Tuesday, October 12, 2004
A Guide to United States Air Force Lineage and Honors
Introduction
This Guide to United States Air Force (USAF) Lineage and Honors is designed to assist the researcher in understanding unit lineage and honors (L&H). The Guide includes brief histories and explanations for terms such as "Squadron," "Group," "Wing," "Bestowed Honors," and "Conferred Honors." It also outlines the history of USAF reorganizations affecting the wing and group structure. In addition, the Guide includes a comprehensive list defining terms used within the L&H statement.
Origins of USAF Organizations 1913-1947
The Squadron
The term "squadron" literally means a square (from the Latin quadrare, to square). In army application, squadron describes a body of troops drawn into a square or arranged in formal order. For more than four centuries, western armed forces have ordered personnel and equipment in organizations known as squadrons. In navies, a squadron was a group of vessels consisting of two or more divisions of a fleet. For armies, the cavalry squadron was the most common type and it consisted of two or more elements called troops. How air forces came to adopt the squadron is an interesting story.
Early in the twentieth century, military doctrine treated air operations as an extension of the cavalry--in effect a sky cavalry. For example, a January 1912 report to the French Chamber of Deputies argued that "the aeroplane should not replace the cavalry, even in reconnaissance work; its action should be auxiliary to that of [the cavalry] and complete it." Echoing this sentiment in 1913, Brig Gen George P. Scriven, Chief Signal Officer of the US Army, testified before Congress "the aeroplane is an adjunct to the cavalry." Even as late as 1920 a much celebrated US Army Air Service regulation seemed to reflect cavalry connections: "Pilots will not wear spurs while flying!"
When the time came to form tactical aviation organizations, most military planners simply adapted the cavalry squadron organization to their purposes. Like cavalry squadrons, the new aero squadrons were administrative and tactical units, which usually consisted of two or more elements. In England, the Royal Flying Corps formed the first two aero squadrons in May 1912. Other nations quickly followed the British example. The US Army Signal Corps organized the 1st Provisional Aero (now, 1st Reconnaissance) Squadron on 5 March 1913. The widespread adoption of the squadron model prompted Gen Henry H. (Hap) Arnold, Commanding General of the US Army Air Forces in World War II, to observe that it is "the smallest administrative organization practically universally accepted for air units."
Initially, US aero squadrons consisted of two elements called companies. By the time the United States entered World War I, they contained two or more elements called flights. Through the years, squadrons have varied in size and composition according to specific needs. However, the squadron design still endures and continues to give formal order to US Air Force assets. Air Force Instruction 38-101, "Air Force Organization," defines the squadron as "the basic unit of the Air Force." A squadron may be either a functional organization, such as a maintenance, communications, or transportation squadron, or a mission organization such as a flying, space, or missile squadron.
The Group
When the United States entered World War I in April 1917, Gen John J. Pershing, the commander of the American Expeditionary Forces soon developed a plan for the deployment of over two hundred combat squadrons to France. As these units entered combat, American airmen soon realized that they needed an intermediate organization between the squadrons and the command level. They looked to the British who had more experience in dealing with combat units and were already engaged in flying combat missions. By December 1917, after looking at British groups, the Americans decided to adopt the "group," making it the smallest self-contained tactical bombardment unit. The Americans had no expectation of bombing by squadron but by groups and perhaps combinations of groups depending on the target. By the end of 1918, the War Department had created one pursuit wing and fourteen service, fighter, bomber, or observation groups in France. After the war the US Army quickly demobilized most of its air arm, including the wing, all of the groups, and most of the squadrons. Almost immediately, however, the Army began to create new organizations for peacetime service, and the concept of the group survived, although in the 1920s and 1930s there were few groups in existence.
In January 1939 President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to strengthen America's air power, which, the President said, was "utterly inadequate." On 1 September 1939, Germany attacked Poland, beginning the Second World War. In the months that followed, as Axis forces won one victory after another, the Army's air arm expanded rapidly. By the end of 1940 there were 33 groups. Within another year, that is, by the time the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and the United States entered the war, the number of active groups had increased to 94. The air arm grew even more rapidly in the months following Pearl Harbor, and by the end of 1943 there were 395 groups. These groups were fighting from Europe to the Mediterranean to the far reaches of the Pacific Ocean and their contribution to winning the war cannot be underestimated. Once the victory had been gained, the United States plunged into demobilization, just as it had done at the end of the First World War. Officers and men went home. Groups inactivated, and once again a new Air Force had to be built. In 1947 the Congress created the Department of the Air Force and established the United States Air Force as a separate service equal to the Army and the Navy.
The Wing
During the Korean War, precipitated by the Communist attack on the Republic of Korea, the number of groups increased drastically. Then in June 1952 the Air Force began expressing its strength in terms of "wings" rather than "groups." It began to inactivate the combat groups and assign their combat squadrons directly to the wing.
Organizations known as "wings" have been used by the Air Force for many years. Indeed, in July 1918 the American Expeditionary Forces of the United States Army organized in France its first aircraft organization higher than a group-the 1st Pursuit Wing. Although this wing did not survive post-World War I demobilization, new wings were created in the 1920s and 1930s. During World War II numerous wings existed; some provided training in the United States, while others controlled combat groups and support organizations overseas.
Post World War II Organization
Most of the wings that remained active after World War II were redesignated as numbered air divisions. The newly independent Air Force instituted in 1947-1948 a service test of a wing-base plan, which prompted an important change in the field structure and organization of the Air Force. Old-style World War II wings supervised a mixture of combat groups and support organizations. None of the subordinate organizations were permanently affiliated with the wings or possessed similar numerical designations or standard functions. The wings organized for the service test featured standard functions. Each test wing had a combat group, a maintenance and supply group, an airdrome (later, air base) group to operate base facilities and services, and a station medical group, all with identical numerical designations. The wing-based service test rendered more nearly uniform the functions of the wing elements and permanently aligned, or affiliated, support organizations with the parent wings through identical numerical designations. All of the wings involved in the service test became in 1948 Air Force-controlled (AFCON) establishments. The term AFCON applies to all those organizations under the direct control of Headquarters USAF for organizational actions. The Air Force reserved the numbers 1 through 999 for these permanent organizations, with the numbers 101 through 300 allotted to the Air National Guard.
In addition to the permanent AFCON wings, the USAF provided temporary organizations to be controlled by the major commands. The commands wanted a flexible organization at the lower echelons to permit rapid adjustments in manning that short-term requirements often dictated. Because the manning of permanent organizations was judged to be too rigid, in 1948 the Air Force created a new type of temporary organization. These major command-controlled organizations were identified as "MAJCON." Using four-digit numbers allotted to each command (for example, 3900-4399 for Strategic Air Command) by Headquarters USAF, the commands could create and end MAJCON organizations as needed. When a MAJCON organization was discontinued or inactivated, its life ended, never to be revived. The number of this organization could then be reused to designate another, entirely new MAJCON organization. Although the original intent was to provide major command flexibility in establishing and terminating short-lived, temporary organizations, some MAJCON organizations existed more than forty years.
USAF Cold War Organization
The subordinate four-group structure accepted from the 1947-1948-service test (i.e., combat, maintenance and supply, air base, and medical) remained intact only a few years. Under the new AFCON organizational scheme, the combat wing and its integral combat group carried the same numerical and functional designations; for example, the 9th Bombardment Group was an integral part of the 9th Bombardment Wing. In February 1951 the Strategic Air Command (SAC) began to eliminate its combat groups by reducing group headquarters to token strength (one officer and one enlisted man) and attaching the combat squadrons directly to the wings. Thus, the wing replaced the group as the basic combat element of SAC. On 16 June 1952, with the approval of Headquarters USAF, SAC inactivated all its combat groups and assigned the combat squadrons to the wings. By the mid-1950s most USAF wings had inactivated their combat groups and assigned the flying squadrons directly to the wing. Maintenance and supply groups were eliminated, with their squadrons realigned either directly under the wing or under the air base group. Functionally, directorates within the wing headquarters controlled the subordinate squadrons. The Air Force reorganized medical functions and inactivated or redesignated the medical groups under the wing. Of the original four groups, most wings only retained the air base (later redesignated to combat support) group. A few combat groups were again assigned briefly in the late 1970's and early 1980's to combat wings, but in general the trend to do away with them continued to the early 1990's. But, a few survived as independent groups assigned usually to numbered air divisions, and others survived in the reserve forces.
USAF Bestowed History
The SAC reorganization of 1952 also retired the World War II histories and honors of the combat groups, but the SAC wings, having been created during or after 1947, possessed no World War II histories or honors. Deviations from the wing-base plan by other commands, particularly Air Defense Command (ADC), also affected the perpetuation of histories and honors of World War II groups. In 1954 SAC and ADC leaders asked Headquarters USAF to perpetuate the histories and honors of the World War II combat groups. The ad hoc committee that reviewed these requests rejected the idea of redesignating combat groups as wings. Instead, the committee recommended that combat groups and wings be maintained as separate and distinct organizations, and that the histories and honors of combat groups be bestowed upon the similarly designated combat wings. Although the ad hoc committee's proposed bestowals ran counter to a longstanding policy of the Air Force against transferring history and honors from one organization to another, Headquarters USAF accepted the recommendations. Beginning in November 1954 the Department of the Air Force in a series of letters bestowed upon each combat wing the history and honors of its similarly designated predecessor combat group; for example, 9th Bombardment Wing received by bestowal the history and honors of the 9th Bombardment Group.
In the years since its implementation, bestowal has generated much confusion. Many throughout the Air Force did not understand that the group and the wing remained two separate and distinct entities. To alleviate some of the confusion, the Air Force in the 1980s consolidated some combat wings with their predecessor combat groups. These consolidations were limited to wings and groups whose period of active service did not overlap, since consolidation of organizations with overlapping active service adds confusion, violates lineage principles, and contravenes Air Force policy. By consolidation, the wing and group became one organization, eliminating the need for bestowal of group history and honors on the wing. Bestowal, however, continued to be the policy for the majority of active Air Force wings.
In bestowing group histories and honors on wings, Department of the Air Force directives noted only that bestowals are temporary. Over the succeeding years, the Air Force formulated more specific rules governing temporary bestowals of histories and honors. Currently, the bestowal of a combat group's history and honors to a wing follows these guidelines. Bestowal:
Will be made only from the group that has the same numerical designation as the recipient wing and that the Air Force regards as the primary-mission group and thus is an integral part of the wing.
May be made if the group is
Inactive
Active and assigned to the similarly designated wing.
Will not be made if the group is active and assigned to any organization other than the similarly designated wing.
Will apply only to that portion of the group's history that the group accrued and to those honors that the group earned during a period when the wing was not active.
Is temporary and
Becomes effective upon activation of the wing.
Terminates if
(1) The group is assigned to any organization other than its similarly designated wing.
(2) The wing is inactivated.
Post-Cold War Reorganization
Early in the 1990s with the declared end of the Cold War and the continued decline in military budgets, the Air Force restructured to meet changes in strategic requirements, decreasing personnel, and a smaller infrastructure. This major reorganization stressed elimination of unnecessary layers of authority, decentralization of decision-making, and consolidation of functions. The US Air Force restored a wing organizational structure, called the "objective wing," similar to the original wing-base plan. It organized each operational wing with a combat (now called operations) group, as well as logistics, support, and medical groups, with most wing squadrons assigned under the appropriate groups. Overall, the restructuring maintained a high combat capability while increasing the operational flexibility of the much-reduced force.
At the same time, the Air Force withdrew the authorization for major commands to create MAJCON organizations. Those four digit organizations active on 30 April 1991, changed to organizations under the direct control of Headquarters USAF for organizational actions, eliminating all MAJCON organizations. Among the former MAJCON organizations were about twenty active four-digit wings. Within a few years, however all those wings were inactivated, consolidated with, or replaced by lower numbered wings.
Air Expeditionary Forces
On 2 August 1990, Iraqi forces invaded and overran the neighboring State of Kuwait. Five days later, American forces began deploying to the Persian Gulf area. The United States Air Force utilized "provisional" units, which are temporary, in moving personnel and aircraft to the area. These "provisional" units, along with Army, Navy, and Allied counterparts, defeated the Iraqi forces and liberated Kuwait.
