602nd Tactical Control Squadron. The detachment in Saudi Arabia was inactivated on 12 February 1986. In order to meet the Fiscal Year (FY) 1985 and 1986 Department of Defense budget restrictions, the Air Staff directed the reduction of the mobile TACS by two CRPs and four FACPs in two phases. Phase I resulted in the 1 June 1985 inactivation of the 632nd Tactical Control Flight located at Grafenwoehr and the 1 August 1985 inactivation of the 602nd Tactical Control Squadron at Turkheim and the 619th Tactical Control Flight located at Schwelentrup. The second phase of this drawdown resulted in the 1 October 1986 inactivation of the 603rd Tactical Control Squadron at Mehlingen, the 636th Tactical Control Flight and the 62lst Tactical Control Flight at Wanna and Wiesbaden, respectively. The 601st wide range of communications, which had its beginnings in World War II, was heavily tasked in support of operations during Operation Desert Storm and Operation Provide Comfort, starting with the early buildup in the Persian Gulf during August 1990.


601st Air Base Wing

The 601st air control units became an Operations Group in March 1992 that resulted in the formation of the 601st Support Wing. In 1993, more than half the 601st air control assets deployed to Italy in support of Operation Deny Flight, the United Nations-sponsored operations that established a no-fly zone over Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Operations Group was inactivated in October 1993 and when the wing was redesignated as the 601st Air Base Wing. At the time, the wing was responsible for over 40 geographically separated units in combination with over 200 people deployed to more than a dozen locations worldwide. In 1995 the Sembach flightline was returned to German control and the 601st Air Base Wing was inactivated.


Lineage

* Established as the 601st Tactical Control Wing and activated on 18 January 1968 (not organized) : Organized on 1 July 1968 * Redesignated 601st Support Wing on 1 March 1992 * Redesignated 601st Air Base Wing on 1 October 1993 : Inactivated on 31 March 1995 * Converted to provisional status and redesignated 601st Air Expeditionary Wing on 5 February 2001


Assignments

* United States Air Forces Europe, 18 January 1968 (not organized) * Seventeenth Air Force, 1 July 1968 * 65th Air Division, 1 June 1985 * Seventeenth Air Force, 31 July 1987 – 31 March 1995 * United States Air Forces Europe to activate or inactivate as required, 5 February 2001


Stations

* Sembach Air Base, West Germany, 1 July 1968 * Wiesbaden Air Base, West Germany, 1 June 1973 * Sembach Air Base, West Germany, 1 January 1976 – 31 March 1995


Components

; CentersComponents were stationed with wing headquarters, except as noted. * 601st Air Support Operations Center (later 601st Air Support Operations Group), 15 March 1984 – 1 June 1985 * 602d Air Support Operations Center (later 602d Air Support Operations Group), 15 March 1984 – 1 June 1985 ; Groups * 600th Tactical Control Group, 20 September 1976 – 1 June 1985 Hessisch Oldendorf Air Station, providing C&C to 2ATAF area * 601st Air Support Operations Group (see 601st Air Support Operations Center) * 601st Combat Support Group (later 601st Support Group), 1 July 1968 – 1 June 1985 31 March 1992 – 31 March 1995 * 601st Communications Group, 1 October 1982 – c. 1 September 1994 * 601st Logistics Group, 31 March 1992 – 30 December 1993 * 601st Operations Group, 31 March 1992 – 30 December 1993 * 601st Regional Support Group, 1 October 1992 – 1 July 1994 * 601st Tactical Air Support Group, 1 July 1973 – 1 November 1975, 1 May 1977 – 15 October 1985 (not operational after 15 May 1985) * 601st Tactical Control Group, 1 July 1973 – 1 June 1985 * 602d Air Support Operations Group (see 602d Air Support Operations Center)


