A GUIDETO AIR FORCE LINEAGE AND HONORS
CHARLES A RAVENSTEIN
Research Division USAF Historical Research Center Maxwell Air Force Base
1984
Second Edition, Revised
I A GUIDE TO
AIR FORCE LINEAGE AND HONORS
Char1 es A. Ravenstei n
Research Division USAF Historical Research Center Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
Second Edition, Revi sed 1984 PREFACE
A Guide to Air Force Lineage and Honors, in its second edition, draws on material from numerous Air Force publications and the experience of many
Air Force historians. Or. Albert F. Simpson, the Air Force Historian from
1946 to 1969, and Dr. Maurer Maurer, his long-time assistant and editor of two books presenting lineage and honors histories of Air Force organiza- tions, * prepared many of the rules and guides that appear in the text.
The author contributed others where none existed.
This work combines these guides for those desiring to know more about
Air Force unit and establishment history. Chapter One examines different types of units and establishments, the major differences between Air Force- control led (AFCON) and Major Command-control led (MAJCON) organizations, provisional organizations, and related matters. Chapter Two addresses lineage, describing what it is, why it is important, its sources, and Air
Force lineage policy. Because lineage and honors histories employ terms that have had different meanings over time, Chapter Three reviews and defines these in some detail. Chapter Four describes the sources of honors data, and discusses how some unit honors are shared. Chapters Five and
Six, the last two chapters, are addressed primarily to Air Force historians, - * --Air Force Combat Units of World War I1 (1961; reprint ed., Washington: USGPO, 1983), and Combat S uadrons of the Air Force, World War I1 (1969; reprint ed., Washmoh1982).
iii although some topics, such as organization colors, are of general interest.
Chapter Five considers the lineage and honors data required in Air Force unit histories: Chapter Six examines common errors found in unit h stories and offers guidance that field historians can follow to avoid them
Appendix 1 presents a compilation of Table of Distribution (T/D) unit numbers used by the service between 1944 and 1982; Appendix 2 lists primary Air Force directives touching upon lineage and honors.
Heartfelt thanks are owed Albert F. Simpson and Maurer Maurer, who guided my initial lineage and honors endeavors during the 1960s and early
1970s. A special debt is owed R. Cargill Hal , Chief of the Research
Division, for his enthusiastic support and ed torial counsel. Finally, grateful thanks must go to Pauline Tubbs, the Research Division editorial assistant who provided the typing, proofreading, and editing that brought this manuscript to the printer. Comments and questions concerning this guide should be addressed to USAFHRC/RI, Maxwell AFB AL 36112.
CHARLES A. RAVENSTEIN January 1984 Montgomery, A1 abama
iv .. .
CONTENTS
PREFACE ...... iii LIST OF TABLES ...... viii CHAPTER ONE . TYPES OF USAF ORGANIZATIONS...... 1 Units ...... 1 Headquarters Units ...... 1 Squadron Units ( Including F1 ights) ...... 3 Miscellaneous Units ...... 3 Identification of Units ...... 3 Establishments ...... 4 AFCON and MAJCON Organizations ...... 5 AFCON Organizational Actions ...... 6 AAF Base Units ...... 8 MAJCON Organizational Actions ...... 10 "Conversion" of MAJCON Units to AFCON Units ...... 12 Provi sional Organi zat ions ...... 13 Identi fyi ng MAJCON/AFCON Units ...... 14 Non.Units ...... 15 Named Activities ...... 15 Alphabetically Designated Flights ...... 17 Detachments ...... 18 Squadron Sections ...... 20 Air Force Elements ...... 20 CHAPTER TWO . LINEAGE ...... 23 What is Lineage? ...... 23 Identifying Organizations ...... 24 Unit and Establishment Lineages ...... 26 Importance of Lineage ...... 29
V Page
USAF Policy Regarding Lineage ...... 32 Sources of Lineage Data in the Field ...... 37 G-Series Orders ...... 37 Movement Orders ...... 37 Operations P1 ans/Orders ...... 38 Understanding "Bestowed" Hi story ...... 38 CHAPTER THREE . LINEAGE LANGUAGE ...... 47 Accepted Language : Terms Def ined ...... 47 Unit/Establishrnent Lineage Terms ...... 62 Unacceptable Language ...... 62 CHAPTER FOUR . UNIT HONORS ...... 73 Service Streamers ...... 73 Campaign Streamers ...... 75 Arrowheads ...... 79 Decorations ...... 80 American Decorations ...... 80 Foreign Decorations...... 81 Sharing of Honors ...... 83 Sharing Decorations ...... 83 Sharing Campaign Streamers ...... 86 Confusion of Unit and Non-Unit Honors ...... 90 Sources of Honors Data ...... 91 AFP900.2 ...... 91 USAFHRC Publications ...... 91 DAF GB-Series Orders ...... 91 CHAPTER FIVE . PREPARING USAF LINEAGE AND HONORS HISTORIES ...... 93 What are L&H Histories?...... 93 Completing the L&H Appendix in Unit Histories ...... 94 Unit Designation ...... 94
vi Page Previous Designation ...... 94 Authority ...... 95 Higher Headquarters ...... 97 Commander ...... 100 Vice Commander ...... 103 Units Newly Assigned During Period ...... 104 Assigned Units Lost ...... 106 Internal Reassignments ...... 106 Units Attached (for Operational Control ) ...... 107 Attached Units Lost ...... 108 Units Detached ...... 109 Units Relieved from Detached Status ...... 110 Station ...... 110 Aircraft Flown ...... 112 Awards and Decorations ...... 113 Emblem., ...... 114 CHAPTER SIX . REPORTING LINEAGE AND HONORS IN FIELD HISTORIES ..... 115 The Importance of Proper Unit Designation ...... 115 Erroneous Designations ...... 115 Improper Use of "Kedesignated" ...... 120 Reporting the Activity of Attached Components ...... 125 Reporting Units "Detached" or "Deployed" ...... 129
A "Components" Appendix in the Unit History ...... 131 Station Lists in the Unit History ...... 134 Listing Key Personnel in the Unit History ...... 137 Listing Weapon Systems in the Unit History ...... 140 Organization Colors ...... 143 Squadron Colors ...... 145
APPENDIX 1 .THE NUMBERING OF TABLE OF DISTRIBUTION (T/D) UNITS .... 149 Tabulation 1 .Air Force Base Units. 1944-1948 ...... 149 Tabulation 2 . Major Command-Controlled Units. 1948-1982 ... 151 APPENDIX 2 .REFERENCES TO AIR FORCE DIRECTIVES ...... 155
vii LIST OF TABLES
Page 1 . USAFUnits ...... 2 2 . Unit and Establ ishment Lineages ...... 30 3 . Terms Used in AFCON and MAJCON Unit Lineage ...... 63 4 . Terms Used in AFCON and MAJCON Establishment Lineage ...... 67 5 . Sample Wing Components List (900th TFW. 1 Oct-31 Dec 1971) .... 133 6 . Sample Station List (900th TFW. 1 Oct-31 Dec 1971) ...... 135 7 . Sample Key Personnel List (1000th TFW. 1 Oct-31 Dec 1980) ..... 141 8 . Sample Aircraft Weapon Systems List ...... 142
viii CHAPTER ONE
TYPES OF USAF ORGANIZATIONS
To function effectively, Air Force military and civilian personnel
must understand the different kinds of organizations that comprise the
service, and be able to identify and describe them. Units and establish-
ments are the two bas c types of organizat ons found in the Air Force.
--Units
Over the years, different definitions of a un t have appeared in Ai r
Force directives. Air Force Regulation (AFR) 26-2 "Organi zat ion Pol CY
and Guidance'' (13 April 1978), states:
Unit. A military organization constituted by directives issuemHQ USAF, or designated by a major command (MAJCOM) or separate operating agency (SOA). Units fall into three categories : headquarters, squadrons, and miscell aneous . Units such as bands, medical groups, hospitals, dispensaries, and schools are in the miscellaneous category. Such units do not have a headquarters nor do they normally have subordinate elements assigned to them.
Military units have an officer designated as the commander. Civilians may be assigned to a unit in a supervisory capacity, including work di rection, but they may not assume the attri butes of military command. c Headauarters Units
This type of unit serves as the headquarters of an establishment
and is always identifiable by the word "headquarters" in its designation.
Table 1, below, lists some representat ve headquarters units among a
variety of past and present USAF organ zations. A variation of the 2
TABLE 1 - USAF Units
Numerical / Generic Functional Geographical (type) (kind) (unit title)
Headquarters Units
HQ, United States Air Force HQ, AF (the) United States HQ, Air Force Systems Command HQ, Comand Air Force Systems HQ, Air Force Audit Agency HQ, Agency Air Force Audit HQ, Air Weather Service HQ, Service Air Weather HQ, Third Air Force HQ, Force Ai r Third HQ, USAF Special Operations Force HQ, Force USAF Special Ops. HQ, European Comunications Area HQ, Area Communications European HQ, AF Office of Scientific Reasearch HQ, Office AF, Scientific Rsch. HQ, USAF Cryptologic Depot HQ, Depot USAF Cryptologic HQ, Keesler Technical Training Center HQ, Center Technical Training Kees 1er HQ, Space & Missile Systems Organization HQ, Organization Space & Missile Systems HQ, AF Eastern Test Range HQ, Range Air Force Test Eastern HQ, Central Air Force Reserve Region HQ, Region Air Force Reserve Central HQ, Aerospace Medical Division HQ, Division Aerospace Medical HQ, 14th Air Division HQ, Division Ai r 14th HQ, 1st Medical Service Wing HQ, Wing Medical Service 1st HQ, 21st Composite Wing HQ, Wing Composite 21st HQ, 1931st Comunications Group HQ, Group Comuni cations 1931st
Squadron Units
USAF Air Demonstration Squadron Squadron USAF Air Demonstration 1st Civi 1 Engi neeri ng Squadron Squadron Civi 1 Engineering 1st 7th Field Maintenance Squadron Squadron Field Maintenance 7th 99th Bombardment Squadron , Heavy Squadron Bombardment, Heavy 99th 1st Aeromedical Staging Flight F1 ight Aeromedi ca 1 Stagi ng 1st 7111th Support F1 ight F1 ight Support 7111th
Miscell aneous Units
Air Force Institute of Technology Institute AF , Technology Air War College Col 1ege Air War Ai r University Library Library Air University Squadron Officer School School Squadron Offi cer Air Force Avionics Laboratory Laboratory AF Avionics 6571st Aerospace Research Laboratory Laboratory Aerospace Res ea rch 6571st Orientation Group, USAF Group Orientation , USAF Air Force Global Weather Central Central AF Global Weather USAF Home Town News Center Center USAF Home Town News USAF Hospital , Hill Hospital U SAF Hi 11 USAF Regional Hospital, Eglin Hospital USAF Regional Egl in 377th USAF Hospital Hospital USAF 377th USAF Dispensary, Alconbury Dispensary USAF Alconbury 39th USAF Dispensary Dispensary USAF 39th USAF C1 inic, Andersen Clinic USAF Andersen 6251st USAF C1 inic Clinic USAF 6251st The USAF Band Band The USAF 501st USAF Band Band USAF 501st Strategic Air Combat Operations Staff Staff Strat, Air Cmbt, Ops. Air Force Computer Acquisitions Office Office AF Computer Acquisitions AF Central Notice to Airman Facility Faci 1 ity Notice to Ai rman Central AF Data Automation Management AF Data Automation Mgt. Engi neeri ng Team Team Engineering 3 kadquarters unit existed early in Air Force history: Headquarters and
Headquarters Squadron (usually abbreviated as "Hq & Hq Sq"). Since 1947, this term has been equivalent to the designation "headquarters" in unit organization, but prior to 1947 the "Hq & Hq Sq" designation referred to
-two units. The "headquarters" was the basic unit of the establishment, while the "headquarters squadron" was a separate, but linked, unit.
Overhead personnel were generally assigned to the headquarters squadron.
On occasion , the "headquarters squadron" inactivated or even disbanded, thereby reducing a "Hq & Hq Sq" designation simply to "headquarters."
Squadron Units (Including Flights)
The squadron has been the basic air unit since the designation of the 1st Aero Squadron in 1913. The category includes the flight, because numbered flights are merely abbreviated squadrons. These units are recog- nized easily by the word "squadron" or "flight" in their designations.
Miscell aneous Units
This type of unit includes all units not covered by the headquarters and squadron categories. Table 1 also lists an assortment of miscellaneous units, some quite large, as well as squadron-level units.
Identification of Units
For administrative and operational purposes, each category of Air
Force unit--headquarters , squadron , or miscellaneous--must be readi ly identifiable; it must have a distinctive designation. Each unit, there- fore, has a generic name (for example, squadron) denoting its position in the hierarchy, a functional name (for example, bombardat) describing its primary mission, and in most cases a numerical or geographical name 4
(for example, 9th as in "9th Bombardment Squadron" or Craig as in "USAF
Hospital, Craig") distinguishing it from other units with the same function.
Establ ishments
An estab ishment is an organizational entity to which no personne are
(or can be) assigned. Its people are always assigned to the establishment headquarters or to other assigned components. Of the three categories of Air Force units, the headquarters unit is always associated with an establishment. The headquarters unit is the directing element of an establishment, and an establishment cannot exist without a headquarters component. AFR 26-2 def ines an establ ishment as :
An entity consisting of a headquarters, at group level or above, to which subordinate units are or can be assigned with attendant personnel , equipment, and faci 1 iti es . [It represents a1 1 elements under command jurisdiction of the establishment commander.] The name of the establishment is implicit in the name of the headquarters unit.
Organizations without a headquarters are -not establishments. (See miscellaneous units in Table 1.)
Until the origin of Table of Distribut on (T/D) or major air comnand- controlled (MAJCON) establishments in 1944, all Army Air Forces (AAF) establishments were considered the "constituted" type, because they could be discontinued or inactivated and later brought back to active status.
After 1948, MAJCON establishments above wing level were also treated like
Air Force-control1 AFCON) establishments that could be activated after *( being discontinued, inactivated, or disbanded. 5
Every Air Force unit, unless provisional, is assigned to some estab- lishment. The normal ''chain of command" is the assignment of squadrons and flights to groups, groups to wings, wings to divisions, divisions to air forces, air forces to commands, and commands to USAF. "Headquarters,
7th Combat Support Group" is the headquarters unit of the establishment,
"7th Combat Support Group." Because one unit is never assigned to another unit, the subordinate components of the group are assigned to the estab- lishment (group) and not to the group's headquarters, as depicted below:
7th Combat Support Group (the establishment) Headquarters, 7th Combat Support Group (the primary unit ) 7th Comnunications Squadron (a component) 7th Civi 1 Engineering Squadron (a component) 7th Security Police Squadron (a component).
AFCON and MAJCON Oraani zati ons
All Air Force units and establishments are divided into two basic types: Air Force-controlled (AFCON) or major command-controlled (MAJCON).
(Some MAJCON units are also controlled by separate operating agencies
[SOAs]). Within the MAJCON variety, a third type of unit and establishment appears, called "provisional .'I All provisional units and establishments are controlled by major commands (MAJCOMs) or separate operating agencies and have certai n characteristics of regular MAJCON organi zati ons . Before 1944 all units and establishments of the Army Air Forces and its predecessors were constituted units, with personnel authorized by a
Table of Organization and Equipment (T/O&E), often referred to simply as the 'IT/O." (Until 1922, it is true, all units were authorized, designated, 6 and organized rather than constituted and activated, but they operated as
T/O units. After 1922 all air units were constituted, activated, and manned under a T/O approved by the War Department.) With the advent of
Table of Distribution (T/D) units in 1944, the Army Air Forces possessed two basic types of units that began to be described as "T/O&E" and "T/D."
By the 1950s some constituted and activated units were manned as non-T/O units, using special unit manning documents (UMD) rather than T/O&Es for their personnel authorizations. By 1955 those units using T/O&E or UMD documents for personnel authorizations were comnonly referred to as
"constituted" units, in contrast to "designated" (nonconstituted) units whose personnel were authorized by T/Ds.
AFCON Organizational Actions
When air units f rst appeared in the Army, the authorization for their desi gnat ion and organ zation came from War Department letters. In 1948,
Department of the Air Force (DAF) letters became the authority for the constitution and activation of those units controlled (organizationally) by Headquarters USAF. The term "AFCON," which came into use in October 1959, refers to consti tuted-and-acti vated units . AFCON organi zations are always constituted by Headquarters USAF and assigned to major comnands or separate operating agencies for activation. (For a short period, 1959-1968, all AFCON organizations were constituted -and activated by Headquarters
USAF, and then assigned to the MAJCOMs and SOAs for organization.) All organi zat onal actions of AFCON units, inc uding intercomnand reassignment, 7
are controlled by Headquarters USAF through DAF letters issued by the * Director of Manpower and Organization.
The effective activation date is the date published in the orders of
the pertinent MAJCOM or SOA, or as stated in the DAF letter ordering the
activation. All actions directed by a DAF letter to become effective on or
about a certain date must occur within that month and not more than 7 days
before or after the specified "on/about" date. AFCON organizations are
either named or assigned a number of no more than three digits (a practice
that has prevailed since 1948 when four-digit units were reserved for
MAJCON organizations). Inactivation of AFCON organizations also must be
authorized by DAF letter, and upon inactivation the organizations revert to I' Department of the Air Force control unless the letter specifies otherwise--
a rare occurrence.
AFCON organizations are either active, inactive, or disbanded. Active
organizations are either regular Air Force, Air Force Reserve, or Air
National Guard organizations. Inactive organizations are either consti -
tuted but not yet activated, or activated and later inactivated. Disbanded
organizations are those for which the legal authority has been withdrawn
and their designations retired, preserved only in historical records. A
disbanded organization may be reconstituted and returned to the inactive
list, thereby becoming available for activation.
* The letter designations used by the USAF Manpower and Organization (M&O) staff agency, and earlier the War Department M&O staff agency, has had several variations including AG 322, AFOOR, AFCOR, AFOMA, AFOMO, DAF/PRM, and the present DAF/MPM. z
8
The life of an AFCON _Iunit begins with its constitution and continues,
whether active or inactive, through all redesignations, until such time as
it is disbanded. Even then it can be reconstituted and activated, thereby
regaining possession of its history, honors, and emblem. An AFCON unit can
be consolidated, but only with another AFCON unit, to form a single unit.
The life of an AFCON establishment begins with its establishment
(either inactive or active) and continues, whether active or inactive,
through redesignations, until such time as it is disestablished. It can be
reestablished (either active or inactive). The lineage of an establishment
depends entirely on the status of its headquarters component. An AFCON
establishment may also be consolidated, but only with another AFCON establ ishment , to form a si ngl e establ ishment . AAF Base Units
No "MAJCON" organizations existed in the Army Air Forces until early
1944 when the AAF developed a new, temporary organization known as the
Army Air Forces Base Unit (AAFBU) , usually referred to as "AAF Base Units"
or as "nonconstituted units .I' The personnel authorizations for these base
units came from a T/D document rather than a T/O&E. Instead of being
constituted- and -activated, as were T/O&E units, the base units were
designated- and organized by the major comnands, numbered air forces
(U.S.-based only), and certain large centers located in the United States.
(Eventually, the Air Transport Command was authorized to use base units
outside the United States, but this privilege was not extended to any 9
other command.)* The new units provided overhead personnel to operate
bases, depots, schools, wings, air forces, arid commands, and most base
units replaced several T/O units which were then inactivated or disbanded,
incl udi ng the "Headquarters Squadron" portion of many hi gher echelon "Hq &
Hq Sq" units.
War Department Circular No. 24, 18 January 1944, authorized the
new type of organization. A few weeks later, in February, a War Department
letter authorized the U.S.-based comands, air forces, and centers of the
AAF to designate and organize AAF base units, one for each base in the
United States, with separate additional base units to provide personnel
overhead for wings, regions, and higher echelons. The letter allocated
separate blocks of numbers, from 1 through 4999, to each establishment ** authorized to employ the base units. To the basic numerical designation
and the "AAFBU" designation, the new units could have a parenthetical
suffix that indicated the unit function, for example, "999th AAFBU
(Bombardier School ) .'I Because the base units could be designated,
I. organized, and discontinued by the commands, air forces, and centers, they were in effect major command-controlled (or MAJCON) units, the first of
their kind.
AAF Base Units were authorized lettered squadrons as functional
components, but these squadrons were not units. Each squadron (Squadron A,
Squadron B, etc.) had a specific function such as maintenance, supply, or
* U.S. Ai r Forces in Europe, in December 1947, organi zed 20 "Ai r Force Base Units" in the 7900-7919 numbers, apparently without Headquarters USAF approval . A1 1 were soon discontinued. ** See Appendix 1, The Numbering of Table of Distribution (T/D) Units. 10 motor pool. The parenthetical suffix to the base unit designation could be changed whenever the unit Is functions changed, but the numerical portion could not be changed. A1 though control 1 ing functional ''squadrons ,'I the base units had no headquarters as such and thus were miscellaneous units rather than establ ishments.
About 30 base units were replaced early in 1947, when the AAF established a number of T/D combat wings on a service-test basis. With the groups and squadrons of the T/D wings providing services on the air bases
(serviced until then by the base units), the base units were no longer needed. In September 1947, upon establishment of the United States Air
Force, all AAF base units were redesignated as Air Force Base Units (AFBUs); but by mid-1948 the remaining base units were discontinued or redesi gnated into a new type of four-digit T/D unit, the direct predecessor of the present MAJCON system.
MAJCON Organi zat ional Actions
AFR 20-52, 17 June 1948, terminated the T/D Air Force Base Unit system and substituted a new type of T/D unit for all Air Force commands.
It delegated to the major commands the authority to designate, organize, reorganize, redesignate, and discontinue the T/D units. A T/D unit became the "lowest administrative unit organized by a major air comnand, from non-T/O personnel authorizations, to perform a function of a comnand headquarters, intermediate headquarters, base, depot, or other activity."
DAF allocated four-digit numbers to each command, with the numbers initially running from 1000 through 4999. Later, the numbers were adjusted to run 11 * from 1000 through 9999. The new T/D units could be organized at any organizational level, from squadron through division. Many of the new T/D units and establishments in 1948 were formed by redesignating existing base units into the four-digit organizations, using the numbers allocated by
Headquarters USAF.
No numbered T/D organi zat ions hi gher than wing echelon were estab- lished during the early years of the new system, and by 1949 the major comands were no longer permitted to organize T/D units above wing level without approval of Headquarters USAF. The transfer of T/D units from one comand to another had to be directed by DAF letter, and the gaining com- mand had to redesignate the gained units, using digits from its own block of numbers. The former numbers then returned to the losing command and could be used agai n.
Air Force Letter (AFL) 20-5, published in July 1951, covered T/D actions. By that time a few T/D units below wing level were named rather than numbered. For numbered units at this level, the MAJCOMs were authorized to effect organizational actions without Headquarters USAF authority; but for T/D organizations above wings, MAJCOMs still could not designate and organize without Headquarters USAF approval. By 1954 Air
Force directives substituted the term "organized unit" in 1 eu of "T/D unit" to indicate a MAJCON type organization. AFR 20-27 of July 1954 defined an organized unit as "a nonconstituted unit in phys cal existence with military personnel actually assigned, or attached in the case of provisional units." The present term, "MAJCON unit ,I' entered the
* See Appendix 1. 12
language in October 1959 with the publication of AFR 20-27, which defined a
MAJCON unit as :
A unit designated and organized by a major air commander. Units with support and training missions are in this category. Numbered units below air division level may be organized without prior reference to Headquarters USAF , provided they are programmed and are within the limitations established by Section C, AFM 20-3, 1 July 1958.
Today's MAJCON organizations are still controlled by major commands and separate operating agencies and are assigned four-digit numbers from the blocks of numbers allocated to the commands and agencies by Head- quarters USAF. Subject to Headquarters USAF approval, MAJCOMs and SOAs are generally free to direct organizational actions effecting changes to squadrons, miscellaneous units, and headquarters of establishments below air division level. Although they still must first be designated, MAJCON organi zations since 1968 are "acti vated" (instead of organi zed) and
"inactivated" (instead of discontinued). As long as a MAJCON unit remains
acti ve, regard1 ess of age or frequency of redesi gnati ons , its unit history continues. Some present MAJCON units trace their lineage to an AAF base unit organized in 1944. ___Once -a --MAJCON -unit -is discontinued (1944-1968) -or
inactivated (1968-current),- however, -its existence terminates.- Even if
another MAJCON unit is formed immediately thereafter with the same desig-
nation, at the same base and with the same mission, the latter unit is brand-new and completely separate in lineage from the former unit.
"Conversion" of MAJCON Units to AFCON Units
The USAF Historical Research Center encourages a procedure in which
MAJCON units can legally be brought into the AFCON fold. In this method, the numbered MAJCON unit is redesignated as a named unit, an action not 13 prohibited by directives. All named units are AFCON units, so such a redesignation changes the unit from MAJCON to AFCON. One MAJCON establish- ment (with its headquarters unit) and three MAJCON squadrons made this transition on 1 October 1980 when they were redesignated from numbered to named units:
MAJCON Designation AFCON Designation
HQ, 1035th Technical HQ, Air Force Technical Applications Operations Group Center 5049th Broadcasting Squadron Air Force Arctic Broadcasting Squadron 6204th Broadcasting Squadron Ai r Force Paci f ic Broadcasti ng Squadron 7122d Broadcasting Squadron Air Force European Broadcasting Squadron.
Provi sional Organi zat ions
Provisional units and establishments are special kinds of MAJCON organizations and may be designated and activated by major commands and separate operating agencies for a limited period and with a specific mission. Provisional organizations, when numbered, are designated with a numerical suffix to avoid confusion with regular units, and the term
"provisional" is included in the designation as shown in this example:
Tactical Ai rlift Squadron Provis onal , 6676th. Provisional organizations cannot be assigned to regular un ts or establishments, nor can regular units be assigned to provisional units or establishments. Provisional units, however, may be assigned to provisional establishments. Operational control of a provisional unit by a regular unit or establishment, or the reverse, is achieved by attachment. The highest level unit in a provi- sional organization must be attached to a regular establishment or unit
Provisional organizations must be designated (named) by MAJCOMs and SOAs. They are then activated (organized until 1968) and personnel attached for duty. Whenever their mission is completed, provisional un ts 14 are inactivated (d scontinued unti 1 1968) with attached personnel revert to their permanent units. Provisional units cannot be revived once they have been terminated (discontinued or inactivated), and whenever a provi- sional organization is replaced by a regular organization, the latter has no lineal relationship to the former.
Identifyi ng _-MAJCON/AFCON Units
Although today's AFCON units are either named or numbered with one, two, or three digits, and today's MAJCON units are numbered with four digits, it is not always easy to say whether a specific inactive unit is
MAJCON or AFCON. The period of the organizational action must be con- sidered in determining whether a numbered unit is AFCON or MAJCON. Until
1944, all air units were constituted or T/O&E types and could have had one, two, three, or four digits in their numerical designation. During World
War I1 the Army Air Forces had numerous four-digi t support organizations.
