128th Airborne Command and Control Squadron The 128th Airborne Command and Control Squadron ( 128 ACCS ) is a unit of the Georgia Air National Guard 116th Air Control Wing located at Robins Air Force Base , Georgia . The 128th is equipped with the E - 8C Joint STARS . The squadron is a descendant organization of the World War I 840th Aero Squadron , established on 1 February 1918 . It was reformed on 1 May 1941 , as the 128th Observation Squadron , and is one of the 29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the United States Army National Guard formed before World War II . History . World War I . The 128th Airborne Command and Control Squadron traces its origins to the 840th Aero Squadron , formally organized at Rich Field , Waco , Texas on 4 February 1918 . However , the 840th ' s history itself dates to the middle of December , 1917 when many of the squadron members first enlisted in the Army at Fort Slocum , New York and the Columbus Barracks , Ohio . Just before Christmas , 1917 , the men were transported to Kelly Field , near San Antonio , Texas where they began indoctrination into the Army as an unorganized unit . Many men were transferred into and out of the unit in its first weeks at Kelly . On 8 January , the men was transferred to Rich Field , and placed in temporary squadrons . Time was taken up by drills , hikes , physical training and other exercises . Also the men attended various lectures about military courtesies and customs . Finally , on 4 February , 150 men from the group were selected and formed into the 840th Aero Squadron . After several more weeks of Army indoctrination training , the squadron was ordered for overseas service , being transferred to the Aviation Concentration Center , Garden City , Long Island . It arrived at Mineola Field on 4 March 1918 where it was prepared and equipped for overseas duty . On 15 April , the squadron was ordered to the Port of Entry , Hoboken , New Jersey where it boarded the former White Star Line liner SS Canopic . After an uneventful Atlantic crossing , the squadron arrived at Liverpool , England where it boarded a train headed south to Winchester , where it arrived at the Romney Rest Camp . There , the 840th was detached to the Royal Flying Corps for technical training , arriving at the No . 3 Western Aircraft Depot , RFC Yatesbury , Wiltshire , on 4 May . There the squadron was placed in different departments of the Depot and were engaged in the production and repair of airplanes . The 840th was the second American squadron assigned to the Depot , and there was quite a curiosity by the English about them . The men were warmly received in the villages around the Depot and celebrated the 4th of July in Bristol . On 13 August , training ended and the squadron moved to Southampton for transport across the English Channel to France . The 840th arrived at Le Harve , France on 18 August , where the squadron was greeted by a German air - raid on its " Rest " Camp . The squadron was hurriedly moved during the raid to a race track , where some ammunition was stored . However , after the " All Clear " was given , it returned to its barracks . After three days , the squadron was transported to Courban Aerodrome , in eastern France where it was assigned to the # 3 Aircraft Depot , Independent Forces , RAF was located . There , the squadron began work on Handley Page and de Havilland planes . The squadron had the distinction of turning out the first Handley Page aircraft to be assembled in France . It also saw its first United States - built Liberty engine at the depot . The 840th was one of only three Air Service squadrons assigned to the British depot . The squadron remained at Courban until the end of the war . The squadron was quite proud to have its share of the victory as two squadrons of Dayton - Wright DH - 4 aircraft were turned out by the 840th at Courban , prepared for the great attack on Metz that was about to commence at the time of the Armistice . The squadron was moved to Latrecey Aerodrome , on 20 November 1918 where it waited for orders to return home . It finally moved to the port of Brest on 1 February , where it sailed on a troop ship for the United States , eventually finding its way to Langley Field , Virginia in early March , 1919 . There the squadron members were demobilized and returned to civilian life . Georgia National Guard . Re - established in 1940 at Atlanta Airport as a Georgia National Guard Army observation squadron , equipped with numerous light observation aircraft of the 1930s era . Was activated to Federal Service in May 1941 as the United States mobilized prior to World War II . After the Pearl Harbor Attack , was equipped with B - 25 Mitchell s and performed antisubmarine patrols over both the Southeast Atlantic coast as well as the Gulf of Mexico as part of Antisubmarine Command . World War II . Realigned in late 1943 as a B - 17 Flying Fortress heavy bombardment squadron , trained under Third Air Force in Florida . Was deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations ( MTO ) , being assigned to Fifteenth Air Force in Southern Italy . Engaged in long - range strategic bombardment of enemy military , industrial and transport targets , including oil refineries and production oilfields in Italy ; France ; Southern Germany ; Austria and the Balkans . Continued strategic bombardment until German capitulation in May 1945 . After V - E Day , was assigned to Air Transport Command Green Project which was the movement of troops from Pisa Airfield staging area in Morocco . B - 17s were dearmed with flooring and seats for 25 passengers installed . Crew consisted of Pilot , Co - Pilot , Navigator and Flight Engineer . Carried passengers from Pisa to Port Lyautey Airfield , French Morocco where ATC transports moved them across the Atlantic or to Dakar for movement via South Atlantic Transport Route . Inactivated in Italy in September 1945 . Georgia Air National Guard . The wartime 840th Bombardment Squadron was re - activated and re - designated as the 128th Fighter Squadron , and was allotted to the Georgia Air National Guard , on 24 May 1946 . It was organized at Marietta Army Airfield , Georgia , and was extended federal recognition on 20 August 1946 by the National Guard Bureau . The 128th Fighter Squadron was entitled to the history , honors , and colors of the 840th Bombardment Squadron . The squadron was equipped with F - 47N Thunderbolt s and was temporarily assigned to the 54th Fighter Wing on 20 August , then permanently to the 116th Fighter Group on 9 September 1946 . The 116th Fighter Group consisted of the 128th and the 158th Fighter Squadron at Chatam Army Airfield , near Savannah . As part of the Continental Air Command Fourteenth Air Force , the unit trained for tactical fighter missions and air to air combat . Korean War federalization . The 128th was federalized on 10 October 1950 due to the Korean War . It was assigned to the federalized Oklahoma ANG 137th Fighter - Bomber Wing and equipped with F - 84G Thunderjet s . Along with the Oklahoma ANG 125th Fighter Squadron and Kansas ANG 127th Fighter Squadron , the wing was scheduled for deployment to the new Chaumont - Semoutiers AB , France , as part of the United States Air Forces in Europe ( USAFE ) . By 27 November , the wing assembled at Alexandria Municipal Airport , Louisiana for conversion training in the newer F - 84Gs . Deployment of the wing was delayed , however , by the need to transfer pilots to Korea from training and delays in receiving engines for the F - 84Gs , as well as the ongoing construction at Chaumont AB . Training and delays continued throughout 1951 . Due to these delays , many of the activated National Guard airmen were released from active duty and never deployed to France . With mostly regular Air Force personnel and all the delays behind them , the remaining Guardsmen departed Louisiana on 5 May 1952 for Europe ; however , the 128th inherited a base that was little more than acres of mud where wheat fields used to be . The only hardened facilities at Chaumont were a concrete runway and a handful of tar - paper shacks . The 128th wound up being stationed by USAFE at Neubiberg Air Base , West Germany until the facilities in France were suitable for military use . The aircraft arrived at Chaumont on 25 June , being the first USAF tactical air fighters to be based permanently in France , albeit working mostly in tents and temporary wooden buildings on their new base . The Guardsmen of the 128th ended their active - duty tour in France and returned to the United States in late June , leaving their F - 84 Thunderjets in Europe . Air Defense Command . The 116th Fighter - Bomber Group designation was returned to the Georgia Air National Guard on 10 July at Dobbins AFB . At this time the Group was restructured to include the 128th and 158th Fighter Squadrons . Initially upon their return to State Control both squadrons were equipped with the long - range F - 51H Mustang and given an air defense mission . The 116th was assigned to Air Defense Command ( ADC ) , being assigned to the 35th Air Division with a mission of the air defense of the Southeastern United States . Commencing in February 1953 the 128th began conversion to F - 84D Thunderjet , yet most were not received until mid summer . During the summer of 1955 the 128th was re - designated as the 128th Fighter Interceptor Squadron and converted the swept - wing F - 84F Thunderstreak . Strangely enough , it was not until March 1957 that the surviving D models were dispatched for salvage , with eleven of those aged D models having been lost in accidents while serving with the 128th FBS . In 1958 , the 116th implemented the ADC Runway Alert Program , in which interceptors of the 128th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron were committed to a five - minute runway alert . In 1960 the F - 84s were again replaced by the F - 86L Sabre Interceptor , a day / night / all - weather aircraft designed to be integrated into the ADC SAGE interceptor direction and control system . Air Transport . In 1961 , the 116th FIG was reassigned to Military Air Transport Service ( MATS ) , trading in its Sabre interceptors for 4 - engines C - 97 Stratofreighter transports . With air transportation recognized as a critical wartime need , the squadron was re - designated the 128th Air Transport Squadron ( Heavy ) . The 116th ATG was assigned to the MATS Eastern