Based on Air Force policy and long-standing tradition, the history, lineage, and honors of a "provisional" unit terminates when it inactivates, and battle honors earned by the "provisional" unit are not shared with the permanent unit that provided the resources. However, Central Air Force (CENTAF) with inputs from the major commands compiled a list of the regular Air Force units to earn the Gulf War campaign streamers. Air Force Military Personnel Center (AFMPC) then published the list awarding the first two campaign streamers for the Persian Gulf War.
In mid-1996, the Air Force, in response to budget cuts, major drawdowns, and changing world situations, began experimenting with air expeditionary organizations. These organizations, from squadron to wing and above, were, by definition, provisional in nature. Thus once again, in regard to air expeditionary organizations, the Air Force faced the question regarding honors earned by "provisional" units.
The Air Force Historical Research Agency coordinated with USAF Directorate of Manpower and Organization and with the major commands to establish the following policies in transferring honors from provisional units to permanent units.
Major force provider is the single permanent unit which provides the majority of manpower and other resources to the expeditionary organization.
Lineage:
1) Establishments and units given term "Expeditionary" in designation are provisional.
2) Lineage and heritage of provisional organizations will terminate upon inactivation.
3) No lineal connection exists between the expeditionary unit and the major force provider.
Honors:
1) Combat or expeditionary honors earned by provisional expeditionary establishment or unit may be "conferred" to corresponding permanent active organization with same numerical designation.
2) Activation order must state: "Upon inactivation, any awards or honors earned by (designation of provisional organization) are conferred on (designation of permanent organization)."
3) Honors are normally "conferred" only at the wing, group, or squadron levels.
4) Honors may be "conferred" only from a single expeditionary organization to a single permanent organization. For example, honors earned by the 4th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron may be "conferred" only on the 4th Fighter Squadron.
5) Expeditionary organization may borrow temporarily the major force provider's honors and history.
Emblems: Expeditionary organization may display officially approved emblem of the major force provider with its commander's permission.
"Rainbow" (no major source provider) expeditionary organization converted from permanent units by DAF letters. Example: 363 Fighter Wing redesignated to 363 Air Expeditionary Wing, converted to provisional status, and activated in Saudi Arabia.
Lineage:
1) Continues lineage of permanent unit.
2) May use permanent unit honors and history.
Honors: Evolves any earned honors to the permanent unit, consequently conferral is unnecessary.
Emblems: May display or use officially approved emblem/patch of the permanent unit.
The Lineage and Honors History
The following explains the arrangement of information, and the terms and format used in USAF lineage and honors statements.
Lineage. Air Force Instruction 84-105, para 2.1.1, states, "The lineages of permanent organizations are continuous. Neither inactivation nor disbandment terminates their lineage or heraldry." Lineage entails tracing the organizational actions affecting the history of an organization. The official USAF statement of lineage forms the foundation of the organization's history and governs the organization's inheritance of emblem and honors. A basic policy of the Air Force is that each organization will have a unique lineage. This policy was in effect in the War Department when military aviation was under the Army and has been continued by the United States Air Force since its inception in 1947. No two organizations can have the same lineage, although at different times in their existence they may have possessed similar or even identical designations. A description of the lineage system may be found in Air Force Instruction 38-101 "Air Force Organization." The Air Force is composed of primary organizations called units and establishments. Units divide among three primary categories: squadrons (the numbered flight is considered a "small" squadron), miscellaneous (a category including such organizations as bands, infirmaries, hospitals, etc.), and headquarters. The headquarters organizations serve as headquarters for establishments.Establishments are Air Force organizations at group echelon or higher, having a headquarters organization as their primary component. The lineage of each organization (unit or establishment) is ultimately determined by the language employed in the War Department and Department of the Air Force letters and major command orders relating to organizational actions. The following glossary defines lineage terms.
Glossary
Activate. To bring into physical existence by assignment of personnel (from 1922-1959, and again after 1968). In 1922, "activate" replaced the term "organize." During the period 1959-1968, however, activate meant to place on the active list, available to be organized. See also "organize."Assign. To place in a military organization, as a permanent element or component of that organization.Attach. To place one military organization temporarily with another for operational control and other purposes, including administration and logistical support. An attached organization is one that is temporarily serving away from the establishment to which it is assigned. It is usually attached to another establishment.Authorize. To designate an organization and place it on the inactive Army list. Used during the middle and late 1920s and early 1930s in place of "constitute," particularly for organizations held for an emergency and not scheduled for immediate activation.Consolidate. To combine two (or more) organizations, merging their lineage into a single line, thereby forming a single organization. Organizations with concurrent or overlapping periods of activation cannot be consolidated.Constitute. After 1922, to give an official name, or number and name, to an organization and place it on the inactive Army/Air Force List. See also "designate."Demobilize. To withdraw all personnel from an active organization and remove the organization entirely from the Army List. Used 1907-1922. See also "disband."Designate. To give an official name, or number and name, to an organization and place it on the inactive Army List, 1907-1922. After 1922, see "constitute." Also to give an official name, or number and name, to a nonconstituted organization.Designation. The name of a unit or establishment. The designation includes all parts of the name: numerical, functional, and generic. A designation also applies to named activities and certain functions.Disband. After 1922, to remove an inactive organization from the inactive Army/Air Force List. Shortly before and during World War II, this action was also used to withdraw all personnel from an active organization and simultaneously remove the organization from the Army List. Replaced the term "demobilize."Discontinue. To withdraw all personnel from a constituted organization, used only during period, 1959-1968. See "inactivate."Disestablish. To terminate an establishment concurrent with disbandment of its headquarters organization, until reestablished.Establish. To assign a designation to an establishment concurrent with the designation or the constitution of the headquarters organization.Establishment. A military organization at group or higher echelon composed of a headquarters organization and any other components that might be assigned. Personnel are not assigned to an establishment, but to its components.Inactivate. To withdraw all personnel from a constituted organization and place the organization on the inactive list (from 1922 to 1959 and from 1968 to date). During the period 1959-1968, however, to be inactivated meant to be transferred from the active to the inactive list, after being discontinued.Order to the Active Service. To place a Reserve or National Guard organization on active duty with the regular Air Force.Organization. The term organization applies to units and establishments.Organize. To assign personnel to a designated organization (1907-1922), a nonconstituted organization (1944-1968), or a constituted organization (1959-1968). See also "activate."Reconstitute. To return a disbanded or demobilized organization to the inactive Army/Air Force List, making it available for activation (1922-current).Redesignate. To change the designation of an organization.Reestablish. To return a previously existing establishment from disestablished status to the active list, so that it can be activated.Relieve from Active Duty. Reserve organizations are relieved from active duty with the regular Air Force upon completion of a period of active duty.
ASSIGNMENTS. Each of the organization's immediate "parent" organizations is listed chronologically. The designation of the parent organization is shown in abbreviated form, omitting information such as "Heavy," "Medium," or "Light." A single date indicates the date of assignment; where a double date appears, the second date indicates termination of assignment. A semicolon is used to show a change of assignment while the organization remained active, a period indicates the organization was demobilized, disbanded, discontinued, or inactivated. If the organization was attached for operational control to another organization, the attachment appears in parentheses, with brackets used to set off parenthetical elements within parentheses. Each attachment contains double dates. Where the exact dates for attached service could not be determined with certainty a circa (c.) date is used.
COMPONENTS. Tactical components assigned, or attached for operational control, are listed in hierarchical and numerical order. Each list shows only those components at the first subordinate echelon; the list does not show subordinate squadrons of an assigned or attached organization because these squadrons were not directly assigned. Only the numerical designation appears if the functional designations (e.g., fighter, bombardment) were identical for both the component and establishment. If the numerical designation of a component changed during its period(s) of assignment or attachment, the later designation is shown parenthetically. Example: 705th (later, 962d). Support-type components are excluded. A semicolon separating dates indicates a break in assignment or attachment. A comma indicates a change with no break in control. A squadron attached for a time and then assigned (with no break in control), for example, would be shown: Attached 1 January-29 July 1952, assigned 30 July 1952-12 July 1957. Interrupted attached service in a series would read: Attached 12 July-10 August 1956, 17 November 1956-3 January 1957, 10 July-19 August 1957, and so forth, with commas separating the series entries. This same procedure is used to show detached status of assigned components, when such detached periods are frequent. Periods of detached service, when components are detached for duty with another organization, appear in parentheses. In some cases the exact dates for detached service could not be determined with certainty. A circa (c.) date is used in these instances.
STATIONS. Permanent locations of the organization are listed chronologically. The name of each base is the one in use at the time the organization arrived, with any changes appearing in parentheses. Foreign nations that hosted Air Force organizations are identified by their "popular" name, rather than their official name. Thus, the Republic of Korea appears as South Korea, the Republic of Vietnam as South Vietnam, and the Republic of China as either Formosa or Taiwan, depending upon the time. Organizations located in occupied Germany or in the Federal Republic of Germany are listed as being in Germany. A single date indicates the arrival of the organization at a base. Semicolons separate the station-and-date entries while the organization remained active but changed stations. If an organization moved from one continent to another, a double date is provided for the station being vacated. A double date is also provided whenever an organization arrived at a base and was subsequently demobilized, disbanded, discontinued, or inactivated. A period at the end of a second date indicates demobilization, disbandment, discontinuance, or inactivation. Where the exact dates of attached or detached service could not be determined with certainty, a circa (c.) date is used.
COMMANDERS. Where included, commanders of the organization are listed chronologically, along with the highest rank attained during the command tenure. When an organization was active but not manned, the statement "none (not manned)" and double dates appear. If for some reason a commander was at first temporarily and then permanently appointed, the commander's name may be followed by one date and a parenthetical "temporary," followed by a second date and parenthetical "permanent." Lists of commanders are as accurate as the sources permit. Commander lists sometimes contain "unknown" as an entry, and in many of the commander lists, circa (c.) or some other indicators such as "by" a date are to be found. A second date followed by a period indicates the organization inactivated.
AIRCRAFT/MISSILES/SPACE VEHICLES. The aircraft, missiles, and/or space vehicles used by the organization appear in this section. Aircraft are listed by series and number (e.g., F-86 or EC-135), but normally not by model (e.g., B-52H or KC-135A). In the missile category, only strategic or tactical surface-to-surface missiles are included; air-to-air, air-to-ground, or surface-to-air missiles are considered ordnance. Missiles are listed by their popular names (e.g., Atlas, Titan I, Minuteman III). Space vehicles are listed as satellites. The years during which the organization possessed a weapon system are also listed (e.g., RF-101, 1959-1965). For each period of an organization's active service, semicolons separate different weapon systems possessed and the final entry is followed by a period. An organization sometimes temporarily lost possession of its weapon system. A comma shows such temporary absences of a weapon system. Example: B-52, 1957-1960, 1960-1962, 1963-1965. In other words, for a time in 1960 and from a period in 1962 to sometime in 1963, the organization had no B-52 aircraft for its own use, all being under the control of another organization.
OPERATIONS. Information in this section is extremely abbreviated, but mentions all combat and some other significant operations. In wing entries, overseas deployments are mentioned, together with changes in wing status and the wing's mission. Readers who wish to know more about an organization's operations may visit the Air Force Historical Research Agency to conduct research, or purchase through the mail microfilm copies of unclassified histories. Some additional information about squadrons may be found in the entries of the wing(s) to which a squadron was assigned or attached, either at http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/ or in Charles A. Ravenstein, Air Force Combat Wings: Lineage and Honors Histories, 1947-1977.
SERVICE STREAMERS. Service streamers represent noncombat service in the various theaters of military operations and bear no embroidery. Those service streamers earned by the organization are listed here. If an organization participated in combat operations in a theater, it earned a campaign streamer instead of a service streamer. For a color photograph and a description of the streamer, see A.T.Warnock, Air Force Combat Medals, Streamers, and Campaigns.