(For example: 1874th Engineer Aviation Battalion; 2049th Quartermaster
Truck Company, Aviation; 1341st Guard Squadron.) In 1944, with the desig- nation of AAF base units, the numbers allocated for the units ranged from
1 through 4999, so that the base units also had one, two, three, or four digits. (For example: 68th AAFBU [lst Weather Region] and 2536th AAFBU
[Navigator School]). Not until 1948, when the remaining Air Force base units were discontinued or redesignated into the new T/D type units, were all T/D units finally restricted to four digits (1000-9999). At the same time, all existing (active) constituted AFCON T/O type units were limited thereafter to one, two, or three digits in their numerical designations. 15
A unit with one, two, or three digits in its numerical designation and with a lineage showing that its history began after 1948 can easily be identified as an AFCON unit. By the same token, a unit with a four-digit numerical designation whose history began after 1948 can only be a MAJCON unit. Some present MAJCON units, however, may have begun their existence before 1948 with less than four d gits, and some AFCON units may once have had four digits in their numerica designation. The only way an inactive unit can be positively identified as a MAJCON or AFCON type is to examine its compl ete 1i neage.
Non -Uni ts
Although the Air Force has establishments known as divisions, a division within an establishment's headquarters, such as a personnel divi- sion, is not a unit; it is merely a part of the establishment headquarters.
With other organizational entities in the Air Force, the distinction is sometimes 1ess clear.
--Named Activities A named activity is one type of functional entity very often mistaken for a unit. Actually, a named activity is a segment, or part, of a unit, whose m ssion or purpose can be directly and more adequately identified by the ass gnment of a definitive name. The Director of Manpower and Organi- zation, Headquarters USAF, is responsible for administrative control of named activities, all of which must be authorized by a published DAF letter.
Some named activities in 1980 and the Air Force organizations in which they were then segments appear below: 16
Named Act ivi ty Segment of
Systems Integration Office Aerospace Defense Combat Operations Staff Air Force Center for Studies 1947th Admi nistrati ve Support Group and Analyses Air Force Civi 1 ian Appel 1ate Air Force Manpower and Personnel Center Review Agency Offi ce of Civi 1 ian Personnel Air Force Manpower and Personnel Center Operations Ai r Force Security C1 earance Air Force Office of Security Police Office USAF Speci a1 Investi gat ions Air Force Office of Special Academy Investi gations Air Force Packaging Eva1 uation Ai r Force Acquisition Logi stics Agency Division Ai r Force Pub1 icati ons 2803d Air Base Group. Distribution Center
Sometimes distinguishing between named activities and named units is difficult. Consider the following --named units: Strategic Air Combat
Operations Staff, and Air Force Computer Acquisitions Office. Although both are named units constituted in 1976, they have the generic designa- tions of "staff" and "office"--designations that would seem to suggest an activity rather than a unit. On the other hand, in the named activities listed above, we find the generic names "center," ''agency," and "academy," which would suggest units rather than activities.
On rare occasions, a named unit replaces a named activity without a change in designation. This was the case for the Air Force Museum, once a named activity segment of Headquarters 2750th Air Base Wing. On 8 August
1975, the Air Force Museum* inactivated as a named activity and was acti- vated as a named unit. A similar change happened to the USAF Home Town
News Center on 1 July 1972. Closer to home, the Albert F. Simpson
Historical Research Center, a named activity from 1972 (as a segment of
* Since redesi gnated the USAF Museum. 17
Headquarters 3825th Support Group [Academic]), became on 1 July 1979 a * named unit assigned to the USAF as a Direct Reporting Unit (DRU) . The only way to positively determine whether an organizational entity is a
named unit or a named activity is by researching the organizational actions
which established the entity. One can also confirm the status of an
organizational entity as a named activity or named unit by determining
whether the organization has a commander, has its own personnel authoriza-
, tions, and must submit regular strength reports. These are characteristics of a unit rather than a unit segment.
Alphabetically Designated Flights
The Air Force uses an organizational echelon called the flight. A1 though small er than a squadron , it has many squadron characteristics . AFR 26-2 describes a numerically designated flight as "the lowest unit
level in the Air Force," and points out that it is used "primarily to
incorporate small elements into an organized unit." The Air Force Reserve,
in particular, uses the flight echelon rather extensively, such as:
14th Civil Engineering Flight 301st Weapons System Security F1 ight 433d Mobi 1 ity Support F1 ight 445th Aerial Port Flight 928th Communications F1 ight.
Numbered flights are, of course, units. Frequently mistaken for a unit,
however , are unnumbered or a1 phabetically designated fl ights , such as
Flight A, 26th Tactical Fighter Squadron, or Flight C, 56th Fighter-
Interceptor Squadron. Such flights are organizational "shredouts" of a * It was redesignated USAF Historical Research Center in December 1983. 18 squadron and are not units in their own right. They are used simply to distinguish several elements of a squadron having identical missions.
AFR 26-2 defines an alphabetically designated flight as: . . . part of a squadron (usually a flying squadron) . . . made up of several elements with identical missions. Though it is the eauivalent of a branch, it is not a unit, and therefore is not sibject to strength reporting or other controls on organi zation.
Detachments
Before and during World War 11, many types of a r organi zations carried generic designations no longer used, such as
1st AAF Combat Film Detachment 4th Ai r Base Operations Secnn 6th AAF Combat Camera Unit 4th AAF Emergency Rescue Boat Crew, Type I.
All of these organizations were of the constituted-and-activated type, or what would now be called AFCON. The generic terms detachment, section, unit, and crew, however, are no longer used with Air Force-controlled units.
One of these--the -detachment--has had its generic name used since
World War I1 in an entirely different manner. Modern detachments are frequently mistaken for units, when in fact they are merely a segment
(usually three or more people) or part of a unit, usually stationed away from the physical location of the parent unit. Many detachments carry a number, such as Detachment 5, 9th Weather Squadron; other detachments may be unnumbered, such as Detachment, Headquarters, 10th Combat Support Group.
Although not a unit, a detachment may be analogous to a unit under the
Universal Code of Military Justice when a comissioned officer is appointed by orders as its "commander." Thus, modern detachments are often mistaken for units because they have designated commanders and are subject to the 19
same organi zat ional acti ons that apply to units includi ng desi gnati on,
activation, assignment, and inactivation.
In certain Air Force organizations, most of the day-to-day work is
conducted by detachment personnel , so that unit honors have been awarded
to specific detachments in recognition of outstanding performance or
achievement. Organizations that operate primarily through detachments
include those involved in comnunications, meteorology, aerial port ,
aerospace rescue and recovery, and tactical air control. But because
detachments are not units, they have no lineage, no continuing history,
and no authorized official emblem. Whenever a specific detachment is
discontinued or inactivated, the detachment and its history is terminated,
even though a similarly designated detachment may later be designated and
manned. , Suppose that during its existence the 1st Weather Squadron had three
detachments bearing the numeral "1," and that the functions of each
Detachment 1 were weather observing and forecasting. Moreover, suppose
the first Detachment 1 was awarded an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
(AFOUA). Because detachments are not units and have no continuing history,
the second and third Detachments 1, 1st Weather Squadron may not claim an
AFOUA just because such an award was given to the functional entity that
had existed earlier. Even if all three detachments had been located at the
same base (at different times, of course) and performed the same mission,
there still would be no lineal connection.
The USAF Historical Research Center sometimes lists detachments in
the "components" section of its lineage and honors histories, provided the
nature of the squadron is such that the detachments perform most or all of 20 the squadron's mission functions. Detachments may also be listed as components of establishment headquarters if they played an important role in the establishment's mission activities.
Squadron Sections
Squadron sections are also sometimes confused with units. For example, Headquarters Squadron Section, Medical Squadron Secti on, and
Patient Squadron Section, although they may include "squadron" in their designation, are not units; like detachments, they are merely segments of units. A headquarters squadron section, for example, is a section of an establishment's headquarters unit. Squadron sections command or administer the personnel assigned to the unit of which they are a segment. Any
"commander" appointed to a squadron section has the same status as that of a detachment commander because he commands only a portion of a unit. Many establ ishments have squadron sections as part of thei r headquarters unit
Squadron sections date to 18 July 1951, when AFL 20-5 required the discontinuance of the generic designation "headquarters and headquarters squadron," and substituted the designation "headquarters .I' This change, made to eliminate confusion over the "headquarters squadron" portion of the designation, authorized all USAF organizations at group level and above to have a "headquarters squadron section" as an integral part of their head- quarters. Squadron sections are sometimes used in large functional squadrons to allow commanders to retain comnand control of functional elements without being overburdened with squadron administration.
Air Force Elements
The Ai r Force element , another non-unit , made its debut late in 1976 and replaced certain USAF Special Activities Squadrons. The elements serve 21 as carrying or holding components for personnel working in other established activities and are not designated or constituted as units. An Air Force element does not have a commander. The senior officer of an element is responsi ble for seeing that a1 1 el ement personnel recei ve proper support ; he also has some statutory command responsibilities, including courts martial jurisdiction. CHAPTER TWO
LINEAGE
Every Air Force officer, not to mention historian, will at some
time or another have to deal with the history of Air Force organizations.
These organizations are planned entities , many having lengthy 1 ives under
a variety of names. To avoid confusing one organization with another, the l- service employs an identification system known as lineage.
What Is Lineage?
A definition of lineage in Webster's International Dictionary tells
us: "Descent in a line from a common progenitor; race; family; descending
line of offspring or ascending line of parentage." For a military unit,
AFP 210-2 asserts that lineage is very roughly comparable to a family
genealogy. Many people take pride in tracing their ancestry through many
generations, especially if somewhere along the line a famous person was
a family member. Military organizations likewise take pride in their
ancestry, and unit 1 ineage traces the 1i fe of a mi 1 itary organi zation.
The 1st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, for example, traces its unit
lineage back to 1913, when it became the first unit created by the War Department to conduct mi 1i tary operations with ai rcraft . There are, however, some very basic di f ferences between a mi 1 itary
unit's lineage and a family genealogy. Most of us are familiar with a
23 24 family tree--a scheme that traces a family. In most family trees there are some aberrations, with marriages between a man and his step-sister, between cousins, or, say, between an uncle and his niece, so that a "pure" line does not exist. A ''pure" family tree becomes very complicated because it doubles with each generation; a pure tree that traces ancestors 14 generations back would show 16,384 individuals! This unmanageable number causes most families to concentrate on the "family name" with all others ignored, unless the one doing the tracing particularly desires to connect his or her bloodlines with some illustrious ancestor whose family name was
"lost" in the marriage of a line fema e.
The lineage of a military unit d ffers from a family genealogy because there are no generations to consider, no doubling of ancestors with every generation. Although a few Air Force organizations do have more than one ancestor (through a process known as consolidation), a majority of them have only a single unit to consider. The single unit that exists today may have begun its existence w th a different name, a different number, or both, and may have existed only on paper for one or more periods, but it is still the same unit. L neage in this case traces not the ancestors, but the earlier names of an ex sting unit. Unit -lineage involves tracing all
--of the organizational actions affecting -the history --of the organization.
Identi fyi- ng Organi zations
The Air Force uses (and its predecessors used) lineage terminology with very precise meanings. The current meaning of some terms differs from the accepted meaning of an earlier period, but we know when the meaning changed.
Over the years, the Air Force has employed specific organizational language 25
so that every organization's existence can be traced without undue
difficulty by persons trained in "lineage language," a subject about
which we will have more to say in Chapter Three.
In tracing the ife of a unit or establishment, the precise usage
of words, dates, and unit des gnations is vital. An AFCON (Air Force-
control 1 ed) unit act ve today may have begun its existence with a different
name or number, and t may have been inactive at various times, but it is
still the same unit. The lineage actions affecting the 418th Bombardment
Squadron, Medium, from its constitution in 1942 until inactivated in 1962,
appears be1 ow.
Constituted 28th Reconnaissance Squadron (Heavy) on 28 January 1942. Redesignated 418th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 22 April 1942. Activated on 1 June 1942. Redesignated 418th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy, on 4 September 1944. Inacti vated on 19 December 1945. Redesignated 418th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy, on 13 May 1947. Activated in the Reserve on 29 May 1947. Inactivated on 27 June 1949. Redesignated 418th Bombardment Squadron, Medium, on 1 December 1958. Activated on 1 March 1959. Discontinued, and inactivated, on 1 January 1962.
This example provides considerable information. First, it tells us
that the unit was first created--constituted--on 28 January 1942. At that
time it was given the numerical/functional designation of 28th Reconnais-
sance Squadron (Heavy), but very shortly thereafter, the unit was renamed--
-I_.___redesi gnated--both numeri cal ly and functionally, as the 418th Bombardment
Squadron (Heavy). We can see that the unit was active from 1 June 1942 to
19 December 1945, undergoing a slight name alteration. We also know that
I the unit was renamed as a "very heavy" unit in 1947, and was active in the
Reserve from 29 May 1947 until 27 June 1949. Renamed a "medium" unit, it
was active again from 1 March 1959 until 1 January 1962. 26
A1 though redesi gnations of unit functions are fai rly common , most
units retain their numerical designation without change. An example of a
squadron that has had several redesignations but no numerical change
fol 1ows :
Constituted 15th Transport Squadron on 20 November 1940. Activated on 4 December 1940. Redesignated 15th Troop Carrier Squadron on 4 July 1942. Inactivated on 31 July 1945. Activated on 30 September 1946. Redesi gnated: 15th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium, on 1 July 1948; 15th Troop Carrier Squadron, Heavy, on 15 August 1948; 15th Military Airlift Squadron on 8 January 1966.
Unit and Establishment Lineaaes
An establishment is established (created, born, formed) when either
its headquarters unit is constituted or designated, or an inactive squadron or miscellaneous unit is redesignated as the establishment Is headquarters
unit. When a headquarters unit is formed through redesignation of an
active squadron or miscellaneous unit, an establishment is establ ished
(active). An establishment is activated when its headquarters unit is
activated, provided the establishment was not established (active) through
redesignation of an active squadron or miscellaneous unit as its head-
quarters unit. An establishment is inactivated when its headquarters unit
is inactivated. An establishment is redesignated when its active or
inactive headquarters unit is redesignated.
An establishment is disestablished (ceases to exist; comparable to
"disbanded" for a unit) when its headquarters unit is disbanded, or its
headquarters unit is redesignated as a squadron or miscellaneous unit. An establishment is reestablished if its headquarters unit is reconstituted, 27
or if its former headquarters unit--after a period as a squadron or
miscellaneous unit--is redesignated in inactive status as a headquarters
unit. An establishment is reestablished (active) if it has existed before
in the same or any other designation and its headquarters unit, after a
period as a squadron or miscellaneous unit, is redesignated in active
status as a headquarters unit.
An establishment may be consolidated with another establishment
(or several establishments), providing the headquarters units are also
consolidated simultaneously. Consolidation applies unit-to-unit and
establishment-to-establishment.
I An establishment with a ~ constituted headquarters continues to exist as an active or inactive establishment until its headquarters is disbanded.
Disbandment of its headquarters disestablishes the establishment. An estab-
lishment at wing level or below, with a designated-- headquarters, continues
to exist, once _I_-organized (1948-1968) or ---activated (1968-~urrent), unti 1 its
headquarters is ______discontinued (1948-1968) or inactivated (1968-current).
Once a MAJCON headquarters unit is discontinued or inactivated, the
establishment is disestablished and cannot be reestablished.
An establishment at air division level or above, with a designated
headquarters , once organized (1948-1968) or activated (1968-current) ,
continues to exist until its headquarters is discontinued (1948-1968) or
-___-inactivated (1968-current). Because a1 1 establ ishments at ai r division
level and above are treated as Air Force-controlled (AFCON) establishments,
regard1ess of how they origi nated , Headquarters USAF may authori ze the
reestablishment of these higher echelon organizations. 28
Sometimes headquarters units are redesi gnated as squadrons or miscell aneous units . When this occurs, the establ ishment in which the headquarters unit is the primary component ceases to exist and is disestab-
lished. Sometimes a squadron or miscellaneous unit, which formerly was a headquarters unit, is redesi gnated once agai n to headquarters unit status.
Then the former establishment associated with the unit is reestablished
(if the unit is inactive) or is reestablished (active) (if the unit is
a1 ready acti ve) Sometimes a squadron or mi scel 1aneous uni t , which never was a headquarters unit , is redesignated as a headquarters unit . When this happens, regardless of the lineage of the former squadron or miscellaneous
unit, a brand-new establishment is established.
Some units have changed from a headquarters to a squadron and back
again on various occasions. This is particularly true for MAJCON units and especially for MAJCON communications units. The lineage of such a
unit will vary considerably from the lineage of its associated establish- ment. A MAJCON headquarters unit may be redesignated as a squadron or a miscellaneous unit, then back to headquarters status, and its associated
establishment will also continue--so long as the MAJCON unit has no break
in its active life. A MAJCON establ ishrnent can be disestabl ished and
reestablished, prov ded its headquarters unit--in a headquarters, squadron,
or miscellaneous un t status--has no break in its active life. Once a
MAJCON headquarters unit is discontinued or inact vated, however, its
associated establ is,.ment can never again be reestabl ished.
For AFCON units and establishments, breaks in active life are of no importance when it comes to reestablishing an establ ishment . AFCON units and establishments can be disbanded (disestablished for the establishment) 29
or inactivated, but their existence continues if reconstituted
(reestablished for the establishment) or activated. Table 2, below,
provides examples of lineage for units that have associated establishments ,
and vice versa. As the examples show, the unit lineage is the primary
guideline for the lineage of the establishment in those cases where units
change from squadron or miscellaneous unit to headquarters unit status.
Importance of Lineage
Lineage, or the tracing of organizational actions, is also important
to civilian commercial organizations. In fact, lineage can be crucial in
many aspects of our society, although in most cases the specific language
is different. Let us consider the ''lineage" of a building materials
company to show how lineage language may be applied outside the Air Force:
Established as Bluenth Roofing Company on 1 July 1941. Opened for business on 5 July 1941. Renamed Bluenth & Sons Roofing Company on 1 May 1945. Renamed Bluenth Brothers Roofing Company on 1 July 1960. Went out of business on 10 December 1965. Renamed Bill Bluenth Roofing Company, and reopened for business, on 1 April 1966. Renamed Bluenth & Son Building Materials Company on 30 June 1972.
Note that in 1941 the roofing company was "established," a term I. I. comparable to the "constituted" used in Air Force unit organizational
actions to create a unit. A few days later, the company ''opened for
business," a term comparable to the "activated" used by the Air Force.
The company was renamed in 1945 and in 1960, actions comparable to the
"redesignation" of an Air Force unit. The ''went out of business" in 1965
is comparable to the actions "inactivated" or "discontinued and inactivated"
that terminate the life of Air Force units. When the company "reopened for W TABLE 2 - Unit and Establishment Lineages 0
Unit Lineage Establishment Lineage
Designated 1055th Survival Squadron on 5 Feb 1961. Organized on 6 Feb 1951. Redesi gnated: Headquarters, 1055th Survival Group, on 1 May 1963; Established (active) as 1055th Survival Group on 1 May 1963. 1055th Gun Control Squadron on 1 Jun 1965; Disestablished on 1 Jun 1965. Headquarters, 1055th Support Group, on 8 Nov 1967. Reestablished (active) as 1055th Support Group on 8 Nov 1967. Discontinued on 9 Jan 1968. Disestablished on 9 Jan 1968.
Designated Headquarters, 1111th Supply Group, and organized, Established as 1111th Supply Group, and organized, on on 13 Jan 1949. 13 Jan 1949. Redesi gnated : Redesi gnated : Headquarters, 1111th Support Wing, on 15 Jul 1953; 1111th Support Wing on 15 Jul 1953; Headquarters, 1254th Support Group on 23 Apr 1956; 1254th Support Group on 23 Apr 1956. 1254th Support Squadron on 19 Nov 1958; Disestablished on 19 Nov 1958. Headquarters, 1254th Support Wing, on 21 May 1959. Reestablished (active) as 1254th Support Wing on 21 May 1959. Discontinued on 30 Jun 1963. Disestablished on 30 Jun 1963.
Constituted 561st Materiel Squadron on 1 Jul 1942. Activated on 12 Jul 1942. Inactivated on 25 Jul 1945. Disbanded on 8 Oct 1948. Reconstituted, and redesignated 561st Supply Squadron, on 17 Apr 1953. Activated on 20 Apr 1953. Redesignated Headquarters, 561st Support Group, on 1 Jul 1954. Established (active) as 561st Support Group on 1 Jul 1954. Redesi gnated Headquarters, 561st Mobile Supply Group, on Redesignated 561st Mobile Supply Group on 13 Jul 1956. 13 Jul 1956. Inactivated on 31 Oct 1957. Inactivated on 31 Oct 1957. Redesi qnated 561st Mobi le Supply Squadron, and activated, on Disestablished on 15 Apr 1958. 15 Apr 1958. Redesignated 561st Supply Squadron (Mobile) on 21 Jul 1959. Redesignated Headquarters, 561st Supply Group (Mobile) , on Reestablished (active) as 561st Supp y Group (Mobile) 30 Dec 1961. on 30 Dec 1961. Discontinued, and inactivated, on 14 Jun 1963. Discontinued, and inactivated, on 14 Jun 1963. Redesignated 561st Mobile Supply Squadron on 1 Jar: 1969. Disestablished on 1 Jan 1969. Activated on 8 Jan 1969. Redesignated Headquarters, 561st Supply Group on 15 Jan 1973. Reestablished (active) as 561st Supp y Group on 15 Jan 1973. Inactivated, and disbanded, on 10 Dec 1973. Disestablished on 10 Dec 1973.
I. 31 business," it is comparable to the term "activated" that returns an inactive Ai r Force unit to the acti ve list.
One would like to believe that all lineage claims are based on true organizational actions leading to the lineage, and that all family genea- logical statements are correct. But are they? Pride, often false pride, causes some people to "manufacture" genealogies to support invalid claims of distinguished ancestry, such as descent from the Mayflower pilgrims, some ancient nobleman, or--in one remarkable and ridiculous instance--the
Biblical Adam. This same hubris may sometimes prompt individuals in an
Air Force organization to claim lineage to which the organization is not entitled. Most often, however, actual errors in "lineage" claims stated by
Air Force organizations can be traced to a misunderstanding of the Air
Force lineage system and its rules. Air Force units have from time to time erroneously attempted a more distinguished lineage. For example:
1. At a certain Air Force base, a maintenance squadron constituted in
1957 (and thus without an earlier history) tried to push its history back to an earlier date by using the histories of other units that had engaged in maintenance at the same base. It is possible, of course, to prepare a history of a "maintenance function" at a specific base, but such a history would not be that of a unit. In this particular case, several unit lineages were involved.
2. A fighter squadron, "A," was activated in 1952, replacing and absorbing the personnel and equipment of another fi ghter squadron , IIB ,I' which inactivated at the same base on the same day. On the basis of the transfer of personnel , Squadron "A" erroneously claimed the history of
Squadron "B." (A unit cannot use personnel as the foundation of its 32 history; sooner or later the group will be broken up by transfers, discharges, retirements, or deaths.)
3. A fighter squadron that dated back to 1941 attempted to claim the lineage of a bombardment squadron that happened to have the same numerical designation. In this case, the fighter squadron had no more right to inherit the lineage, history, World War I campaign credits, or emblem of the bombardment squadron than would any other squadron--supply, civil engineering, transportation, or whatever--that happened to bear the same numeri cal des ignat ion.
As these three examples indicate, only an organization's own lineage can be used as the basis for its history and honors; history and honors cannot be based upon function, personnel , similarity of designation , or any other considerations. And because lineage is the foundation of the history of an organization, any error in a unit's lineage can produce serious reper- cussions. Lineage governs the inheritance or awards and regulates the transmittal of emblems. Lineage identifies an organizat on and establishes continuity in time. Without lineage, it would be imposs ble to trace the organizational history through the succession of changes that most Air
Force organi zat ions have experi enced.
USAF Policv Reaardina Lineaae
The off cia1 policy of the Air Force regarding unit lineage is spe 1ed out in AFP 210-2:
One of the fundamental Dolicies of the Air Force is that each organization will have a unique lineage. This policy was in effect in the War Department when military aviation was under the Arqy and has been continued by the United States Air Force since 1947. 33
This pol icy is sel f -expl anatory ; the often misused word "unique" properly
means "one of a kind," single, sole, being without like or equal. Quite
obviously, no two units can have the same unit lineage, even though at
different times in their existence they may have possessed similar designa-
tions. Let us consider the lineage of Air Force units which, at some time
duri ng thei r existence, were called 9th Reconnai ssance Squadron. L 1. Constituted 9th Reconnai ssance Squadron (Heavy) on 28 January 1942. Redesi gnated 399th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 22 Apri 1 1942. Activated on 15 July 1942. Inactivated on 1 May 1944. I. I. 2. Constituted 9th Observation Squadron (Medium) on 5 February 1942. Activated on 2 March 1942. Redesignated 9th Observation Squadron on 4 July 1942. Inactivated on 18 October 1942. Activated on 1 March 1943. Redesiqnated: 9th Reconnaissance Squadron (Fighter) on 2 April 1943; V88th Fiahter Sauadron on 11 Auaust., 1943. Disbanded 6n 1 May '1944.
I' 3. Constituted 9th Reconnaissance Squadron (Light) on 20 November 1940. I' Activated on 15 January 1941. Redes ignat ed : 88th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 14 August 1941; 88th Bombardment Squadron (Dive) on 28 August 1942; 495th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 10 August 1943. Disbanded on 1 April 1944.
4. Constituted 761st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 19 May 1943. Activated on 1 July 1943. Inactivated on 26 September 1945. Redesignated 9th Reconnaissance Squadron (Very Long Range, Photographic) on 29 April 1946. Activated on 20 June 1946. Inactivated on 20 October 1947. Redesi gnated 9th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (Electronics and Weather) on 21 July 1953. Activated on 11 November 1953. 34
In each of these examples we see that the units were known at one time or another as the 9th Reconnaissance Squadron, although never simultaneously under that designation. In the first example, the unit suffix is "(Heavy)"; in the second, "(Fighter)"; in the third, "(Light)"; and in the fourth,
"(Very Long Range, Photographic) .Ii These suffixes distinguish the units from each other. If someone referred simply to the actions of a 9th
Reconnaissance Squadron, however, he could be referring to any one of these four units.
There have also been cases of fiir Force units with identical designa- tions, but again never at the same time. Consider these two:
1. Organized as 8th Aero Squadron on 21 June 1917. Redesi gnated: 8th Squadron, c. June 1921; 8th Attack Squadron on 25 January 1923; 8th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 15 September 1939; 8th Bombardment Squadron (Dive) on 28 September 1942; 8th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 25 May 1943; 8th Bombardment Squadron, Light, Night Intruder, on 25 June 1951; 8th Bombardment Squadron, Tactical, on 1 October 1955: 8th Attack Squadron on 18 November 1969; --8th Special Operations Squadron on 30 September 1970; 8th Fighter Squadron on 1 July 1973; 8th Special Operations Squadron on 1 March 1974.
2. Constituted 8th Air Commando Squadron, Reconnaissance Technical, and activated, on 17 May 1966. Organized on 15 June 1966. Redesignated 8th Special Operations Squadron on 8 July 1968. Inactivated, and disbanded, on 31 August 1970.
