8th Weapons Squadron
Encyclopedia
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...
unit, assigned to the USAF Weapons School
USAF Weapons School
The USAF Weapons School is a unit of the United States Air Force, assigned to the 57th Wing. It is stationed at Nellis AFB, Nevada.-Mission:...
at Nellis AFB, Nevada.
The squadron inherited the lineage of the 8th Airborne Command and Control Squadron. The 8th’s history includes flying cargo aircraft to supply people and munitions around the South Pacific during WWII. Known then as the 8th Combat Cargo Squadron, the unit’s C-46s and C-47s likely shared “ramp space” with the 433rd Fighter Squadron’s (now the F-15C Weapons Squadron) P-38s in New Guinea and the Philippines in 1944 and 1945. The 8th Airborne Command and Control Squadron flew the EC-135 to provide airborne command and control for deploying fighter squadrons over the Atlantic Ocean, and supporting the movement of key Air Combat Command leadership.
Overview
Provides advanced training for Airborne Warning and Control System and Ground Theater Air Control System officers. Also includes training to weapons officers for the RC-135 Rivet Joint, EC-130H Compass Call and the E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System communities.World War II
Ferried aircraft to combat theaters and to BrazilBrazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
from the Southeast United States under the lend-lease
Lend-Lease
Lend-Lease was the program under which the United States of America supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, China, Free France, and other Allied nations with materiel between 1941 and 1945. It was signed into law on March 11, 1941, a year and a half after the outbreak of war in Europe in...
program using the Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its mission was to meet the urgent demand for the speedy reinforcement of the United States' military bases worldwide during World War II, using an air supply system to supplement surface transport...
South Atlantic air ferry route, Mar 1942-Mar 1944.
Aerial transportation in Southwestern and Western Pacific, Nov 1944-Sep 1945 as a Combat Cargo Squadron, operating under Fifth Air Force
Fifth Air Force
The Fifth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan....
. Operated from Biak to fly passengers and cargo to US bases in Australia, New Guinea, the Admiralties, and the Philippines. Also dropped supplies to US and guerrilla forces in the Philippines. Moved to Leyte in May 1945. Maintained flights to bases in Australia, New Guinea, and the Philippines; transported personnel and supplies to the Ryukyus, and evacuated casualties on return flights. Transported personnel and equipment of the occupation forces to Japan and ferried liberated prisoners of war to the Philippines. Moved to Japan in September 1945 where it operated until being inactivated in January 1946
Cold War
Reactivated under Caribbean Air Command in 1949. Operated cargo flights from Albrook AFB providing logistical and supply support to installations in Panama and Latin America, Oct 1949-Feb 1952.Reactivated in 1972 as EC-121 Airborne command post for tactical deployments worldwide, Feb 1972-May 1996. Has been involved in every United States combat operation since the Vietnam War. Deployed personnel and equipment to Spain and airfield personnel and equipment into Saudi Arabia, Aug 1990-c. Mar 1991 as part of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm.
Modern era
Its current squadron was formed in 1978, when the concept of Air Weapons Controller was added to the established concept of Fighter Weapons. The first Air Weapons Controllers graduated in December 1984 to become Fighter Weapons School instructors. Instruction at the 8th Weapons Squadron continues to this very day in the fields of United States Air Force tactical air control system (TACS), Air Battle Management (ABM), Electronic Warfare Support (ES), Electronic attack (EA) and their integration in operations. The course has graduated over 350 instructors who have been key to every conflict and contingency since 1985.Lineage
- Constituted 8th Air Corps Ferrying Squadron on 18 Feb 1942
- Activated on 24 Mar 1942
- Re-designated 8th Ferrying Squadron on 12 May 1943
- Disbanded on 31 Mar 1944
- Reconstituted and consolidated (19 Sep 1985) with: 8th Combat Cargo Squadron
- Constituted on 25 Apr 1944
- Activated on 1 May 1944
- Inactivated on 15 Jan 1946
- Disbanded on 8 Oct 1948
- Reconstituted and consolidated (19 Sep 1985) with: 8th Helicopter Flight
- Constituted on 7 Oct 1949
- Activated on 27 Oct 1949
- Inactivated on 19 Feb 1952
- Activated on 14 Mar 1952
- Inactivated on 16 Dec 1952
- Reconstituted and consolidated (19 Sep 1985) with: 8th Tactical Deployment Control Squadron
- Constituted 8th Airborne Command and Control Squadron on 14 Aug 1969
- Activated on 15 Oct 1969
- Inactivated on 8 Mar 1971
- Activated on 1 Feb 1972
- Re-designated: 8th Tactical Deployment Control Squadron on 30 Apr 1974
- Re-designated: 8th Air Deployment Control Squadron on 1 Nov 1990
- Re-designated: 8th Airborne Command and Control Squadron on 1 Jul 1994
- Inactivated on 15 May 1996
- Re-designated 8th Weapons Squadron on 24 Jan 2003
- Activated on 3 Feb 2003.
