The United States Air Force

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

's 55th Mobile Command and Control Squadron (55 MCCS) was a mobile command and control unit located at Offutt AFB, Nebraska

Nebraska

Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....

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Mission

The mission of the 55 MCCS was to execute operations, training and maintenance for the USSTRATCOM Mobile Consolidated Command Center and maintain the MCCC in a posture to facilitate rapid deployment.

Should a catastrophic event incapacitate the command (i.e. nuclear war), the 55 MCCS would deploy a survivable C2 capability over the road to keep key decision makers in the fight.

History

Personnel of the 55 MCCS were trained in their primary specialty, in addition to vital expeditionary capabilities that ensure survival. These skills included field living, high-threat convoy procedures, driving and directing 20-ton tractor-trailers, and more. This ability ensured they were not reliant on any single person, enhancing mission accomplishment and mission success.

Logo Significance

Blue and yellow are the Air Force colors. Blue alludes to the sky, the primary theater of Air Force operations. Yellow refers to the sun and the excellence required of Air Force personnel. The orange disc suggests the moon and alludes to the clandestine and covert nature of the squadron's command and control mission. The ghost represents the elusive and mobile nature of the squadron's platform and equipment. The lightning bolts signify the speed and power of strategic forces controlled by the USSTRATCOM Mobile Consolidated Command Center.

Commanders

• Lt Col John J. Jordan (2000–2002)
• Maj. Karen Hibbard (??-2006)
• Lt Col Ronald J. Hefner (1997-1999)

Equipment Utilized

• Mobile Consolidated Command Center (1998–Present),
• MILSTAR
• DSCS
  Defense Satellite Communications System
  The Defense Satellite Communications System provides the United States with military communications to support globally distributed military users. DSCS will be replaced by the Wideband Global SATCOM system. A total of 14 DSCS III satellites were launched between the early 1980s and 2003. Two...
  
  
• Single Channel Anti-Jam Manpower (SCAMP) terminals

Decorations

• Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 
  • 1 July 1994-31 July 1995
  • 1 June 1997-31 May 1999
  • 1 June 1999-31 May 2001
  • 1 June 2002-31 May 2004
  • 1 June 2004-31 May 2006

See also

• 4th Command and Control Squadron
  153d Command and Control Squadron
  The United States Air Force's 153d Command and Control Squadron is a command and control unit located at F. E. Warren AFB, Wyoming.-Mission:...
  
  
• 153d Command and Control Squadron
  153d Command and Control Squadron
  The United States Air Force's 153d Command and Control Squadron is a command and control unit located at F. E. Warren AFB, Wyoming.-Mission:...
  
  
• 721st Mobile Command and Control Squadron
  153d Command and Control Squadron
  The United States Air Force's 153d Command and Control Squadron is a command and control unit located at F. E. Warren AFB, Wyoming.-Mission:...
  
  

External links

• Unofficial 55th MCCS Reaper Locator