Description
PVC made/mounted on velcro 4.0 inch-100mm
12th AIRBORNE COMMAND AND CONTROL SQUADRON (ACC)
Lineage. 2 Antisubmarine Squadron (Heavy) (constituted as 523 Bombardment Squadron [Heavy] on 13 Oct 1942; activated on 18 Oct 1942; redesignated as 2 Antisubmarine Squadron [Heavy] on 23 Nov 1942; disbanded on 29 Jan 1944; reconstituted on 19 Sep 1985) and the 327 Ferrying Squadron (constituted on 12 May 1944; activated on 31 May 1944; inactivated on 5 Oct 1945; disbanded on 8 Oct 1948; reconstituted on 19 Sep 1985) consolidated (19 Sep 1985) with the 12 Special Operations Squadron (constituted 12 Air Commando Squadron [Defoliation], and activated, on 26 Aug 1966; organized on 15 Oct 1966; redesignated as 12 Special Operations Squadron on 1 Aug 1968; inactivated on 30 Sep 1970). Redesignated as 12 Airborne Command and Control Squadron on 19 Sep 1985. Activated on 29 Jan 1996. Allotted to the Air National Guard on 1 Oct 2002.
Assignments. 378 Bombardment Group (Heavy), 18 Oct 1942; 25 Antisubmarine Wing, 14 Dec 1942 (attached to: VIII Bomber Command, c. 2-15 Jan 1942; 1 Antisubmarine Group [Provisional], 15 Jan-1 Mar 1943; 2037 Antisubmarine Wing [Provisional], 1 Mar-21 Jun 1943); 480 Antisubmarine Group, 21 Jun 1943-29 Jan 1944. Mediterranean Air Transport Service, 31 May 1944; XII Air Force Service Command, c. 15 Sep-5 Oct 1945. Pacific Air Forces, 26 Aug 1966; 315 Air Commando Wing, Troop Carrier (later, 315 Air Commando Wing, 315 Special Operations Wing, 315 Tactical Airlift Wing), 15 Oct 1966-30 Sep 1970. 93 Operations Group, 29 Jan 1996-1 Oct 2002.
Stations. Langley Field, VA, 18 Oct-26 Dec 1942; St Eval, England, 2 Jan 1943; Craw Field, Port Lyautey, French Morocco, c. 11 Mar-25 Nov 1943 (air echelon operated from Agadir, French Morocco, Jul 1943); Clovis AAFld, NM, c. 4-29 Jan 1944. Capodichino AB, Naples, Italy, 31 May 1944-5 Oct 1945. Tan Son Nhut AB, South Vietnam, 15 Oct 1966; Bien Hoa AB, South Vietnam, 1 Dec 1966; Phan Rang AB, South Vietnam, 10 Jul-30 Sep 1970. Robins AFB, GA, 29 Jan 1996-.
Aircraft. B-17, 1942; B-18, 1942; B-34, 1942; B-24, 1942-1944. P-40, 1944; C-47, 1944-1945; C-46, 1945. C-123, 1966-1970. E-8, 1996-.
Operations. Flew antisubmarine patrols around England (Jan to Mar 1943) and French Morocco (Mar-Nov 1943), earning a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for its combat contributions in the Battle of the Atlantic against German submarines. Returned to US at end of 1943 and disbanded in Jan 1944. Activated as the 327 Ferrying Squadron on 31 May 1944 in Italy, where it flew cargo, passengers, and mail to destinations in Italy, Sardinia, Corsica, North Africa, and southern France. Moved to the US in late Sep 1945 and inactivated in Oct. Between 1966 and 1970, as the 12 Special Operations Squadron, sprayed defoliant herbicides and pesticides as part of Operation RANCH HAND and flew special missions, such as dropping leaflets or flares, during Vietnam War. Inactivated in Sep 1970. Activated as the 12 Airborne Command and Control Squadron in Jan 1996 to fly E-8 aircraft for air control and target attack radar system.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaign Streamers. World War II: Rome-Arno; Po Valley; Air Offensive, Europe; Rhineland; Antisubmarine, EAME Theater; Air Combat, EAME Theater. Vietnam: Vietnam Air Offensive; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase II; Vietnam Air/Ground; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase III; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase IV; Tet 69/ Counteroffensive; Vietnam Summer-Fall, 1969; Vietnam Winter-Spring, 1969-1970; Sanctuary Counteroffensive; Southwest Monsoon. Kosovo: Kosovo Air.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citation (European Theater of Operations and North Africa) [16 Jan]-28 Oct 1943. Presidential Unit Citations (Southeast Asia): [15 Oct] 1966-30 Jun 1967; 21 Jan-12 May 1968; 15 May 1968-15 Apr 1969; 1 Apr-30 Jun 1970. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat “V” Device: 15 Oct 1966-30 Apr 1967. Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: 15 Oct 1966-31 Jul 1970.
Lineage, Assignments, Stations, Commanders, Aircraft, Honors, and Operations through 1 Oct 2002.
Emblem. Approved on 12 Apr 2000.
16th AIRBORNE COMMAND AND CONTROL SQUADRON (ACC)
Lineage. Constituted as 380 Fighter Squadron (Single Engine) on 11 Feb 1943. Activated on 1 Mar 1943. Redesignated as: 380 Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 20 Aug 1943; 160 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 25 Aug 1944; 160 Reconnaissance Squadron, Photographic, (Jet Propelled), on 29 Jul 1946; 160 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Photographic-Jet, on 14 Jun 1948. Inactivated on 26 Apr 1949. Redesignated as 160 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Night Photographic, on 8 Aug 1950. Activated on 1 Sep 1950. Redesignated as: 16 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Night Photographic, on 10 Oct 1950; 16 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Night Photographic-Jet, on 8 Nov 1955; 16 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Photographic-Jet, on 1 Mar 1965; 16 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 8 Oct 1966; 16 Tactical Reconnaissance Training Squadron on 1 Oct 1979; 16 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 1 Jul 1982. Inactivated on 15 Dec 1989. Redesignated as 16 Airborne Command and Control Squadron on 15 Jan 1996. Allotted to the National Guard Bureau on 1 Oct 2002. Relieved from allotment to the National Guard Bureau, and assigned to Air Combat Command, on 1 Oct 2011.
