Lineage. Organized as Company A, 2 Balloon Squadron on 25 Sep 1917. Redesignated as 1 Balloon Company on 19 Jun 1918. Inactivated on 25 Jul 1922. Redesignated 1 Airship Company on 24 Mar 1923. Consolidated (31 Jul 1929) with 1 Balloon Company, which was constituted on 18 Oct 1927, and activated, on 17 May 1929. Redesignated 1 Balloon Squadron on 1 Oct 1933. Disbanded on 6 Feb 1942. Reconstituted and consolidated (19 Sep 1985) with: 1 Ferrying Squadron which was constituted as 1 Air Corps Ferrying Squadron on 18 Feb 1942, activated on 15 Apr 1942, redesignated 1 Ferrying Squadron on 12 May 1943, disbanded on 1 Apr 1944; and the 1 Airborne Command Control Squadron, which was constituted on 9 May 1969 and activated on 1 Jul 1969. Consolidated unit retained the designation of 1 Airborne Command Control Squadron.
Assignments. Unkn, 25 Sep 1917–1918; Balloon Wing, I Army Corps, Jul 1918; Balloon Group, I Army Corps, 8 Oct 1918; Balloon Group, III Army Corps, c. 20 Nov 1918–16 Apr 1919; Balloon School, Ross Field, CA (later, Air Service Balloon Observers School), Jul 1919; Ninth Corps Area, 30 Jun–25 Jul 1922. Sixth Corps Area, 17 May 1929; Field Artillery School, Jun 1929; III Air Support Command (attached to Field Artillery School), 1 Sep 1941–6 Feb 1942. 6 Ferrying Group, 15 Apr 1942–1 Apr 1944. 1 Composite Wing, 1 Jul 1969; 55 Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, 1 Nov 1975; 55 Operations Group, 1 Sep 1991; 595 Command and Control Group, 1 Oct 2016-.
Stations. Ft Omaha, NE, 25 Sep 1917; Garden City, NY, 30 Nov–7 Dec 1917; Camp de Souge, Gironde, France, 3 Jan 1918; Brouville (near Baccarat), France, 15 Apr 1918; Les Ecoliers (near Montreuil-aux-Lions), France, 19 Jul 1918; Epaux-Bezu, France, 22 Jul 1918; Epieds, France, 25 Jul 1918; Artois Ferme (near Courpoil), France, 28 Jul 1918; Mareuil-en-Dole, France, 5 Aug 1918; Courcelles-sur-Vesle, France, 13 Aug 1918; Tremblecourt, France, 23 Aug 1918; La Queue de Theinard (near Domevre-en-Haye), France, 29 Aug 1918; Bois de Brule (near Neuvilly-en-Argonne), France, 27 Sep 1918; Varennes-en-Argonne, France, 2 Oct 1918; Chatel-Chehery, France, 11 Oct 1918; Auzeville-en-Argonne, France, 17 Oct 1918; Mercy-le-Bas, France, 21 Nov 1918; Euren, Germany, 8 Dec 1918; Niederberg (near Coblenz), Germany, 19 Dec 1918; Colombey-les-Belles, France, 17 Apr 1919; St Nazaire, France, c. 5 May 1919–unkn; Camp Lee, VA, c. 6 Jun 1919; Ross Field, CA, Jul 1919–25 Jul 1922. Scott Field, IL, 17 May 1929; Post Field, OK, 24 Jun 1929–6 Feb 1942. Long Beach, CA, 15 Apr 1942–1 Apr 1944. Andrews AFB, MD, 1 Jul 1969; Offutt AFB, NE, 1 Jul 1977–.
Commanders. Unkn, 25 Sep 1917-25 Jul 1922. Unkn, 17 May 1929-6 Feb 1942. Unkn, 15 Apr 1942-1 Apr 1944. Lt Col Earl L. Bryant, 1 Jul 1969; Col Homer H. Speer Jr., 1 Sep 1973; Lt Col Paul J. Orr, 1 Jul 1977; Lt Col William J. Lytle Jr., 1 Jan 1980; Lt Col Barry A. Walrath, 1 May 1980; Lt Col John B. Sams Jr., 22 Sep 1982; Lt Col Donald K. Eye, 15 Jun 1984; Lt Col Michael Leydorf, 9 Dec 1986; Lt Col Rodney P. Bosserdet, 21 Dec 1988; Lt Col Lionel G. Smith, 27 Apr 1990; Lt Col Michael P. Shannon, 27 Apr 1992; Lt Col Arvil V. Taylor Jr., 13 May 1994; Lt Col Frank W. Meyer, 7 Nov 1994; Lt Col Stephen D. Graf, 24 Jun 1997; Lt Col Louis LaPorte, 17 Jun 2005; Lt Col Russell Mammoser, by Mar 2007-.
Aircraft. Type R Observation Balloon, 1918–1919, 1919–1922. A–6 and A–7 Spherical Balloon, 1929–1942; C–3 Observation Balloon, 1929–c. 1939; C–6 Observation Balloon, 1937, 1938–c. 1942; D–2 Barrage Balloon, 1939; D–3, D–4, D–5, and D–6 Barrage Balloon, 1940–1942. Unkn, 1942–1944. EC–135J, 1969–1975; E–4, 1974–.
Operations. Observation unit on front lines with French Eighth Army and American I Army Corps, 19 Apr–17 Oct 1918; served with III Army Corps as part of occupation forces, Nov 1918–Apr 1919. Ferried aircraft from factories in the Western Procurement District to overseas departure points, Apr 1942–Mar 1944. Beginning in 1969, provided aircraft for National Emergency Airborne Command Post (NEACP) in support of Presidential requirements; NEACP name changed to National Airborne Operations Center (NAOC) in 1994. Added second mission to support Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in national disaster relief operations, 1994-. Continued airborne command and control operations well into the twenty-first century.
Service Streamers. World War II American Theater. Global War on Terrorism (GWOT-S)
Campaign Streamers. World War I: Lorraine; Aisne-Marne; Champagne; St Mihiel; Meuse-Argonne.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Meritorious Unit Awards: 1 Jun 2002-31 May 2004; 1 Jun 2004-31 May 2006; 1 Jun 2006-31 May 2007; 1 Jun 2007-31 May 2008; 1 Jun 2008-31 May 2009; 1 Jun 2009-31 May 2010; 1 Jun 2012-31 May 2014; 1 Jun 2014-31 May 2015; 1 Jun 2016-31 May 2017. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: [1 Jul] 1969–31 Dec 1970; 1 Jan 1971–31 Dec 1972; 1 Jan 1974–31 Oct 1975; 1 Nov 1975–30 Jun 1976; 1 Jul 1976–30 Jun 1978; 1 Jul 1978–30 Jun 1980; 1 Jul 1987–30 Jun 1989; 1 Jul 1989–30 Jun 1991; 1 Jul 1992-30 Jun 1994; 1 Jul 1994-31 Jul 1995; 1 Jun 1997-31 May 1999; 1 Jun 1999-31 May 2001; 1 Jun 2011-31 May 2012; 1 Jun 2015-31 May 2016.
Lineage, Assignments, Stations, Aircraft, Operations, and Honors through 20 Jun 2019.
Commanders through Mar 2007.
Supersedes statement prepared 3 Jun 2009.
Emblem. Approved on 8 Aug 1969; latest rendering, 27 Aug 2021.
Prepared by James M. Musser.
Reviewed by Daniel Haulman.