1st Combat Evaluation Group

July 2015 October 2020 1st Combat Evaluation Group 1st Combat Evaluation Group.png 1st Combat Evaluation Group insignia 1961–1989 United States United States Air Force Standardization & evaluation Strategic Air Command HQ Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana Battle of Lima Site 85 The 1st Combat Evaluation Group (initially "1CEG", later "1CEVG") was a Strategic Air Command (SAC) unit. It was formed on 1 August 1961 to merge the 3908th Strategic Standardization Group for SAC aircrew evaluation with the 1st Radar Bomb Scoring Group that had originated from the 263rd Army Air Force Base Unit which transferred from 15th AF to directly under Strategic Air Command no 1946.Summary The 1CEVG formed after SAC switched to low-level tactics to counter Soviet surface-to-air missiles ("Oil Burner" training routes in 1959)Jet Bombers To Descend Near Alto For Series of Mock Air Attacks The Cherokeean Rusk, Texas 114 28 28 December 1961 http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth150424/m1/7/zoom/ 24 January 2015 https://www.angelfire.com/ga3/galkie/jetplanes.html Jetplanes John Galkiewicz Angelfire 2015 24 January 2015 and SAC had "developed a Radar Bomb Scoring field kit for use in NIKE Systems" in early 1960 for scoring SAC training missions against US Hercules SAM sites. http://ed-thelen.org/WesternElectricNikeHerculesBrown.pdf Nike-Hercules Technical Data Bell Telephone Laboratories 1 January 1965 24 January 2015 The 1CEVG headquarters included an Office of HistorySummary and a "standardization and evaluation school" for command examiners.http://www.af.mil/information/bios/bio.asp?bioID=5185 https://web.archive.org/web/20090613191526/http://www.af.mil/information/bios/bio.asp?bioID=5185 dead 13 June 2009 Biographies : MAJOR GENERAL WILLIAM B. DAVITTE 13 June 2009 Standardization and evaluation The 1CEVG deputy commander for standardization and evaluation was responsible for performance assessment of SAC tanker and bomber flight crews.http://www.af.mil/information/bios/bio.asp?bioID=7640 https://web.archive.org/web/20090613221406/http://www.af.mil/information/bios/bio.asp?bioID=7640 dead 13 June 2009 Biographies : LIEUTENANT GENERAL THAD A. WOLFE 13 June 2009 1CEVG also evaluated the RC-135 units at Eielson, Kadena, and Offutt, the flight crew standardization of the U-2, the DC-130 reconnaissance drone program, CH-3 helicopter drone recovery program, [and] the SR-71 program at Beale AFB.http://55wa.org/CORP_HQ/Newsletters/200611newsletter.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20150128115320/http://55wa.org/CORP_HQ/Newsletters/200611newsletter.pdf dead 28 January 2015 Videmus Omnia 55th STRAT RECON WING ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER November 2006 24 January 2015 The Fairchild Trophy was Strategic Air Command's top Bombardment Award, for which the Group administered flight checks and evaluated standardization and training activities. http://airforcehistoryindex.org/data/000/461/029.xml 4137 Strategic Wing: Management Control Data airforcehistoryindex.org 1961 24 January 2015 Divisions 1CEVG included a Command Instrument Flight Divisionhttp://www.af.mil/bios/bio.asp?bioID=7506 https://web.archive.org/web/20040211061909/http://www.af.mil/bios/bio.asp?bioID=7506 11 February 2004 Lt. Gen. Tome H. Walters Jr. Air Force Link 1 October 2002 24 January 2015 and an RBS Division with 3 squadrons. Radar Bomb Scoring Division The Radar Bomb Scoring Division controlled the group's Radar Bomb Scoring units. As with the preceding 1st Radar Bomb Scoring Group at Carswell AFB, the division had 3 Radar Bomb Scoring Squadrons (10th, 11th, 12th) with RBS