Strategic Communications Wing 1(STRATCOMWING ONE) is a nuclear command and control wing of theUnited States Navy.ItsTACAMO( "Take Charge and Move Out" ) mission provides airborne communications links to nuclear missile units ofUnited States Strategic Command.It is located atTinker Air Force Base,Oklahoma.
| Strategic Communications Wing One | |
|---|---|
 One of the wing's E-6B Mercurys on approach to Tinker Air Force Base in 2014 | |
| Active | 29 May 1992 – present[1] (32 years, 6 months) |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Navy |
| Part of | Naval Air Force, Pacific |
| Garrison/HQ | Tinker Air Force Base,Oklahoma |
| Insignia | |
| Strategic Communications Wing One emblem |  |
| Aircraft flown | |
| E-6B Mercury | |
The two operational squadrons,VQ-3andVQ-4,prepared to move from their former Atlantic and Pacific bases in 1992-1993 and the wing was formally established on 29 May 1992.[2]Captain Andy Riddile, first commander ( "Commodore ") of the wing, arrived in April 1992.[3]A separate Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS), VQ-7, was later established at Tinker AFB withEC-18 and TC-18aircraft.
The wing consists of three squadrons and a wing staff, and employs over 1,300 active-duty sailors and 100 contractors to provide maintenance, security, operations, administration, training and logistic support for theE-6 Mercuryaircraft fleet. The E-6B Mercury enables thePresident of the United Statesand theSecretary of Defenseto directly contactsubmarines,bombersandmissile silosenforcing the country's national security through nuclear deterrence.
The Wing provides a secure communications link designed to for use in the event of nuclear war or other major incident in order to maintain communications between the decision makers comprising theNational Command Authority(NCA) and the triad of U.S. strategic nuclear weapon delivery systems, i.e., crewed bombers, land-basedintercontinental ballistic missiles(ICBMs) andsubmarine-launched ballistic missiles(SLBMs).
The wing's primary mission is to receive, verify and retransmit Emergency Action Messages (EAMs) to US strategic forces. With the retirement of the USAFEC-135Looking Glassairframe, theE-6 Mercuryupgraded with theAirborne Launch Control System(ALCS) have also assumed the airborne command post mission for theUnited States Strategic Command(USSTRATCOM). OC-ALC airframe artisans perform depot work on the Navy'sE-6 Mercuryaircraft, which are based on theBoeing 707airframe. The wing's Navy sailors perform organizational and field level maintenance work, with the former integrated at the flying squadron level while the latter is performed at the wing's aircraft intermediate maintenance department (AIMD) level. The wing also operates alert facilities for E-6B aircraft atTravis AFB,California andNaval Air Station Patuxent River,Maryland.
STRATCOMWING ONE's subordinate squadrons include:
- Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron THREE (VQ-3)(E-6B)
- Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron FOUR (VQ-4)(E-6B)
- Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron SEVEN (VQ-7)
Previous Commanders:
Retired Rear AdmiralMargaret D. Kleinwho served under Defense SecretaryChuck Hagel.
Captain Heather Cole who was removed from command in early 2015, Captain Cole was removed in connection to reported "cultural issues."[4]
References
edit- ^"About Us".www.airpac.navy.mil.Retrieved17 August2022.
- ^Dan M. Schill,The Navy Comes to Tinker Air Force BaseArchived2016-03-04 at theWayback Machine,Oklahoma City Air Logistics ComplexOffice of History, September 1995, 3.
- ^Schill, 1995, 22.
- ^Mark D. Faram,TACAMO wing CO fired amid investigation,Navy Times, March 19, 2015.