In these exampl es , both units bore the desi gnat ion "8th Speci a1 Operations Squadron" during thei r existence, a1 though not simultaneously . Ironically, the unit that began its life as the 8th Aero Squadron became a component of the 1st Special Operations Wing on 1 March 1974. This same wing, then designated 1st Air Commando Wing, had earlier been the parent unit of the other 8th Special Operations Squadron, inactivated and 35
disbanded on 31 August 1970. The Historical Research Center furnished
the wing a lineage and honors statement for the later 8th Special Opera-
tions Squadron so wing leaders might easily distinguish the different 1 ineages . It is Air Force policy never to have two units with the same name,
especially at the same time. Before the 8th Attack Squadron (then in the
Paci f ic area) could be redesignated 8th Speci a1 Operations Squadron on
30 September 1970, the other 8th Special Operations Squadron (in the United
States) had to be disposed of , in this case by disbandment, on 31 August
1970.
On 1 July 1973 when the 8th Special Operations Squadron (in example 1
above) was redesignated as a fighter unit, it could not be provided the
normal "Tactical Fighter" designation because an organization with that
designation already existed on the Air Force List:
Constituted 8th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 20 November 1940. Activated on 15 January 1941. Redesi gnated: 8th Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942: 8th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 1 February 1950; 8th Tactical Fighter Squadron- on 8 July 1958.
Denied the "Tactical" portion usually given to today's fighter units, the
8th Special Operations Squadron had to settle for the designation "8th
Fighter Squadron" on 1 July 1973. Even this designation was a former
desi gnat ion of the other 8th Squadron. I' Making certain that two identically designated units are not on
the Air Force List at the same time sometimes requires a little juggling.
In some cases, one of the units may have to be disbanded--an action that
terminates the unit 's 1 ineage by removi ng the unit desi gnati on enti rely
I. 36 from the Air Force List. In the spring of 1976 a reorganization of the Air
Force Comnunications Service, which involved the constitution and activa- tion of Headquarters Strategic Communications Area to serve Strategic Air
Command's speci a1 comnuni cations requi rements , caused a probl em of unit desi gnati on for a subordinate unit . At Andersen AFB, Guam (a SAC base), could be found the 27th Communica- tions Squadron, Division. This squadron had long been based at Andersen
AFB, had always supported SAC organizations, and possessed a number of unit honors. Because the Ai r Force Communications Service did not desi re to retain units with special suffixes such as the 27th'~"Division," the
Service proposed to redesignate the unit as 27th Communi cations Squadron , thereby removing the unwanted suffix. Such a redesignation, however, would have created two identically named units on the Air Force List , because a
27th Comnunications Squadron already existed in inactive status as an aligned component of the 27th Wing. To solve the problem, Headquarters
USAF Manpower and Organization decided to inactivate the active squadron at
Guam and to activate, in its place, the 27th Communications Squadron that had no suffix.
Although this action would have kept two identically designated units from existing at the same time, it proved unsatisfactory because the unit to be activated had none of the unit decorations of the unit located at
Guam, had been associated only very briefly with SAC (at another location), and had never been based at Guam. The Historical Research Center proposed an alternative--later adopted--to redesignate the existing squadron at Guam to remove the offending "Division" suffix, and disband the other, already 37 inactive, 27th Communications Squadron. Thus, only one 27th Communications
Squadron remained on the Air Force List.
Sources of Lineaae Data in the Field
Only a few of the lineage data sources available to historians of the
USAF Historical Research Center are available to most field historians.
G-Seri es Orders
Air Force personnel at all echelons, especially historians, must use the G-series special orders (formerly general orders) pub1 ished by major comnands and separate operating agencies , for these primary directives implement organizational actions directed or authorized by DAF letters , or announce organi zati onal actions accompl ished by DAF 1 etters . The MAJCOM/SOA orders are a1 so used for reassignment actions , personnel awards , announcement of aerial victory credits, and a variety of other purposes connected with units and personnel. For lineage and honors purposes,
G-series orders are used for data about unit lineage, assignments, components , stations , and unit commanders. (Unit G-seri es orders are of greatest value for unit commanders , but occasionally hi gher echelon commanders are appointed on MAJCOM orders .)
Movement Orders
Formal movement orders are usually published by MAJCOMs and SOAs, although some may be published for units of lower echelons by divisions and wings. Movement orders are primary sources of data about the stations and, sometimes, the assignments of units. 38
Operations P1 ans/Orders
Operations plans and their supporting operations orders (sometimes fragmentary or "frag" orders) are very valuable. In the absence of formal attachment orders, such operations plans and orders may be the only source of data pertaining to the detached status of a unit and its deployment to some other part of the world, where it is attached to another organization for operational control for a specific purpose or period. The historian may often obtain from these documents information about a unit's aircraft, operations, stations, attached/detached status, and commanders.
Understandi na "Bestowed" Historv
Combat squadrons of the Army Air Forces during World War I1 were normally organized into combat groups, with three or four squadrons to each group, and with the group serving as the basic combat element of the AAF.
In many commands (although the practice was not uniform), two or more combat groups formed wings for administrative and operational control.
This organization of combat elements changed in 1947 when the U.S. Air
Force adopted a wing-base plan. Under the new plan, each combat wing was assigned one combat group (the group having three or four combat squadrons) and three support groups: an airdrome (later, air base or combat support) group; a maintenance and supply group; and a medical group. All of these organizations except the combat group were new organizations without a previous history. For the most part, wings that had existed during World
War I1 were either inactivated or redesignated as air divisions. Those organizations comprising a new wing carried the same numerical designations, using the numerical designation of the already existing combat group. Thus 39
the 1st Fighter Group of World War I1 gave its number, "lst," to the newly
formed 1st Fighter Wing and to the 1st Airdrome (later, Air Base) Group,
1st Maintenance and Supply Group, and 1st Station Medical Group. In all
cases , the functional designation of the combat group and the combat wing
remained the same; a fighter wing had a fighter group, a bombardment wing
had a bombardment group, a troop carrier wing had a troop carrier group,
and a reconnaissance wing had a reconnaissance group.
In the years after 1947, other changes eliminated the maintenance
and supply (M&S) group and the medical group (as such). The squadrons
that comprised the MAS groups were retained, sometimes directly assigned
to the wings and sometimes to the air base groups. But in many cases,
particularly for combat -oriented wings, the ai r base groups were redesi g-
nated as combat support groups, and the former medical groups were
redesignated as USAF or tactical hospitals, infirmaries, clinics,
dispensaries, and other designations.
In February 1951 the Strategic Air Command began to restrict the role
of its World War I1 combat groups by reducing group headquarters to token
strength (one officer and one enlisted man), with their combat squadrons
placed under the direct operational and administrative control of the
wing headquarters staff. Eventually, SAC inactivated the combat groups I. a1 together , with the combat squadrons assi gned di rectly to the wings . Thus, at least in SAC, the wings replaced the groups as the basic combat
element. The groups began to inactivate on 16 June 1952 with the approval
of Headquarters USAF, because the "paper units'' served no practical purpose
acti ve, but unmanned. 40
With SAC'S combat groups inactivated, however, their World War I1 histories and honors also retired, leaving the SAC wings (all created in the postwar period) without any World War I1 history or honors. Deviations from the wing-base plan by other commands, particularly Air Defense Command, also adversely affected World War I1 histories and honors. In early 1954
SAC and ADC requested Headquarters USAF to allow the histories and honors won by the combat groups to be used by the postwar combat wings. (The combat squadrons , of course , st i11 had thei r own indi vidual hi story and honors , but the wings control 1 ing the squadrons could not claim or use them.)
A USAF --ad hoc committee reviewed the SAC and ADC requests and rejected the idea of redesignating combat groups as wings. Instead, the committee proposed :
1. Combat groups and combat wings be maintained as separate and distinct organizations.
2. The histories and honors of the combat groups be retained by the acti ve combat groups.
3. The histories and honors of the inactive combat groups be --bestowed ----upon the similarly designated-- combat wings. Although the --ad hoc committee's suggestion of bestowing history and honors countered long-standing Ai r Force pol icy that forbade transferring the history and honors of one unit to another, Headquarters USAF accepted the comittee ' s recommendat ions . In November 1954 the Department of the Ai r Force issued a series of AFOMO letters that bestowed temporarily upon each active combat wing the history and honors of the wing's similarly designated World War I1 combat group. 41
But these bestowals of November 1954 divided between two classes:
1. Those where the combat groups were inactive (as in SAC).
2. Those where the combat groups remained active components of their
related wings (as, for example, in TAC). Headquarters USAF thus went
beyond the original idea proposed by SAC for perpetuating the histories
and honors of ---___inacti ve groups. Since the initial bestowals of November 1954, the Department of the
Air Force has continued to bestow the history and honors of groups upon
similarly designated wings. In some cases the DAF letters rebestowed group
history on wings that had been covered by the November 1954 letters, but
which subsequently had been inactivated. In other cases, the bestowals
were newly made to wings that had not been active in November 1954. Mean-
time, other commands followed SAC'S lead, eliminating combat groups and assi gni ng combat squadrons di rectly to wings . The Ai r Force, however, continued to regard each combat group, albeit inactive, as an integral part
of the similarly designated combat wing.
Despite the trend to eliminate combat groups, some of the groups
survived as active organizations, and from time to time other combat groups
I- have been activated again for a new period of service. Beginning about
1957 , however, active combat groups have usually been assi gned to divisions
rather than to wings. The major exceptions appear in the Reserve forces I. where, since 1963, tactical wings usually have had two or more tactical
groups (with numerical designations different from that of the wings), with I. one tactical squadron per group. In bestowing group history and honors on wings, Department of the Air
Force directives have not specified any conditions or limitations except to
I. 42 note, in DAF letters issued after the initial bestowals of November 1954, that such bestowals are -temporary. For a variety of reasons, particularly organizational developments after the initial bestowals, the Air Force found it necessary to formulate rules to govern temporary bestowals of history and honors. In 1963 interested USAF agencies agreed that an exceptional bestowal or history and honors:
1. Will be made only from AFCON combat groups to AFCON combat wings, with the bestowal in each case being from the group which has the same numerical designation as the recipient wing, and which is regarded by the
Air Force as the primary-mission group (and thus, an integral part) of the wing, even though the group is inactive.
2. May be made if the group is:
a. Inactive.
b. Active and assigned to the similarly designated wing..
3. Will not be made if:
a. The group is active and assigned to any organization other than the similarly designated wing.
b. Any combat group other than the one related by similarity of designation is assigned to the wing.
4. Will apply only to that portion of the group's history which the group accrued, and to those honors which the group earned, during a period when the wing was not active.
5. Is temporary and:
a. Becomes effective upon activation of the wing's headquarters.
b. Terminates under any of the following circumstances: 43
(1) The group is assigned to any organization other than
its simi 1 arly designated wing.
(2) The wing is assigned any other combat group in place of,
or in addition to, the similarly designated group from which it recovered
the temporary bestowal.
(3) The wing's headquarters is inactivated.
Field historians of many Air Force combat wings will find that their
organizations also have, in addition to their own earned history and honors,
the "bestowed history" of the World War I1 combat groups bearing the same
numerical designation as the wings, and that such bestowed history must be
handled separately from the wing history. Presently, Attachment 1 to
AFP 210-2 sets forth rules for bestowed histories. These rules notwith-
standing, perhaps no other aspect of the USAF historical program is more
misunderstood and misused than the temporary bestowal of history and
honors. If one examines wing histories on file at the Historical Research
Center, he will soon discover that practically none of them demonstrate
any understanding of what is meant by "temporary bestowal .I' Most wing
histories claim that the World War 11 combat groups were redesignated as
wings, or that the World War I1 groups were somehow consolidated into the
wings so that the groups and the postwar wings became single organizations.
The history of the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 July-30 September 1971, tells us that "The 366th Tactical Fighter Wing . . . was organized I: as th.e 366th Fighter Group on 1 June 1943 at Richmond Army Air Base, Va. . . . It was during the six years of service at the Louisiana base [in the 1950'sl that the 366th was redesignated the 366TFW, the redesigna-
tion taking place 1 July 1958." In fact, the 366th Fighter-Bomber Wing was 44 constituted on 15 November 1952 and activated on 1 January 1953. It was redesignated 366th Tactical Fighter Wing on 1 July 1958.
The wing historian, in writing his history, attempted to tie together the 366th Group and the 366th Wing. Actually, the group had existed for a long time before becoming the combat component of the wing on 1 January
1953. The group remained a component of the wing until 25 September 1957.
The discussion of "wing" activities in 1943 (and to 1 January 1953) was actually a discussion of group activities. The history and honors of the
366th Fighter Group of World War I1 rightfully belongs to the group and to
--no other organization, although the wing does hold the right to temporarily use the group's history and honors prior to 1 January 1953 under certain circumstances. In using the history and honors, however, the wing history cannot claim that the wing accomplished the World War I1 exploits of the group.
Consider another random selection. The October-December 1973 history of the 35th Tactical Fighter Wing also reveals little understanding of the wing-group re1ati onshi p:
The 35th Tactical Fighter Wing was activated 1 February 1940 at Moffett Field, California, and constituted the 35th Pursuit Group. . . . On 8 April 1966, the 7252d Tactical Fighter Wing at Da Nang Air Base, Vietnam, was redesignated the 35th Tactical Fighter Wing.
The 35th Wing was not activated in 1940, nor was the wing a redesignation of the 7252d TFW in 1966. Actually, the 35th Wing was constituted on 10 August 1948 and activated on 18 August 1948. The 35th
Group was the wing's tactical component from 18 August 1948 to 1 October
1957. In 1966, the newly act vated and organized 35th TFW replaced the
7252d TFW at Da Nang. 45
These examples illustrate the misunderstanding of the real relation- ships between the wing and the combat group. Innumerable field historians, not to mention Air Force officers, often assume erroneously that their wing is a redesignation of a former combat group, and that the wing's history extends back to the initial activation of that combat group. Hundreds of claims of this sort appear in wing histories that cannot now be amended, and that confuse private scholars and other independent researchers who use these histories on file at the Historical Research Center.
The USAF policy that every organization will have a unique lineage and that no organization can have the lineage or history of another organization is violated when someone claims that his wing's history extends back to the start of the preceding combat group. Air Force historians must present the relationship between wings and the combat groups whose history and honors are temporarily bestowed upon these wings in such a way that readers will never confuse the two separate organizations as a single organization.
Although the official lineage and honors (L&H) histories prepared by historians at the Historical Research Center clearly distinguish between combat groups and succeeding combat wings, these L&H histories are not interfiled with the unit histories used by researchers. Consequently, independent researchers often accept without question statements in wing histories concerning lineal connections between wings and their preceding combat groups; the errors subsequently reappear in articles and books. CHAPTER THREE
LINEAGE LANGUAGE
A special kind of "lineage language" has developed over many years
and the words or short phrases that comprise this language have precise
meanings. Some of these words and terms are defined in AFP 210-2, "Guide
to Lineage and Unit History"; others are defined in AFR 26-2, "Organization
Policy and Guidance"; more appear in this chapter. In tracing organiza-
tional actions to prepare lineage and honors (L&H) histories, one has to
know what each word or term meant at the time it was used, because, over
time, the same word may have had entirely different meanings.
Accepted Language: Terms-- Defined
The words and phrases that appear below fall into three categories:
assi gnment terms; 1 ineage terms ; and general reference terms. A1 1 have
been used officially by the War Department or Air Force, and are arranged
in a1 phabetical order. I' ~-Activate. (Lineage term that applies to establishments and units .) I' 1. To place an AFCON unit on the active Air Force List without
resources and assign it to a MAJCOM or SOA for organization (1959-1968).
2. To place an established (or reestablished) AFCON establishment on
the active Air Force List without resources and assign it to a MAJCOM or
SOA for organization (1953-1968).
47 48
3. To bring a constituted (or reconstituted) inactive AFCON unit into existence by assigning personnel to it (1922-1959; 1968-current).
(In 1922, replaced the term "organize," definition 5. Presently used in conjunction with "constitute"; AFCON units are "constituted and activated.")
4. To bring an established (or reestablished) AFCON establishment into existence by assigning personnel to its headquarters unit (1922-1959;
1968-current). (Presently, AFCON establishments are "established and activated.")
5. To bring a MAJCON unit into existence by assigning personnel to it (1968-current). (In 1968, replaced the term "organize," definition 1.
Presently used in conjunction with "designate," definition 2; MAJCON units are "designated and activated.")
6. To bring an established MAJCON establishment into existence by assigning personnel to its headquarters unit (1968-current). (Presently used in conjunction with "establish," definition 4; MAJCON establishments are "established and activated.")
Active List. (General reference.) -_I--
1. A list of U.S. Army units designated and organized by the War
Department (1907-1922).
2. A list of U.S. Army units constituted or reconstituted by the War
De P rtment and activated by the command to which assigned (1922-19 .7) . 3. A list of USAF units constituted or reconstituted by DAF etter and acti vated by the major command or separate operating agency to which ass gned (1947-1959; 1968-current .) 49
4. A list of USAF units constituted or reconstituted, and activated, by DAF letter, thereafter assigned to a major command or separate operating agency for organi zati on (1959-1968).
-- AFCON. (General reference. ) Abbrevi ation for Ai r Force (Headquarters
USAF)-Control led.
AFCON Unit. (General reference.) Units identified as constituted,
Table of Organization and Equipment (T/O&E), or simply Table of Organiza- tion (T/O) units. Until September 1947 the legal authority over these units resided in the War Department. After that date the Department of the
Air Force (DAF) exercised control of these units. Some constituted units before 1948 had as many as four digits in their numerical designation, but since 1948 AFCON units have had only one, two, or three digits in their numerical designations. All headquarters units above wing level, and all named (unnumbered) units , are AFCON units . Organi zati on actions pertaini ng to AFCON units are either accomplished or di rected by Headquarters USAF through the publication of DAF letters.
Air Force List. (General reference.) A list of all AFCON units, whether active or inactive. Active units appear in the regular Air Force,
Air Force Reserve, or Air National Guard. They are entered on the active list, while inactive units appear on the "inactive list."
Allot. (Assignment term.) To assign a regular Air Force (earlier,
Army) unit to the National Guard.
Army List. (General reference.) A list of all constituted units of the Army, whether active or inactive, including Army Air Service, Army
Air Corps, and Army Air Forces units manned under T/O&E authorizations 50
(1913-1947). Active units are entered on the "active list," while
inactive units appear on the "inactive list."
~-Assign. (Assignment term.) To place a military unit within a
military establishment so that the unit becomes an element or component of
the larger organization. A unit is customarily assigned to an establish-
ment, never to another unit; however, flights are sometimes ascigned to
squadrons in uni t-to-unit assignments. Establishments are always assigned
to higher echelon establishments, all the way up to the United States Air
Force.
Assigned Unit. (General reference.) A military unit that is an
element or component of a larger military establishment to which it is
assi gned.
Attach. (Assignment term.) To place a military unit temporarily
under the control of another military unit or establishment for any or all
of the following: administration, logistical support or operational
control. Unit attachment orders normally specify the purpose(s) for which
a unit is attached. Attachment of a unit does not make the attached unit
formally an element or component of the organization to which it is
attached. MAJCOMs and SOAs may attach units within their comnand as
desired, without reference to Headquarters USAF, but the attachment of a
unit from one command to another requires Headquarters USAF approval.
(See "detach. ")
-___--Attached Unit. (General reference.) A unit placed under the
temporary control of another military unit or establishment for adminis- tration, logistical support, operational control or any combination thereof, without making the attached unit an integral part of the unit or 51 establishment to which attached. Attachment usual ly involves physical separation from the establishment of assignment.
Authorize.- (Lineage term.) To designate a unit and place it on the inactive Army List. During the middle and late 1920s and early 1930s this term was used in place of "constitute," particularly for units held for an emergency and not scheduled for immediate activation.
Component. (General reference.) A unit that is a part of an establishment as one of the establishment's elements; also, an establish- ment that is part of a larger establishment. For example, the squadrons assigned to a group are the group's components; the groups (and, often, squadrons) assigned to a wing are the wing's components. (See also,
"element .'I)
-___---Consolidate. (Lineage term that applies to establishments and units.)
1. To combine two (or more) AFCON units, merging their lineage into a single line, thereby forming a single unit. This action is usually taken to combine two (or more) units that have essentially the same designations and functions but were active at different times.
2. To combine two (or more) AFCON establishments, merging their lineage into a single line, thereby forming a single establishment. Estab- lishments are consolidated effective with the consolidation of their head- quarters units. Consol idation actions were effected by War Department letters until 1947, and are presently effected by DAF letters.
Constitute. (Lineage term.) To give an official name, or number and name, to an AFCON unit and place it on the inactive Army (after 1947, Air Force) List, maki ng it avai 1 able for activati on (1922-current ) . (Rep1 aced the term "designate," definition 1.) 52
-DAF. (General reference .) Abbreviation for Department of the Ai r
Force.
Demobilize. (Lineage term.) To withdraw all personnel from an active unit and remove the unit entirely from the Army List (1907-1922). (For the current term, see "disband.")
Designate.- (Lineage term.)
1. To give an official name, or number and name, to a unit and place it on the inactive Army List (1907-1922). (After 1922, units of the AFCON type were constituted rather than designated.)
2. To give an official name (unti 1 1959) , or number and name, to a
MAJCON unit (1944-current).
3. To give an official name, or number and name, to a provisional unit (1907-current).
Designation. (General reference.) The name of a unit or establish- ment. A designation includes all parts of the name: numerical , functional , and generic. Designation also applies to named activities and certain functions. To further identify a unit and clarify its designation, descriptive words are sometimes added parenthetically. Parenthetical identification of a unit, suffixed to the regular designation, can be added only by the authority constituting or designating the unit or activity.
Parenthetical designations were added to the designations of the AAF
(later, AF) base units because the units had no functional designation and identical generic designations. Example: 999th AAFBU (Bombardier School).
The Table of Distribution (T/D) units established in 1948 added paren- thetical identification to some units, particularly schools. Example:
3811th School Squadron (USAF Basic Pilot). 53
-___Detach. (Assignment term.) To relinquish control of an assigned
component, usually for a specific purpose and period of time, with the
component serving in attached status with another unit or establishment ,
often at a location other than its permanent base. (See "attach.")
~---__Detached Unit. (General reference.) A unit that is serving away from
the establishment in which it is an assigned organic element or component.
A detached unit is usual ly attached temporari ly to another organi zati on
but may function as a separate unit while detached, although always respon-
sible to an establishment or unit for its operational activities.
Disband. (Lineage term.) To remove an inactive AFCON unit from the
inacti ve Army (after 1947 , Ai r Force) List (1922-current). Shortly before
and during World War 11, this action was also used to withdraw all person- , nel from an active unit and simultaneously remove the unit from the Army
List. (Replaced the term "demobilize.")
Discontinue.__ (Lineage term that applies to establishments and units.)
1. To withdraw all personnel from an active AFCON unit, rendering it
nonoperative but sti 1 active on paper (1959-1968). (Temporarily replaced
the term "inactivate I' definition 3.)
2. To render an active AFCON establ ishment nonoperati ve a1 though
temporarily still active on paper, by withdrawing all personnel from its
headquarters unit (1959-1968). (Used in conjunction with "inactivate,"
def nition 2.)
3. To withdraw all personnel from an active MJCON unity terminat
the unit Is existence (1944-1968). (For later term, see "inactivate,"
def nition 5.) 54
4. To terminate a command, subcommand, school, or other activity previously established by War Department or DAF 1 etter.
-_____--Disestablish. (Lineage term.)
1. To cause an AFCON establishment to cease to exist and remove it enti rely from the Army List by "demobi 1 izi ng" its headquarters unit
(1907-1922).
2. To cause an AFCON establishment to cease to exist and remove it entirely from the Army (after 1947, Air Force) List by "disbanding" its headquarters unit (1922-current).
3. To cause an AFCON establishment to cease to exist by
"redesi gnating" its headquarters unit as a squadron or miscell aneous unit (1907-current).
4. To cause a MAJCON establishment to cease to exist by
"discontinuing" its headquarters unit (1948-1958).
5. To cause a MAJCON establishment to cease to exist by
"inactivating" its headquarters unit (1968-current).
6. To cause a MAJCON establishment to cease to exist by
"redesi gnat ing" its headquarters unit as a squadron or miscell aneous unit (1948-current).
-DRU. (General reference.) Abbreviation for Direct Reporting Unit.
--Element. A synonym for component. A unit that is part of an establishment, one of the establishment's elements or components.
Establish. (Lineage term.)
1. To give an official name, or number and name, to an establishment and place it on the inactive Army List, accomplished by "designating" a headquarters unit (1907-1922). 55
2. To give an official name, or number and name, to an AFCON
establishment and place it on the inactive Army (after 1947, Air Force)
List , accomplished by "constituting" its headquarters unit (1922-current).
3. To give an official name, or number and name, to an AFCON
establishment and place it on the Army (after 1947, Air Force) List,
accompl ished by "redesignating" an existing inactive squadron or miscell aneous unit as a headquarters unit (1907-current) . 4. To give an official name (1948-1959) , or number and name, to a
MAJCON establ ishment , accompl ished by "designating" a headquarters unit
1948-current). (After 1959, all named establishments were AFCON.)
5. The act of designating and bringing into being an activity to
which no people are directly assigned. Certai n comnands , subcommands ,
schools, and named activities have been established by War Department and
DAF letters.
Establish (Active). (Lineage term.)
1. To give an official name, or number and name, to an AFCON
establishment , at the same time bringing the establishment into existence
with personnel , accomplished by "redesi gnating" an active AFCON squadron or
miscel 1aneous unit as a headquarters unit ( 1907-current).
2. To give an official name (1948-1959) , or number and name, to a
MAJCON establishment, at the same time bringing the establishment into
existence with personnel , accomplished by "redesignating" an active MAJCON
squadron or miscellaneous unit as a headquarters unit (1948-current).
I: Establishment. (General reference.) Any military organization having
a headquarters component. Most groups and a1 1 hi gher echelon organi zations I' are establishments, and always have a headquarters to which people are 56 assigned. Establishments generally have subordinate components--lower echelon establishments, units, or both. An AFCON establishment is established with the constitution of its headquarters, and is activated and inactivated concurrently with its headquarters. A MAJCON establishment is established with the designation of its headquarters, and is organized
(1948-1968) and activated (1968-current) concurrently with its head- quarters. A MAJCON establishment is disestablished with the discontinuance
(1948-1968) or inactivation (1968-current) of the headquarters unit.
Extend Federal Recognition. (Lineage term, ANG only.) The act of recognizing a unit as an organized component of the National (later, Air
National) Guard in the state to which the unit is allotted, taken by the
Secretary of War until September 1947 and the Secretary of the Air Force thereafter.
--__-Inactivate. (Lineage term that applies to establishments and units.)
1. To place an active, nonoperative AFCON unit on the inactive Air
Force List , following its discontinuance (1959-1968). (Used in conjunction with "discont nue," definition 1. During this period, AFCON units were
"discontinued and inactivated.")
2. To p ace an active, nonoperative AFCON establishment on the inactive Air Force List, following discontinuance of its headquarters unit
(1959-1968). (For a brief period, AFCON establ ishments were "discontinued and inactivated.") 57
3. To withdraw all personnel from an active AFCON unit and place the unit on the inactive Army (after 1947, Air Force) List (1922-1959;
1968-current). (For the term used until 1922, see "demobilize.")
4. To place an AFCON establishment on the inactive Army (after 1947,
Air Force) List by withdrawing all personnel from its headquarters unit
(1922-1959; 1968-current).
5. To withdraw all personnel from an active MAJCON unit, terminating the unit's existence (1968-current). (Replaced the term "discontinue," definition 3.)
