Soon thereafter, the Second Air Force took actions to establish a radar bomb
scoring station at Kansas City, Missouri, and later, a scoring detachment at
Fort Worth, Texas. HQ Second Air Force originally had jurisdiction over this
operation but as it grew in size and scope, it became clear that a formal organization
was needed to control and manage the new training detachment. This need gave
birth to the organization of which you are part now.
On 6 June 1945, the 206th Army Air Force Base Unit (RBS) ( 206th AAFBU), was
activated art Colorado Springs, Colorado under the command of Colonel Robert
W. Burns. He assumed operational control of the two SCR-584 radar detachments
located at Kansas City and Fort Worth, Texas. New detachments were also established
at Denver, Chicago, Omaha, Albuquerque, and Los Angeles. On 24 July 1945, the
206th was redesignated the 63rd AAFBU (RBS) and three weeks later was moved
to Mitchell Field, New York, and placed under the command of the Continental
Air Force. On 5 March 1946, ther organization moved back to Colorado Springs
and on 8 March of the same year was redesignated the 263rd AAFBU.
With the activation of the 8th Air Force the demand for radar bomb scoring training
increased greatly. The 263rd was relieved from assignment to 15th Air Force
and assigned directly to Headquarters Strategic Air Command. The increase in
RBS activity could be seen in the statistics for RBS runs over the years. During
1947 a total of 2,499 runs were scored as compared to 880 runs scored in 1946.
During 1948, 12,084 runs were scored. This number increased to 28,049, a tremendous
gain over previous years and became a real measure of the effectiveness and
popularity of this type training.
On 21 July 1948, the 263rd was redesiganted the 3903rd Radar Bomb Scoring Squadron
with an effective date of 1 August 1948. On 19 January 1951, this squadron was
redesignated the 3903rd Radar Bomb Scoring Group. At this point the Group commanded
12 detachments reporting to three radar bomb scoring squadrons.
THE KOREAN CONFLICT
During the Korean Conflict RBS Detachments provided a service unique in military
annals. Three detachments from the 3903rd Radar Bomb Scoring Squadron were used
for tactical air support of USAF aircraft in direct action against enemy forces.
These detachment provided radar controlled ground direction to aircraft engaged
in bombing targets at critical locations. Mobile vans and specially trained
crews directed B-26, C-47, B-29, F-80, and F-84 aircraft on all-weather missions
against enemy airfields, troop concentrations, key buildings, and other difficult
targets.
These units also worked closely with ground forces in Korea from their arrival
the last week in August 1950 to their departure in early October 1951. During
the next three years the Group underwent various organizational shuffles, but
none to match the activities on 10 August 1954.
A NEW NAME, SAME MISSION
On 10 August 1945, the 3903rd Radar Bomb Scoring Group, its three squadrons,
and all detachments were discontinued. Simultaneously, the 1st Radar Bomb Scoring
Group was activated. This new organization absorbed all personnel and equipment
of the 3903rd. By March 1956 the Group consisted of 28 detachments. The numbers
of missions scored increased as the size of the organization grew. For example,
in 1956 the Group recordeed 140,919 attacks against sites. Of these some 127,070
were successfully scored.
The next several years brought few organizational or other changes to the Group.
The personnel assigned continued to provide the Command sophisticated and effective
radar bomb scoring training.
On 1 August 1961, a major organizational change came to fruition when the Department
of the Air Force activated the 1st Combat Evaluation Group at Barksdale AFB,
Louisiana. With this action the 1st Radar Bomb Scoring Group and the 3908th
Strategic Evaluation Group were merged into one organization. This new organization
then had the dual mission of providing radar bomb scoring services as well as
standardization and evaluation services. This is the organization of which you
are a part today.
VIETNAM
With the advent of B-52 bombing in Southeast Asia in 1965, it soon became apparent
that a requisite number of suitable offset aiming points were not available.
Secretary of Defense McNamara stated:
We are faced with very, very heavy jungle in certain portions of South Vietnam, jungle so heavily that is impossible to find a good aiming point in it. We know some of these jungles are used by the Vietcong for base camps and for storage areas…. You can imagine that without an ability to find an aiming point, There is only one way of bombing it and that is with a random pattern…With the force we had (B-52s) trained as it was in pattern bombing…the military commanders felt-and I believe this was a proper use of the weapons-that these strikes would destroy certain of the Viet Cong base areas, and, as a matter of fact, they did…There is no other way of doing it. We propose to continue.