World War I
Theater of Operations: 6 April 1917-11 November 1918
World War II
American Theater: 7 December 1941–2 March 1946.
European-African-Middle Eastern (EAME) Theater: 7 December 1941–8 November 1945.
Asiatic-Pacific Theater: 7 December 1941–2 March 1946.
Korean War
Korean Theater: 27 June 1950–27 July 1954.
Vietnam
Vietnam Theater: 1 July 1958-28 March 1973.
Southwest Asia
Southwest Asia Theater: 2 August 1990-30 November 1995.
CAMPAIGN STREAMERS. Verified combat credit entitles an organization to the appropriate campaign streamers representing the named campaign in which it participated. The campaign streamer will be embroidered with the name and years of the campaign. The Historical Research Agency has traditionally evaluated and verified combat credits. Campaign streamers listed reflect each organization's verified combat record except for the Gulf War campaign credits. US Central Command Air Forces provided the credits for the first two campaigns of the Persian Gulf War. Recipients of the third and final campaign streamer credit have not yet been announced. For a color photograph of the streamer, maps of the campaigns, and a brief description of each campaign, see A.T. Warnock, Combat Medals, Streamers, and Campaigns.
World War I
Campaign Name Embroidered on Streamer
Inclusive Dates
Date Embroidered on Streamer
Some Defensive
21 March-6 April 1918
1918
Lys
9-27 April 1918
1918
Champagne-Marne
15-18 July 1918
1918
Aisne-Marchne
18 July-6 August 1918
1918
Somme Offensive
8 August-11 November 1918
1918
Oisne-Aisne
18 August-11 November 1918
1918
St. Mihiel
12-16 September 1918
1918
Meuse-Argonne
26 September-11 November 1918
1918
Alsace
Defensive Sectors - no dates embroidered on streamer(s)
Champagne
Flanders
Ile-de-France
Lorraine
Picardy
World War II American Theater
Campaign Name Embroidered on Streamer
Inclusive Dates
Date Embroidered on Streamer
Antisubmarine
7 December 1941-2 September 1945
1941-1945
World War II European-African-Middle Eastern Theater
Campaign Name Embroidered on Streamer
Inclusive Dates
Date Embroidered on Streamer
Air Combat
7 December 1941-2 September 1945
1941-1945
Antisubmarine
7 December 1941-2 September 1945
1941-1945
Egypt-Libya
11 June 1942-12 February 1943
1942-1943
Algeria-French Morocco
8-11 November 1942
1942
Tunisia
12 November 1942-13 May 1943
1942-1943
Sicily
14 May-17 August 1943
1943
Naples-Foggia
18 August 1943-21 January 1944
1943-1944
Anzio
22 January-24 May 1944
1944
Rome-Arno
22 January-9 September 1944
1944
North Apennines
10 September 1944-4 April 1945
1944-1945
Po Valley
5 April-8 May 1945
1945
Air Offensive, Europe
4 July 1942-5 June 1944
1942-1944
Normandy
6 June-24 July 1944
1944
Northern France
25 July-14 September 1944
1944
Southern France
15 August-14 September 1944
1944
Rhineland
15 September 1944-21 March 1945
1944-1945
Ardennes-Alsace
16 December 1944-25 January 1945
1944-1945
Central Europe
22 March-11 May 1945
1945
World War II Asiatic-Pacific Theater
Campaign Name Embroidered on Streamer
Inclusive Dates
Date Embroidered on Streamer
Air Combat
7 December 1941-2 September 1945
1941-1945
Antisubmarine
7 December 1941-2 September 1945
1941-1945
Central Pacific
7 December 1941-6 December 1943
1941-1943
Philippine Islands
7 December 1941-10 May 1942
1941-1942
East Indies
1 January-22 July 1942
1942
Papua
23 July 1942-23 January 1943
1942-1943
Aleutian Islands
3 June 1942-24 August 1943
1942-1943
Guadalcanal
7 August 1942-21 February 1943
1942-1943
Northern Solomons
22 February 1943-21 November 1944
1943-1944
Bismarck Archipelago
15 December 1943-27 November 1944
1943-1944
Eastern Mandates
7 December 1943-16 April 1944
1943-1944
Western Pacific
17 April 1944-2 September 1945
1944-1945
New Guinea
24 January 1943-31 December 1944
1943-1944
Leyte
17 October 1944-1 July 1945
1944-1945
Luzon
15 December 1944-4 July 1945
1944-1945
Southern Philippines
27 February-4 July 1945
1945
Burma
7 December 1941-26 May 1942
1941-1942
India-Burma
2 April 1942-28 January 1945
1942-1945
Central Burma
29 January-15 July 1945
1945
China Defensive
4 July 1942-4 May 1945
1942-1945
China Offensive
5 May-2 September 1945
1945
Ryukyus
26 March-2 July 1945
1945
Air Offensive, Japan
17 April 1942-2 September 1945
1942-1945
Korea
Campaign Name Embroidered on Streamer
Inclusive Dates
Date Embroidered on Streamer
UN Defensive
27 July-15 September 1950
1950
UN Offensive
16 September-2 November 1950
1950
CCF Intervention
3 November 1950-24 January 1951
1950-1951
First UN Counter-offensive
25 January-21 April 1951
1951
CCF Spring Offensive
22 April-8 July 1951
1951
UN Summer-Fall Offensive
9 July-27 November 1951
1951
Second Korean Winter
28 November 1951-30 April 1952
1951-1952
Korea, Summer-Fall
1 May-30 November 1952
1952
Third Korean Winter
1 December 1952-30 April 1953
1952-1953
Korea, Summer
1 May-27 July 1953
1953
Vietnam
Campaign Name Embroidered on Streamer
Inclusive Dates
Date Embroidered on Streamer
Vietnam Advisory
15 November 1961-1 March 1965
1961-1965
Vietnam Defensive
2 March 1965-30 January 1966
1965-1966
Vietnam Air
31 January-28 June 1966
1966
Vietnam Air Offensive
29 June 1966-8 March 1967
1966-1967
Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase II
9 March 1967-31 March 1968
1967-1968
Vietnam Air/Ground
22 January-7 July 1968
1968
Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase III
1 April-31 October 1968
1968
Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase IV
1 November 1968-22 February 1969
1968-1969
TET 69/Counter-offensive
23 February-8 June 1969
1969
Vietnam Summer-Fall
9 June-31 October 1969
1969
Vietnam Winter-Spring
1 November 1969-30 April 1970
1969-1970
Sanctuary Counter-offensive
1 May-30 June 1970
1970
Southwest Monsoon
1 July-30 November 1970
1970
Commando Hunt V
1 December 1970-14 May 1971
1970-1971
Commando Hunt VI
15 May-31 October 1971
1971
Commando Hunt VII
1 November 1971-29 March 1972
1971-1972
Vietnam Ceasefire
30 March 1972-28 January 1973
1972-1973
Southwest Asia
Campaign Name Embroidered on Streamer
Inclusive Dates
Date Embroidered on Streamer
Defense of Saudi Arabia
2 August 1990-16 January 1991
1990-1991
Liberation and Defense of Kuwait
17 January-11 April 1991
1991
Southwest Asia Ceasefire *
12 April 1991-30 November 1995
1991-1995
*USAF organizations to receive credit for this campaign have not yet been identified
ARMED FORCES EXPEDITIONARY STREAMERS. Until 1983, this Joint Chiefs of Staff award was given only to individuals, not to any USAF organization. Since that date, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamer has been given to Air Force organizations for only two operations: the invasion and occupation of Grenada, 23 October-21 November 1983, and the US invasion of Panama, December 1989-January 1990. For a color photograph of the streamer and a brief description of each operation, see A.T. Warnock, Combat Medals, Streamers, and Campaigns.
DECORATIONS. Decorations include citations and awards recognizing distinguished or meritorious acts by an organization. In this list, the type of decoration is cited together with specific dates, if date appeared in the award document, usually a general or special order. Air Force Pamphlet 900-2, produced by the Air Force Military Personnel Center, contains the official listing of organization decorations up to circa mid-1991. In addition, since late 1988 each Major Command has been authorized to award some decorations to its subordinate units. The decorations listed in this section of the L&H generally agree with those appearing in the orders, but some revisions may be made based on actual operations. For example, the dates stated in an order may cover a time before an organization was active or after it became inactive. Corrected dates are shown within brackets. The embroidery should be exactly the same as the listing on the official Lineage and Honors History for the unit. For example: Ploesti, Rumania, 1 August 1943.
United States
Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC). Used by the US Army and Army Air Forces. First established by Executive Order 9075 on 26 February 1942, awarded for extraordinary valor in action on or after 7 December 1941.
Presidential Unit Citation (PUC). Equivalent to the Distinguished Unit Citation. The PUC is used by the US Navy and was awarded to a number of AAF organizations that operated under Navy control or in close support of the Navy. After 1965, the US Air Force adopted the Presidential Unit Citation instead of the Distinguished Unit Citation to recognize outstanding combat performance of its tactical organizations.
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device (AFOUA/V). The AFOUA/V is awarded in lieu of the AFOUA (below) to recognize achievement in combat by USAF units and establishments. The Combat "V" Device was first used during the conflict in Southeast Asia.
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (AFOUA). USAF decoration used to recognize outstanding efforts and meritorious actions of USAF units and establishments in peace and war, the AFOUA was announced in Department of the Air Force General Orders No. 1 on 6 January 1954. (Several units and establishments received this award retroactively, for meritorious actions during the Korean War.)
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award (AFOEA). The AFOEA was established on 26 August 1969 by the Secretary of the Air Force. It is awarded by the Secretary to recognize the achievements and accomplishments of Air Force organizations and activities that do not meet the eligibility requirements of the AFOUA (above). The AFOEA may be awarded with the "V" device for combat or direct combat support.
Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC). The US Army's Meritorious Unit Commendation, roughly equivalent to the AFOUA (above), has been earned by a number of AAF and USAF organizations. This decoration recognizes outstanding and meritorious actions in both peace and war, but these actions are considered to be of a lesser consequence than those recognized by a Distinguished Unit Citation (above).
Navy Unit Commendation (NUC). The US Navy Unit Commendation, also roughly equivalent to the AFOUA (above), has been awarded to a few AAF and USAF organizations which worked closely with the Navy. The award recognizes outstanding and meritorious actions in both peace and war, but these actions are considered to be of a lesser consequence than those recognized by a Presidential Unit Citation (above).
Foreign
Belgium
Citation in the Order of the Day, Belgian Army. A citation by decree of the Belgian Government. Numerous AAF units and establishments which operated in or over Belgium during World War II received this award.
Belgian Fourragere. A decoration awarded, by decree of the Belgian Government, to organizations cited twice in the Order of the Day, Belgian Army.
France
Croix de Guerre. A citation by decree of the French Government, awarded to Army Air Service organizations in World War I and Army units and establishments in World War II. Generally identified as French Croix de Guerre with Palm.
French Fourragere. A decoration, awarded by decree of the French Government in World Wars I and II, to units and establishments cited twice for the Croix de Guerre.
Korea
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation. A citation for achievement during the Korean War. Most commonly presented to organizations based in Korea and carrying out combat operations there, but also awarded to some organizations, both combat and support types, based in adjacent areas. Since the cessation of hostilities in Korea in July 1953, this decoration has been awarded rarely to USAF units and establishments--usually in recognition of outstanding support in the defense of Korea.
Philippines
Philippine Presidential Unit Citation. A citation for achievement while serving in the Philippines during the periods 7 December 1941-10 May 1942 or 17 October 1944-4 July 1945. No date is connected with the citation. Only one award is authorized for every eligible organization, including those that served in the Philippines during both periods.
Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation. A number of USAF organizations stationed in the Republic of the Philippines in July and August 1972 earned this citation in recognition of their participation in disaster relief Operations.
Vietnam
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm. This organization decoration was awarded to units and establishments actually engaged in combat in defense of the Republic of Vietnam. In numerous instances, it was also awarded to combat support organizations and tactical organizations that were based outside the Vietnam Theater yet flew missions or provided essential services to organizations flying to or operating within the theater.