Assignments
- Nashville Sector, Ferrying Command (later, Nashville Sector, Domestic Wing, Ferrying Command; 4th Ferrying Group), 24 Mar 1942-31 Mar 1944
- 2d Combat Cargo Group2d Combat Cargo GroupThe 2d Combat Cargo Group is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. Its last duty station was at Yokota Air Base, Japan, where it was inactivated on 15 January 1946.-Lineage:...
, 1 May 1944-15 Jan 1946
- Attached to 5298th Troop Carrier Wing [Provisional], Nov-Dec 1944
- 5700th Air Base Group, 27 Oct 1949-19 Feb 1952
- Eighteenth Air ForceEighteenth Air ForceEighteenth Air Force is a Numbered Air Force component of the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It was activated on 1 October 2003 and headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois...
(attached to 16th Troop Carrier Squadron), 14 Mar-16 Dec 1952 - 4500th Air Base Wing, 15 Oct 1969-8 Mar 1971
- Tactical Air CommandTactical Air CommandTactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
, 1 Feb 1972 - 552d Airborne Warning and Control Wing (later, 552d Airborne Warning and Control Division; 552d Airborne Warning and Control Wing)552d Air Control WingThe 552d Air Control Wing is an operational wing of the United States Air Force based at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. The wing flies the E-3 Sentry aircraft.-History:...
, 1 Jan 1978 - 28th Air Division, 1 Mar 1986
- 552d Operations Group, 29 May 1992-15 May 1996
- USAF Weapons SchoolUSAF Weapons SchoolThe USAF Weapons School is a unit of the United States Air Force, assigned to the 57th Wing. It is stationed at Nellis AFB, Nevada.-Mission:...
, 3 Feb 2003-Present
Stations
- Berry Field, Nashville, TN, 24 Mar 1942
- Memphis Municipal AirportMemphis International AirportMemphis International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located three miles south of the central business district of Memphis, a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States....
, TN, 9 Dec 1942-31 Mar 1944 - Syracuse Army Airbase, NY, 1 May 1944
- Baer Field, IN, 6-27 Oct 1944
- Finschhafen Airfield, New Guinea, Nov 1944
- Mokmer Airfield, Biak, New Guinea, Jan 1945
- Dulag AirfieldDulag AirfieldDulag Airfield is a World War II airfield located near Dulag in the province of Leyte, Philippines. It was closed after the war.-History:The airfield was built by the Japanese during the Occupation of the Philippines in 1943...
, Leyte, 19 Mar 1945 - Okinawa, 25 Aug 1945
- Yokota AB, Japan, Sep 1945-15 Jan 1946
- Albrook AFB, CZ, 27 Oct 1949-19 Feb 1952
- Sewart AFB, TN, 14 Mar-16 Dec 1952
- Langley AFB, VA, 15 Oct 1969-8 Mar 1971
- Seymour Johnson AFB, NC, 1 Feb 1972
- Tinker AFB, OK, 15 Jun 1978-15 May 1996
- Nellis AFB, NV, 3 Feb 2003-Present
Aircraft
- None (ferried aircraft), 1942-1944
- C-46 CommandoC-46 CommandoThe Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando was a transport aircraft originally derived from a commercial high-altitude airliner design. It was instead used as a military transport during World War II by the United States Army Air Forces as well as the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps under the designation R5C...
, 1944-1945 - C-47 SkytrainC-47 SkytrainThe Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
, 1944, 1945 - H-5 Dragonfly (Helicopter), 1949-1952
- H-19 ChickasawH-19 ChickasawFor other uses of "H19" see H19 .The Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw, was a multi-purpose helicopter used by the United States Army and United States Air Force. It was also license-built by Westland Aircraft as the Westland Whirlwind in the United Kingdom...
(Helicopter), 1952 - EC-121 Warning StarEC-121 Warning StarThe Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star was a United States Navy and United States Air Force airborne early warning radar surveillance aircraft. A military version of the Lockheed Constellation, it was designed to serve as an airborne early warning system to supplement the Distant Early Warning Line,...
, 1969-1970 - EC/C-135C-135 Stratolifter|-See also:-External links:* at Globalsecurity.org...
, 1972-1996.