| Unit Name: | 18th Airborne Command and Control Squadron |
| Dates: | 1 February 1942 – 31 July 1945 8 July 1953 – 8 April 1969 10 February 2023 – present |
| Role: | Electronic Warfare |
| Size: | Squadron |
| Garrison: | Robins Air Force Base |
| Equipment: | Bombardier E-11A |
| Decorations: | Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award |
| Identification Symbol Label: | Patch with 28th Military Airlift Squadron emblem |
| Identification Symbol 2 Label: | Patch with 28th Logistics Support Squadron emblem |
| Identification Symbol 3 Label: | 28th Troop Carrier Squadron[1] [2] |
The 18th Airborne Command and Control Squadron (18th ACCS) is an active United States Air Force unit operating the Bombardier E-11A BACN aircraft. Assigned to the 319th Reconnaissance Wing at Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota, the 18th ACCS is based at Robins AFB, Georgia, since being activated in February 2023. The 18th ACCS gets its lineage from the 28th Transport Squadron and the 28th Logistic Support Squadron, which were both consolidated into the 18th Airborne Command and Control Squadron in 1985.
Established as the 28th Transport Squadron (Mail & Cargo) on 1 February 1942 at Daniel Field, Georgia. The squadron was equipped with Douglas C-47 Skytrain transports as one of the original four squadrons of the 89th Transport Group.[3] The 89th group provided transition training for transport pilots.[3] However, a little more than three months later, the squadron was reassigned to the 60th Transport Group at Westover Field, Massachusetts, and redesignated as the 28th Transport Squadron.[2] The 60th group at Westover was preparing for shipment overseas, and the squadron trained and trained for combat resupply and casualty evacuation missions. Was ordered deployed to England, assigned to Eighth Air Force in June 1942. Assigned fuselage code 3D, the unit was redesignated as the 28th Troop Carrier Squadron on 4 July 1942. Performed intro-theater transport flights of personnel, supply and equipment within England during summer and fall of 1942, reassigned to Twelfth Air Force after Operation Torch invasion of North Africa in November 1942, transporting paratroopers to Oran, Algeria during the early hours of Operation Torch.[4]
In combat, performed resupply and evacuation missions across Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia during North African Campaign. During June 1943, the unit began training with gliders in preparation for Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily. It towed gliders to Syracuse, Sicily and dropped paratroopers at Catania during the operation. After moving to Sicily, the squadron airdropped supplies to escaped prisoners of war in Northern Italy in October.[4]
The unit provided support for partisans operating in the Balkans. Its unarmed aircraft flew at night over uncharted territory, landing at small unprepared airfields to provide guns, ammunition, clothing, medical supplies, gasoline, and mail to the partisans. It even carried jeeps and mules as cargo. On return trips it evacuated wounded partisans, evadees and escaped prisoners. These operations earned the squadron the Distinguished Unit Citation. It also dropped paratroopers at Megava, Greece in October 1944 and propaganda leaflets in the Balkans in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations until end of combat in Europe, May 1945.[4]
After hostilities ended, was transferred to Waller Field, Trinidad attached to the Air Transport Command Transported personnel and equipment from Brazil to South Florida along the South Atlantic Air Transport Route.[4] Squadron picked up personnel and equipment in Brazil or bases in Northern South America with final destination being Miami, Boca Raton Army Airfield or Morrison Fields in South Florida. Inactivated at the end of July 1945.[2]
The 28th Logistic Support Squadron was activated at Hill Air Force Base,[5] Utah and equipped with Douglas C-124 Globemaster IIs in July 1953. Its mission was to provide worldwide airlift of special weapons and related equipment, with a secondary mission to airlift other Department of Defense cargo as required when space was available.[6]
In 1955, Air Materiel Command organized the 3079th Aviation Depot Wing to exercise command jurisdiction over all its logistic support squadrons.[7] Previously, the 7th, 19th and 28th Logistic Support Squadrons had been assigned to separate air materiel areas. The 3097th wing also commanded aviation depot groups[7] responsible for the storage and maintenance of special weapons.
In 1962, the squadron was transferred to Military Air Transport Service (MATS)'s 1501st Air Transport Wing at Travis Air Force Base, California. It was redesignated the 28th Air Transport Squadron, but remained at Hill with the same mission (as indicated by the "Special" added to its designation). When MATS became Military Airlift Command in 1966, the squadron was renamed the 28th Military Airlift Squadron and its headquarters, now the 60th Military Airlift Wing, remained at Travis.[8] In 1967, the 60th wing retired its C-124s and the squadron was reassigned to the 62d Military Airlift Wing, which now had the global special weapons airlift support mission.[9] The squadron was inactivated in the spring of 1969.
The 18th Airborne Command and Control Squadron was activated at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, on 10 February 2023 and assigned to the 319th Reconnaissance Wing at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota.[10] The squadron received its first Bombardier E-11A BACN on 24 April 2023 and will be fully operational by FY2027.[11] [12]
Activated on 1 February 1942
Redesignated 28th Transport Squadron on 19 May 1942
Redesignated 28th Troop Carrier Squadron 4 July 1942
Inactivated on 31 July 1945[13]
Activated on 8 July 1953[15]
Redesignated 28th Air Transport Squadron, Special on 18 January 1962
Redesignated 28th Military Airlift Squadron, Special on 8 January 1966
18th Airborne Command and Control Squadron
Activated on 10 February 2023[10]
| Campaign Streamer | Campaign | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tunisia | 14 November 1942 – 13 May 1943 | 28th Troop Carrier Squadron | |
| Sicily | 14 May 1943 – 17 August 1943 | 28th Troop Carrier Squadron | |
| Naples-Foggia | 18 August 1943 – 21 January 1944 | 28th Troop Carrier Squadron | |
| Rome-Arno | 22 January 1944 – 9 September 1944 | 28th Troop Carrier Squadron | |
| North Apennines | 10 September 1944 – 4 April 1945 | 28th Troop Carrier Squadron | |
| Po Valley | 3 April 1945 – 8 May 1945 | 28th Troop Carrier Squadron | |
| Air Combat, EAME Theater | 28 July 1942 – 11 May 1945 | 28th Troop Carrier Squadron | |