EMBLEM. Information on the current emblem of the organization is provided.
OPR: AFHRA/RSO(334) 953-5152 DSN 493-5152
Updated October 12, 2001Webmaster
Introduction
This Guide to United States Air Force (USAF) Lineage and Honors is designed to assist the researcher in understanding unit lineage and honors (L&H). The Guide includes brief histories and explanations for terms such as "Squadron," "Group," "Wing," "Bestowed Honors," and "Conferred Honors." It also outlines the history of USAF reorganizations affecting the wing and group structure. In addition, the Guide includes a comprehensive list defining terms used within the L&H statement.
Origins of USAF Organizations 1913-1947
The Squadron
The term "squadron" literally means a square (from the Latin quadrare, to square). In army application, squadron describes a body of troops drawn into a square or arranged in formal order. For more than four centuries, western armed forces have ordered personnel and equipment in organizations known as squadrons. In navies, a squadron was a group of vessels consisting of two or more divisions of a fleet. For armies, the cavalry squadron was the most common type and it consisted of two or more elements called troops. How air forces came to adopt the squadron is an interesting story.
Early in the twentieth century, military doctrine treated air operations as an extension of the cavalry--in effect a sky cavalry. For example, a January 1912 report to the French Chamber of Deputies argued that "the aeroplane should not replace the cavalry, even in reconnaissance work; its action should be auxiliary to that of [the cavalry] and complete it." Echoing this sentiment in 1913, Brig Gen George P. Scriven, Chief Signal Officer of the US Army, testified before Congress "the aeroplane is an adjunct to the cavalry." Even as late as 1920 a much celebrated US Army Air Service regulation seemed to reflect cavalry connections: "Pilots will not wear spurs while flying!"
When the time came to form tactical aviation organizations, most military planners simply adapted the cavalry squadron organization to their purposes. Like cavalry squadrons, the new aero squadrons were administrative and tactical units, which usually consisted of two or more elements. In England, the Royal Flying Corps formed the first two aero squadrons in May 1912. Other nations quickly followed the British example. The US Army Signal Corps organized the 1st Provisional Aero (now, 1st Reconnaissance) Squadron on 5 March 1913. The widespread adoption of the squadron model prompted Gen Henry H. (Hap) Arnold, Commanding General of the US Army Air Forces in World War II, to observe that it is "the smallest administrative organization practically universally accepted for air units."
Initially, US aero squadrons consisted of two elements called companies. By the time the United States entered World War I, they contained two or more elements called flights. Through the years, squadrons have varied in size and composition according to specific needs. However, the squadron design still endures and continues to give formal order to US Air Force assets. Air Force Instruction 38-101, "Air Force Organization," defines the squadron as "the basic unit of the Air Force." A squadron may be either a functional organization, such as a maintenance, communications, or transportation squadron, or a mission organization such as a flying, space, or missile squadron.
The Group
When the United States entered World War I in April 1917, Gen John J. Pershing, the commander of the American Expeditionary Forces soon developed a plan for the deployment of over two hundred combat squadrons to France. As these units entered combat, American airmen soon realized that they needed an intermediate organization between the squadrons and the command level. They looked to the British who had more experience in dealing with combat units and were already engaged in flying combat missions. By December 1917, after looking at British groups, the Americans decided to adopt the "group," making it the smallest self-contained tactical bombardment unit. The Americans had no expectation of bombing by squadron but by groups and perhaps combinations of groups depending on the target. By the end of 1918, the War Department had created one pursuit wing and fourteen service, fighter, bomber, or observation groups in France. After the war the US Army quickly demobilized most of its air arm, including the wing, all of the groups, and most of the squadrons. Almost immediately, however, the Army began to create new organizations for peacetime service, and the concept of the group survived, although in the 1920s and 1930s there were few groups in existence.
In January 1939 President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to strengthen America's air power, which, the President said, was "utterly inadequate." On 1 September 1939, Germany attacked Poland, beginning the Second World War. In the months that followed, as Axis forces won one victory after another, the Army's air arm expanded rapidly. By the end of 1940 there were 33 groups. Within another year, that is, by the time the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and the United States entered the war, the number of active groups had increased to 94. The air arm grew even more rapidly in the months following Pearl Harbor, and by the end of 1943 there were 395 groups. These groups were fighting from Europe to the Mediterranean to the far reaches of the Pacific Ocean and their contribution to winning the war cannot be underestimated. Once the victory had been gained, the United States plunged into demobilization, just as it had done at the end of the First World War. Officers and men went home. Groups inactivated, and once again a new Air Force had to be built. In 1947 the Congress created the Department of the Air Force and established the United States Air Force as a separate service equal to the Army and the Navy.
The Wing
During the Korean War, precipitated by the Communist attack on the Republic of Korea, the number of groups increased drastically. Then in June 1952 the Air Force began expressing its strength in terms of "wings" rather than "groups." It began to inactivate the combat groups and assign their combat squadrons directly to the wing.
Organizations known as "wings" have been used by the Air Force for many years. Indeed, in July 1918 the American Expeditionary Forces of the United States Army organized in France its first aircraft organization higher than a group-the 1st Pursuit Wing. Although this wing did not survive post-World War I demobilization, new wings were created in the 1920s and 1930s. During World War II numerous wings existed; some provided training in the United States, while others controlled combat groups and support organizations overseas.
Post World War II Organization
Most of the wings that remained active after World War II were redesignated as numbered air divisions. The newly independent Air Force instituted in 1947-1948 a service test of a wing-base plan, which prompted an important change in the field structure and organization of the Air Force. Old-style World War II wings supervised a mixture of combat groups and support organizations. None of the subordinate organizations were permanently affiliated with the wings or possessed similar numerical designations or standard functions. The wings organized for the service test featured standard functions. Each test wing had a combat group, a maintenance and supply group, an airdrome (later, air base) group to operate base facilities and services, and a station medical group, all with identical numerical designations. The wing-based service test rendered more nearly uniform the functions of the wing elements and permanently aligned, or affiliated, support organizations with the parent wings through identical numerical designations. All of the wings involved in the service test became in 1948 Air Force-controlled (AFCON) establishments. The term AFCON applies to all those organizations under the direct control of Headquarters USAF for organizational actions. The Air Force reserved the numbers 1 through 999 for these permanent organizations, with the numbers 101 through 300 allotted to the Air National Guard.
In addition to the permanent AFCON wings, the USAF provided temporary organizations to be controlled by the major commands. The commands wanted a flexible organization at the lower echelons to permit rapid adjustments in manning that short-term requirements often dictated. Because the manning of permanent organizations was judged to be too rigid, in 1948 the Air Force created a new type of temporary organization. These major command-controlled organizations were identified as "MAJCON." Using four-digit numbers allotted to each command (for example, 3900-4399 for Strategic Air Command) by Headquarters USAF, the commands could create and end MAJCON organizations as needed. When a MAJCON organization was discontinued or inactivated, its life ended, never to be revived. The number of this organization could then be reused to designate another, entirely new MAJCON organization. Although the original intent was to provide major command flexibility in establishing and terminating short-lived, temporary organizations, some MAJCON organizations existed more than forty years.
USAF Cold War Organization
The subordinate four-group structure accepted from the 1947-1948-service test (i.e., combat, maintenance and supply, air base, and medical) remained intact only a few years. Under the new AFCON organizational scheme, the combat wing and its integral combat group carried the same numerical and functional designations; for example, the 9th Bombardment Group was an integral part of the 9th Bombardment Wing. In February 1951 the Strategic Air Command (SAC) began to eliminate its combat groups by reducing group headquarters to token strength (one officer and one enlisted man) and attaching the combat squadrons directly to the wings. Thus, the wing replaced the group as the basic combat element of SAC. On 16 June 1952, with the approval of Headquarters USAF, SAC inactivated all its combat groups and assigned the combat squadrons to the wings. By the mid-1950s most USAF wings had inactivated their combat groups and assigned the flying squadrons directly to the wing. Maintenance and supply groups were eliminated, with their squadrons realigned either directly under the wing or under the air base group. Functionally, directorates within the wing headquarters controlled the subordinate squadrons. The Air Force reorganized medical functions and inactivated or redesignated the medical groups under the wing. Of the original four groups, most wings only retained the air base (later redesignated to combat support) group. A few combat groups were again assigned briefly in the late 1970's and early 1980's to combat wings, but in general the trend to do away with them continued to the early 1990's. But, a few survived as independent groups assigned usually to numbered air divisions, and others survived in the reserve forces.
USAF Bestowed History
The SAC reorganization of 1952 also retired the World War II histories and honors of the combat groups, but the SAC wings, having been created during or after 1947, possessed no World War II histories or honors. Deviations from the wing-base plan by other commands, particularly Air Defense Command (ADC), also affected the perpetuation of histories and honors of World War II groups. In 1954 SAC and ADC leaders asked Headquarters USAF to perpetuate the histories and honors of the World War II combat groups. The ad hoc committee that reviewed these requests rejected the idea of redesignating combat groups as wings. Instead, the committee recommended that combat groups and wings be maintained as separate and distinct organizations, and that the histories and honors of combat groups be bestowed upon the similarly designated combat wings. Although the ad hoc committee's proposed bestowals ran counter to a longstanding policy of the Air Force against transferring history and honors from one organization to another, Headquarters USAF accepted the recommendations. Beginning in November 1954 the Department of the Air Force in a series of letters bestowed upon each combat wing the history and honors of its similarly designated predecessor combat group; for example, 9th Bombardment Wing received by bestowal the history and honors of the 9th Bombardment Group.
In the years since its implementation, bestowal has generated much confusion. Many throughout the Air Force did not understand that the group and the wing remained two separate and distinct entities. To alleviate some of the confusion, the Air Force in the 1980s consolidated some combat wings with their predecessor combat groups. These consolidations were limited to wings and groups whose period of active service did not overlap, since consolidation of organizations with overlapping active service adds confusion, violates lineage principles, and contravenes Air Force policy. By consolidation, the wing and group became one organization, eliminating the need for bestowal of group history and honors on the wing. Bestowal, however, continued to be the policy for the majority of active Air Force wings.
In bestowing group histories and honors on wings, Department of the Air Force directives noted only that bestowals are temporary. Over the succeeding years, the Air Force formulated more specific rules governing temporary bestowals of histories and honors. Currently, the bestowal of a combat group's history and honors to a wing follows these guidelines. Bestowal:
Will be made only from the group that has the same numerical designation as the recipient wing and that the Air Force regards as the primary-mission group and thus is an integral part of the wing.
May be made if the group is
Inactive
Active and assigned to the similarly designated wing.
Will not be made if the group is active and assigned to any organization other than the similarly designated wing.
Will apply only to that portion of the group's history that the group accrued and to those honors that the group earned during a period when the wing was not active.
Is temporary and
Becomes effective upon activation of the wing.
Terminates if
(1) The group is assigned to any organization other than its similarly designated wing.
(2) The wing is inactivated.
Post-Cold War Reorganization
Early in the 1990s with the declared end of the Cold War and the continued decline in military budgets, the Air Force restructured to meet changes in strategic requirements, decreasing personnel, and a smaller infrastructure. This major reorganization stressed elimination of unnecessary layers of authority, decentralization of decision-making, and consolidation of functions. The US Air Force restored a wing organizational structure, called the "objective wing," similar to the original wing-base plan. It organized each operational wing with a combat (now called operations) group, as well as logistics, support, and medical groups, with most wing squadrons assigned under the appropriate groups. Overall, the restructuring maintained a high combat capability while increasing the operational flexibility of the much-reduced force.
At the same time, the Air Force withdrew the authorization for major commands to create MAJCON organizations. Those four digit organizations active on 30 April 1991, changed to organizations under the direct control of Headquarters USAF for organizational actions, eliminating all MAJCON organizations. Among the former MAJCON organizations were about twenty active four-digit wings. Within a few years, however all those wings were inactivated, consolidated with, or replaced by lower numbered wings.