Squadrons

; Aircraft Squadrons *
7th Special Operations Squadron The 7th Special Operations Squadron is an active flying unit of the United States Air Force. It is a component of the 752d Special Operations Group (752 SOG), United States Special Operations Command, and is currently based at Royal Air Force ...
, 15 October 1975 – 1 July 1977 * 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron, 1 November 1975 – 30 September 1984 * 601st Tactical Air Support Squadron, 1 November 1975 – 1 May 1977, 1 June 1985 – Sembach AB * 704th Tactical Air Support Squadron, 4 July 1976 – 1 May 1977 * 7405th Operations Squadron, 1 June 1973 – 1 July 1977 ::
Rhein-Main Air Base Rhein-Main Air Base (located at ) was a United States Air Force air base near the city of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It was a Military Airlift Command (MAC) and United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) installation, occupying the south side ...
, Germany * 7420th Radar Evaluation Squadron, 1 June 1973 – 1 July 1975 ; Tactical Air Control System Squadrons On 18 December 1957 HQ USAFE discontinued the Tactical Control Wing (Provisional) at Landstuhl Air Base. At the same time, USAFE elevated the 501st Tactical Control Group to a wing. As part of an overall reorganization of air defense , on 1 July 1968 USAFE discontinued the 601st Tactical Control Group and activated and organized the 601st Tactical Control Wing (TCW) at Sembach Air Base. The new wing's mission was to oversee the 407 L Tactical Air Control System and the 412 L Aircraft Control and Warning System. On 1 July 1973 all eight of the 601st TCS detachments were activated as numbered flights and squadrons. 601st Tactical Control Squadron (TCS) Detachments of 601st TCS in 1963: Butzbach, Nürnberg, Heilbronn, Celle, Frankfurt, Würzburg, Bad Kreuznach, Augsburg. 601st TCS and its subordinate detachments 1968, 1969, 1973 - 1995: 601st Direct Air Support Squadron (DASS) and its Operating Locations (OL) 1968 - 1995. (Detachment 1 was reflagged as Detachment 41 in 1969, as 601st DASC Squadron in 1973. Detachment 2 was reflagged as Detachment 42 in 1969, as 602nd DASC Squadron in 1973. In 1981 detachments were abolished, all OLs came under Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) Division.) 601st TCS Tactical Control Flights (TCF): * 612th TCF Prüm Air Station * 621st TCF
Lindsey Air Station The Europaviertel (European quarter) in Wiesbaden is a former barracks area named ''Gersdorff Kaserne'' at the edge of the city center of the Hessian state capital, approximately 2 kilometers southwest of the Marktkirche. Barracks (1868–1945) ...
(Tactical Control Intelligence Flight) 601st TCS inactivated 1995. 602nd Tactical Control Squadron (TCS) 602nd TCS Tactical Control Flights (TCF): * 631st TCF Würzburg, Emery Barracks, "CHALET" (1983) * 632nd TCF Grafenwöhr (Field Intelligence Flight), "CONSOLE" (1983) 602nd TCS inactivated 1995. 603rd Tactical Control Squadron (TCS) 603rd TCS Tactical Control Flights (TCF): * 611th TCF Alzey, "EXPIRE" (1971), "MUTATE" (1983) * 622nd TCF Rheingrafenstein, "LOUIS JONES" (1971), "CALORIE" (1983) 603rd TCS inactivated 1995. 604th Tactical Control Squadron (TCS) 604th TCS inactivated 1995. The "Creek" Projects 1976 - 1977 * 1976, 1 April Project “Creek North”: opening of eight new units and three new sites in Northern Germany, in 2 ATAF area: Hessisch Oldendorf, Bad Münder and Schwelentrup. Hessisch Oldendorf was the site of a former RNAF Hawk missile battery HQ and the other two locations were its satellite missile launch sites. * 1976, 21 May Project “Creek Control”: opening of Hessisch Oldendorf Air Station. * 1977, 15 March Project “Creek Brahman”: activation of one squadron and two flights at Carl Schurz Kaserne in Bremerhaven with their operational sites at Basdahl and Wanna respectively. * 1977, 1 April Project “Creek Tie”: activation of the NATO Operations Support Cell (NOSC) at Kalkar. Its mission was to perform the same scheduling of control activity for 2 