Assignments. 363 Fighter (later, 363 Tactical Reconnaissance) Group, 1 Mar 1943 (air echelon attached to 10 Photographic Group, 24 Dec 1944-6 Feb 1945); 10 Reconnaissance Group, 15 Nov 1945; Tactical Air Command, 25 Jun 1947; 363 Reconnaissance (later, 363 Tactical Reconnaissance) Group, 24 Jul 1947-26 Apr 1949. 363 Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 1 Sep 1950; 363 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 8 Feb 1958; 2 Air Division (attached to 6250 Combat Support Group), 30 Oct 1965; 460 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 18 Feb 1966; 475 Tactical Fighter Wing, 15 Mar 1970; 363 Tactical Reconnaissance (later, 363 Tactical Fighter) Wing, 15 Feb 1971-15 Dec 1989. 93 Operations Group, 1 Oct 1996; 116 Air Control Wing, 1 Oct 2002; 416 Operations Group, 1 Oct 2011-.
Stations. Hamilton Field, CA, 1 Mar 1943; Santa Rosa AAFld, CA, 23 Aug 1943; Oakland Muni Aprt, CA, 8 Oct-2 Dec 1943; Keevil, England, 23 Dec 1943; Rivenhall, England, c. 3 Feb 1944; Staplehurst, England, 14 Apr 1944; Maupertus, France, c. 5 Jul 1944; Azeville, France, c. 22 Aug 1944; Montrevil, France, 9 Sep 1944; Sandweiler, Luxembourg, 11 Oct 1944; Le Culot, Belgium, 29 Oct 1944 (operated from Conflans, France, 24 Dec 1944-6 Feb 1945); Venlo, Holland, 11 Mar 1945; Gutersloh, Germany, 16 Apr 1945; Brunswick, Germany, 26 Apr 1945; Wiesbaden, Germany, 20 May 1945; Eschwege, Germany, 12 Jul 1945; Darmstadt, Germany, 22 Sep 1945; Furth, Germany, 24 Nov 1945; Furstenfeldbruck, Germany, 2 Mar 1947; Bad Kissengen, Germany, 14-25 Jun 1947; Langley Field (later, AFB), VA, 25 Jun 1947-26 Apr 1949. Langley AFB, VA, 1 Sep 1950; Shaw AFB, SC, 2 Apr 1951-27 Oct 1965 (operated from MacDill AFB, FL, 22 Oct-30 Nov 1962); Tan Son Nhut Afld (later, AB), South Vietnam, 30 Oct 1965; Misawa AB, Japan, 15 Mar 1970-15 Feb 1971; Shaw AFB, SC, 15 Feb 1971-15 Dec 1989. Robins AFB, GA, 1 Oct 1996-.
Aircraft. P-39, 1943; P-51, 1944-1945, 1946-1947; F-6, 1944-1945, 1946-1947; FP-80, 1947-1949. RB-26, 1950-1955; RB-57, 1954-1956; RB-66, 1956-1965; RF-4, 1965-1971, 1971-1982, 1982-1989. E-8 Joint STARS, 1996-.
Operations. Air defense until Nov 1943. Combat in Europe, 24 Feb 1944-5 May 1945. Replacement training, 1950-1953 and again 1971-1982. Reconnaissance over Cuba, Oct-Nov 1962. Combat in Southeast Asia, Oct 1965-Mar 1970. Tactical Reconnaissance, 1982-1989. Air combat control, 1996-. Squadron was not an Air National Guard (ANG) unit, but blended with active duty and ANG members, 2002-2011. Operated E-8 Joint SRARS (Surveillance Target Attack Radar System) that located, classified, tracked and targeted ground movements on the battlefield and communicated real-time information to US forces command posts, 2002-.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaign Streamers. World War II: Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe; Air Combat, EAME Theater. Vietnam: Vietnam Defensive; Vietnam Air; Vietnam Air Offensive; Vietnam Air Offensive Phase II; Vietnam Air/Ground; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase III; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase IV; Tet 69/Counteroffensive; Vietnam Summer-Fall, 1969; Vietnam Winter-Spring, 1970.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Presidential Unit Citations (Southeast Asia): 18 Feb 1966-30 Jun 1967; 1 Sep 1967-10 Jul 1968; 11 Jul 1968-31 Aug 1969. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards with Combat “V” Device: 1 Jul 1965-30 Jun 1966; 1 Jul 1966-30 Jun 1967; 1 Jul 1967-30 Jun 1968; 1 Jul 1969-[15 Mar] 1970. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 23 Oct-24 Nov 1962; 1 Jul 1974-1 Jul 1976; 2 Jul 1976-30 Jun 1978; 1 Oct 1981-1 Jun 1983; 15 Sep 1989-[15] Dec 1989; 31 Aug 2004-31 May 2006; 1 Jun 2006-31 May 2007. Cited in the Order of the Day, Belgian Army: 1 Oct-17 Dec 1944; 18 Dec 1944-15 Jan 1945. Belgian Fourragere. Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: 1 Apr 1966-15 Mar 1970.
Emblem. Approved on 31 Jul 1952; modified and approved by the Chief of Staff of the Air Force (CSAF) and recorded on 3 Feb 1995.