Transport Air Force , ( EASTAF ) , and the squadron flew long - distance transport missions in support of Air Force requirements , frequently sending aircraft to the Caribbean , Europe Greenland , and the Middle East in support of Air Force requirements . In 1966 MATS became the Military Airlift Command ( MAC ) and EASTAF became the MAC Twenty - First Air Force . The 116th ATG was upgraded to the C - 124 Globemaster II strategic heavy airlifter , being the first Air National Guard unit to receive the aircraft . Due to requirements generated by the Vietnam War , missions were flown across the Pacific to Hawaii , Japan , the Philippines , South Vietnam , Okinawa and Thailand . Post - Vietnam . In the years after the Vietnam War , the transport requirements of MAC along with the retirement of the C - 124 led the 116th to be reassigned back to Tactical Air Command in 1974 and was re - equipped with F - 100 Super Sabre tactical fighter - bombers , many aircraft being veterans of the Vietnam War . The 116th was changed in status from a Group to a Wing with the reassignment to TAC , and the 128th flew the Super Saber jets for six accident - free years until May 1979 when the last aircraft left Dobbins AFB to be retired as part of the phaseout of the F - 100 from the inventory . The F - 100s were replaced with other Vietnam - era hand - me - down combat veteran aircraft by TAC during the early 1980s , as F - 105G Thunderchief Wild Weasel electronic warfare aircraft were assigned , then retired and F - 4D Phantom II fighter bombers in their final years of service . In 1986 the 116th retired the last of its Vietnam War Phantoms and received F - 15A Eagle air superiority fighters . The F - 15A was introduced into the inventory in the mid - 1970s and now were being upgraded in the active duty by the improved F - 15C . The 128th flew the F - 15 for the next ten years . The 116th Tactical Fighter Wing developed an impressive record of accomplishment and was awarded nine Air Force Outstanding Unit Award s . B - 1B Lancer . In 1992 as part of the post Cold - War reorganizations of the Air Force , the 116th converted to the Air Force Objective organization and the 128th was assigned to the new 116th Operations Group . In 1992 Tactical Air Command was inactivated and the 116th was assigned to the new Air Combat Command ( ACC ) . After calling Dobbins AFB home for 50 years , the 116th was presented with a new challenge in 1996 . The wing simultaneously converted from the F - 15 Eagle fighters to the B - 1B Lancer strategic bomber and moved 110 miles south to Robins AFB in Warner Robins , Georgia . As part of the post Cold - War drawdown , the active - duty fleet of B - 1Bs were being reduced for budget reductions and being taken off Alert Status by the former Strategic Air Command ( SAC ) , which itself was inactivated in 1992 . Having to make the most of the available facilities , including the former Strategic Air Command alert facility at Robins AFB , the 116th Bomb Wing was quickly up and running and participated in a number of deployments and exercises around the world in the B - 1B . Airborne Command and Control . In order to save money , in 2002 the USAF agreed to reduce its fleet of B - 1Bs from 92 to 60 aircraft . The 116th Bomb Wing , having older aircraft was ordered to send its aircraft to " active storage " which meant that they could be quickly returned to service should circumstances dictate . Its first B - 1B was flown to AMARC storage at Davis - Monthan AFB , Arizona on 20 August . Under the Air Force ' s Total Force Initiative as a " blended " wing . America ' s first " Total Force " wing , the former 93d Air Control Wing , an active - duty Air Combat Command unit , and the 116th Bomb Wing , a Georgia Air National Guard unit , were inactivated effective 1 October 2002 . The 116th was immediately re - activated and re - designated as the 116th Air Control Wing . The 116th ACW was a blend of active - duty and national guard Airmen into a single unit . The 116th ACW was equipped with the new E - 8C Joint STARS airborne battle management aircraft . Its mission is command and control , intelligence , surveillance and reconnaissance . Its primary mission is to provide theater ground and air commanders with ground surveillance to support attack operations and targeting that contributes to the delay , disruption and destruction of enemy forces . The E - 8C evolved from Army and Air Force programs to develop , detect , locate and attack enemy armor at ranges beyond the forward area of troops . The 128th Airborne Command and Control Squadron has flown more than 82 , 000 combat hours in support of Operation Enduring Freedom , Operation Iraqi Freedom , , Operation Odyssey Dawn , and Operation Unified Protector . Beginning in 2011 , its operational resume expanded to include support of five Combatant Commands including U . S . Pacific Command , U . S . Northern Command and U . S . Southern Command . On 1 October 2011 the 128th Airborne Command and Control Squadron was inactivated as a Joint Air National Guard / United States Air Force Unit . The 116th ACW was returned to the sole jurisdiction of the Georgia Air National Guard on 1 October 2011 and reactivated .