8th Air Support Operations Squadron | |
---|---|
Active | 1942–1945; 1984–1991; 1994-2004; 2006–2013 |
Country | United States |
Branch | United States Air Force |
Role | Close air support operations |
Size | Squadron |
Motto(s) | Sparare Avanzere Communicare (Italian for 'Shoot, Scoot, Communicate') (After 2006) |
Engagements | European Theater of Operations Desert Storm [1] |
Decorations | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device Air Force Outstanding Unit Award [1] |
Insignia | |
8 Air Support Operations Sq emblem | |
8th Air Support Operations Group emblem [lower-alpha 1] |
The 8th Air Support Operations Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit that was last stationed at Aviano Air Base, Italy. Its first predecessor served during World War II, participating in the amphibious landings in Normandy on D-Day as the 8th Tactical Air Communications Squadron.
The squadron's second predecessor served in combat during Desert Storm as the 8th Air Support Operations Group, but was inactivated later in 1991. It was activated as a squadron at Aviano in December 2006.
The squadron's first predecessor was activated in August 1942 at Richmond Army Air Base as the 8th Communications Squadron. Although assigned to Eighth Air Force, it was attached to First Air Force for training until moving to the European Theater of Operations in January 1943. [1]
It entered combat as the 8th Tactical Air Communications Squadron on D-Day, 6 June. Its air support parties primarily served units of the United States First Army, directing air support missions for the ground forces they served. It provided six teams that made airborne and amphibious landings in the initial invasion. It continued in combat until May 1945. Following V-E Day, it became part of the occupation forces until returning to the United States in December 1945 for inactivation. It was disbanded on 8 October 1948. [1]
The second predecessor of the squadron was activated at Moehringen Army Installation, Germany in March 1984 as the 602nd Air Support Operations Center. It advised the Army's VII Corps on employment of tactical airpower. It provided the VII Corps with an air support operations center and managed the tactical air control parties for the corps’ combat maneuver units. In February 1988, the two units were consolidated into a single unit that was redesignated the 8th Air Support Operations Group the following month. The group saw combat in Southwest Asia from January through December 1991, when it was inactivated. [1]
It was reduced to a flight and activated in July 1994 at Fort Lewis, Washington. It was inactivated there in 2004. [1]
In December 2006 it was redesignated the 8th Air Support Operations Squadron and activated at Aviano Air Base, Italy. [lower-alpha 2] The squadron's main mission was to advise Southern European Task Force and the 173rd Airborne Brigade on the use of air power and provide precision terminal attack guidance of close air support aircraft. [2] Due to budget constraints, the squadron was inactivated in 2013.[ citation needed ]
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This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
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