41st Electronic Combat Squadron

41st Electronic Combat Squadron
41st Electronic Combat Squadron
	41st Electronic Combat Squadron EC-130H Compass Call 73-1581
Active	1917–1946; 1954–1959; 1965–1969; 1980–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Electronic warfare
Nickname(s)	Scorpions
Engagements	World War I; Antisubmarine Campaign; Vietnam War; Desert Storm
Decorations	Presidential Unit Citation; Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device; Air Force Outstanding Unit Award; Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm
Insignia
41st Electronic Combat Squadron emblem (approved 28 October 1981)
9th Airship Company emblem (approved 3 January 1933)

The 41st Electronic Combat Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. Its current assignment is with the 55th Electronic Combat Group at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona as a geographically separated unit from its parent wing, the 55th Wing at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. It operates the Lockheed EC-130H Compass Call communications-jamming aircraft.

The squadron is one of the oldest in the United States Air Force, its origins dating to 14 June 1917, when it was organized at Kelly Field, Texas. It served overseas in France as part of the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I. The squadron also saw combat during World War II, and became part of Tactical Air Command (TAC) during the Cold War. It also holds the distinction of being the longest continuously deployed U.S. Air Force unit (2002–2021).^[3]^[4]

History

World War I

The squadron's origins date to the 9th Balloon Company of the Observation Balloon Service in World War I, which served with the French 17th and 32nd Army Corps, and the III and IV Army Corps, United States Army, from 16 August – 11 November 1918.^[1]

World War II

The squadron provided air defense for Panama Canal, January 1942 – May 1944, with occasional antisubmarine patrols over the Caribbean and Pacific, especially during May and June 1942; deployed to Western Pacific in June 1945, but never entered combat.^[1]

Cold War

The squadron was reactivated at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, where it was assigned to the 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Group and equipped with Douglas RB-26 Invader aircraft.^[1] In 1956 as deliveries of the Douglas RB-66B Destroyer to the Air Force increased, the squadron was equipped with the newer jet aircraft.^[5]

From the 1960s

The unit fought in Southeast Asia, c. November 1965 – 31 October 1969.^[1]

The unit was tasked with command, control, and communications countermeasures from 1982 onwards. It flew electronic countermeasures missions from the United Arab Emirates during Operation Desert Shield/Operation Desert Storm from 27 August 1990 – 17 April 1991.^[1]

Post-9/11 Operations

From 2002 to 2021, the 41st Electronic Combat Squadron was the longest continuously deployed unit in the history of the U.S. Air Force, primarily supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Resolute Support in Afghanistan. Over this 19-year deployment, the squadron flew nearly 14,800 sorties and logged over 90,000 combat flight hours, providing critical electronic warfare support.^[3]^[4]

Lineage

Organized as Company A, 4th Balloon Squadron on 13 November 1917

Redesignated 9th Balloon Company on 25 July 1918

Redesignated 9th Airship Company on 30 August 1921

Redesignated 9th Airship Squadron on 26 October 1933

Redesignated 1st Observation Squadron on 1 June 1937

Redesignated 1st Observation Squadron (Medium) on 13 January 1942

Redesignated 1st Observation Squadron on 4 July 1942

Redesignated 1st Reconnaissance Squadron (Special) on 25 June 1943

Redesignated 41st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 25 November 1944

Redesignated 41st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 24 January 1946

Inactivated on 17 June 1946

Redesignated 41st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Night-Photographic on 14 January 1954

Activated on 18 March 1954

Inactivated on 18 May 1959

Redesignated 41st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Photo-Jet and activated on 30 June 1965 (not organized)

Organized on 1 October 1965

Redesignated 41st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 8 October 1966

Redesignated: 41st Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron on 15 March 1967

Inactivated on 31 October 1969

Redesignated 41st Electronic Combat Squadron on 17 June 1980

Activated on 1 July 1980^[1]

Assignments

Source:^[6]