Inactive List. (General reference.) A list of constituted or reconstituted U.S. Army (1907-1947) or USAF (1947-current) units that are not disbanded. (The units on this list may have been activated at one time and subsequently inactivated, or they may never have been activated.)
MAJCOM. (General reference.) Abbreviation for Major Comnand. The term is sometimes used to include Separate Operating Agencies (SOAs). (Not to be confused with the abbreviation MAJCON, below.)
MAJCON. (General reference.) Abbreviation for Major Comnand-
Control 1 ed.
MAJCON Unit. (General reference.) A unit controlled by a major command or a separate operating agency, These units are designated, non- constituted T/D units that are temporary in nature: once discontinued
(1944-1968) or inactivated (1968-current) their existence terminates and cannot be revived. From 1944 to 1948, Army Air Forces (later, Air Force)
Base Units served as the first MAJCON units. In 1948, the Air Force adopted its present four-digit numerical system for T/D MAJCON units (see
Appendix 1). Provisional units are a special category of MAJCON units. 58
Named Unit.__ (General reference.) Certain Air Force units are named rather than numbered. An unnumbered unit usually provides support or a service on a geographical basis reflected in its name, or it performs a special function solely or primarily in one location. All named units are
AFCON units ; they are authorized by Headquarters USAF through DAF letters.
Numbered Unit. (General reference.) A unit bearing digits: a majority of the Air Force's units are numbered. AFCON units are assigned a number of no more than three digits. MAJCON units are assigned a four- digit designation from blocks of numbers allocated to each MAJCOM and SOA by Headquarters USAF. (See Appendix 1.) r Order to Active Service. (Lineage term.) To place a Reserve or
National Guard unit on active duty with the regular Air Force.
Organization.- (General reference.) A convenient term generally used to describe both units and establ ishments.
Organize. (Lineage term that applies to establishments and units.)
1. To bring a MAJCON unit into existence by assigning personnel to it
(1944-1968). (Used in conjunction with "designate," definition 2; until
1968, MAJCON units were "designated and organized .")
2. To bring an established MAJCON establishment into existence by assigning personnel to its headquarters unit (1948-1968) . (Used in con- junction with "establish," definition 4; unt 1 1968 MAJCON estab ishment s were "established and organized.")
3. To bring an activated AFCON unit into existence, accomplished by
MAJCOM or SOA orders assigning personnel , following the unit's activation without resources (1959-1968). (This term was used by MAJCOMs and SOAs in 59
conjunction with "constitute and activate": for a brief period AFCON units
we re Itc o n s t it u t ed , acti vat e d , an d org a n iz e d It )
4. To bring an AFCON establishment into existence, accomplished by
YAJCOM or SOA orders assigning personnel to its headquarters unit following
the establishment's activation without resources (1959-1968). (This term
was used by MAJCOMs and SOAs in conjunction with "activate"; for a brief
period AFCON establishments were "established, activated, and organized.")
5. To bring a designated inactive unit into existence by assigning
personnel to it (1907-1922). (This term used in conjunction with
"designate," definition 1; units were "designated and organized.")
6. To bring an established establishment into existence by assigning
personnel to its headquarters unit (1907-1922). (Unti 1 1922, establish-
ments were "established and organized.")
7. To arrange the components or functions of a unit or establishment
with levels of supervision, internal relationships, and responsibilities.
I Parent Unit . (General reference. ) 1. A unit that directly administers and controls integral detachments
or alphabetical flights.
2. An establishment that directly administers and controls
subordinate units and establishments.
Provisional Unit. (General reference.) A temporary unit organized by
a MAJCON or SOA to perform a specific task, usually for a short period.
Reconstitute. (Lineage term.) To return a disbanded (or demobilized)
AFCON unit to the Army (after 1947, Air Force) List, making it available
for activation (1922-current). 60
Redesignate.- (Lineage term that app ies to establishments and units.)
To change the name, number, or number and name of a unit, an establishment,
a named activity, or a detachment. Redes gnation has the effect of
removing the previous designation from current records and substituting the new designation. Redesignation of named activities, commands, special
operating agencies , and other hi gh echelon organi zati ons is accomplished by
UAF letters. When the Air Force adopted the present MAJCON system in 1948, the redesignation pol icy permitted MAJCOMs (and later SOAs) to redesignate
T/D units at wing level and below as necessary, using the numbers allocated
by Headquarters USAF. The redesignation of the headquarters unit of any
establishment, whether AFCON or MAJCON, automatically redesignates the
establ ishment.
Reestablish. (Lineage term.) To return a former AFCON establishment to the inactive Army (after 1947, Air Force) List by "reconstituting" its disbanded headquarters unit, or by "redesignating" back to a headquarters
unit an inactive squadron or miscellaneous unit that previously served as
its headquarters unit (1907-current).
Reestablish (Active). (Lineage term.)
1. To return a former AFCON establishment to active status by
"redesi gnati ng" back to a headquarters unit an acti ve squadron or mi scell a-
neous unit that previously served as its headquarters unit (1907-current).
2. To return a former MAJCON establishment to active status by
"redesi gnati ng" back to a headquarters unit an acti ve squadron or miscell a-
neous unit that previously served as its headquarters unit (1948-current). 61
Relieve from Active Duty. (Lineage term.) To relieve or release an __I____----
Air National Guard or Air Force Reserve unit from active service with the
regular Air Force. (See also, "return to state control .")
-Reorganize. - (General reference.) To rearrange or regroup the
components or functions of a unit or establishment with levels of super-
vision, internal relationships, and responsibilities.
Return to State Control. (Lineage term, ANG only.) To return an Air
National Guard unit to the control of its state of allocation following a
period of active duty with the regular Air Force.
Separate Unit- . (See "detached unit .") -SOA. (General reference.) Abbreviation for Separate Operating Agency.
-T/D. (General reference.) Abbreviation for Table of Distribution, a manning document generally used by MAJCON units.
T/O&E. (General reference .) Abbreviation for Table of Organi zati on
and Equipment, a manning/equipment document generally used by AFCON units.
Unit. (General reference.) A military organization having a mission,
functions , personnel , and structure prescribed by proper authority : created
by directives of the War Department (through designation or constitution ,
1907-1947) or by the Department of the Air Force (through constitution,
1947-current) , or else created by directives of the MAJCOMs and SOAs
(through designation, 1944-current). All military units must have an
officer designated as comnander. AFCON units may be active or inactive,
existing until they are disbanded, and can be reconstituted. MAJCON and
provisional units cease to exist when they have been discontinued (1944- 1948) or inact ivated (1968-cu rrent ) . 62
-WD. (General reference.) Abbreviation for War Department. The U.S.
Army's air arm was controlled by the War Department until 1947, when the
Department of the Ai r Force was establ ished.
Uni t/Establ ishment Lineaae Terms
For the convenience of the reader, Air Force lineage terms have been
summarized in Tables 3 and 4, and arranged chronologically indicating their
periods of usage. Table 3 deals with units, while Table 4 addresses
establ ishments.
UnacceDtable Lanauaae
Organizational histories on file at the USAF Historical Research
Center often contain unacceptable 1 ineage language. Inexperienced histori ans have misused accepted terms and coi ned unacceptable ones.
Although it is difficult to know exactly what is meant by "merged,"
"formed," "created," or "eliminated," one can guess what "reactivate" or
"deactivate" signify, because these words frequently appear in place of
"activate" and "inactivate." It is less obvious what was meant when accepted lineage terms such as "establish" or "disestablish" are used to describe some other action, such as "activate" or "inactivate." Most errors in lineage language occur because the concerned military and civilian historians failed to read and understand the orders directing and imp1 ement ing organi zat ional acti ons . 63
TABLE 3 - Terms Used in AFCON and MAJCON Unit Lineage
A. Starting an AFCON Unit
I_- -- Time Period Used Terms 1959- 1968- 1968 Current
Designate. To give an official name, or number and name, to a unit and place it on the inactive Army List.
Organize. To bring a designated inactive unit into existence by assigning personnel to it. (Used in conjunction with "desig- nate," above: units were "designated and organized.") Constitute. To give an official name, A-X X X or numberand name, to an AFCON unit and place it on the inactive Army (after 1947, Air Force) List, making it available for acti vat ion. ( Rep 1aced "deSlgnate ,'I above. -) 1 Authorize. To designate a unit and place I it oneifactive Army List. (This term (1920s and 1930s) was briefly used in place of "constitute," particularly for units held for an emergency and not scheduled for immediate activation.) 64
TABLE 3 (continued)
__------
A. Starting an AFCON Unit (continued)
Time Period Used Terms 1907- 1922- 1959- 1968- -- 1922 Current Organize. To bring an activated AFCON L* unit into existence, accomplished by MAJCOM or SOA orders assi gni ng personnel , fol 1 owing the unit Is activation without resources. (This term used by MAJCOMs and SOAs in conjunction with "activate"; for a brief period AFCON units were "constituted, activated, and organized.") - -- Reconstitute. To return a disbanded (or X dem~l~~CONunit to the Army (after 1947, Air Force) List, making it available for acti vation. -- I
-I 65
TABLE 3 (continued)
B. Terminating an AFCON Unit
I Time Period Used Terms 1907- 1968- 1922 Current
Demobi 1 ize. To withdraw the personnel X frozan active unit and remove the unit entirely from the Army List.
Disband. To remove an inactive AFCON X unit from the inactive Army (after 1947, Air Force) List. Shortly before and during i World War 11, this action was also used to withdraw all personnel from an active unit and simultaneously remove the unit from the Army List. (Replaced the term ~--~"demobi 1 ize.") Inactivate. To withdraw a1 1 personnel X from an actxe AFCON unit and place the unit on the inactive Army (after 1947, Air Force) List. (For the term used until 1922, see "dernobi 1 ize, I' above. 1
Disconti nue. To withdraw a1 1 personnel froxaxv% AFCON unit, rendering it nonoperative but still active on paper. (Temporarily replaced Ynactivate," above.)
Inactivate. To place an active, non- opeXTvEXTON unit on the inactive Air Force List, following its discontinuance. ( Used in conjuncti on with "di scont inue ,'I above. For a brief period, AFCON units were "discontinued and inactivated.") 66
TABLE 3 (continued)
C. Starting a MAJCON Unit
Time Period Used Terms 1944- 1968- Current
Designate. To give an officia1 name (unti 1 1959) , X or number- and name, to a MAJCON unit. I- Organize. To bring a MAJCON unit into existence by assigning personnel to it. (Used in conjunction with "desi gnate ,'I above. Before 1968 , MAJCON units were "designated and organized.")- -~
~-Activate. To bring a MAJCON unit into existence by assigning personnel to it. (Replaced "organize," above. Used in conjunction with "designate." Presently, MAJCON units are "desianated and activated.")
D. Terminating a MAJCON Unit
-- T- Time Period Used Terms 1944- 1968- Current
Discontinue. To withdraw all personnel from an active MAJCON unit, terminating -the unit's existence. --I_~-~
Inactivate. To withdraw all personnel from an active MAJCm unit, terminating the unit's existence. ----(Replaced "discontinue," above.)-- 67
TABLE 4 - Terms Used in AFCON and MAJCON Establishment Lineage
A. Starting an AFCON Establishment
- Time Period Used Terms - 1959- 1968- ___~ 1968 Current Establish. To give an official name, or number and name, to an establishment and place it on the inactive Army List, accom- pl ished by "designating" a headquarters unit.
Organize. To bring an established X establishment into existence by assigning personnel to its headquarters unit. (Unti 1 1922, establishments were "established and organized.") - - Establish. To give an official name, or X X numEafdname, to an AFCON establ ishment Ix and place it on the inactive Army (after 1947 , Ai r Force) List , accompl ished by "constituting" its headquarters unit. -- -_I_I--- &- Activate. To bring an established (or X reestablished) AFCON establ ishment into existence by assigning personnel to its headquarters unit. (Presently, AFCON establ ishments are "established and activated .") (Rep1 aced the term "organize-___-_~ ,I' above .) -___ Establish. To give an official name, or X X X X number and name, to an AFCON establishment and place it on the Army (after 1947, Air Force) List, accomplished by "redesignating" an existing inactive squadron or miscel- laneous unit as a headauarters unit. 68
TABLE 4 (continued)
--~-____- ---
A. Starting an AFCON Establishment (continued)
Time Period Used Terms
- Establish (Active). To give an official name, or number and name, to an AFCON estab- 1 ishment , at the same time bringing the establishment into existence, accomplished by "redesi gnat ing" an acti ve AFCON squadron or miscellaneous unit as a headquarters unit
Reestablish. To return a former AFCON establ ishmentto the inactive Army (after 1947, Air Force) List by "reconstituting" its disbanded headquarters unit, or by ''re- designating" back to a headquarters unit an inactive squadron or miscellaneous unit that previously served---- as its-___ headquarters unit.
Reestablish (Active). To return a former AFCmstablishment to active status by 'Ire- designating" back to a headquarters unit an acti ve squadron or miscel 1 aneous unit that Previouslv served as its headauarters unit.
Activate. To place an established (or reestabl ished) AFCON establ ishment on the active Air Force List without resources and assign it to a MAJCOM or SOA for organiza- tion. - Organize. To bring an activated AFCON establishment into existence, accomplished by MAJCOM or SOA orders assigning personnel to its headquarters unit following the establishment Is activation without resources. (This action used for a brief period by MAJCOMs and SOAs in conjunction with "activate"; establ ishments were
---I_-----"established, activated, and organized.") - 69
TABLE 4 (continued)
B. Terminating an AFCON Establishment
Time Period Used Terms 1907- 1922- 1959- 1968- 1922 1959 --1968 Current Disestablish. To cause an AFCON estab- X lishment to cease to exist and remove it entirely from the Army List by "demobili- zing" its headquarters unit.
Disestablish. To cause an AFCON estab- X X lishmenttose to exist and remove it entirely from the Army (after 1947, Air Force) List by "disbanding" its headquarters unit.
Disestablish. To cause an AFCON estab- X X X lishment to cease to exist by "redesiqna- ting" its headquarters unit as a squadron or mi scel 1aneous uni t . Inactivate. To place an AFCON estab- X X 1 ishment on The inactive Army (after 1947 , Air Force) List by withdrawing all personnel from its headquarters unit.
Discontinue. To render an active AFCON X establishment nonoperative, although tem- porarily still active on paper, by with- drawing all personnel from its headquarters unit. (Used in conjunction with "inacti- vate," below.)
Inactivate. To place an active, non- X operative AFCON establishment on the inactive Air Force List, following discon- tinuance of its headquarters unit. (Used in conjunction with "discontinue ,'I above; for a brief period, AFCON establishments -were "discontinued and inactivated.") 70
TABLE 4 (continued)
C. Starting a MAJCON Establishment
Time Period Used Terms 1948- 1968- Current
Establish. To give an official name (1948-1959), or X X number and name, to a MAJCON establishment, accomplished by "desi gnati ngll a headquarters unit . (After 1959 a1 1 named establishments became AFCON; MAJCON establishments were confined to numerical designations.) - Establish (Active). To give an official name (1948- X X 1959), or number and name, to a MAJCON establishment, at the same time bringing the establishment into existence, accomplished by "redesignating" an active MAJCON squadron or mi scell aneous unit as a headquarters unit . - Reestablish (Active). To return a former MAJCON X X establishment to active status by "redesignati ng" back to a headquarters unit an active squadron or miscel- laneous unit that previously served as its headquarters
Organize. To bring an established MAJCON establish- ment into existence by assigning personnel to its head- quarters unit. (Used in conjunction with "establish," above; MAJCON establishments were, until 1968, "established and organized.")
Acti vate. To bring an establ ished MAJCON establ ish- ment into existence by assigning personnel to its head- quarters unit. (Used in conjunction with "establish," above; MAJCON establishments are presently "established and activated.") I 71
TABLE 4 (continued)
___
D. Terminating a MAJCON Establishment
Time Period Used Terms _.__- 1948- 1968- 1968 Current
Disestablish. To cause a MAJCON establishment to X cease to exist by "di sconti nuingl' its headquarters unit . Disestabl ish. To cause a MAJCON establishment to cease to exist-- by "inactivating" its headquarters unit.
Disestablish. To cause a MAJCON establishment to X cease to exist by "redesignating" its headquarters unit as a sauadron or miscellaneous unit. CHAPTER FOUR
UNIT HONORS
Military units relish earned honors, for these honors reflect the
resourcefulness, outstanding performance, and bravery of unit personnel.
War campaigns in which a unit participated and the achievements for which
a unit has been cited are therefore important facets of a unit's history.
Although the United States Air Force is relatively young when compared with
its sister military services, some Air Force units have participated in two
world wars, the Korean war, and the conflict in Southeast Asia. All four
produced honors of one type or another. Unit honors are comprised of four
types specified in AFP 900-2 and AFR 900-48:
War servi ce streamers War campai gn streamers Assault landing credits (Arrowheads) Decorations (Ameri can and forei gn) .
-___Servi ce Streamers
World War I became the first major war in which U.S. Army air * units participated. Any Air Service unit that served in Europe between
6 April 1917 and 11 November 1918, but did not engage in combat operations,
is entitled to the "Theater of Operations" war service streamer. If the I- unit engaged in combat, it earned instead one or more of the campaign
* The 1st Aero Squadron earlier took part in the punitive expedition into Mexico under General Pershing in 1916.
73 74 streamers establ ished for that war. A campaign st reamer representing a unit's combat participation in a specific campaign in a theater of opera- tions has the same size, pattern, and coloration as the war service streamer for that theater, but with the name of the specific campaign embroidered upon it. Likewise, during World War 11, those AAF units that did not earn campaign streamers for combat, but which operated in the
Ameri can, the European-Af rican-Mi ddl e Eastern (EAME) , or the Asi atic-
Pacific Theaters, received war service streamers for the respective theater or theaters.
Rules governing war service streamers specify that the streamers represent non-combat service in a theater of operations and that a unit can be awarded only one such streamer for each theater in which it served. To be entitled to a World War I1 service streamer, a unit had to be based in the theater or have travelled within the theater for a period of 30 or more consecutive days or 60 or more non-consecutive days. A non-flying unit based in England during World War I1 and never located in any of the
European combat zones on the Continent would be entitled only to a war service streamer. If such a unit had moved to the Continent (remaining in the same theater of operations), entered combat, and earned a campaign streamer, it would not be entitled to the service streamer (non-combat service) . Speci fic requi rements for World War II servi ce streamers, by theater, are:
American Theater. A unit must have been based in the continental
United States for a total of 1 year or more, in any number of separate periods, between 7 December 1941 and 2 March 1946, or have been based in 75
any part of the theater outside the United States (for instance, the Canal
Zone), at any time between 7 December 1941 and 2 March 1946, for a period
of 30 or more consecutive days or 60 or more non-consecutive days.
European-African-Middle Eastern Theater. A unit must have been based
in the theater at any time between 7 December 1941 and 2 March 1946, or
have travelled within the theater for 30 or more consecutive days or 60 or
more non-consecutive days.
Asiatic-Pacific Theater. A unit must have been based in the theater
at any time between 7 December 1941 and 2 March 1946, or have travelled
within the theater for 30 or more consecutive days or 60 or more non-
consecutive days.
After World War 11, many USAF units stationed in Japan or Okinawa that I' directly supported the Korean war effort between 27 June 1950 and 27 July
1953, earned the Korean Theater service streamer. Any USAF unit based in I' Vietnam at any time between 1 July 1958 and 14 November 1961 would be I: entitled to a Vietnam Theater service streamer, --unless the unit later
(after 14 November 1961) went on to earn a campaign streamer for partici-
pation in combat during the Southeast Asian conflict. After 14 November
1961, any unit based in Vietnam would be entitled to one or more campaign
streamers represent ing the campai gns that occurred whi le the unit was there.
Campai gn Streamers
Campaign streamers represent actual combat operations in an active
campaign zone. Both non-combat units (for example, a maintenance squadron)
and combat units are el igi ble for campai gn streamers. Campai gn streamers
were awarded to units that participated in World War I "named campai gns" in 76
France, or to units that served in defensive sectors. There were eight named campai gns and ni ne defensive sectors :
Named Campai gns* Defensive Sectors
Somme Defensive (21 Mar-6 Apr 1918) A1 sace Lys (19-27 Apr 1918) Champagne Champagne-Marne (15-18 Jul 1918) Chateau Thi erry Aisne-Marne (18 Jul-6 Aug 1918) F1 anders Somme Offensive (18 Aug-11 Nov 1918) I1e-de-France Oise-Aisne (18 Aug-11 Nov 1918) Lorraine St. Mihiel (12-15 Sep 1918) Picardy Meuse-Argonne (26 Sep-11 Nov 1918) Remi court Toul . World War I1 produced 46 named campaigns in which AAF units participated. Many AAF units earned large numbers of campaign streamers through their combat activities, with a few units earning them in more than one theater of operations. Forty-five of these campaigns appear in
AFP 900-2 by name and inclusive dates:
1. Air Combat, EAME Theater (7 Dec 1941-11 May 1945) 2. Air Offensive, Europe (4 Jul 1942-5 Jun 1944) 3. Air Offensive, Japan (17 Apr 1942-2 Sep 1945) 4. Aleutian Islands (3 Jun 1942-24 Aug 1945) 5. A1 geri a-French Morocco (8-11 Nov 1942) 6. Antisubmarine (7 Dec 1941-2 Sep 1945) (by Theater of Operations) 7. Anzio (22 Jan-24 May 1944) 8. Ardennes -A1 sace ( 16 Dec 1944-25 Jan 1945) 9. Bismarck Archipelago (15 Dec 1943-27 Nov 1944) 10. Burma, 1942 (7 Dec 1941-26 May 1942) 11. Central Burma (29 Jan-15 Jul 1945) 12. Central Europe (22 Mar-11 May 1945) I 13. Central Pacific (7 Dec 1941-6 Dec 1943) 14. China Defensive (4 Jul 1942-4 May 1945) 15. China Offensive (5 May-2 Sep 1945) 16. East Indies (1 Jan-22 Jul 1942) 17. Eastern Mandates (Air) (7 Dec 1943-16 Apr 1944) 18. Eastern Mandates (Ground) (31 Jan-14 Jun 1944) 19. Egypt-Libya (11 Jun 1942-12 Feb 1943) 20. Ground Combat, EAME Theater (7 Dec 1941-11 May 1945) 21. Guadalcanal (7 Aug 1942-21 Feb 1943)
* A ninth named campaign was Vittoria Veneto (24 Oct-4 Nov 1918), but no units earned this Italian area campaign, only individuals. 77
22. India-Burma (2 Apr 1942-28 Jan 1945) 23. Leyte (17 Oct 1944-1 Jul 1945) 24. Luzon (15 Dec 1944-4 Jul 1945) 25. Naples-Foggia (Ai r) (18 Aug 1943-21 Jan 1944) 26. Naples-Foggia (Ground) (9 Sep 1943-21 Jan 1944) 27. New Guinea (24 Jan 1943-31 Dec 1944) 28. Normandy (6 Jun-24 Jul 1944) 29. North Apennines (10 Sep 1944-4 Apr 1945) 30. Northern France (25 Jul-14 Sep 1944) 31. Northern Solomons (22 Feb 1943-21 Nov 1944) 32. Papua (23 Jul 1942-23 Jan 1943) 33. Philippine Islands (7 Dec 1941-10 May 1942) 34. Po Valley (5 Apr-8 May 1945) 35. Rhineland (15 Sep 1944-21 Mar 1945) 36. Rome-Arno (22 Jan-9 Sep 1944) 37. Ryukyus (26 Mar-2 Jul 1945) 38. Sicily (Air) (14 May-17 Aug 1943) 39. Sicily (Ground) (9 Jul-17 Aug 1943) 40. Southern France (15 Aug-14 Sep 1944) 41. Southern Phi 1 ippines (27 Feb-4 Jul 1945) 42. Tunisia (Air) (17 Nov 1942-13 May 1943) 43. Tunisia (Ground) (17 Nov 1942-12 May 1943) 44. Western Pacific (Air) (17 Apr 1944-2 Sep 1945) 45. Western Pacific (Ground) (15 Jun 1944-2 Sep 1945).
A campaign streamer authorized in addition to those listed in AFP 900-2
(shown above) is Air Combat, Asiatic-Pacific Theater (7 Dec 1941-2 Sep
1945).
A unit earned a World War I1 campaign streamer if it were based in the campaign zone during the inclusive dates of the campaign, or if it flew combat missions into the campaign zone during the inclusive dates of the campaign. A unit based in the campaign zone for one or more days, or having had one or more of its aircraft fly missions in the campaign zone during the inclusive dates of the campaign, met the criteria to earn a campai gn streamer.
AFP 900-2 also lists ten campaigns in the Korean war, continuing the numbering system begun with the World War I1 campaigns. USAF units not located in Korea itself may have earned campaign streamers for their 78 operations in the theater of operations from adjacent areas such as Japan or Okinawa. The Korean campaigns are:
46. UN Defensive (27 Jun-15 Sep 1950) 47. UN Offensive (16 Sep-2 Nov 1950) 48. Chinese Communist Forces Intervention (3 Nov 1950-24 Jan 1951) 49. First UN Counteroffensive (25 Jan-21 Apr 1951) 50. Chinese Communist Forces Spring Offensive (22 Apr-8 Jul 1951) 51. UN Summer-Fall Offensive (9 Jul-27 Nov 1951) 52. Second Korean Winter (28 Nov 1951-30 Apr 1952) 53. Korea Summer-Fall , 1952 (1 May-30 Nov 1952) 54. Third Korean Winter (1 Dec 1952-30 Apr 1953) 55. Korea Summer-Fall , 1953 (1 May-27 Jul 1953).
Rules for unit campaign credits for the Korean war were similar to the rules for World War 11. A unit earned credit for a particular campaign if it served in the campaign zone within the period of the campaign, or if its aircraft flew missions into the campaign zone within the period of the cam- paign. It was sufficient for a unit to be based in the campaign zone for
1 day, or to fly one mission with one aircraft during the campaign.
Any USAF unit that operated in Vietnam between 15 November 1961 and
28 January 1973 is entitled to one or more of the campaign streamers representi ng the campaigns that occurred whi le the unit was based there.
Units based in Thailand, that performed combat in Southeast Asia (Vietnam,
Laos, and Cambodia) , also qualify for the Vietnam campaign streamers. The seventeen Vietnam campaigns listed in AFP 900-2 continue the World War I1 and Korean war campaign listings:
56. Vietnam Advisory (15 Nov 1961-1 Mar 1965) 57. Vietnam Defense (2 Mar 1965-30 Jan 1966) 58. Vietnam Air (31 Jan-28 Jun 1966) 59. Vietnam Air Offensive (29 Jun 1966-8 Mar 1967) 60. Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase I1 (9 Mar 1967-31 Mar 1968) 61. Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase I11 (1 Apr-31 Oct 1968) 62. Vietnam Air/Ground (22 Jan-7 Jul 1968) 63. Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase IV (1 Nov 1968-22 Feb 1969) 64. TET 69/Counteroffensive (23 Feb-8 Jun 1969) 65. Vietnam Summer-Fall, 1969 (9 Jun-31 Oct 1969) 79
66. Vietnam Winter-Spring, 1970 (1 Nov 1969-30 Apr 1970) 67. Sanctuary Counteroffensive (1 May-31 Jun 1970) 68. Southwest Monsoon (1 Jul-30 Nov 1970) 69. Commando Hunt V (1 Dec 1970-14 May 1971) 70. Commando Hunt VI (15 May-31 Oct 1971) 71. Commando Hunt VII (1 Nov 1971-29 Mar 1972) 72. Vietnam Ceasefire Campaign (30 Mar 1972-28 Jan 1973).
