A CONTINUING LEGACY

The USAFSS Command Emblem Symbolizes the command mission. It consists of a shield
divided equally into quarters by a vertical and horizontal line and identifying scroll.
Significant of the command’s worldwide influence, the first quarter is blue, thereon a
green sphere with yellow land markings. Pertinent to transmission, the second quarter is
red, thereon a yellow lightning streak. Significant of the United States Air Force, the
third quarter is yellow, thereon a blue half wing. Symbolic of protection and security, the
fourth quarter is blue, thereon over a sword with point to base (hilt and pommel yellow),
a white shield, thereon a yellow flame shaded red. The emblem was approved by
Headquarters USAF in August 1952.
On a field of blue, a silver shield bearing a chesspiece is displayed over a blade of lightning,
and identifying scroll is unfurled underneath. The blue field, as the dominant color,
represents ESC’s Air Force subordination; to preserve the link with the Air Force Security
Service emblem, whose principal color was blue; and symbolizes the valor and loyalty of
the men and women of the command. The lightning blade of the sword is drawn from the
USAFSS emblem to preserve tradition and to represent the identification with electronics.
Connecting the bolt to a sword hilt suggests its transformation into a weapon, much as
the more passive mission of USAFSS evolved into the active role with which ESC is
charged. Immediate readiness of response is also embodied in the lightning bolt sword.
The silver shield has its origin in the USAFSS emblem, denoting now, as then, both
defense and the security resulting from that defense. The chesspiece--a black knight-conveys several meanings. Classic deception as embodied in the Trojan horse is suggested.
The color black takes meaning from the rule of chess that black moves second; black’s
tactics are therefore counter moves, representing ESC countermeasures missions. The
knight is a powerful chessman; he strikes from unexpected quarter, and is the only piece
able to strike while obstructed. He employs elegant rather than brute force. All these
attributes combine to symbolize C3 Countermeasures and the move/countermove nature
of electromagnetic warfare.
The emblem of the Air Force Intelligence Command is symbolic of its diverse missions.
The knight chesspiece had its origin in the ESC emblem and conveys classic deception,
as embodied in the trojan horse. It is a powerful chessman; he strikes from unexpected
quarter and is the only piece able to strike while obstructed. The shield had its origin in
the USAFSS emblem, denoting now, as then, both defense and the security resulting
from that defense. It is separated into four quadrants to symbolize the Command’s
worldwide mission of support. The double-edged sword refers to the military role of the
Air Force. It signifies the readiness of AFIC to electronics in both defensive and offensive
operations to ensure the security of the nation.
Blue and 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 globe signifies the intelligence the agency
provides to the Air Force Global Reach - Global Power Mission. The key represents
the Agency’s efforts to unlock its protagonist’s secrets. The teeth on the ward
symbolize the disciplines of intelligence gathering - SIGINT, HUMINT, IMAGERY,
and MASINT. The chess knight reflects counter-intelligence and the ability to
use intelligence information in a variety of ways. The compass rose symbolizes
intelligence operations reaching the four corners of the earth and the use of
satellite information gathering.
A CONTINUING LEGACY:
USAFSS to AIA
1948-2000
A Brief History of the
Air Intelligence Agency
and its Predecessor Organizations
By
Dr. Dennis F. Casey
and
MSgt Gabriel G. Marshall
Published by the
Air Intelligence Agency History Office
102 Hall Boulevard, Suite 112
San Antonio, TX 78243-7045
Telephone: (210) 977-2303
FAX: (210) 977-2390
CONTENTS
Preface and Acknowledgements
Foreword
Brief History
Chronology
Past Commanders
i
Preface and Acknowledgements
T
he Air Intelligence Agency’s rich and colorful heritage began nearly 52 years
ago and encompasses much of the Cold War. Indeed, the activities and many
accomplishments of the United States Air Force Security Service, later the
Electronic Security Command, and for a brief time the Air Force Intelligence
Command contributed importantly to the history of the United States during this
period which was replete with the threat of nuclear confrontation with our primary
opponent, the Soviet Union. As scholars look back on this period and try to explain
its major trends and developments, as well as its frustrations and the chasm that
separated the two super powers, the role of air intelligence will surely be seen as a
defining influence.
As the Air Intelligence Agency steps forward into the 21st century and carries out
its mission of information operations it is worth a moment to reflect on where the
command was, where it has been and what it has achieved. This publication outlines
briefly the command’s first 52 years as the Air Force’s air intelligence arm and
chronicles many of the important contributions which have provided for the
continued security of the United States. We wish to recognize the superb support
provided by the 690th Information Systems Squadron Visual Production Flight and
the Headquarters Air Intelligence Agency Public Affairs Office. To Jim Pierson and
Mary Holub and the others who endeavored tirelessly over the years to record this
exciting and important story, and to Juan Jimenez whose assistance and advice
were invaluable, we express our special thanks.
MSgt Gabriel G. Marshall
Senior Enlisted Historian
Dr. Dennis F. Casey
Chief Historian
ii
Foreword
I
n this fast-paced environment of the 21st century, driven as it often is by
seemingly constantly changing information age technologies, it is fundamentally
important to pause occasionally and reflect on where the Air Intelligence Agency
(AIA) has been. Even in the autumn of 1947, when Colonel Richard P. Klocko
began laying the groundwork for a separate Air Force organization devoted to
special information, change was everywhere. Unprecedented accuracy and speed
in communications, the unleashing of the atomic age, and the advent of a bipolar
world heralded much of this change. The Air Force Security Group established on
23 June 1948, underwent a significant metamorphosis and became the United States
Air Force Security Service (USAFSS) on 20 October 1948, before even five months
had passed. Not quite two years later USAFSS personnel found themselves headed
into a new conflict when on 25 June 1950 North Korean ground forces crossed the
38th parallel into South Korea. The Cold War had suddenly heated up.
Today’s AIA is a fused intelligence organization serving as a critical part of the air
operations arm of the United States. Its mission continues to change as it endeavors
to provide its many customers with current, readily usable and focused information
products and services. AIA’s personnel accomplish this complex mission of
information operations with a high degree of professionalism and effectiveness.
They participate directly in combat operations and capitalize upon new and
promising technologies, adapting them to current as well as perceived needs. In so
doing AIA defines and sharpens the Air Force Core Competency of information
operations. Today’s AIA warriors, backed by a rich 52-year heritage, look forward
to the challenges of the future and stand ready to defend the United States and its
people, its interests and its allies in the 21st century.
Bruce A. Wright, Major General, USAF
Commander, Air Intelligence Agency
iii
BRIEF HISTORY
USAFSS to AIA —
A Legacy More Than Half a
Century Old Continues
Origins
During WWII, intelligence, most notably signals intelligence (SIGINT) proved invaluable in helping the Allies
secure victory. The successes of the ULTRA and MAGIC
efforts in the European and Pacific theaters respectively,
undoubtedly helped shorten the war and save American lives.
The nation’s euphoria over the victory in 1945 quickly
gave way to a post WWII political climate defined by the
Cold War. A bipolar world began to emerge when a massive
Soviet Army presence in Eastern Europe threatened to
engulf the western portion of that continent and the U.S.’
principal allies under communist rule. With the country
rapidly transitioning to a post war economy and the U.S.
military machine in the midst of an even more unprecedented
demobilization effort, America’s leaders realized how
important establishing and keeping intelligence organizations intact would be to the national security future of the
United States.
To gain a true appreciation for the manner in which
intelligence operations were
conducted during the immediate post WWII years, it is
necessary to examine briefly
why the Air Intelligence
Agency’s (AIA) predecessor
organizations were established and what their
original missions entailed.
AIA beginnings can be
traced to the autumn of
1947, when then Colonel
Major General Richard P.
Richard Klocko (who would Klocko, who later commanded
later command USAFSS)
USAFSS, led early planning
transferred from the Army
efforts.
Security Service Headquarters at Arlington Hall, Va, to an office in the newly created
air staff. Once there, Klocko and others began to lay the
groundwork for establishing a new, separate air force major
command charged with the responsibility for processing and
reporting special intelligence information. The concept of a
separate air force intelligence organization, one vastly
different from the army and navy structures, quickly received
the approval of Air Force’s second Chief of Staff General Hoyt
S. Vandenberg. Within the framework of the newly
organized air staff, responsibility for intelligence matters
initially fell under the purview of the deputy chief of staff
for operations.
With the seeds for the new air intelligence
organization sowed months earlier in an office of
the ASA, AIA’s roots began to flourish with the
establishment on 23 June 1948 of the Air Force
Security Group (AFSG) in the Directorate of Intelligence at HQ USAF in Washington, D.C. As the
junior service in the new DoD structure, the AFSG
encountered many obstacles dealing with its sister
services on matters of policy concerning the
cryptologic and communications security
(COMSEC) missions of the new air force.
Other National Military
Intelligence
Reorganizations
Radio operators train at Brooks AFB in the summer of 1949.
One of the more significant intelligence reorganizations of the immediate post war period saw
President Harry S. Truman abolish the Office of
1
After three months of negotiations with the Army
Security Agency the new MAJCOM gained its first subordinate units on 1 February 1949, when the 1st Radio Squadron
Mobile (RSM) in Japan, the 2nd RSM in Germany, the 8th
RSM at Vint Hill Farms, Va, and the 136th Radio Security
Detachment at Fort Slocum, N.Y., were transferred to USAFSS
from the Army Security Agency (ASA).
The initial exposure of the USAFSS staff to the full scope
of ASA operations and missions provided valuable firsthand
experience for the newly formed USAF MAJCOM. The new
organization had an initial authorized strength of 156
personnel—34 officers, six airmen and 116 civilians.
Korea
Arlington Hall--the first home of USAFSS.
Strategic Services in September 1945. This event preceded
the January 1946 creation of the Central Intelligence Group—
the forerunner of the CIA. The establishment of the
Department of Defense in 1947 influenced significantly the
subsequent development of the nation’s air force intelligence
structure.
When elements of the communist North Korean Army
swarmed across the 38th Parallel on 25 June 1950, the
Korean peninsula was an unfamiliar region few Americans
knew existed. The entry of the U.S. forces into a United
Nations “police action,” found an understaffed (just 3,050
personnel) and somewhat untrained USAFSS in its infancy.
USAFSS tasking to support the Korean conflict saw the
Another change in the organization of the
nation’s intelligence structure took place in late
1949 when the Joint Chiefs of Staff announced
the establishment of the Armed Forces Security
Agency. Chartered with overseeing cryptologic
and COMSEC operations within the national
military establishment, ASA later became the
National Security Agency in 1952.
United States Air Force
Security Service (USAFSS)
Established
Because the air force leadership wanted the
new service to have an active role in producing
intelligence information, USAFSS was
established under the command of Colonel Roy
H. Lynn on 20 October 1948 at Arlington Hall
Station, Va. Just one year after its own birth,
the new military service now had in place a
Major Command (MAJCOM) tasked with two
important charters—to carry out a cryptologic
mission and to provide COMSEC for a
fledgling air force.
2
Operators of the 15th Radio Squadron Mobile during the Korean War.
the enemy. By early 1952, the first detachment of 33 airmen
underwent language training at Yale University and
established operations at Ehwa University outside of Seoul.
USAFSS’ performance during the Korean conflict earned the
MAJCOM a permanent place at the table of the American
intelligence community. In early 1953, USAFSS personnel
flying aboard converted 5th Air Force C-47s, began experimental airborne operations in the Far Eastern Theater. The
operation known as Project Blue Sky, used the modified C47 aircraft to relay communications to allied ground forces
on the Korean Peninsula. The USAFSS organization grew
steadily during the Korean War. As the Korean conflict
wound down, USAFSS had grown considerably and reported
an authorized strength of 17,143 airmen, officers and
civilians.
Construction of the front of Bldg. 2000--later known as
Ardisana Hall--winter 1952.
command quickly order the 1st Radio Squadron Mobile
(RSM) to alert status on 27 June 1950. By November 1950 a
detachment of the 1st RSM deployed to Korea in time to
become involved in a retreat from the rapidly advancing
North Korean Army. Not hindered by the quick evacuation, the 1st RSM contributed significantly to UN and Far
Eastern Air Forces (FEAF) operations during early 1951. The
detachment provided invaluable intelligence information on
the movements of major North Korean Army units from
Manchuria to Wonsan. The intelligence information enabled
UN air and naval units to interdict the enemy advance.
Within the air operations realm, the intelligence
furnished by a USAFSS detachment in June 1951 enabled
American F-51 and F-86 fighters to inflict heavy losses on
Headquarters Moves/
Organizational Changes
USAFSS originally began operations at Arlington Hall,
Va. With the army and navy intelligence hierarchies planted
in Washington D.C., the air staff directed that USAFSS Headquarters be relocated elsewhere. Brooks Air Force Base
surfaced as the best choice for a new home. USAFSS
Headquarters and related functions moved there in April
1949. Colonel Klocko and the USAFSS staff prepared plans
to temporarily relocate only to Brooks after Major General
Charles P. Cabell, the Air Force’s first director of intelligence,
secured funds for the construction of a headquarters for
USAFSS at Kelly AFB. Construction of a new $4,798,000
USAFSS Headquarters building at Kelly AFB began in late
summer 1951. Operations commenced at the new headquarters (Bldg. 2000) effective 1
August 1953. The move
into the newly constructed
headquarters building
took place during the first
week of August 1953.
Within USAFSS Headquarters, several organizational changes took place
in the first years of the organization. In July 1953,
the newly established Air
Force Communications Security Center at Kelly AFB
took on responsibility for
the USAFSS COMSEC
The C-130A-II--successor to the RB-50.
3
Texas, the 6926th SS (Mobile) at Clark AB and the
6911th SS (Mobile) at Darmstadt, Germany.
Fixed Ground Operations
Flourish
Operations site of the 6937th Communications Group, Peshawar,
Pakistan 1969.
mission from the HQ USAFSS Deputy Chief of Staff (DCS)
for operations. Also at this time, the 6901st Special Communications Center at Brooks AFB took over the operational
functions previously performed by the USAFSS DCS of
Operations. Shortly thereafter, on 8 August 1953, with the
new Headquarters building complete, the 6901st now
renamed the Air Force Special Communications Center,
moved from Brooks AFB to “Security Hill” at Kelly AFB.
Airborne & Contingency
Missions Evolve
As the 1950s gave way to the 1960s, USAFSS
support to national level customers expanded
rapidly. USAFSS ground units sprang up in a few
out of the way places around the globe. The 6937th
Communications Group, Peshawar, Pakistan,
situated just west of the historic Khyber Pass, began
operations in April 1958. Command units also
operated at Samsun and Trabzon, Turkey;
Zweibrucken and Wiesbaden, Germany,
Kirknewton, Scotland and other locations. As 1959
drew to a close, 21,602 airmen, officers and civilians comprised a still growing team of USAFSS
intelligence professionals.
Fixed Operations significantly improved when the first
of USAFSS’ AN /FLR-9 “Elephant Cage” antennas reached
operational status at the 6920th SS at Misawa Air Base,
Japan in March 1965 and at the 6922nd SS, Clark Air Base,
the Philippines one month later. Other “Elephant Cages”
sprung up, and by the end of the 1960’s the antenna array
was operational at the 6950th SW at RAF Chicksands,
England, the 6917th SS, San Vito Dei Normanni, Air Station
(AS), Italy, the 6981st SS, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska and the
6933rd SS, Karamursel AS, Turkey. Other important
Modern USAFSS airborne operations
commenced in 1952 using converted B-29 Super
Flying Fortresses. Strategic Air Command (SAC) RB50 Superfortresses with USAFSS crews began flying
operational airborne missions in the Pacific in March
1954. C-130A-IIs, more maintainable and having
longer endurance than their predecessors, began
replacing RB-50s in 1958. In 1962 USAFSS crews first
flew missions aboard SAC sponsored RC-135 aircraft.
As regional trouble spots began to develop in
the post WWII Cold War world, USAFSS reacted
accordingly. In 1956, the first USAFSS mobile unit
deployed to the Middle East in response to instability in the area. Later in 1963, in the aftermath of the
Cuban missile crisis, the command activated three
Emergency Reaction Units (ERUs)—the 6948th
Security Squadron (SS) (Mobile) at Goodfellow AFB,
4
AN-FLR-9 and Operations building at the 6922nd Security Squadron,
Clark AB.
USAFSS/ESC operational field sites included Iraklion AS,
Crete, Wakkanai AS, Japan and Shu Lin Kou AS, Taiwan.