In October 1965 the Air Force began further modification of its B-52 force
to increase the internal loading from 27 to 84 of the 500 or 750-pound bombs.
In March 1966 the modified bombs went into operation. Concurrent with the deployment
of the modified B-52, the Air Force installed Combat SkySpot; a ground directed
bombing system, in South Vietnam. The system employed existing (1CEVG) mobile
ground radar control units and permitted Military Assistance Commander Vietnam
(MACV) considerably more latitude because the selection of targets would no
longer depend on nearby, prominent geographical features; they had only to be
within range of Combat SkySpot equipment.
Using radar, 1CEVG personnel would direct the bombers along a designated route
to a bomb drop point, providing in route corrected headings and speed as needed.
Then, at the proper moment, the pilot received a signal to release his bombs.
Combat SkySpot not only provided flexibility in targeting, but its accuracy
soon surpassed that of the previously used radar synchronous bombing. In time,
practically all combat areas of Southeast Asia were within range of one or more
of the growing number of Combat SkySpot facilities. Six 1CEVG personnel lost
their lives during the construction phase when they were ambushed and killed
near Dong Ha Air Base while conducting a site location survey. Within 1CEVG
headquarters today a memorial room has been established to honor the memory
of those lost in combat.
The original name for Combat SkySpot was simply SkySpot in 1965. In October
of that year the name was changed to Combat Proof. In January 1967 the name
was again changed to its final designation, Combat SkySpot.
On 15 August 1973, with the cessation of bombing in Southeast Asia, the last
Combat SkySpot sortie was flown. In the seven years and six months of Combat
SkySpot operations, 1CEVG personnel manned ground radar sites on a 24-hour per
day basis in such locations as Bien Hoa, Binh Thuy, Pleiku, Thuy, Pleiku, Dalat,
Hue, Phu Bai, Son Tray, Da Nang, Quang Tri, and Dong Ha South Vietnam. In Thailand,
the locations included, Nakhon Phanom, Udorn, and Ubon.
The Combat SkySpot mission was not limited to all-weather weapons delivery however.
These sites also directed Commando Vault missions, the deployment of helicopter
landing sites zones by releasing 10,000 and 15,000-pound bombs from C-130 aircraft
in support of ground forces. Further, Combat SkySpot sites aided in search and
rescue missions and provided navigation fixes for a variety of aircraft.
During the 90-month period of service in Southeast Asia, Combat SkySpot crews
directed 75 percent of the B-52 strikes in that conflict. Under Combat SkySpot
over 300,000 USAF, Navy and Marine sorties were controlled. Additionally, Combat
SkySpot members were responsible for more than 150,000 tactical air strikes.
In August 1966, the Third Air Division gave the 1st Combat Evaluation Group
the Top Three Award for their outstanding contribution to the war effort through
the Combat SkySpot program.
In 1967, a top secret U.S. Air Force operation code named "PONY EXPRESS" was
undertaken. The operation was to airlift 150 tons of equipment by helicopters
to LIMA SITE-85. The equipment was to upgrade the Site's original navigation
equipment with a more elaborate system using the latest radar. This equipment
would enable American aircraft to bomb North Vietnam and Laos at night, and
in all types of weather.
Lima Site-85 was destroyed in March of 1968 with eleven U.S. Air Force personnel
still listed as MIA/Laos.
To read more about
Lima Site 85
TODAY
The following years saw few dramatic changes within the Group. The focus of
the Group turned to the development and acquisition of the new and improved
radar bomb scoring equipment. In 1977, for example, the Multiple Threat Emitter
System (MUTES) prototype underwent initial operational evaluation. Efforts to
improve TLQ-11 jamming capabilities were underway the following year. In October
1978 the MUTES was officially welcomed into the SAC training program.
Into 1979 Group members continued to work on new equipment with the completion
of a prototype study and the advent of conceptual tests for a new radar receiver,
the Threat Reaction Analysis Indicator System (TRAINS). This new radar receiver
would analyze how the crews and their equipment reacted to ground-based threats
such as air-to-air missile systems. The development of SEEK SCORE, an improved
radar scoring system, was also underway.
Into the 1980’s the personnel of the 1st Combat Evaluation Group continued
to provide the best radar bomb scoring services in existence. This, combined
with the development and acquisition of new and sophisticated equipment, plays
a major role in the readiness of the Strategic Air Command and the security
of the United States.
1CEVG became known as the 99 Electronic Combat Range Group (99ECRG) around 1990 - which was subsequently disbanded in 1995