42 Electronic Combat Squadron (ACC)

Lineage. Constituted as 42 Reconnaissance Squadron, Very Long Range, Photographic, on 24 Oct 1945. Activated on 7 Nov 1945. Inactivated on 19 Aug 1946. Redesignated 42 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Electronics and Weather, on 11 Dec 1953. Activated on 18 Mar 1954. Redesignated 42 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Electronic, on 1 Jul 1965. Discontinued, and inactivated, on 22 Aug 1966. Redesignated 42 Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron, and activated, on 15 Dec 1967. Organized on 1 Jan 1968. Inactivated on 15 Mar 1974. Redesignated 42 Electronic Combat Squadron on 23 May 1983. Activated on 1 Jul 1983. Inactivated on 1 Jul 1992. Redesignated 42 Airborne Command and Control Squadron on 24 Jun 1994. Activated on 1 Jul 1994. Inactivated on 30 Sep 2002. Redesignated 42 Electronic Combat Squadron on 9 Mar 2006. Activated on 10 Mar 2006.

Assignments. VIII Bomber Command, 7 Nov 1945; 17 Bombardment Operational Training Wing, c. 31 Jan 1946; Second Air Force, 18 Feb 1946; Fifteenth Air Force, 31 Mar-19 Aug 1946. 10 Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 18 Mar 1954; 10 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 8 Dec 1957; 25 Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 1 Jul 1965; 25 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 1 Oct 1965-22 Aug 1966. Pacific Air Forces, 15 Dec 1967; 355 Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 Jan 1968 (attached to 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, c. 21 Sep-14 Oct 1970); 388 Tactical Fighter Wing, 15 Oct 1970-15 Mar 1974. 20 Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 Jul 1983; 66 Electronic Combat Wing (attached to 20 Tactical Fighter Wing), 1 Jun 1985; 20 Tactical Fighter (later, 20 Fighter) Wing, 25 Jan 1991-1 Jul 1992. 355 Operations Group, 1 Jul 1994-30 Sep 2002. 55 Electronic Combat Group, 10 Mar 2006-.

Stations. Smoky Hill AAFld, KS, 7 Nov 1945-19 Aug 1946. Spangdahlem AB, Germany, 18 Mar 1954; RAF Chelveston, England, c. 20 Aug 1959; Toul-Rosieres AB, France, 1 Aug 1962 (deployed at Chambley AB, France, 15 May-9 Oct 1963); Chambley AB, France, 1 Jul 1965-22 Aug 1966. Takhli RTAFB, Thailand, 1 Jan 1968; Korat RTAFB, Thailand, 22 Sep 1970-15 Mar 1974. RAF Upper Heyford, England, 1 Jul 1983-1 Jul 1992. Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, 1 Jul 1994-30 Sep 2002. Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, 10 Mar 2006-.

