1st Air and Space Test Squadron

1st Air and Space Test Squadron
1st Air and Space Test Squadron emblem
Active	2006–Present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Part of	Air Force Space Command
Garrison/HQ	Vandenberg AFB
Motto	First Into The Future
Decorations	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award

The 1st Air and Space Test Squadron is a unit of the 30th Space Wing of the United States Air Force, responsible for spacelift and test operations.

The squadron's operations include launching of the Minotaur I and Minotaur IV and Pegasus rockets; as well as testing the Boeing Interceptor and Minotaur II target vehicles.

Mission

The squadron's mission is to provide complete service launch and test operations for current and future space launch vehicles, targets, interceptors and experimental space systems.

History

World War II

File:1st Reconnaissance Squadron (World War II).png

Emblem of 1st Mapping Squadron

The squadron was established by Headquarters, United States Army Air Corps in early 1940 as the 1st Photographic Squadron. It performed aerial mapping primarily over the northeastern United States prior to the Pearl Harbor Attack using obsolescent cargo and Martin B-10 bombers as aerial platforms. After the United States entry into World War II, equipped with Lockheed A-29 Hudsons, Beech C-45 Expeditors and Douglas A-20 Havocs (all in photographic reconnaissance configuration) and performed aerial photography and mapping in uncharted areas of Newfoundland, Labrador and Greenland for development of Northeast Transport Route for the movement of aircraft, personnel and supplies across the North Atlantic from the United States to Iceland and the United Kingdom.

The squadron re-equipped with long-range Consolidated B-24 Liberator reconnaissance aircraft and deployed to Alaska in late 1943, assisting in the establishment of landing fields in the Aleutian Islands; also to map uncharted areas of internal Alaska to establish Lend Lease aircraft emergency landing fields over trans-Alaska route from Ladd Field and Elmendorf Field to Nome.

B-29 (operated by squadron 1944-1947)

The squadron was relieved from assignment in Alaska and returned to Continental United States. It deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations across the South Atlantic Transport Route to North Africa in early 1944. It performed aerial surveys and mapping over Sicily; Italy and along the North African Coast and Middle East with B-24s and some Boeing B-17Fs converted to F-9 reconnaissance configuration over non-combat areas. It then deployed to India and China; performing unarmed long-range mapping of remote areas of the China-Burma-India Theater over combat areas in support of ground forces and strategic target identification over Indochina and the Malay Peninsula for follow-up raids by XX Bomber Command operating from India.

The unit returned to the United States in late 1944. It was equipped with very long range Boeing B-29 Superfortresses converted to F-13A reconnaissance configuration. It deployed to the Central Pacific Area and was assigned to Eighth Air Force in the Pacific Theater after the Japanese Capitulation. The squadron remained in the Western Pacific performing reconnaissance mapping flights over Japan, Korea and China. B-29s returned to the United States in early 1946 for storage or reassignment; unit largely demobilized on Okinawa, flying some light liaison and courier aircraft. It was inactivated in early 1947 and disbanded on 8 October 1948.

Test Operations in the Pacific

File:HH-3E 31st ARRS with BQM-34 1984.JPEG

BQM-34 Firebee being returned to Wallace AFS

The squadron replaced the 6400th Test Squadron, which had been organized in 1967, in 1969. It conducted weapons system evaluation, known as COMBAT SAGE, of F-4 aircraft, of F-15 aircraft from 1980, and of F-16 aircraft from 1982, until shortly before inactivation. It also trained visiting aircrews from other Pacific Air Forces units in weapons employment and tactics.

Lineage

1st Photographic Squadron (later 1st Reconnaissance Squadron)

• Constituted 1st Photographic Squadron on 22 December 1939.