The introduction of several high technology systems like
IATS, STRAWHAT and TEBO at USAFSS ground sites
during this time further automated many time and labor
intensive unit field operations.
Vietnam
USAFSS involvement in the Vietnam war began in late
1961. On 20 December 1961, HQ PACAF dir ected the
command to deploy a capability to establish an Air Force
Special Security Office and related intelligence functions at
Tan Son Nhut Airport near Saigon. Later in early 1962, the
air staff began to make firm plans to provide intelligence
support to the commander-in-chief of Pacific Air Forces in
Southeast Asia. USAFSS resources and personnel would play
a leading role. By the end of 1962, USAFSS’ 6923rd Radio
Squadron Mobile and three subordinate detachments in
Vietnam and Thailand were serving both national intelligence customers and providing tactical support for the fast
growing number of military units operating in the Southeast Asia theater of operations.
By mid 1964, U.S. military involvement in Southeast Asia
significantly increased. In August 1964, Major General
Richard P. Klocko, now USAFSS commander, met with the
commander of PACAF’s 2nd Air Division at Tan Son Nhut
Airport, South Vietnam, to work out issues for USAFSS
support to the 2nd AD. Over the course of the next four
years, USAFSS personnel provided key support to COLLEGE
EYE threat warning operations for U.S. aircrews conducting
air operations over North Vietnam.
Major General Doyle E.
Larson, ESC’s first commander.
With the air war in
Southeast Asia escalating,
DoD added six RC-135 aircraft to the SAC inventory.
Based at Kadena AB,
Okinawa and supported by
USAFSS crews, the 6990th SS
activated at Kadena on 15
July 1967 in support of the
added RC-135s. The first
USAFSS manned COMBAT
APPLE RC-135 mission
staged out of Kadena Air
Base on 12 September 1967.
During the Vietnam conflict,
USAFSS personnel also
A USAFSS crewed EC-47P from Phu Cat, AB Vietnam
in flight.
served with distinction aboard the EC-47, supporting search
and rescue operations for downed U.S. airmen.
With U.S. involvement in the Vietnam conflict increasing significantly, USAFSS took on the role as the central evaluating agency for USAF electronic warfare activities in 1967—
the first major change in the command’s mission since its
inception. By mid 1969, command manning authorizations
totaled 28,637, the highest number in the history of the
organization.
Post Vietnam Mission Changes
The redesignating of AFSCC as the Air Force Electronic
Warfare Center (AFEWC) on 1 July 1975 gave USAFSS a
greater role in the Air Force’s expanding electronic warfare
mission. Throughout the 1970’s the command continued to
furnish Emergency Action Unit (ERU) support to tactical
commanders and gained approval of its plan to offer direct
support to Air Force Component commanders. USAFSS
further refined its direct support role during this time
through the extensive participation in numerous military
exercises.
ESC Takes Shape
By the end of the 1970’s USAFSS had become thoroughly
involved in electronic warfare. The command first demonstrated this operational capability during the Tactical Air
5
Security Division at Peterson AFB, Colo. That same year,
ESC personnel began supporting USAFE
COMPASS CALL operations staging from Sembach AB,
Germany.
The 1980’s witnessed the fruition of technologies
that would foreshadow pr esent day intelligence
support. Systems like PARSEC and the Conventional
Signals Upgrade became operational, changing
profoundly the way command organizations carried out
their rapidly expanding missions. These new
modern computer-based, state-of-the-art automated
systems replaced those based on outdated technologies
from the 1950’s and earlier.
AN FLR-9 of the 6917th ESG, Summer 1984.
Command (TAC) sponsored exercise Blue Flag 79-1 at
Hurlburt Field, Florida in late 1978. ESC began to take shape
on February 1, 1979, when USAFSS transferred the
operation and maintenance of its Telecommunications
Center to the Air Force Communications Service (later the
Air Force Communications Command.) On 1 August 1979
USAFSS was redesignated Electronic Security Command
(ESC) with Major General Doyle E. Larson as the commander.
With this change, ESC assumed a broad responsibility for
improving the Air Force’s use of electronic warfare technology in combat. On the operational side, ESC also gained
more challenging and critical national missions, with the
6920th Electronic Security Group, Misawa AB, Japan
starting Ladylove operations in the early 1980s.
ESC Matures
ESC, JUST CAUSE,
DESERT STORM
ushers in a new era
In December 1989, ESC field units, the ESC staff and the
Air Force Electronic Warfare Center (AFEWC) played an
on-the-scenes role in Panama, ensuring the success of
Operation JUST CAUSE. As the 1980s drew to a close, ESC
had made its mark as a prime source of intelligence
products for the command’s expanding list of customers.
The first two years of the new decade set the stage for
the future of ESC and its predecessors. On 9 August 1990
ESC focused its attention for much of the 1980’s
on supporting warfighters and theater commanders. During this time, the command began to
concentrate its efforts on carefully tailoring its products for use by operational commanders in military
operations. In 1985, the command took over responsibility for computer security from the Air Force
Computer Security Office at Gunter Air Force
Station, Ala.
In Korea, ESC’s 6903rd ESG underwent a major
mission change in 1986. By year’s end, the Korean
Combat Operations Intelligence Center (KCOIC) had
achieved initial operational capability. KCOIC
consolidated ESC, and other U.S. and Republic of
Korea intelligence functions under one roof to
better serve the operational needs of the theater
commander. Also during 1986, ESC began an association with the USAF Space Command with the
activation of the Headquarters Space Electronic
6
Operations site of the 6948th ESS, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, summer 1990.
ESC personnel from the 6916th ESS were among the first
U.S. military personnel to arrive in Saudi Arabia to
support RC-135 DESERT SHIELD Operations. By the
end of 1990, Operation DESERT SHIELD was well
underway and on 10 November 1990 the 6975th
Electronic Security Squadron (Provisional) was designated, activated and organized at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
in support of RC-135 operations.
As DESERT SHIELD gave way to DESERT STORM
during the second half of January 1991, ESC personnel
were engaged in key intelligence support roles both in
the air and on the ground. The 6948th ESS operated
from three different locations in Saudi Arabia and
Turkey during the conflict, providing air commanders
with valuable intelligence and communications support.
The unparalleled success of U.S. and coalition forces in
DESERT STORM ushered in the age of information
warfare. Iraq’s command and control system killed with
An RC-135V RIVET JOINT aircraft in flight. AIA and its predecessor
airpower several weeks before the ground war began
organizations have served aboard this venerable reconnaissance
became a prime example of how information dominance
platform for nearly four decades.
was used in warfare. Within the now emerging
doctrine of information warfare, it was clear that ESC forces
played a large role in helping the U.S. to achieve operational
supremacy over Iraqi forces during the war in the Persian
Gulf.
AIA—Pioneering Air Force
Information Operations
AFIC Formed
ESC was redesignated Air Force Intelligence Command
(AFIC) on 1 October 1991. The new organization led by
Major General Gary W. O’Shaughnessy, consolidated,
restructured and streamlined the functions of Air Force
intelligence resources into a single command. AFIC formed
by merging the personnel and missions of the Air Force
Foreign Technology Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force
Base, Ohio, the Air Special Activities Center, Fort Belvoir,
Va. and elements of the Air Force Intelligence Agency, Washington D.C. and ESC into one command. AFIC provided
direct intelligence support to national decision makers and
field air component commanders. Support furnished by
AFIC focused on the interrelated areas of intelligence,
security, electronic combat, foreign technology, and treaty
monitoring. During AFIC’s first year the new command
established a strong foundation for meeting the changing
intelligence needs of the warfighter.
The need to establish the Air Intelligence Agency (AIA)
stemmed from the introduction of the objective Air Force—
the one base, one boss concept authored by Air Force Chief
of Staff General Merrill A. McPeak. Because of this, further
restructuring of Air Force Intelligence beckoned and AFIC
was resdesignated AIA on 1 October 1993. Commanded by
then Major General Kenneth A. Minihan, the new organization, reported directly to the USAF Assistant Chief of Staff
for Intelligence. This move emphasized increased support
to the warfighter. The Air Force Information Warfare Center
(AFIWC) became a significant player in AIA activities.
AFIWC was established at Kelly Air Force Base on 10 September 1993 by combining the AFEWC with the securities
functions from the Air Force Cryptologic Support Center.
AFIWC’s primary mission remains that of channeling all
electronic battle field information toward the objective of
gaining information dominance over any adversary.
During the 1990s, one significant fact became more
prevalent than ever—U.S. military forces now operate in an
information age, where the need for precise, instantaneous
intelligence is increasing and expanding across the entire
spectrum of military operations. Within today’s framework
of the USAF Global Presence strategy, AIA serves as an
integral part of the presence component in the application of
this principle. The agency and its supported units help the
7
U.S. maintain a “virtual” advantage by providing battlespace
forces with unique information. This helps the U.S.
maintain global situational based capabilities. AIA plays a
prime hour-to-hour, day-to-day role in helping the awareness.
The new agency now supports customers from nearly
every governmental department and agency, and all of the
U.S. Armed Forces. The Agency plays an active role in
supporting almost every military contingency operation in
which U.S. armed forces are committed. AIA, today, a
remarkably diverse organization defends the information
highway, providing the best battle space information to the
right customer—anywhere, anytime. Since the beginning
of 1996, AIA has been taking steps to develop and become
the leader in information operations. With an emphasis on
participating rather than just supporting combat operations,
AIA is now moving boldly towards a new frontier. On AIA’s
horizon is an environment in which the Agency will play a
central role in helping U.S. forces achieve information
superiority. This will become the prime objective in
shaping future battlespace.
Clearly, national security events during the last half of
the 1990s signaled the need for precise battlefield information. In response to national taskings, AIA found its assets
and people being deployed to places like Bosnia
Herzegovina, Southwest Asia, and Kosovo. The activation
of the Information Warfare Battlelab in 1997 and the USAF
approval in August 1998 of an Air Force Doctrine Document
(AFDD) for Information Operations (IO) Doctrine have
shown that IO will continue to evolve and that it will be an
integral and sustaining part of future US military operations.
The emergence of Information Superiority as an Air Force
Core Competency in the landmark 1996 Global Engagement
publication ensured the products and services provided by
AIA will mean the difference between success and failure
for the warfighter. Today, in the dawn of the 21st Century,
AIA has become an essential part of US Aerospace
Operations. The Agency’s mission, Information Operations,
is rapidly becoming an indispensable ingredient in the
overall mission of the Air Force.
8
AIA personnel work side-by-side with the other
services. Members of the 93rd IS conduct intelligence
collection operations at the Medina Regional SIGINT
Operations Center--1998.
1949
CHRONOLOGY
1948
On 24 May 1948, Headquarters, United States Air Force
(HQ USAF) informally activated the Air Force Security
Group (AFSG) in the Office of the Intelligence Requirements
Division, Directorate of Intelligence, Headquarters USAF,
in the Pentagon and designated Major Idris J. Jones, an Air
Force officer, to head the Group.
The AFSG was formally established in the Directorate
of Intelligence, HQ USAF, on 23 June 1948, with a cadre of
eleven officers and some clerical enlisted personnel on loan
from the Army Security Agency.
On 20 October 1948, the United States Air Force
Security Service (USAFSS), the forerunner of the Air Intelligence Agency, was established at Arlington Hall Station, Va.,
as a major air command to perform cryptologic and
communications security missions for the Air Force.
On the date of activation, the total authorized strength
of USAFSS was 156 personnel — 34 officers, 6 enlisted, and
116 civilians.
Colonel Roy H. Lynn was assigned as the first USAFSS
Commander effective 20 October 1948.
The United States Air
Force Security Service
received its first subordinate
units on 1 February 1949,
when the 1st Radio Squadron, Mobile in Japan, the 2d
Radio Squadron, Mobile in
Germany, the 8th Radio
Squadron, Mobile at Vint
Hill Farms, Va., and the
136th Radio Security Detachment in upper New York
state, along with assigned
personnel, were transferred
to the command from the
Army Security Agency.
Colonel Roy H. Lynn, shown
here as a Major General, was
USAFSS’ first commander.
In March 1949, on authority of a signed agreement with
the U.S. Army, HQ USAF assigned Capt David D. Morris,
an Air Force officer, to the Army Special Security Office at
HQ United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE). About
two and one-half months later, in June 1949, HQ USAFSS
assigned Capt Campbell Y. Jackson to HQ USAFE as a
Security Service Liaison Officer. Those assignments
represented the first use of Air Force personnel in the previously all-Army Special Security Office system.
The transfer of HQ USAFSS from Arlington Hall
Station, Va., to Brooks Air Force Base, Texas, was effective
with transfer of the morning reports on 18 April 1949.
On 29 May 1949, Secretary of Defense Louis
Johnson issued a Memo to the Joint Chiefs of Staff
announcing the establishment of a unified cryptologic organization — the Armed Forces Security
Agency — (which later became the National
Security Agency (NSA) in October 1952) for the
conduct of Intelligence and communications security COMSEC) activities within the National
Military Establishment.
On 30 June 1949, USAFSS had 2,032 personnel
authorized — 171 officers, 1,745 enlisted, and 116
civilians.
USAFSS direction finding operators worked with equipment such as this
during the early years. This DF position was located at Vint Hill Farms
Station, in 1949.
The USAFSS Photography Laboratory had its
beginning in July 1949 with the assignment of a
master sergeant and a corporal. On 7 October 1949,
a photo officer was assigned. By 30 June 1950, the
9
officer on 1 May 1950 and was assigned as the Assistant
Adjutant General.
In May 1950, USAFSS attempted to get the Director of
Intelligence at HQ USAF to support the publication of an
Air Force regulation which would specify that USAFSS was
responsible for the production of Intelligence of interest to
the Air Force and that the USAFSS units would be attached
to the air commanders to meet tactical intelligence
requirements. (Such a regulation was never published.)
Early intelligence processing operations were tedious and time
consuming--a USAFSS Radio Traffic Analyst at work in 1949.
total number of personnel assigned to the photo lab had
grown to 22.
JCS 2010/6 was published on 28 July 1949 which
assigned the responsibility for Intelligence processing to the
individual services “as needed for combat intelligence.”
Colonel (later Brigadier General) Travis M. Hetherington
replaced Colonel Lynn as Commander effective 6 July 1949.
In June 1950, the Airways and Air Communications
Service (later the Air Force Communications Command)
transferred to USAFSS the responsibility for service
testing USAF cryptological equipment, systems, and
devices. Airways and Air Communications Service also
transferred the personnel and spaces authorized to perform
this function.
On 30 June 1950, USAFSS had 3,050 personnel authorized — 298 officers, 2,365 enlisted, and 387 civilians.
The USAFSS Flight Section was organized on 1 September 1950 with the assignment of three administrative aircraft
— two C-47s and one B-25 — and nine personnel.
In November 1950, USAFSS established a detachment at
Pyongyang, Korea (Detachment C, 1st Radio Squadron,
Mobile), to provide support to USAF organizations engaged
in the Korean War.
The USAFSS Printing Plant had its beginning in December 1949 with the arrival of a litho camera, paper cutter, and
opaque table. Two civilians were assigned to the Printing
Plant.
On 29 December 1949, HQ USAF approved the USAFSSdeveloped concept of fully capable Radio Squadrons
Mobile.
1950
The USAFSS concept and plan for production of tactical
area intelligence was approved by the Office of the
Secretary of Defense and the Vice Chief of Staff, USAF, in
April 1950.
Sergeant Christena Ogle, the first Women’s Air Force
(WAF) to join USAFSS, was assigned to the Command on 2
April 1950 for duty in the Directorate of Security. Major
Corinne E. Edwards became the Command’s first WAF
10
Office of the Comptroller in USAFSS Headquarters, Brooks,
AFB, 1950.
USAFSS provided Intelligence support at the Kaesong
truce meetings which began on 10 July 1951 and dragged on
for more than two years until a truce was signed on 27 July
1953. During those two years, intelligence was provided to
Vice Admiral C. Turner Joy, who headed the U. S. delegation
to the conference.
The first Annual USAFSS Commanders’ Conference was
held at USAFSS headquarters from 12-16 November 1951.
On 30 June 1951, USAFSS reported 8,192 personnel
authorized, 775 officers, 6,773 enlisted, and 644 civilians.
1952
Personnel of the Headquarters USAFSS Operations Production
Division, Brooks AFB, prepare a map depicting the Eurasian
landmass, 1950.
