152d Air Operations Group

The 152d Air Operations Group's primary day-to-day mission is to augment and support the 603d Air Operations Center, located at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, a part of United States Air Forces Europe (USAFE). The 603d AOC and 152d AOG work together to set up and run an AN/USQ-163 "Falconer" weapons system, for the European and African theater of operations.

Squadrons

• 152 Combat Operations Squadron - Commander, Col Doreen Chemotti------------------------------ Superintendent, CMSgt Toby French
• 152 Air Communication Squadron - Commander, Lt Col Doug Schafer----------------------------------------- Superintendent, CMSgt Brian Matthews
• 152 Air Intelligence Squadron - Commander, Col Robinson Ihle, ----------------------------------------------- Superintendent, CMSgt Daniel Lasky

The Air Operations Center (AOC) is the senior element of the Theater Air Control System. In the event of hostilities, the Joint Force Commander assigns a Joint Forces Air Component Commander (JFACC) to lead the AOC weapon system. Quite often the Commander, Air Force Forces (COMAFFOR) is assigned the JFACC position for planning and executing theater-wide air and space forces. When there is more than one service working in the AOC it is called the Joint Air and Space Operations Center. In cases of Allied or Coalition (multinational) operations, the AOC is called a Combined Air and Space Operations Center.

There are usually five divisions in the AOC. These separate, but distinct, organizations fuse information that eventually becomes the Air Tasking Order. The divisions are the Strategy Division, the Combat Plans Division, the Combat Operations Division, the Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance Division and the Air Mobility Division. The Air Communications Squadron supports all aspects of the mission systems and ensures they have the tools needed to generate the Air Tasking Order and execute Air power.

The AN/USQ-163 Falconer is the weapons systems used by the JFACC and within Air Operations Centers by the United States Air Force combat forces to plan and execute military missions utilizing airborne resources. It is used to generate the Air Tasking Order and execute Air power.

The 152d Air Operations Group was initially established at Fort Clayton in the Signal Corps during 1939 as the Signal Aircraft Warning Company, Panama. In 1942 the company expanded to battalion size. It provided air defense of the Panama Canal Zone until December 1942, when it was inactivated.

The battalion, now the 558th Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion was activated again in the China Burma India Theater in 1944. The 558th served in combat until the surrender of Japan and remained in theater until January 1946, when it returned to the United States and was inactivated.

In March 1946, the battalion was transferred to the Air Corps, redesignated the 152d Aircraft Warning and Control Group and allotted to the National Guard.

In March 1948, the group was activated and federally recognized in the New York Air National Guard at Westchester County Airport as the air control element of the 52d Fighter Wing. It was assigned three aircraft warning and control squadrons in New York and New Jersey, and an aircraft control squadron stationed with the group headquarters.

In August 1951 the group and its squadrons were called to active duty in the expansion of the United States Air Force during the Korean War and moved to Grenier Air Force Base, New Hampshire as part of Air Defense Command (ADC). The unit did not deploy to Korea, instead it moved to Canada where it operated new radar sites being constructed for Northeast Air Command. In December the group was inactivated and returned to state control.

The unit was moved to the White Plains Armory and eventually to Roslyn Air National Guard Station on Long Island. The mobilization command for the group changed from ADC to Tactical Air Command (TAC). In 1954, the unit was redesignated the 152d Tactical Control Group and changed its mission from air defense to control of tactical aircraft in both offensive and defensive combat. The group was called to active duty during the Berlin Crisis of 1961 and deployed to Germany, where it operated a network of radar sites until being once again returned to state control in 1962.

In 1984 the 152d moved to Hancock Field Air National Guard Base, near Syracuse. It became the 152d Air Control Group in 1992 as the Air Force dropped the terms "Tactical" and "Strategic" from its units names with the inactivation of TAC and Strategic Air Command. Air Combat Command became the new mobilization command for the 152d.

In 2000, the unit's federal mission was changed to augment the Air Operations Center at Ramstein Air Force Base, Germany, for the United States Air Forces Europe (USAFE). The Air Operations Center provides planning, direction, and control of assigned Air Forces. They also direct activities of forces and monitor actions of both enemy and friendly forces.

• Activated in December 1939 as the Signal Aircraft Warning Company, Panama

Redesignated 558th Signal Battalion, Aircraft Warning on 15 January 1942

Inactivated on 1 December 1942

Redesignated 558th Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion and activated on 10 August 1944

Inactivated on 11 January 1946

• Converted, redesignated 152d Aircraft Warning & Control Group on 24 May 1946 and allotted to the National Guard

Extended federal recognition and activated on 15 Mar 1948

Called to active duty on 1 August 1951

Inactivated on 20 Dec 1952 and returned to the National Guard

Extended federal recognition and activated on 20 Dec 1952

Redesignated 152d Tactical Control Group on 1 December 1954

Federalized and placed on active duty in Oct 1961

Released from active duty and returned to New York state control c 1 Nov 1962

Redesignated 152d Air Control Group c. 16 June 1992

Redesignated 152d Air Operations Group on 1 August 1996

Federalized and placed on active duty in December 2001

Released from active duty and returned to New York state control

Federalized and placed on active duty in January 2003

Released from active duty and returned to New York state control in February 2003

• AN/USQ-163 Falconer

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

• Gross, Charles J (1996), The Air National Guard and the American Military Tradition, United States Dept. of Defense, ISBN 0160483026

• New York Air National Guard website
• 152d Air Operations Group
• 152d AOS History and Lineage