detachments at fixed radar stations and at semi-mobile radar stations (Mobile Duty Locations (MDLs)). The MDLs were set up for SAC special missions, with their equipment, trailers, books, etc., stored at Barksdale AFB when not in use. Each squadron manned an RBS Express train, but the squadrons were inactivated in 1966 after Vietnam War deployments had begun. The three squadrons in 1959 had 29 AUTOTRACK sites.https://www.airandspaceforces.com/PDF/MagazineArchive/Documents/2006/June%202006/0606bombing.pdf Bombing With the Beam Alexander Sigmund June 2006 Air & Space Forces Magazine 89 6 1 September 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20240616135941/https://www.airandspaceforces.com/PDF/MagazineArchive/Documents/2006/June%202006/0606bombing.pdf 16 June 2024 live 1CEVG temporary duty personnel at Nike Defense Areas also scored mock SAC raids tracked by the Army. RBS trains were inactivated later in the war after the 1968-9 Project 693 discharging 1st term SAC airmen up to 11 months early. The division included a maintenance office.biography webpage Smith, Lowell Vetter, TSgt http://airforce.togetherweserved.com/usaf/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=81556 TogetherWeServed.com 2013-08-26 After the Vietnam War ended, the annual Combat Skyspot trophy was awarded for the outstanding RBS detachment (e.g., Louis Blotner Radar Bomb Scoring Site (Ashland Det 7) in 1985).22 March 1985 Ashland group awarded Combat Skyspot trophy https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2457&dat=19850322&id=d9E8AAAAIBAJ&sjid=PC4MAAAAIBAJ&pg=3876,3023381 Bangor Daily News 2012-07-08 The squadrons initially used Matador Automatic Radar Control (AN/MSQ-1) and AN/MSQ-2 automatic tracking radar/computer systems. The Reeves AN/MSQ-35 Bomb Scoring Central was developed for the division (mid-1963 testing was at the White Sands Missile Range.)Skinner Don 31 July 2010 Memories/1CEG https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/combatevaluationgroup/conversations/topics/86756 2012-09-24 During the Vietnam War, the Statesboro Bomb Scoring Site used a Soviet T2A for training crews to jam the signal. Three US bombing systems developed during the war (AN/MSQ-77, AN/TSQ-81, & AN/TSQ-96) were used post-war in the United States by the RBS Division, which replaced them with the no 1980 solid-state US Dynamics AN/TPQ-43 Bomb Scoring Set (SEEK SCORE) developed from the AN/TPB-1C Course Directing Central.http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/systems/an-tpq-43.htm AN/TPQ-43 SEEK SCORE John Pike www.globalsecurity.org The Electronic Systems Division 806L "Range Threat" systems for electronic warfare simulation were developed for use by 1CEVG late in the Cold War.http://www.tinker.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-061220-053.pdf TECHNICAL MANUAL COMMUNICATIONS - ELECTRONICS (C - E) 2012-10-26 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120916235604/http://www.tinker.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-061220-053.pdf 16 September 2012 Such systems included the US Dynamics AN/MST-T1 Miniature-Multiple Threat Emitter Simulator (MUTES), for which the group evaluated the prototype in 1977 (operational in October 1978). Similarly, TLQ-11 jammer improvements were in 1978, and in 1979 1CEVG members completed a prototype study and testing of the new Threat Reaction Analysis Indicator System (TRAINS) for analyzing how aircrews and avionics reacted to ground-based threats. At the end of the Cold War, most RBS detachments were closed.http://corpsfuds.org/php/list.php?type=sites&find=exvqzcto&county= Army Corps of Engineers, Formerly Used Defense Sites - List of