ATAF units as the ATOC provided for 4 ATAF CRPs and FACPs. * 609th TCS Bad Münder CRP (1976, 1 April) ** 619th TCF Schwelentrup (1976, 1 April) ** 629th TCF Schwelentrup (1976, 1 May) * 600th TCG Hessisch Oldendorf Air Station (1976, 20 September) * 600th CSS Hessisch Oldendorf Air Station (1976, 20 September) * 606th TCS Basdahl (1977, 15 March) ** 626th TCF Wanna (1977, 15 March) ** 636th TCF Wanna (1977, 15 March) * NATO Operations Support Cell (NOSC) Kalkar (1977, 1 April) 606th Tactical Control Squadron (TCS) 606th TCS Tactical Control Flights (TCF)+ * 626th TCF Wanna (Bremerhaven) (Wanna Communications Annex, electronic warfare installation) "COMPOSE" * 636th TCF Wanna (Bremerhaven) (Wanna Communications Annex, electronic warfare installation) "EDUCATE" 606th TCS inactivated 1995. 609th Tactical Control Squadron (TCS) 609th TCS Tactical Control Flights (TCF) * 619th TCF Schwelentrup (Schwelentrup Communications Annex) "CITRIC" * 629th TCF Schwelentrup (Schwelentrup Communications Annex) "BRAHMA" 609th TCS inactivated 1991. 615th Tactical Control Squadron (TCS) 615th TCS inactivated 1986. 616th Tactical Control Squadron (TCS) 616th TCS inactivated 1986. 619th Tactical Control Squadron (TCS) 619th TCS inactivated 1968. ; Support Squadrons * 601st Direct Air Support Squadron (later 601st Air Support Operations Squadron), 1 July 1968 – 1 July 1973 * 601st Civil Engineering Squadron, 1 July 1968 – 1 June 1973, 1 January 1976 – 30 April 1995 * 601st Comptroller Squadron, 31 March 1992 – 30 December 1993 * 601st Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 1 July 1973 – 1 September 1973, 1 November 1975 – 1 May 1977, 1 June 1985 – 9 December 1986 (detached after 1 August 1986) * 601st Supply Squadron, 1 July 1968 – 1 June 1985 * 601st Tactical Control Maintenance Squadron, 1 July 1968 – 1 July 1973 * 601st Transportation Squadron, 24 June 1974 – 1 June 1985 * 7101st Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 1 June 1973 – 1 July 1973 * 7122d Broadcasting Squadron, 7 Feb 1976 – 1 January 1977 ::
Lindsey Air Station The Europaviertel (European quarter) in Wiesbaden is a former barracks area named ''Gersdorff Kaserne'' at the edge of the city center of the Hessian state capital, approximately 2 kilometers southwest of the Marktkirche. Barracks (1868–1945) ...
, Germany * 7201st Comptroller Squadron, 15 November 1983 – 1 June 1985 ; Flights * 611th Tactical Control Flight, 29 September 1986 – c. 16 October 1991 :: Alzey Air Station, GermanyAF Regulation 4–16, p. 122 * 622d Tactical Control Flight, 29 September 1986 – c. 16 October 1991 :: Rhein Grafenstein, Germany ; Medical units * 4th Medical Service Squadron, 1 November 1973 – 30 June 1975 * 601st USAF Dispensary (later 601st Tactical Hospital), 1 July 1968 – 30 June 1971, 22 October 1979 – 29 January 1992 * USAF Clinic, Rhein-Main, 1 July 1975 – 1 April 1979 :: Rhein-Main Air Base, GermanyAF Manual 10-4 (1976), p. 7-5 * USAF Dispensary, Sembach (later USAF Clinic, Sembach, 1 July 1971 – 1 June 1973 * USAF Hospital, Wiesbaden, 1 November 1973 – 1 January 1977


Aircraft

* Cessna O-2A Skymaster, 1972–1974 * North American OV-10 Bronco, 1973–1984 * Sikorsky CH-53, 1975–1995 *
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 ...
, 1975 *
Lockheed C-130 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally desig ...
, 1976–1977


References


Notes


Citations


Bibliography

* * *
AF Regulation 4-16, Air Force Address Directory
, Department of the Air Force, Washington, DC, 1 March 1989 * AF Manual 10-4, Directory of Air Force Addresses, Vol. 1 (Unclassified), Department of the Air Force, Washington, DC, 15 May 1976 * AF Manual 10-4, Directory of Air Force Addresses, Vol. 1 (Unclassified), Department of the Air Force, Washington, DC, 1 November 1973 {{USAF Air Forces in Europe Command and control units and formations of the United States Air Force Wings of the United States Air Force Military units and formations established in 1968 Military units and formations disestablished in the 1990s