390th Electronic Combat Squadron

390th Electronic Combat Squadron
EA-18G Growler at NAS Whidbey Island
Active	1943–1946; 1953–1959; 1962–1982; 1982–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Electronic Combat
Part of	Air Combat Command Twelfth Air Force 366th Fighter Wing 366th Operations Group
Garrison/HQ	Naval Air Station Whidbey Island
Nickname(s)	Wild Boars, Blue Boar (Vietnam)
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation Presidential Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" device Belgian Fourragère Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm
Insignia
390th Electronic Combat Squadron emblem (modified 18 November 1993)[1]
390th Fighter-Bomber Squadron emblem (approved 6 October 1955)

The 390th Electronic Combat Squadron (390 ECS) is part of the 366th Fighter Wing at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. It operates EA-6B & EA-18G aircraft conducting the electronic attack mission.

History

World War II

The 390th flew combat missions in the European Theater of Operations from 14 March 1944 – 3 May 1945.^[1]

Viet Nam

The 390th flew combat missions in Southeast Asia from, c. 18 November 1965 – 14 June 1972.^[1]

Electronic Warfare

EF-111 Raven in flight

The squadron conducted replacement training from, 1 July 1974 – c. 18 August 1976. It trained EF-111 Raven aircrews in electronic countermeasures from, 15 December 1982 – 4 August 1992. The 390th again saw combat when it jammed radar sites during the invasion of Panama in December 1989, and the Gulf War from, 17 January 1991 – 6 March 1991. The 390 FS also deployed aircraft and aircrews to Turkey and Saudi Arabia from, 10 January–c. 11 September 1992.^[1]

It was redesignated the 390th Electronic Combat Squadron again on 27 Sep 2010.^[1] The squadron was located at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington and flew EA-6B Prowlers alongside VAQ-129. The last flight of the unit in the Prowler took place on 9 July 2014 as the squadron transitioned to the EA-18G Growler.^[2]

Operations

• World War II
• Vietnam War
• Operation Just Cause
• Operation Desert Storm

Lineage

• Constituted as the 390th Fighter Squadron (Single Engine) on 24 May 1943

Activated on 1 June 1943

Redesignated 390th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 20 August 1943

Inactivated on 20 August 1945

• Redesignated 390th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 15 November 1952

Activated 1 January 1953

• Redesignated 390th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 July 1958

Inactivated on 1 April 1959

Activated on 30 April 1962 (not organized)

Organized on 8 May 1962

Inactivated on 1 October 1982

• Redesignated 390th Electronic Combat Squadron on 10 December 1982

Activated on 15 December 1982

• Redesignated 390th Fighter Squadron on 11 September 1992
• Redesignated 390th Electronic Combat Squadron on 27 September 2010^[1]

Assignments

366th Fighter Group: 1 June 1943 – 20 August 1946 366th Fighter-Bomber Group: 1 January 1953 (attached to 21st Fighter-Bomber Wing 25 December 1955 - c. 14 June 1956) 366th Fighter-Bomber Wing (later 366th Tactical Fighter Wing): 25 September 1957 - 1 April 1959 United States Air Forces in Europe: 30 April 1962 (not organized) 366th Tactical Fighter Wing: 8 May 1962 6252d Tactical Fighter Wing: 29 October 1965

35th Tactical Fighter Wing: 8 April 1966 366th Tactical Fighter Wing: 10 October 1966 347th Tactical Fighter Wing: 30 June 1972 366th Tactical Fighter Wing (later 366th Fighter Wing: 31 October 1972 –1 October 1982 (attached Detachment 1, Hq, 366th Tactical Fighter Wing 19 August 1976 -16 September 1976) 366th Fighter Wing: 15 December 1982 – present)[1]

Stations

Richmond Army Air Base, Virginia, 1 June 1943 Bluethenthal Field, North Carolina, 9 August 1943 Richmond Army Air Base, Virginia, 6 November 1943 - 17 December 1943 RAF Membury, England, 10 January 1944 RAF Thruxton, England, 1 March 1944 Saint-Pierre-du-Mont Airfield, France, 20 June 1944 Dreux - Vernouillet Airport, France, 25 August 1944 Laon-Couvron Air Base, France, 8 September 1944 Asch Airfield, Belgium, 26 November 1944 Münster-Handorf Airfield, Germany, 14 April 1945 Bayreuth-Bindlach Airfield, Germany, 28 June 1945

Fritzlar Air Base, Germany, 14 September 1945 – 20 August 1946 England Air Force Base, Louisiana, 1 January 1953 – 1 April 1959 Deployed to Aviano Air Base, Italy, 25 December 1955 - c. 14 June 1956 Chambley-Bussieres Air Base, France, 30 April 1962 Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, 12 June 1963 Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam, 29 October 1965 (deployed to Clark Air Base, Philippines until c. 17 November 1965) Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, 30 June 1972 – 1 October 1982 Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, 15 December 1982 Deployed to Taegu Air Base, South Korea 19 August – 16 September 1976, NAS Keflavik, Iceland 19 January 2006 – 20 April 2006 Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington, 27 September 2010 – present[1]

Aircraft

• P-47 Thunderbolt (1943–1946)
• P-51 Mustang (1953)
• F-86 Sabre (1953–1955)
• F-84 Thunderjet (1954–1958, 1962–1965)
• F-100 Super Sabre (1957–1959)
• F-4 Phantom II (1965–1972)
• F-111F model then F-111A model Aardvark (1972–1982)
• EF-111A Raven (1982–1992)
• F-15C/D (1992–2010)
• EA-6B Prowler (2010-2014)
• EA-18G Growler (2014-)^[1]

See also

References

Notes

1. Robertson, Patsy (2010-12-15). "Factsheet 390 Electronic Combat Squadron (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
2. Lott, A1C Malissa (2014-08-11). "EA-18G officially the combat aircraft flown by 390th ECS". Air Combat Command Public Affairs. Retrieved August 14, 2014.

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

External links

• 366th Operations Group Fact Sheet