394th Strategic Missile Squadron

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394th Strategic Missile Squadron
(Later 377th Flight Test Missile Maintenance Squadron)
377th Missile Test Maintenance Squadron members test Mark 21 reentry vehicle.png
377th Missile Test Maintenance Squadron members test Mark 21 reentry vehicle
Active1958; 1960–1994; 2022–present
CountryFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
BranchFlag of the United States Air Force.svg  United States Air Force
Role intercontinental ballistic missile maintenance
Part of Air Force Global Strike Command
Garrison/HQ Vandenberg Space Force Base
Decorations Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award
Insignia
377th Flight Test Missile Maintenance Squadron emblem [a] 377 Flight Test Missile Maintenance Sq emblem.png
Patch with 394th Strategic Missile Squadron emblem 394 Strat Missile Sq emblem.png

The 377th Flight Test Maintenance Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit assigned to the 377th Test and Evaluation Group at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, where it supports test and evaluation of LGM-30 Minuteman and LGM-35 Sentinel missiles. The squadron was first active during 1958 as the 394th Missile Training Squadron, training missile personnel for intercontinental ballistic missiles. It was activated again in 1960 as the 394th Strategic Missile Squadron, and continued training with more modern missiles. In 1976, its mission changed to maintaining missiles used for testing, becoming the 394th Intercontinental Ballistics Missile Test Maintenance Squadron. It became the 394th Maintenance Support Squadron in 1991, and was inactivated in 1993. It was reactivated in 2022 with its current name and mission.

Contents

Mission

The squadron provides maintenance support for intercontinental ballistic missile initial operational test and evaluation and force development evaluation programs. It supports ground and flight tests to collect, analyze, and report performance, accuracy, and reliability data for the Joint Staff, United States Strategic Command, the Air Staff and Air Force Global Strike Command. [1]

History

Atlas missile preparing for launch Atlas 130D. Date- 05-15-1963 (21041377413) (2).jpg
Atlas missile preparing for launch

The squadron was first activated at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California in April 1958 as the 394th Missile Training Squadron and assigned to the 704th Strategic Missile Wing. [2] Its mission was to conduct training for SM-65 Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile operations and maintenance. [3] s. In December of that year, the squadron and the 392d Missile Training Squadron, which was the training unit at Vandenberg for intermediate range ballistic missiles, were inactivated and replaced by a single training squadron, the 576th Strategic Missile Squadron. [4]

Minuteman I test launch Boeing LGM-30A Minuteman IA Launch Cape Canaveral.jpg
Minuteman I test launch

The squadron was organized at Vandenberg a second time in July 1960 as the 394th Strategic Missile Squadron and assigned to the 1st Missile Division. [2] It acted as the training unit for LGM-30 Minuteman missiles. [5] The squadron supported all LGM-30 Minuteman test launches. [6] In 1976, its mission shifted to maintenance support for missile testing, and it became the 394th Intercontinental Ballistics Missile Test Maintenance Squadron. [2]

In September 1991, when the Air Force reorganized under the Objective Wing system, the squadron became the 394th Maintenance Support Squadron, and was reassigned to the 310th Maintenance Group. [2] When the 30th Space Wing became the single wing at Vandenberg in 1993, the squadron was transferred to the wing's 30th Maintenance Group. [2] [7] A year later, it was inactivated, [2] and its functions were transferred to the 30th Logistics Support Squadron.

Operational missile testing at Vandenberg had been conducted by the 576th Flight Test Squadron since 1991. Air Force Global Strike Command determined that with the development of the LGM-35 Sentinel missile, the 576th needed expansion, and activated the 377th Test and Evaluation Group. The 394th Squadron was redesignated the 377th Flight Test Missile Maintenance Squadron and again activated at Vandenberg in November 2022 [2] to assume the maintenance functions required by Minuteman and Sentinel testing. [8]

Lineage

Activated on 1 April 1958
Inactivated 15 December 1958
Inactivated on 1 July 1994

Assignments

Stations

Missiles

Decorations

Award streamerAwardDatesNotes
AFOUA Streamer.JPG Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 July 1963–30 June 1965394th Strategic Missile Squadron [2]
AFOUA Streamer.JPG Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 January 1970–30 June 1971394th Strategic Missile Squadron [2]
AFOUA Streamer.JPG Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 July 1974–30 June 1976394th Strategic Missile Squadron [2]
AFOUA Streamer.JPG Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 July 1977–30 June 1979394th ICBM Test Maintenance Squadron [2]
AFOUA Streamer.JPG Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 July 1982–30 June 1983394th ICBM Test Maintenance Squadron [2]
AFOUA Streamer.JPG Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 July 1984–30 June 1986394th ICBM Test Maintenance Squadron [2]
AFOUA Streamer.JPG Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 July 1986–30 June 1988394th ICBM Test Maintenance Squadron [2]
AFOUA Streamer.JPG Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 September 1991–15 May 1993394th Maintenance Support Squadron [2]
AFOUA Streamer.JPG Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 November 1991–30 September 1993394th Maintenance Support Squadron [2]
AFOUA Streamer.JPG Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award1 January 2023–31 December 2023377th Flight Test Missile Maintenance Squadron [2]

References

Notes

Explanatory notes
  1. ↑ Approved 22 August 2024.
Citations
  1. ↑ No byline (11 July 2024). "377th Test and Evaluation Group". 377th Air Base Wing Public Affairs. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Musser, James (6 January 2025). "Lineage and Honors History 377 Flight Test Maintenance Squadron (AFGSC)" (PDF). Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
  3. 1 2 "Abstract, History 1 Missile Division Jan-Dec 1958". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  4. ↑ "Abstract, History 704 Strategic Missile Wing Jan-Dec 1958". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  5. 1 2 "Abstract (Unclassified), History 1 Missile Division (Secret) Jul-Dec 1960". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  6. ↑ "Abstract (Unclassified), History 1 Strategic Aerospace Division (Secret) Jan-Dec 1985". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  7. ↑ "Abstract, Vol. 1, History 30 Space Wing Jan-Dec 1993". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  8. ↑ 377 ABW History Office (August 2024). "Kirtland Air Force Base and the 377th Air Base Wing". 377th Air Base Wing Public Affairs. Retrieved 9 May 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

Bibliography

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