1951
On 24 October 1952, National Security Council
Directive No. 9 was revised. It redesignated the Armed
Forces Security Agency (AFSA) as the National Security
Agency (NSA), delegated control of resources of the Department of Defense (DoD) to the Director of NSA (DIRNSA),
designated DoD as the executive agent of the Government
for SIGINT information, and authorized DIRNSA to delegate
control for close support purposes.
USAFSS gained its first units above squadron
level with the activation of the 6910th Security Group
at Brooks Air Force Base, Texas, on 23 May 1951 and
the 6920th Security Group at Johnson AB, Japan, on
1 September 1951. The 6910th Security Group was
moved to Germany in July 1951 with the Group
Headquarters going to Wiesbaden and Group
Operations going to Darmstadt.
Brigadier General (later Lieutenant General) Roy
H. Lynn, who served as the first USAFSS
Commander, returned as the organization’s third
commander effective 22 February 1951.
There were two incidents in 1951 in which
support provided by USAFSS units in Korea resulted
in major U.S. air victories. The most significant of
the two occurred on 29 November 1951 when a small
USAFSS detachment provided 5th Air Force with
tactical support concerning the North Korean Air
Force which contributed directly to the largest single
U.S. air victory of the war up to that point. In a single
air-to-air engagement, F-86s from the USAF fighter
wing at Inchon shot down eleven North Korean
aircraft and damaged four more. The U.S. sustained
USAFSS senior commanders pose with world renowed cyrptologist
only one slightly damaged F-86. These incidents William Friedman (in suit, third from left) at Landsberg Air Base, Germany,
were aptly termed “turkey shoots” by U.S. pilots.
23 November 1951. (Photo courtesy of Brig. Gen. Hetherington, Ret.)
11
In March 1952, HQ USAF consolidated the Security
Service Liaison Office and the major command (MAJCOM)
Special Security Office activities into an Air Force Special
Security Office system. The responsibility for the development and operation of the Air Force Special Security Office
System was delegated to USAFSS in April 1952. At the time,
the consolidated system consisted of nineteen authorized
offices worldwide.
The USAFSS emblem was approved in August 1952
after a command-wide contest to select a winning entry. It
was designed by Airman Second Class William Rogers. The
motto, Freedom Through Vigilance, was adopted in
January 1964.
On 30 June 1952, USAFSS had 12,319 personnel authorized — 1,366 officers, 10,267 enlisted, and 686 civilians.
The United States Air Force Security Service flew its first
Airborne Reconnaissance Program test mission in the
Pacific on 18 April 1952 using a converted B-29 aircraft. The
aircraft was later sent to Europe for additional testing before
commencing regular operational missions in the Pacific in
March 1954.
The United States Air Force Security Service reorganized
to operate with the procedural functions, authorities, and
responsibilities of a major Air Force command, which it had
been since its activation on 20 October 1948, but within policy
constraints required by tri-service relationships.
1953
Brigadier General (later Major General) Harold H.
Bassett replaced Major General Roy H. Lynn as Commander
effective 14 February 1953.
A C-47 “Bluesky” Aircraft. Manned by USAFSS crews the platform began
experimental collection operations over Korea in early 1953.
On 1 July 1953, the 6901st Special
Communications Center was activated at
Brooks Air Force Base, Texas, to perform
the operational functions previously
handled by the Analysis and Disseminations Divisions, Deputy Chief of Staff/
Operations, HQ USAFSS. Simultaneous
with establishment of the 6901st Special
Communications Center on 1 July 1953,
the Air Force Communications Security
Center was established to take over the
communications security operational
functions of DCS/Operations.
On 30 June 1953, USAFSS was authorized
1,547 officers, 15,013 enlisted, and 583 civilians
for a total of 17,143 personnel.
Two USAFSS airmen — Staff Sergeant
Donald G. Hill and Air Second Class Earl W.
Radlein, Jr. — were presumed killed on 29 July
1953 when the RB-50G-2 aircraft of the 343d
Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron on which
they were serving was shot down off the Soviet
coast near Vladivostok. This marked the first loss
of USAFSS airborne operators as a result of
hostile action.
Intelligence operators of the 37th Radio Squadron Mobile, RAF Station,
Kirknewton, Scotland
12
Headquarters USAFSS closed out operations
at Brooks Air Force Base, Texas, effective 31 July
1953 and began operations from its new headquarters building at Kelly Air Force Base, Texas.
The move into the newly
constructed Headquarters
building at Kelly Air Force
Base was accomplished
during the first week in
August 1953.
On 8 August 1953, the
6901st Special Communications Center was moved
from Brooks Air Force Base,
Texas, to “Security Hill” at
Kelly Air Force Base, Texas,
and renamed the Air Force
Major General Harold H.
Special Communications
Bassett, USAFSS commander,
Center.
Initially, the
1953-1957.
mission of the Air Force
Special Communications
Center was: (1) producing and disseminating long-term
intelligence data; (2) operating the USAFSS School for
training intelligence specialists; (3) providing technical
guidance and operational assistance to USAFSS field units;
(4) assisting the USAFSS Deputy Chief of Staff/Operations
to develop and test operational procedures and techniques
for implementing the USAFSS program for providin
intelligence support for the Air Force; and (5) directing and
monitoring operation of the Special Security Office system.
which USAFSS already had jurisdiction over, engaged in the
Airborne Reconnaissance Program effort at that time;
however, USAFSS had personnel serving as operators aboard
343d Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron RB-50G ECM
aircraft.
In March 1954, the USAFSS Commander submitted
tentative plans for expansion of processing activities at the
squadron level and for direct reporting to the using
commands. In June 1954, the point of analysis and reporting concept was implemented on a test basis at the 6901st
Special Communications Center in Europe (Germany) and
the 6902d Special Communications Center in the Pacific
(Japan). In late August 1954, the point of intercept analysis
and reporting concept was approved. The objective was to
facilitate a direct and timely response to the requirements of
military commands and other organizations receiving
intelligence support.
On 30 June 1954, USAFSS was authorized 16,244
personnel — 1,485 officers, 14,079 enlisted, and 680 civilians.
By the end of 1954, the technical training function and
oversight of the Special Security Office system had been
transferred from the Air Force Special Communications
Center to HQ USAFSS.
The 6900th Security Wing was activated at
Landsberg Air Base, Germany, on 1 August 1953
as an intermediate Headquarters (numbered Air
Force equivalent) to plan, coordinate, and direct
the activities of all USAFSS units in Europe. The
6920th Security Group at Johnson Air Base,
Japan, provided the same support to USAFSS
units in the Pacific.
The USAFSS School was activated at Kelly
Air Force Base, Texas, on 1 August 1953 and
placed under the operational control of the Air
Force Special Communications Center. One of
the major functions of the school was to train
personnel in intelligence duties.
1954
In March 1954, USAFSS initiated a new
concept in reconnaissance collection by implementing its Airborne Reconnaissance Program
effort. One RB-29 began flying missions in the
Far East in April 1954. This was the only aircraft,
Airmen assigned to the 6920th Security Group, Johnson, Air Base, Japan
repair radios--1953.
13
1955
USAFSS deployed the 6926th Radio Squadron, Mobile,
to Japan to participate in Project GRAYBACK.
On 30 June 1955, USAFSS was authorized 15,730 personnel — 1,372 officers, 13,757 enlisted, and 601 civilians.
1956
The USAFSS developed a new concept of mobile operations to satisfy increased tasking for tactical support during
contingencies. The first deployment came in January 1957
in response to the unstable situation in the Middle-East in
late 1956 and early 1957.
On 30 June 1956, USAFSS had 17,928 personnel authorized — 1,275 officers, 16,003 enlisted, and 650 civilians.
The Air Force Communications Security Center was
deactivated on 1 July 1956 and its personnel and communications security monitoring, reporting and management
mission became a part of the Air Force Special Communications Center. This change reflected an effort to decrease
management overhead.
1957
RB-50 aircraft were
assigned to the Airborne
Reconnaissance Program.
There were five RB-50s in
Europe and five in the Pacific.
Major General (later
Lieutenant General) Gordon
A. Blake replaced Major
General H. H. Bassett as
Commander effective 4
January 1957.
On 30 June 1957, USAFSS
had 17,297 personnel authorized — 1,292 officers, 15,356
enlisted, and 649 civilians.
Major General Gordon A.
Blake, USAFSS commander
1957-1959.
The USAFSS School was moved from Kelly Air Force
Base, Texas, to March Air Force Base, California, on 1 July
1957.
1958
A major milestone in the history of USAFSS occurred on
1 July 1958 when the command assumed control of several
bases throughout the world where its units had previously
been tenants. Included were: Misawa Air Base, Japan;
An RB-50F aircraft -- USAFSS’ first operational aerial reconnaissance platform.
14
San Vito Air Station (AS), Italy;
Iraklion AS, Crete; Royal Air Force
(RAF) Station Chicksands, United
Kingdom; Karamursel AS, Turkey,
Wakkanai AS, Japan; and Shu Lin Kou
AS, Taiwan. Later that year, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, was added
to the list. Through coordination with
Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) in early
1958, USAFSS increased its airborne
capability in Korea by adding three
more C-47s to the Blue Sky effort, for
a total of four platforms. Each C-47
staged from Osan AB, Korea. They
flew an average of 60 hours each
month. During 1960, the project name
was changed from Blue Sky to Rose
Bowl. This “primitive,” but effective,
Airborne Reconnaissance Program
operation continued into 1962 when
the C-130s staging from Yokota AB,
Japan, were able to provide the
necessary support of Korea and the
C-47s were phased out.
A B-50 Superfortress, also used by USAFSS as a reconnaissance platform.
On 30 June 1958, USAFSS was authorized 18,124 personnel — 1,291 officers, 16,158 enlisted, and 675 civilians.
1959
C-130s were sent to Europe to replace the RB-50s in the
Airborne Reconnaissance Program effort. The first two
arrived in Germany during July 1958.
On 30 June 1959, USAFSS had 21,602 personnel
authorized — 1,427 officers, 18,724 enlisted, and 1,551
civilians.
The USAFSS School was moved from March Air Force
Base, California, to Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, on 15
October 1958.
The replacement of RB-50s in Europe was completed in
July 1959 with arrival of the eighth C-130. The European
RB-50s were moved to the Pacific, giving that area nine
RB-50 Airborne Reconnaissance Program aircraft.
The 6920th Security Wing (later redesignated HQ
Pacific Air Forces Security Region) was moved from Shiroi
Air Base, Japan, to Wheeler Air Force Base, Hawaii, on 1 November 1958.
On 26 August 1958, USAFSS sent a unit to Taiwan to
augment the 6987th Radio Squadron, Mobile located at Shu
Lin Kou Air Station, Taiwan, due to the increased tension in
the Taiwan Straits created by the Chinese shelling of Quemoy.
Soviet fighters shot down a C-130 Airborne Reconnaissance Program aircraft on 2 September 1958 when it strayed
off-course over Soviet Armenia. All crew members were
assumed killed, including 11 USAFSS personnel.
The transfer of bases to USAFSS under the “Integrated
Command Concept” was completed on 1 July 1959 with the
transfer of Wakkanai Air Station, Japan, and Shu Lin Kou
Air Station, Taiwan.
The United States Air Force Security Service first became
involved in the war in Southeast Asia in August 1959 when
national intelligence authorities tasked the command to make
maximum effort to provide intelligence relating to North Vietnamese or Laotian rebel movements. Existing USAFSS units
were not in the most favorable geographical locations to
obtain such information; therefore, in the spring of 1960,
USAFSS sent a small team to Bangkok, Thailand.
15
Major
General
Millard Lewis assumed
command of USAFSS
effective 21 September
1959, replacing Major
General Gordon A. Blake
who was reassigned to
HQ Pacific Air Forces as
Chief of Staff effective
5 August 1959.
1960
Major General Millard Lewis
commanded USAFSS
from 1959-1962.
On 30 June 1960,
USAFSS had 23,128 personnel authorized —
1,508 officers, 19,827 enlisted, and 1,793 civilians.
The 6917th Radio Squadron, Mobile, became the first
USAFSS unit in Italy when it was activated at San Vito on
1 November 1960.
1961
As the tempo of the Vietnam War increased, USAFSS
became involved in a program which eventually became
known as the Airborne Radio Direction Finding program.
That year, General Curtis E. LeMay, Air Force Chief of Staff,
ordered several experimental aircraft, equipped with radio
homing equipment, into Southeast Asia.
On 30 June 1961, USAFSS had 23,105 personnel authorized — 1,532 officers, 19,568 enlisted, and 2,005 civilians.
1962
In December 1961, PACAF asked USAFSS to send an
Emergency Reaction Unit to Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam, to support a Tactical Air Control System that was
being set up there. USAFSS deployed the unit in early 1962.
Intelligence processed by the USAFSS Airborne Reconnaissance Program provided the first significant intelligence
data concerning the extent of Soviet involvement in Cuba.
The United States Air Force Security Service deployed
an Emergency Reaction Unit (ERU) to Key West, Florida, to
16
provide tactical support. Also, the command increased its
Cuban Airborne Reconnaissance Program coverage from one
to three aircraft.
Strategic Air Command operated RC-135 aircraft began
flying reconnaissance missions in the Arctic.
On 30 June 1962, USAFSS had 24,718 personnel authorized — 1,613 officers, 20,975 enlisted, and 2,130 civilians.
Major General (later Lieutenant General) Richard P.
Klocko assumed command of USAFSS effective 1 September 1962, replacing Major General Millard Lewis who retired
from active duty.
1963
USAFSS activated three Emergency Reaction Units, the
6948th Security Squadron, Mobile, at Goodfellow Air Force
Base, Texas; the 6926th Security Squadron, Mobile, at Clark
AB, the Philippines; and the 6911th Security Squadron,
Mobile, at Darmstadt, Germany.
The following USAFSS communications functions were
transferred to AFCS: (1) operation and maintenance of the
Critical Communications relay stations; (2) operation and
maintenance of terminal station technical control; and
(3) terminal station maintenance.
On 30 June 1963, USAFSS had 26,849 personnel authorized — 1,655 officers, 23,047 enlisted, and 2,147 civilians;
however, the assigned strength on 30 June 1963 was 29,068
— 1,719 officers, 25,254 enlisted, and 2,095 civilians.
In response to the Air Force problem of how to reduce
or eliminate intermediate echelons and separate units,
USAFSS initiated the “Operational Wing Concept.” Under
this concept, the mission unit was discontinued and a
support squadron was organized. The functions of the
mission unit were absorbed into the wing structure. The
concept was implemented in Europe late in 1963 and in the
Pacific in 1964.
1964
The motto “Freedom Through Vigilance” was adopted
in January 1964.
As of 30 June 1964, USAFSS was authorized 24,643 personnel — 1,656 officers, 21,925 enlisted, and 1,062 civilians.
By the mid-1960s AN FLR-9 “Elephant Cages” had
become the mainstays of several USAFSS units,
including this one at the then 6981st Security Squadron,
Elmendorf AFB, Alaska.
The Operational Wing Concept was implemented in the
Pacific.
In early 1964, the USAFSS commander, Major General
Richard P. Klocko, asked the Air Staff and the Strategic Air
Command to support the addition of six RC-135s to the
airborne effort.
1965
In June 1965, after many months of intense negotiations,
the Office of the Secretary of Defense approved the addition
of six RC-135s to the airborne effort. But even then, a debate
arose over where to base the RC-135s, and it took 18 more
months of negotiations before a base of operations was
finally selected. With the air war in Vietnam heating up,
Japan, Thailand, and the Philippines, as well as Da Nang,
South Vietnam, and Kadena, Okinawa, were all considered.
On 26 March 1965, USAF headquarters issued instructions to USAFSS to transfer all Air Force Special Security
Officer functions to the using commands effective 1 July 1965.
This resulted in the transfer of 811 USAFSS personnel at some
50 locations around the world to the consumer commands.
The Gold Flow problem, an Air Force-wide
program to reduce overseas manning, resulted in the
reduction of 302 USAFSS personnel overseas.
The loss of an RB-57 over the Black Sea on 15 December 1965 resulted in a Government of Turkey ban
on Airborne Reconnaissance Program flights from their
country. The RB-57 was one of two aircraft in the Little
Cloud project which were manned and maintained by
the Pakistan Air Force at Peshawar.
United States Air Force Security Service Airborne
Reconnaissance Program missions in Southeast Asia
increased from one to two daily, using four RC-130s
instead of two.
