330th Combat Training Squadron

The 330th Combat Training Squadron was a United States Air Force unit assigned to the 461st Air Control Wing based at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia.

330th Combat Training Squadron
An airborne radar technician instructor with the 330th Combat Training Squadron evaluates a student during pre-flight checks on an E-8C Joint STARS at Robins AFB
Active1942–1963; 1988–1994; 2002–present
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
RoleAircrew training
Part ofAir Combat Command
Garrison/HQRobins Air Force Base
EngagementsEuropean Theater of Operations
Mediterranean Theater of Operations[1]
DecorationsDistinguished Unit Citation
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award[1]
Insignia
330th Combat Training Squadron emblem (approved 12 May 1989)[1]
330th Bombardment Squadron emblem (SAC era)
330th Bombardment Squadron emblem (World War II)[2]

Commanders of the 330th Combat Training Squadron

The commander of the 330th Combat Training Squadron is an Air Force position held by a lieutenant colonel. The 330 CTS is responsible for organizing, equipping, and ensuring the combat capability of all pipeline Airman on the E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System, in a competitive and challenging training environment.

Commander From Through Commander From Through
1 Patrick Sheets June, 1996 June, 1998 8 Mark Burnette August, 2009 April, 2011
2 Mark Giannini June, 1998 May, 2000 9 Michael Reschke April, 2011 May, 2013
3 John Dowless May, 2000 February, 2002 10 William Jackson May, 2013 April, 2015
4 Steve Barrett March, 2002 March, 2004 11 Durant April, 2015 April, 2017
5 John Hansen March, 2004 December, 2005 12 Kendra Li April, 2017 April, 2019
6 Patrick Taylor December, 2005 December, 2007 13 Sean Cullen April, 2019 Present
7 Derrick Dykes December, 2007 August, 2009

History

World War II

Established in early 1942 initially as a Consolidated B-24 Liberator reconnaissance squadron, flying antisubmarine patrols. Later trained under Third Air Force in Florida. Completed training in late 1942; deploying to European Theater of Operations as one of the initial heavy bomber squadrons assigned to VIII Bomber Command in England, September 1942.

Engaged in long-range strategic bombardment operations over Occupied Europe. Deployed to IX Bomber Command in Egypt in December 1942; operating from airfields in Libya and Tunisia. Raided enemy military and industrial targets in Italy and in the southern Balkans, including the Nazi-controlled oilfields at Ploiești, Romania, receiving a Distinguished Unit Citation for its gallantry in that raid. Also flew tactical bombing raids against Afrika Korps defensive positions in Tunisia; supporting British Eighth Army forces in their advance to Tunis, in September and October 1943.

Returned to England with disestablishment of IX Bomber Command in North Africa. From England, resumed long-range strategic bombardment raids on Occupied Europe and Nazi Germany, attacking enemy military and industrial targets as part of the United States' air offensive. The squadron was one of the most highly decorated units in the Eighth Air Force, continuing offensive attacks until the German capitulation in May 1945.

Returned to the United States in June 1945; being re-manned and re-equipped with Boeing B-29 Superfortress heavy bombers. Trained for deployment to the Central Pacific Area to carry out very long range strategic bombing raids over Japan. Japanese capitulation in August canceled plans for deployment, instead became Continental Air Command (later Strategic Air Command) B-29 squadron.

Cold War

During the Cold War, the squadron was equipped with new weapons systems as they became available, performing strategic bombardment training with the B-50 Superfortress, an advanced version of the B-29 in 1950. The B-50 gave the unit the capability to carry heavy loads of conventional weapons faster and farther as well as being designed for atomic bomb missions if necessary. By 1951, the emergence of the Soviet Mig-15 interceptor in the skies of North Korea signaled the end of the propeller-driven B-50 as a first-line strategic bomber. Received Boeing B-47 Stratojet jet bombers in 1954, and in 1955 began receiving early model of the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress. Inactivated in 1963 due to retirement of the B-52B and also budget restrictions.

Crew training

Reactivated in 1988 as the 330th Combat Flight Instructor Squadron. The squadron received aircraft from the inactivating 320th Bombardment Wing at Mather Air Force Base. In 1992 after the de activation of SAC, the 330FTS aligned under the 398th Operations Group at Castle Air Force Base, California and continued training KC-135 crew members to become flight instructor. The squadron inactivated in 1994 after the end of the Cold War and the reduction of the B-52 fleet. Reactivated in 2002 at Robins Air Force Base as an advanced training unit for the E-8 Joint STARS aircraft. Transferred to the Georgia Air National Guard when the Guard became the primary operator of the JSTARS. Returned to the regular Air Force in 2011 as the 461st Air Control Wing assumed the JSTARS mission.

Lineage
  • Constituted as the 330th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 28 January 1942
Activated on 1 March 1942
Redesignated 330th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 20 August 1943
Redesignated 330th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 23 May 1945
Redesignated 330th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 28 May 1948
Redesignated 330th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 1 February 1955
Inactivated on 15 September 1963
Redesignated as 330th Combat Flight Instructor Squadron on 5 August 1988
Activated on 24 August 1988.
Redesignated as 330th Flying Training Squadron on 1 June 1992
Inactivated on 20 January 1994
Redesignated as 330th Combat Training Squadron on 28 June 2002
Activated on 13 August 2002
Allotted to the National Guard Bureau on 1 October 2002
Relieved from allotment to the National Guard Bureau on 1 October 2011[1]

Assignments

Stations

Aircraft
  • Consolidated B-24 Liberator, 1942–1945
  • Boeing B-29 Superfortress, 1945–1949
  • Boeing B-50 Superfortress, 1949–1954
  • Boeing B-47 Stratojet, 1954–1955
  • Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, 1955–1963, 1988–1992
  • Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, 1988-1993
  • Boeing E-8 Joint STARS, 2002–present[1]

See also

References
Notes
  1. Robertson, Patsy (19 March 2017). "Factsheet 330 Combat Training Squadron (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
  2. Watkins, p. 48
  3. Station number in Anderson.

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

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