552 nd AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE SQUADRON

Transcription

1 552 nd AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE SQUADRON LINEAGE 552 nd Periodic Maintenance Squadron 552 nd Organizational Maintenance squadron 552 nd Aircraft Generation Squadron 552 nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron STATIONS McClellan AFB, CA, 15 Dec Apr 1975 Tinker AFB, OK, 1 Oct 1978 ASSIGNMENTS COMMANDERS LTC George I. Poole, #1957 LTC Brian R. Moore, #2011 LTC Kelley C. Stevens, 30 Jun 2011 COMMANDERS 20 October 2000 In a dual change of command ceremony Lt. Col. Kevin T. Betz relinquished command of the 552d Logistics Support Squadron to Major Ronald Kieklak Jr. and assumed command of the 552d Aircraft Generation Squadron from Lt. Col. Robert L. Stine. 9 Jul 2002 Lieutenant Colonel Frank R. Heinsohn assumes command of the 552d Aircraft Generation Squadron.

2 HONORS Service Streamers Campaign Streamers Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers Decorations EMBLEM On a disc Azure, a bend Argent, charged with an eagle s head to dexter Proper, detailed Sable, clutching in its beak a lightning bolt Or, fimbriated of the third, within a diminished bordure of the fourth, all within a narrow Black border. Attached below the disc, a White scroll edged with a narrow Black border and inscribed 552 AMXS in Black letters. Symbolism Ultramarine blue and Air Force yellow are the Air Force colors. Blue alludes to the sky, the primary theater of Air Force operations. Yellow refers to the sun and the excellence required of Air Force personnel. The background represents the rotodome and the pedestal on the E-3. The eagle stands for both the freedom of the United States and its citizens and the E-3 s reputation as the Eyes of the Eagle. The lightning bolt reflects the electronically equipped aircraft the Squadron supports. EMBLEM SIGNIFICANCE MOTTO NICKNAME OPERATIONS In the Fall of 1978, internal organizational realignment highlighted activities with the inactivation of the 552 CAMS and the activation of the 552d Component Repair Squadron (CRS) and the 552d Aircraft Generation Squadron (AGS). 552nd Organizational Maint Sq: activated 1 Oct 60 at McClellan AFB, CA, assigned to the 552nd AEWFC Wg; inactivated 1 Apr nd Periodic Maint Sq: activated 18 Dec 54 at McClellan AFB, CA, assigned to the 8th AD; transferred to the 552nd AEWFC Wg 8 Jul 55; discontinued 1 Oct 60 thru redesignation as the 552nd Organizational Maintenance Squadron.

3 After a 16-month hiatus and awaiting the results of the 952d AGS test, the 552d AGS again activated. On 1 December 1995, the 952 AGS test activated and on 16 September 1997 inactivated. On 29 May 1992, the 552 AGS redesignated as the 552d Maintenance Squadron and officially inactivated on 1 May At the ceremony on 16 September 1997, the 552 MS again activated and redesignated as the 552 AGS. Major Richard A. Lane took command until 26 November 1997, when Lieutenant Colonel Barbara F. Reynolds replaced him as commander. December nd Electronic Maintenance and Periodic Maintenance Squadrons Assigned. November rd Field Maintenance Sq. activated and joins the 552nd. October rd FM redesignated 552nd FM Sq. October nd PM redesignated 552nd OM Sq. The following year, in December 1954, a handful of airmen and officers were transferred to Otis AFB, Mass., where the 551st AEW&C Wing was activated. In January 1955, only a few weeks after the activation of the permanent wing at Otis AFB, a provisional (552nd) AEW&C Wing was established at McClellan AFB. Immediately two maintenance squadrons were activated, 552nd Electronic Maintenance and 552nd Periodic Maintenance (redesignated the 552nd Organizational Maintenance on I October 1960). The 4703rd Field Maintenance was redesignated 552nd Field Maintenance Squadron on I October Sep The 952d Aircraft Generation Squadron provisional was inactivated. At the same ceremony the 552d Maintenance Squadron was again activated and redesignated as the 552d Aircraft Generation Squadron. 15 Jul 2002 (U) The 552 ACW fell in line with Air Force Chief-of-Staff, General John P. Jumper s wishes to transform the Air Force so its missions would align with wing-level organization. The reorganization provides logical division of responsibilities allowing commanders to focus their attention on areas needing improvement within their scope of responsibility. Maintenance was the biggest benefactor of the reorganization. The 552d Logistic Group was re-named 552d Maintenance Group (MG). The change made Colonel Leonard Benson the first MG commander. In addition the 552d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 552d Component Repair Squadron, and the 552d Logistics Support Squadron are now changed to 552d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 552d Component Maintenance Squadron and the 552d Maintenance Operations Squadron respectively. Other than re-naming, the effects of the realignment are transparent to wing members. The

4 realignment was completed three months ahead of schedule. January 2004 The 552d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron received Air Combat Command s Maintenance Effectiveness Award for the fourth consecutive year. The wing flew 23,400 flying hours without a mishap over the course of 2,600 sorties. Seventeen aircraft were deployed at any given time during the height of OIF and OEF. The increased tempo required a large contingent of deployed maintainers to keep them flying. Meanwhile, maintainers at home station labored long hours in support of the E-3s tasked for the ongoing ONE mission. Other accomplishments setting the squadron apart from similar units included achieving a mission capability rate 10 percent above the ACC standard. The squadron also supported five contingencies and 14 combat exercises, achieved a 100 percent on-time takeoff rate, managed a 200 percent increase in home station aircraft, and tripled CONUS sorties while supporting aircraft in three areas of responsibility. March 2004 The 552d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron converted its flights to Aircraft Maintenance Units (AMU). An AMU is an organization with an established number of aircraft and maintenance and support personnel assigned to it. According to Air Force Instruction , there was normally one AMU for each assigned operations squadron. The wing had four operational flying squadrons, but due to the E-3 Sentry being a low density, high demand platform, the wing only had the resources to support three AMUs. The AMUs were named, Red, White, and Blue.

5 Air Force Order of Battle Created: 19 Nov 2010 Updated: Sources Unit history. 552 nd Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing