966th Airborne Air Control Squadron


The 966th Airborne Air Control Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit, part of the 552d Air Control Wing at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. It operates the E-3 Sentry aircraft conducting airborne command and control missions.
The squadron is the E-3 Sentry formal training unit for all Airborne Warning and Control System aircrew and currently falls under the authority of Air Combat Command and Twelfth Air Force.

Mission

The 966th Airborne Air Control Squadron is Air Combat Command's largest flying training unit, providing training for all active and reserve E-3 Sentry pilots and mission crew. Training approximately 500 students every year.
Provide the Combat Air Force with airborne systems and personnel for surveillance, warning and control of strategic, tactical, and special mission forces.

History

The squadron conducted replacement training from August 1942 – November 1943 and flew evacuation missions and light transport services for ground forces in Burma from 13 November 1944 – 10 May 1945. It provided airborne radar surveillance from 1962–1969 and rotated aircrews to Southeast Asia from c. 4 April 1965 – c. December 1969. The 966th has trained aircrews since 1977.

Lineage


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B-17 Flying Fortress
B-24 Liberator
L-5 Sentinel
UC–64 Norseman
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RC-121
EC-121 Warning Star
WC-135
E-3 Sentry