USAFSS’ Detachment 2, 6925th Security Group Emergency Reaction
Unit, Da Nang, AB, South Vietnam, October 1964.
The first AN/FLR-9 systems became operational
— at Misawa Air Base, Japan, in March 1965 and Clark
Air Base, the Philippines, in April 1965.
17
United States Air Force Security
Service Airborne Reconnaissance
Program aircraft (C-130s) began participating in tactical operations in Southeast Asia, supporting both USAF and
Navy strike forces by providing alert
warnings. This was the first time the
command became involved in a
regular program of providing tactical
support to combat operations.
As of 30 June 1965, USAFSS was
authorized 26,835 personnel — 1,686
officers, 23,062 enlisted, and 1,087
civilians.
1966
The USAF Airborne Radio Direction Finding Program was nicknamed
Phyllis Ann. The first Phyllis Ann EC47 Airborne Radio Direction Finding
Program aircraft arrived at Tan Son
Nhut, Air Base, Vietnam, in April 1966
for use by the newly activated 6994th
Security Squadron.
A CM-1 Antenna of the 6910th Security
Wing, Darmstadt, Germany in 1965.
The USAFSS Airborne Reconnaissance Program unit in
the Pacific area performed the command’s first airborne
transmission security monitoring mission on a test basis.
On 28 September 1965, the Air Force Chief of Staff
approved the release of communication security violators’
names in transmission security reports. This was a first in
transmissions security reporting. The approval granted
release of names down to division level.
Major General Louis E. Coira assumed command of
USAFSS effective 16 October 1965, replacing Major General
Richard P. Klocko who was reassigned as commander of the
Air Force Communications Service.
The first AN/FLR-12 antenna
system became operational.
In 1966, Office of the Secretary of Defense requested
USAF to provide an objective evaluation of its electronic warfare system effectiveness. Later that year, the Chief of Staff,
USAF, directed the establishment of an Electronic Warfare
evaluation function in USAFSS. CSAF assigned this task to
USAFSS because: (1) USAFSS was a disinterested command
— it neither built nor operated electronic warfare systems;
(2) USAFSS had the necessary core skills; (3) it had access to
the critically needed intelligence data; and (4) it had a close
working relationship with NSA as the Air Force component
of the service’s cryptologic system. The task was to assess
the effectiveness of protective electronic countermeasures
employed by U.S. aircraft during air strikes against North
Vietnam.
On 30 June 1966, USAFSS had 26,157 personnel
authorized — 1,507 officers, 22,447 enlisted, and 2,203
civilians.
Main gate of USAFSS’ 6987th Security Squadron at Shu Lin Kou, Air Station,
Taiwan in 1965.
18
Major General Louis E. Coira
took command of USAFSS in
1965.
Personnel assigned to USAFSS’ Air Force Cryptologic Depot
at Kelly AFB perform maintenance on equipment--circa 1965.
Assistant Secretary of Defense Cyrus Vance placed Air
Force Airborne Radio Direction Finding Program assets in
the Electronic Warfare Program.
The United States Air Force Security Service entered a
new era in operational systems development during the first
half of 1966 with the completion of system 466L (FLR-9 and
FLR-12).
September 1967, only two days after the first aircraft arrived at
Kadena AB, the first operational Combat Apple mission was
flown. By November 1967, daily scheduled Combat Apple
missions of 18 hours and 45 minutes were being flown,
including 12 hours and 30 minutes on the primary orbit.
On 30 June 1967, USAFSS was authorized 28,498 personnel — 1,483 officers, 24,509 enlisted, and 2,506 civilians.
The United States Air Force Security Service
organized the 6993d Security Squadron. It was
physically located at Lackland Air Force Base
Annex One (Medina Base, Texas).
1967
In June 1967, Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, was
announced as the most economical location and
the base that would leave the six additional RC135 aircraft in the best post-hostility posture. As a
result, SAC and USAFSS developed plans to
activate organizations at Kadena to operate the
RC-135 program in Southeast Asia. In response,
USAFSS activated the 6990th Security Squadron
on 15 July 1967, and SAC established the 82d Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron on 25 August 1967.
The first three Combat Apple RC-135 aircraft
arrived at Kadena AB on 10 September 1967,
followed by the remaining three in October 1967,
November 1967, and January 1968. On 12
Antenna array of the 6932nd Security Group, Samsun, Turkey--1964.
19
United States Air Force Security Service Airborne
Reconnaissance Program units began performing airborne
transmissions security monitoring on a time available,
non-interfering basis.
In consonance with a
USAF program to increase
the use of women in the Air
Force, USAFSS assigned
women to its units in
Karamursel,
Turkey;
Iraklion, Crete; Chicksands,
United Kingdom; Misawa,
Japan; and Shu Lin Kou,
Taiwan; as well as at Goodfellow Air Force Base,
Texas, and Kelly Air Force
Base, Texas. This was the
first time enlisted women
were assigned to USAFSS
operational sites overseas.
Navy, and Marine personnel were assigned to the Air Force
Special Communications Center. As the years passed,
general usage of the term Comfy Coat came to mean all
operational electronic warfare effectiveness evaluations being
conducted by the Air Force Special Communications Center.
1968
The Government of
Pakistan refused to renew
the lease for the USAFSS site
at Peshawar (6937th Communications Group). The
unit closed by the end of
1969.
On 30 June 1968,
USAFSS had 27,365 personnel authorized — 1,481
officers, 23,350 enlisted, and
2,534 civilians.
Operations site of the 6924th Security Squadron, Da Nang, South
On 16 January 1967 the
Vietnam in 1966.
Air Force Special CommuThe 6990th Security
nications Center established a 24-hour/7-day per week
Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, won the Travis
function to provide direct support to any agency needing
Trophy for its highly significant contributions toward the
information. This data base was the culmination of several
fulfillment of both national and tactical cryptologic objectives.
years of developmental effort by the Center. It proved
increasingly valuable in permitting rapid response to
complex queries for technical and intelligence data.
1969
The 6990th Security Squadron was organized at Kadena
Air Base, Okinawa, to receive the six RC-135 aircraft assigned
to the Pacific Airborne Reconnaissance Program effort. The
first RC-135 Airborne Reconnaissance Program mission,
named Combat Apple, was flown on 12 September 1967.
The Department of Defense decided to reduce forces in
Turkey and realign the intelligence posture there. This
realignment caused the subsequent closure of the USAFSS
sites at Trabzon and Samsun and the establishment of a
USAFSS squadron (6934th Security Squadron) at Sinop.
The Iron Horse system was put into operation at Da
Nang AB (6924th Security Squadron) and Monkey
Mountain, South Vietnam.
In 1967, USAFSS assigned its new electronic warfare
evaluation mission to the Air Force Special Communications
Center (later AF Information Warfare Center) at Kelly Air
Force Base, Texas. The USAFSS assigned the mission to the
Air Force Special Communications Center because the
Center had a cadre of experienced analysts. In addition, the
Center’s analytic task was phasing down which made the
necessary office space available. This new mission was the
first major change in the command’s mission in many years.
The initial evaluations were disseminated electrically in
Comfy Coat reports. Later, the effort was expanded to cover
evaluation of Navy and ground electronic warfare, and Army,
20
Then Lt Col Doyle E. Larson, commander of
the 6990th Security Squadron, accepts the
NSA Travis Trophy for 1968 from the
Director of NSA, VADM Noel Gaylor.
The 6994th Security Squadron, Tan Son Nhut Air Base,
Vietnam, received the Travis Trophy for outstanding
contributions to the cryptologic efforts of the U.S.
On 30 June 1969, USAFSS reported 28,637 personnel
authorized — 1,618 officers, 24,558 enlisted, and 2,461
civilians.
Major General Carl W. Stapleton replaced Major
General Louis E. Coira as commander effective 19 July 1969.
1970
The pilot class of the USAFSS Senior Officers Orientation Course was conducted at Goodfellow Air Force Base,
Texas. The results were “unfavorable,” so the course
subsequently went through an 18-month period of revision
and refinement.
A small ceremony attended by representatives of the U.S.
and Pakistani Air Forces closed out the tenure of the USAFSS
“Communications Unit” (6937th Communications Group)
at Peshawar, Pakistan, on 7 January 1970, thereby ending 15
years of valuable intelligence support at the site.
The year 1970 saw the operational wing concept fall by
the wayside as USAFSS reorganized its subordinate unit
posture to strengthen the role of the Regions under this
concept. All USAFSS overseas wings were redesignated as
groups and their subordinate units placed under the
direct control of the two
Regions.
On 30 June 1970,
USAFSS reported 25,123 personnel authorized — 1,390
officers, 21,507 enlisted, and
2,226 civilians.
In 1970, the increasing
hostile threat against Airborne Reconnaissance Program aircraft focused
Major General Carl W.
national level emphasis on Stapleton commanded USAFSS
reducing manned reconfrom 1969-1972.
naissance flights in high
threat areas. Consequently, USAF deployed a series of
unmanned drone vehicles and piloted airframes. The first
of these systems to be deployed was Combat Dawn, an
unmanned drone staged and operated from Korea.
1971
United States Air Force Security Service acquired its first
medical facility on 1 July 1971 when the USAF Hospital at
Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, was transferred from the
Air Training Command (ATC) to USAFSS.
An EC-121 College Eye in flight.
USAFSS personnel served aboard the
aircraft in the late 1960s during
operations in Vietman providing vital
threat warning data to US aircrews.
21
Primarily because of the
command’s contributions
during the Southeast Asia
war, USAFSS units earned
46 Air Force Outstanding
Unit Awards, two Presidential Unit Citations, the Navy
Meritorious Unit Commendation Award, and two
special awards for outstanding contributions to the
National Cryptologic Effort
during 1967-1971. Prior to
1967 (1948-66), command
units had garnered only 33
such awards.
ber 1971, causing a
flurry of reorganization
planning activities during the remainder of
Fiscal Year 1972. One of
the principal objectives
of the reorganization
was to establish a more
coherent structure for
manning the U.S. cryptologic effort to include
the creation of a
“National Cryptologic
Command.” A significant milestone in
achieving this objective
was reached on 14 April
Operations site of the 6915th Security Group, Hof, Germany.
The C-130 fleet from
1972 when the Secretary
Japan replaced the aging
of Defense approved for
C-130 fleet in Europe.
implementation the National Security Agency/Central
Security Service (NSACSS) organizational plan.
The 6908th Security Squadron was activated at Nakhon
Phanom Airport, Thailand, to operate Senior Book and
On 30 June 1972, USAFSS was authorized 20,755 perCompass Flag programs, as well as process and report the
sonnel — 1,300 officers, 17,190 enlisted, and 2,285 civilians.
intercept collected from both platforms.
The United States Air Force Security Service organized
The 6300th Support Squadron (later redesignated 6300th
the Air Force Communications Security Center on Kelly Air
Aerospace Support Squadron) was activated at Ko Kha,
Force Base, Texas, on 1 July 1972 to execute Air Force COMThailand, on 1 July 1971 to support Cobra Talon.
SEC missions assigned to USAFSS. It also had overseas units
assigned to assist Air Force theater activities with various
Hof AS, Germany, was turned over to the United States
COMSEC services.
Air Forces in Europe and the 6915th Security
Squadron was inactivated.
In Japan, DOD Program Budget Decisions resulted in a
complete realignment of the cryptologic structure, forcing
On 30 June 1971, USAFSS was authorized 23,163
the closure of Wakkanai AS (6986th Security Group) and
personnel — 1,314 officers, 19,827 enlisted, and 2,022
inactivation of the 6918th Security Squadron at Hakata AS
civilians.
and the 6988th Security Squadron, the command’s airborne
1972
The first class of the Revised Senior Officers Orientation Course was conducted at HQ USAFSS with
favorable results.
The USAFSS School at Goodfellow Air Force Base,
Texas, was accredited by the Southern Association of
Colleges and Schools. The USAFSS School was the first
one in the Air Force to receive this recognition.
President Nixon announced a major reorganization
of U.S. intelligence agencies and activities on 5 Novem22
Detachment 3, 6994th Security Squadron, Nakhon Phanom,
Thailand. The unit was inactivated in November 1972.
unit at Yokota AB. Concurrently, projects
associated with the 6988th Security Squadron, such as Bench Royal and Rivet Gym
manning for College Eye, were discontinued,
and the remaining Combat Dawn mission
was transferred to the 6903d Security Squadron at Osan Air Base, Korea.
Host base activities at Misawa Air Base,
Japan (6921st Security Wing) were transferred from Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) to
USAFSS on 1 July 1972.
The 6910th Security Group was moved
from Darmstadt, Germany, to Augsburg,
Germany.
As a part of the reorganization of U.S.
Intelligence Agencies and Activities, both
HQ European Security Region and HQ
Pacific Security Region were deactivated, on A voice processing specialist works with a receiver at a USAFSS unit--early 1970s.
30 June and 31 December 1972, respectively,
eliminating the intermediate headquarters between USAFSS
On 30 June 1973, USAFSS was authorized 20,898 perand its field units in Europe and the Pacific.
sonnel — 1,274 officers, 17,122 enlisted, and 2,502 civilians.
The TEABALL/WCC concept was implemented. This
The command’s European Airborne Reconnaissance
concept provided for the relaying of intelligence data to
Program unit (the 6916th Security Squadron) moved from
USAF weapons controllers located in the 6908th Security
Rhein Main Air Base, Germany, to Athens, Greece, on 30 June
Squadron operations area at Nakhon Phanom Airport,
1973.
Thailand. The weapons controllers used the data to enhance
positive control of USAF aircrews over North Vietnam for
Beginning on 2 October 1973, HQ USAFSS, its European
both offensive and defense purposes.
units, and the AF Special Communications Center became
actively engaged in providing intelligence and electronic
warfare support to U.S. forces/agencies observing the Arab/
Israeli War.
On 24 February 1973, Major General (later Lieutenant
General) Walter T. Galligan replaced Major General Stapleton
as commander of USAFSS. Shortly thereafter, General
Galligan directed a comprehensive, command-wide
United States Air Force Security Service implemented
manpower and organization review of the USAFSS organithe
Main
Operating Base/Forward Operating Base concept
zational structure which, on 1 July 1974, resulted in a major
on
1
January
1974. Under this USAFSS/SAC concept, 12
reorganization of the command.
Rivet Joint ASRP RC-135 aircraft and crews were based at
the Main Operating Base (Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska)
Program Budget Decision 138C, dated 22 December 1972,
where they received the bulk of their support, but flew many
cut four RC-130 Airborne Reconnaissance Program aircraft
of their missions from the Forward Operating Base
from the European Airborne Reconnaissance Program fleet,
(Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, and RAF Mildenhall, United
effective in early 1973.
Kingdom) where they received only mission essential
support.
The TEMPEST (compromising emanations) function was
transferred from the Air Force Cryptologic Depot to the AF
Special Communications Center, effective 20 April 1973.
1973
1974
23
A combat damaged EC-47P of the 6994th Security Squadron after recovering at Tan Son Nhut Air Base,
South Vietnam in 1973.
at 1545 hours on 15 May 1974, it marked an end to a
A major reorganization of USAFSS resulted in the
relatively brief but proud era in USAFSS airborne operations.
restructuring of most USAFSS units. Significant actions
For eight years, the Airborne Radio Direction Finding
included: (1) a major reorganization of six USAFSS host units
program had provided valuable support to U.S. and friendly
overseas; (2) a restructuring of USAFSS units engaged in
tactical commanders throughout Southeast Asia.
airborne operations, including activation of the 6944th
Security Wing at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska; (3) activaYet another era in USAFSS mission operations ended on
tion of the 6955th Security Group at Kelly Air Force Base,
30
June
1974 when the 6910th Security Group at Augsburg,
Texas, and the resubordination of five USAFSS squadrons
Germany,
and the 6994th Security Squadron at Ubon, Air
(including the emergency reactions units) under the newly
Force
Station,
Thailand, were inactivated. The 6910th
formed group; and (4) the downgrading from groups to
Security
Group
had been a mainstay of USAFSS operations
squadrons of three USAFSS tenant units.
in Europe since December 1953, while the 6994th Security
Squadron served as the Command’s unit in Vietnam during
On 21 May 1974, Major General H. P. Smith assumed
the war. At one time, the 6994th Security Squadron and its
command of USAFSS, replacing Major General (later Lieudetachments operated the mission equipment aboard some
tenant General) Walter T. Galligan who was reassigned as
48 EC-47 aircraft in South Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and
commander of 5th Air Force at Fuchu Air Station, Japan.
