20th Space Control Squadron

20th Space Control Squadron
20th Space Control Squadron emblem
Active	1966-Present
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Space Control
Role	Active Space Surveillance
Part of	21st Space Wing
Garrison/HQ	Eglin AFB, Florida
Motto(s)	DETECT - TRACK - IDENTIFY
Decorations	AFOUA
Website	Eglin AFB fact sheet

The 20th Space Control Squadron (20SPCS) is a 21st Space Wing unit with the mission to detect, track, identify, and report near earth and deep space objects in earth's orbit, and provide space object identification data in support of United States Strategic Command's space control mission. Support for the 20SPCS operations of the radar/computer system at Eglin AFB Site C-6 is provided by Peterson AFB's 21st Maintenance Division.

History

Initially the 20th Surveillance Squadron in November 1966 as part of Aerospace Defense Command's 9th Aerospace Defense Division, the surveillance squadron moved in September 1968 to Eglin AFB Site C-6 as it was being completed. Subsequently renamed the 20th Missile Warning Squadron (in 1972, 20% of the site's "surveillance capability…became dedicated to search for SLBMs"),^[1] Site C-6 was assigned 1979-83 to Strategic Air Command's Directorate of Space and Missile Warning Systems (SAC/SX). The surveillance squadron name was restored in May 1987, and the unit was renamed the 20th Space Surveillance Squadron in May 1992 and the 20th Space Control Squadron in February 2003. The squadron received the General Lance W. Lord Award for mission accomplishment in 2008.^[2]

In 2010, the squadron was operating both the Phased Array Space Surveillance Radar in Florida and at nine sites in eight states, the "AN/FPS-133 Air Force Space Surveillance Fence"^[3] at the 33rd Parallel.^[4]

Detachment 1

In October 2004, the squadron's Detachment 1 took over operations of the Space Fence control center at the Naval Support Facility Dahlgren, Virginia.^[3] On April 30, 2010, the 20SPCS Det 1 mission was changed to "mission and facility support" for the Dahlgren center (a new unit, the Distributed Space Command and Control - Dahlgren, took over operations, with Det 1's operation officer becoming the DSC2 commander.)^[3]

Decorations

• Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
  • 1 January 2000-31 August 2001^[5]
  • 1 January 1999-31 December 1999^[6]
  • 1 January 1998-31 December 1998^[7]
  • 1 October 1997-30 September 1999^[8]
  • 1 October 1995-30 September 1997^[9]
  • 1 September 1991-31 August 1993^[10]
  • 1 September 1990-31 August 1991^[11]
  • 1 September 1988-31 August 1990^[12]

References

1. Jane's Radar and Electronic Systems, 6th edition, Bernard Blake, ed. (1994), p. 31 (citation 77 of 1997 Winkler/Webster Searching the Skies)
2. http://www.eglin.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123117128&page=1
3. http://www.peterson.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123202956 (also available at )
4. https://ssl.congress.org/congressorg/bio/userletter/?letter_id=2091988976
5. AFSPC Special Order GA-10, 2001
6. AFSPC Special Order GA-97, 2000
7. AFSPC Special Order GA-62, 6 December 1999
8. AFSPC Special Order GA-58, 6 December 1999
9. AFSPC Special Order GA-09, 1 November 1997
10. AFSPC Special Order GA-30, 1994
11. AFSPC Special Order GA-95, 1992
12. AFSPC Special Order GA-45, 1990