Air Expeditionary Forces
On 2 August 1990, Iraqi forces invaded and overran the neighboring State of Kuwait. Five days later, American forces began deploying to the Persian Gulf area. The United States Air Force utilized "provisional" units, which are temporary, in moving personnel and aircraft to the area. These "provisional" units, along with Army, Navy, and Allied counterparts, defeated the Iraqi forces and liberated Kuwait.
Based on Air Force policy and long-standing tradition, the history, lineage, and honors of a "provisional" unit terminates when it inactivates, and battle honors earned by the "provisional" unit are not shared with the permanent unit that provided the resources. However, Central Air Force (CENTAF) with inputs from the major commands compiled a list of the regular Air Force units to earn the Gulf War campaign streamers. Air Force Military Personnel Center (AFMPC) then published the list awarding the first two campaign streamers for the Persian Gulf War.
In mid-1996, the Air Force, in response to budget cuts, major drawdowns, and changing world situations, began experimenting with air expeditionary organizations. These organizations, from squadron to wing and above, were, by definition, provisional in nature. Thus once again, in regard to air expeditionary organizations, the Air Force faced the question regarding honors earned by "provisional" units.
The Air Force Historical Research Agency coordinated with USAF Directorate of Manpower and Organization and with the major commands to establish the following policies in transferring honors from provisional units to permanent units.
Major force provider is the single permanent unit which provides the majority of manpower and other resources to the expeditionary organization.
Lineage:
1) Establishments and units given term "Expeditionary" in designation are provisional.
2) Lineage and heritage of provisional organizations will terminate upon inactivation.
3) No lineal connection exists between the expeditionary unit and the major force provider.
Honors:
1) Combat or expeditionary honors earned by provisional expeditionary establishment or unit may be "conferred" to corresponding permanent active organization with same numerical designation.
2) Activation order must state: "Upon inactivation, any awards or honors earned by (designation of provisional organization) are conferred on (designation of permanent organization)."
3) Honors are normally "conferred" only at the wing, group, or squadron levels.
4) Honors may be "conferred" only from a single expeditionary organization to a single permanent organization. For example, honors earned by the 4th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron may be "conferred" only on the 4th Fighter Squadron.
5) Expeditionary organization may borrow temporarily the major force provider's honors and history.
Emblems: Expeditionary organization may display officially approved emblem of the major force provider with its commander's permission.
"Rainbow" (no major source provider) expeditionary organization converted from permanent units by DAF letters. Example: 363 Fighter Wing redesignated to 363 Air Expeditionary Wing, converted to provisional status, and activated in Saudi Arabia.
Lineage:
1) Continues lineage of permanent unit.
2) May use permanent unit honors and history.
Honors: Evolves any earned honors to the permanent unit, consequently conferral is unnecessary.
Emblems: May display or use officially approved emblem/patch of the permanent unit.
The Lineage and Honors History
The following explains the arrangement of information, and the terms and format used in USAF lineage and honors statements.
Lineage. Air Force Instruction 84-105, para 2.1.1, states, "The lineages of permanent organizations are continuous. Neither inactivation nor disbandment terminates their lineage or heraldry." Lineage entails tracing the organizational actions affecting the history of an organization. The official USAF statement of lineage forms the foundation of the organization's history and governs the organization's inheritance of emblem and honors. A basic policy of the Air Force is that each organization will have a unique lineage. This policy was in effect in the War Department when military aviation was under the Army and has been continued by the United States Air Force since its inception in 1947. No two organizations can have the same lineage, although at different times in their existence they may have possessed similar or even identical designations. A description of the lineage system may be found in Air Force Instruction 38-101 "Air Force Organization." The Air Force is composed of primary organizations called units and establishments. Units divide among three primary categories: squadrons (the numbered flight is considered a "small" squadron), miscellaneous (a category including such organizations as bands, infirmaries, hospitals, etc.), and headquarters. The headquarters organizations serve as headquarters for establishments.Establishments are Air Force organizations at group echelon or higher, having a headquarters organization as their primary component. The lineage of each organization (unit or establishment) is ultimately determined by the language employed in the War Department and Department of the Air Force letters and major command orders relating to organizational actions. The following glossary defines lineage terms.
Glossary
Activate. To bring into physical existence by assignment of personnel (from 1922-1959, and again after 1968). In 1922, "activate" replaced the term "organize." During the period 1959-1968, however, activate meant to place on the active list, available to be organized. See also "organize."Assign. To place in a military organization, as a permanent element or component of that organization.Attach. To place one military organization temporarily with another for operational control and other purposes, including administration and logistical support. An attached organization is one that is temporarily serving away from the establishment to which it is assigned. It is usually attached to another establishment.Authorize. To designate an organization and place it on the inactive Army list. Used during the middle and late 1920s and early 1930s in place of "constitute," particularly for organizations held for an emergency and not scheduled for immediate activation.Consolidate. To combine two (or more) organizations, merging their lineage into a single line, thereby forming a single organization. Organizations with concurrent or overlapping periods of activation cannot be consolidated.Constitute. After 1922, to give an official name, or number and name, to an organization and place it on the inactive Army/Air Force List. See also "designate."Demobilize. To withdraw all personnel from an active organization and remove the organization entirely from the Army List. Used 1907-1922. See also "disband."Designate. To give an official name, or number and name, to an organization and place it on the inactive Army List, 1907-1922. After 1922, see "constitute." Also to give an official name, or number and name, to a nonconstituted organization.Designation. The name of a unit or establishment. The designation includes all parts of the name: numerical, functional, and generic. A designation also applies to named activities and certain functions.Disband. After 1922, to remove an inactive organization from the inactive Army/Air Force List. Shortly before and during World War II, this action was also used to withdraw all personnel from an active organization and simultaneously remove the organization from the Army List. Replaced the term "demobilize."Discontinue. To withdraw all personnel from a constituted organization, used only during period, 1959-1968. See "inactivate."Disestablish. To terminate an establishment concurrent with disbandment of its headquarters organization, until reestablished.Establish. To assign a designation to an establishment concurrent with the designation or the constitution of the headquarters organization.Establishment. A military organization at group or higher echelon composed of a headquarters organization and any other components that might be assigned. Personnel are not assigned to an establishment, but to its components.Inactivate. To withdraw all personnel from a constituted organization and place the organization on the inactive list (from 1922 to 1959 and from 1968 to date). During the period 1959-1968, however, to be inactivated meant to be transferred from the active to the inactive list, after being discontinued.Order to the Active Service. To place a Reserve or National Guard organization on active duty with the regular Air Force.Organization. The term organization applies to units and establishments.Organize. To assign personnel to a designated organization (1907-1922), a nonconstituted organization (1944-1968), or a constituted organization (1959-1968). See also "activate."Reconstitute. To return a disbanded or demobilized organization to the inactive Army/Air Force List, making it available for activation (1922-current).Redesignate. To change the designation of an organization.Reestablish. To return a previously existing establishment from disestablished status to the active list, so that it can be activated.Relieve from Active Duty. Reserve organizations are relieved from active duty with the regular Air Force upon completion of a period of active duty.
ASSIGNMENTS. Each of the organization's immediate "parent" organizations is listed chronologically. The designation of the parent organization is shown in abbreviated form, omitting information such as "Heavy," "Medium," or "Light." A single date indicates the date of assignment; where a double date appears, the second date indicates termination of assignment. A semicolon is used to show a change of assignment while the organization remained active, a period indicates the organization was demobilized, disbanded, discontinued, or inactivated. If the organization was attached for operational control to another organization, the attachment appears in parentheses, with brackets used to set off parenthetical elements within parentheses. Each attachment contains double dates. Where the exact dates for attached service could not be determined with certainty a circa (c.) date is used.
COMPONENTS. Tactical components assigned, or attached for operational control, are listed in hierarchical and numerical order. Each list shows only those components at the first subordinate echelon; the list does not show subordinate squadrons of an assigned or attached organization because these squadrons were not directly assigned. Only the numerical designation appears if the functional designations (e.g., fighter, bombardment) were identical for both the component and establishment. If the numerical designation of a component changed during its period(s) of assignment or attachment, the later designation is shown parenthetically. Example: 705th (later, 962d). Support-type components are excluded. A semicolon separating dates indicates a break in assignment or attachment. A comma indicates a change with no break in control. A squadron attached for a time and then assigned (with no break in control), for example, would be shown: Attached 1 January-29 July 1952, assigned 30 July 1952-12 July 1957. Interrupted attached service in a series would read: Attached 12 July-10 August 1956, 17 November 1956-3 January 1957, 10 July-19 August 1957, and so forth, with commas separating the series entries. This same procedure is used to show detached status of assigned components, when such detached periods are frequent. Periods of detached service, when components are detached for duty with another organization, appear in parentheses. In some cases the exact dates for detached service could not be determined with certainty. A circa (c.) date is used in these instances.
STATIONS. Permanent locations of the organization are listed chronologically. The name of each base is the one in use at the time the organization arrived, with any changes appearing in parentheses. Foreign nations that hosted Air Force organizations are identified by their "popular" name, rather than their official name. Thus, the Republic of Korea appears as South Korea, the Republic of Vietnam as South Vietnam, and the Republic of China as either Formosa or Taiwan, depending upon the time. Organizations located in occupied Germany or in the Federal Republic of Germany are listed as being in Germany. A single date indicates the arrival of the organization at a base. Semicolons separate the station-and-date entries while the organization remained active but changed stations. If an organization moved from one continent to another, a double date is provided for the station being vacated. A double date is also provided whenever an organization arrived at a base and was subsequently demobilized, disbanded, discontinued, or inactivated. A period at the end of a second date indicates demobilization, disbandment, discontinuance, or inactivation. Where the exact dates of attached or detached service could not be determined with certainty, a circa (c.) date is used.
COMMANDERS. Where included, commanders of the organization are listed chronologically, along with the highest rank attained during the command tenure. When an organization was active but not manned, the statement "none (not manned)" and double dates appear. If for some reason a commander was at first temporarily and then permanently appointed, the commander's name may be followed by one date and a parenthetical "temporary," followed by a second date and parenthetical "permanent." Lists of commanders are as accurate as the sources permit. Commander lists sometimes contain "unknown" as an entry, and in many of the commander lists, circa (c.) or some other indicators such as "by" a date are to be found. A second date followed by a period indicates the organization inactivated.
AIRCRAFT/MISSILES/SPACE VEHICLES. The aircraft, missiles, and/or space vehicles used by the organization appear in this section. Aircraft are listed by series and number (e.g., F-86 or EC-135), but normally not by model (e.g., B-52H or KC-135A). In the missile category, only strategic or tactical surface-to-surface missiles are included; air-to-air, air-to-ground, or surface-to-air missiles are considered ordnance. Missiles are listed by their popular names (e.g., Atlas, Titan I, Minuteman III). Space vehicles are listed as satellites. The years during which the organization possessed a weapon system are also listed (e.g., RF-101, 1959-1965). For each period of an organization's active service, semicolons separate different weapon systems possessed and the final entry is followed by a period. An organization sometimes temporarily lost possession of its weapon system. A comma shows such temporary absences of a weapon system. Example: B-52, 1957-1960, 1960-1962, 1963-1965. In other words, for a time in 1960 and from a period in 1962 to sometime in 1963, the organization had no B-52 aircraft for its own use, all being under the control of another organization.
OPERATIONS. Information in this section is extremely abbreviated, but mentions all combat and some other significant operations. In wing entries, overseas deployments are mentioned, together with changes in wing status and the wing's mission. Readers who wish to know more about an organization's operations may visit the Air Force Historical Research Agency to conduct research, or purchase through the mail microfilm copies of unclassified histories. Some additional information about squadrons may be found in the entries of the wing(s) to which a squadron was assigned or attached, either at http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/ or in Charles A. Ravenstein, Air Force Combat Wings: Lineage and Honors Histories, 1947-1977.
SERVICE STREAMERS. Service streamers represent noncombat service in the various theaters of military operations and bear no embroidery. Those service streamers earned by the organization are listed here. If an organization participated in combat operations in a theater, it earned a campaign streamer instead of a service streamer. For a color photograph and a description of the streamer, see A.T.Warnock, Air Force Combat Medals, Streamers, and Campaigns.