Sites Sorted by corpsfuds.org 22 May 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20131005192159/http://corpsfuds.org/php/list.php?type=sites&find=exvqzcto&county= 5 October 2013 dead The personnel and the assets of the RBS Division became the 1st Electronic Combat Range Group on 1 July 1989 when the 1CEVG was split, and other 1CEVG organizations transferred to SAC headquarters. Stations 1CEVG radar stations before/after squadron closures on 25 July (12th), 22 August (11th), & 19 September (10th) 1965 January 2013 Det https://archive.today/20130219214153/http://www.1stcombatevaluationgroup.com/Pictures%20of%20Dets/1960's%20RBS%20Squadrons%20and%20Dets/pages/10th-RBS-Squadron-and-Dets_jpg.htm 10th RBS https://archive.today/20130219210622/http://www.1stcombatevaluationgroup.com/Pictures%20of%20Dets/1960's%20RBS%20Squadrons%20and%20Dets/pages/11th-RBS-Squadron-and-Dets_jpg.htm 11th RBS https://archive.today/20130219210712/http://www.1stcombatevaluationgroup.com/Pictures%20of%20Dets/1960's%20RBS%20Squadrons%20and%20Dets/pages/12th-RBS-Squadrons-and-Dets_jpg.htm 12th RBS 20 September 1966 31 June 1989 1 CO: La Junta right Montreal, CanadaCO: La Junta (1959–1995)21 February 1995 Townsfolk Hope to Shoot Down Military's Bombing-Range Plans http://www.deseretnews.com/article/405724/TOWNSFOLK-HOPE-TO-SHOOT-DOWN-MILITARYS-BOMBING-RANGE-PLANS.html?pg=all Deseret News 6 July 2012 2 December 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20131202223449/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/405724/TOWNSFOLK-HOPE-TO-SHOOT-DOWN-MILITARYS-BOMBING-RANGE-PLANS.html?pg=all dead 2 MO: Joplin (tbd-1969)SAC1969Kershaw Marcia 8 December 1961 Bomb Scoring Squadron To Be Moved To Mississippi Base in February 29 January 2013 https://archive.today/20130129213823/http://newspaperarchive.com/joplin-globe/1961-12-08/ https://newspaperarchive.com/joplin-globe/1961-12-08/ Joplin Globe 7 July 2012 "...has been located on Oronogo Circle Hill at Joplin Bomb Plot since July of 1959 will be moved in February to Greenville air force Miss. In making the announcement the air force said the move is in line with a policy of transferring such units every two years. Detachment 2 was moved here from Oklahoma City under command of Major Eugene R. Butler with 35 men and officers and has grown to a strength of 72 Personnel ... have manned the First a train carrying complete radar bomb scoring equipment for the purpose of scoring SAC bomber at remote locations ... Major Butler was the first commander of the First RBS Express when it was put in operation during February ... men of the detachment now are aboard that train and that Second and Third RBS Express trains have been added to the program ... Joplin Bomb Plot ... Hustler jet bombers began training missions at supersonic speeds in an air corridor above this district in October 1960, the first sonic boom occurred to make area residents even more conscious of the canopy of aircraft which has operated above this region" dead SD: Badlands SD: Badlands (1960–1968) AZ: Holbrook AFS (1968–1993)McDonald2 3 NC: Charlotte GA: Statesboro 4 CA:Sacramentohttp://www.koreanwar.org/html/units/usaf/3903rbs.htm 3903rd Radar Bomb Scoring Group – USAF – Korean War Project Page 1 koreanwar.org 7 April 2016 GA: Statesboro MO: OronogoSAC1969 right Bann, West GermanyMcDonald2 (1970Yahoo-c. 1985) 5 FL: Tampa ID: Wilder (1963–1994)29 May 1993 Closure plan saddens radar base chief https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FF1WAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2_ADAAAAIBAJ&pg=5501,6230827&dq=bomb-scoring&hl=en The Spokesman-Review Spokane, Washington 10 July 2012 6 MI: Bayshore (1963Mueller-1985) 7 right London, EnglandME: Ashland Strategic Training Range (1963–90) 8 KY: Richmond 29 May 1993 Radar Bomb Scoring Site at Army Depot to Close http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=LH&s_site=kentucky&p_multi=LH&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB73E937B5D5B81&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM Lexington Herald-Leader 9 July 2012 KY: RichmondYahoo 9 AZ: Winslowhttp://www.usaf-nav-history.com/dr0711.pdf PRESIDENT'S REPORT 21 January 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20131005013031/http://www.usaf-nav-history.com/dr0711.pdf 5 October 2013 dead OH: Springfield UT: St. George (July 1966 from Winslow-tbd)http://groups.yahoo.com/adultconf?dest=%2Fgroup%2Fcombatevaluationgroup%2Fauth%3Fdone%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fgroups.yahoo.com%252Fgroup%252Fcombatevaluationgroup%252Fmessage%252F38535 https://archive.today/20130209185639/http://groups.yahoo.com/adultconf?dest=%2Fgroup%2Fcombatevaluationgroup%2Fauth%3Fdone%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fgroups.yahoo.com%252Fgroup%252Fcombatevaluationgroup%252Fmessage%252F38535 dead Yahoo! Groups 9 February 2013 9 February 2013 10 NE: HastingsSpurlin James [veteran listing 49816] http://www.vetfriends.com/veterandirectory/?member=49816 VetFriends.com 9 July 2012 Wikisource:Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 106 Part 3.djvu/532 ND: BismarckYahoo KY: Blue Grass ADNE: HastingsDocument Detail for IRISNUM= 01074579 http://airforcehistoryindex.org/data/001/074/579.xml airforcehistoryindex.org 8 November 2018 11 NY: Fort Drum NY: Ft Drum 12 MS: Laurelhttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vUgzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_xIGAAAAIBAJ&pg=589,679523&dq=bomb-scoring-unit&hl=en Supersonic training flights to route over this area Holmes County Herald 7 October 1965 NV: Hawthorne 13 MS: Ellisville 14 Det 14, Bismarck, ND ND: Bismarck (1961Yahoo-1986)MSgt. Robert L. Dilley http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~tnoye/robert.html memorial webpage Biography and Family of Robert L. Dilley Ancestry.com 22 June 2012 15 [most of the above deployed for Vietnam Combat Skyspot] right    Tan Son Nhut AB, Vietnam 16 WY: Powell 17 MT: HavreYahoo (1986Havre RBS opened in 1986 http://www.rtbot.net/Havre_Air_Force_Station https://web.archive.org/web/20160303235756/http://www.rtbot.net/Havre_Air_Force_Station 3 March 2016 -no 1993)Yahoo 18 MT: Forsyth (no 1986–no 1996) To provide for the conveyance of the Radar Bomb Scoring Site, Forsyth, Montana. S 886 Library of Congress http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c104:S.886:l https://archive.today/20120714192704/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c104:S.886:l dead 14 July 2012 20 November 2009 1995-06-06 19 ND: Dickinson 20 MT: ConradNational Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1994 https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-103hr2401enr/html/BILLS-103hr2401enr.htm US Government Publishing Office 8 November 2018 5 January 1993 21 SD: Belle Fourche Detachments 7 & 50 the Vietnam War radar station used for CONUS testing of the Reeves AN/TSQ-81 Bomb Directing Central Bryan Field Detachment 7, 1 CEVG was a Matagorda Island Air Force BasetripodAFB or the range? August 2013 radar site for the "Busy Skyspot" training program for automatic tracking radar crews to use the Reeves AN/MSQ-77 Bomb Directing Central before transferring to Vietnam War operating locations. A CONUS AN/MSQ-77 had initially been used at the mountainous Nellis Air Force Range before being moved to the Gulf Coast of the United