Active 1967 – present Type Combat Communications Size 140 | Country United States Role Command and Control | |
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The United States Air Force's 293rd Combat Communications Squadron is a combat communications unit located at the Pacific Missile Range Facility and Hickam AFB, Hawaii.
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Federal mission
The 293 CBCS' federal mission is to provide operationally-ready combat units, combat support units and qualified personnel for active duty in the United States Air Force in times of war, national emergencies, or operational contingencies.
State Mission
The 293 CBCS' state mission is to provide organized and trained units to the Governor of Hawaii and Adjutant General to protect Hawaii's citizens and property, preserve peace, and ensure public safety in response to natural or human-caused disasters.
History
The 293rd Combat Communications Squadron (293 CBCS) was activated into federal service on 6 March 1967 at Hickam AFB, Hawaii. From 6 March 1967 to 30 September 2008, the 293 CBCS was co-located with its parent group, the 201st Combat Communications Group (201 CCG) at Hickam Air Force Base. By direction of the Adjutant General and with concurrence of the National Guard Bureau, the 293rd became the first geographically split-operations combat communications squadron in both the Air Force and the Air National Guard. Effective 1 October 2008, the 293rd's command element and 52% of its assigned manpower was transferred to the US Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility Barking Sands to replace the inactivating 154th Air Control Squadron (154 ACS) as the Hawaii National Guard’s lead command and control element for any natural or human-caused disasters on the Island of Kauai, while the remaining 48% remained assigned to Hickam AFB as Operating Location A, 293 CBCS. Despite the geographic separation of 125 miles between the 293rd's two organizational elements, the squadron continues to be organized, operate, and deploy much like any other single-location Air Force/Air National Guard combat communications squadron.