The 25th Space Range Squadron, a component of the Space Training and Readiness Delta (Provisional), is located at Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado.
Mission
The 25th SRS operates the Department of Defense's only Space Test and Training Range, providing customers with a safe and secure environment to support space control technique development and space test, training and exercise activities. The unit also provides a timely, relevant and integrated space environment and effective mission planning, execution integration across all domains, and formalizes STTR processes.
History
The 25th SRS has a proud legacy that traces its origins to the beginning of aerial warfare. It was originally organized as the 20th Aero Squadron on June 13, 1917 and formally designated the 25th AS June 22, 1917. As pioneers of military aviation, the 25th was trained to fly British-made SE-5 aircraft and sent to France to participate in combat operations during the Meuse-Argonne Campaign. Following the war, the 25th Aero Squadron was stationed at Mitchell Field, New York until demobilized on June 17, 1919.
Fast-forward to July 1, 2004, Air Force Space Command again activated (after several other changes along the years) the 25th, this time as the 25th Space Control Tactics Squadron with a mission to develop and document space tactics, operate the Space Range and propagate approved tactics and space control employment concepts to warfighters.
However, Nov. 11, 2007, the squadron was re-designated the 25th SRS to acknowledge the growing importance of its mission; operating the nation's only Space Test and Training Range in direct support of the DoD. On July 24, 2020 the unit was reassigned to U.S. Space Command and attached to Space Training and Readiness Delta (Provisional).
The 25th SRS' lineage is as follows: Organized as 20th Aero Squadron on June 13, 1917. Re-designated as 25th AS on June 22, 1917. Demobilized on June 17, 1919. Reconstituted, and consolidated (1924), with 25th Squadron, which was authorized on Aug. 30, 1921. Organized on Oct. 1, 1921. Re-designated as 25th Bombardment Squadron on Jan. 25, 1923; 25 Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on Dec. 6, 1939; 25th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on Nov. 20, 1940; 25th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on Nov. 20, 1943. Inactivated on Oct. 1, 1946. Re-designated as 25th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on May 9, 1952. Activated on May 28, 1952. Discontinued, and inactivated, on Sept. 1, 1964. Re-designated as 25th Strategic Training Squadron on June 21, 1988. Activated on July 1, 1988. Re-designated as 25th Flying Tactics Training Squadron on Sept. 1, 1991; 25th Training Squadron on June 15, 1993. Inactivated on Sept. 21, 1995. Re-designated as 25th Space Control Tactics Squadron on April 20, 2004. Activated on July 1, 2004. Re-designated as 25th SRS on Nov. 11, 2007.
The 25th SRS' assignments are as follows: Unknown, June 13, 1917 – November 1918; 4th Pursuit Group, November 1918 - April 1919; unknown, April - June 17, 1919. Second Corps Area, Oct. 1, 1921; Panama Canal Department, April 30, 1922; 6th Observation (later, 6th Composite; 6th Bombardment) Group, May 27, 1922; 40th Bombardment Group, May 12, 1943 – Oct. 1, 1946. 40th Bombardment (later, 40th Strategic Aerospace) Wing, May 28, 1952 – Sept. 1, 1964. Strategic Air Command, July 1, 1988; 99th Strategic Weapons Wing, Aug. 10, 1989; 99th Operations and Maintenance (later, 99 Operations) Group, Sept. 1, 1991 - Sept. 21, 1995. 595th Space Group, July 1, 2004; Nevada Test and Training Range, April 1, 2013 - July 23, 2020; U.S. Space Force, July 24, 2020 - present .
The 25th SRS' duty stations are as follows: Camp Kelly, Texas, June 13 – Dec. 28, 1917; Ayr, Scotland, Jan. 31, 1918; Marske, England, April 23 – Aug. 7, 1918; St. Maxient, France, Aug. 20, 1918; Romorantin, France, Aug. 29, 1918; Colombey-les-Belles, France, Sept. 18, 1918; Toul, France, Oct. 24, 1918; Colombey-les-Belles, France, April 15, 1919; Le Mans, France, May 5-9, 1919; Mitchel Field, New York, June 6-17, 1919. Mitchel Field, New York, Oct. 1, 1921 – April 22, 1922; France Field, CZ, April 30, 1922; Rio Hato, Panama, Dec. 8, 1941; Salinas, Ecuador, c. Jan. 21, 1942; Howard Field, CZ, May 22 – June 16, 1943; Pratt AA Fld, Kansas, July 1, 1943 – March 12, 1944; Chakulia, India, c. April 11, 1944 – April 1945; West Field, Tinian, April – Nov. 7, 1945; March Field, California, Nov. 27, 1945; Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona, c. May 8 – Oct. 1, 1946. Smoky Hill (later, Schilling) AFB, Kansas, May 28, 1952 (deployed at Lakenheath RAF Station,England, June – September 1955 and Greenham Common RAF Station, England, July – October 1957; Forbes AFB, Kansas, June 20, 1960 – Sept. 1, 1964. Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, July 1, 1988 – Sept. 21, 1995. Schriever AFB, Colorado, July 1, 2004 - .