For United States forces, the Southeast Asian conflict concluded in
Vietnam in January 1973, but continued for some time in Laos and Cambodia.
No additional campai gn streamers were authori zed for this additional period of combat. USAF units that took part in combat operations after 28 January
1973 are ineligible for any campaign streamers.
Arrowheads
Some Air Force units are entitled to an arrowhead, or assault-landing credit, on certain campaign streamers. Only a few Air Force units, however, earned arrowheads for supporting assault landings, and these only for World
War I1 and the Korean war. To earn an arrowhead, a unit had to make a com- bat gl ider 1andi ng, combat parachute jump , or amphi bious assault landing while assigned or attached to an organized force carrying out an assigned tacti cal mi s s ion . The arrowhead is not a separate unit decoration, but part of a campaign streamer. When awarded to a unit, the arrowhead device is embroi dered on the campai gn streamer , precedi ng the name of the campai gn . A unit may have only one arrowhead on a given campaign streamer, regard- less of the number of assault landings credited to the unit during that campaign. AFP 900-2 (Volume I) lists earned arrowheads in Chapter 3, column C (Other Unit Awards), under the code letter "A." For use on theater ribbons awarded to individual s , the arrowhead is a bronze rep1 ica 80 of an Indian arrowhead, 1/4 inch in height and 1/8 inch in width, and denotes the indi vidual ' s parti cipati on in a combat parachute jump , combat glider landing, or amphibious assault landing.
Decorations
Only three Air Service units received unit decorations during World
War I. The 91st and 94th Aero Squadrons each received the French Croix de
Guerre with Palm (FCDGWP) , and the 103d Aero Squadron received two FCDGWPs and the French Fourragere (FF). World War 11, the Korean war, and the war in Southeast Asia provided numerous opportunities for air units to earn decorations , both Ameri can and foreign. Unit awards have a1 so recognized outstanding achievement in peacetime.
American Decorations
There are five American unit decorations, three dating to World War
11, one to the Korean war, and one to the conflict in Southeast Asia.
Distinguished- and Presidential Unit Citation (DUC/PUC). During World
War 11, numerous AAF units received the Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) awarded by the U.S. Army for extraordinary valor in action on or after
7 December 1941. Executive Order 9075 established this award on
26 February 1942. The U.S. Navy used the Presidential Unit Citation (PUC) during World War 11, likewise awarded for heroic action. A few AAF units that operated under Navy control or in close support of the Navy received the PUC. The DUC and PUC are of equal importance and value. After estab- lishment as a separate service in 1947, the USAF awarded the DUC through
1965, when the award became identified exclusively as a Presidential Unit 81
Citation (PUC). Both the DUC and PUC decorations are awarded only for combat act ions . Navy Unit Commendation (NUC). This decoration, awarded during World
War I1 and Korea to Air Force units that worked closely with naval forces, recognizes valor and sustained achievement in combat.
Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC). This U.S. Army decoration was awarded to AAF units during World War I1 and to USAF units during the
Korean war and the conflict in Southeast Asia. It is roughly equivalent to the Navy Unit Commendation and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. --_--Air Force Outstanding- -- Unit Award (AFOUA) . A new USAF unit decoration, the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, was established by the Secretary of the Air Force, as announced in DAF General Orders No. 1, 6 January 1954, and awarded for exceptionally meritorious service or exceptionally outstanding achievement in peace or war.
--Air Force Outstanding- Unit Award with Combat "V" Device.- Beginning on 15 November 1961, Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards also included a new facet: a Combat "V" Device. The Combat "V" was included only in AFOUAs earned for unit combat. Thereafter, the AFOUA alone reverted to a peace- time award, with the "V" for valor representing the award for combat.
Forei gn Decorations
A number of foreign nations have bestowed unit decorations upon
American air units, beginning in World War I. -___French Croix de Guerre with Palm (FCDGWP). This French unit decoration was first awarded an American air unit during World War I.
The 91st and 94th Aero Squadrons each received one of these decorations, 82 whi 1 e the 103d Aero Squadron earned and received two of the decorations.
Many AAF units earned this decoration for World War I1 activities.
French Fourragere (FF). This French unit decoration, given only to units that earned two or more FCDGWPs, was first awarded to an American air unit during World War I (the 103d Aero Squadron). Numerous AAF units received this award in World War 11.
Citation in- an Order of the Day, Belgian Army (CODBA). This unit decoration--a citation by decree of the Belgian government--was awarded to some AAF units that operated in or over Belgium during World War 11.
Belgian Fourragere______(BF). By separate decree, the Belgian Fourragere was awarded to those AAF units cited twice in an Order of the Day, Belgian
Army, during World War 11.
Luxembourg- Croix_-_ de Guerre-___ (LCDG). One such decoration was awarded (in 1969) to the 36th Tactical Fighter Wing in recognition of the exploits of the 36th Fighter Group , 1940-1945.
-Philippine Presidential_-.--l-l__-- hit Citation (PPUC). This unit decoration recognizes the combat achievements of units that served in the Philippines between 7 December 1941 and 10 May 1942, and between 17 October 1944 and
4 July 1945. Only one award is authorized for each eligible unit, includ- ing those few units that served in the Philippines during both periods. No specific date is included in the citation for this decoration.
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation (ROKPUC). This unit decoration, most commonly presented to USAF units actually based in Korea during the Korean war, was occasionally awarded to some units based in adjacent areas such as Japan or Okinawa. Although basically a recognition of combat activity, the ROKPUC sometimes recognized support units for the
outstanding performance of their support activity.
--Ph'ilippine -_ __ Republic- Presidential Unit Citation (PRPUC). A number
of USAF units stationed in the Philippines in July and August 1972 earned
this special unit decoration for exceptional participation in Phi lippine
flood disaster relief operations. . Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm (RVNGCWP).___ This unit decoration, usually awarded to USAF units that engaged in combat in the c Republic of Vietnam at some time between November 1961 and January 1973, t -- was also awarded in a few instances to tactical and support units based
outside the Southeast Asia area.
I
Shari n2___- of Honors
Since World War 11, the AAF, and now the USAF, has awarded decorations
to specific units and to specific establishments. Some honors may be
shared downward, from higher to lower echelons; other honors earned by
squadrons may entitle parent groups or wings also to receive them.
Sharing Decorations
Decorations earned by units are never shared. The decorations of a
constituted AFCON unit remain always a part of that unit's list of honors.
An AFCON unit may be inactivated, but when activated again the unit regains
its previous honors, 1 ineage, history, and emblem. A MAJCON unit , on the
other hand, once inactivated, ceases to ex st. No later organization may
ever claim the honors earned by a previous MAJCON unit, even if the later
unit has the exact numerical and functiona designation as its predecessor. a4
When an order cites a specific unit (a headquarters, a squadron, or a miscellaneous unit), no other Air Force unit may share the decoration. In recent years, decorations have also been awarded to segments of units (such as specific detachments of a unit) . In such instances the parent unit of the honored segment is excluded from sharing the decoration. In other words, the Presidential Unit Citation awarded to Detachment 4, 30th Weather
Squadron, for the period 21 June 1968-30 June 1969 (by DAF Special Order
GB-939, 1970) cannot be claimed or cited as an honor of the parent 30th
Weather Squadron. Moreover, decorations awarded to detachments (which are not units) may not be passed on to other like-designated detachments. If the 30th Weather Squadron at some future date has another Detachment 4, that detachment cannot claim the PUC awarded to the earlier, like- designated detachment.
Unlike unit decorations, which cannot be shared, decorations earned by an establishment may be shared. When a DAF GB-series special order does not specifically award a decoration to an establishment Is headquarters
(a specific unit), but awards it instead to the establishment as a whole, then every component assigned, or attached for operational control, to the establishment during the time period of the decoration is entitled to share in that decoration provided the unit contributed in any manner to the actions upon which the award is based. For example, letIs say the XX
Fighter-Bomber Wing has been awarded the AFOUA for the period 1 January
1958-30 June 1959. During this period the XX Fighter-Bomber Wing had the following components: 85
Headquarters, XX Fighter-Bomber Wing AA Fighter-Bomber Squadron BB Fighter-Bomber Squadron (detached 1 Jan-10 Jul 1958) CC Fighter-Bomber Squadron (detached 11 Jul-30 Sep 1958) DD Fighter-Bomber Squadron (attached 1 Feb-30 Sep 1958) XX Field Mai ntenance Squadron XX Organi zat ional Mai ntenance Squadron XX Peri odic Mai ntenance Squadron (not operational and unmanned, 1 Jan-31 Dec 1958).
Since the AFOUA was awarded to the establishment rather than to the establishment’s headquarters, the following units are entitled to share the decoration for the entire period:
Headquarters , XX Fighter-Bomber Wing AA Fighter-Bomber Squadron XX Field Mai ntenance Squadron XX Organi zat ional Mai ntenance Squadron.
The XX Periodic Maintenance Squadron, which existed only on paper until 1 January 1959, is entitled to share the AFOUA only for the period
1 January-30 June 1959. Until this squadron had people assigned, it could not have contributed to the actions that helped the wing earn its decora- tion. The BB Fighter-Bomber Squadron, detached from the wing and working under operational control of another organization for the period 1 January-
10 July 1958, could not have contributed during that period to the actions that earned the XX Wing its AFOUA. The BB Squadron would share the decora- tion only for the period it actually served the XX Wing: 11 July 1958-
30 June 1959. Likewise, the CC Fighter-Bomber Squadron would share the
AFOUA only for the period 1 January-10 July 1958 and 1 October 1958-30 June
1959, the two periods it served its parent wing. The DD Fighter-Bomber
Squadron, attached to and actually serving the XX Wing for the period
1 February-30 September 1958, would be entitled to share the XX Wing’s
AFOUA for that time frame. 86
It is sometimes difficult to determine the criteria used in recommend- ing a unit for an award, making it doubly difficult to determine which units are eligible to share all or a portion of the award. In the example above, if the award criteria (unlikely) had been the XX Wing's furnishing of tactical squadrons on demand to assist other USAF organizations, then the BB and CC Squadrons probably would share the entire award, not just a portion of it. If the criteria used for an award recommendation cannot be determi ned, the DAF GB-seri es speci a1 order awardi ng the decorati on must be taken at "face value.'' By including copies of all award recommendations as supporting documents in their periodic history installments, some field historians have greatly assisted research. A1 so, DAF speci a1 orders often
1 ist a1 1 subordi nate components el igi bl e to share in an establ ishment ' s decorat ion.
The sharing of establishment decorations is always --downward, that is, from a higher echelon establishment to its components. A decoration awarded to a group-level establishment may be shared by all units assigned or attached for operational control to the group during the nclusive dates of the award (provided they contributed to the activities wh ch served as the basis of the award), but the decoration cannot be shared upward, by the group I s parent wing . Shari ng Campai gn Streamers _I___-
Campaign credits are awarded both to units and establishments, but inheritance is by individual unit. When a campaign credit is awarded to an establishment, all of the units that make up the establishment and partici- pated in the action being recognized also receive the credit. A World War
I1 group could also earn credit for a particular campaign if the group 87 headquarters was based for one or more days in the campaign zone, or if one-half or more of the squadrons comprising the group qualified for the credit by flying one or more missions into the campaign zone during the campaign's time limits. At least two squadrons of both three- and four- squadron groups , and three squadrons of fi ve-squadron groups , had to qualify for a campaign before their parent group could qualify for the campaign streamer solely on the basis of the activities of its squadrons.
World War I1 wings and higher organizations (divisions, commands, and air forces) could not earn a campaign credit based on the credits of their components, but had to qualify in their own right by virtue of having their headquarters based for one or more days in the campaign zone during the inclusive dates of the campaign. For example, although Eighth Air Force units earned many EAME Theater campaign streamers , the numbered ai r force itself earned only the EAME Theater service streamer, for its headquarters remained in England and never was located in a campaign zone.
By the t me of the outbreak of the Korean war in June 1950, most of the Air Force s combat groups had been replaced by, or integrated into, combat wings . For the Korean war, a wing headquarters could earn a cam- paign credit f half or more of the wing's combat components qualified for the campaign credit, or if the wing headquarters itself was based in the campaign zone for one or more days during the period of the campaign. A wing based in Japan, whose tactical squadrons were based in Korea or flew combat missions into Korea, could qualify for campaign credits, assuming, of course, that the squadrons were under the wing's direct control , -not detached for operational control to another organization. A wing based exclusively in Korea qualified on that basis for campaign streamer credits. 88
When a wing situated outside the campaign zone earned campaign credits based on the activities of its combat components, then only the wing's headquarters earned campaign credits. In other words, a wing based in Japan, whose squadrons flew missions into Korea, could have its head- quarters qualify for campaign credits, but no additional units of the establ ishment would receive the campaign credits. Components of the wing such as an air base group (and that group's squadrons) , a maintenance and supply group (and that group's squadrons), and a medical group could not receive campaign credits based on the combat of the wing's combat squadrons. These support units could qualify for a campaign credit only by being physically located in the campaign zone. If a Japan-based wing control led three combat squadrons, but only one of the squadrons earned
Korean campaign credits, the wing headquarters would not qualify for a campaign streamer, but could qualify for the Korean Theater service streamer.
During the conflict in Southeast Asia, many tactical and support units deployed to the war theater on temporary duty. During these deploy- ments they were detached from their parent organizations and attached for operational control to organizations within the theater. The parent wings, based outside the war theater, exercised no operational control over thei r deployed components and were thus ineligible for campaign or service streamer credits. Units and establishments based in South Vietnam and adjacent areas (i.e., Thai 1 and, Laos , and Cambodia) earned campaign streamers by virtue of being based in the war theater or by flying missions in the campaign zone, or both. Ironically, many establishments not based in Southeast Asia have received such combat unit decorations as 89
Presidential Unit Citations and AFOUAs with Combat "V" Device, based on the combat activities of their components, even though the combat activities of the components were operationally controlled by another organization based in the war theater. Thus, AFP 900-2 lists many organizations with combat decorations but without combat campaign st reamers or even a theater service streamer.
In a number of cases during the Vietnam conflict, entire squadrons went into the campaign zone as "detachments," taking with them all of their aircraft and personnel except for one officer and one airman (required to maintain a ''paper" unit at their home base). Such squadron-size detach- ments went on, in many cases, to earn numerous campaign credits as well as unit decorations, none of which may be claimed by the squadron because it
(as a "paper" unit) never left home base somewhere outside the war theater.
Most of the Strategic Ai r Command (SAC) bombardment and ai r refueling organizations that participated in the conflict in Southeast Asia failed to earn campaign credits because of the manner in which Air Force leaders organized and directed combat operations. An Arc Light task force
(later, unofficially replaced by Bombardment Wing Provisional , 133d, then officially replaced by Bombardment Wing Provisional, 4133d, itself replaced by the 43d Strategic Wing and other organizations) absorbed personnel and aircraft --on loan from a majority of SAC'S strategic forces, and used these assets to fly bombing and refueling missions in or near the campaign zone. The SAC wings and squadrons that furnished virtually all of their aircraft and personnel in support of the war effort were therefore denied campai gn streamers because these resources were assigned under the operational control of another organization. In other words, the units did 90 not deploy to the war theater, but remained at home, often at or near
''paper" unit strength.
Confusion of Unit and Non-Unit Honors--
Not all of the "unit honors'' listed in AFP 900-2 are in fact -unit honors. That pamphlet , produced by the Air Force Manpower and Personnel
Center , 1 ists the medals , ribbons , clusters , and other unit honors that permit awarding indi vidual honors to mi 1i tary personnel who may be eligible. Included in the personnel awards listed in Volume I of the pamphlet are the Berlin Airlift Device, the Medal for Humane Action, and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. AFP 900-2 affirms that these awards
"are not authorized for units, but are awarded to individuals who meet the eligibility criteria established by [AFR 900-481, and who were members of the units listed in the pamphlet."
Air Force units (and individua s within units) have been recipients of literally hundreds of special tr phies, plaques, citations, and special awards that do not qualify as unit honors. These awards include recognition for flying safety, ground safety, bombing proficiency, gunnery proficiency, navigation competence, outstanding food service facilities , energy conser- vation, and the like. No attempt is made here to list all of these awards. AFR 900-29 ists many of the more prominent honors, including those rnoni - tored by HQ USAF/DPM and those sponsored by the Air Force Association and by the Inst tute of Navigation, and other awards established by major commands. But none of these awards qualify as unit honors. In an official unit L&H history prepared at the Historical Research Center they may be mentioned, if at all , in that portion dealing with unit operations. 91
------~Sources of Honors Data
There are various sources useful for determining unit honors. A few
of the more important ones follow:
AFP 900-2
The basic secondary source for unit honors data is AFP 900-2, issued
in two volumes. The most recent issue of Volume I1 lists unit honors
approved through 1 January 1981. The pamphlet does contain some errors,
however, and Air Force personnel can request USAFHRC to investigate and
confi rm speci f ic campai gn awards and decorations .
USAFHRC Pu bl icat i ons -
Two books edited by Maurer Maurer provide honors data. Air Force
Combat Units of World War I1 (1961; reprint ed., Washington: USGPO, 1983)
covers Air Force combat groups and higher echelons that served during World
War I1 through 1 January 1957. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World
. __-War II (1969; reprint ed., Washington: USGPO, 1982) covers squadrons, and
provides coverage through 5 March 1963. Char1 es Ravenstei n Is Lineage and
Honors Histories of Air Force-Controlled (AFCON) Combat Wings, 1947-1977
provides lineage and honors of post-World War I1 AFCON combat wings, and
is to be published in 1984.
DAF GB-Seri es Orders
Unit awards approved after 1 January 1981 must be researched in DAF
GB-seri es speci a1 orders. Field histori ans shoul d contact the Ai r Force
Manpower and Personnel Center (HQ AFMPC/MPCASA3), Randol ph AFB, Texas
78150, to request information about their organization's honors announced
after 1 January 1981.
I CHAPTER FIVE
PREPARING USAF LINEAGE AND HONORS HISTORIES
AFR 210-1 instructs the USAF Historical Research Center (USAFHRC),
Maxwell AFB, Alabama, to determine unit lineage and verify combat credits.
At the Center, the Research Division (RI) performs this function.
What are L&H Histories?
Everything associated with a unit or an establishment--its mission, operations, training, internal organization, personnel, equipment, and facilities--is part of the history of the unit or establishment. By care- fully separating important events and activity from minutia, a historian can summarize briefly an organization's history. Such summary histories are called "Lineage and Honors'' (L&H) histories, although ''lineage" and
''honors" are actually only two of their several parts. The L&H histories adhere to a prescribed format that lends itself to speedy accomplishment and includes all of the important data pertaining to the organization's
1 ineage and history.
The Department of the Air Force requires an L&H history for each newly activated AFCON unit that has had a previous period of service. Prepared at the Historical Research Center, the history is distributed to the historian of the major command or separate operating agency to which the
93 94 unit has been assigned. From the command historian, copies of the histories are passed on to the respective units.
Compl eti ng the L&H Appendi x in Unit Histori es
AFR 210-3 requires lineage data in the first appendix to all histories. This regulation explains in attachment 11 the "Lineage and
Honors Data" format. Unit historians must understand, however, that this attachment is not a form to be reproduced and filled out; instead, it is a format to be followed in providing information for each part of the Lineage and Honors (L&H) appendix. It may have as many pages as necessary to adequately present all the required information.
Unit Desi gnat ion
The first item that appears in the L&H format is the official designa- tion of the reporting unit. The designation will include the numerical, functional, and generic names of the organization. It will be the one in use as of the closing date of the reporting period, even though the desig- nation may have changed by the time the history was actually prepared. If the history is that of an establishment, for instance a wing or a division, the entry to be entered in this section is that of the headquarters unit:
"Headquarters, 1st Tactical Fighter Wing."
Previ ous Desi gnat ion
In this section the field historian must enter the immediate prior designation, if applicable. If the organization had no designation change during the period of the history, the entry will read "Same."
When an L&H appendix is being completed for the first time for a newly activated organization with a previous existence, the most immediate prior 95 designation will be entered regardless of time period. In other words, suppose the organization is activated as the XXth Tactical Fighter Wing, but several years earlier it had inactivated as the XXth Fighter-Bomber
Wing. The previous desi gnati on block wi 11 show the older desi gnat ion.
Previous designations of newly activated organizations invariably appear in the directives that activate the organizations. Suppose a MAJCOM order activated the 999th Bombardment Wing, Heavy, and noted the wing's entitle- ment to the history, honors, and emblem of the former 999th Composite Wing,
Speci a1 Weapons. The "999th Composite Wing , Speci a1 Weapons ,'I is the wing's most recent previous designation. The wing may have had other designations even earlier, but these will not appear on the MAJCOM order.
Remember that all designations have an effective date, and that the implementing directives may have been issued several weeks or even months before the effective date. Unless the effective date of a redesignation falls within the inclusive dates of the periodic history, the redesignation is not reported. The field historian must also make certain that the action was an actual redesignation and not, for example, one organization rep1aci ng another.
Authority
The third L&H data entry is "Authority." This word refers to the directives for constitution, activation, or redesignation actions. For organizational actions at wing level and below, the directives will normally be the DAF letters and MAJCOM/SOA special orders and movement orders that di rected or imp1 emented the actions . The "Authori ty" section appl ies to both "Unit Designation" and "Previ ous Desi gnati on" sections of 96 the L&H data appendix. If no organizational actions affected the designa- tion during the reporting period, the historian should enter "No changes."
If the organization is a newly activated establishment with the same designation that it carried when inactivated, the "Authority" statement might be:
AUTHORITY. Activated on (date) per DAF Ltr MPM 772q, 12 Sep 1981 and SAC SO GB-777, 20 Sep 1981.
If the establishment is newly constituted and activated, with no prior exi stence , the "Authority" statement might be :
AUTHORITY. Constituted on (date) per DAF Ltr MPM 772q, 12 Sep 1981. Activated on (date) per SAC SO GB-777, 20 Sep 1981.
If the establishment is redesignated from a previous designation and activated, the "Authority" statement might be:
AUTHORITY. Redesignated on (date) per DAF Ltr MPM 772q, 12 Sep 1981. Activated on (date) per SAC SO GB-777, 20 Sep 1981.
If the establishment has been active for some time, but was redesignated duri ng the reporting period, the "Authority" statement mi ght be :
AUTHORITY. Redesignated on (date) per DAF Ltr MPM 772q, 12 Sep 1981 and SAC SO GB-777, 20 Sep 1981.
Field historians may see only the major command G-series special order effecting organizational changes, but such orders always cite an authority, including pertinent DAF/MPM letters. Field historians are encouraged, but are not required, to include DAF/MPM letters as supporting documents; they must , however , include as supporting documents appl icab1 e major command
G-seri es speci a1 orders.
Sometimes organizational actions are changed retroactively, and the original authority documents must be amended to reflect such changes. If 97 authorities (letters and orders) are amended, even though the amendments are dated after the historical reporting period, the amendments should also be cited if they are retroactive to the reporting period. An entry might read :
AUTHORITY. Redesignated on 1 Oct 1981 per DAF Ltr MPM 777q, 12 Sep 1981, amended by DAF Ltr MPM 777q-1, 1 Jan 1982, and SAC SO GB-777, 20 Sep 1981, amended by SAC SO GB-7, 5 Jan 1982.
The field historian should acquire copies of the primary source, letters, orders, and the like, for inclusion in the h story as supporting documents.
Higher Headquarters
In this section of the L&H appendix the historian enters the desi gna- tion (name) of the parent unit of the report ng organi zati on. The ''parent unit" wi11 be the unit or establ ishment exercising di rect command control over the reporting organization. (For the definition of "parent unit," see page 59.) For a squadron, the parent unit is normally a group or a wing; for a group, the parent is usually a wing or a division; and for a wing, the parent unit is normally a division or a numbered air force. If the assignment did not change during the inclusive dates of the history, only one parent unit need be listed. However, if the reporting organization was reassigned from one parent unit to another during the reporting period, the designation of both must be provided. A typical entry for a wing trans- ferred (reassigned) from one parent unit to another during the reporting period might read:
HIGHER HEADQUARTERS. 12th Air Division, 1 Oct-30 Nov 1971; 47thr Division, 1 Dec 1971-. Authority: TAC Movement Order 16, 10 Oct 1971; TAC SO GA-199, 28 Nov 1971. 98
Often an organization--even a complete wing--will deploy from its home base and parent unit and will operate for a period under the operational control of a temporary parent unit at the base where deployed. If such a deployment and attachment occurred during the inclusive dates of the history being prepared, the "Higher Headquarters" entry must provide a listing of both the permanent and temporary parent units. An entry might read :
HIGHER HEADQUARTERS. 12th Ai r Division, 1 Oct 1971- (Permanent). Thirteenth Ai r Force, attached 20 Oct-19 Dec 1971. Authority: TAC OPLAN 71-3, 18 Sep 1971; Ninth Air Force OmNX3, 25 Sep 1971; Thirteenth Air Force OPLAN 71-5, 26 Aug 1971: 56th TFW OPLAN 71-3, 10 OCt 1971.
If the deployed organization is still at its base of deployment at the closing date of the history's reporting period, the closing date cannot be provided. In this case, the beginning date will be provided, followed by a hyphen (-) and period (.), and the subsequent quarterly or semiannual history or histories will repeat the data, adding the closing date when the deployment is finally ended.
The Air Force is a highly structured establishment with major commands , separate operating agencies, and di rect reporting units at the first echelon directly below USAF; numbered (and sometimes, named) air forces at the next lower echelon; then divisions followed by wings, groups, and squadrons, with an assortment of regions, areas, and centers in between.
It is not enough for a wing history to report that the wing is a component of SAC or TAC or USAFE. No unit history is complete unless the immediate parent organization is clearly identified.
Besides assi gnrnent to some hi gher establ 1shment , every Ai r Force organization is subject at one time or another to attachment to another 99 unit or establishment (usually for a specific purpose and time). If you are the historian of the 600th Tactical Fighter Wing assigned to the 800th
Air Division, and your wing deploys overseas for a 3-month tour of duty in a joint exercise and a r defense mission, and while overseas operates under the operational contro of the 755th Air Division, you would report both the 800th Air Division (parent through assignment) and the 755th Air
Division (temporary parent through attachment) in the L&H appendix.
In most cases, an attached unit is physically separated from the establishment to which assigned. When a unit is attached to an organiza- tion for operational control , the operational activities of the unit are considered a part of the total operations of the organization of attach- ment , rather than of the establishment of assignment. Usually, units are attached formally by publ ished orders. Attachment , however, can a1 so be effected by an operations plan, an operations order, or no published docu- ment at all. A squadron of a group can be attached to the group's parent establishment (usually a wing) if the group is not operational because the personnel have been withdrawn from its headquarters. During the 1950s most of the combat groups and maintenance and supply groups of combat wings were reduced to "paper" organizations by the withdrawal of all but token personnel , so that for a few months (in most cases) and even for a matter of years (in a few cases) the combat group's tactical squadrons and the maintenance and supply group's support squadrons were technically attached to the wing for operational control. In only a few cases were formal attachment orders ever publ ished. 100
Commander The fifth section in the L&H appendix provides for an entry (or entries) listing the organization's commander or commanders during the reporting period of the history. This entry must include the military rank, name, and the date of assumption of command, with the authority for the action cited. A typical entry for a wing which experienced one change of command duri ng a reporti ng peri od mi ght be :
COMMANDERS. Col Jerome V Whittlesapp Jr, 1 Jul 1976; Col Gerald E Fort, 23 Aug 1976-. Authority: Col Whittlesapp assumed command per HQ 1st TFW GO 27, 1 Jul 1976; Col Fort assumed command per HQ 1st TFW GO 36, 23 Aug 1976.