Activated on 1 February 1940

Redesignated 1st Mapping Squadron on 13 January 1942

Redesignated 1st Photographic Mapping Squadron on 9 June 1942

Redesignated 1st Photographic Charting Squadron on 11 August 1943

Redesignated 1st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, Very Heavy on 10 November 1944

Redesignated 1st Reconnaissance Squadron, Very Long Range, Photographic-RCM on 4 October 1945

Redesignated 1st Reconnaissance Squadron, Very Long Range, Photographic on 13 November 1945

Inactivated on 10 March 1947

• Disbanded on 8 October 1948
• Reconstituted, and consolidated with the 1st Test Squadronon 19 September 1985 as the 1st Test Squadron

1st Test Squadron (later 1st Air and Space Test Squadron)

• Constituted as 1st Test Squadron on 12 September 1969

Activated on 15 October 1969

Consolidated with the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron on 19 September 1985

Inactivated on 30 October 1991

• Redesignated 1st Air and Space Test Squadron on 28 October 2003

Activated on 1 December 2003

Assignments

• Office of Chief of Air Corps, 1 February 1940
• 1st Photographic (later, 1 Mapping; 1 Photographic Charting) Group, 10 June 1941
• 11th Photographic Group, 1 December 1943
• 311th Photographic Wing, 5 October 1944
• Second Air Force, 10 November 1944 (attached to Eighth Air Force, ca. 9 September 1945
• 311th Reconnaissance Wing, 4 Oct 1945 (attached to United States Army Strategic Air Forces (Pacific) 4 October 1945, Far East Air Forces 21 November 1945, VII Bomber Command 10 December 1945, Eighth Air Force March 1946, 1st Air Division 7 June 1946

• Far East Air Forces, 3 February 1947
• Thirteenth Air Force (attached to 5th Reconnaissance Group), 11 February 1947 - 10 March 1947
• 6th Air Division, 15 October 1969
• Thirteenth Air Force 15 December 1969
• 405th Fighter Wing, 20 April 1970
• 3d Tactical Fighter Wing, 16 September 1974
• 6200d Tactical Fighter Training Group, 1 January 1980 - 30 October 1991
• 30th Launch Group, 1 December 2003 – Present

Stations

• Bolling Field, DC, 1 February 1940
• Bradley Field, CT, 5 December 1941
• MacDill Field, FL, 15 January 1944 (deployed to Accra Airfield, Gold Coast, British West Africa, 11 March 1944 - 13 October 1944)
• Smoky Hill Army Air Field, KS, 26 October 1944 - 31 July 1945

• Kadena Field, Okinawa, 9 September 1945
• Clark Field, Philippines, 11 February 1947 - 10 March 1947
• Clark AB, Philippines, 15 October 1969 - 30 October 1991
• Vandenberg AFB, CA, 1 December 2003 – Present

Aircraft

• Douglas A-20 Havoc, 1942
• Lockheed A-29 Hudson, 1941-1942
• Martin B-10, 1940
• Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, 1943-1944
• Consolidated B-24 Liberator, 1942-1945
• North American B-25 Mitchell, 1943
• Boeing B-29 Superfortress, 1944-1947
• Lockheed B-34, 1942-1945

• Fairchild C-8, 1940
• Beech C-45 Expeditor, 1940, 1946-1947
• Beech F-2 (see C-45)
• Douglas F-3 (see A-20)
• Consolidated F-7 (see B-24)
• Boeing F-9 (see B-17)
• Boeing F-13 (see B-29)
• Piper L-4, 1946
• Stinson L-5 Sentinel 1946-1947

• McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, 1969-unkn (at least until 1989)
• McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle, 1980-unkn (at least until 1989)
• General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, 1982-unkn (at least until 1989)
• Ryan BQM-34A Firebee, 1969-1989
• Raytheon MQM-107 Streaker, 1989-unkn.

Decorations

• 
• Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
• 3 April 1975 – 31 May 31, 1975
• 1 July 1976 – 30 June 30, 1977
• 1 April 1980 – 31 March 1982
• 1 July 1985 – 30 June 30, 1987
• 1 June 1988 – 1 June 1990

• 
• Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation
• 21 July 1972 – 15 August 1972

• 
• American Theater of World War II

• 
• European Theater of World War II

• 
• Pacific Theater

References

Bibliography

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

• AF Pamphlet 900-2, Unit Decorations, Awards and Campaign Participation Credits, Vol II Department of the Air Force, Washington, DC, 30 Sep 76