Commanders. Lt Col Robert J. Ahern, c. 7 Nov 1945-Aug 1946. 2Lt Arthur Covello, 18 Mar 1954; Col Charles C. Leaf, 1 Apr 1954; Lt Col John E. Butler Jr., 5 May 1955; Maj Kermit T. Hanson, 17 Nov 1956; Capt Arthur J. Roehling, 2 Aug 1958; Maj Loren R. Stout Jr., 22 Oct 1958; Capt Arthur J. Roehling, 17 Apr 1959; Maj William H. Allen, 16 Jun 1959; Lt Col Steven R. Wilkerson, 12 Jul 1960; Lt Col Robert J. Pickhardt, 16 Feb 1962; Lt Col Max L. Fisher, 2 Jul 1962; Maj Donald R. Walterhouse, 6 Sep 1963; Maj James P. Estes, 10 Jun 1964; Maj Robert S. Hubbard, 17 Jun 1964; Maj Waller H. Roberson, Jan 1965; Maj Noble J. McSwane, Jul 1965; Lt Col Kenneth A. Krig, 1 Feb 1966; Lt Col Gerald D. Martini, c. 1 Jul-22 Aug 1966. None (not manned), 15-31 Dec 1967; Lt Col John B. Williams Jr., 1 Jan 1968; Col Charles F. G. Kuyk Jr., (by Jun) 1968; Lt Col J. E. Ricketts Jr., 19 Oct 1968; Lt Col Robert W. Childs, 11 Apr 1969; Lt Col Paul W. Von Wiedenfield, 18 May 1969; Lt Col Edward J. Guider, 14 Nov 1969; Lt Col Henry W. Boardman, c. 1 Jul 1970; Maj Gerald F. Loughlin, 3 Jul 1970; Lt Col Morris E. Shriver, 15 Jul 1970; Lt Col Louis E. Valanta, 4 Dec 1970; Lt Col Jack E. Tullett, 19 Dec 1971; Lt Col Jack F. Hurst, 4 Aug 1972; Lt Col George C. Richard, (by Apr) 1973; Lt Col Robert R. Mendoca, (by Jul) 1973; Lt Col Richard Hartford, 15 Dec 1973-15 Mar 1974. Lt Col David L. Vesely, 1 Jul 1983; Lt Col William D. McAdams, 1 Aug 1985; Lt Col Roger W. Brooks, 26 Mar 1986; Lt Col Michael F. Dungan, 2 Sep 1988; Lt Col Carl D. Skakal Jr., 1 Mar 1989; Lt Col James N. Worth, 19 Nov 1990-10 Jul 1992. Lt Col Richard Peters, c. Jun 1994; Lt Col Kent D. Williams, 1 Feb 1997; Lt Col Ernest Jones Jr., 16 Feb 1999; Lt Col Terry Dickensheet, (temporary), 9 Nov 2000; Lt Col Norman D. Potter, 19 Dec 2000-30 Sep 2002.

Aircraft. B-29, 1945-1946. RB-26, 1954-1957; T/WT-33, 1955-1957; RB-66, 1956-1965; WB-66, 1957-1960; B-66, 1960-1966. EB-66, 1968-1974. EF-111, 1984-1992. EC-130, 1994-2002.

Operations. Provided weather and electronic reconnaissance for US and NATO forces in Europe, Mar 1954-Aug 1966. Airborne intelligence operations in Southeast Asia, 1968-1973. Provided electronic countermeasures to US Navy aircraft for combat in Libya, 15 Apr 1986. Provided electronic countermeasure jamming in Southwest Asia, c. 31 Aug 1990-9 Mar 1991. Provided airborne command, control and communications (ABCCC) platform; participated in Aerospace Expeditionary Force (AEF) 5, 7 and 9 deployments.

Service Streamers. None.

Campaign Streamers. Vietnam: Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase II; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase III; Vietnam Air/Ground; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase IV; TET 69/Counteroffensive; Vietnam Summer-Fall, 1969; Vietnam Winter-Spring, 1970; Sanctuary Counteroffensive; Southwest Monsoon; Commando Hunt V; Commando Hunt VI; Commando Hunt VII; Vietnam Ceasefire. Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.

Decorations. Presidential Unit Citation: Southeast Asia, 12 Apr 1968-30 Apr 1969. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards With Combat "V" Device: 8 Jan-11 Apr 1968; 1 Jul 1969-15 Oct 1970; [16] Oct 1970-20 May 1971; 18 Dec 1972-15 Aug 1973. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 31 Dec 1959-1 Jan 1962; 1 Jun 1989-31 May 1991; 1 Jul 1990-30 Jun 1992; 1 Jun 1998-31 May 2000. Navy Meritorious Unit Citation: 10-16 Apr 1986. Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: [1 Jan 1968]-28 Jan 1973.

Lineage, Assignments, Components, Stations, and Honors through 20 Mar 2006.

Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through 30 Sep 2002.

Supersedes statement prepared on 3 Nov 1997.

Emblem. Approved on 20 Jan 1984.

Prepared by Patsy H. Robertson.

Reviewed by Daniel Haulman.