In any organization's history, the commander is the key individual; it is he or she who shapes unit policy and places other people in control- ling positions, and is ultimately responsible for the organization. Those who research a unit's military history almost always want to know the names of unit commanders. The three most important items with respect to com- manders are: (1) rank: (2) individual's full name; and, (3) the dates command started and terminated. Researchers who use Air Force unit and establishment histories on file at the Historical Research Center very often have dif f icul ty pinpoi nting the exact date a person assumed command because many histories fail to mention exact dates and, in most cases, the unit histories are the only extant source of information. Regretably, many unit historians, both present and past, list every staff section head of a wing headquarters but overlook the commanders, not only of support units, but even of tactical squadrons comprising the wing. Some unit histories, when they do provide the names of commanders, give no dates for the assumption or termination of command. 101
Some individuals have no given name, using only initials (e.g., J W
Smith). If a commander has a given name, the first name should be given in full and middle name(s) reduced to initials. Some individuals have more than one middle initial, such as Bracken G A Jones. The last name is always g ven in full, with correct punctuation if possible. A name such as
D ' Arcey s possible to punctuate on a standard typewriter, whereas some E u ropea n accent markings are not avai 1able on most Ameri can typewriters , and must be carefully entered in pen. Suffixes are always given, but abbreviated as much as possible. Examples: Jerry K Barton I1 Robert G A1 exander II I John Y P Jakob IV Jimmy P Yabloe Jr Forrest P Gyne Sr.
The rank of the commander, with any changes shown in parentheses, always precedes the name and date. Only those changes in rank actually effected during the reporting period are shown; promotions announced, but not effected until a subsequent reporting period, are not shown. The general custom is to abbreviate the military rank.
The date the commander assumed command is always given as accurately as sources permit. Except for terminal incumbents (that is, the person in charge when a unit's physical existence came to an end), only the date of assumption of command is required. For terminal commanders, a double date is needed, showing both assumption and termination of comnand.
Field hi stori ans who compi 1e quarterly or semiannual histories of Ai r
Force units and establishments should have little difficulty pinpointing the dates on which key personnel--including all commanders of units comprising their organization--assumed command. If this information is 102 unavailable on orders, the information should be available in the personnel section. The historian can also query the commanders to determine the date of assumption of command. If all else fails, the historian should use a
--circa (c.) date, pinpointing the date as closely as the evidence permits.
Many field historians fai 1 to include the names of key personnel , including commanders of subordinate components. Other historians include the names but provide only initials for given names, such as:
Maj J E Smith, 1000th Field Maintenance Sq Capt D L Brown, 1000th Organizational Maintenance Sq Lt Col P S Jones, 1000th Munitions Maintenance Sq Maj S S Green, 1000th Supply Sq Capt B B Taylor, 1000th Transportation Sq.
How many captains named D L Brown or majors J E Smith do you suppose at any one time are in the Air Force? Could there be more than one Lt Col P S
Jones or Maj S S Green? If an officer is a "key" person in an organization, does not he or she merit a complete name? The Air Force Register of
1 January 1972, for example, shows ten majors who might have been the
Maj J E Smith in the 1000th FMS:
Smith, Jackson E Smith, Jedford E Smith, James E (two entries) Smith, Jerry E Smith, James E Jr Smith, John E Smith, Janice E Smith, Joseph E (two entries).
The same register shows the following captains named Brown who might have been the Capt D L Brown cited above:
Brown, Dale L Jr Brown, Dennis L Brown, Donald L.
Even uncommon last names are no guarantee that another, identical surname and initials will not appear on the register. Consider -Cecil -D Haas and
-Charles -D Haas, -Robert -A Horvath and -Ronald -A Horvath, or -Jack -D Lockhart 103 and -Jimmie -D Lockhart--all of them selected at random from the 1972 register.
Any individual's name is important and should be entered properly to identify that particular individual from all those who might have a similar name. If a unit commander's name is Jerome Kinsworthy Antonio
Fiddlestrapp 111, then the list of key personnel should at least use
Jerome K A Fiddlestrapp I11 in presenting the name, not J K Fiddlestrapp.
If the commander's name is one easily confused with others, such as John
Estas Smith, then his or her middle name should also be spelled out.
Temporary commanders (usually identifiable in orders which state
"during the absence of" the commander) should be included in unit and establishment histories, identified by the terms "temporary," "interim," or "acting," as appropriate. The L&H appendix entry may have to list some names several times during a reporting period, depending on how often the permanent commander took leave, went on temporary duty, or was absent for other reasons. If there are several entries, it might be best to put them in columnar order, such as:
COMMANDERS. Lt Col James B Heady, 1 Jul 1979; AUTHORITY Lt Col Raymond C Jong, 17 Jul 1979 (temporary); 3d TFW GO 12, 17 Jul 79 Lt Col Richard E Little, 21 Jul 1979 (temporary): 3d TFW GO 14, 21 Jul 79 Lt Col James B Heady, 14 Aug 1979; 3d TFW GO 15, 14 Aug 79 Lt Col Raymond C Jong, 19 Aug 1979 (temporary); 3d TFW GO 17, 19 Aug 79 Lt Col James B Heady, 25 Aug 1979-. 3d TFW GO 21, 25 Aug 79
Vice Commander
The sixth block of the L&H appendix identifies the vice commander.
Some organizations may not have a vice commander, but probably do have a second-in-command under some other title. If the position is vacant, the entry will be "None assigned." If there is a second-in-command under some 104
other title, the title will be changed and substituted for "Vice Comander."
All of the discussion pertaining to comnanders, above, also pertains to
vice commanders.
Units New1 v Assi aned Duri na Period
This L&H appendix section is intended to show all of the components of
the reporting organization. The history of a squadron will not normally
involve components, but detachments and operating locations can exist even
for a squadron, and should be reported.
For a newly acti vated establ ishrnent , every component comprising the
establ ishment should be listed, including the subordinate components of any
assi gned groups. Wing hi stories must cover a1 1 the organi zati ons compri sing
the wing, since subordinate components rarely prepare separate histories of
their own. The entry should be so prepared that no question can arise over
which unit was assigned to which establishment. Subordinate components
always appear indented:
UNITS NEWLY ASSIGNED DURING PERIOD. (All from 10 Oct 1981 unless otherwise stated.) HQ, 999th Tactical Fighter Wing Headquarters Squadron Section, HQ, 999th TFW Det. 1, HQ, 999th TFW (from 1 Dec 1981) 444th Tactical Fighter Squadron 445th Tactical Fighter Squadron 446th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron (from 1 Dec 1981) 999th Avionics Mai ntenance Squadron 999th Field Maintenance Squadron 999th Organizational Mai ntenance Squadron 999th Supply Squadron 999th Transportation Squadron 999th USAF Hospital (to 10 Nov 1981) 999th Combat Support Group Headquarters, 999th CSG Headquarters Squadron Section , HQ, 999th CSG 999th Ai r Pol ice Squadron 999th Ci vi1 Engi neeri ng Squadron 999th Services Squadron USAF Hospital, Boondocks (from 10 Nov 1981).
I 105
Although they are not units, --per se, the Headquarters Squadron
Sections of Headquarters, 999th TFW, and Headquarters, 999th CSG, and
Detachment 1 of Headquarters, 999th TFW, are shown. The indentation of the Headquarters Squadron Section and the detachment under thei r respective
Headquarters units, and the indentation of the components of the 999th CSG, clearly shows that they are different; that they are not directly assigned to the wing. Note that the list shows the 999th USAF Hospital (to 10 Nov
1981) , the USAF Hospital , Boondocks (from 10 Nov 1981) , Detachment 1, HQ,
999th TFW (from. 1 Dec 1981) , and 446th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron
(from 1 Dec 1981). The 999th USAF Hospital was an assigned unit through
10 November 1981, and was replaced on that date by the USAF Hospital,
Boondocks. The detachment and the 446th TFTS became part of the wing on
1 December.
The authority or authorities must be cited for organizational actions.
For the above example, the authority statements might read:
AUTHORITY. HQ 999th TFW and components listed (unless otherwise stated) constituted per DAF Ltr MPM 777q, 1 Oct 1981, and activated per USAFE SO GA-443, 5 Oct 1981. The 999th USAF Hosp was constituted and activated per the same authorities. The USAF Hospital, Boondocks, was constituted per DAF Ltr MPM 803q, 1 Nov 1981, and activated per USAFE SO GA-450, 6 Nov 1981. Det. 1, HQ, 999th TFW, was activated per USAFE SO GA-455, 30 Nov 1981.
When preparing an entry for an establishment that has been in existence for some time prior to the historical reporting period, only those organizations newly assigned during the reporting period need be listed, since other organizations will presumably have been listed in earlier histories. Suppose the example given above is for a wing history for the 10 October-31 December 1981 period; the same wing's L&H history ,106 appendix for the 1 January-31 March 1982 reporting period would just show new units. Let us say that the 999th Combat Support Group gained a new unit; the entry would then read:
UNITS NEWLY ASSIGNED DURING PERIOD. 999th SuDDort.. Sauadron (assianed to 999th CSG, 1 Feb 1982). Authority: DAF 'Ltr MPM'881qz 28 Dec 1981, amended by DAF' Ltr MPM 881q-1, 5 Jan 1982; USAFE SO GA-501, 31 Dec 1981, amended by USAFE SO GA-18, 20 Jan 1982.
Assigned Units Lost
This L&H appendix section will include the designation of all components inacti vated or reassigned during the period covered by the history. Using the same example shown under "Units Newly Assigned
During Period" (see page 104), we find that the 999th USAF Hospital was inacti vated during the reporting period of 10 October-31 December 1981.
Therefore, the entry under "ASS gned Units Lost" would reflect this information:
ASSIGNED UNITS LOST. 999th USAF Hospital (inact vated on 10 Nov 1981). Authority: DAF Ltr MPM 803q, 1 Nov 1981; USAFE -649, 5 Nov 1981.
If the 999th USAF Hospital had been a component of the 999th Combat
Support Group, the entry would have read:
ASSIGNED UNITS LOST. 999t'n-E>F Hospital- (inactivated on 10 Nov 1981 as a component of the 999th CSG). Authority: DAF Ltr MPM 803q, 1 NOV 1981; USAFE SO GA-449, 5 NOV 1981.
Internal Reassi gnments
-Sometimes, within large establishments such as wings and divisions, components may be reassigned within the establishment, such as the transfer of a squadron from the ai r base (or combat support) group to the wing, or 107 from the wing to the air base (or combat support) group. An entry in this section of the L&H appendix might read:
INTERNAL REASSIGNMENTS. 999th Supply Squadron (reassigned from 999th TFW to 999th CSG on 1 Mar 1982.) Authority: DAF Ltr MPM 889q, 8 Jan 1982; USAFE SO GA-19, 21 Jan 1982.
Units Attached (for Operational Control )
Of the three types of attachment--administration, logistical support , and operational control --the L&H appendix is concerned only with those involving operational control, because such attachments bear the same weight as assignments in unit histories. Almost every Air Force organiza- tion is attached at one time or another to some other organization for administrative or logistical support. Although periodic histories should report such attachments , only those attachments for operational control need be included in the L&H appendix.
Attached units generally come from outside an establishment, but sometimes a component within a large establishment may be detached from its assigned parent unit and be attached to another. If an attachment (for operational control ) began and terminated withi n a historical period, both dates will be provided. If an attachment began in one historical reporting period and remained at the close of the period, only the beginning date will be shown. In addition to the designation of the attached unit, the historian must report the name of the component to which the attached unit is attached and the date of attachment. The entry will also include the designation of the organization from which the attached unit is detached, and the authority for the action. An entry under this heading might read : 108
UNITS ATTACHED (FOR OPERATIONAL CONTROL). 600th Tacfical Fiqhter Sq (attached to 999th TFW on 10 Oct 1980 from 699th TFWj. Authoritv: (Drovide authority and its date) . '1001st Supbrt Squadron (attached to 999th CSG on 1 Nov 1980 from 1000th Support.. Wing)'. Authority : (authority and its date) . 4087th Specialized Maintenance Sq (attached to 999th Field Maintenance Sq, 10 Oct-2 Dec 1980, from Ninth Air Force). Authority: (authority and its date) . The authority for the attachment of a unit may be a G-series special order, an operations order, a verbal order, or some other directive. The wing historian must determine which authority placed a unit on attached status and the date of that authority.
Attachments within an establishment sometimes occur. For example, suppose the 999th TFW had to deploy from its home station to some other location, but did not take certain of its units such as the combat support group hospital , and the supply and transportation squadrons. These units would have to be controlled by some other organization in the absence of the w ng headquarters. The 999th CSG would probably be attached to the wing's parent organization, while the other units would be attached to the
999th CSG, the most logical temporary parent unit. Such attachments might be made on the verbal order of the wing commander, but more likely would be directed in correspondence, an operations plan, or some written form. Such attachments within an establishment would be shown thus:
UNITS ATTACHED (FOR OPERATIONAL CONTROL). 999th Supply.. - Sq, 999th Transportation Ss, and USAF Hospital, Boondocks (attached to 999th' CSG from 999th TFW, 10 No; 1980-. --Authority: 999th TFW OPLAN 80-9, 31 Oct 1980.
Attached Units Lost
In this L&H appendix section the field historian will list those units that terminated attachment (for operational control) during the reporting 109 period. Disposition of the attached unit will also be shown, if known.
An entry might read:
ATTACHED UNITS LOST. -Tactical Fighter Sq (relieved from attachment to 999th TFW on 13 Jan 81 and returned to control of 699th TFW) . Authority: (authority and date) . lOOlst Sumort Sa (relieved from attachment to 999th CSG on 3 Mar 1981 and returned to control of 1000th Support Wing) . Authority: (authority and date) . 999th Supply Sq, 999th Transportation Sq, and USAF Hospital , Boondocks (relieved from attachment to 999th CSG on 10 Jan 1981 and reverted to control of 999th TFW) . Authority: Ltr, 999th TFW/CC , Subject: "Re1 ief from Attached Status ," 10 Jan 1981.
Units Detached
Just as it is important to show all components attached for opera- tional control, it is also important to show the loss of operational control of assigned units whenever these units are detached and deployed elsewhere to serve another establishment. While units are detached, they no longer serve thei r establ ishment of assignment , but serve the establish- ment to which they are attached for operational contro . Information to be included in this section of the L&H appendix is the fu 1 designation of the detached component, the date of detached status, the date of release from detached status (if this occurs withi n the same reporting period) , desi gna- tion of the organization to which attached, and the authority for the action, with its date. If the detached status began in one reporting period and remained at the close of the period, only the beginning date will appear in this section. An entry might read:
UNITS DETACHED. 445th Tactical Fighter Sq (detached from 999th TFW and attached to lOOlst Tactical Fighter Wing on 1 Nov 1980). Authority: (authority and date) . 999th Supply Sq, 999th Transportation Sq, and USAF Hospital, Boondocks (detached from 999th TFW and attached to 999th CSG on 10 Nov 1980). Authority: 999th TFW OPLAN 80-9, 31 Oct 1980. 110
Units Relieved____ from Detached Status
This L&H appendix section lists those detached units relieved from detached status during the reporting period. The information reported includes the full designation of the unit, date of release from attachment, and designation of the organization of attachment and of the organization to which returned, with the authority and date. An entry under this heading might read:
UNITS RELIEVED FROM DETACHED STATUS. 445th Tactical FightgrTqwa from attachment to lOOlst TFW and returned to control of 999th TFW on 10 Jan 1981). Authority : (authority and date) . 999th Supplysq, 999th TransfoXa-Sq , and USAF Hospital , Boondocks (relieved from attachment to 999th CSG and returned to control of 999th TFW on 10 Jan 1981). Authority: Ltr, 999th TFW/CC, Subject: "Re1 ief from AttacEed Status ,I' 10 Jan 1981.
-.I_Station The historian will enter in this section of the L&H appendix the complete name of the installation (base, station, site, etc.) at which the organization has been based during the period covered by the history. If the organi zation experienced one or more movements , these stations wi 11 also be identified, with arrival and departure dates and the authority for each movement, with the date of the authority. The historian must also enter in this section any temporary stat ons occup ed by the organizat on duri ng deployed status.
For establishments, the station (or stati ons) to be listed is the one occupied by the establishment's headquarters unit, regard1ess of where other components may be stationed. For those units that operate primarily through detachments, the station to be listed is the one occupied by the unit's "headquarters" (orderly room). For a flying unit that has unnumbered 111 flights, at least one of which operates from a base other than the one occupied by a major portion of the unit, the correct station is the perma- nent one--the one usually occupied by a major portion of the squadron. If a major portion of the unit is deployed, however, it may become necessary to show the temporary base.
Let us say that the 999th TFW is permanently based at Boondocks AB,
Norway, but deployed to Crisis AB, Italy, during the reporting period and was still there at the close of the reporting period. The entry might read : STAT IONS . Boondocks AB. Norway (deplo-yed at Crisis AB, Italy, 10 Oct 1980-.) Authority:- USAFE OPLAN 80-43, 4 Jan 1980; 999th TFW OPLAN 80-3, 15 Sep 1980.
The entry in the L&H appendix of the subsequent reporting period might then read : STAT IONS . Boondocks AB, Norway (deployed at Crisis AB, Italy, 10 Oct- 10 Nov 1980). Authority: USAFE OPLAN 80-43, 4 Jan 1980; 999th TFW OPLAN 80-3, 15 Sep 1980.
Let us suppose that the 999th TFW moved to a new station later. The entry in the L&H appendix might read: STAT I ONS . Boondocks AB, Norway, to 15 Aug 1981; RAF Beefeaters, England, 16 Aug 1981-. ~-Authority: USAFE MO 32, 12 Jul 1981.
Most unit movements extend over a few days to a month or more. The actual dates recorded are the dates the unit or establishment closed its orderly room or headquarters at the old location and opened at the new one.
In movements from one theater of operations to another, say from the United
States to Europe, or vice versa, there is often a period when the unit or establishment is in transit. A double date is desirable in this case, the 112 first date showing the date of departure from the old base and the second date showing the date of arrival at the new station.
Aircraft F1 own
Organizations that do not operate ai rcraft , tactical or strategic missiles, or drones may eliminate this section. In an organization operating exclusively unmanned drone ai rborne vehicles rather than manned aircraft or tactical or strategic missiles, this entry of the L&H appendix should be modif ied to read "Drones F1 own .'I Ai r-to-ground or ai r-to-ai r tactical missiles (e.g., Sidewinder) fired from aircraft are not considered primary ai rborne equipment. In reporti ng ai rcraft , the historian should differentiate between them. An organization operating a variety of vehi cles--ai rcraft , tactical or strategic missi 1es , and drones--woul d 1 ist all of the systems, identifying whether they are used for combat training or administrative purposes. The weapon systems of other units attached for operational control should be included if applicable.
Aircraft should be listed by type, series, and model (e.g., F-4E or
C-135E). Strategic and tactical missiles should be identified by name and type (e.g., Atlas, Titan 11, Minuteman 111, or Cruise). Histories should identify the operating organization. For establishments with numerous combat or combat-support components (each of which may operate a different wea p In or airborne system), the field historian should identify the specific unit and its associated equipment. Let us assume that the 900th Strategic
Wing has a bombardment, a reconnaissance, and a missile squadron. The sect on entry might read: 113
AIRCRAFT AND MISSILES. B-52HY 1976-. (Operated by 901st Bomb Sq, Hvy) RB-57DY 1975-. (Operated by 902d Strategic Recon Sq) Titan 11, 1975-. (Operated by 903d Strategic Missile Sq) T-29, 1976-. (Operated by 900th Support Sq for administrative flying. One T-29 received 10 Oct 1976.) C-47, 1976. (Operated by 900th Support Sq for administrative flying. Last C-47 transferred to Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz 13 Oct 1976.)
Awards and Decorations
The appendix should list only the awards and decorations received in the reporting period, without regard to the period of time covered by the decoration. In peacetime, few unit honors are available to Air Force organizations. The Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (AFOUA) is one unit decorat ion that can be earned in peacet ime ; service and campai gn streamers ,
AFOUAs with Combat "V" Device, and Presidential Unit Citations are awarded and must be credited for wartime service only.
An AFOUA awarded to an establishment is usually shared by all compo- nents of the establishment which were active and contributed in any measure to the actions or operations for which the establishment was given the decoration. Usual ly, the DAF GB-seri es speci a1 orders announci ng AFOUAs will list each unit entitled to share the decoration. An AFOUA awarded to a specific unit, however, may not be shared by any other organization.
Command achievement awards including flying safety awards , special flying trophies, Air Force Association awards, major command awards and trophies, etc., fall into the category of ''awards." They represent sig- nificant achievements of the organization, and, although not qualifying as unit honors, they should be listed in this section. An entry under
"Awards and Decorations" for a wing might read: 114
AWARDS AND~-~___ DECORATIONS. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, 1 Jan 1975-31 Dec 1975. (Awarded to 900th Strategic Wing and components thereof .) Authority: DAF SO GB-777, 10 Sep 1976. Fairchild Trophy (representing top honors in 1976 SAC bombing competition). Authority: Msg, SAC/CV to 900 BMW/CC, Final Standings , 141700~v~6.
Embl em
The final section of the L&H appendix in a unit history carries an
emblem entry the first time an L&H appendix is prepared (if the organiza-
tion has an emblem at that time) , whenever an emblem becomes authorized at
a later date, or at such a time that a change is authorized for an existing
emblem. Newly activated AFCON organizations with a history of prior service
should check with USAFHRC/RI to learn whether their organization had an
emblem when it last inactivated. USAFHRC/RI will forward, upon request, a
photograph or drawing of an approved emblem, together with a statement of
the embl em's descri ption and si gni ficance , plus the approval authority and date of approval.
Newly constituted units, of course, will not have an emblem. For such
units, an emblem may be designed and approved under AFR 900-3. Changes to existing emblems must also be approved under the same regulation. The
information to be included in the L&H appendix under "Emblem" includes the
description of the emblem, its significance, and the approval date of the emblem or a change to an earlier emblem. A reproduction of the emblem
should always be included in the supporting documents of the history. CHAPTER SIX
REPORTING LINEAGE AND HONORS IN FIELD HISTORIES
The Importance of Proper Unit DesiAnation _-_I-______-
Air Force histories on file at the USAF Historical Research Center are used not only by historians at the Center, but also by visiting researchers . from around the world. Center historians familiar with the documents can usually detect an error, where a unit historian used a wrong designation for his unit, for example, or reported organizational actions incorrectly.
But others may not catch such errors. Suppose a researcher visits the
Center at Maxwell AFB to gather data for a comprehensive history, a thesis, an article in a scholarly journal, or a television script. Unfamiliar with
Air Force nomenclature, the visitor may accept erroneous unit designations and organizational actions as "official .I' Once repeated and published, say in Air Force Magazine, the errors are difficult to rectify.
Erroneous Designations
Ai r Force histori ans must present facts accurately, and that incl udes accurately reporting the designation of Air Force units. Because many Air
Force units have had the same numerical designation and similar functional designations, as we saw in Chapter Two, each unit's designation must be identified co rectly. Let us consider briefly some examples of erroneous unit designat ons. Quarterly histories of the 405th Fighter Wing between
115 116
1 October 1970 and 30 June 1971 carried the designation "405th -___Tactical
Fighter Wing" on the covers and in the narratives. Not until the 1 July-
30 September 1971 history of the wing was the proper designation 405th
Fighter Wing employed. The historian of the 405th Fighter Wing was not alone in using the unauthorized word "Tactical"; the wing's administrative section used "TFW" in official correspondence, and a photograph of the wing's headquarters building included in one of the wing histories clearly showed "405 Tac Ftr Wg" on a sign above the main entrance. The wing historian, nevertheless, could and indeed should have determined that the wing had -not been redesignated. The histories of Thirteenth Air Force, to which the wing was assigned, consistently used "Fighter Wing" every time a reference was made to the 405th.
Because of the extended period (9 months) during which the erroneous desi gnati on appeared in wing histories , the Center historian who prepared a lineage and honors history conducted a protracted, futile search for documents that might have redesignated the 405th Fighter Wing as a tactical fighter wing and then redesignated it back to a fighter wing. A thorough search of all USAF manpower and organization letters and Thirteenth Air
Force and Pacific Air Forces G-series orders showed no such redesignations had ever occurred. Someone at wing headquarters, apparently, decided that
"Tactical" would be a nice term to add to the wing designation.
A1 though the erroneous "redesignations" of this type eventually can be identified, other errors in unit histories are not so easily caught and corrected. One such case involved the proper designation of the 13th
Bombardment Squadron , Tactical. The designations of this squadron--an Air
Force unit that originated back in 1917--presented no problem until shortly 117 after it activated on 8 February 1969. The manpower and organization letter (AFOMO 045p, 21 January 1969) and Tactical Air Command G-series special order (SO 6-12, 23 January 1969) used the proper designation:
"13th Bombardment Squadron, Tactical .'I The 13th activated at MacDill AFB,
Florida, and was assigned to the 15th Tactical Fighter Wing, Ninth Air
Force. Some months earlier, however, a Tactical Air Comnand plan (TAC
PPlan 37-68, 14 November 1968) had called for the activation of the "13th
Tactical Bombardment Squadron." The History, Ninth Air Force, 1 July 1968-
30 June 1969 (I, pp. 35-36), referred to the unit as the "13th Bombardment
Squadron (Tactical ) ,I' which was nearly correct except that parentheses were
used rather than a comma to isolate the "Tactical" portion of the unit's
designation. In its fiscal year 1970 history, Ninth Air Force referred to the unit simply as the "13th Bomb Squadron." A year later, in its fiscal year 1971 history, Ninth Air Force referred to the "13th Bombardment
Squadron Tactical." Had a comma been inserted between the last two words, this designation would ha e been correct.
One would think that the parent wing and the squadron itself would have employed the correct designation: 13th Bombardment Squadron, Tact cal . Not so! Quarterly histor es of the 15th Tactical Fighter Wing--some of which had, as supporting documents, the histories of the squadron-- variously used such designations and abbreviations as "13th Bombardment
Squadron (Tactical ),'I "13th Tactical Bomb Squadron ,Ii and "13th TBS."