Thailand.
General Smith came to USAFSS from the
Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) where he
On 1 July 1974, the Consolidated
served as Deputy Director for Intelligence.
Security Operations Center, a joint USAFSS
and Army Security Agency was activated
On 30 June 1974, USAFSS was authorized
in San Antonio, Texas, at Lackland Air Force
18,017 personnel — 1,069 officers, 14,427
Base Annex (formerly Medina Base).
enlisted, and 2,521 civilians.
In the face of constant reductions, the
only solution for USAFSS was to find ways
to do the job better. The Command’s Rivet
Joint modernization proposal, which the
Secretary of Defense approved on 29 July
1974, represented one approach toward
improved operations. It was aimed at replacing the obsolete equipment in the 12-aircraft
Rivet Joint fleet.
When the last C-47 Airborne Radio
Direction Finding aircraft returned to its base
24
The United States Air Force Security
Service deployed a 114-man emergency
reaction unit to San Vito, Italy, for 60 days
resulting from the Cypriot/Cretan Crisis.
Major General H. P. Smith,
commanded USAFSS from 21
May, 1974-10 August 1975.
On 16 August 1974, Greek protesters
penetrated the base perimeter at Iraklion AS,
Cr ete
(6931st
Security
Group)
inflicting considerable damage to U.S.
property located near the station’s perimeter
fence.
United States Air Force Security Service Commander,
Major General H. P. Smith, established a Crisis Management
Team (consisting of operations specialists having an intimate
knowledge of unit operations, posture, and functions) to be
available to the USAFSS Battle Staff for consultation during
future crisis situations.
Colonel (later Major General) Norma E. Brown became
the first woman to command an Air Force wing when she
assumed command of the 6940th Security Wing,
Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, on 1 December 1974.
1975
For nearly eight years, Combat Apple played a key role
in Southeast Asia operations. Then, on 30 April 1975, after
the emergency evacuation of U.S. and South Vietnamese
personnel from Saigon, the last Combat Apple mission was
flown.
The Air Force Special Communications Center (AFSCC)
was redesignated the Air Force Electronic Warfare Center
(AFEWC), effective 1 July 1975, to reflect more accurately
the Center’s EW mission and give it greater visibility
throughout the Defense Department.
(DSU) immediately responsive to requests from European
consumers, mainly USAFE, for intelligence support of a
primarily tactical nature.
United States Air Force Security Service ended an era
on 24 June 1975 when it turned in all of its administrative
aircraft — two O-2s and three C-118s — ending 24 years of
airlift support to the command headquarters. The Kelly Air
Force Base, Texas-based USAFSS Flight Operations Section
closed out operations with an unblemished flying safety
record (zero accident rate) for those 24 years, averaging 2,200
flying hours per year.
On 25 July 1975, the Turkish government ordered all U.S.
operations at Karamursel Air Station shutdown immediately,
due to an arms embargo imposed against Turkey by the U.S.
Congress.
Major General Kenneth D. Burns replaced Major
General H. P. Smith as USAFSS Commander effective 11
August 1975.
As of 31 December 1975, USAFSS was authorized 17,202
personnel — 1,042 officers, 13,684 enlisted, 1,418 civilians,
and 1,058 foreign national civilians.
Early in 1974, General John Vogt, Commander in Chief,
United States Air Forces in Europe, (CINCUSAFE), based
on his experience with
intelligence support during
the Vietnam War, established
a requirement for timely
intelligence support. Headquarters USAF decided
USAFSS could best provide
this support through its
6911th Security Squadron
(M) which would become a
direct support unit. But first
the unit had to undergo a
significant expansion of personnel, equipment, and real
estate and be moved from
Rhein Main, Germany, to
Hahn Air Base, Germany.
That happened on 25 July
1975 when it was converted
to a Direct Support Unit
Ceremonies marking the inactivation of USAFSS’ flight operations--Kelly Air Force Base, Texas,
24 June 1975.
25
1976
In June 1975, termination of the high altitude
reconnaissance dr one,
nicknamed Combat Dawn,
created an intelligence void
that was only partially
offset by introduction of the
Burning Candy RC-135.
Approval of an operation to
fill that void was stalled
until a flurry of activity in
early January 1976 pointed
Major General Kenneth D.
toward imminent activaBurns commanded USAFSS
tion of a U-2 operation from
from 1975-1979.
Osan Air Base, Korea.
When the dust settled, USAFSS was charged with manning
the system, nicknamed Olympic Game, and the 6903d
Security Squadron at Osan AB was assigned the Olympic
Game mission.
The AFEWC learned that it had been awarded the Air
Force Organizational Excellence Award for the period
1 January 1974-1 January 1976 in recognition of its
“. . . comprehensive operational electronic warfare support
to the Department of Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and all of
the military services . . .”
During the 1970s USAFSS began playing an
increasing role in supporting tactical commanders.
Here, personnel operate positions inside an ERU Hut.
26
The 6924th Security Squadron, Ramasun Station,
Thailand, which had been stationed at Da Nang AB, South
Vietnam, during the war in Southeast Asia, was deactivated
on 15 May 1976.
1977
A longtime USAFSS unit, the 6987th Security Squadron
at Shu Lin Kou Air Station, Taiwan, was discontinued on 1
April 1977.
After two years of unsuccessful negotiations between
the U.S. and Turkey to reopen operations at Karamursel, the
6933d Security Group was discontinued on 1 October 1977.
The impact of the Thailand, Taiwan, and Turkey
reductions was partially offset by reallocation of tasks and
resources to other USAFSS bases.
1978
USAFSS transferred its cryptologic school
at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, to the Air
Training Command (ATC) on 1 July 1978.
Three months later, on 1 October, USAFSS
ended 20 years of base management, transferring its last four bases — San Vito Air Station,
Italy; Iraklion Air Station, Crete; RAF
Chicksands, United Kingdom; and Misawa
Air Base, Japan — to the theater commands.
The net result was the transfer to other Air
Force commands of 17 USAFSS units, a
cryptologic training mission, 5 host bases, and
about 4,000 USAFSS personnel. Although the
outflow of personnel from the command
sometimes seemed like a flood, there occasionally was a trickle of spaces back into the command.
1980
Brigadier General Bernard
Ardisana, former USAFSS Vice
Commander for which the
USAFSS Headquarters building
was named.
The Command headquarters building (Bldg. 2000) was
named Ardisana Hall on 14 July 1978 in memory of
Brigadier General Bernard Ardisana, a longtime member of
the command and a former vice commander who died on
active duty while assigned to NSA.
The first operational application of C3CM by ESC
occurred during exercise Blue Flag 79-1, 1-10 December 1978,
at Hurlburt Field, FL.
1979
Major General Doyle E. Larson replaced Major General
Kenneth D. Burns as USAFSS Commander effective 19 January 1979. General Larson was the last USAFSS Commander
and the first ESC Commander.
The ESC Comfy Olympics program
was officially created 1 January 1980 to
identify and recognize ESC’s most talented
individual enlisted technicians. Modeled
after the Strategic Air Command’s annual
missile, bombing and munitions
competitions, the objectives of the program
were to improve technical performance and
proficiency and recognize and reward
technical excellence command-wide.
The Air For ce Cryptologic Depot
(AFCD) was redesignated the Air Force
Cryptologic Support Center (AFCSC)
effective 1 February 1980.
Construction of a Document Destruction System (DDS)
as an addition to Ardisana Hall, Kelly Air Force Base, Texas,
was completed on 19 March 1980 at a cost of $74,200.
DIRNSA assigned the Ladylove mission to ESC
effective 31 March 1980.
Headquarters USAF established the Directorate of Electromagnetic Combat (AF/XOE), DCS/Operations, Plans,
and Readiness, in support of the ESC mission on 30 April
1979.
The Joint Electronic Warfare Center (JEWC) was activated at Kelly Air Force Base, Texas, on 1 October 1980 and
functioned under the direction of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
through the Director of Operations, Joint Staff. Major
General Doyle E. Larson, also assigned as ESC Commander,
was assigned as Director of the JEWC.
On 1 February 1979, USAFSS transferred operation and
maintenance of its Telecommunications Center to Air Force
Communications Service (now Air Force Communications
Command).
The ESC emblem was approved on 12 February 1980 and
became official 1 March 1980. There was no motto selected
at that time. The command did not have a motto until the
old USAFSS motto, Freedom Through Vigilance, was selected
in 1987.
On 17 July 1979, Major General Larson officially opened
the Command Alert Center.
Transfer of the SCI adjudication function and spaces from
ESC to AFIS/INS was completed during July 1980.
Headquarters USAFSS was redesignated the Headquarters Electronic Security Command (ESC), effective 1 August
1979, because of its broader electronic warfare (EW)
responsibilities. The units assigned to USAFSS were
automatically transferred to ESC.
The first modernized Rivet Joint Block III aircraft was
delivered.
27
The HQ 6910th Electronic
Security Wing was activated at
Lindsey Air Station, Germany,
ef fective 1 July 1981, to
perform in-theater planning
with USAFE and other service
staffs on ESC’s C3CM and tactical intelligence support
missions.
This included
performing peacetime, exercise,
contingency and wartime
planning for intelligence and
C3CM programs/projects.
The Air Staff tasked ESC on
30 September 1980 to take the
lead in getting a Red Force Team
(Constant Spur) underway to
employ adversary C3CM actions
against friendly operators (combat crews, weapons controllers,
communications) and C3 facilities in order to train them in a
degraded C3 environment, and
stress friendly C3 systems.
On 3 November 1980, Headquarters USAF directed ESC to
combine the Red Force (Constant
Spur) and Blue Force (Electronic
Support Team) programs. The
combined
program
was
designated Comfy Challenge and
the interim program was
designated Comfy Sword II.
1981
Navy Lieutenant Cmdr G. Guy Thomas received the Air
Force Officer Aircrew Member Badge on 5 January 1981,
becoming the first member of the Department of the Navy
to be awarded the Air Force wings.
The operational deployment of the first modernized
Rivet Joint aircraft to the 6988 ESS, RAF Mildenhall, United
Kingdom, took place on 9 January 1981. Completion of the
modernization of the second aircraft and its subsequent
deployment to the 6985 ESS, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska,
occurred in February 1981. Successful Block III operations
at these two units, and mixed fleet operations at Offutt Air
Force Base, Nebraska, continued throughout the year despite
frequent surge tasking and increased sortie rates. Introduction of the third, fourth, and fifth modernized aircraft into
the fleet followed in March, August, and December 1981.
Cobra Ball II was destroyed in an accident at Shemya
Air Force Station, Alaska, on 15 March 1981.
ESC began its own daily reveille and retreat ceremonies
on 1 June 1981.
The HQ ESC DCS/Operations (DO) and DCS/National
Programs (NP) merged on 1 July 1981 with NP becoming a
part of DO.
28
The 8075th Electr onic
Security Squadron (USAFR),
ESC’s first Air Force Reserve
unit, was established at Brooks
Air For ce Base, Texas, on 1
October 1981 to provide Communications Security support
for the Air Force and other DoD organizations.
The Air Force Cryptologic Support Center replaced the
Air Force Cryptologic Support Depot on 1 February
1980.
The first Coronet Guard Comfy Levi mission was flown
out of Howard Air Force Base, Panama, in an attempt to
expand U.S. capabilities in the Central American area. These
missions lasted from 8 October to 18 December 1981.
The USAFSS/ESC Alumni Association was formally
organized on 26 October 1981. The group was established
to foster continued awareness of the mission and accomplishments of the U.S. Air Force and ESC, and to provide its
members a forum for desirable social, educational, and
humanitarian services.
1982
The 6952 ESS, which provided maintenance support for
the TR-1 aircraft, was activated at RAF Alconbury, United
Kingdom, and assigned to the 6910 ESW, effective 1 January
1982, to ensure all ESC critical support requirements would
be in place prior to the Strategic Air Command’s TR-1
beddown at Alconbury in early 1983.
On 16 February 1982, HQ USAF tasked ESC to provide
integrated, all source Operations Security (OPSEC) support
to MAJCOMs, DRUs and SOAs. Support included threat
assessment and vulnerability analysis.
In August 1982, the ESC Commander directed the merger
of the Office of Assistant Chief of Staff for Total Force
A Cobra Ball RC-135 aircraft takes off. Two ESC crewmen were
killed in the crash of a Cobra Ball at Shemya, Air Force Station,
Alaska, in 1981.
Augmentation (CF) and the Reserve Affairs Office (DPB).
This was accomplished on 17 December 1982. Rationale for
the merger was that it would increase mission effectiveness
by establishing management of the entire ESC Individual
Mobilization Augmentation (IMA) Program under one
function, reporting directly to the Deputy Chief of Staff,
Personnel (DP).
On 1 October 1982, Special Agent Pat Martin, the first
Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) Counterintelligence representative, was assigned to HQ ESC reporting directly to the ESC Chief of Staff. The objective was to
establish enhanced AFOSI investigative/operational support
to HQ ESC by increasing AFOSI’s visibility/accessibility
through direct, continuing interface with HQ ESC staff
elements.
Detachment 2, Electronic Security Combat Operations
Staff (ESCOS) was activated at HQ Military Airlift Command
(MAC), Scott Air Force Base, IL, on 1 December 1982, and
assigned as an integrated directorate, responsible to the MAC
Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations. Lieutenant Colonel (Colonel selectee) Wesley Brown was assigned as Detachment
Commander in July 1983.
In December 1982, the 6924 ESS, commanded by
Lieutenant Colonel Michael S. Cassidy, was rated outstanding by the ESC IG, the first outstanding IG rating in the
history of the Command.
The first new Comfy Sword IA system was delivered to
the 6981 ESS on 17 December 1982 for initial deployment in
support of exercise Brim Frost 83. The remaining eleven
Comfy Sword IA systems were scheduled for completion
during 1983.
1983
The first TR-1 airframe was deployed to RAF Alconbury,
United Kingdom, on 10 February 1983, and the 6952 ESS
entered the era of providing direct support to intelligence
operations in Europe. Concurrent with the arrival of the
TR-1, U-2R operations in the Central European theater ceased
and ESC U-2R maintenance personnel assigned to the 6988
ESS at RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom, were transferred
to the 6952 ESS.
In February 1983, the 6960th Security Police Squadron’s
cadre was reestablished as the “Special Security Guard,”
replacing the familiar “Elite Guard.”
The ESC Hall of Honor, located in Ardisana Hall was
formally dedicated on 9 April 1983 in conjunction with HQ
ESC National Prisoner of War (POW)/Missing in Action
(MIA) observance. Major General Doyle E. Larson
delivered the welcoming remarks and former USAFSS
Commander, Major General (Ret) Carl W. Stapleton,
presented the keynote address.
Major General John B. Marks became ESC Commander
on 29 July 1983, replacing Major General Doyle E. Larson.
The Headquarters, Electronic Security, Alaska (HQ ESA)
was activated at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, effective
1 October 1983. The activation of HQ ESA strengthened the
organizational structure of ESC’s Alaskan units — the 6981
ESS at Elmendorf Air Force Base, assigned to HQ ESP at
Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, and the 6985 ESS at Eielson
Air Force Base, Alaska, assigned to HQ ESS at Offutt Air
Force Base, Neb. — by assigning both of them to a headquarters in Alaska.
29
The 6952nd ESS, RAF Alconbury, England
began supporting TR-1 operations in 1983.
The 8078th ESS (AFRES) was activated at Offutt Air Force
Base, Nebraska, on 1 October 1983. AFRES Prime Beef teams
from Indiana, Washington, and Wisconsin constructed the
squadron’s 4,000 square foot building. The unit’s mission
was to train for and conduct communications surveillance
activities in support of HQ SAC. Peacetime control of the
8078 ESS was through the Fourteenth Air Force. ESC would
gain the unit upon mobilization.
1984
1985
On 1 April 1985, DCS/Space Activities (SX) was created
from resources previously assigned to the discontinued
Directorate of Space Activities (DOZ), DCS/Operations.
The 8085th Security Police Flight (AFRES) was activated
on 10 April 1985 to augment the 6960th Security Police
Squadron during wartime. It was the first unit of its kind to
be assigned a wartime mission at HQ ESC.
Olympic Game U-2 aircraft, crashed at Osan Air Base,
Korea, on 21 May 1984 totally destroying all airborne
systems on board.
Brigadier General (later Major General) Paul H. Martin
assumed command of ESC on 17 April 1985, replacing
Major General Marks who retired.