World War I
Theater of Operations: 6 April 1917-11 November 1918
World War II
American Theater: 7 December 1941–2 March 1946.
European-African-Middle Eastern (EAME) Theater: 7 December 1941–8 November 1945.
Asiatic-Pacific Theater: 7 December 1941–2 March 1946.
Korean War
Korean Theater: 27 June 1950–27 July 1954.
Vietnam
Vietnam Theater: 1 July 1958-28 March 1973.
Southwest Asia
Southwest Asia Theater: 2 August 1990-30 November 1995.
CAMPAIGN STREAMERS. Verified combat credit entitles an organization to the appropriate campaign streamers representing the named campaign in which it participated. The campaign streamer will be embroidered with the name and years of the campaign. The Historical Research Agency has traditionally evaluated and verified combat credits. Campaign streamers listed reflect each organization's verified combat record except for the Gulf War campaign credits. US Central Command Air Forces provided the credits for the first two campaigns of the Persian Gulf War. Recipients of the third and final campaign streamer credit have not yet been announced. For a color photograph of the streamer, maps of the campaigns, and a brief description of each campaign, see A.T. Warnock, Combat Medals, Streamers, and Campaigns.
World War I
Campaign Name Embroidered on Streamer
Inclusive Dates
Date Embroidered on Streamer
Some Defensive
21 March-6 April 1918
1918
Lys
9-27 April 1918
1918
Champagne-Marne
15-18 July 1918
1918
Aisne-Marchne
18 July-6 August 1918
1918
Somme Offensive
8 August-11 November 1918
1918
Oisne-Aisne
18 August-11 November 1918
1918
St. Mihiel
12-16 September 1918
1918
Meuse-Argonne
26 September-11 November 1918
1918
Alsace
Defensive Sectors - no dates embroidered on streamer(s)
Champagne
Flanders
Ile-de-France
Lorraine
Picardy
World War II American Theater
Campaign Name Embroidered on Streamer
Inclusive Dates
Date Embroidered on Streamer
Antisubmarine
7 December 1941-2 September 1945
1941-1945
World War II European-African-Middle Eastern Theater
Campaign Name Embroidered on Streamer
Inclusive Dates
Date Embroidered on Streamer
Air Combat
7 December 1941-2 September 1945
1941-1945
Antisubmarine
7 December 1941-2 September 1945
1941-1945
Egypt-Libya
11 June 1942-12 February 1943
1942-1943
Algeria-French Morocco
8-11 November 1942
1942
Tunisia
12 November 1942-13 May 1943
1942-1943
Sicily
14 May-17 August 1943
1943
Naples-Foggia
18 August 1943-21 January 1944
1943-1944
Anzio
22 January-24 May 1944
1944
Rome-Arno
22 January-9 September 1944
1944
North Apennines
10 September 1944-4 April 1945
1944-1945
Po Valley
5 April-8 May 1945
1945
Air Offensive, Europe
4 July 1942-5 June 1944
1942-1944
Normandy
6 June-24 July 1944
1944
Northern France
25 July-14 September 1944
1944
Southern France
15 August-14 September 1944
1944
Rhineland
15 September 1944-21 March 1945
1944-1945
Ardennes-Alsace
16 December 1944-25 January 1945
1944-1945
Central Europe
22 March-11 May 1945
1945
World War II Asiatic-Pacific Theater
Campaign Name Embroidered on Streamer
Inclusive Dates
Date Embroidered on Streamer
Air Combat
7 December 1941-2 September 1945
1941-1945
Antisubmarine
7 December 1941-2 September 1945
1941-1945
Central Pacific
7 December 1941-6 December 1943
1941-1943
Philippine Islands
7 December 1941-10 May 1942
1941-1942
East Indies
1 January-22 July 1942
1942
Papua
23 July 1942-23 January 1943
1942-1943
Aleutian Islands
3 June 1942-24 August 1943
1942-1943
Guadalcanal
7 August 1942-21 February 1943
1942-1943
Northern Solomons
22 February 1943-21 November 1944
1943-1944
Bismarck Archipelago
15 December 1943-27 November 1944
1943-1944
Eastern Mandates
7 December 1943-16 April 1944
1943-1944
Western Pacific
17 April 1944-2 September 1945
1944-1945
New Guinea
24 January 1943-31 December 1944
1943-1944
Leyte
17 October 1944-1 July 1945
1944-1945
Luzon
15 December 1944-4 July 1945
1944-1945
Southern Philippines
27 February-4 July 1945
1945
Burma
7 December 1941-26 May 1942
1941-1942
India-Burma
2 April 1942-28 January 1945
1942-1945
Central Burma
29 January-15 July 1945
1945
China Defensive
4 July 1942-4 May 1945
1942-1945
China Offensive
5 May-2 September 1945
1945
Ryukyus
26 March-2 July 1945
1945
Air Offensive, Japan
17 April 1942-2 September 1945
1942-1945
Korea
Campaign Name Embroidered on Streamer
Inclusive Dates
Date Embroidered on Streamer
UN Defensive
27 July-15 September 1950
1950
UN Offensive
16 September-2 November 1950
1950
CCF Intervention
3 November 1950-24 January 1951
1950-1951
First UN Counter-offensive
25 January-21 April 1951
1951
CCF Spring Offensive
22 April-8 July 1951
1951
UN Summer-Fall Offensive
9 July-27 November 1951
1951
Second Korean Winter
28 November 1951-30 April 1952
1951-1952
Korea, Summer-Fall
1 May-30 November 1952
1952
Third Korean Winter
1 December 1952-30 April 1953
1952-1953
Korea, Summer
1 May-27 July 1953
1953
Vietnam
Campaign Name Embroidered on Streamer
Inclusive Dates
Date Embroidered on Streamer
Vietnam Advisory
15 November 1961-1 March 1965
1961-1965
Vietnam Defensive
2 March 1965-30 January 1966
1965-1966
Vietnam Air
31 January-28 June 1966
1966
Vietnam Air Offensive
29 June 1966-8 March 1967
1966-1967
Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase II
9 March 1967-31 March 1968
1967-1968
Vietnam Air/Ground
22 January-7 July 1968
1968
Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase III
1 April-31 October 1968
1968
Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase IV
1 November 1968-22 February 1969
1968-1969
TET 69/Counter-offensive
23 February-8 June 1969
1969
Vietnam Summer-Fall
9 June-31 October 1969
1969
Vietnam Winter-Spring
1 November 1969-30 April 1970
1969-1970
Sanctuary Counter-offensive
1 May-30 June 1970
1970
Southwest Monsoon
1 July-30 November 1970
1970
Commando Hunt V
1 December 1970-14 May 1971
1970-1971
Commando Hunt VI
15 May-31 October 1971
1971
Commando Hunt VII
1 November 1971-29 March 1972
1971-1972
Vietnam Ceasefire
30 March 1972-28 January 1973
1972-1973
Southwest Asia
Campaign Name Embroidered on Streamer
Inclusive Dates
Date Embroidered on Streamer
Defense of Saudi Arabia
2 August 1990-16 January 1991
1990-1991
Liberation and Defense of Kuwait
17 January-11 April 1991
1991
Southwest Asia Ceasefire *
12 April 1991-30 November 1995
1991-1995
*USAF organizations to receive credit for this campaign have not yet been identified
ARMED FORCES EXPEDITIONARY STREAMERS. Until 1983, this Joint Chiefs of Staff award was given only to individuals, not to any USAF organization. Since that date, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamer has been given to Air Force organizations for only two operations: the invasion and occupation of Grenada, 23 October-21 November 1983, and the US invasion of Panama, December 1989-January 1990. For a color photograph of the streamer and a brief description of each operation, see A.T. Warnock, Combat Medals, Streamers, and Campaigns.
DECORATIONS. Decorations include citations and awards recognizing distinguished or meritorious acts by an organization. In this list, the type of decoration is cited together with specific dates, if date appeared in the award document, usually a general or special order. Air Force Pamphlet 900-2, produced by the Air Force Military Personnel Center, contains the official listing of organization decorations up to circa mid-1991. In addition, since late 1988 each Major Command has been authorized to award some decorations to its subordinate units. The decorations listed in this section of the L&H generally agree with those appearing in the orders, but some revisions may be made based on actual operations. For example, the dates stated in an order may cover a time before an organization was active or after it became inactive. Corrected dates are shown within brackets. The embroidery should be exactly the same as the listing on the official Lineage and Honors History for the unit. For example: Ploesti, Rumania, 1 August 1943.
United States
Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC). Used by the US Army and Army Air Forces. First established by Executive Order 9075 on 26 February 1942, awarded for extraordinary valor in action on or after 7 December 1941.
Presidential Unit Citation (PUC). Equivalent to the Distinguished Unit Citation. The PUC is used by the US Navy and was awarded to a number of AAF organizations that operated under Navy control or in close support of the Navy. After 1965, the US Air Force adopted the Presidential Unit Citation instead of the Distinguished Unit Citation to recognize outstanding combat performance of its tactical organizations.
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device (AFOUA/V). The AFOUA/V is awarded in lieu of the AFOUA (below) to recognize achievement in combat by USAF units and establishments. The Combat "V" Device was first used during the conflict in Southeast Asia.
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (AFOUA). USAF decoration used to recognize outstanding efforts and meritorious actions of USAF units and establishments in peace and war, the AFOUA was announced in Department of the Air Force General Orders No. 1 on 6 January 1954. (Several units and establishments received this award retroactively, for meritorious actions during the Korean War.)
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award (AFOEA). The AFOEA was established on 26 August 1969 by the Secretary of the Air Force. It is awarded by the Secretary to recognize the achievements and accomplishments of Air Force organizations and activities that do not meet the eligibility requirements of the AFOUA (above). The AFOEA may be awarded with the "V" device for combat or direct combat support.
Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC). The US Army's Meritorious Unit Commendation, roughly equivalent to the AFOUA (above), has been earned by a number of AAF and USAF organizations. This decoration recognizes outstanding and meritorious actions in both peace and war, but these actions are considered to be of a lesser consequence than those recognized by a Distinguished Unit Citation (above).
Navy Unit Commendation (NUC). The US Navy Unit Commendation, also roughly equivalent to the AFOUA (above), has been awarded to a few AAF and USAF organizations which worked closely with the Navy. The award recognizes outstanding and meritorious actions in both peace and war, but these actions are considered to be of a lesser consequence than those recognized by a Presidential Unit Citation (above).
Foreign
Belgium
Citation in the Order of the Day, Belgian Army. A citation by decree of the Belgian Government. Numerous AAF units and establishments which operated in or over Belgium during World War II received this award.
Belgian Fourragere. A decoration awarded, by decree of the Belgian Government, to organizations cited twice in the Order of the Day, Belgian Army.
France
Croix de Guerre. A citation by decree of the French Government, awarded to Army Air Service organizations in World War I and Army units and establishments in World War II. Generally identified as French Croix de Guerre with Palm.
French Fourragere. A decoration, awarded by decree of the French Government in World Wars I and II, to units and establishments cited twice for the Croix de Guerre.
Korea
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation. A citation for achievement during the Korean War. Most commonly presented to organizations based in Korea and carrying out combat operations there, but also awarded to some organizations, both combat and support types, based in adjacent areas. Since the cessation of hostilities in Korea in July 1953, this decoration has been awarded rarely to USAF units and establishments--usually in recognition of outstanding support in the defense of Korea.
Philippines
Philippine Presidential Unit Citation. A citation for achievement while serving in the Philippines during the periods 7 December 1941-10 May 1942 or 17 October 1944-4 July 1945. No date is connected with the citation. Only one award is authorized for every eligible organization, including those that served in the Philippines during both periods.
Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation. A number of USAF organizations stationed in the Republic of the Philippines in July and August 1972 earned this citation in recognition of their participation in disaster relief Operations.
