390th Electronic Combat Squadron

390th Electronic Combat Squadron
EA-18G Growler at NAS Whidbey Island
Active1943–1946; 1953–1959; 1962–1982; 1982–present
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
RoleElectronic Combat
Part ofAir Combat Command
  • Fifteenth Air Force
    • 366th Fighter Wing
      • 366th Operations Group
Garrison/HQNaval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington
Nickname(s)Wild Boars
Blue Boar (Vietnam)
Engagements
World War II – EAME Theater

Vietnam War

Armed Forces Expeditionary
Gulf War (Southwest Asia)
Decorations
Distinguished Unit Citation
Presidential Unit Citation

Air Force Meritorious Unit Award

Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" device
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award

Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm
Belgian Fourragère
Commanders
Current
commander		Lt Col Jesse Vanasse [citation needed]
Notable
commanders		Lt Col Hoyt S. Vandenberg Jr. 6 January 1967
Lt Col Larry D. New 17 Jun 1992
Lt Col Frank Gorenc 22 Jan 1996
Insignia
390th Fighter Squadron emblem (modified 18 November 1993)[1]
390th Fighter-Bomber Squadron emblem (approved 6 October 1955)[2]
Military unit

The 390th Electronic Combat Squadron (390 ECS) is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 366th Fighter Wing at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho and stationed at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington.

The 390th was constituted on 24 May 1943 as the 390th Fighter Squadron and assigned to the 366 Fighter Group. On 17 December 1943 the unit was moved to Membury England and began combat operations in the European Theater. Since this time the unit has flown over ten different aircraft including the F-51, F-86, F-4, F-111 and the F-15. In the late 90s the USAF retired its aging fleet of EF-111A's leaving the Air Force without a dedicated EA platform. While the Air Force's EA platform may have disappeared the need for electronic attack has not. Due to this fact, in 1995, the Office of the Secretary of Defense arranged an agreement with the Navy embedding USAF electronic warfare airmen in Navy EA-6B and now EA-18G squadrons. Currently, The 390th provides logistical expertise and personnel to operate the EA-18G Growler in support of the Joint Airborne Electronic Attack Program.

Mission

390 ECS's mission is to man and deploy the Expeditionary EA-18G Growler squadrons in accordance with the Joint Airborne Electronic Attack program.

History

World War II

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

Vietnam

390th Tactical Fighter Squadron F-4Cs flying over Vietnam, late 1965.

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

Electronic Warfare

EF-111A Raven in flight

The squadron conducted replacement training from, 1 July 1974 – c. 18 August 1976. It trained EF-111A 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 September 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.[3]

Operations

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

  • 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

Deployed to Aviano Air Base, Italy, 25 December 1955 – c. 14 June 1956
Deployed to Taegu Air Base, South Korea 19 August – 16 September 1976, NAS Keflavik, Iceland 19 January 2006 – 20 April 2006

Aircraft

Campaign streamers

World War II:

  • Air Offensive, Europe
  • Normandy
  • Northern France
  • Rhineland
  • Ardennes-Alsace
  • Central Europe
  • Air Combat, EAME Theater

Vietnam:

  • Vietnam Defensive
  • Vietnam Air
  • Vietnam Air Offensive
  • Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase II
  • Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase III
  • Vietnam Air/Ground
  • Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase IV
  • TET 69/Counteroffensive
  • Vietnam Summer-Fall, 1969
  • Vietnam Winter-Spring, 1970
  • Sanctuary Counteroffensive
  • Southwest Monsoon
  • Commando Hunt V
  • Commando Hunt VI
  • Commando Hunt VII
  • Vietnam Ceasefire

Southwest Asia:

  • Defense of Saudi Arabia
  • Liberation and Defense of Kuwait
  • Ceasefire

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers:

  • Panama, 1989–1990.

Decorations

Distinguished Unit Citation:

  1. Normandy, 11 July 1944

Presidential Unit Citations (Southeast Asia):

  1. 23 Apr–1 Aug 1967
  2. 1 Apr–26 Jun 1972

Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards with Combat "V" Device:

  1. 1 May 1966 – 31 Mar 1967
  2. 1 Apr 1967 – 31 Mar 1968
  3. 1 Apr 1968 – 31 Jul 1969
  4. 1 Aug 1969 – 1 Aug 1970
  5. 2 Aug 1970 – 31 Mar 1972

Meritorious Unit Award:

  1. 1 Jan 2007 – 31 May 2008.

Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards:

  1. 1 May 1964 – 30 Apr 1966;
  2. 17 Apr 1974 – 15 Apr 1976;
  3. 16 Apr 1976 – 27 Mar 1978;
  4. 18 Aug–16 Sep 1976;
  5. 1 Apr 1983 – 31 Mar 1985;
  6. 1 Mar 1989 – 28 Feb 1991;
  7. 1 Mar 1992 – 28 Feb 1994;
  8. 1 Jun 1996 – 31 May 1998;
  9. 1 Jun 1999 – 31 May 2001;
  10. 1 Jun 2001 – 31 May 2002;
  11. 1 Jun 2003 – 31 May 2005;
  12. 1 Jun 2005 – 31 May 2006;
  13. 1 Jun 2011 – 31 May 2012.