Only in the wing history for 1 July-30 September 1970 was the squadron correctly identified as the 13th Bombardment Squadron, Tactical. The histories of the squadron consistently used "13th Tactical Bombardment
Squadron .'I Headquarters USAF had activated the squadron and surely knew 118 its correct designation. But consider this: the USAF Schedule of Changes,
1 June 1970 (in the section for Tactical Air Command) , showed that the
"13th Bomb Tac Sq" was to be moved from MacDill AFB, Florida, to the
Pacific Air Forces area on or about September 1970. Tactical Air Command's
Movement Order 5, 27 July 1970, which directed the movement of the squadron to Southeast Asia, called it "13th Bomb Tac Sq." At Maxwell AFB, Alabama, extended historical research through a1 1 USAF Schedules of Changes,
AFOMO/PRM (manpower and organization) letters, Tactical Air Command
G-series special orders, and other sources showed that the 13th Bombardment
Squadron , Tactical had not been redesi gnated as the "13th Bombardment
Tactical Squadron .'I
The 13th Bombardment Squadron, Tactical did in fact move in September
1970 from MacDill AFB, Florida, to Ubon RTAFB, Thailand. There, the squadron came under the operational control of the 8th Tactical Fighter
Wing until 31 October 1970, at which time Pacific Air Forces formally assigned it to the wing. The error in the squadron's designation was now repeated by PACAF, for the order assigning the squadron to the 8th TFW
(SO 6-241, 28 October 1970) called it the "13th Bombardment Tactical
Squadron." An alert historian of the 8th TFW detected the scrambled arrangement of the squadron's designation, and from 1970 until 1972 the quarterly histories of this wing carried the squadron correctly as the
"13th BombCardment) Squadron, Tactical .I' The 13th remained at Ubon , assigned to the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, until c. 24 December 1972, at which time it moved without personnel or equipment to Clark AB, Phi 1 ippines . 119
Pacific Ai r Forces Movement Order 14, 5 December 1972, called the
unit "13th Bomb Tac Sq," and the 13th Bombardment Squadron, Tactical ,
joined the 405th Fighter Wing at Clark AB on or about 24 December 1972.
Nevertheless, histories of the 405th Wing for the 1972-1973 period do not
mention the squadron assignment. The 13th, although not manned or equipped
at Clark AB, was a component of the 405th Fighter Wing and should have been
so mentioned. Headquarters USAF next issued a manpower and organization
letter (PRM 673, 22 February 1973) that directed the redesignation, on or
about 8 March 1973, of the "13th Bombardment Tactical Squadron'' to "13th
Fighter Squadron." Acting on the PRM letter, Pacific Air Forces issued an
order (SO GA-21, 1 July 1973) redesignating the "13th Bombardment Tactical
Squadron" as the "13th Fighter Squadron" effective 1 July 1973. Earlier
mistakes were thus compounded!
The 13th Fighter Squadron, as it was now known, never was manned at
Clark AB, and on 24 September 1973 PRM letter 726p directed that the
squadron inactivate on or about 23 September 1973 and that, upon inactiva- i tion, it be redesignated "13th Bombardment Squadron, Tactical .I' PACAF
Special Order GA-33 implemented this directive on 30 September 1973.
Because of the erroneous designations previously used for the 13th Bombard-
ment Squadron, Tactical, however, new errors surfaced in AFP 900-2--the
service document listing unit decorations, awards, and campaign streamers. On page 107 of Volume I, AFP 900-2, the mythical "13th Bomb Sq" is credited three awards that should appear under "13th Bomb Sq, Tac." Other erroneous
designations for this unit appear in other parts of AFP 900-2, Volumes I
and 11. 120
The primary point of this discussion is that errors in unit designa- tions not only can, but -do, cause serious identity problems elsewhere.
In this case, units at every level of command were affected, and honors
improperly awarded. Fortunately, hi stori cal research unraveled the tang1 e of designations for this particular organization, but the research effort could have been avoided had unit histori ans reported the desi gnati on accurately.
Improper Use of "Redesi gnated"
Another error commonly encountered in unit histories is the improper use of the term "redesignated." The following example, selected at random, comes from the history of the 4710th Defense Wing, a component of the
Eastern Air Defense Force, for the period 1 July-31 December 1952:
Effective 1 November 1952, the three Fighter-Interceptor Squadrons of this Wing were redesi nated [emphasis added] as follows: the 121st became t& e 95t Fighter-Interceptor Squadron; the 142d the 96th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron; and the 148th was redesi gnated as the 46th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron. The three squadrons as originally constituted were Air National Guard units, called to active duty 1 February 1951, and were released from active military duty less personnel and equipment as part of the general program for early release of Air National Guard units.
What had really happened? The Air National Guard 121st, 142d, and
148th Fi ghter-Interceptor Squadrons were released from active serv ce effective 1 November 1952 by ADC General Order 45, 1 October 1952, and rep1aced by three newly acti vated and redesi gnated USAF squadrons , whi ch absorbed the personnel , equipment , and missions of the released sq adrons.
The historian of the 4710th Defense Wing included as supporting documents in the wing history the pertinent general orders that directed these changes, but he apparently did not read, or, perhaps, understand them. He 121
included the Eastern Air Defense Force General Order 56, 20 October 1952,
that redesignated three USAF fighter squadrons as fighter-interceptor
squadrons:
Announcement is made that effective 1 November 1952, the following units are redesignated as indicated, assigned to Eastern Air Defense Force, and upon activation are entitled to history, battle honors and any colors belonging to the unit inactivated on dates indicated.
This order listed the old designations of the 46th, 95th, and 96th Fighter
Squadrons and their new designations as Fighter-Interceptor Squadrons and
gave the date these units had been inactivated in 1946/1949. The order
went on:
Having been assigned to this Command, the following units are activated [emphasis added] at stations indicated, with T/O Composition, authori zed strength and assi gned to Defense Wings as follows, effective 1 November 1952.
Following this statement the order listed the 46th, 95th, and 96th
Fighter-Interceptor Squadrons , and gave pertinent data concerning thei r
T/O composition, strength, and assignment to the 4710th Defense Wing.
Thus, the ANG squadrons numbered 121st, 142d, and 148th had not been i redesignated USAF squadrons numbered 46th, 95th, and 96th as indicated in
the wing history. The newly activated and redesignated USAF squadrons had
in fact replaced the ANG squadrons.
An organization that has inactivated (or moved without personnel and
equipment) and is immediately rep1aced by another organi zati on that absorbs
the people, aircraft, other equipment, mission, and installation of its
predecessor, often appears to have been redesignated. It is the
historian's responsibility to report the true action correctly. 122
Some possibilities for confusion arise when:
Existing Organization Rep1 acement Organi zation
A provisional organization A MAJCON or AFCON oraani zati on : discontinues or inactivates (1) activates at Bas; A, absorbing at Rase A. all resources and the iission of the discontinued or inactivated provisional organization; or (2) moves to Base A without personnel or equipment from some other location and absorbs all resources and the mission of the discontinued or inacti vated provisional organi zati on.
A MAJCON or AFCON organization A MAJCON or AFCON organi zati on: discontinues or inacti vates (1) activates at Base A, absorbing at Base A. all resources and the mission of the MAJCON or AFCON organization that was discontinued or inactivated: or (2) moves to Base~- A without personnel or equipment and absorbs all resources and the mission of the MAJCON or AFCON organization that discontinued or inactivated.
A MAJCON or AFCON organi zat ion Personnel and equipment of the MAJCON moves from Base A without or AFCON organization leaving Base A personnel or equipment. are absorbed bv another MAJCON or AFCON organi za'tion that: (1) moves to --Base A without personnel or equipment from another base; or (2) activates at Base A.
Air Force personnel performing their duties with one unit, who find them- selves suddenly reassigned to another unit on the same base, with the same equipment and the same mission, often believe that their unit has simply been redesignated. None of the examples cited above involve a redesigna- tion. Field historians should know this, but many still persist in calling such unit exchanges "a redesignation."
Lest the historian think that "redesignation errors'' are mistakes of the distant past, consider the 15 August 1974 letter signed by the comnander 123 of the 405th Fighter Wing, C1 ark AB, Phi 1i ppi nes , Subject: "Redesi gnati on of 405th FW and Subordinate Units .I'
1. Effective 16 September 1974, the 405th Fighter Wing will be redesignated as the 3d Tactical Fighter Wing. The following units will change designators from 405th to 3d:
HQ 405th Fighter Wing 405th Avionics Maintenance Squadron 405th Field Maintenance Squadron 405th Munitions Maintenance Squadron 405th Organizational Maintenance Squadron 405th Supply Squadron OLAA, 405th Supply Squadron (Subic Bay Port, PI) HQ 405th Combat Support Group 405th Civi 1 Engineering Squadron 405th Services Squadron 405th Transportation Squadron Det 1, 405th Combat Support Group (John Hay AB, PI) OLAA, 405th Combat Support Group (Manila City, PI) HQ 405th Security Police Group 405th Law Enforcement Squadron 405th Security Pol ice Squadron.
2. Further information and organizational responsibilities regarding redesignation/activation will be published periodi- cally in the Daily Bulletin. All organizational comnanders will respond appropriately to any redesignation/activation announcements which will affect them.
When this letter was signed, the 405th Fighter Wing had in its possession a PACAF G-series special order and a PACAF movement order that correctly directed the actions to take place on 16 September 1974. None of them invol ved a redesi gnation. Paci f ic Ai r Forces Speci a1 Order GA-24,
25 June 1974, in paragraph 2, actually ordered:
2. The following units are inactivated effective 16 September 1974 and the unit designations will revert to the control of the Department of the Air Force.
Unit ---Location HO 405th Fighter Wing C1 ark AB , Phi 1i ppi nes 405th Law Enforcement Squadron 405th Field Maintenance Squadron 405th Ci vi 1 Engineering Squadron 405th Services Squadron 124
11 405th Transportation Squadron I1 HQ 405th Security Police Group I1 I1 HQ 405th Combat Support Group I1 II 11 405th Avionics Maintenance Squadron I1 11 405th Munitions Maintenance Squadron I1 405th Security Pol ice Squadron I1 I1 I1 405th Supply Squadron I1 405th Organi zati onal Mai ntenance Squadron 'I I1
The same order added: "NOTE: A1 1 detachments/operating locations of
405 Fighter Wing and its subordinate units are automatically inactivated/- disestablished per AFM 26-2." PACAF SO GA-24 also activated Detachment 1,
[HQ] 3d Combat Support Group at John Hay Air Station on 16 September 1974 and established OLAA, 3d Supply Squadron, and OLAA, [HQ] 3d Combat Support
Group, at Subic Bay Port and Manila City, respectively on 16 September
1974. This special order did away with all of the units, detachments, and operating locations that the 405th Is comnander announced would be
"redesi gnated." The same PACAF order activated two new units--HQ 3d
Security Police Group and 3d Law Enforcement Squaron--at Clark AB effective 16 September 1974 with the authority contained in DAF/PRM 785p,
11 June 1974.
Pacific Ai r Forces Movement Order 12, 15 August 1974, ordered the fol 1owing actions :
1. Comnanders, Fifth Air Force and Thirteenth Air Force, will take the necessary action to relocate the following units, Without Personnel and EquipmemPT) f rom/to bases indicated, for a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) effective 16 September 1974.
(The order then listed all of the components of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, moving from Ubon Airfield, Thailand, to Kunsan AB, Korea, and went on to list the following components of the 3d TFW.) 125
UNIT FROM TO -__ I 3 TFW Kunsan AB Clark AB 3 FMS 11 II 3 OMS I1 II 3 CSGp I1 II 3 Mun Maint Sq 11 I1 3 Supply sq 11 I1 3 Serv Sq 11 II 3 Security Police Sq I1 I1 3 Civil Eng Sq I1 II 3 Transport Sq I1 I1 3 AVOMS I1 II
What actually happenec ? The 405,.. Fighter Wing's commander thought
that his wing was being --redesignated - as the 3d Tactical Fighter Wing
on 16 September 1974, as evidenced by his letter of 15 August 1974
(quoted above), but he was mistaken. All of the 405th Fighter Wing
components and sub-components inactivated on 16 September and the 3d
Tactical Fighter Wing components with like functions either moved without
personnel and equipment from Kunsan AB, Korea, to Clark AB, Philippines,
or were newly activated (HQ 3d Security Police Group: 3d Law Enforcement
Squadron, and Detachment 1, [HQ] 3d CSG) or established (OLAA, .3d Supply
Squadron and OLAA, [HQ] 3d CSG) on 16 September. None of these unit exchanges invol ved the redesi gnation of a si ngl e unit .
ReDortina the Activity of Attached ComDonents
Which organizations report the activities of a detached or attached unit? When one of the squadrons of Wing A is detached from that wing and attached to Wing B for operational control, both wings have historical
reporting responsibility for the squadron, and the squadron appears in both wing histories. Wing A, the parent wing, owns the detached squadron, although the wing is temporarily deprived of the squadron's services during 126 the period of detached service. Wing A is nonetheless responsible for furnishing personnel and equipment to the squadron , for personnel reporting and promoticons, and for a variety of other actions even though the squadron may temporarily be stationed elsewhere. Wing 9, on the other hand, exer- cises operational control over the squadron and directs the day-to-day activities of the squadron during the period of attachment. What the squadron does while attached to Wing B is of historical importance to that wing; the squadron's activities are, in fact, a part of the total activities of Wing 9.
As an example, in 1966 Wing A is located in the United States and Wing
B is located in the Republic of Vietnam, and Squadron X of Wing A has been deployed to Vietnam to augment Wing 9's operational capabilities to fly and fight. Flying F-4 aircraft, the personnel of Squadron X join Wing B on
1 February 1966 and, for the next 3 months, are directly controlled by Wing
B in a combat role. During this time Squadron X flies 210 combat sorties, dropping munitions on a number of enemy installations, facilities , troop concentrations, sampans, supply dumps, and so forth. During the same period, Squadron X has the misfortune of losing three of its aircraft to enemy surface-to-ai r missi les and another ai rplane to enemy fighters.
Integrated into Wing 9, some of Squadron X's aircrews fly with the perma- nent squadrons of Wing 9, and some of the aircrews of these permanent squadrons fly with Squadron X. During its deployment, Squadron X is credited with three aerial victories by downing two MIG-17s and one MIG-21.
On 29 April 1966, Squadron X stands down from combat and the next day begins its journey back to its parent wing and permanent U.S. base. 127
Which of the organizations involved may claim the historical activities of Squadron X during the period 1 February-30 April 1966?
Certainly Squadron X itself can claim all of its activities. Wing B can also claim the activities as its own total effort, since during this period Squadron X was in fact a part of Wing B on a temporary basis. Wing A has little claim to any of the achievements or honors of Squadron X during this period of detached service, since Wing A exercised no operational control over the squadron.
Squadron X earned the Vietnam Air campaign streamer because it was in the war theater and actually engaged in combat during the time period of the campaign: 31 January-28 June 1966. Wing B also earned the same campaign streamer, but Wing A could not and did not earn the streamer.
Wing B is awarded an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (AFOUA) with Combat
"V" Device for its combat activities for the period 10 December 1965-
20 June 1966. Squadron X, having served with Wing B for part of that period, and having contributed to the actions for which the wing was awarded the decoration, is entitled to share the AFOUA for the period
1 February-30 April 1966--its period of attachment to Wing B.
The historian of Wing A should include Squadron X's history as part of the wing history for the periods 1 January-31 March 1966 and 1 April-
30 June 1966, even though Squadron X was detached from Wing A for much of this time. Wing A, after all, -is the parent wing of the squadron, was responsi ble for the squadron 's traini ng and operational readiness , mai n- tained the squadron's aircraft up to the time the squadron was detached, and had to repair and maintain the aircraft and continue training the aircrews when Squadron X returned from detached service. The history of 128
Wing A may even discuss the combat activities of Squadron X during its detached service, but it ---may not claim Squadron X's achievements and honors in Southeast Asia as part of the history of Wing A. The historian of Wing
B should certainly include historical coverage of Squadron X for the time the squadron was attached to Wing B, because during that time the squadron was --de facto a part of Wing B. Unfortunately, such ideal historical reporting is the exception. The parent wing often fai 1s to report the activities of detached units because the units were not under the wing's control. At the same time, the wing of attachment often fai 1s to report the activity of attached units because the units were not assigned components. In some instances, especially if the squadron itself did not prepare a historical report, no information about a squadron's combat activities may reach the Air Force historical document col lection at the Historical Research Center. Wing historians should always:
At Parent Wing At Wing of Attachment
1. Provide the dates of detached 1. Provide the dates of attached service of components, includi ng service of components, includi ng the departure and return dates. the arrival and departure dates.
2. Report whether merely a segment, 2. Report whether an entire unit or all, of the unit was involved in or just a segment of a unit was the depl oyment . attached. 3. Specify the organization to 3. Speci fy from whi ch organi zat ion which the detached component was the attached component was detached. attached for operational control.
4. Report historical data about 4, Report all of the achievements, the detached components, noting problems, and operations of the that the detached components were attached components, noting that serving another organization. the component was attached rather than assigned. 129
5. Report the name of the instal- 5. Report the name of the instal- lation or installations where the lation or installations where the deployed component operated. attached component operated, par- ticularly if other than that of the wing.
Reporting Units "Detached" or "Deployed"
During the war in Southeast Asia, leaders of the Strategic Air Command decided to employ bombardment and air refueling organizations as well as support organizations in an unusual manner. Headquarters SAC directed organizational entities on Guam, Oki nawa, and in Thai 1and (that control 1 ed bombardment and refueling operations) to use the resources of other SAC organizations based in the United States. Initially, the combat organiza- tion exercising control was called "Yankee Team," then "Arc Light" and
"Young Tiger" task forces. Only later were provisional organizations established, and, still later, regular Air Force strategic wings assumed control of these operat ions . SAC wings in the United States were thus charged with furnishing ai rcraft , ai rcrews , and support personnel to the various organi zati onal entities that performed combat operations. Very often, nearly all of the resources of a wing were drawn upon, so that practically every aircraft, aircrew, and support person of that wing deployed to a forward base in detached status from the parent wing. Though the wings and wing components furnished personnel and equipment , the units remained at their permanent home base, often with resources so depleted that only a token force remained. Tactical squadrons, in many cases, had all of their aircraft and crews in a TDY status; indeed, only the squadron's designation remained stateside, at the home base. The same is true in a few cases of wing I30
headquarters and support organizations. This condition often existed for months at a time, and in some wings it happened several times during the conflict. A1 though this organizational she1 1 game may have confused the enemy, many SAC wing historians also believed that the wings had physically deployed overseas , with a1 1 components.
Numerous field historians dutifully reported that thei r wings and wing components had deployed to the Pacific area, where they were attached to one or another of the organizational entities located there. In point of fact, the resources of the U.S.-based wings and units, the people and
aircraft, were -I-loaned to the overseas units. The illusion that SAC wings deployed and actually participated in combat operations is often reinforced by Air Force unit decorations awarded erroneously to the wings for those periods in which their aircraft and people were controlled operationally by
a forward area organization. Ironical ly, under Air Force regulations ,
SAC'S choice of employing its resources in SEA effectively deprived numerous SAC wings of hard-earned campaign honors.
The histories of many such SAC wings fail to indicate who exercised operational control over the wing remnants that were not depleted (as, for example, a combat support group and the medical unit at a single wing base).
In some cases such remnants included a "rear echelon" wing headquarters, actually the remainder of the regular headquarters staff not placed on temporary duty. Sometimes, back in the United States, a tactical squadron might remain partially or even fully manned and equipped. The 509th
Bombardment Wing, for example, possessed two ai r refueling squadrons and one bombardment squadron during a period when most of the wing's head- quarters, bomb squadron, and support squadron personnel were on TDY to the 131
Pacific. The two air refueling squadrons each provided about one-half of their resources to the overseas combat effort, but kept one-half at the home base to meet normal refueling commitments. The 509th Wing's head- quarters , though greatly depleted, continued to control remaining opera- tions. Other SAC wings, however, apparently left no portion of their wing headquarters manned to control wing components still operating at the home base. Researchers can only assume that the next higher echelon exercised operational control over the remaining wing components.
A "Components" Appendix in the Unit History
What comprises a wing? A wing is an establishment to which no personnel are assigned; the personnel are always assigned to the wing's integral component (its headquarters), or to lesser establ ishment head- quarters or units. Every wing historian must realize that it is the components that comprise his wing, and that each component--whether it is a combat component or a support component--plays some vital role or it would not exist. Some wing histories report much about the combat units but little about the more numerous support components. At a minimum, every wing history should provide a complete listing of each assigned or attached component, together with certain data about each component Is mission and functions, facilities, personnel, and mission accomplishment.
Because AFR 210-1 requires only independent squadrons to prepare histories , many USAF squadrons never prepare histories of thei r own. The burden of covering the activities of the wing components therefore devolves on the wing historian. In covering all wing components, he should list each component of the wing, assigned or attached, using the correct unit 132 designation of the component and the date or dates the component served as part of the wing. Such a list should include all detachments and operating locations as well. Components should be listed even though they may not be manned Or operational . Many wing historians compile and include in their histories as an appendix just such a list of wing components. Some historians merely list the components, without indicating when they became part of the wing or left the wing. Most fail to list the most important unit, the wing head- quarters, although they may list a "Headquarters Squadron Section" of the headquarters. Many component lists do not include medical units; almost all fail to indicate units that are in detached status. Some lists even fail to record unit redesignations or the date of such redesignations.
Although no prescribed format for listing wing components exists
(other than the L&H appendix), the format of Table 5 on the next page can be used to present accurate and complete information in periodic unit histories. Organizational actions that occurred (in this case, the 900th
TFW, 1 October-31 December 1971) should be footnoted and the authority provided for each action. (If there is no room at the bottom of the table for footnotes, include them on a second page.) This sample list may not meet every requirement, but it does provide:
1. Entries of every component, assigned and attached.
2. Information about one detached squadron (904th TFS).
3. Data about an internal reassignment within the wing, from the combat support group to the wing (900th Trnspn Sq).
4. Information about a unit redesignation (903d TFS to 903d TTS). 5. Data about one unit being unmanned (901st TFTS) ...... ~ ......
TABLE 5 - Sample Wing Components List (900th TFW, 1 Oct-31 Dec 1971)
Components From To Headquarters, 900th Tactical Fighter Wing ...... 8 Oct 1970 - Detachment 1, HQ 900th TFW (Cockatoo AFB, Ariz ...... 8 Oct 1970 15 Dec 1971 Detachment 1, HQ 900th TFW (Albatross AFB, NM) i’...... 28 Dec 1971 - Detachment 2, HQ 900th TFW (Wombat AFB, Calif) ...... 9 Oct 1970 - 399th Tactical Fi ghter Squadron ...... attached2 12 Nov 1971 15 Dec 1971 400th Tactical Fighter Squadron ...... attached2 12 Nov 1971 15 Dec 1971 Tactical Fighter Squadron Provisional, 503d ...... attached3 15 Nov 1971 10 Dec 1971 Tactical Fighter Squadron Provisional . 504th ...... attached3 15 Nov 1971 10 Dec 1971 611th Field Maintenance Squadron ...... attached3 15 Nov 1971 15 Dec 1971 900th Consol idated Aircraft Mai ntenance Squadron ...... 8 Oct 1970 900th Supply Squadron ...... 8 Oct 1970 900th Transportation Squadron (gained from 900th CSG, below) ...... 1 Dec 1971 901st Tactical Fighter Training Squadron (not manned, 3 Nov-10 Dec 1971) .... 8 Oct 1970 - 902d Tactical Training Squadron4 ...... 8 Nov 1970 30 Nov 1971 903d Tactical Fighter (later, 903d Tactical Training) Squadron$ ...... 8 Oct 1970 904th Tactical Fighter Squadron (detached 30 Nov-15 Dec 1971, attached 989th TFW)6 8 Oct 1970 USAF Hospital, Skull ...... 8 Oct 1970 900th Combat Support Group ...... 8 Oct 1970 Headquarters, 900th Combat Support Group ...... 8 Oct 1970 Detachment 1, HQ 900th CSG (Albatross AFB, NM) ...... 10 Oct 1970 900th Civil Engineering Squadron ...... 8 Oct 1970 900th Security Police Squadron ...... 8 Oct 1970 - 900th Transportation Squadron (transferred to 900th TFW, above)7 ...... 8 Oct 1970 1 Dec 1971 Support Squadron Provisional . 1000th ...... attachedz 15 Nov 1971 15 Dec 1971 1. Det. 1, HQ 900th TFW (Cockatoo AFB, Ariz) inactivated 15 Dec 1971 and new Det. 1, HQ 900th TFW (Albatross AFB, NM) activated on 28 Dec 1971 per (authority) . 2. 399th TFS, 400th TFS, and Supp Sq Prov, 1000th, attached 15 Nov 1971 per (authority) and released 15 Dec 1971 per (authority) . 3. Provisional 503d and 504th Squadrons, and 611th FMS, attached and released from attachment per (authority) . 4. 902d TTS inactivated 30 Nov 1971 per (authority) . 5. 903d TFS redesignated 903d TTS 1 Dec 1971 per (authority) . 6. 904th TFS detached from 900th TFW and attached 989th TFW, 30 Nov-15 Dec 1971, per (authority) . -1 7. 900th Transportation Sq transferred from 900th CSG to 900th TFW on 1 Dec 1971 per (authority) . CJ 134
6. Changes in detachments (Det. 1, HQ 900th TFW).
7. Information about an inactivation (902d TTS).
Wing historians must not consider this appendix listing of components sufficient for all needs. In the narrative chapter dealing with organiza- tional actions, they should also discuss the addition or loss of the units, the impact of such actions on the wing, reasons for the actions, and other pertinent data. In all cases, historians must cite the authority for organizational actions in footnotes and include copies of these directives as supporting documents.
Station Lists in the Unit History
Large establishments sometimes operate from a number of installations simultaneously, with a squadron at one base, two squadrons at another, a detachment here, an operating location there, and a detached squadron halfway around the world. Wing historians must track their units and the
locations where wing components are stationed or deployed, with the exact periods the components were stationed at any one location. Periodic histories should contain an appendix that shows the stations of all wing components. Such a station list is depicted in Table 6, using the same units that appear in Table 5.
All station lists should:
1. Identifv all the establishments and units. In our sample list we have placed the wing headquarters as the first unit, fo 1 owed immediate Y by detachments of that unit. Other units assigned directlyeto the wing
(except the 900th CSG) are arranged in numerical and alphabetical order, with the named unit at the bottom. Next comes the 900th Combat Support ......