States, then the detachment moved to Bergstrom Air Force Base and was redesignated Det 50 for long range tracking of bombershttp://combat-skyspot.tripod.com/BusySkyspot.htm Skyspot Training Mike Steeves Combat Skyspot 2015 24 January 2015 The Skyspot training program was called BUSY SKYSPOT... The initial training was accomplished at Detachment 7, on Matagorda Island. dead https://web.archive.org/web/20150128132711/http://combat-skyspot.tripod.com/BusySkyspot.htm 28 January 2015 on 2 Matagorda Island Air Force Range routes (low- and high-level).EjectionHistory On 29 February 1968, on the low-level Matagorda route a Boeing B-52 Stratofortress crashed into the Gulf of Mexico.http://www.ejection-history.org.uk/aircraft_by_type/b52_stratofortress.htm B-52 Stratofortress Mike McGrath Project Get Out & Walk 2014 24 January 2015 A few pieces of foam and Frank Salavaria's summer flight jacket washed up on the beach near Corpus https://web.archive.org/web/20100214105456/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk/aircraft_by_type/b52_stratofortress.htm 14 February 2010 dead Detachment 15 the Vietnam War operating locations in South Vietnam, Thailand (3), & Laos (1) for which Det 15 provided maintenance support (e.g., the Laos Site was captured in the 1968 Battle of LS85) Combat Skyspot Detachment 15, 1CEVG at the Vietnam War's Tan Son Nhut Air Base served as an "administrative link between [the operating locations] and Headquarters 1st Combat Evaluation Group" http://airforce.togetherweserved.com/usaf/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=81556 TSgt Lowell Vetter Smith Together We Served 2015 24 January 2015 after Reeves AN/MSQ-77 Bomb Directing Centrals were produced and deployed in 1965 for Combat Skyspot bomber operations by tactical fighter, B-52, and other units. On 5 June 1966 near Đông Hà Combat Base close to the DMZ, six 1CEVG technicians were killed while conducting a preliminary site location survey.http://combat-skyspot.tripod.com/CSS.htm Combat Skyspot Overview Mike Steeves Combat Skyspot 2015 24 January 2015 Six men ...killed on 5 June 1966: Guerin, SSgt John P; James, A1C Rufus L; Mansfield, TSgt Bruce E; Marks, TSgt Antone P; Olds, SSgt Jerry; Vasquez, SSgt Ephraim https://web.archive.org/web/20101101231201/http://combat-skyspot.tripod.com/CSS.htm 1 November 2010 dead Lineage Constituted as the 3903d Radar Bomb Scoring Group from the 3903d RBS Squadron (at Carswell AFB beginning 24 Feb 48)Mueller and predecessor 263rd AAF Base Unit http://www.koreanwar.org/html/units/usaf/3903rbs.htm 3903rd Radar Bomb Scoring Group USAF - Korean War Project 2015 24 January 2015 Redesignated 1st Radar Bomb Scoring Group on 10 August 1954 Merged with the 3958 Opl Evaluation & Tng Gp for the B-58 on 15 Mar 60Mueller Redesignated 1st Combat Evaluation Group at Carswell AFB prior to 21 July 1961 for the merger of the Barksdale AFB 3908th Strategic Standardization GroupMueller and 1st RBS GroupMcDonald2 Redesignated 1st Electronic Combat Range Group on 1 July 1989McDonald2 from the assets and personnel of the Radar Bomb Scoring Division, 1CEVG Squadrons 10th Radar Bomb Scoring Squadron, 10 August 1954 – 19 September 1966 11th Radar Bomb Scoring Squadron, 10 August 1954 – 22 August 1966, March AFB, California 12th Radar Bomb Scoring Squadron, 10 August 1954 – 25 July 1966, Turner AFB, Georgia 13th Radar Bomb Scoring Squadron, 10 August 1954 – unknown, Ellisville, MS Commanders Col. Joseph D. White, 1 Aug 1961 – 20 May 1964 Col. Melvin R. Schultz, 20 May 1964 – 16 May 1966 Col. Jacob A. Hutchison, 16 May 1966 – 1 Feb 1970 Col. Willie H. Sontag, 1 Feb 1970 – 1 Jul 1971 Col. Alvin E. Prothero, 1 Jul 1971 – 25 Apr 1975 Col. Edward