Unknown, 13 November 1917
Balloon Wing, IV Army Corps, 5 August 1918
Balloon Wing, III Army Corps, 21 September 1918
Balloon Group, III Army Corps, 8 October 1918
2d Balloon Group, First Army (United States), c. 20 November 1918 – December 1918
Unknown, December 1918 – May 1919
Army Balloon School, Fort Omaha, Nebraska, May 1919
Fourth Corps Area, October 1921
1st Airship Group (later 21st Airship Group), 19 July 1922
Sixth Corps Area, 1 June 1937
Seventh Corps Area (attached to Cavalry School), 15 June 1937
Cavalry School, c. 1939
Second United States Army, 3 October 1940

Two flights attached to Cavalry School to c. April 1941

Third flight remained assigned to Cavalry School throughout period

II Air Support Command, 1 September 1941

Flight attached to Cavalry School to c. December 1941

72d Observation Group (later 72d Reconnaissance) Group), 26 September 1941

Attached to 6th Bombardment Group, 10 April 1942 – c. June 1942

Sixth Air Force, 1 November 1943
II Tactical Air Division, 24 May 1944
III Tactical Air Division, 24 June 1944

III Tactical Air Command, 1 October 1944
III Tactical Air Division, 4 December 1944
7th Fighter Wing, 18 April 1945
AAF, Pacific Ocean Area (attached to XXI Bomber Command), 13 June 1945
United States Army Forces, Middle Pacific (attached to Twentieth Air Force), 16 July 1945
315th Bombardment Wing, 18 September 1945
VII Fighter Command (later 46th Fighter Wing), 4 January 1946 – 17 June 1946
432d Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 18 March 1954
363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 8 February 1958 – 18 May 1959
Tactical Air Command, 20 June 1965 (not organized
363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 1 October 1965
Thirteenth Air Force, 20 October 1965
460th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 18 February 1966
432d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 18 September 1966
355th Tactical Fighter Wing, 15 August 1967 – 31 October 1969
552d Airborne Warning and Control Wing (later 552d Airborne Warning and Control Division), 1 July 1980
28th Air Division, 1 April 1985

Attached to Air Division Provisional, 15, 5 December 1990 – 17 April 1991

355th Operations Group, 1 May 1992^[1]
55th Electronic Combat Group, 2006 – Present

Stations

Fort Omaha, Nebraska, 13 November 1917
Camp Morrison, Virginia, 9 February 1918 – 29 June 1918
Camp de Meucon, Morbihan, France, 17 July 1918
Broussey-Raulecourt, France, 14 August 1918
Xivray-et-Marvoisin, France, 12 September 1918
St Benoit-en-Woevre, France, 14 September 1918
Lamarche-en-Woevre, France, 16 September 1918
Thierville, France, 22 September 1918
Cumières, France, 9 October 1918
Consenvoye, France, 7 November 1918
Fromeréville-les-Vallons, France, 12 November 1918
Damvillers, France, 14 November 1918
Ville-sur-Cousances, France, 26 November 1918
Colombey-les-Belles, France, 4 February 1919
Bordeaux, France, 18 February 1919 – 20 April 1919
Camp Stuart, Virginia, 4 May 1919
Camp Lee, Virginia, 9 May 1919
Fort Omaha, Nebraska, 18 May 1919
Scott Field, Illinois, 28 October 1921

Fort Omaha, Kansas, 15 June 1937 – 27 December 1941
Rio Hato, Panama, 14 January 1942
Howard Field, Panama Canal Zone, 19 January 1942
David, Panama, 17 April 1942
Rio Hato, Panama, 10 May 1942
Howard Field, Panama Canal Zone, 20 June 1942 – 7 May 1944
Pounds Field, Texas, 24 May 1944
Muskogee Army Air Field, Oklahoma, 7 December 1944 – 4 April 1945
Kualoa Field, Hawaii, 18 April 1945 – 31 May 1945
Agana Airfield, Guam, Mariana Islands 13 June 1945

Detachment at: North Field (Iwo Jima), Iwo Jima, Bonin Islands (Japan), 9 August 1945 – c. 15 September 1945

