513th Air Control Group

513th Air Control Group

513th Air Control Group - Boeing E-3C Sentry 82-0007
Active 1944-1946; 1948-1949; 1955-1957; 1957-1958; 1966-1992; 1996-present
Country  United States
Branch  United States Air Force
Type Group
Role Air Control
Part of   Air Force Reserve Command
Garrison/HQ Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma
Motto Subsidia Ferimus Latin We Fly Men and Materiel (1955-1988)
Commanders
Current
commander
Col. David Robertson
Insignia
513th Air Control Group emblem (Approved 24 October 1988)[1]
513th Troop Carrier Wing emblem(Approved 3 April 1957 for group, 8 April 1958 for wing)[2]
Unofficial 3d Combat Cargo Group emblem
Tail Code OK
Aircraft flown
Electronic
warfare
E-3 Sentry

The 513th Air Control Group is an Air Reserve Component unit of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the Tenth Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, and is stationed at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma.

The 513th is an associate unit of the 552d Air Control Wing, Air Combat Command and if mobilized, the group is gained by ACC.

Its World War II predecessor, the 3d Combat Cargo Group was a United States Army Air Forces combat organization. It served primarily in the China Burma India Theater and Pacific Ocean Theater of World War II. In 1948, the group was redesignated as the 513th Troop Carrier Group.

Overview

In March 1996 the United States Air Force re-activated the 513th Air Control Group as an Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) Reserve associate unit executing the command and control mission in concert with active-duty Airmen. The 513th partners with its active-duty counterpart, the 552d Air Control Wing.

The 513th mission is to provide theater and Air Force commanders with trained aircrews and maintenance personnel and systems for airborne surveillance, warning and control of U.S. and allied military aviation assets.

The 513th's subordinate units include the 970th Airborne Air Control Squadron, the 513th Operations Support Squadron, the 513th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and the 513th Maintenance Squadron.

History

An E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control system aircraft breaks away from a Mississippi Air National Guard KC-135 Stratotanker during a presidential support mission to Argentina

Constituted and activated in India in 1944. Supported ground forces during the battle for northern Burma and the subsequent Allied drive southward. Flew Allied troops and materiel to the front, transporting gasoline, oil, vehicles, engineering and signal equipment, and other items that the group either landed or dropped in Burma. Also evacuated wounded personnel to India. Moved to Burma in June 1945. After the liberation of Burma, the group hauled critical supplies such as gasoline to China. From late 1945, it continued airlift missions as needed in China until April 1946 when inactivated.

Redesignated 513th Troop Carrier Group (Special). Activated in Germany on 19 November 1948. Assigned to United States Air Forces in Europe. Using C-54's, transported food, coal, and other supplies during the Berlin airlift, Operation Vittles. Inactivated in Germany in October 1949.

Activated in the US on 8 November 1955. Assigned to Tactical Air Command and equipped with C-123 aircraft. From November 1955 to November 1958, participated in numerous tactical exercises and operations, including troop drops and airlift in support of construction of the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line stations in the American Arctic.

An E-3 Sentry lands here on the Tinker runway on 23 March 2007, after completing one of the many missions done by the aircraft since its arrival at Tinker 30 years ago

From April 1966 to January 1976, provided intra-theater airlift in support of US Air Forces in Europe, European Command, and North Atlantic Treaty Organization operations and exercises, using C-130s and crews rotating to Europe from Tactical Air Command and Military Airlift Command wings based in the United States and C-124s and crews from Air Force Reserve groups. Maintained and operated EC-135s as an airborne command post and acted as host organization for American units at RAF Mildenhall to February 1992. In addition, the group collected samples from the atmosphere for the purpose of detecting and identifying nuclear explosions.

Beginning March 1996, trained to fulfill an air control mission through the use of airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft. Took part in worldwide contingency operations and counter-drug missions. From March 1996 to April 1997, the 513th Air Control Group was assigned to the U.S. Air Force Reserve's 507th Air Refueling Wing. In 1997, the 513th was transferred to the active duty 552nd Air Control Wing. Despite this transfer, the 513th remained a part of the Air Force Reserve. It is currently the only reserve unit to fly the E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft.

The Air Force's fiscal year 2015 budget request called for the inactivation of the 513th and the retirement of seven E-3 Sentrys.[3] The House Armed Services Committee passed an amenedment in May 2014 to block the inactivation of the 513th and save three E-3s slated for retirement.[4]

Lineage

513th Troop Carrier Group
Activated on 5 June 1944
Redesignated 513th Troop Carrier Group on 19 September 1945
Inactivated on 15 April 1946
Inactivated on 16 October 1949
Activated on 8 November 1955
Inactivated on 8 October 1957
513th Air Control Group
Activated on 8 October 1957
Redesignated 513th Troop Carrier Wing, Assault on 1 July 1958
Inactivated on 1 December 1958
Organized on 15 April 1966
Redesignated 513th Tactical Airlift Wing on 1 July 1967
Redesignated 513th Airborne Command and Control Wing on 18 June 1987
Inactivated on 1 February 1992
Activated in the Reserve on 15 March 1996[1]

Assignments

  • Army Air Forces, India-Burma Sector, China-Burma-India Theater, 5 June 1944
Attached to Third Tactical Air Force, 5 June 1944-unkn, Tenth Air Force, c. 20 August-21 September 1944
  • Tenth Air Force, 22 September 1944
Attached to: Air Cargo Headquarters, Tenth Air Force, 1 November 1944 – 30 April 1945, North Burma Air Task Force, Tenth Air Force, 1 May – 11 June 1945
  • Army Air Forces, India-Burma Theater, 12 June 1945
Attached to: India-China Division, Air Transport Command
  • Tenth Air Force, 16 June-1 August 1945
Remained attached to India-China Division, Air Transport Command
  • Unknown (probably Army Air Forces, India-Burma Theater), 1 August - c. 1 November 1945
Remained attached to India-China Division, Air Transport Command
  • Tenth Air Force, c. 1 November 1945
  • Army Air Forces, China Theater, c. 12 November 1945 – 15 April 1946
  • 1st Airlift Task Force, 19 November 1948
Attached to 61st Troop Carrier Wing, 19 November 1948, Airlift Wing [Provisional], 26 November 1948, 7497 Airlift Wing, 20 January – 9 July 1949, 61st Troop Carrier Wing, 10 July 1949

Attached to 61st Troop Carrier Wing
Attached to 314th Troop Carrier Wing
Attached to 314th Troop Carrier Wing
  • 839th Air Division, 8 October 1957 – 1 December 1958
  • United States Air Forces in Europe, 6 April 1966
Attached to 322d Air Division after 15 April 1966
Attached to 322d Air Division
  • United States Air Forces in Europe, 1 July 1967
Attached to 322d Air Division
  • Third Air Force, 1 November 1968 – 1 February 1992
Attached to 322d Air Division until 24 December 1968

Components

Aircraft

Stations

See also

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 Haulman, Daniel L. (January 2, 2008). "Factsheet 513 Air Control Group (AFRC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  2. Ravenstein, pp. 279-291
  3. Quinlan, Jon (12 March 2014). "Only reserve AWACS unit to inactivate if FY15 DOD budget approved". www.dvidshub.net (USAF). Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  4. Jordan, Bryant (7 May 2014). "House Panel Protects A-10, Pulls BRAC from Budget". Military.com. Retrieved 8 May 2014.

Bibliography

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

External links

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