430th Electronic Combat Squadron The 430th Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit . It is assigned to the 451st Expeditionary Operations Group and stationed at Kandahar Air Base , Afghanistan . History . World War II . Activated in August 1943 as a P - 38 Lightning fighter squadron under IV Fighter Command in Southern California . Trained with the fighter over the Mojave Desert , moving to the European Theater of Operations ( ETO ) , being assigned to Ninth Air Force in England during March 1944 . Engaged in combat operations beginning in April , making low level sweeps over Occupied France , attacking enemy transportation targets and military convoys , bridges , armor formations and airfields . During D - Day , the squadron flew patrols over the invasion fleet . Remained in England after D - Day until August , moving to France and primarily provided ground - air support to the United States First Army in Northern France . Moved to Occupied Germany at the end of the war , becoming part of the United States Air Forces in Europe army of occupation during the summer of 1945 . Personnel demobilized in Europe during 1945 , returned to the United States in November as an administrative unit and was inactivated without personnel or equipment . Cold War . Reactivated in Japan under Far East Air Forces , July 1952 as a result of the Korean War . Replaced Federalized Georgia Air National Guard personnel , receiving their F - 84G Thunderjet s . Moved to South Korea in August , engaging in combat operations from Kunsan Air Base ( K - 8 ) . From Kunsan the squadron bombed and strafed bridges , bunkers , troop concentrations , artillery positions , and a host of other enemy targets Moved to Taegu Air Base ( K - 2 ) in April 1953 being attached to the 58th Fighter Bomber Wing . Flew interdiction and close air support missions in as well as attacking special strategic targets such as military schools , dams , and port facilities in North Korea until the June 1953 Armistice , Remained in South Korea for over a year afterward to insure Communist compliance with the cease - fire . Returned to Clovis AFB , New Mexico in November 1954 . Squadron was re - equipped with F - 86H Sabre fighter - bomber aircraft , being assigned to Twelfth Air Force , Tactical Air Command . Maintained proficiency in tactical fighter operations , deploying components , aircraft , and crews on a global basis in support of NATO , PACAF , AAC , and other organizations . Deployed to southeastern United States during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 . Reassigned to Nellis AFB , Nevada in 1966 , becoming one of the first General Dynamics F - 111 A squadrons . Deployed aircraft to South Vietnam in early 1968 , while still in training status at Nellis . Aircraft returned and development of the F - 111 continued , finally reaching operational status in 1971 . Returned to Takhli RTAFB , Thailand in early 1972 as a result of the North Vietnamese Easter Offensive . Fully engaged in combat over North and South Vietnam for the balance of 1972 , flying operations in good and bad weather when other squadrons were grounded . Flew approximately 4000 combat missions with excellent success rates in hitting targets even when visibility was near zero . Returned to the United States in March 1973 . Engaged in training new pilots with the F - 111 during the mid - 1970s , changing equipment to the F - 4D Phantom II in 1975 during " Operation Ready Switch " , sending F - 111s to 366th TFW at Mountain Home AFB . Received new Block 1 / 5 F - 16A / B Fighting Falcon aircraft in November 1980 after protractive development period in the 1970s . Conducted routine Tactical Air Command training and deployments from Nellis with the F - 16s , upgrading to Block 10 / 15 models in the early 1980s . Inactivated September 1989 when aircraft were considered no longer front - line combat capable . Modern era . Reactivated at Cannon AFB , New Mexico as the 430th Electronic Combat Squadron in August 1992 in conjunction with the realignment of all EF - 111A Raven Electronic Warfare aircraft from Mountain Home AFB to Cannon . Relieved aircraft and trained 27th OG group personnel in operational use . Once completed was inactivated , squadron personnel and aircraft being re - designated as the senior 429th ECS as part of the Air Force Heritage Program . Reactivated as the 430th Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron , Kandahar Airfield , Afghanistan on 13 March 2013 . The unit flies the E - 11 " BACN " aircraft . The mission of the E - 11A is to serve as a Battlefield Airborne Communications Node , a communications system that provides radio connectivity across the battlespace for airborne and surface operators .