8th Weapons Squadron

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 8th Weapons Squadron


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dates= March 24, 1942
country= United States
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branch= United States Air Force
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garrison=Nellis Air Force Base
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The 8th Weapons Squadron is one of the squadrons within the USAF Weapons Instructor Course (WIC) at Nellis Air Force Base. Its origins can be traced back to 1978, when the concept of Air Weapons Controller was added to the established concept of Fighter Weapons. The first Air Weapons Controllers graduated in December 1984 to become Fighter Weapons School instructors. Instruction at the 8th Weapons Squadron continues to this very day in the fields of TACS, ROCC, AWACS, EWS, EA, JSTARS and their integration in operations. The course has graduated over 250 instructors who have been key to every conflict and contingency since 1985.

Lineage

The 8th Ferrying Squadron (constituted 8th Air Corps Ferrying Squadron on 18 Feb 1942); Activated on 24 Mar 1942; Redesignated 8th Ferrying Squadron on 12 May 1943; Disbanded on 31 Mar 1944; Reconstituted on 19 Sep 1985 (consolidated on 19 Sep 1985) with
* 8th 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);
* 8th Helicopter Flight (constituted on 7 Oct 1949); Activated on 27 Oct 1949; Inactivated on 19 Feb 1952; Activated on 14 Mar 1952; Inactivated on 16 Dec 1952;
* 8th Tactical Deployment Control Squadron (constituted 8th Airborne Command and Control Squadron on 14 Aug 1969); Activated on 15 Oct 1969; Inactivated on 8 Mar 1971; Activated on 1 Feb 1972; Redesignated 8th Tactical Deployment Control Squadron on 30 Apr 1974; Redesignated 8th Air Deployment Control Squadron on 1 Nov 1991; 8th Airborne Command and Control Squadron on 1 Jul 1994; Inactivated on 15 May 1996; Redesignated 8th Weapons Squadron on 24 Jan 2003; Activated on 3 Feb 2003.

Assignments

* Nashville Sector, Ferrying Command (later, Nashville Sector, Domestic Wing, Ferrying Command; 4th Ferrying Group), 24 Mar 1942 - 31 Mar 1944;
* 2d Combat Cargo Group, 1 May 1944 - 15 Jan 1946 (attached to 5298th Troop Carrier Wing [Provisional] , Nov-Dec 1944);
* 5700th Air Base Group, 27 Oct 1949 - 19 Feb 1952;
* Eighteenth Air Force (attached to 16th Troop Carrier Squadron), 14 Mar - 16 Dec 1952;
* 4500th Air Base Wing, 15 Oct 1969 - 8 Mar 1971;
* Tactical Air Command, 1 Feb 1972;
* 552d Airborne Warning and Control Wing (later, 552d Airborne Warning and Control Division), 1 Jan 1978;
* 28th Air Division, 1 Mar 1986;
* 552d Operations Group, 29 May 1992 - 15 May 1996.;
* USAF Weapons School, 3 Feb 2003-

tations

* Nashville, Tennessee, 24 Mar 1942;
* Memphis Municipal Airport, Tennessee, 9 Dec 1942-31 Mar 1944;
* Syracuse AAB, New York, 1 May 1944;
* Baer Field, Indiana, 6 - 27 Oct 1944;
* Finschhafen, New Guinea, Nov 1944;
* Biak, New Guinea, Jan 1945;
* Dulag, Leyte, 19 Mar 1945;
* Okinawa, 25 Aug 1945;
* Yokota AB, Japan, Sep 1945-15 Jan 1946;
* Albrook AFB, Canal Zone, 27 Oct 1949-19 Feb 1952;
* Sewart AFB, Tennessee, 14 Mar-16 Dec 1952;
* Langley AFB, Virginia, 15 Oct 1969-8 Mar 1971;
* Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina, 1 Feb 1972;
* Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, 15 Jun 1978-15 May 1996;
* Nellis AFB, Nevada, 3 Feb 2003-

Commanders

* Capt Alfred H. Catozzi, 24 Mar 1942 - unknown;
* Maj Oliver R. Salmela, by Mar 1944;
* Maj Joe L. Moody, c. 1 May 1944;
* Maj Travis M. Allison, 29 Jan 1945;
* 1st Lt William J. Smith, 4 Dec 1945 - c. 15 Jan 1946;
* Unknown, 27 Oct 1949 - 19 Feb 1952;
* Maj A. P. Lovelady, 14 Mar 1952;
* Maj James W. Farr, by 30 Sep - 16 Dec 1952;
* Lt Col William H. Lyle Jr., 15 Oct 1969 - Aug 1970;
* none (not manned), Sep 1970 - 8 Mar 1971;
* Lt Col Theodore R. Buck, 1 Feb 1972;
* Lt Col James H. Bennington, May 1972;
* Lt Col Richard W. Hedge, by Dec 1974;
* Lt Col Barton J. Pfautz, 11 Jul 1977;
* Lt Col Richard F. Mulick, 15 Jun 1978;
* Lt Col Tristam M. Hardy, 8 Sep 1979;
* Lt Col William H. Stice, 30 Mar 1981;
* Lt Col Stig Egede-Nissen, 16 Jun 1983;
* Lt Col Lee A. Bauer, 8 Jun 1985;
* Lt Col George A. Stewart, 13 Feb 1986;
* Lt Col Gary W. Davis, 12 Feb 1988;
* Lt Col Kenneth S. Morefield, 14 May 1990;
* Lt Col Armando A. Hernandez, 26 Mar 1991 (temporary);
* Lt Col Kenneth S. Morefield, 2 May 1991;
* Lt Col Marin P. Jubelt, 7 Jul 1992;
* Lt Col James J. Geery, 6 Dec 1994-15 May 1996.

Aircraft

* None (ferried aircraft), 1942-1944;
* C-46, 1944-1945;
* C-47, 1944, 1945;
* H-5, 1949-1952;
* H-19, 1952;
* EC-121, 1969-1970;
* EC/C-135, 1972-1996.

Operations

* Ferried aircraft to combat theaters and to Brazil under the lend-lease program, Mar 1942-Mar 1944;
* Aerial transportation in Southwestern and Western Pacific, Nov 1944-Sep 1945;
* Logistical and supply support to installations in Panama and Latin America, Oct 1949-Feb 1952;
* Airborne command post for tactical deployments worldwide, Feb 1972-May 1996;
* Deployed personnel and equipment to Spain and airfield personnel and equipment into Saudi Arabia, Aug 1990-c. Mar 1991.

* Service Streamers: World War II American Theater

* Campaign Streamers: World War II:
** Air Offensive: Japan; New Guinea; Western Pacific; Leyte; Luzon; Southern Philippines; Ryukyus;
** Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia;
** Liberation and Defense of Kuwait.

* Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers: None

*Decorations:
**Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards:
*** 1 Feb 1972-1 Jun 1973;
*** 16 Sep 1973-15 Apr 1974;
*** 1 Jan-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;
*** 1 Apr 1992-31 Mar 1994;
*** 1 Jun 1994-15 May 1996.
**Philippine Presidential Unit Citation (WWII).

Emblem

*Approved on 30 May 1973.
*Lineage, Assignments, Components, Stations, and Honors through 29 May 2003.
*Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through 15 May 1996.

References

*This article contains information that originally came from a U.S. Government website, in the public domain from http://www.maxwell.af.mil/au/afhra/wwwroot/rso/squadrons_flights_pages/0008wps.php