963d Airborne Air Control Squadron
| 963d Airborne Air Control Squadron | |
|---|---|
E-3 AWACS Aircraft
|
|
| Active | 1942-1944; 1944-1946; 1946-1949; 1954-1976; 1976-present |
| Country |
 United States
|
| Branch |
 United States Air Force
|
| Type | Squadron |
| Role | Airborne command and control |
| Part of | Air Combat Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Tinker Air Force Base |
| Mascot(s) | Blue Knights |
| Engagements |
Desert Storm/Desert Shield Iraq War |
| Decorations |
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm |
| Insignia | |
| 963d Airborne Air Control Squadron emblem (approved 24 May 1977) |  |
| Patch with 963d Airborne Early Warning and Control Squadron emblem (approved 15 August 1956) |  |
The 963d Airborne Air Control Squadron is a squadron of the United States Air Force based at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. The squadron is a subordinate unit of the 552d Operations Group and it flies the Boeing E-3 Sentry radar surveillance aircraft. The squadron currently falls under the authority of Air Combat Command and Twelfth Air Force.
The 963d's mascot is the Blue Knight which is represented on the unit's insignia as a blue colored winged chess knight. The background is a series of black and white squares that resembles a chess board. Three bolts of lightning emitted from the knight's eye shows the lightning fast deployability of the AWACS, and the knight's wings represents the flying mission of the unit.
The 963d Airborne Early Warning and Control Squadron was activated, on 8 July 1955 at McClellan Air Force Base, California. The squadron flew the EC-121 Warning Star, which was a military version of the Lockheed Constellation aircraft, until the unit's inactivation in April 1976.
The inactivation lasted less than a week however, as the Air Force again activated the unit on 5 May 1976 and redesignated it as the 963d Airborne Warning and Control Squadron (963 AWACS). On 1 July 1976, the squadron relocated to Tinker AFB, Oklahoma. The squadron was under the command of the 552 AWACW, which reported directly to Headquarters, Tactical Air Command. The squadron began flying the new E-3 Sentry aircraft upon being reactivated. This new airframe is a military version of the Boeing 707 aircraft.
During the 1980s the squadron flew training missions in Saudi Arabia and throughout the Middle East.
In 1990 the squadron deployed to Riyadh AB, Saudi Arabia with the military build-up prior to Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm.
...
Wikipedia