554th Electronic Systems Wing

{{Use American English|date=January 2024}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}} {{Infobox Military Unit |unit_name= 554th Electronic Systems Wing 60px |image= |caption= |dates=1943-1945; 1980-1991; 2004-2010 |country={{flag|United States|23px}} |allegiance= |branch={{air force|USA}} |type= |role= |size= |command_structure= Air Force Materiel Command <br/> Electronic Systems Center |current_commander= |garrison= Hanscom Air Force Base |ceremonial_chief= |colonel_of_the_regiment= |nickname= |patron= |motto= |colors= |march= |mascot= |battles= |notable_commanders= |anniversaries= |decorations=Air Force Outstanding Unit Award |battle_honours=  |identification_symbol=180px |identification_symbol_label=554th Electronic Systems Wing Emblem (approved 17 December 1980)<ref name=554ESWfacts>Bailey, Carl E. [http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=10269 AFHRA Factsheet 554 Electronic Systems Wing] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022101310/http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=10269 |date=2013-10-22 }} 1/2/2008 Retrieved 15 October 2013</ref> }}

The '''554th Electronic Systems Wing''' ('''554 ELSW''') is an inactive wing of the United States Air Force. It was last stationed at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, where it was inactivated in 2010.

==History== ===World War II=== The wing was first activated in Northern Ireland under '''VII Air Force Composite Command''' as the '''3d Combat Crew Replacement Center Group'''. It used Martin B-26 Marauders and Douglas A-20 Havocs to provide combat and theater indoctrination for Eighth Air Force combat crews from November 1943 until September 1944, when the need for dedicated Army Air Forces training units in the United Kingdom was reduced.<ref name=554ESWfacts/>

The group's resources were used to man and equip provisional air disarmament units participating in Operation Lusty. These units moved to France in February 1945 and advanced with Allied ground forces, seizing, securing, inventorying, and disposing of captured Luftwaffe equipment and materiel through October 1945. The group inactivated the following month. It was disbanded in the fall of 1948.<ref name=554ESWfacts/>

===Support for Nellis Air Force Base and the Continental Range=== The group was reconstituted as the '''554th Operations Support Wing''' in 1980. It provided base support functions for Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada and its associated ranges from 1980 to 1991. The wing developed, operated, and maintained all range facilities and threat simulators and provided combat support functions at Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field.<ref name=554ESWfacts/>

===Systems Management=== The '''554th Electronic Systems Wing''' was consolidated in 2006 with the '''Operations Support Systems Wing''', which had been established in 2004 at Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts. The wing was inactivated in June 2010.

==Lineage== {{Col-begin}} {{Col-break|width=50%}} '''554th Operations Support Wing''' * Constituted on 2 November 1943 as the '''3d Combat Crew Replacement Center Group''' : Activated on 21 November 1943 : Redesignated '''3d Combat Crew Replacement Center Group''' (Bomber or Fighter, Special) on 17 July 1944 : Inactivated on 22 November 1945 * Disbanded on 8 October 1948 * Reconstituted on 26 February 1980 and redesignated '''554th Operations Support Wing''' : Activated on 1 March 1980 : Inactivated on 1 November 1991 : Consolidated on 6 April 2006 with the '''Operations Support Systems Wing'''<ref name=554ESWfacts2/> {{Col-break|width=50%}} '''554th Electronic Systems Wing''' * Constituted as the '''Operations Support Systems Wing''' on 23 November 2004 : Activated on 17 December 2004 : Consolidated on 6 April 2006 with the '''554th Operations Support Wing''' : Redesignated as the '''554th Electronics Systems Wing''' on 17 April 2006 : Inactivated on 30 June 2010<ref name=554ESWfacts2>Lineage, assignments, stations, operational components, and aircraft through April 2008 in AFHRA Factsheet.</ref> {{col-end}}

===Assignments=== * VIII Air Force Composite Command, 21 November 1943 * Air Disarmament Command (Provisional), ''ca''. 23 September 1944 * VIII Air Force Composite Command, 10 October 1944 (attached to Air Disarmament Command (Provisional) until 31 January 1945) * IX Air Force Service Command, 1 February 1945 * 1587th Quartermaster Battalion, Mobile (Aviation), 16 October 1945 * Detachment B, 9th Base Air Depot Area, 12 November 1945 – 22 November 1945 * USAF Tactical Fighter Weapons Center (later USAF Fighter Weapons Center), 1 March 1980 – 1 November 1991 * Electronic Systems Center, 17 December 2004 – 30 June 2010<ref name=554ESWfacts2/>