Vietnam
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm. This organization decoration was awarded to units and establishments actually engaged in combat in defense of the Republic of Vietnam. In numerous instances, it was also awarded to combat support organizations and tactical organizations that were based outside the Vietnam Theater yet flew missions or provided essential services to organizations flying to or operating within the theater.
EMBLEM. Information on the current emblem of the organization is provided.
OPR: AFHRA/RSO(334) 953-5152 DSN 493-5152
Updated October 12, 2001Webmaster
Mayor Whelan and the Jersey City Gambit
By Anthony Olszewski
Gene Scanlon knew Jersey City politics. He once was the political reporter for the Jersey Journal. He had worked as an aide to Mayor Thomas Gangemi – at any rate, until the Feds got wind of the fact that Gangemi wasn't a citizen.
It was the late 60s; now Whelan was Mayor of Jersey City. Gene Scanlon held no illusions concerning Whelan's ethics, or absence of the same. Everybody knew that Whelan served on behalf of Hudson County Boss John V. Kenny. As a reporter, Scanlon had written of Kenny's crooked deals. But even as sophisticated an observer as Gene was in for a surprise. He was soon to learn of the massive spread of corruption's cancerous growth.
Scanlon was proud of his Irish heritage. Gene was the founder of Jersey City's St. Patrick's Day Parade and every few years organized a group trip to Ireland.
Several elderly priests (who had come from Ireland many years before) dearly wished to join the tour, but never were able to afford it. These priests long had tended their parishes in a manner approaching sainthood. Gene Scanlon had a premonition that if the priests did not see Ireland this time around, there never would be another opportunity for them.
But how to get the money?
A brilliant thought came to Gene. In the upside down morality of Jersey City, where on every street corner some gambler had a shop (as long as the appropriate blessing went to the local precinct), churches were not allowed to provide "games of chance" at carnivals. To stretch the situation to the surreal, it actually was not against the law for charities to organize these activities. The technicality was that a permit was required; the municipality would accept the application, but never issue the permit. If City Hall might make an exception in just this one instance, a circumstance and a cause that nobody would criticize, the parishes could easily raise the funds!
Gene Scanlon requested a personal appointment with Mayor Whelan. Gene extolled the many virtues of the clergymen, proving many times over that they well deserved to be the first cases of declared saints before death. Scanlon shared his foreboding that this would be the last chance for the elderly priests to see the land of their birth. Gene explained how the men had practiced the vow of poverty by devoting their lives to the poor of Jersey City.
At this point Gene Scanlon paused and looked up at Mayor Whelan. Gene had each move figured out like in a game of chess. He expected Whelan to ask what he could do. Then Gene's brainstorm move of the carney permits might appear on the board.
Even though Whelan might be a master at a game or two, Gene now would discover that it wasn't chess that the Mayor played.
"Well Gene, how much money are we talking about here?"
For a moment Gene was speachless – which indicated a shock the extent of which would have landed an ordinary man in the hospital. Scanlon was wondering why Whelan wanted to know the cost of the trip, but he kept that to himself.
"Mayor, I think that a thousand dollars would cover it."
Mayor Whelan reached down and pulled open one of his desk's deep drawers. It was filled with many stacks of one hundred dollar bills. The mayor took a pair of the bundles out from the pile. For a few seconds, Whelan fanned through and scrutinized each of the collections of bills, seemingly verifying the denominations and the count.
Handing the cash over to Gene Scanlon, Mayor Whelan said, "Here's two. . . I wouldn't want them running short over there."
Hudson County Politics Message Board
By Anthony Olszewski
Gene Scanlon knew Jersey City politics. He once was the political reporter for the Jersey Journal. He had worked as an aide to Mayor Thomas Gangemi – at any rate, until the Feds got wind of the fact that Gangemi wasn't a citizen.
It was the late 60s; now Whelan was Mayor of Jersey City. Gene Scanlon held no illusions concerning Whelan's ethics, or absence of the same. Everybody knew that Whelan served on behalf of Hudson County Boss John V. Kenny. As a reporter, Scanlon had written of Kenny's crooked deals. But even as sophisticated an observer as Gene was in for a surprise. He was soon to learn of the massive spread of corruption's cancerous growth.
Scanlon was proud of his Irish heritage. Gene was the founder of Jersey City's St. Patrick's Day Parade and every few years organized a group trip to Ireland.
Several elderly priests (who had come from Ireland many years before) dearly wished to join the tour, but never were able to afford it. These priests long had tended their parishes in a manner approaching sainthood. Gene Scanlon had a premonition that if the priests did not see Ireland this time around, there never would be another opportunity for them.
But how to get the money?
A brilliant thought came to Gene. In the upside down morality of Jersey City, where on every street corner some gambler had a shop (as long as the appropriate blessing went to the local precinct), churches were not allowed to provide "games of chance" at carnivals. To stretch the situation to the surreal, it actually was not against the law for charities to organize these activities. The technicality was that a permit was required; the municipality would accept the application, but never issue the permit. If City Hall might make an exception in just this one instance, a circumstance and a cause that nobody would criticize, the parishes could easily raise the funds!
Gene Scanlon requested a personal appointment with Mayor Whelan. Gene extolled the many virtues of the clergymen, proving many times over that they well deserved to be the first cases of declared saints before death. Scanlon shared his foreboding that this would be the last chance for the elderly priests to see the land of their birth. Gene explained how the men had practiced the vow of poverty by devoting their lives to the poor of Jersey City.
At this point Gene Scanlon paused and looked up at Mayor Whelan. Gene had each move figured out like in a game of chess. He expected Whelan to ask what he could do. Then Gene's brainstorm move of the carney permits might appear on the board.
Even though Whelan might be a master at a game or two, Gene now would discover that it wasn't chess that the Mayor played.
"Well Gene, how much money are we talking about here?"
For a moment Gene was speachless – which indicated a shock the extent of which would have landed an ordinary man in the hospital. Scanlon was wondering why Whelan wanted to know the cost of the trip, but he kept that to himself.
"Mayor, I think that a thousand dollars would cover it."
Mayor Whelan reached down and pulled open one of his desk's deep drawers. It was filled with many stacks of one hundred dollar bills. The mayor took a pair of the bundles out from the pile. For a few seconds, Whelan fanned through and scrutinized each of the collections of bills, seemingly verifying the denominations and the count.
Handing the cash over to Gene Scanlon, Mayor Whelan said, "Here's two. . . I wouldn't want them running short over there."
Hudson County Politics Message Board
Las Vegas' Newest Indulgence Opens December 2004: The Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel
Las Vegas' Newest Indulgence Opens December 2004: The Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel Las Vegas' Newest Indulgence Opens December 2004: The Renaissance Las Vegas HotelNear the glitz and glamour of The Strip but away from the noise and distractions, the $100 million Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel opens on Dec. 3, 2004, with an introductory rate of $129/night through Dec. 30, 2004. Constructed by Perini Building Company -- renowned builders of some of the most luxurious hotels and resorts throughout the world, including Trump Taj Mahal -- The Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel is opening three months ahead of schedule."We are that much closer to becoming a landmark in Las Vegas," said Larry Brown, general manager of The Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel. "With our premier Paradise Road location next to the Las Vegas Convention Center, we are thrilled to be opening earlier than we anticipated."Slated as the largest non-gaming hotel in Nevada, The Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel offers travelers access to 14 stories of sinfully spacious accommodations, including 548 rooms and 30 suites, ranging from 859 to 1,681 sq. ft. Guests indulge in exclusive amenities, including spoiling spa treatments, chic restaurant and bar, high-speed Internet access, flat screen televisions, and a dedicated concierge "Activities Accomplice" to arrange experiences from subtle to slightly sinful. The Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel blends the confident, cool style made famous by the Rat Pack with imaginative and savvy service, creating a "uniquely Renaissance" experience in a club-like atmosphere.Appealing to the discerning business traveler, The Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel is adjacent to the Las Vegas Convention Center and boasts more than 20,000 sq. ft. of meeting space within 14 distinctive rooms, providing the ideal locale for intimate group gatherings, from sales strategy sessions to executive planning meetings. The Grand Ballroom features 9,850 sq. ft. of flexible floor plans and 19-foot ceilings, perfect for banquets, while the Junior Ballroom is just the right size for team-building activities. Groups utilize the 10,000 sq. ft. of pre-function space for registration areas, continental breakfasts, coffee breaks or as additional exhibit space. All meeting rooms feature Wi-Fi technology while convention service managers, aka "Meetings Masterminds" ensure that events run without a hitch.The Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel provides guests effortless access to the heart of Las Vegas while earning valuable Marriott Rewards points. For more information, call (866) 352-3434 or visit http://www.renaissancelasvegas.com/.SOURCE -0- 12/10/2004/CONTACT: CONTACT: Kerry Anne Watson, kwatson@zimmerman.com, or Alice Bonn, bothof The Zimmerman Agency, +1-850-668-2222, for Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel/Web Site: Web Site: http://www.renaissancelasvegas.com/CO: Renaissance Las Vegas HotelST: NevadaIN: LEISU: MAV PDT-- --LTU01012102004en 12/10/2004 14:15 UTC http://www.prnewswire.com
Las Vegas' Newest Indulgence Opens December 2004: The Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel Las Vegas' Newest Indulgence Opens December 2004: The Renaissance Las Vegas HotelNear the glitz and glamour of The Strip but away from the noise and distractions, the $100 million Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel opens on Dec. 3, 2004, with an introductory rate of $129/night through Dec. 30, 2004. Constructed by Perini Building Company -- renowned builders of some of the most luxurious hotels and resorts throughout the world, including Trump Taj Mahal -- The Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel is opening three months ahead of schedule."We are that much closer to becoming a landmark in Las Vegas," said Larry Brown, general manager of The Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel. "With our premier Paradise Road location next to the Las Vegas Convention Center, we are thrilled to be opening earlier than we anticipated."Slated as the largest non-gaming hotel in Nevada, The Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel offers travelers access to 14 stories of sinfully spacious accommodations, including 548 rooms and 30 suites, ranging from 859 to 1,681 sq. ft. Guests indulge in exclusive amenities, including spoiling spa treatments, chic restaurant and bar, high-speed Internet access, flat screen televisions, and a dedicated concierge "Activities Accomplice" to arrange experiences from subtle to slightly sinful. The Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel blends the confident, cool style made famous by the Rat Pack with imaginative and savvy service, creating a "uniquely Renaissance" experience in a club-like atmosphere.Appealing to the discerning business traveler, The Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel is adjacent to the Las Vegas Convention Center and boasts more than 20,000 sq. ft. of meeting space within 14 distinctive rooms, providing the ideal locale for intimate group gatherings, from sales strategy sessions to executive planning meetings. The Grand Ballroom features 9,850 sq. ft. of flexible floor plans and 19-foot ceilings, perfect for banquets, while the Junior Ballroom is just the right size for team-building activities. Groups utilize the 10,000 sq. ft. of pre-function space for registration areas, continental breakfasts, coffee breaks or as additional exhibit space. All meeting rooms feature Wi-Fi technology while convention service managers, aka "Meetings Masterminds" ensure that events run without a hitch.The Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel provides guests effortless access to the heart of Las Vegas while earning valuable Marriott Rewards points. For more information, call (866) 352-3434 or visit http://www.renaissancelasvegas.com/.SOURCE -0- 12/10/2004/CONTACT: CONTACT: Kerry Anne Watson, kwatson@zimmerman.com, or Alice Bonn, bothof The Zimmerman Agency, +1-850-668-2222, for Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel/Web Site: Web Site: http://www.renaissancelasvegas.com/CO: Renaissance Las Vegas HotelST: NevadaIN: LEISU: MAV PDT-- --LTU01012102004en 12/10/2004 14:15 UTC http://www.prnewswire.com
The Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal business box, and Washington Post all lead with the Senate giving final passage to the $136 billion corporate tax cut, the biggest restructuring of the corporate tax code in 20 years. The bill, which now heads to Bush for signature, was originally intended to replace $50 billion in export subsidies that the WTO had ruled illegal. But it became a porker, benefiting such key constituencies as Native Alaskan whaling captains, NASCAR track owners, and importers of Chinese ceiling fans. It is supposed to pay for itself by shutting down various tax shelters, but the bill relies on always questionable sunset clauses. The New York Times fronts Moqtada Sadr's men beginning to turn in their heavy weapons as the start of a peace deal for Sadr City. USA Today's lead hypes a poll, showing President Bush's approval rating--the most reliable stat for reelection--at 47 percent. (Anything below 50 percent is trouble.) Still, the poll shows the race near tied: Among likely voters, Bush is at 49 percent and Kerry at 48.