In a formal ceremony on 29 June 1984, Mrs. Betty
Leftwich, wife of TSgt Raymond F. Leftwich, helped Major
General Marks unveil a plaque memorializing a dormitory
on Security Hill in her late husband’s name. Technical
Sergeant Leftwich, a USAFSS radio operator, was killed in
March 1967 when the EC-47 aircraft he was flying in from
Nha Trang Air Base, Vietnam, was shot down by enemy fire.
He headed a crew of three USAFSS operators assigned to
Detachment 1, 6994th Security Squadron, when his aircraft
was shot down and all crew members were killed.
On 29 April 1985, AFMPC advised ESC that the
Secretary of the Air Force had approved a new policy that
permitted Air Force women to perform airborne duty aboard
Tactical Air Force EC-130 Compass Call aircraft. This
assignment was a unique opportunity for female crypto
linguists, who in the past had limited opportunity, to serve
as aircrew members.
A second Olympic Game U-2 aircraft, crashed at Osan
Air Base on 8 October 1984, destroying the airborne system
and data link system.
On 29 October 1984, ground was broken for the 74,000
square foot addition to Ardisana Hall (Building 2000) at a
contract cost of $5,216,958.
30
Effective 8 May 1985, all people scheduled for assignment to NSA or related field activities were required to
undergo a polygraph examination prior to departing their
losing base. This screening included certain ESC positions.
The nearest AFOSI scheduled the examination which had to
be completed prior to issuance of permanent change of
station (PCS) orders. Only espionage questions were asked.
ESC assumed the Computer Security (COMPUSEC)
mission for the Air Force on 17 May 1985 with the transfer of
the Air Force Computer Security Office from Gunter Air Force
Base, AL, to AFCSC.
Chief Master Sergeant
of the Air Force (Retired)
Richard D. Kisling, a former
USAFSS Senior Enlisted
Advisor and third Chief
Master Sergeant of the Air
Force, died and was buried
in Arlington National Cemetery on 7 November 1985.
Major General John B. Marks
assumed command of ESC in
July 1983.
Phase I of the integration
of HQ ESC Communications
and Data Automation functions was implemented on 1
May 1985 with establishment
of the DCS/Information
Systems (SI).
Because of terrorist activities in Greece, the Secretary of
Defense imposed travel restrictions on U.S. military personnel. These restrictions required passengers to use MAC
airlift to the maximum extent possible. In June 1985, HQ
USAF advised Air Force personnel that PCS/TDY (temporary duty) travel from and to the CONUS would be by MAC
contract and military organic flights, routed through Rhein
Main AB, Germany, with travel to and from Greece via
military organic flights. These restrictions affected personnel movements because of the time required to complete
travel — a minimum of three days, more if assigned to
Iraklion; and an overnight stay in Athens if traveling to
Iraklion and Frankfurt. The addition of a direct flight from
Rhein Main AB, Germany, to Hellenikon AB, Greece, helped
some travelers, but not all.
During 1985, a new era in intelligence training began at
Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, with the transfer of the
Electronics Intelligence Operations Specialist Course from
Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. This transfer represented the
first in a series of moves designed to consolidate intelligence
training at the Goodfellow Technical Training Center.
1986
In March 1986, the U.S. Air Forces, Europe (USAFE) Vice
Commander (CV) reviewed the draft Compass Call organization structure which had been prepared by the ESC and
USAFE staffs in October 1985. On 28 March 1986, Major
General Martin approved 6919 ESS as the designator for the
new ESC Compass Call squadron, and on the same day,
USAFE transferred 109
manpower billets to ESC
effective 1 October 1986.
USAFE agreed to provide
ESC all facilities and equipment required to support
the USAFE Compass Call
mission. The 6919 ESS was
activated at Sembach AB,
Germany, on 1 October 1986.
In early 1983, the idea of
establishing an ESC-gained
Air National Guard (ANG)
Electronic Security Squadron (ESS) was born. The Major General Paul H. Martin
commanded ESC from 17,
large number of languageApril 1985-14 July 1989.
qualified people and
excellent ANG support available in the Salt Lake City, Utah,
area made that city a most attractive location for an ESC
Reserve Force airborne unit to support wartime and contingency operations. The idea was to fill ESC shortages of
airborne crypto linguists while saving Air Force training
funds by recruiting individuals already proficient in a
language.
Interior of COMFY Shield “I-Hut”of the
6948th ESS.
On 5 February 1986, organization of the unit was
announced publicly. Then, a Department of the Air Force
31
(DAF) letter officially announced the constitution of the unit
effective 9 April 1986, stating the unit would be allotted to
the ANG on/about 8 October 1986, with ESC as the gaining
command.
On 14 April 1986, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy aircraft
conducted a nighttime air strike against the Libyan SA-5
complex at Surte, the Al-Azziziyah Barracks in Tripoli, the
Benghazi military barracks, the Benina military airfield,
the military side of Tripoli airport, and terrorist training
facilities in the port of Sidi Bilal. Between 13-18 April, ESC
units in Europe were tasked to provide intelligence support
to U.S. activities against Libya. This support involved
special tasking for the 6917 ESG, 6931 ESS, 6950 ESG, and
RC-135/Rivet Joint crews from the 6916 ESS. HQ ESE was
the in-theater ESC executive agent for this effort. The RC135 provided intelligence support to Sixth Fleet elements
during the central Mediterranean operations and later Search
and Rescue (SAR) assistance during the search for a downed
F-111.
In 1984, then ESC Commander, Major General John B.
Marks, directed a concerted staff effort to investigate various strategies which would serve to reposture and/or
realign the command’s tactical assets to better support
exercise and wartime tasking. An outgrowth of this tasking
was a proposal to consolidate the mobile ESC assets located
at the 6913 ESS, Flak Kaserne, Augsburg, Germany, with
those of the 6918 ESS, Sembach AB, Germany, at the
Mehlingen annex of Sembach Air Base. On 15 April 1985,
ESC/CC formally proposed this initiative to USAFE/CV
who accepted and approved it on 19 July 1985. This
combined unit was to be called the 6914 ESS. On 1 October
1986, the 6918 ESS vacated its Sembach AB location and set
up at Mehlingen Annex and was renamed the 6914 ESS. The
move of the 6913 ESS (mobile) from Augsburg to Mehlingen
annex was slated for April 1987.
In August 1986, the 6990 ESG moved its operations
function from the Army facility at Torii Station to Kadena
Air Base, Okinawa, and began operations in its new facility
on 1 September 1986. This move brought the unit’s
operations and logistics functions together at one central
location on Kadena Air Base with the 961 AWACS and 376
SW. The completion of this relocation project, which began
in February 1985, brought to a close more than sixteen years
of Army service and support to the 6990 ESG.
On 8 September 1986, the ESC Office of Innovation was
established. This was to increase the emphasis and move on
with ESC’s corporate strategy for innovation. Colonel Rolf
Smith headed the office, reporting directly to the ESC Chief
of Staff.
On 1 October 1986, the following ESC units were
redesignated as ESC Divisions:
● Headquarters Electronic Security Europe (ESE),
Ramstein Air Base, Germany, was redesignated HQ European Electronic Security Division (EESD).
● Headquarters Electronic Security Pacific (ESP),
Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, was redesignated HQ
Pacific Electronic Security Division (PESD).
● Headquarters 6960th Electronic Security Wing (ESW),
Kelly Air Force Base, Texas, was redesignated HQ Continental Electronic Security Division (CESD).
Also effective 1 October 1986 was activation of HQ Space
Electronic Security Division (SESD) at Peterson AFB, Colo.,
and the inactivation of OL ES, HQ Electronic Security
Combat Operations Staff, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.
On 21 April 1986, the ESC
Command Innovation Center (IC)
was created as a special office
reporting directly to the ESC Vice
Commander. Its purpose was to institute a conscious, purposeful
search for innovative opportunities
throughout ESC. This innovation
strategy was established as an integral part of ESC’s long-range
planning process. The Center’s
first director was Lieutenant
Members of ESC’s 6948th ESS assemble the floor brace of a
Colonel John A. Lewis.
COMFY SHIELD Hut at Border Star-85, March 1985.
32
A contract award of
$5,2l6,958 was made on 2
October 1984 for a 74,100
square-foot addition to the
HQ ESC building. Construction was completed, and the
new building (2007) was
accepted in June 1986. The
Air Force Communications
Command (AFCC) took
charge of the addition for
communication installation
which was completed in November 1986. The furniture
move was completed, and the
building occupied before the
end of December 1986.
The 6919th ESS, Sembach, Air Base, Germany,
began supporting EC-130 Compass Call
operations in late 1986.
In 1986, after nearly seven years of planning, the 6903
ESG and other U.S. and Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF)
intelligence functions moved into the Korean Combat
Operations Intelligence Center (KCOIC). Despite several
significant problems with the KCOIC construction project,
the relocation of 6903 ESG mission assets from Hill 170 to
the KCOIC began, as scheduled, on 1 October 1986. By 1
November 1986, all mission equipment and support
functions were fully operational, well before the 10 December 1986 IOC date previously planned.
He served as Command Surgeon from 16 August 1984 until
his untimely death on 1 August l987.
When USAFSS was redesignated ESC in August 1979,
the command motto, Freedom Through Vigilance, was
retired and was not replaced. So, beginning on 23 December 1986, HQ ESC conducted a contest to select a motto. The
contest ended on 3 June 1987, with the announcement that,
once again, “Freedom Through Vigilance,” a motto that had
a proud heritage and special meaning for the Command,
would be the command motto.
1987
Staff Sergeant Renata Gross, 6990 ESG,
became the command’s first woman to fly on
an operational RC-135.
The auditorium of Headquarters Electronic
Security Command (ESC), building 2007 (originally known as building 2025), was designated
Bernard A. Larger Auditorium, effective 1 January 1987 in honor of Colonel Bernard A. Larger
(deceased). The rationale was that the current
Larger Auditorium (in building 2000) would
eventually be modified into office space and a
small briefing room, and the new conference
area was more in keeping with the honor to be
accorded Colonel Larger.
Colonel Leonard W. Johnson, Jr., Command
Surgeon, was killed when the single engine
plane he was flying crashed during a thunderstorm five miles south of Kokomo, Ind.
Crew members of the 6916th ESS, Hellenikon AB, Greece following the unit’s
milestone 4,000th RC-135 mission on 17 October 1986.
33
1988
On 25 January 1988, the new Security Service Federal
Credit Union building on Security Hill, Kelly Air Force Base,
Texas, opened for business. The ground breaking was held
on 1 June 1987, and the construction was completed on 22
January 1988. The Credit Union funded this building at the
cost of $460,000.
On 1 April 1988 ESC, USAFE, EUCOM, and USAEUR
signed Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for TREDS/
TRIGS management. The MOA established the TREDS/
TRIGS Director in charge of the effort to combine the two
intelligence disciplines into a coordinated effort. It formed
a Mission Development and Control Element (MDCE)
composed of the operations officers of the 7451st Tactical
Intelligence Squadron (TIS); the 6911 ESS; and Det Hahn, 66th
Military Intelligence Brigade.
Torii Station home of the 6990th ESG’s operations
and logistics functions until 1986.
ESC’s first and only Air National Guard unit, the 169
ESS, Hill Air Force Base, UT, received its Federal Recognition on 27 April 1987 and was activated on 19 September
1987.
On 8 December 1987, Major General Martin approved a
Command reorganization which would posture the
Command for the future and ensure consistency with Air
Force guidelines.
In 1987, Congress deleted funding for additional Rivet
Joint aircraft.
In support of the Department of Defense (DoD) aggressive antismoking campaign to improve health and readiness
of DoD personnel, on 1 April 1988, the ESC no-smoking
policy went into effect for Buildings 2000, 2007, and AFCSC—
smoking permitted only in the Belvedere Picnic Area.
On 15 April 1988 Major General Martin approved the
HQ ESC reorganization recommendations and forwarded
the accreditation package to HQ USAF/PR for approval—
HQ USAF approved the overall Command reorganization.
HQ USAF authority to constitute the 690 ESW, 693 ESW, and
694 ESW was dated 21 June 1988; and approval for 695 ESW
was dated 20 September 1988.
On 18 May 1988 the Chief of Staff, USAF, approved a
new mission for the AFEWC, and the first tasking to AFEWC
Construction on building 2007, January 1986.
34
COMFY SHIELD huts from the 6948th
ESS under a camouflage canopy during
an exercise--1987.
began in June. The mission was in support of EC testing
and acquisition.
On 1 June 1988 the HQ ESC reorganization became
effective. The structure of HQ ESC was refocused to
concentrate on planning and programming for the mission
needs of ESC’s four divisions, two centers, and six operational, Air Force-controlled wings in terms of manpower,
training, and equipment. The basic idea was for HQ ESC to
function as a headquarters.
On 1 June 1988 the ESC reorganization dissolved the
Constant Web Program Office, but program management
activities remained in ESC — Constant Web data base
production responsibilities were moved to AFEWC/CW and
responsibility for Constant Web hardware and software
acquisition was transferred to HQ ESC/SC.
In July 1988 Air Force Secretary Aldridge announced a
change to the combat exclusion policy for women in the Air
Force. The revised policy opened assignments of women to
Red Horse and mobile aerial port squadrons effective 8 June
1988. Additionally, the following aircraft were opened for
assignment of women effective 1 July 1988: TR-1, U-2, TU-2,
C-29 (flight check), and all EC-130 missions.
the Services’ flexibility of managing the recruitment,
retention, and compensation of civilian employees working
in intelligence functions.
1989
In March 1989 , ESC flight-tested the U-2R SENIOR SPAN
system.
In May 1989, HQ USAF approved the Gordon W.
Sommers Outstanding Civilian of the Year award.
On 26 May 1989, SENIOR SCOUT, a tactical airborne
intelligence system designed to replace COMFY LEVI, made
its first test flight.
The first Flowing Pen (Comfy Levi) mission (CF916) was
flown on 9 June 1989.
On 12 June 1989, Major General (retired) Carl W.
Stapleton, Commander of USAFSS from August 1969 until
his retirement in February 1973, died. In August 1989, the
ESC commander approved renaming the Security Hill
picnic area in honor of General Stapleton.
At HQ USAF, Major General Martin accepted the 1987
Air Force Productivity Enhancement Award for professional
excellence on 7 November 1988. The ESC success story was
attributed to creative promotion schemes, program integration at all levels, and outstanding Air Force support of key
initiatives.
Conversion of ESC and JEWC civilian employees from
competitive to the excepted service under the new Civilian
Intelligence Personnel Management System (CIPMS) took
place on 1 July 1989. Later, on 15 October 1989, the General
Manager (GM) force converted to the General Schedule (GS)
system.
On 15 December 1988, the Deputy Secretary of Defense
signed DoD Directive implementing the Civilian Intelligence
Personnel Management System. This system was to enhance
On 16 August 1989 Major General Gary W.
O’Shaughnessy assumed command of ESC, replacing Major
General Paul H. Martin who retired.
35
In October/November 1989 ESC demonstrated Tactical
Information Broadcast Service (COMFY HARVEST).
In November 1989 Brigadier General Paul L. Roberson
presented the first ESC display to the USAF Museum—an
AN/MSR-1 Communications Security monitoring van. The
AN/MSR-1 system had been replaced by COMFY SABRE.
The end of 1989 saw ESC play an active, on-the-scene
role in Operation JUST CAUSE. The 6933 ESS was involved
from beginning to end, and performed very successfully.
Other ESC involvement included Electronic Warfare
planning in the AFEWC, mission support by other ESC units,
and staff support at HQ ESC. In terms of planning and
execution, DoD officials proclaimed Operation JUST CAUSE
the most successful military operation since World War II,
and ESC people played a big part in that success.
In December 1989, CSAF opened additional aircraft to
women—the C-141, C-130, C-17, and the U-2/TR-1.
Also in December 1989, the third U-2 was deployed to
Osan AB, Republic of Korea.
Under the A-76 Commercial Activities Program, the ESC
Base Supply function would convert from a military/civilian operation to a civil service operation during 1989. However, implementation of the Most Efficient Organization for
base supply support had to be extended to 1 April 1990.
1990
On 15 March 1990, the SENIOR SCOUT system was
handed over to ESC. Then at 0737 hours on 16 March 1990,
a new era of ESC airborne operations began when SENIOR
SCOUT departed for Panama on its first operational
deployment.
On 17 May 1990, the Civilian Drug Testing Program
officially started in ESC with the testing of five volunteers.
