The United States Air Force

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

's 119th Command and Control Squadron (119 CACS) is a space control unit located at McGhee Tyson ANGB, Tennessee

Tennessee

Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...

. The unit augments the operations of USSTRATCOM on a continuous basis.

Mission

The 119th Command and Control Squadron was one of the first Air National Guard

Air National Guard

The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...

 units to become a part of the United States Space Command (later United States Strategic Command). Its mission is augmentation for USSTRATCOM's global operations center (GOC) which coordinates and directs the use of the Department of Defense

United States Department of Defense

The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...

’s military space forces.

The 119 CACS provides support to Headquarters USSTRATCOM via three primary Command and Control mission areas: Global Operations, Homeland Defense Operations, and Natural Disaster Events.

History

The 119 CACS was originally activated as 119th Aircraft Warning and Control Squadron in 1950. Since its inception, the 119 ACS had always operated tactical (mobile) radar systems, but was slated to lose its mission and association with Air Combat Command

Air Combat Command

Air Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....

. This provided a fortuitous opportunity for the unit to be associated with USSPACECOM as a direct supporting unit. In the mid-1990s, USSPACECOM commander Gen Howard Estes III directed the command to expand the role of guard and reserve forces in operations from two percent to 20 percent.

Previous designations

• 119th Command and Control Squadron (16 Aug 2002–Present)
• 119th Air Control Squadron on (16 Jun 1992-16 Aug 2002)
• 119th Tactical Control Squadron (1 Sep 1965-16 Jun 1992)
• 119th Aircraft Warning & Control Flight (1 Dec 1953-1 Sep 1965)
• 119th Aircraft Warning & Control Squadron (21 Mar 1949-1 Dec 1953)

Commanders

• Lt Col David Evans (2008–Present)
• Lt Col Luttrell Gus Schettler (2003–2008)
• Lt Col John F. White (1995–2003)
• Lt Col Clyde Huskey(??-??)
• Lt. Col. Nick Hanson(1987–1993)
• Lt. Col. Fred Bonney (1974–1987)
• Lt Col James W. Manley (1972–1974)
• Lt Col Arthur P. Wright (1964–1972)
• Maj Oscar L. Williams Jr. (1952–1953)
• Col John R. Douglas (1950–1964)

Bases stationed

• McGhee Tyson ANGB, Tennessee
  Tennessee
  Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
  
  (16 Aug 2002–Present)
• Alcoa ANGS, Tennessee
  Tennessee
  Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
  
   (1 Sep 1965-16 Aug 2002)
• Otis Air Force Base (18 Jan 1952-1 Sep 1965)
• Knoxville National Guard Armory, Tennessee
  Tennessee
  Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
  
  (6 Oct 1950-18 Jan 1952)

Equipment Operated

• Global Command and Control System
  Global Command and Control System
  Global Command and Control System is a collection of SOA systems and applications which was developed to replace the Worldwide Military Command and Control System...
  
   (GCCS) suites (2002–Present)
• MILSTAR equipment (2002–Present)
• Modular Control Equipment (???-2002)

Decorations

• Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 
  • 2 Oct 2007–1 Oct 2008
  • 1 Jan 2006–1 Oct 2007
  • 1 Jan 2000–31 Dec 2001
  • 1 Jan 1996–31 Dec 1997
  • 1 Jan 1995–31 Dec 1995
  • 1 Jan 1990–31 Dec 1991
  • 1 Jan 1986–31 Dec 1987
  • 1 Jan 1984–31 Dec 1985

• Joint Meritorious Unit Award
  Joint Meritorious Unit Award
  The Joint Meritorious Unit Award is a military award that was established on June 4, 1981 by Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger and was implemented by Department of Defense Directive 1348.27 dated July 22, 1982...
  
  
  • 1 Jan 1999–3 Sep 2002
  • 8 Apr 1991–27 Oct 1991

• National Guard Meritorious Service Awards x 2
• Air Guard Outstanding Mission Support Squadron Awards x 2

External links

• 119th Command and Control Squadron Homepage
• Tennessee Air National Guard: 119th CACS