The tax cut bill includes $10 billion payout for tobacco farmers, a provision that had been hitched to giving the FDA regulatory control of tobacco--until House Republicans apparently decided nicotine isn't really a drug, and killed the second half of the deal.
The bill was intended to target manufacturers. And it did, assuming a big-tent definition. "Everybody with a Republican lobbyist is a manufacturer," one tax committee staffer lamented to the Journal.
The Journal points to a few provisions that will benefit millions of everyday taxpayers. For instance, one clause will let people deduct some local taxes from their IRS bill.
The Post's editorial page isn't impressed. "The bill that Congress has produced is monstrous in just about every way," says the WP. "If Mr. Bush cannot bring himself to veto this terrible bill, it will be hard to take him seriously."
Some bill context the papers seem to have skipped: As far as TP knows, the effective corporate tax rate has been going down for years and is already at near historic lows.
In return for Sadr's men handing over their heavy weapons, for which the U.S. is paying above-market prices, the U.S. has promised to lay off the guerrillas, stop patrols in Sadr City, and spend $500 million improving the neighborhood.
The Post says the hand-back deal, which is open until Friday, got off to a "slow start." One wire reporter sat at a site for three hours, and saw all of three transactions. The NYT is more optimistic, quoting militia men who say they're tired of fighting.
The Times also found, finally, a real entrepreneurial spirit among the Iraqi security forces. A reporter tried to go inside one of the give-back stations, when an Iraqi guard stopped him. "Do you want to buy the weapons inside?" the guard asked. "Just $150 for a Kalashnikov."
One GI and two Iraqis were killed by a car bomb in Mosul. Nine GIs were also wounded. Witnesses told that LAT that after the blast soldiers fired randomly, and wounded bystanders. The NYT mentions the bombing, but neither the subsequent firing nor the civilians killed. Another two GIs were killed and five wounded by in a rocket attack south of Baghdad. Also, two hostages, an Iraqi and Turk, were reportedly beheaded.
The Post mentions that Marines called in airstrikes on a mosque in Hit, which guerillas had apparently been firing from. The WP says insurgents in Hit "reportedly" include foreign fighters who've fled airstrikes in Fallujah. Professor-blogger Juan Cole has the most complete round-up of the day's attacks.
The NYT briefly mentions that international U.N. inspectors have concluded that nuclear-related material and equipment has been looted from Iraq sites. That includes "whole buildings." As a longer wire piece notes, after the invasion the U.S. would not let inspectors in. There have been reports of looting since shortly after the invasion. But nobody gives significant coverage to this latest wrinkle.
A frontpage NYT piece reminds that when it comes to federal money for homeland security, big states are still getting shafted. For instance, California got $22 per person. Alaska got about $92. That's because rather than being risk-based or simply fair-minded, money is doled out via an age-old "spreading the wealth" crony-type system. Update on the White House's long-shot press strategy... The Post's Dana Milbank: "Primaris, the one-plane airline the White House has hired for the suspected purpose of eliminating the White House press corps, continues its descent into aviation history. On one flight, a television news producer was disconcerted to feel something fall in his lap on takeoff: It was a sheared-off screw of unknown origin. On another flight, a jetway rammed the plane, cracking the plastic inside of a forward door, which was patched with duct tape."Eric Umansky writes "Today's Papers" for Slate. He can be reached at todayspapers@hotmail.com.
The tax cut bill includes $10 billion payout for tobacco farmers, a provision that had been hitched to giving the FDA regulatory control of tobacco--until House Republicans apparently decided nicotine isn't really a drug, and killed the second half of the deal.
The bill was intended to target manufacturers. And it did, assuming a big-tent definition. "Everybody with a Republican lobbyist is a manufacturer," one tax committee staffer lamented to the Journal.
The Journal points to a few provisions that will benefit millions of everyday taxpayers. For instance, one clause will let people deduct some local taxes from their IRS bill.
The Post's editorial page isn't impressed. "The bill that Congress has produced is monstrous in just about every way," says the WP. "If Mr. Bush cannot bring himself to veto this terrible bill, it will be hard to take him seriously."
Some bill context the papers seem to have skipped: As far as TP knows, the effective corporate tax rate has been going down for years and is already at near historic lows.
In return for Sadr's men handing over their heavy weapons, for which the U.S. is paying above-market prices, the U.S. has promised to lay off the guerrillas, stop patrols in Sadr City, and spend $500 million improving the neighborhood.
The Post says the hand-back deal, which is open until Friday, got off to a "slow start." One wire reporter sat at a site for three hours, and saw all of three transactions. The NYT is more optimistic, quoting militia men who say they're tired of fighting.
The Times also found, finally, a real entrepreneurial spirit among the Iraqi security forces. A reporter tried to go inside one of the give-back stations, when an Iraqi guard stopped him. "Do you want to buy the weapons inside?" the guard asked. "Just $150 for a Kalashnikov."
One GI and two Iraqis were killed by a car bomb in Mosul. Nine GIs were also wounded. Witnesses told that LAT that after the blast soldiers fired randomly, and wounded bystanders. The NYT mentions the bombing, but neither the subsequent firing nor the civilians killed. Another two GIs were killed and five wounded by in a rocket attack south of Baghdad. Also, two hostages, an Iraqi and Turk, were reportedly beheaded.
The Post mentions that Marines called in airstrikes on a mosque in Hit, which guerillas had apparently been firing from. The WP says insurgents in Hit "reportedly" include foreign fighters who've fled airstrikes in Fallujah. Professor-blogger Juan Cole has the most complete round-up of the day's attacks.
The NYT briefly mentions that international U.N. inspectors have concluded that nuclear-related material and equipment has been looted from Iraq sites. That includes "whole buildings." As a longer wire piece notes, after the invasion the U.S. would not let inspectors in. There have been reports of looting since shortly after the invasion. But nobody gives significant coverage to this latest wrinkle.
A frontpage NYT piece reminds that when it comes to federal money for homeland security, big states are still getting shafted. For instance, California got $22 per person. Alaska got about $92. That's because rather than being risk-based or simply fair-minded, money is doled out via an age-old "spreading the wealth" crony-type system. Update on the White House's long-shot press strategy... The Post's Dana Milbank: "Primaris, the one-plane airline the White House has hired for the suspected purpose of eliminating the White House press corps, continues its descent into aviation history. On one flight, a television news producer was disconcerted to feel something fall in his lap on takeoff: It was a sheared-off screw of unknown origin. On another flight, a jetway rammed the plane, cracking the plastic inside of a forward door, which was patched with duct tape."Eric Umansky writes "Today's Papers" for Slate. He can be reached at todayspapers@hotmail.com.
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U.S. Steps Up Iraq Attacks Before Ramadan
7 minutes ago
By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer
BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. troops went on the offensive from the gates of Baghdad to the Syrian border Tuesday, pounding Sunni insurgent positions from the air and supporting Iraqi soldiers in raids on mosques suspected of harboring extremists.
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US downplays concerns about missing Iraqi nuclear equipment AFP - 5 minutes ago
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U.S. Steps Up Iraq Attacks Before Ramadan AP - 7 minutes ago
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A firefight in the mountains U.S. News & World Report - 14 minutes ago
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American and Iraqi forces launched the operations ahead of Ramadan, expected to start at week's end, in an apparent attempt at preventing a repeat of the insurgent violence that took place at the start of last year's Muslim holy month.
Clashes broke out in a string of militant strongholds from Fallujah, 40 miles west of Baghdad, northward along the Euphrates Valley to the Syrian border town of Qaim — all major conflict areas.
Some of the sharpest exchanges took place in Hit, 90 miles northwest of Baghdad, where residents and hospital officials said U.S. aircraft attacked two sites, killing two people and wounding five. The U.S. command had no comment.
U.S. helicopters fired on a mosque in Hit on Monday and set it ablaze after the military said insurgents opened fire on Marines from the sanctuary. Scattered clashes were reported overnight, killing at least two Iraqis and wounding 15, hospital official said.
Insurgents attacked an Iraqi National Guard outpost east of Qaim Tuesday, the U.S. military said. The local hospital reported 15 to 20 people were killed.
Seventy miles west of Baghdad, Iraqi troops backed by U.S. soldiers and Marines raided seven mosques in the Sunni insurgent stronghold of Ramadi, arresting a locally prominent member of a clerical association and three other people. They also seized bomb-making materials and "insurgent propaganda" in the mosques, U.S. officials said.
Angry Ramadi residents accused the Americans of breaking down doors and violating the sanctity of mosques.
"This cowboy behavior cannot be accepted," said cleric Abdullah Abu Omar. "The Americans seem to have lost their senses and have gone out of control."
However, the raids followed a surge in insurgent attacks in Ramadi, and the U.S. command accused the militants of violating the sanctity of the mosques by using them for military purposes. Marine spokesman Maj. Francis Piccoli said U.S. troops provided backup for the Iraqi soldiers but did not enter the mosques.
In Fallujah, the focal point for Sunni resistance, residents reported explosions and clashes on the eastern edge of the city Tuesday afternoon. At least five people were killed and four wounded in the blasts, according to Fallujah General Hospital. The victims were reportedly traveling in a truck and two cars on a highway outside the city when they came under fire. The U.S. command issued no statement.
The renewed activity around Fallujah followed a pair of pre-dawn airstrikes, which the U.S. command said targeted hideouts and meeting places of the feared Tawhid and Jihad, the terrorist group responsible for numerous kidnappings and beheadings of foreign hostages.
One of the airstrikes flattened a well known Fallujah restaurant and the other destroyed a building in another part of the city. Five people were killed and two were wounded in the two attacks, hospital officials reported.
Tuesday's airstrikes in Fallujah were the first in four days and occurred as Iraqi officials were in talks with city representatives to restore government control, which disintegrated after the Marines ended a three-week siege in late April.
Since then the city has fallen under the control of hardline Islamist clerics and their armed followers, who defended Fallujah against the Marines. Both sides have said they were close to an agreement but that several details remain unresolved, including how Iraqi forces would enter the city.
The attacks appear to be designed partly to make life so hard for the civilians that they will turn on Tawhid and Jihad.
The terror group, led by Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, claimed responsibility for a suicide attack Monday against a U.S. convoy in Mosul that killed three people, including an American soldier. The claim was contained in a compact disc obtained Tuesday by Associated Press Television News that shows a U.S. military vehicle exploding and bursting into flames.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there are concerns within the U.S. government about a possible rise in insurgent violence around Ramadan, because of an upswing last year — when bombings and rocket attacks accelerated significantly in Baghdad and other areas at the beginning of the holy month.
Some militants believe they would win a special place in paradise by sacrificing their lives in a jihad, or holy war, during Ramadan, when Muslims say their sacred book the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.
Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and White House officials have said recently that they plan to use a mix of diplomacy and military force to try to regain control of dozens of key cities from insurgents before elections planned for January.
Last week, the government struck a deal with Shiite militiamen loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to lay down their weapons and allow Iraqi forces to take control of the Sadr City district of Baghdad.
On Tuesday, hundreds of al-Sadr's fighters from his Mahdi Army lined up at police stations to hand in weapons in return for cash. Some of the weapons appeared to be old, and it seemed unlikely that the Mahdi Army would surrender all its arms.
Still, officials hope the weapons handover will be the first step toward ending the Shiite rebellion, enabling the Americans and their Iraqi allies to focus on the more dangerous Sunni insurgency.
Once the weapons handover is completed this week, the government has pledged to start releasing al-Sadr followers who have not committed crimes and to rebuild the war-ravaged slum. Raids have also been suspended.
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Associated Press correspondent Fisnik Abrashi contributed to this report from Qaim.
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