East Field (Saipan), Mariana Islands, 4 January 1946
Agana Airfield, Guam, Mariana Islands, 15 April 1946 – 17 June 1946
Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, 18 March 1954 – 18 May 1959
Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, 1 October 1965
Takhli RTAFB, Thailand, 20 October 1965 – 31 October 1969
Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, 1 July 1980 – present

Deployed at Bateen Air Base,^{[note 2]} United Arab Emirates, 27 August 1990 – 17 April 1991.^[1]

Aircraft

Type R observation balloon, 1918–1919,
1919–1921; probably included RN-1 (Zodiac), type SST (Mullion), type AA (pony blimp), A-4, D-4, OA-1, AC-1, TA-1, TA-5, TC-1, TC-3, TC-5, TC-6, TC-10, TC-11, TC-14, TE-1, type TE-3, and TF-1 nonrigid airships, RS-9 semirigid airship, type R (later, C-3) and C-6 observation balloons, and A-6, A-7, and A-8 spherical balloons during period 1922–1937.
Thomas-Morse O-19, Douglas O-25, and apparently O-46, during period 1937–1939.
O-47, 1938–1944, L-4 and B-18, 1942–1944,
P-39, 1943–1944, included Kellett YG-1B, c. 1938–1940, YO-51 Dragonfly, 1940–1941, Bellanca YO-50, and apparently O-59 Grasshopper, 1941, O-49, 1941–1943, and CG-4, 1943; A-20, 1944, primarily F-5 Lightning, 1944–1946.
Douglas RB-26 Invader, 1954–1956;
Douglas RB-66 Destroyer, 1956–1959.
Douglas RB-66 Destroyer, 1965; EB-66, 1965–1969.
EC-130H Compass Call, 1982– ^[1]

References

Notes

Explanatory notes

^ The original triangular emblem was placed on a light blue disc in 1981 and slightly modified in 1994. AFHRA Factsheet.
^ Bateen Air Base as referred to in AFHRA is Al Bateen Executive Airport, as it uses the same airport code (OMAD).^[7]

Footnotes

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l "Factsheet 41 Electronic Combat Squadron". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 22 March 2011. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 191–192
^ ^a ^b Weber, Vaughn (22 December 2021). "Nearly 19 years and 14,753 sorties later!". Desert Lightning News - Davis Monthan. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
^ ^a ^b Cohen, Rachel (16 June 2022). "This Compass Call squadron was deployed in Afghanistan for 20 years. Here's their inside story". Air Force Times. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
^ Knaack, p. 419
^ "41 Electronic Combat Squadron". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 3 March 2023.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ Gulf War Air Power Survey (PDF) (Report). Vol. V. Washington, D.C. 1993. p. 59. Retrieved 17 August 2022.

Bibliography

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Encyclopedia of US Air Force Aircraft and Missile Systems. Vol. 2, Post-World War II Bombers 1945–1973. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-59-5.
Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.

External links

https://web.archive.org/web/20100526062159/http://www.wolfsshipyard.mystarship.com/Misc/Airships/Airships.htm

[3] The original triangular emblem was placed on a light blue disc in 1981 and slightly modified in 1994. AFHRA Factsheet.

[9] Bateen Air Base as referred to in AFHRA is Al Bateen Executive Airport, as it uses the same airport code (OMAD).^[7]

[41ECSfacts-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l "Factsheet 41 Electronic Combat Squadron". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 22 March 2011. Retrieved 8 January 2017.

[Maurer41PRS-2] Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 191–192

[:0-4] Weber, Vaughn (22 December 2021). "Nearly 19 years and 14,753 sorties later!". Desert Lightning News - Davis Monthan. Retrieved 4 October 2024.

[:1-5] Cohen, Rachel (16 June 2022). "This Compass Call squadron was deployed in Afghanistan for 20 years. Here's their inside story". Air Force Times. Retrieved 4 October 2024.

[6] Knaack, p. 419

[7] "41 Electronic Combat Squadron". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 3 March 2023.^{[permanent dead link‍]}

[8] Gulf War Air Power Survey (PDF) (Report). Vol. V. Washington, D.C. 1993. p. 59. Retrieved 17 August 2022.

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