===Stations=== {{Col-begin}} {{Col-break|width=50%}} * RAF Toome (AAF 236),<ref name=Anderson>Station number in Anderson.</ref> Northern Ireland, 21 November 1943 * RAF Chipping Ongar (AAF 162),<ref name=Anderson/> England, September 1944 * Vittel, France, by 15 March 1945 * Öhringen, Germany, by 30 April 1945 * Schwetzingen, Germany, by 1 May 1945 * Fillingen, Germany, by 15 May 1945 {{Col-break|width=50%}} * Nellingen, Germany, by 31 May 1945 * Kaufbeuren, Germany (R-70),<ref name=Johnson>Station number in Johnson</ref> 15 October 1945 * Leipheim, Germany (R-59),<ref name=Johnson/> ''ca''. 31 October 1945 – 22 November 1945 * Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, 1 March 1980 – 1 November 1991 * Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, 17 December 2004 – 30 June 2010<ref name=554ESWfacts2/> {{col-end}}

===Components=== '''Groups''' * 554th Combat Support Group, 1 March 1980 – 1 November 1991 * 554th Electronic Systems Group, 17 April 2006 – 30 June 2010 * USAF Hospital, Nellis (later 554th Medical Group), 1 March 1980 – 1 November 1991 * 554th Range Group, 1 March 1980 – 1 November 1991 * 554th Security Police Group, 1 March 1980 – 1 November 1991 * 754th Electronic Systems Group, 17 April 2006 – 30 June 2010 * 2069th Communications Group (later 554th Communications Group, 554th Communications Squadron), 1 September 1990 – 1 November 1991

'''Operational Squadrons''' * 3d Replacement and Training Squadron (later 3d Replacement and Training Squadron, CCRC Group (Bombardment)), 21 November 1943 – 22 November 1945 (not operational after 10 October 1945) * 4460th Helicopter Squadron, 1 June 1985 – 31 December 1987 :: Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Airfield, Nevada

'''Systems Squadrons''' * Engineering and Integration Systems Squadron (later 643d Electronic Systems Squadron) 17 December 2004 – 30 June 2010 ::Gunter Annex, Alabama '''Support Squadrons''' * 554th Combat Support Squadron, 1 March 1986 – 31 December 1987 * 554th Supply Squadron, 1 March 1980 – 1 November 1991 * 554th Transportation Squadron, 1 March 1980 – 1 November 1991 :: Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Airfield, Nevada

===Aircraft=== * Douglas A-20 Havoc, 1944 * Martin B-26 Marauder, 1943–1944 * Fairchild AT-23, 1944 * Bell UH-1N Huey, 1985–1987

===Awards and campaigns=== {{unit awards table |award_image1=AF OUA |award_name1=Air Force Outstanding Unit Award |award_date1=1 July 1983-30 June 1985 |award_notes1=554th Operational Support Wing<ref name=554ESWfacts/> |award_image2=AF OUA |award_name2=Air Force Outstanding Unit Award |award_date2=1 July 1985-30 June 1987 |award_notes2=554th Operational Support Wing<ref name=554ESWfacts/> |award_image3=AF OUA |award_name3=Air Force Outstanding Unit Award |award_date3=1 July 1987-30 June 1989 |award_notes3=554th Operations Support Wing<ref name=554ESWfacts/> |award_image4=AF OUA |award_name4=Air Force Outstanding Unit Award |award_date4=1 July 1989-30 Jun e1991 |award_notes4=554th Operations Support Wing<ref name=554ESWfacts/> }}

{| class="wikitable" ! Campaign Streamer ! Campaign ! Dates ! Notes |- |200px||Rhineland||5 September 1944 – 21 March 1945||3d Combat Crew Replacement Center Group<ref name=AFP9002>AF Pamphlet 900-2, p. 46</ref> |- |200px||Central Europe||22 March 1944 – 21 May 1945||3d Combat Crew Replacement Center Group<ref name=AFP9002/> |}

==See also== Advanced Landing Ground

==References== ===Notes=== {{reflist}}

===Bibliography=== {{AFHRA}} * {{cite book|last=Anderson |first=Capt. Barry |title=Army Air Forces Stations: A Guide to the Stations Where U.S. Army Air Forces Personnel Served in the United Kingdom During World War II |url=http://www.afhra.af.mil./shared/media/document/AFD-081010-027.pdf |access-date=7 July 2012 |year=1985 |publisher=Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center |location=Maxwell AFB, AL |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304062523/http://www.afhra.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-081010-027.pdf |archive-date=4 March 2016 }} * {{cite book|last=Johnson|first=1st Lt. David C.|title=U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO) D-Day to V-E Day|url=http://www.afhra.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-081010-026.pdf|year=1988|publisher=Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center|location=Maxwell AFB, AL|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150929064443/http://www.afhra.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-081010-026.pdf|archive-date=2015-09-29|url-status=dead}} * {{cite web |url= http://www.usafpatches.com/pubs/AFP900-2Vol1Bk2.pdf |title= AF Pamphlet 900-2, Unit Decorations, Awards and Campaign Participation Credits |date= 15 June 1971 |publisher= Department of the Air Force |location= Washington, DC |access-date= 11 August 2016 |archive-date= 4 August 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150804134008/http://www.usafpatches.com/pubs/AFP900-2Vol1Bk2.pdf |url-status= dead }}

==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20090101224516/http://www.hanscom.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=5568 Official factsheet]

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