TABLE 6 - Sample Station List (900th TFW, 1 Oct-31 Dec 1971)
ComDonents Located At From -To Headquarters, 900th Tacti cal Fighter Wing...... Skull AFB, Calif 8 Oct 1970 - Detachment 1, HQ 900th Tactical Fighter Wing ...... Cockatoo AFB, Ariz 8 Oct 1970 15 Dec 1971 Detachment 1, HQ 900th Tactical Fighter Wing ...... Albatross AFB, NM 28 Dec 1971 Detachment 2, HQ 900th Tactical Fighter Wing ...... Wombat AFB, Calif 9 Oct 1970 - 399th Tactical Fighter Squadron (attached) ...... Dry Bones AFB, Ariz 12 Nov 1971 15 Dec 1971 400th Tactical Fighter Squadron (attached) ...... Wombat AFB, Calif 12 Nov 1971 15 Dec 1971 Tactical Fighter Squadron Provisional, 503d (attached) . . Haw AFB, Calif 15 Nov 1971 10 Dec 1971 Tactical Fighter Squadron Provisional, 504th (attached). . Haw AFB, Calif 15 Nov 1971 10 Dec 1971 611th Field Maintenance Squadron (attached)...... Dry Bones AFB, Ariz 15 Nov 1971 15 Dec 1971 900th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron ..... Skull AFB, Calif 8 Oct 1970 - 900th Supply Squadron...... Skull AFB, Calif 8 Oct 1970 - 900th Transportation Squadron (asgd 900th CSG to 1 Dec 71) Skull AFB, Calif 8 Oct 1970 - 901st Tactical Fighter Training Squadron ...... Skull AFB, Calif 8 Oct 1970 - deployed Dry Bones AFB, Ariz 11 Dec 1971 15 Dec 1971 902d Tactical Training Squadron...... Skull AFB, Calif 8 Nov 1970 30 Nov 1971 903d Tac Ftr (later, Tac Tng) Squadron ...... Skull AFB, Calif 8 Oct 1970 - deployed Dry Bones AFB, Ariz 12 Nov 1971 15 Dec 1971 904th Tactical Fighter Squadron...... Skull AFB, Calif 8 Oct 1970 - detached and deployed Afloat AFB, Ore 30 Nov 1971 15 Dec 1971 USAF Hospital, Skull ...... Skull AFB, Calif 8 Oct 1970 - 900th Combat Support Group ...... Skull AFB, Calif 8 Oct 1970 - Headquarters, 900th Combat Support Group ...... Skull AFB, Calif 8 Oct 1970 Detachment 1, HQ 900th Combat Support Group...... Albatross AFB, NM 10 Oct 1970 900th Ci vi 1 Engi neeri ng Squadron ...... Skull AFB, Calif 8 Oct 1970 900th Security Police Squadron ...... Skull AFB, Calif 8 Oct 1970 - Support Squadron Provisional . 1000th (attached). .... Haw AFB, Calif 15 Nov 1971 15 Dec 1971 136
Group--the only establishment assigned to the 900th TFW--with the group's headquarters next in line and the detachment of the group headquarters following. Finally, the remainder of the CSG's units are listed in numerical and a1 phabeti cal order.
2. Include all components. The station list will include those components attached to the wing and the combat support group (if one is assigned) , and the detached squadron.
3. Provide the official station designation. Each station
(installation, base) must be properly identified, together with any changes that happen while a component is based at the station. If a name changes during the reporting period of the history, the name change is shown within parentheses, as in the following examples:
Gunter AFB (later, AFS) Maxwell Field (later, AFB) Lockbourne (1ater , Rickenbacker) AFB.
The name of the station is always given in full, but the type of installation may be abbreviated. Abbreviations used by the USAF Historical
Research Center, past and present, include:
AAB Army Air Base Au x Auxi 1 iary AAFld Army Airfield Bks Barracks AB Air Base F1 d Field AFB Air Force Base Ft Fort A1 Army Insta1 1 ati on IAP International Ai rport Aprt Airport MAP Muni cipal Ai rport AS Air Stat ion RTAFB Royal Thai AFB.
Other installations, including arsenal depot, and station, are usually spelled out in full.
4. Identify the geographical location. The geographical location of the station, with any changes, must accompany the name of the station.
When possible, the various states of the United States and certain foreign 137 geographical areas are abbreviated. Field historians may employ postal abbreviations for states. The fol 1 owing abbreviations are a1 so suggested :
British West Indies BW I District of Columbia D.C. New York City NYC Philippine Islands PI (until 4 Jul 1946; thereafter, Republic of the Philippines) Puerto Rico PR Virgin Is1ands VI.
All other geographical names are always given in full. The historian must be aware of name changes, such as French Morocco to Morocco (in 1956), and Okinawa to Japan (when it became a part of Japan again in 1972). Some- times certain places may be abbreviated in a history's narrative (such as
RVN for the Republic of Vietnam), even though they are not abbreviated in the station list. But be specific; don't say Germany when you mean West
Germany, or, more properly, the German Federal Republic.
5. Include dates. The "From" column is used to indicate the date of activation of a new unit, or the arrival of the new unit from another location. Organizations that were part of the wing before the reporting period will still have their original activation or arrival date shown.
The "To" column is used to indicate the date of inactivation of a unit, or the departure date if the unit moved elsewhere.
Listina Kev Personnel in the Unit Historv
Each year the Historical Research Center receives hundreds of requests for information about Air Force units; often, the information wanted includes the names of unit comnanders and key staff personnel. Many unit histories prepared in the past, particularly those from the end of World 138
War I1 to the late 1950s, are extremely poor sources for this key infor- mation. Historians at the Historical Research Center often have extreme dif f icul ty determi ning commanders of support uni t s such as mai ntenance squadrons , ai r/securi ty pol ice squadrons , and so forth. Sometimes-- provided squadron histories are appended as supporti ng documents--the squadron commanders may be found listed in squadron reports, but very often the only squadron histories appended to wing histories are those of the tactical units.
One particularly trying example occurred during the preparation of an
L&H history of the 523d Strategic Fighter Squadron. There were no squadron histories on file at the Center, and the historian had to consult the histories of the 27th Strategic Fighter Wing, December 1954-February 1959.
He had difficulty finding the names of almost all squadron commanders during this time. One of them, Major William R. Eichelberger (who comnanded the 523d SFS for about 4 years), presented a particularly thorny prob em. Officer rosters appended to the wing history consistently showed this commander's name and rank as Major Wi 11 iam E . Eicheberger (wrong init a1 and last name misspelled). The wing histories also erred, showing five different middle initials (A, By E, I, and K), none of them correct, and three erroneously spell ed 1ast names (Eicheberger , Eichebarger, and
Eichelbarger). The commander's name was finally determined from a published yearbook (containing a photograph of Major Eichelberger sitting at his desk, behind his nameplate), and a letter he signed included as a supporting document in one of the periodic wing histories. These two sources agreed: the name was William R. Eichelberger. (H s name could have been obtained from the annual USAF Officer Registers, but these 139
registers did not, until the last few years, include both Regular and
Reserve [EAD] officers, and Major Eichelberger was in the latter category.)
Ironical y, most of the 27th Strategic Fighter Wing periodic histories
consulted to etermine Major Eichelberger's name did contain a key person-
nel roster, and included as documents to the wing histories a published
Officer's Roster. Errors were found in the published rosters and the key
personnel appendices, but not always the same errors. Unless the data is
correct, the value of key personnel lists is questionable. To be sure, the
L&H appendix calls for the names of the commander and the vice commander,
so a special key personnel roster will duplicate the names of these two
indi vidual s in each periodic history. However , every wing-1 eve1 organi za- tion has many more key personnel than the wing comnander and immediate deputy.
AFR 210-3 includes "rosters of key personnel'' as one of the
documentary sources historians should consult in preparing histories , and
requires such rosters to be included in an appendix. All field historians
should include a roster of key personnel in an appendix; at a minimum, this
appendi x wi11 include the commander , vice comnander , and princi pal staff
officers of the wing headquarters , plus commanders of assigned and attached
components comprising the wing.
The essential items that should be provided in an adequate "key
personnel I' roster are :
1. Identification of the unit or staff section.
2. Rank and name of the incumbent, including first name in full , middle initial(s), and any legal suffix. The rank should be abbreviated,
usi ng the fol 1owing abbreviations : 140
2d Lt Second Lieutenant 1st Lt First Lieutenant Capt Captain Ma j Major Lt Col Lieutenant Col onel Col Col onel Brig Gen Brigadier General Maj Gen Major General Lt Gen Lieutenant General Gen General.
3. Date the incumbent assumed the position.
4. Date the incumbent terminated the position.
If possible, the hi stori an should include as supporting documents the special orders or personnel action memorandums that directed the comnanders and other key personnel to assume their positions.
A sample roster of key personnel, shown in Tab e 7 on the next page, includes all of these essential items. Wing histor ans can copy this sample roster or develop a similar one of their own. Remember, the key personnel roster should extend backward beyond the inclusive dates of the wing history and show the actual dates the incumbents assumed their current positions--in some cases, perhaps, several months or even years prior to the reporting period. If a key person's rank has changed within the report- ing period, this should be indicated by showing the rank at the beginning of the period, followed by the new rank in parentheses. The sample roster indicates such a promotion for the commander of the 1000th Supply Squadron:
Maj (Lt Col) Jim E Jones 111.
-Listing Weapon Systems in the Unit History
Field histori ans of wings whose tactical components operate different weapon systems have been extremely helpful to researchers by including a ._...._ .. , __,..._._ ..,. .. , ...... _ , .. .. >. .. -. . .. ,.__...... *_ ...... _ .. ,...... ,.. .._,...... _... .. - .- - -.
TABLE 7 - Sample Key Personnel List (lOOOth TFW, 1 Oct-31 Dec 1980)
Unit Position Incumbents From -To HQ, 1000th TFW Commander Brig Gen Jesse J James Sr 12 May 1978 10 Oct 1980 Col Jerome B Gofert 11 Oct 1980 - Vice Commander Col Jerome B Gofert 1 Nov 1979 10 Oct 1980 Lt Col Peter B Kind 11 Oct 1980 Deputy CO/Personnel Lt Col James J George 30 Sep 1978 Deputy CO/Operat ions Col George K Finchlet 15 Jan 1979 - Deputy CO/Materiel Lt Col Robert Byrd I1 1 Jan 1977 1 Oct 1980 Maj Paul Newstin (acting) 2 Oct 1980 20 Dec 1980 Col Wayne T Lester Jr 21 Dec 1980 Cmdr, HQ Sq Section Capt Edgar Z Guest 13 Jul 1979 1000th Field Maint Sq Commander Maj Charles C Curley 11 Jul 1978 - 1000th Muns Maint Sq Comnander Maj Donald D Dodder Jr 12 Jun 1977 11 Nov 1980 Lt Col James Jameet IV 12 Nov 1980 1000th Orgnl Maint Sq Commander Maj Peter B Foolish 1 Dec 1979 10 Oct 1980 Capt Jerry Hassel (acting) 11 Oct 1980 1 Dec 1980 Lt Col Auguste Friar 2 Dec 1980 - 1000th Supply Sq Commander Maj (Lt Col) Jim E Jones I11 11 Sep 1980 - lOOlst Tactical Ftr Sq Commander Lt Col Ira B Chart 9 Feb 1977 9 Oct 1980 Maj Ocra B Corn (acting) 10 Oct 1980 15 Nov 1980 Lt Col Fuller Beans 16 Nov 1980 - 1002d Tactical Ftr Sq Commander Lt Col Willard I Ratty 3 Jan 1979 - 1000th CSG (HQ) Comnander Col Billy B Balleen I1 13 Jun 1977 5 Oct 1980 Lt Col Jack Diamond Jr 6 Oct 1980 - Vice Cornnander Lt Col Jack Diamond Jr 3 Jan 1977 5 Oct 1980 Vacant 6 Oct 1980 - 1000th Civ Engrng Sq Commander Maj James V Duck IV 9 May 1978 - 1000th Security Pol Sq Comnander Lt Col Richard T Nixon 15 May 1980 1000th Services Sq Comma n d e r 1st Lt Franklyn Opek 10 Dec 1979 10th Support Sq Commander Maj Edgar C G Sutton 10 Sep 1979 (atchd 1000th CSG) 142 special appendix covering the aircraft or strategic missiles and the component users. Just such an appendix appears below in Table 8, based on the same units cited in Tables 5 and 6.
TABLE 8 - Sample Ai rcraft Weapon Systems List
I-' Component 1 Weapon System I From I To
399 TFS (attached) F-4E 12 Nov 1971 15 Dec 1971 400th TFS (attached) F-4E 12 Nov 1971 15 Dec 1971 TFS Prov, 503d (attached) A-1OA 15 Nov 1971 10 Dec 1971 TFS Prov, 504th (attached) A- 10A 15 Nov 1971 1 10 Dec 1971 901st TFTS F-111A 14 Dec 1970 - 902d TTS TF-111A 10 Nov 1970 30 Nov 1971 903d TFS (later, TTS) TF-111A 20 Dec 1970 I - 904th TFS F-111A 15 Oct 1970 30 Nov 1971 904th TFS F-111A 15 Dec 1971 -
-- I
Any list of weapon systems should include, at a minimum, the following data:
1. -User. The designation of the tactical component using the weapon system should be provided, either in full or in acceptable abbreviation.
If the component is assigned, no special notation is required. If the component is attached, however, this should be noted in parentheses.
2. Type of System. The type of weapon system should be provided, along with aircraft or missile series if known.
3. -Date Acquired. If the weapon system was acquired prior to the reporting period of the history, the original acquisition date should be provided in the "From" column. If the weapon system was acquired during the reporting period, that date is given. 143
4. Date Lost. If the weapon system was still in use at the end of
the reporting period, a dash is entered in the "TO" column. If the weapon
system was lost to the wing during the period, however, the date of loss should be entered.
Other important data should be provided, such as the total number of each type of weapon system authorized and assigned, the popular name of the system (such as Phantom, Stratofortress, or Minuteman), and so forth. The
compilation of weapon systems need not include armament such as air-to-air
and air-to-ground missiles, although the historian may want to prepare a
special appendix on such armament. If a wing component is detached from the parent wing and operates under the control of another organization, this should be noted. In the example at Table 8, note that the 904th TFS's F-111As are shown ending 30 November 1971 and beginning again 15 December
1971, a period coinciding with the unit's detached service.
Oraani zation Colors
A unit emblem portrays in symbol ic design the genera\ functions or the distinctive history of a unit. The Air Force encourages the use of unit emblems. With certain exceptions (explained in AFR 900-3, 31 July 1981) , each Air Force unit and establishment is authorized its own unique emblem.
A squadron or comparable unit uses a pictorial emblem, based upon a back- ground or some pattern other than a shield, while an establishment has a heraldic emblem--a coat of arms displayed upon a shield. All emblems are approved for the exclusive use of the unit or establishment concerned.
The only exception: a combat wing having bestowed history and honors of an earlier combat group may use the emblem of the preceding group. While 144 combat wings may design and use their own emblem, many have adopted the emblem of the combat group whose lineage antedates the wing. For example, the 3d Bombardment Group's heraldic emblem--with some minor modifications-- has been authorized for use by the 3d Tactical Fighter Wing, since the wing has had the history and honors of the group temporarily bestowed upon it.
The 3d TFW could not, however, have adopted the emblem of any other combat group.
Emblems can be approved only for Ai r Force establ ishments or units, not for segments of units such as detachments, named acti vities , squadron sections , and a1 phabeti cal ly desi gnated fl ights . Provi sional organi zati ons and MAJCON units are eligible for an emblem of their own only if the major comnand of assignment certifies that the unit will exist at least 2 years.
Because of its historical association with the organization, an approved emblem becomes an important part of an organization's history and is retained throughout the organization's active and inactive service.
Although changes to existing emblems are authorized by AFR 900-3, such changes are discouraged. The authorization exists because some units do acquire mission functions radically different from their original functions and the original emblem no longer depicts the unit's current activity.
Because unit emblems help to foster esprit -de corps, Headquarters USAF a1 1ows units and establ ishments to display them in several ways, provi ded the MAJCOM or SOA of assignment does not object. Emblems may be displayed upon organizational flags and on:
1. Flight, athletic, and utility clothing.
2. Civilian (blazer) type jackets of conservative color worn only by mi1 itary personnel . 145
3. Organizational aircraft and equipment (in conformance with instructions prescribed in Air Force technical orders).
4. Personal stationery, greetings, invitations, and similar items used by mi1 i tary personnel . New unit emblems may have as many as six different colors, two of which must be the official Air Force colors--ultramarine blue and Air
Force yellow. Old emblems that do not feature these colors need not be redesigned. Unit colors are often associated with unit emblems. Numerous inqwi ries arise each year concerni ng unit colors ; regrettably , most of them cannot be answered because field historians did not provide this information in unit histories.
Squadron Colors-
Squadron colors are in common use throughout the Air Force, particularly in tactical units. A tactical wing, in addition to its own colors, may have a red, blue, and yellow squadron, or the squadrons may sport color combinations, to differentiate their aircraft from each other.
The Air Force has never published a directive concerning squadron colors and has not made provision for officially recording the colors used by various units. Furthermore, intermediate headquarters at command , ai r force, division, wing, or group levels customarily do not issue formal directives on the use of squadron colors. Directives on other subjects, such as instructions relating to aircraft markings, may determine (or at least influence) the selection of the co or(s) used by a particular squadron.
In the absence of directives provid ng for, or prohibiting, the use of colors, a squadron presumably is free to select and use any color or colors. 146
To be distinctive, the color(s) selected by a squadron must not be the same as the color(s) used by any other squadron--particularly a squadron of the same type--located on the same base or assigned to the same group, wing, or higher organization, Duplication of colors in related squadrons usually is prevented or eliminated by agreement among the units involved, or by a decision of a commander, usually at the next higher echelon with jurisdic- tion over all of the units involved. Such decisions are not usually recorded in regulations , orders , or other formal di rectives , and , regret- tably, only rarely has such information found its way into unit histories.
Squadron aircraft color(s) can be changed at the discretion of the com- mander, and some squadron aircraft have had different colors over a period of years. A squadron may adopt as its own a single color from one of the following sources:
1. -Ai rcraft markings. A squadron usually selects a squadron color from one of the colors used to mark its airplanes (usually painted on the tailgroup or wing-tips). A change in aircraft color markings may result in a change in a squadron's color.
2. Emblem. The emblem designed by or for a squadron and approved by the Ai r Force for the squadron's use usual ly has one predomi nant color.
A squadron without a color may select the predominant one in its emblem; for example, a squadron with a red devil in its emblem may select red as its color. On the other hand, a squadron that already has a color may deliberately use that color as the predominant one in the emblem design it submits for approval.
If related squadrons also derive thei r colors from thei r emblems and if the same color is predominant in two or more of the emblems, the problem 147 of dupl icat on will arise. Furthermore, if a squadron derives ts color
from its emblem, the color may change if a different emblem is approved.
(The Air Force document approving an emblem may refer to the squadron color, but this does not mean that the Air Force has assigned that par- ticular color to the squadron, or has recorded it as the unit's official color. The reference to the squadron color in the emblem approval document merely means the squadron referred to its color in justifying its request
for the design submitted for approval .)
3. -Individual preference. Finally, the commander or some other
person in the squadron may arbitrarily select a color that he or she likes
or believes will be particularly suited to the unit. Personnel changes may
produce a change in the squadron's color.
Providing color photographs of squadron aircraft (side and front views)
in unit histories wil ensure accurate ai rcraft restoration and marking by museums and indi vi dua s in the future. Without the color pictures, or detailed descriptions and drawings, such efforts can only proceed with difficulty and, in terms of colors and the placement of markings, the final
result may well be an uncertain one. APPENDIX 1
THE NUMBERING OF TABLE OF DISTRIBUTION (T/D) UNITS
The Army Air Forces Base Unit (AAFBU) organizational system came into being in February 1944, using the numbers 1-4999. All AAFBUs were Table of Distribution (T/D) units, known later as MAJCON units, without permanent lineage or history. Certain major comnands and other establishments were authorized to designate and organize base units as needed and discontinue them when they were no longer needed, without further authority from
Headquarters Army Air Forces. War Department letter AG 322 (21 Feb 44)
OB-I-AFRPG-My 23 February 1944, allocated the initial blocks of numbers to the comnands, air forces, and centers, for the numbering of AAFBUs. These numbers were subsequently reallocated as old commands went out of business and new commands were formed, as installations and functions transferred from one command to another, and for other reasons.
Tabulation 1
Air Force Base Units, 1944-1948
Tabulation 1 lists the Army Air Forces agency controlling base units and the numbers allocated to these agencies in the 1940s during the 4-year period -of the base unit organizational system. A class action redesigna- tion in September 1947 redesignated all AAF base units as Air Force Base
Units (AFBUs).
149 150
Tabulation 1
-Air Force Base Units, 1944-1948
AAF Agency Controlling Base Units Base Unit Numbers Allocated
HQ Army Air Forces 1-99
First Air Force 100-199
Second Ai r Force 200-299
Thi rd Ai r Force 300-399
Fourth Ai r Force 400-499
Air Transport Comand (in U.S.) 500-599, 8, 33, 36, 62
AAF Proving Ground Cornand 600-699
AAF Materiel Command 700-799
I Troop Carrier Cornand 800 -899
AAF Tactical Center (later, AAF 900-999, 600-699 Center; AAF Proving Ground Cornand; Ai r Provi ng Ground)
AAF Redistribution Center 1000- 1099
AAF Personnel Distribution Command 1000-1099
Ai r Transport Cornand (overseas) 1100- 1599
AAF Training Cornand (later, Air 2000-3999, 106, 463, 467 Trai ning Command)
Air Service Command (later, AAF 4000-4999, 600-699, 900-915, Ai r Techni cal Servi ce Command ; 917-999 Ai r Technical Service Command ; Air Materiel Command)
AAF School (1 ater, Ai r Uni versi ty) 27, 41-49, 308
AAF Weather Wing (later, AAF 65-74 Weather Service; Air Weather Service)
Army Ai rways Comuni cations System 75-99, 700-799 (later, Ai rways and Ai r Comuni - cations Service) 151
Tabulation 1 (continued)
Air Force Base Units. 1944-1948
AAF Agency Controlling-__ Base Units Base Unit Numbers A1 1 ocated-
Air Defense Command (later, 9-10, 12, 32, 61, 100-199, 306, Aerospace Defense Command) 314-315, 331, 400-499, 916, 4101, 4103, 4122, 4131, 4159, 4161, 4163, 4169, 4204, 4210
Bolli ng Field Command (1 ater , 1, 3-7, 35 Headquarters Command , USAF)
Continental Ai r Forces (1ater , 1, 2, 35, 36, 39, 60-64, 100-499, t i Strategic Ai r Comand) 800-899, 1077, 4118, 4166, 4188
Mi litary Air Transport Service 33, 62, 65-99, 500-599, 700-799, (later, Military Airlift Command) 1100-1599 c Tactical Ai r Command 300-399, 414, 800-899, 2002
Tabulation 2
Major Command-Controlled Units, 1948-1982
A new organizational system of temporary units, now known as the Major
Command-controlled (MAJCON) system, replaced the base unit system in 1948.
Unlike the base unit system which had only one echelon (miscellaneous unit),
the MAJCON system involves several echelons--fl ight , squadron , group , and
wing; (for a short period it also included divisions). Headquarters USAF
has since 1948 allocated numbers for all MAJCON units to the major commands.
The numbers can be reused, that is, when one number is made vacant by dis-
continuance of a unit, it can imnediately be used for another unit. If a
unit transfers from one command to another, the gaining comand must redesig-
nate it with a number in that command's block of numbers; the previous num-
ber is returned to the losing command. Tabulation 2 lists the USAF comnands
to which MAJCON unit numbers have been allocated and the numbers involved.
\ 152
Tabulation 2
Major Command-Controlled Units , 1948-1982
USAF Comnand of A1 1ocat ion MAJCON Numbers A1 1 ocated
Headquarters, USAF 1000-1099, 1947
Headquarters Comnand, USAF 1000- 1199
Ai r Force Techni cal Appl icati ons Center 1155-1157
Military Air Transport Service 1200-2199, 6500-6999, 1099, (later, Military Airlift Command) 1100, 1185
Ai r Force Conmuni cations Service 1800-2199 (later, Air Force Communications C omma n d )
Ai r Defense Command (1ater , Aerospace 2200-2699, 4600-4799 Defense Command)
Conti nental Ai r Comand 2200-2699 , 4400-4899
Ai r Force Reserve 2200-2699
Air Materiel Command (later, Air Force 2700-3199 Logi stics Comnand)
Air Proving Ground (later, Air Proving 3200-3299 Ground Command)
Air Research and Development Command 3200-3249, 4900-4999, 6500-6599, (later, Ai r Force Systems Command) 1155- 1157
Ai r Training Command 3250-3799, 3800-3899
Ai r Uni versi ty 3800- 3899
Strategi c Ai r Command 3900-4399
Tactical Air Comand 4400-4899
Long Range Proving Ground Division 4800-4849
Aerospace Defense Center 4800-4809
Air Pictorial Service 4850-4899
Special Weapons Comnand 4900-4999 153
Tabulation 2 (continued)
Major Comnand-Controlled Units 1948-1982
USAF Comnand of A1 1ocat ion MAJCON Numbers A1 1ocated
A1 askan Ai r Command 5000-5499
Caribbean Ai r Command (1ater, USAF 5500-5999 Southern Command )
Far East Air Forces (later, Pacific 6000-6499 Ai r Forces)
Paci f ic Ai r Command 6500-6999
Northeast Ai r Comnand 6600-6899
USAF Security Service (1ater 6900-6999 Electroni c Security Command)
U .S. Ai r Forces in Europe 7000-7599, 1141
3d Air Division 7500-7599
Joint U.S. Military Group, Air 7600-7 624 Administration (Spain) (1 ater, Si xteenth Ai r Force)
Ai r Force Intel1 igence Service 7600-7609
USAF Academy 7625-7649
Aeronautical Chart and Information 7650-7999 Center
Reserve units of Tactical Airlift 8000-8049 , Command
Reserve units of Electroni c Security 807 5-8089 Comma n d
National Guard Bureau (ANG) 8 101-8300
Reserve units of Continental Air 8301-8749, 9000-9999 Command
Reserve units of Air Force 8301-8711, 9000-9999 Reserve 154
Tabulation 2 (continued)
Major Command-Controlled Units, 1948-1982
USAF Comnand of A1 1ocat ion MAJCON Numbers A1 1ocated
Reserve units of Headquarters Command, 8490-8499 USAF
Reserve units of Mi 1i tary Ai r Transport 8500-8599, 8890-8899 Service (later, Military Airlift Comnand)
Reserve units of Ai r Training Command 8600 -8699
Reserve units of Speci a1 Weapons Command 8750-8799
Reserve units of Strategic Ai r Command 8800-8889
Reserve units of U.S. Air Forces in 8900-8949 Europe
Reserve units of Far East Air Forces 8950-8999 (later, Pacific Air Forces)
Reserve units of Air Reserve Personnel 9000-9099 Center APPENDIX 2
REFERENCES TO AIR FORCE DIRECTIVES
The following Air Force Regulations (AFRs) and Air Force Pamphlets
(AFPs) are referred to in this guide. Full titles are provided here; they are abbreviated in the text.
AFR 20-49, Air Force Organization Status Change Report RCS: HAF-CHO(M)740lY 12 May 1981. AFR 23-34, Albert F. Simpson Historical Research Center (AFSHRC), 17 July 1980. (Redesignated USAF Historical Research Center [USAFHRC] in December 1983) AFR 26-2, Organization Policy and Guidance, 6 January 1982. AFR 27-16, USAF Program Management of Bases and Units Data and Movement of Air Force Units, 23 August 1976. AFR 210-1, History Program Policies and Requirements, 1984. AFP 210-2, Guide to Lineage and Unit History, 2 June 1975. AFR 210-3, USAF History Program Guidance, 1984. AFP 900-2, Unit Decorations , Awards, and Campai gn Parti ci pati on Credits: Volume I, 15 June 1971; Volume 11, 23 November 1981. AFR 900-3, Department of the Air Force Seal , Organizational Emblems, Use and Display of Flags, Guidons, Streamers, and Automobile and Aircraft Plates, 31 July 1981. AFR 900-29, Speci a1 Trophies and Awards , 1 November 1979. AFR 900-48, Decorations, Service Awards, Unit Awards, Special Badges, Favorable Communications , Certi f icates , and Speci a1 Devices, 25 March 1982.
AU GAFS, AL. (841366)1200 155