On 25 May 1990, the 6903 ESG and Detachment 2, 9th
Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, flew U-2R Olympic Game
mission sortie number 5,000.
On 1 July 1990, Mr. Dennis B. Richburg replaced Mr.
Gordon W. Sommers as the advisor to the ESC commander.
He later became the organization’s Technical Director.
Iraq invaded Kuwait on 2 August 1990 and President
George Bush mobilized U.S. military forces for deployment
to the Persian Gulf under Operation DESERT SHIELD.
On 9 August 1990, the 6916 ESS arrived in Saudi Arabia
with two RIVET JOINT aircraft and two backend crews to
participate in Operation DESERT SHIELD.
On 11 August 1990, Colonel William C. Bender arrived
in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, to serve as ESC’s first Task Force
Director for DESERT SHIELD.
On 11 August 1990, the 6948 ESS arrived in Riyadh,
Saudia Arabia, to participate in Operation DESERT SHIELD.
On 1 October 1990, the Headquarters 2100th Communications Group (CG) was relieved from assignment to the Air
Force Communications Command (AFCC) and assigned to
ESC as a result of the transfer of Critical Intelligence
Communication (CRITICOMM) operations and maintenance
(O&M) from AFCC to ESC.
The U-2 operations against Cuba from the 6947 ESS, Key
West NAS, Fla, and OL BA, 6947 ESS, Patrick Air Force Base,
Fla, ended on 1 November 1990, with the last mission flown
on 31 October 1990.
Major General Gary W.
O’Shaughnessey, commanded
ESC from 1989-1991. He later
became the first commander of
the Air Force Intelligence
Command.
36
On 10 November 1990, the 6975th Electronic Security
Squadron, Provisional, was designated, activated, and
organized at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
A proud chapter in USAFSS and ESC history was closed
out 13 November 1990 with the deactivation of the 6916 ESS
at Hellikon AB, Greece. For almost 34 years, the men and
women of the 6916 ESS flew in the Baltic and Black Seas, the
deserts of Sudan and Egypt, the Mediterranean and Adriatic
Seas, and the Persian Gulf. Operations from this location
provided support during every momentous turn of history
in the volatile Mediterranean—the 1967 and 1973 ArabIsraeli wars, Beirut, Gulf of Sidra, TWA Flight 847 hijacking,
Achille Lauro, ELDORADO CANYON–and it was the first
ESC unit in Saudia Arabia.
1991
In February 1991, ESC became the first command in the
Air Force, and within the intelligence community, to implement a standard set of computer security application
programs designed specifically for the Computer Security
Officer (CSO).
On 1 March 1991, the Mediterranean RC-135 missions,
historically flown from Hellenikon AB, began flying from
NAS Souda Bay, Greece. ESC activated OL-RS, 6931 ESS at
Souda Bay for this purpose.
On 13 March 1991, a chapter of ESC history was closed
with the inactivation of OL RH, 6988 ESS, thus ending the
USAF Security Service/ ESC presence at Hellenikon AB,
Greece, which began on 1 December 1968, and marking an
end to ESC airborne activities in that country.
On 13 March 1991, the
command ended over 17
years of operations at
Augsburg, Germany, with
the inactivation of the 6913
ESS. During its history, the
unit provided rapid radio
relay, secure communications and command, control
and communications countermeasures support to U.S.
and allied forces.
On 31 March 1991, the
6913 ESS at Augsburg
Germany, was inactivated.
Mr. Dennis B. Richburg
became advisor to the ESC
commander on 1 July 1990.
On 25 April 1991, the 6919 ESS flew its last operational
mission, closing out another chapter in the proud history of
ESC airborne operations. The 6919 ESS was inactivated on
21 May 1991 at Sembach AB, Germany.
The last COMFY LEVI system was decommissioned on
1 July 1991.
Major Generals James R. Clapper, Jr., AF/IN, and Gary
W. O’Shaughnessy, ESC/CC, briefed Secretary of the Air
Force Donald Rice on 16 July 1991 concerning the proposed
Air Force Intelligence Command (AFIC) structure and implementation plans/time lines. The Secretary was pleased with
the planning actions and structure and gave his approval to
go-ahead with the formation of AFIC with a 1 October 1991
effective date.
On 23 August 1991, ESC accepted the SENIOR
TROUPE system as an operational asset and assigned
it to the 6948 ESS for operation and support.
On 19 September 1991, a formal retreat and closure
ceremony was conducted at Berlin’s Marienfelde,
Germany, site, and keys to the site were turned over to
the host air base group commander. The formal
closure of Marienfelde came after 26 years of existence
as one of the premier operations of the Command.
Electronic Security Command was redesignated the
Air Force Intelligence Command on 1 October 1991.
August 1990--members of the 6948th ESS deploy to Saudi Arabia in
support of Desert Shield.
On 1 October 1991 the Deputy Chief of Staff/
Operations, Collection Operations Division established
a counter-drug operation function. The function was
responsible for policy execution, and oversight
37
management of collection activities
associated with the “war on drugs.”
On 18 June, the 6949th Electronic
Security Squadron accepted operational
control of the COBRA BALL and COBRA
EYE programs.
On 15 December 1991, the 6922 Electronic Security Squadron at Clark Air Base,
Republic of the Philippines, was inactivated.
On 1 July, Headquarters, 690th
Electronic Security Group was inactivated
at Templelhof Central Airport, Germany.
On 31 December 1991, AFIC’s authorized strength was 16,388 - 1, 863 officers,
11, 693 enlisted personnel and 2, 832.
On 1 August, the 6917th Electronic
Security Group at San Vito, Italy, was
inactivated.
1992
On 17 August, AFIC supported
TASKFORCE Russia, a Department of the
Army effort in support of a U.S./Russian
Joint Commission on POW/MIAs.
On 24 January, General Merrill McPeak,
Air Force Chief of Staff, announced the
final phase in implementing the objective
wing organization structure.
On 27 August, the 600th Electronic
Security Squadron was activated at
Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, to
support the Contingency Airborne Reconnaissance System (CARS).
On 20 February, Major General
O’Shaughnessy selected “PRISM” to replace
“COMFY” as the first word of the
Command’s nickname.
On 13 April, AFIC held its first
Communications Computer Architecture
Workshop. Representatives from across the
Air Force attended.
Major General Gary W.
O’Shaughnessy accepts the new Air
Force Intelligence Command guidon
from Air Force chief of staff General
Merrill A. McPeak during activation
ceremonies at Kelly, Air Force Base,
Texas on 17 October 1991.
On 20 April, the Secretary of the Air
Force delegated AFIC the authority to
disclose information on the characteristics and performance
of key Russian and Chinese aerodynamic weapons and
related systems.
On 1 June, AFIC created the Architecture and Integration Division to develop a communications-computer
systems architecture for the command.
On 8 June, AFIC inactivated the 6985 ESS after more than
30 years of providing critical intelligence support to tactical
and national customers. The unit stood on the leading edge
of new roles in intelligence through the BURNING WIND,
COBRA BALL, and COBRA EYE missions and they left a
legacy of advancing technology as a means to accomplish
the AFIC mission. According to Major General
O’Shaughnessy, “The end of the cold war is a victory in
which every military member can take pride, but the men
and women of the 6985 ESS should take a special pride in
the key role they played in achieving this victory.”
38
1993
On 26 January, the Communications,
Computer Systems Requirements
Processing Working Group was renamed
Command, Control, Communications and
Computer (C4) Group.
On 22 February, the
AFIC commander announced the end to compliance - oriented IG inspections and introduced Quality Force Assessment.
On 15 March, the Secretary of Defense directed the
Services to consolidate their
intelligence commands/
agencies into a single intelligence element within each
service.
On 17 May, General Then Major General Kenneth A.
Merrill A. McPeak officiated
Minihan served as the first
as Major General Kenneth A.
commander of the Air
Minihan assumed command
Intelligence Agency.
of AFIC.
1994
On 1 April, Headquarters 696th Intelligence Group
inactivated at Andrews Air Force Base, Md.
On 1 June, Headquarters Air Intelligence Agency
accepted responsibility for COBRA DANE from the Air Force
Space Command.
On 30 June, Headquarters 26th Intelligence Wing
inactivated at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
ESC personnel from several units began
supporting Desert Shield Operations in early
August 1990. An RC-135 RIVET JOINT
refuels over Saudi Arabia. ESC provided
invaluable support on the ground and in the
air during Operation Desert Storm.
On 1 June, Major General Gary W. O’Shaughnessy
retired from the Air Force.
1 August 1993, AIA formed the Tactical Information
Broadcast Service (TIBS) Special Management office with
management responsibility for all DoD.
On 1 July, The Air Force Cryptologic Office (AFCO)
stood up at Fort George G. Meade, Md.
On 1 September, the Air Intelligence Agency’s Information Services Flight and Management Engineering Flight and
the Intelligence Combat Operations Staff inactivated at Kelly
Air Force Base, Texas.
On 15 September, the Joint Electronic Warfare Center
was redesignated as the Joint Command and Control
Warfare Center.
On 30 September 1994, Vigilance Memorial Park, in front
of HQ AIA, featuring a static EC-47 aircraft was dedicated.
On 10 September 1993, HQ Air Force Electronic Warfare
Center was redesignated HQ Air Force Information Warfare
Center.
On 10 October 1994, the Air Force Cryptologic Support
Center inactivated at Kelly Air Force Base, Texas.
On 1 October 1993 AFIC was redesignated the Air
Intelligence Agency, a field operating agency, under the Air
Force Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence.
On 3 October 1994, Brigadier General John P. Casciano
assumed command of AIA from Major General Kenneth A.
Minihan.
On 1 October 1993, Major General Kenneth A. Minihan
became the first AIA Commander.
On 15 November 1994, the 39th Intelligence Squadron
activated at Nellis Air Force Base, Calif.
On 1 October 1993, The 67th Intelligence Wing was
activated at Kelly Air Force, Texas.
On 30 November, 1994, the 48th Intelligence
Squadron activated at Beale Air Force Base, Calif.
On 20 December 1993, the
Operations Support Central, AIA’s
single point of contact for time sensitive intelligence, officially opened.
Members of AFIC’s 6990th ESS, Kadena, Air Base, Japan, pose with an RC-135 Rivet Joint
Aircraft--summer 1992.
39
1995
On 11 October 1995, elements of the Contingency
Airborne Reconnaissance System completed their first year
of support to Joint Task Force Southwest Asia.
On 23 February 1995, the
68th Intelligence Squadron
at Brooks Air For ce Base
celebrated its 46th anniversary. It is the oldest unit at
Brooks and one of the original four units in the Air
Intelligence Agency.
Major General John P.
Casciano assumed command
of AIA on 3 October, 1994.
On 23 February 1995,
members of the 6975th
Intelligence Squadron completed their 1000th Rivet
Joint mission in 54 months in
support of Operations
Desert Shield/Storm and
Southern Watch.
On 30 Mar 1995 after approximately 18 months of
operation, the 67th Intelligence Wing quickly became the first
and only truly worldwide Air Force intelligence organization.
1996
Major General John P. Casciano relinquished command
of the Air Intelligence Agency on 5 January 1996 to become
the Air Force’s Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence.
On 5 January 1996, Brigadier General Michael V. Hayden
assumed command of the Air Intelligence Agency.
On 28 March 1996, Brigadier General Hayden pinned
on his second star in ceremonies at Headquarters Air Intelligence Agency.
In March 1996, Headquarters Air Intelligence Agency
learned it had earned its fourth Air Force Organizational
Excellence Award for exceptionally meritorious service from
1 October 1993 to 30 September 1995 for orchestrating the
largest restructure of Air Force intelligence since 1947.
On 27 April 1995, Staff Sergeant Beth Yandow
became the first female RC-135 Rivet Joint crew member to qualify as an airborne mission supervisor.
On 23 June 1995, Brigadier General John
Casciano was promoted to Major General in ceremonies at HQ AIA.
On 30 August 1995, the 315th Training Squadron at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, announced
major alterations in intelligence officer training
courses. More unit specific training and officer/enlisted interaction formed key elements in the change.
Secretary of the Air Force, Dr. Sheila Widnall
visited the Air Intelligence Agency and the Information Warfare Center on 22-23 September 1995 for mission briefings and current overview of the Agency’s
mission. She stressed the importance of exploiting
the information domain.
The Contingency Airborne Reconnaissance System of AIA’s 10th
Intelligence Squadron beside a U-2 on the Langley Air Base flightline-1995.
On 29 September 1995, the Air Intelligence Agency held
a special remembrance ceremony on Security Hill to pay
tribute to those who gave their lives in carrying out their
unit’s missions.
40
Ground breaking ceremonies were held on 25 June 1996
for the new 67th Intelligence Wing Headquarters building.
The estimated completion date for the structure is 1998.
On 30 June 1996, the 23rd Intelligence Squadron
inactivated at Key West Naval Air Station, Fla.
The 33rd Intelligence
Squadron, Howard Air
Force Base, Panama inactivated on 30 June 1996.
On 30 September 1996,
the Air Intelligence Agency
r eported a uniformed
str ength of 11,867 people;
1,743 officers and 10,124
enlisted. The average age of
the enlisted is 31.4 years and
39.8 years for the of ficer
force.
Major General (later
Lieutenant General) Michael
V. Hayden took over as AIA
commander on 5 January
1996.
As of 30 September
1996, the annual economic
impact of the Air Intelligence
Agency in the San Antonio
area exceeded $224 million.
During exercise Blue Flag 91-1 held at the USAF Battlestaff Training School at Hurlburt, Field, Florida, in December 1996, more than 800 people participated including 50
technicians from AIA. They comprised the information
warfare support team and introduced for the first time
Measurement and Signatures Intelligence to the exercise.
1997
On 2 January 1997 AIA commander Major General
Michael V. Hayden announced the implementation of
“Global Engagement,” the new direction for Air Force
operations introduced earlier by Secretary of the Air Force
Dr. Sheila Widnall. Under this program the Air Force would
pursue six core competencies. AIA would be responsible
for the information superiority core competency.
On 15 January, Major General Hayden described the
vision of his command becoming the air force leader in
integrating and conducting information operations. In this
vision AIA will be a full service agency focused on the
complete gamut of informations operations, (gain, exploit,
attack and defend (GEDA)).
More than 50 AIA personnel supported Coalition/Green
Flag 97-3 conducted during February and March 1997 at
Nellis AFB, Nev. AIA supported RC-135 Rivet Joint and
EC-130 Compass Call operations, conducted an Electronic
Systems Security Assessment and performed other vital
AIA personnel work closely with Air Force Speical
Operations Command serving as Direct Support Operators
aboard several aircraft, including the MH-53J Pave Low III.
information operations functions. AIA participation tested
successfully the Agency’s ability to embed with the air
campaign planning element and function as part of an
integrated team at the operational level of war.
Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen visited AIA Headquarters on 27 February 1997, to receive briefings and
orientation on information warfare and the new Information Warfare Battlelab.
On 10 March 1999, Lieutenant Colonel Gerry Riley, AIA’s
chief of Plans and Requirements, announced that AIA was
revitalizing its organizational structures to meet the needs
the Agency would face in 2010.
Colonel Alan Thomas, in ceremonies at Lackland Air
Force Base’s Medina Annex, activated the 543rd Intelligence
41
Airman 2nd Class Archie Bourg, killed more than 38
years earlier, was laid to rest in Arlington National
Cemetery on 2 April 1997. Bourg was one of 17 US crew
members who lost their lives when their C-130 reconnaissance aircraft was shot down by Soviet MiG-17 jet fighters
over Armenia on September 2, 1958.
On 28-29 April 1997, Air Force commanders from the
United States and 13 North Atlantic Treaty Organization
countries visited the Air Intelligence Agency in San
Antonio. They learned about information superiority
during their stay at AIA.
On 17 June 1997, the 22nd Intelligence Squadron, Fort
Meade, Md., with service dating back to the United States
Air Service of World War I celebrated its 80th anniversary in
ceremonies conducted in part by retired Lieutenant General
James R. Clapper, former Director of the Defense Intelligence
Agency.
By the mid-1990s, Communications Security
Monitoring gaveway to full-fledged multi-mode
Electronic Security Systems Assessments
(ESSA) operations. A member of AIA’s 68th
Intelligence Squadron, Brooks, AFB, TX
conducts ESSA operations--circa 1994.
Colonel Gary Harvey assumed command of the 67th
Intelligence Wing at Kelly Air Force Base on 26 August 1997.
