The Vietnam War Years of

Korat Royal Thai Air Base

7th Airborne Command and Control Squadron

 

Lineage

 

7th Ferrying Squadron (constituted 7th Air Corps Ferrying Squadron on 18 Feb 1942; activated on 24 Mar 1942; redesignated 7th Ferrying Squadron on 12 May 1943; disbanded on 1 Apr 1944; reconstituted on 19 Sep 1985) consolidated (19 Sep 1985) with: 7th Combat Cargo Squadron (constituted on 25 Apr 1944; activated on 1 May 1944; inactivated on 15 Jan 1946; disbanded on 8 Oct 1948; reconstituted on 19 Sep 1985); 7th Air Transport Squadron, Special (constituted 7th Logistics Support Squadron on 22 Jun 1954; activated on 18 Oct 1954; redesignated 7th Air Transport Squadron, Special, on 1 Jul 1964; discontinued, and inactivated, on 8 Jan 1966); and 7th Airborne Command and Control Squadron (constituted, and activated, on 13 Feb 1968; organized on 1 Mar 1968).

 

Assignments

 

North West Sector, Ferrying Command (later, 7th Ferrying Group), 18 Feb 1942–1 Apr 1944. 2d Combat Cargo Group, 1 May 1944–15 Jan 1946. Warner Robins Air Materiel Area, 18 Oct 1954; 3079th Aviation Depot Wing, 6 Feb 1955; 39th Logistics Support Group, 1 Jul 1962; 62d Troop Carrier Wing, 1 Jul 1963; 63d Troop Carrier Wing, 1 Jul 1964–8 Jan 1966. Pacific Air Forces, 13 Feb 1968; Seventh Air Force, 1 Mar 1968; 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 31 Oct 1968 (attached to Seventh Air Force, 31 Oct 1968–); 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, 30 Apr 1972 (remained attached to Seventh Air Force to 15 Aug 1973; attached to US Support Activities Group/Seventh Air Force, 15 Aug 1973–c. 21 May 1974); 374th Tactical Airlift Wing, 22 May 1974 (attached to Thirteenth Air Force, 22 May 1974–); 3d Tactical Fighter Wing, 31 Mar 1975 (remained attached to Thirteenth Air Force to 14 Aug 1975); 507th Tactical Air Control Group, 14 Aug 1975; 552d Airborne Warning and Control Wing (later, 552d Airborne Warning and Control Division), 1 Oct 1976; 28th Air Division, 1 Apr 1985 (attached to Air Division Provisional, 15, 5 Dec 1990–c. 16 Mar 1991); 552d Operations Group, 29 May 1992; 55th Operations Group, 19 Jul 1994–.

 

Stations

 

Seattle, WA, 24 Mar 1942; Gore Field, Great Falls, MT, 22 Jun 1942–1 Apr 1944. Syracuse AAB, NY, 1 May 1944; Baer Field, IN, 7–27 Oct 1944; Biak Island, 11 Nov 1944; Dulag, Leyte, May 1945; Okinawa, 19 Aug 1945; Yokota AB, Japan, 22 Sep 1945–15 Jan 1946. Robins AFB, GA, 19 Oct 1954–8 Jan 1966. Da Nang AB, South Vietnam (operated from Udorn RTAFB, Thailand), 1 Mar 1968; Udorn RTAFB, Thailand, 31 Oct 1968; Korat RTAFB, Thailand, 15 Apr 1972; Clark AB, Philippines, 22 May 1974–14 Aug 1975; Keesler AFB, MS, 14 Aug 1975 (deployed at Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, 1–25 Sep 1991 and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 25 Sep 1990–16 Mar 1991); Offutt AFB, NE, 19 Jul 1994–.

 

Aircraft

 

None (ferried tactical aircraft), 24 Mar 1942–1 Apr 1944. C–47, 1944–1945; C–46, 1944–1945. C–124, 1954–1966. C (later, EC)–130, 1968–.

 

Operations

 

Ferried lend-lease aircraft to Alaska for turnover to Soviets, Jun 1942–Mar 1944. Aerial transportation in Southwest and Western Pacific, 13 Dec 1944–Sep 1945. Provided airlift support during Cuban Missile Crisis, 17–28 Oct 1962. Airborne combat command and control in SEA, 1 Mar 1968–15 Aug 1973. Controlled airborne forces during the recovery of the SS Mayaguez, May 1975; in Grenada, 23 Oct–21 Nov 1983; Panama, Dec 1989–Jan 1992; and Southwest Asia, 1 Sep 1990–16 Mar 1991.

 

Honors

 

Service Streamers. World War II American Theater.

 

Campaign Streamers. World War II: Air Offensive, Japan; New Guinea; Western Pacific; Leyte; Luzon;

Southern Philippines; Ryukyus. Vietnam: Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase II; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase III; Vietnam Air/Ground; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase IV; TET 69/Counteroffensive; Vietnam Summer-Fall, 1969; Vietnam Winter-Spring, 1970; Sanctuary Counteroffensive; Southwest Monsoon; Commando Hunt V; Commando Hunt VI; Commando Hunt VII; Vietnam Ceasefire. Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait.

 

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. Grenada, 1983.

 

Decorations. Presidential Unit Citations: Vietnam, 1 Nov 1968–31 Oct 1969; Vietnam, 1–30 Apr 1972. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards, with Combat "V" Device: 1 Mar 1968–17 May 1969; 21 Nov 1969–20 Nov 1970; 21 Nov 1970–6 Apr 1971; 18 Dec 1972–15 Aug 1973; 12 Apr–15 May 1975. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 17–28 Oct 1962; 1 Jul 1965–7 Jan 1966; 1 Jul 1977–30 Jun 1978; 1 Jul 1978–30 Jun 1980; 1 Jul 1982–30 Jun 1984; 1 Apr 1985–31 Mar 1987; 1 Apr 1987–31 Mar 1989; 1 Dec 1989–1 Dec 1991. Philippine Presidential Unit Citation (WWII). Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: 1 Mar 1968–28 Jan 1973.

 

Emblem

 

On a Light Blue disc fimbriated White within a Yellow band a stylized White bird detailed Black with wings extending to base emitting two Red lightning bolts to dexter and sinister base. Originally approved on 17 Feb 1977 (KE 61927) revised in 1994; replaced emblems approved on 28 Feb 1956 (K 9866) and 5 Jul 1945 (K 3760).

 

 

Source: Organizational History Branch , maxwell.af.mil/au/afhra