26th Tactical Missile Squadron
| 26th Tactical Missile Squadron | |
|---|---|
|
| |
| Active | 1942-1943, 1959-1972 |
| Country |
 United States |
| Branch |
 United States Air Force |
| Role | Air Defense |
| Size | Squadron |
| Part of | Air Defense Command |
| Motto(s) | Vigilant Defender |
| Equipment | CIM-10 Bomarc |
| Insignia | |
| Patch with 26th Air Defense Missile Squadron emblem |
 |
The 26th Tactical Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 21st Air Division, Aerospace Defense Command, stationed near Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts. It was inactivated on 30 April 1972.
History
The squadron was activated on 1 March 1959 as the 26th Air Defense Missile Squadron (BOMARC)[1] and stood alert during the Cold War, equipped with IM-99 (later CIM-10) BOMARC surface to air antiaircraft missiles. The squadron was tied into a Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) direction center which could use analog computers to process information from ground radars, picket ships and airborne aircraft[2] to accelerate the display of tracking data at the direction center to quickly direct the missile site to engage hostile aircraft.[3] It was inactivated on 30 April 1972.[1]
The BOMARC missile site was located 1 mile (1.6 km) north-northwest of Otis AFB at 41°40′56″N 070°32′21″W / 41.68222°N 70.53917°W. Although located outside of the base (but within the borders of the Massachusetts Military Reservation, it was treated as an off base facility and the squadron received administrative and logistical support from Otis.
In 1985, the squadron was consolidated with the 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, a World War II unit of the Army Air Forces that had provided air support for the training of ground forces,[4] but has never been active with this designation.
Lineage
- Constituted as the 26th Observation Squadron (Light) on 5 February 1942[4]
- Activated on 2 March 1942[4]
- Redesignated as the 26th Observation Squadron on 4 July 1942[4]
- Redesignated as the 26th Reconnaissance Squadron (Fighter) on 2 April 1943[4]
- Redesignated as the 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 11 August 1943[4]
- Disbanded on 30 November 1943[4]
- Reconstituted on 19 September 1985 and consolidated with the 26th Air Defense Missile Squadron as the 26th Tactical Missile Squadron[5]
- Constituted as the 26th Air Defense Missile Squadron on 23 January 1959
- Activated on 1 March 1959
- Inactivated on 30 April 1972
- Consolidated with the 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron as the 26th Tactical Missile Squadron on 19 September 1985[5]
Assignments
- 70th Observation Group (later 70th Reconnaissance Group, 70th Tactical Reconnaissance Group), 2 March 1942 - 30 November 1943
- Boston Air Defense Sector, 1 March 1959[1]
- 35th Air Division, 1 April 1966[1]
- 21st Air Division, 19 November 1969 – 30 April 1972[1]
Stations
- Gray Field, Washington, 2 March 1942[1]
- Salinas Army Air Base, California, 15 March 1943[1]
- Redmond Army Air Field, Oregon, 16 August 1943[1]
- Corvallis Army Air Field, Oregon, 31 October 1943[1]
- Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma, 14 November 1943 - 30 November 1943[1]
- Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts, 1 March 1959 - 30 April 1972
Awards
| Award streamer | Award | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 January 1967 - 30 June 1968 | 24th Air Defense Missile Squadron[6] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 January 1970 - 30 June 1971 | 24th Air Defense Missile Squadron[7] |
| Campaign Streamer | Campaign | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
.png){kind=small} |
American Theater of World War II | 2 March 1942 - 30 November 1943 | 24th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron[4] |
Aircraft and Missiles
- North American O-47, 1942-1943
- Bell P-39 Airacobra, 1943
- Boeing IM-99 (later CIM-10) BOMARC, 1959 -1972
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Cornett & Johnson, p. 150
- ↑ Winkler & Webster, p. 39
- ↑ Winkler & Webster, p. 3
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 136
- 1 2 DAF/MPM Letter 662q, 19 Sep 1985, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Tactical Squadrons
- ↑ AF Pamphlet 900-2, p. 147
- ↑ AF Pamphlet 900-2, Vol. 2, p. 22
Bibliography
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.
- Cornett, Lloyd H; Johnson, Mildred W (1980). A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization, 1946–1980 (PDF). Peterson AFB, CO: Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center.
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.
- Winkler, David F.; Webster, Julie L (1997). Searching the skies: The legacy of the United States Cold War Defense Radar Program (PDF). Champaign, IL: US Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories. LCCN 97020912.
- AF Pamphlet 900-2, Unit Decorations, Awards and Campaign Participation Credits Department of the Air Force, Washington, DC, 15 June 1971
- AF Pamphlet 900-2, Unit Decorations, Awards and Campaign Participation Credits, Vol II Department of the Air Force, Washington, DC, 30 September 1976]
