The

Air National Guard The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...

's 280th Special Operations Communications Squadron (280th SOCS) is a communications unit located at Hall Air Guard Station,

Dothan Regional Airport Dothan Regional Airport is a public airport in Dale County, Alabama, United States, seven miles northwest of Dothan, a city mostly in Houston County. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 called it a ''primary comm ...

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

. The 280th SOCS provides tactical communication services to state, military and federal agencies utilizing state of the art information systems. The 280th SOCS provides over 44% of

Air Force Special Operations Command Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), headquartered at Hurlburt Field, Florida, is the special operations component of the United States Air Force. An Air Force major command (MAJCOM), AFSOC is also the U.S. Air Force component command ...

's deployed communications capabilities.

Mission

The mission of the 280th Special Operations Communications Squadron is to provide communications and information systems for

Command and Control Command and control (abbr. C2) is a "set of organizational and technical attributes and processes ... hatemploys human, physical, and information resources to solve problems and accomplish missions" to achieve the goals of an organization or en ...

of United States

Special Operations Forces Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...

worldwide, as well as respond to State emergencies as directed by the

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

.AF FOIA Request

History

In January 1959, the 280th SOCS was federally recognized as the 280th Communications Squadron (Special). The first members enlisted in the squadron in March 1959. During 1967, members of the 280th Communications Squadron (Special) were selected for training in response to then-President Johnson's directive to use Army and Air Guard units to maintain domestic order. Those members were appointed to Team 3 of Task Force Foxtrot, which was responsible for riot control. October 1982, the unit was redesignated as the 280th Combat Communications Squadron.280th CBCS: "280th CBCS 50th Anniversary Site"
In January 2014, the squadron was redesignated as the 280th Special Operations Communications Squadron. The squadron moved from

Maxwell Air Force Base Maxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force (USAF) installation under the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, United States. O ...

to Abston Air National Guard Station in October 1986, then to

Hall Air National Guard Station In architecture, a hall is a relatively large space enclosed by a roof and walls. In the Iron Age and early Middle Ages in northern Europe, a mead hall was where a lord and his retainers ate and also slept. Later in the Middle Ages, the grea ...

in April 1996. In February 1999, the 280th was formally integrated into the mission of the

Emblem Description and Significance

On a blue disc. Issuing from lower right is a yellow hemisphere grid lined black. A yellow satellite in lower left emitting two black dash lines to the sphere; above the sphere and satellite a gray eagle with wings displayed throughout detailed black olive branches in his left claw, a pair of red lightning bolts in the other claw; all within a narrow yellow border. Blue and yellow are the Air Force colors. Blue alludes to the sky, the primary theater of Air Force operations. Yellow refers to the sun and the excellence required of Air Force personnel. The globe represents the worldwide scope of mobility. The eagle symbolizes strength and keenness of vision. The lightning flashes and olive branches refer to the unit's motto, COMMUNICATIONS FOR PEACE. The satellite reflects the high technology required of the unit in order to perform its mission.

Assignments

Major Command/Gaining Command

(1999 – present) *

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 ...

(1992–1999) *

/ United States Special Operations Command (????–1999) *

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 ...

(1971–1992) *

Air Force Communications 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 ...

(????–????) *

United States Readiness Command In 1961 the United States Strike Command (STRICOM) was established at MacDill Air Force Base as a unified combatant command capable of responding to global crises. The name of the command was originally derived from the acronym for Swift Tactical ...

(????–????)

Wing/Group

226th Combat Communications Group The United States Air Force's 226th Combat Communications Group is a combat communications headquarters unit located at Abston Air National Guard Station in Montgomery, Alabama, USA. The Group is one of two Air National Guard Combat Communica ...

(1971 – present)

Previous designations

*280th Special Operations Communications Squadron (Jan 2014 – present) *280th Combat Communications Squadron (Oct 1982–Jan 2014) *280th Communications Squadron (Special) (Jan 1959-Oct 1982)

Bases stationed

Dothan, Alabama Dothan () is a city in Dale, Henry, and Houston counties and the Houston county seat in the U.S. state of Alabama. It is Alabama's eighth-largest city, with a population of 71,072 at the 2020 census. It is near the state's southeastern corner, ...

(Apr 1996–present) * Abston Air National Guard Station, Montgomery,

(Oct 1986-Apr 1996) *

(Jan 1959-Oct 1986)

Decorations

* Air Force Outstanding Unit Award **1 Jul 1968 – 31 Dec 1969 **1 Jul 1971 – 31 Dec 1972 **1 Jan 1989 – 31 Dec 1989 **1 Jan 1990 – 31 Dec 1990Order number GA-074, 1991 **1 Jan 1991 – 31 Dec 1991 **1 Jan 1996 – 31 Dec 1997 **1 Oct 2010 – 30 Sep 2012 *

Air Force Organizational Excellence Award The Air and Space Organizational Excellence Award (ASOEA) is a unit award of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force created by the Secretary of the Air Force on 26 August 1969 as the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. The award i ...

** ** * Air Force Communications and Information Major General Harold M. McClelland Award **1 Jan 1990 – 31 Dec 1990

Photo gallery

File:280th CBCS Pic 1.jpg , 280th CBCS Members at Kadena AB File:280th CBCS Pic 2.jpg , 280th CBCS verify antenna installation at Kadena AB File:280th CBCS Pic 3.jpg , 280th CBCS members working on a Joint Base Station setup

References

External links

* https://web.archive.org/web/20110128184811/http://280thanniversary.com/ {{US Air Force navbox Combat Communications 0280 Military units and formations in Alabama Combat Communications 0280