337th Air Control Squadron

337th Air Control Squadron
Active 1 April 1943 – 31 December 1984
15 October 1983 – present
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
Type Command and Control Training
Part of Air Education and Training Command
33rd Fighter Wing
33rd Operations Group
Garrison/HQ Tyndall Air Force Base
Engagements World War II
Decorations AFOUA (9)
Battle honours Rome
Southern France
Rineland

The 337th Air Control Squadron (337 ACS) is part of the 33rd Fighter Wing, an Air Education and Training Command (AETC) unit, based at the United States Air Force's Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida.[1] Originally constituted the 325th Fighter Control squadron in March 1943, the 325th served in the European Theater during World War II. The squadron's present mission was activated at Tyndall in 1947, making it the base's oldest surviving mission. During the past decades, radar operations and maintenance has been taught to tens of thousands of personnel of all ranks.[2]

Mission

The 337 ACS is primarily responsible for the initial training of all Active duty, Air National Guard, and Reserve Air Force Air Battle Manager officers in command and control mission execution. The squadron also provides training international officers in command and control operations, as well as providing command and control support for F-22A Raptor initial and transition training at Tyndall AFB.[2]

History

The 337 ACS began as the 325th Fighter Control Squadron in April 1943. In December 1943, the unit moved to North Africa to support the operations of the American and other Allied flying units. Moving its radar with the front lines, the squadron saw action throughout the Mediterranean and Southern Europe and earned battle streamers for Rome, 1944; Southern France, 1944; and the Rhineland, 1945. The squadron was disbanded in early 1945, when German air activity had effectively ceased.[2]

The 325th Tactical Training Squadron was activated in October 1983 and overtime absorbed the controller training mission conducted at Tyndall AFB. After being renamed the 325 Training Squadron in November 1991 the 325 Fighter Control Squadron's heritage was consolidated with the 325 Training Squadron in June 1999. In 2001 the squadron was redesignated as the 325 Air Control Squadron.[2] Following the 325th Fighter Wing's change to Air Combat Command,[3] the 325 ACS was renamed to the 337 ACS under the 33rd Fighter Wing.[4]

In addition to the F-22, the squadron also assisted with the training of F-15 Eagle pilots until their departure from Tyndall in 2010.[5]

Lineage

Constituted on 31 March 1943
Activated on 1 April 1943
Disbanded on 31 December 1944
Constituted on 14 October 1983
Activated on 15 October 1983
Redesignated the 325th Training Squadron on 1 November 1991
Redesignated the 325th Air Control Squadron on 7 Sept 2001
Moved to the 33rd Fighter Wing and redesignated on 3 October 2012

Assignments

Assignments of 325th Air Control Squadron[4][6]
Date Assignment Notes
1 Apr 1943 I Fighter Command
~15 Dec 1943 Twelfth Air Force
18 Dec 1943 XII Fighter Command
~13 May 1944 63d Fighter Wing
Sep-Oct 1944 63d Fighter Wing Under operational control of 210 Group, RAF
10 Nov-31 Dec 1944 560th Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion
15 Oct 1983-3 Oct 2012 325th Fighter Wing
1 Sept 1991–3 Oct 2012 325th Operations Group
3 Oct 2012–present 33rd Operations Group

Stations

325th Air Control Squadron stations[6]
1 April 1943 Bradley Field, CT
12 August - 30 November 1943 Suffolk County AAB, NY
15 December 1943 Casablanca, French Morocco
23 January 1944 Nouvion, Algeria
13 May 1944 Alghero, Sardinia
June 1944 Calvi, Corsica
1 September 1944 St. Tropez, France
~18 September 1944 Lamanon, France
20 October 1944 Pisa, Italy
December-31 December 1944 San Petro, Italy
15 Oct 1983 – present Tyndall AFB, Florida

Current operations

As of January 2012 the squadron instructs five comprehensive courses. The primary course is the nine-month Undergraduate Air Battle Manager Training course, where officers learn everything from radar theory to large force employment. Graduates of this course receive follow-on assignments to the combat Air Forces to perform air battle management on the E-3 AWACS or the E-8 Joint STARS aircraft. Additional courses include the Battle Manager Instructor Training Course, which teaches air battle managers from different backgrounds the skills necessary to instruct undergraduate students, and the Air Weapons Officer/Weapons Director Initial Qualification Training Course, which teaches previously qualified air battle managers and weapons directors the art and science of controlling live aircraft. The 337th ACS also conducts the International Air Weapons Controller Course and the Theater Air Operations Course, where officers from around the world are introduced to weapons control and theater air operations.[2]

References

  1. ↑ "337TH AIR CONTROL SQUADRON". Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "325th Air Control Squadron Factsheet". Tyndall AFB. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  3. ↑ "325TH FIGHTER WING". Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 "325th ACS to remain under AETC". Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  5. ↑ Carson, Daniel. "Final farewell: Last F-15s leave Tyndall". News Herald. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "Air Force Historical Research Agency: 325th Air Control Squadron". United States Air Force. Retrieved 22 January 2012.

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

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