12th Space Warning Squadron

Last updated

12th Space Warning Squadron
12th Space Warning Squadron emblem (2).png
Squadron emblem
Active1967 – present
CountryFlag of the United States.svg  United States
BranchFlag of the United States Space Force.svg  United States Space Force
RoleMissile Detection and Warning
Part of Space Delta 4
Headquarters Pituffik Space Base, Greenland
Motto(s)Top of the World
Decorations Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Commanders
Current
commander		Lt Col Brian Moore
Insignia
Former 12th Missile Warning Squadron emblem 12th Space Warning Squadron.png
Former 12th Missile Warning Squadron emblem, c. 1994 12 Space Warning Sq emblem (1994).png
12th Missile Warning Group emblem 12 Missile Warning Gp emblem.png

The 12th Space Warning Squadron is a United States Space Force ground-based radar used for missile warning, missile defense, and space situation awareness, stationed at Pituffik Space Base, Greenland.

Contents

Overview

The primary mission of the 12th SWS is to provide critical, real-time missile warning, defense, and space surveillance to the President of the United States, Secretary of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, NORAD, and unified commands by operating a phased-array radar—which continuously provides warning of submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) and intercontinental ballistic missile attacks against North America—and detect, track, and identify earth-orbiting objects in support of USSTRATCOM's space control mission, thus "knitting a blanket of freedom".

The 12th Space Warning Squadron is a unit of the Space Delta 4 which is under Air Force Space Command.

To accomplish its mission, the squadron operates the solid-state phased-array radar located at the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMEWS), Site I. The BMEWS site is located approximately 11 miles northwest of Pituffik SB 76°34′08″N68°19′05″W / 76.569°N 68.318°W / 76.569; -68.318 . It provides early warning detection of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches from the Russian land mass and submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) launches from the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans against North America. Additionally, BMEWS keeps track of polar orbiting satellites. The operational crews report through the Missile Warning Center to the NORAD/USNORTHCOM Center.

The Operation Support Flight (DOO) provides direct operational support to the missile warning crews. The flight's Operations Training Section (DOT) provides all crew force initial, recurring, and supplemental training. Other flight responsibilities include hardware, software and maintenance support (MA), operational test and evaluation (DOV), and crew force management (DOU).

History

The 12th SWS was formed in January 1967 as a successor organization to the Air Defense Command 931st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, which was inactivated at the end of 1965. The 931st AC&WS operated a series of Ground-Control Intercept (GCI) radar sites in Greenland to detect intrusion of unknown aircraft. The squadron relayed information to the 64th NORAD Region Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) system DC-31 Direction Center, and interceptor squadrons stationed at Thule Air Base.

With the development of ICBM and SLBM technologies, the mission to monitor aircraft coming over the horizon from the Soviet Union was transferred to other units, and the 931st AC&WS at Thule AB was inactivated.

Lineage

Activated on 1 January 1967
Redesignated 12th Missile Warning Group on 31 March 1977
Redesignated 12th Missile Warning Squadron on 15 June 1983
Redesignated 12th Missile Warning Group on 1 October 1989
Redesignated 12th Space Warning Squadron on 15 May 1992

Assignments

Bases stationed

Equipment operated

Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMEWS) [1]

List of commanders

StartEndCommander
June 2002June 2003Lt Col Shawn Barnes
June 2003June 2004Lt Col Thomas Doyne
June 2004June 2005Lt Col Franklin "Joey" Hinson Jr
June 2005June 2006Lt Col Scott Peel
June 2006June 2007Lt Col Timothy Lincoln
June 2007June 2008Lt Col James Forand
June 200826 June 2009Lt Col David O. Meteyer
26 June 2009February 2010Lt Col James Oldenburg
February 20103 June 2010Lt Col Kimberly Damalas (appointed)
3 June 201016 June 2011Lt Col Jeffrey Van Sanford
16 June 201121 June 2012Lt Col Christopher S. Putman
21 June 201211 July 2013Lt Col Gregory G. Karahalis
11 July 2013June 2014Lt Col Kelly S. Easler [2]
June 2014June 2015Lt Col Jason Resley [3]
June 2015June 2016Lt Col Marc A. Brock [4]
June 2016June 2017Lt Col David L. Ransom
8 June 2017June 2018Lt Col Carl B. Bottolfson [5]
7 June 2018June 2019Lt Col Neil A. Menzie [6]
~June 201924 June 2020Lt Col Jared Smith [7]
24 June 2020~June 2021Lt Col Brandon Alford [8]
June 2021June 2022Lt Col Christopher R. Hill [9]
June 2022June 2023Lt Col April Foley [10]
June 2023PresentLt Col Brian Moore

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References

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

  1. ↑ 12th Space Warning Squadron Fact Sheet Archived 15 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ↑ "Kelly S. Easler". LinkedIn .[ user-generated source ]
  3. ↑ "Jason Resley". LinkedIn .[ user-generated source ]
  4. ↑ "Colonel Marc A. Brock".
  5. ↑ "12th Space Warning Squadron welcomes new commander".
  6. ↑ "12 SWS Change of Command".
  7. ↑ "Front Range commanders visit Thule".
  8. ↑ "12th SWS changes command at Thule AB".
  9. ↑ "Christopher R. Hill". LinkedIn .[ user-generated source ]
  10. ↑ "This past month, the 12th Space Warning Squadron, Thule AFB, Greenland, thanked Lt Col Christopher Hill for his service as Commander of 12SWS and welcome Lt Col April Foley as she officially takes command". Facebook . 15 July 2022.[ user-generated source ]
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