Cited in the Orders of the Day, Belgian Army:

  1. 6 Jun–30 Sep 1944;
  2. 1 Oct–17 Dec 1944;
  3. 18 Dec 1944 – 25 Jan 1945.

Belgian Fourragere. Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm:

  1. 1 May 1966 – 30 Jun 1972.

Previous commanders

  • Capt Harold N. Holt, 1 June 1943
  • Capt Clure E. Smith, 14 May 1944
  • Capt Maurice L. Martin, 2 October 1944
  • Capt Lowell B. Smith, 1 Feb – c. 20 Apr 1945
  • unknown, 21 Apr 1945 – 20 Aug 1946
  • Maj John W. Saxton, c. 1 Jan 1953-unknown
  • Lt Col Harold E. Comstock, c. Jun 1954-unknown
  • Maj Joseph S. Michalowski, unknown – 14 Aug 1957
  • Maj Fred H. Henderson, 14 August 1957
  • Lt Col Frank J. McGuinness, 9 Sep 1958 – 1 Apr 1959
  • unknown, 8 May – 15 Jul 1962
  • Lt Col Raymond L. Hurley, 16 July 1962
  • Lt Col Jack Bellamy, 29 June 1964
  • Lt Col Douglas H. Frost, Jul 1966
  • Lt Col Hoyt S. Vandenberg Jr., 6 January 1967
  • Lt Col Hervey S. Stockman, 19 May 1967
  • Lt Col Clement D. Billingslea, 11 June 1967
  • Lt Col Fred A. Haeffner, 20 June 1967
  • Lt Col Wayne T. Elder, 23 November 1967
  • Lt Col John S. Stoer, 19 May 1968
  • Lt Col Cecil G. Foster, 29 July 1968
  • Lt Col Robert S. McCormick, 7 June 1969
  • Lt Col Garold R. Beck, 19 June 1969
  • Lt Col John E. Cadou, 27 March 1970
  • Lt Col Robert B. Watson, 8 December 1970
  • Lt Col Delbert H. Jacobs, 22 April 1971
  • Lt Col Walter E. Bjorneby, 18 December 1971
  • Lt Col Gene E. Taft, 6 May-c. 14 June 1972
  • none (not manned), 15–29 Jun 1972
  • Lt Col Robert B. Coburn, 30 June 1972
  • Lt Col Ronald G. Strack, 18 June 1973
  • Lt Col David H. Reiner, 13 December 1974
  • Lt Col John A. Dramesi, 1 May 1975
  • Lt Col James C. Sharp, 12 April 1976
  • Lt Col Brian R. Williams, 16 May 1977
  • Lt Col Joe G. Cabuk Jr., 10 May 1979
  • Lt Col Samuel L. Harris, 9 Jan 1981 – 1 Oct 1982
  • Lt Col Herbert T. Pickering Jr., 15 December 1982
  • Lt Col Robert J. Osterloh, 24 June 1983
  • Lt Col William R. Teske, 7 June 1985
  • Lt Col Richard M. Meeboer, 22 June 1987
  • Lt Col Dennis Hardziej, 1 June 1989
  • Lt Col Kenneth J. Muldowney, 7 June 1991
  • Lt Col Larry D. New, 17 June 1992
  • Lt Col Peter J. Bunce, 24 March 1994
  • Lt Col Frank Gorenc, 22 January 1996
  • Lt Col Mitch R. Fryt, 25 July 1997
  • Lt Col Eric M. O’Connell, 16 July 1999
  • Lt Col James P. Molloy, 9 March 2001
  • Lt Col David A. Slade, 7 March 2003
  • Lt Col Jeffrey W. Prichard, 25 March 2005
  • Lt Col David L. Cool, 20 November 2006
  • Lt Col James E. Stratton, 25 October 2008
  • Lt Col Donald K. McFatridge, 27 September 2010
  • Lt Col Karl Fischbach, May 2011
  • Lt Col Don Keen, May 2013
  • Lt Col Allen A. Geist, 20 May 2015
  • Lt Col Jeffery S. Kassebaum, May 2017
  • Lt Col David C. Davidson, June 2021

References

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Haulman, Daniel L. (17 April 2017). "Factsheet 390 Electronic Combat Squadron (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  2. ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 479–480
  3. ^ a b Lott, A1C Malissa (11 August 2014). "EA-18G officially the combat aircraft flown by 390th ECS". Air Combat Command Public Affairs. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ Wolff, Jeremy D. (17 October 2017). "USAF's first electronic attack fighter pilots [Image 2 of 4]". DVIDS. Retrieved 30 July 2022.

Bibliography

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

External links

  • 366th Operations Group Fact Sheet
  • Naval Air Station Whidbey Island Web Page – 390th Electronic Combat Squadron
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