F. Gehrke, 25 Apr 1975 – 27 Oct 1978 Col. Robert F. Ramsey, 27 Oct 1978 – 1 Dec 1979 Col. Larry S. DeVall, 1 Dec 1979 - 16 Sept 1981 Col. John R. Rader, 16 Sept 1981 - 28 Jul 1983 Col. Billy F. Price, 28 Jul 1983 – 15 Jan 1988 Col. John C. Dalton, 16 Jan 1988 – 23 Jan 1989 Col. Joseph M. Hudson, Jr., 23 Jan 1989 – ? References Detachment 2 Holbrook, AZ http://1cevga.com/det2.htm McDonald Steven Ray 29 January 2002 1 CEVG/DET 2 History (A fluid Document) 1CEVGA.com 24 January 2015 1 CEVG/Det. 2 was moved from Wall, SD to Holbrook, AZ in 1968. We were up and running around the middle of April. ...1990 when we became 99 ECRG/DET 2 . The last RBS/ECM sortie was on or about September 13, 1993. The last ECM-only sortie was on or about September 30, 1993. A B1-B from Dyes (not positive) flew the last RBS/ECM mission. A C-130 from Hulburt Field flew the last ECM mission. The period of time between 1 October 1993 and Christmas was used for decommissioning the systems. Terry L. Horstead 9 November 1983 Historical Summary: Radar Bomb Scoring, 1945–1983 http://www.mobileradar.org/Documents/hist_sum_rad_bom_scrg.pdf Office of History, 1st Combat Evaluation Group 24 January 2015 Mueller 1982 Wurtsmith Air Force Base Air Force Bases as of 1982 613 Historical Summary 116 History of the Strategic Air Command: 1969 http://minotb52ufo.com/archives/strategic_air_command/sac_hist_fy69_vol1_ch1.pdf Office of Command History 26 August 2013 SAC had 64 detachments at the end of FY-69, an increase of nine, offset by a reduction of three. One discontinued was Detachment 4, 1st Combat Evaluation Group (CEG), Oronogo, Missouri. It was the second detachment of the 1CEG to be inactivated in 1968.100 ... Scoring activity stopped on 15 December, the equipment was moved,105 and the detachment inactivated on 25 January.106 The other two reductions were Detachments 3 and 19, 3902nd Support Squadron, at Altus and Homestead AFBs, where Manpower Evaluation Teams were no longer required. ... 100. Det 13, Ellisville, Miss, discontinued 2 Jun 68; Hist SAC, Jan–Jun 68, pp. 14–17. Combat Evaluation Group – A place for CEVG'ers and Range Rats to Meet https://groups.yahoo.com/group/combatevaluationgroup Yahoo newsgroup 9 January 2000     Citations in chronological order: Scott Message 3276 https://groups.yahoo.com/group/combatevaluationgroup/message/3276 Havre Trainig Site MT (Different place from the earlier Havre AFS air defense radar site) ... Interior RBSS, atop Hurley Butte ... The family housing unit was on the western edge of Wall. It was actually a small mobile home park. There were a few Air Force trailers (two of which ... There were 16 or 18 trailers I had the last one SE end along the fence ... I am also looking for Msgt. Mike Nelson 2004 Message 11831 https://groups.yahoo.com/group/combatevaluationgroup/message/11831 Bismarck from October 1964 to January 1967. ... When I first got there it was Det. 10, 11th RBS Sq. and was later changed to Det. 14, 1CEG. I also served on RBS Express No. 2 at Joseph City, AZ (Nov–Dec 1965) and Ree Heights, SD (July–Aug 1966) and RBS Express No. 3 at Rion, SC (Nov–Dec 1966). Message 12089 https://groups.yahoo.com/group/combatevaluationgroup/message/12089 [Bismarck opened January 1961] Ross Don 30 August 2007 Sqdns, Det 4 and Germany https://groups.yahoo.com/group/combatevaluationgroup/message/38535 9 July 2012 three RBS Express trains. One per sqdn 001 Category:1961 establishments in the United States Category:1989 disestablishments in the United States Category:Military units and formations established in 1961 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1989 Category:Units and formations of Strategic Air Command