World War II Bomber training The first predecessor of the squadron, the
466th Bombardment Squadron was activated on 15 July 1942 at
Topeka Army Air Base, Kansas as one of the four original squadrons of the
333d Bombardment Group. In August, it began operating as an
Operational Training Unit (OTU) for
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress units. The OTU program involved the use of an oversized parent unit to provide
cadres to "satellite groups" The OTU program was patterned after the unit training system of the
Royal Air Force. The parent assumed responsibility for satellite unit training and oversaw their expansion with graduates of
Army Air Forces Training Command schools to become effective combat units. Phase I training concentrated on individual training in
crewmember specialties. Phase II training emphasized the coordination for the crew to act as a team. The final phase concentrated on operation as a unit. Later that year, the squadron traded its Flying Fortresses for
Consolidated B-24 Liberators. The squadron mission changed to becoming a
Replacement Training Unit (RTU). RTUs were also oversized units, but their mission was to train individual
pilots or
aircrews. It continued this mission through November 1943. The 466th and other training and support units at Dalhart were disbanded or inactivated on 1 April 1944 In 1985, the squadron was consolidated with the active
966th Airborne Warning and Control Training Squadron. when the
1st Air Commando Group reorganized its light plane and light cargo sections into three liaison squadrons. It moved to
Yazagyo Airfield, Burma in November 1944 and began operations with its
Stinson L-5 Sentinels and
Noorduyn C-64 Norseman. It flew
aeromedical evacuation missions and provided light transport services for ground forces in Burma until May 1945, when it was withdrawn to Burnpur Airfield. Once Cuba was no longer a friendly power, similar coverage was extended over the Gulf of Mexico and adjacent waters. The 551st Wing began sending crews to
McCoy Air Force Base, Florida on temporary duty to provide this coverage. The
966th Airborne Early Warning and Control Squadron was organized on 1 February 1962 at McCoy to provide the coverage on a permanent basis. Initially, the squadron also operated the
Lockheed TC-121 Constellation for training aircrews. In addition to its primary active
air defense mission, the squadron assisted with
antisubmarine patrols and developed weather information in its area of operations. It occasionally supported
Strategic Air Command and
Military Airlift Command operations. It supported
NASA by tracking rocket boosters as they fell back into the ocean after test launches. Along with the deployment of
Navy Grumman WF-2s to
Key West Naval Air Station, this enabled the maintenance of three separate airborne warning tracks off southern Florida, rather than the single orbit usually maintained. On 3 December, the forces augmenting the 966th were released and the squadron resumed its normal posture. The squadron was reassigned to the 552d Wing in May 1963. In July 1969, the squadron was returned to the control of the 551st Wing. It was inactivated along with the
wing on 31 December 1969. In addition to its assigned E-3s, the squadron has also operated two civilian
Boeing 707s to train flight crews. In December 1983, academic training was split off from the squadron with the formation of the 552nd Training Squadron, which also serves as the administrative unit for students in initial and upgrade training. It was redesignated the
966th Airborne Air Control Squadron in July 1994, although its mission did not change. ==Lineage==