During 4-6 September 1997, the 390th Intelligence Squadron Kadena Air Base, Japan, commemorated 30 years of
airborne combat intelligence operations in the Pacific
Theater. The unit’s first mission focused on direct support
of RC-135 Combat Apple operations in Southeast Asia
during the Vietnam War.
Group on 14 March 1997. The new group would
provide command and control and computer and
logistics support for the MRSOC. Colonel
Thomas noted the activation of the 543rd was a
significant step toward the creation of America’s
first Information Operations Wing.
Air Force Chief of Staf f General Ronald
Fogleman opened the Air Force’s Information
Warfare Battlelab on Security Hill at Kelly AFB on
17 March 1997, thus christening the beginning of
a new era in IW operations.
On 31 March 1997, Major General Hayden
explained that AIA was rapidly becoming the Air
Force leader in integrating and conducting
information operations and would be embedding
AIA personnel into the organizations of operations
customers such as Air Mobility Command, Air
Force Material Command, Air Combat
Command’s 12th Air Force and others.
Intelligence collection operators at work at the Medina Regional SIGINT
Operations Center (MRSOC), hosted by AIA’s 93rd Intelligence Squadron.
42
On 5 September 1997, Major General Michael V. Hayden
departed AIA to become the Deputy Chief of Staff for the
United Nations Command and US Forces Korea.
On 5 September 1997, Brigadier General James E. Miller
Jr., assumed command of the Air Intelligence Agency/Joint
Command and Control Warfare Center during ceremonies
at Headquarters Air Intelligence Agency.
On 10 October 1997, the US Government signed an agreement with the Republic of Moldova, a former Soviet
republic, to purchase 21 MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter aircraft and
associated air-to-air weapons equipment. The Moldovan
MiGs soon called the National Air Intelligence Center home,
after a trip from Markulesht, Air Base, Moldova to WrightPatterson AFB Ohio by C-17.
Colonel Gary Davis assumed command of the 690th
Information Operations Group the Air Force’s first such
organization on 20 October 1997 at Kelly AFB, Texas.
On 22 December 1997, Brig. Gen. James E. Miller Jr.,
called for the establishment of an information operations
training program for USAF personnel to be taught at
Hurlburt Field, Fla. General Miller explained, “our strategic goals related to gain, exploit, defend and attack operations mandate an aggressive, Agency-wide approach to
designing, developing and delivering AIA-unique training.”
1998
Brigadier General James E.
Miller Jr., assumed command
of AIA on 5 September 1997.
By connecting an
AT&T modem to a message system and another
to a DSN line at the
Medina Regional SIGINT
Operations Center, Mr.
Bill Band, TSgt Morgan
Perkins and TSgt Tim
Sheppard enabled the Air
Force and the Department of Defense to save
about $2.5 million a year
in unnecessary charges.
Because of this new
communications link,
brought on line in January 1998, the 4416th
Intelligence Squadron
was able to fly RC-135
RIVET JOINT sorties
AIA personnel also support airborne operations on the ground.
Here a member of the 488th IS, RAF Mildenhall, England,
transcribes information gathered during a RIVET JOINT mission.
from Al Kharj Air Base, and receive all communications
support from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
On 30 January 1998, Brig. Gen. James Miller explained
that as a result of AIA’s participation in Blue Flag 98-1,
tactics analysis, previously only evident in after action
reports, took place during the course of the exercise.
Blue Flag 98-1 proved the value of information operations to air operations. In this exercise AIA arranged to bring
in live Tactical Information Broadcast Service feeds and
associated analysts. Participants expressed amazement at
the amount of information available from TIBS. The effort
to embed AIA information operators in numbered air forces
was proved during Blue Flag 98-1.
On 31 January 1998, the first SENSOR GUARD prototype was shipped from AIA to the Air Force Material
Command’s Electronic Systems Center (ESC) at Hanscom,
AFB Mass.
The 68th Intelligence Squadron at Brooks AFB, Texas,
recently became an Electronic Systems Security Analysis
Central, Continental United States. The purpose of the
initiative was to streamline operations and help
leverage personnel reductions with technological advances.
On 28 February 1998, Brigadier General Regner C. Rider,
AIA vice commander explained that the Agency’s participation in Global Engagement 97 involved an exercise aimed to
43
the future. AIA’s objective was to conduct warfare
using anticipated technological advances that might
exist in the year 2012. Sponsored by the USAF Chief
of Staff, Global Engagement 97 was designed to highlight the contributions of air and space power in joint
military operations in the 21st century. The exercise
employed the concept of Information Conditions
(INFOCONs.)
On 17 March 1998, after one year of operation,
the 820th Security Forces Group (SFG) claimed a
busy first year. Its first real-world action came in
support of Bright Star and Air Expeditionary Force
V at Sheikh Isa Air Base, Bahrain. Embedded AIA
assets in the 820 SFG provided threat assessments
and aided in the development of the Force Protection Plan.
The 316th Training Squadron at Goodfellow
AFB, Texas graduated 12 students from its first
Serbo-Croatian language course on 1 April 1998. The
80-day course taught common core knowledge and
skills cryptologic linguists require.
Artist’s concept of the new 67th Intelligence Wing Headquarters Building
on Security Hill at Kelly AFB. The structure was scheduled for
completion in 1998.
Also in April 1998, at the 123rd Intelligence Squadron at
Little Rock AFB, Arkansas one of two Air National Guard in
AIA, helped significantly in America’s drug war. The unit
processed nearly 90 percent of all C-26 aerial photographs in
the US for the identification of drug fields.
On 1 April 1998, Det 4, 67 Intelligence Group, moved to
Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill. The
detachment became the newest weapon in the Air Force information operations arsenal. Since activation in August
1997, the detachment has
used information operations to exploit the
vulnerabilities of adversaries while building a
protective wall around
AMC communications
and information systems.
Major General John R. Baker
served as AIA commander from
17 August 1998-31 January
2000.
44
The Contingency Airborne Reconnaissance System
Deployable Ground Station-2 recently completed supporting
its 400th CREEK TORCH mission. Comprised of Air Combat
Command’s 13th Intelligence Squadron and AIA’s 48th IS,
DGS-2 supports the European Commands’ intelligence
collection requirements, and protects NATO Stabilization
Forces in the Balkans.
Colonel Harold Beatty assumed command of the Air
Force Technical Applications Center, an administratively
supported unit of AIA, in ceremonies at Patrick AFB, Florida
on 15 July 1998.
On 15 July 1998, Major General John Casciano, Director
of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance on the Air
Staff, joined Colonel Craig Koziol, 17th Training Group
Commander, in dedicating a MiG-29 Fulcrum Static Display
Aircraft at Goodfellow AFB, Texas. The United States purchased the MiG-29 from Moldova. The group also received
a MiG-23 Flogger G, an SA-4 surface-to-air missile launcher
with two missiles and other assorted equipment.
The USAF Chief of Staff approved the first information
operations doctrine AFDD. The doctrine, released on
5 August 1998, defines information operations as consisting
of two pillars: information in warfare and information
warfare. IIW encompasses all intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance, weather, precision navigation and dissemination activities. IW encompasses the offensive and
defensive aspects of psychological operations, electronic
warfare, deception, destruction, and information defend and
attack activities.
on-base and in the community during General Baker ’s
tenure as commander of PACAF’s 18th Wing, Kadena Air
Base, Japan.
At the end of 1998, AIA had a strength of 14,048 personnel; 1,826 officers, 10,083 enlisted and 2,139 civilians.
1999
Mr. Dennis H. Alvey assumed duties as Executive
Director of AIA in January 1999, replacing Mr. Dennis B.
Richburg who retired in 1998.
An Air Force Special Operations Command EC-130E
Commando Solo aircraft visited Kelly AFB, and highlighted
the Agency’s Psychological Operations mission.
After almost 50 years of service the Technical Operations
Division at McClellan AFB, Cailfornia closed its doors and
inactivated effective 9 April 1999. The division, part of AIA’s
Administratively supported unit, under the Air Force
Technical Applications Center, had been that organizations
largest unit.
Mr. Robert P. Egger ended half a century of service to
the United States when he retired as AIA’s Chief of Security
on 10 September 1999.
Inside the Agency’s Information Operations Central (IOC),
at Kelly AFB, TX.
On 17 August 1998, Brigadier General John R. Baker
assumed command of the Air Intelligence Agency and Joint
Command and Control Warfare Center in ceremonies at Kelly
AFB. After relinquishing command of the Agency, Brig. Gen.
James E. Miller retired from the Air Force after more than
29 years of service.
On 17 August 1998, command responsibility for the Joint
Command and Control Warfare Center transitioned to the
United States Atlantic Command, Norfolk, Virginia. The
JC2WC provides direct command and control warfare
support to operational commanders around the world.
Effective 2 October 1998, Mr. Dennis B. Richburg, AIA
Technical Director, retired after a civilian and military career
that spanned nearly four decades.
During the month of November 1998, AIA commander
Brig. Gen. John R. Baker and his wife Judy, received the
General and Mrs. Jerome F. O’Malley award for their work
Mr. Dennis H. Alvey became
AIA Executive Director in
January 1999.
45
On 17 September 1999, Maj. Gen. John R. Baker presided
over ceremonies at AIA on national POW/MIA Recognition
Day in honor of POW/MIAs whose contributions were
honored and highlighted.
Maj. Gen. John Baker, AIA commander, opened the AIA
Heritage Center on 24 September 1999. The Heritage
Center, which featured several different displays portraying
the history of intelligence and the legacy of AIA, was the
only facility of its type in the Air Force dedicated to the
memory of Air Intelligence.
AIA’s manning at the end of fiscal year 1999 totaled
13,722. The agency was comprised of 1,811 officers, 9,834
enlisted members and 2,077 civilians.
In December 1999, Headquarters AIA’s Psychological
Operations Division completed its second year of operations
with an enlarged staff of nine, augmented by Air Force
Reserve Officers and the designation as the Air Force PSYOP
Center of Excellence.
2000
On 14 January 2000, ceremonies were held in front of
building 2000 dedicating two Vietnam era aircraft, an O-2
Skymaster Psychological Operations Aircraft and an AQM34L Remotely Piloted Vehicle (RPV) Reconnaissance Drone.
Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Frederick J. Finch
joined AIA commander Maj. Gen. John Baker in the
dedication ceremonies.
On 31 January 2000, Brigadier General Bruce A. Wright,
formerly the deputy director for information operations on
the Joint Chiefs of Staff, assumed command of AIA from
Maj. Gen. John R. Baker.
On 21 April 2000, Brigadier General Bruce A. Wright
pinned on his second star in ceremonies at Headquarters Air
Intelligence Agency.
46
Major General Bruce A. Wright
took over as AIA commander
on 31 January 2000. He was
promoted to Major General on
21 April 2000.
Vigilance Memorial Park, located in front of the AIA Headquarters building, San Antonio, Texas.
USAFSS/ESC/AFIC/AIA
Vice Commanders
Col David Wade
Col Francis B. O”Donnell
Brig Gen H. H. Bassett
Brig Gen Edgar A. Sirmyer
26 Oct 48- 5 Sep 50
6 Sep 50- 1 Jun 51
2 Jun 51 - 13 Feb 53
14 Feb 53- 3 Jan 57
Vacant
4 Jan 57 - 18 May 58
Maj Gen John Ackerman
19 May 58- 3 Jun 60
Brig Gen Richard P. Klocko
1 Jul 60 - 31 Aug 61
Brig Gen Louis E. Coira
1 Sep 62- 15 Oct 65
Brig Gen Arthur W. Kellond
16 Oct 65 - 31 Jul 66
Brig Gen Carl W. Stapleton
1 Aug 66 - 19 Jul 69
Vacant
20 Jul 69 - 2 Nov 69
Brig Gen Ernest F. John
3 Nov 69- 18 Jan 71
Brig Gen George K. Sykes
19 Jan 71-14 Feb 72
Brig Gen Erwin A. Hesse
15 Feb 72-30 Jun 74
Vacant
1 Jul 74-25 Sep 74
Brig Gen Richard G. Collins
26 Sep 74-30 Jun 75
Brig Gen Kenneth D. Burns
1 Jul 75- 11 Aug 75
Vacant
12 Aug 75-26 Aug 75
Brig Gen Bernard Ardisana
27 Aug 75-9 Jun 77
Col Paul M. Ingram
10 Jun 77- 13 Jul 80
Col Paul H. Martin
14 Jul 80- 29 Jul 81
Col Lester R. Mellott, Jr.
Brig Gen Regis F. A. Urschler
30 Jul 81-12 May 82
13 May 82- 31 May 85
Brig Gen Grover E. Jackson
1 Jun 85- 2 Jul 87
Brig Gen Paul L. Roberson
3 Jul 87-31 May 90
Brig Gen Graham E. Shirley
1 Jul 90- 29 Sep 92
Brig Gen David L. Vesely
1 Sep 92- 28 Mar 94
Vacant
29 Mar 94- 29 May 94
Brig Gen Robert T. Osterthaler
30 May 94- 31 May 94
Col Neal T. Robinson (Interim)
1 Jun 95- 14 Jul 95
Brig Gen Jeffrey S. Pilkington
15 Jul 95- 1 Aug 96
Vacant
Brig Gen Regner C. Rider
Brig Gen Paul J. Lebras
Brig Gen Carol Elliott
2 Aug 96- 13 Aug 96
14 Aug 96- 23 May 98
23 May 98- 25 Oct 99
26 Oct 99-Present
COMMANDERS
UNITED STATES AIR FORCE SECURITY SERVICE
20 Oct 48 - 1 Aug 79 (USAFSS)
Col Roy H. Lynn
Col Travis M. Hetherington
26 Oct 48 * - 5 Jul 49
6 Jul 49 - 21 Jan 51
Col J. Paul Craig (Acting)
22 Jan 51 - 5 Feb 51
Col William T. Smith (Acting)
6 Feb 51 - 21 Feb 51
Maj Gen Roy H. Lynn
Maj Gen Harold H. Bassett
Maj Gen Gordon A. Blake
Maj Gen John Ackerman (Temporary)
Maj Gen Millard Lewis
22 Feb 51 - 13 Feb 53
14 Feb 53 - 3 Jan 57
4 Jan 57 - 5 Aug 59
6 Aug 59 - 20 Sep 59
21 Sep 59 - 31 Aug 62
Maj Gen Richard P. Klocko
1 Sep 62 - 15 Oct 65
Maj Gen Louis E. Coira
16 Oct 65 - 18 Jul 69
Maj Gen Carl W. Stapleton
19 Jul 69 - 23 Feb 73
Maj Gen Walter T. Galligan
Maj Gen H. P. Smith
Maj Gen Kenneth D. Burns
Maj Gen Doyle E. Larson
24 Feb 73 - 20 May 74
21 May 74 - 10 Aug 75
11 Aug 75 - 18 Jan 79
19 Jan 79 - 31 Jul 79
ELECTRONIC SECURITY COMMAND
1 Aug 79 - 1 Oct 91 (ESC)
Maj Gen Doyle E. Larson
Maj Gen John B. Marks
1 Aug 79 - 28 Jul 83
29 Jul 83 - 17 Apr 85
Maj Gen Paul H. Martin
18 Apr 85 - 14 Aug 89
Maj Gen Gary W. O’Shaughnessy
15 Aug 89 - 30 Sep 91
AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE COMMAND
1 Oct 91 - 1 Oct 93 (AFIC)
Maj Gen Gary W. O’Shaughnessy
1 Oct 91 - 17 May 93
Maj Gen Kenneth A. Minihan
18 May 93 - 1 Oct 93
AIR INTELLIGENCE AGENCY (AIA)
1 Oct 93 - Today
Maj Gen Kenneth A. Minihan
1 Oct 93 - 3 Oct 94
Maj Gen John P. Casciano
3 Oct 94 - 5 Jan 96
Maj Gen Michael V. Hayden
Brig Gen James E. Miller Jr.
Maj Gen John R. Baker
Maj Gen Bruce A. Wright
5 Jan 96 - 5 Sep 97
5 Sep 97 -17 Aug 98
17 Aug 98 -31 Jan 00
31 Jan 00-present
* Although USAFSS was established on 20 Oct 48, Colonel Lynn did not officially assume command until 26 Oct 48.
NOTE: Headquarters and staff offices listed in italics have either been redesignated, discontinued, absorbed, or merged with other
headquarters, units, or staff offices.