The

Air National Guard The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces, federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia (United States), militia of each U.S. ...

's 280th Special Operations Communications Squadron (280th SOCS) is a communications unit located at Hall Air Guard Station,

Dothan Regional Airport Dothan Regional Airport is a public airport in Dale County, Alabama, United States, seven miles northwest of Dothan, a city mostly in Houston County. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 called it a ''primary co ...

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

. The 280th SOCS provides tactical communication services to state, military and federal agencies utilizing state of the art information systems. The 280th SOCS provides over 44% of

Air Force Special Operations Command Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), headquartered at Hurlburt Field, Florida, is the special operations component of the United States Air Force. An Air Force major command (MAJCOM), AFSOC is also the U.S. Air Force component command ...

's deployed communications capabilities.

Mission

The mission of the 280th Special Operations Communications Squadron is to provide communications and information systems for Command and Control of United States

Special Operations Forces Special forces or special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...

worldwide, as well as respond to State emergencies as directed by the

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

.AF FOIA Request

History

In January 1959, the 280th SOCS was federally recognized as the 280th Communications Squadron (Special). The first members enlisted in the squadron in March 1959. During 1967, members of the 280th Communications Squadron (Special) were selected for training in response to then-President Johnson's directive to use Army and Air Guard units to maintain domestic order. Those members were appointed to Team 3 of Task Force Foxtrot, which was responsible for riot control. October 1982, the unit was redesignated as the 280th Combat Communications Squadron.280th CBCS: "280th CBCS 50th Anniversary Site"
In January 2014, the squadron was redesignated as the 280th Special Operations Communications Squadron. The squadron moved from

Maxwell Air Force Base Maxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force (USAF) installation under the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, United States. ...

to Abston Air National Guard Station in October 1986, then to

Hall Air National Guard Station In architecture, a hall is a relatively large space enclosed by a roof and walls. In the Iron Age and the Early Middle Ages in northern Europe, a mead hall was where a lord and his retainers ate and also slept. Later in the Middle Ages, the gre ...

in April 1996. In February 1999, the 280th was formally integrated into the mission of the

Emblem Description and Significance

On a blue disc. Issuing from lower right is a yellow hemisphere grid lined black. A yellow satellite in lower left emitting two black dash lines to the sphere; above the sphere and satellite a gray eagle with wings displayed throughout detailed black olive branches in his left claw, a pair of red lightning bolts in the other claw; all within a narrow yellow border. Blue and yellow are the Air Force colors. Blue alludes to the sky, the primary theater of Air Force operations. Yellow refers to the sun and the excellence required of Air Force personnel. The globe represents the worldwide scope of mobility. The eagle symbolizes strength and keenness of vision. The lightning flashes and olive branches refer to the unit's motto, COMMUNICATIONS FOR PEACE. The satellite reflects the high technology required of the unit in order to perform its mission.

Assignments

Major Command/Gaining Command

(1999 – present) *

Air Combat Command The Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the prim ...

(1992–1999) *

United States Special Operations Command The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM or SOCOM) is the unified combatant command charged with overseeing the various special operations component commands of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force of the United States A ...

(????–1999) *

Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Lang ...

(1971–1992) *

Air Force Communications Command An atmosphere () is a layer of gases that envelop an astronomical object, held in place by the gravity of the object. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A stellar atmosphere ...

(????–????) *

United States Readiness Command In 1961 the United States Strike Command (STRICOM) was established at MacDill Air Force Base as a unified combatant command capable of responding to global crises. The name of the command was originally derived from the acronym for Swift Tactica ...

(????–????)

Wing/Group

226th Combat Communications Group The United States Air Force's 226th Combat Communications Group is a combat communications headquarters unit located at Abston Air National Guard Station in Montgomery, Alabama, USA. The Group is one of two Air National Guard Combat Communica ...

(1971 – present)

Previous designations

*280th Special Operations Communications Squadron (Jan 2014 – present) *280th Combat Communications Squadron (Oct 1982–Jan 2014) *280th Communications Squadron (Special) (Jan 1959-Oct 1982)

Bases stationed

Dothan, Alabama Dothan is a city in and the county seat of Houston County, Alabama, Houston County in the U.S. state of Alabama. A slight portion of the city extends into Dale County, Alabama, Dale and Henry County, Alabama, Henry counties. It had a population ...

(Apr 1996–present) * Abston Air National Guard Station, Montgomery,

(Oct 1986-Apr 1996) *

(Jan 1959-Oct 1986)

Decorations

Air Force Outstanding Unit Award The Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award (ASOUA) is one of the unit awards of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. It was established in 1954 as the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and was the first independent Air Force ...

**1 Jul 1968 – 31 Dec 1969 **1 Jul 1971 – 31 Dec 1972 **1 Jan 1989 – 31 Dec 1989 **1 Jan 1990 – 31 Dec 1990Order number GA-074, 1991 **1 Jan 1991 – 31 Dec 1991 **1 Jan 1996 – 31 Dec 1997 **1 Oct 2010 – 30 Sep 2012 *

Air Force Organizational Excellence Award The Air and Space Organizational Excellence Award (ASOEA) is a Awards and decorations of the United States Department of the Air Force, unit award of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. It was created by the Secretary of the ...

** ** * Air Force Communications and Information Major General Harold M. McClelland Award **1 Jan 1990 – 31 Dec 1990

Photo gallery

File:280th CBCS Pic 1.jpg , 280th CBCS Members at Kadena AB File:280th CBCS Pic 2.jpg , 280th CBCS verify antenna installation at Kadena AB File:280th CBCS Pic 3.jpg , 280th CBCS members working on a Joint Base Station setup

References

External links

* https://web.archive.org/web/20110128184811/http://280thanniversary.com/ {{US Air Force navbox Combat Communications 0280 Military units and formations in Alabama Combat Communications 0280