The 25th SRS' commanders are as follows: Capt. Harold M. Clark, June 13, 1917; Capt. W. P. Jernigan, c. Aug. 17, 1917; Maj. Seth W. Cook, Nov. 12, 1917; 1st Lt. Walter J. Seaburn, Nov. 22, 1917; 1st Lt. Morse B. Kent, Jan. 30, 1918; Maj. Reed G. Landis, Sept. 25, 1918 - unknown. Unknown, 1921 - 1943; Maj. Carl P. Walter, 1943; Lt. Col. Warren S .Wilkinson, Aug. 24, 1943; Maj. Henry P. Luna, Sept. 1944; Lt. Col. William Kingsbury, Oct. 1944; Lt. Col. J. D. White, Sept. 1945; Maj. J. C. Eigenmann, Sept. 21, 1945; Lt. Col. Oscar R. Schaaf, Jan. 15, 1946; Lt. Col. Willard W. Wilson, April - c. Oct. 1, 1946. Lt. Col. Gerald Wolke, March 5, 1953; Lt. Col. Edward P. Clark, April 23, 1953; Lt. Col. Richard B. Burgess, by December 1956; Lt. Col. William R. Young, June 1957; Lt. Col. Burdette J. McKinnis, Jr., September 1958; Maj. J. M. Campbell, June 1959; Maj. James W. Schultz, June 1960; Lt. Col. Walter T. Galligan, May 30, 1961; Lt. Col. Richard R. Anderson, July 31, 1961; Lt. Col. Theodore M. Raley, July 25, 1962 – Sept. 1, 1964. Unknown, July 1, 1988 – Aug. 9, 1990; Lt. Col. Mason H. Beckett, Jr., Aug. 10, 1990; Lt. Col. Timothy C. Jones, Aug. 28, 1991; Lt. Col. John L. Christensen, Nov. 2, 1992; Lt. Col. Christopher G. Warner, Nov. 8, 1993; Unknown, January 1994 – Sept. 21, 1995; Lt. Col. Anthony J. Zilinsky July 2016 - June 25, 2018.
The 25th SRS' previous aircraft are as follows: SE-5, 1918 - 1919. Unknown, 1921 - 1922; Included NBS-1 during period 1922 - 1929; Included LB-5, LB-6 and LB-7 during period 1928 - 1932; B-3, 1931 - 1936; B-6, 1936 - 1937; B-10, 1937 - 1939; B-18, 1938 - 1942; B-24, 1942 - 1943; LB-30, 1942 - 1943; B-26, 1943; B-17, 1943 - 1944; YB-29, 1943 - 1944; B-29, 1944 - 1946. B-29, 1953 - 1954; B-47, 1954 - 1964. None, 1988 - 1995.
The 25th SRS' operations are as follows: Combat as pursuit unit with Second Army, Nov. 10-11, 1918. Good-will flights to El Salvador and Nicaragua, May 13-19, 1935, to Guatemala, Feb. 8-11, 1938, to El Salvador, April 19-22, 1938; Mercy mission to Chile following devastating earthquake, Jan. 28 – Feb. 13, 1939. Antisubmarine patrols, December 1941 - May 1943. Combat in CBI, June 5, 1944 – March 29, 1945, and Western Pacific, May 5 – Aug. 14, 1945. Activated in Kansas in May 1952, but did not become operational until April 1953. Trained for bombing proficiency. Deployed to England in 1955 and 1957. Maintained aircraft and aircrews on alert at bases in North Africa, England and Alaska. From 1988 to 1995, supervised SAC B-52 and B-1 bomber crew training program.
The 25th SRS' campaign streamers are as follows: World War I: Meuse-Argonne. World War II: Antisubmarine, American Theater; India-Burma; Air Offensive, Japan; China Defensive; Western Pacific; Central Burma.
The 25th SRS' distinguished unit citations are as follows: Yawata, Japan, Aug. 20, 1944; Japan, May 5-14, 1945; Japan, July 24, 1945.
The 25th SRS' Air Force outstanding unit awards are as follows: Aug. 10, 1989 – June 30, 1991; July 1, 1991 – April 15, 1993; Sept. 2, 2003 – Aug. 31, 2004; Sept. 1, 2004 – Aug. 31, 2005; Sept. 1, 2005 – Aug. 31, 2006; Sept. 1, 2006 – Aug. 31, 2007; Sept. 1, 2007 – Aug. 31, 2008; Sept. 1, 2008 – Aug. 31, 2009; Sept. 1, 2009 – Aug. 31, 2010.
(Current as of November 2020)