History
In response to a request from the commanding general of the Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics for an assigned weather squadron, the Army Air Forces headquarters constituted today’s 26th Operational Weather Squadron on September 30, 1943, as he 26th Weather Squadron. The squadron activated on October 10, 1943, under the command of Lt Col Chester W. Cecil, Jr., at Orlando Army Air Base, Florida. In addition to his squadron duties, Colonel Cecil served as the 26th Weather Regional Control Officer and staff weather officer for the Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics.
Later redesignated the Army Air Forces Tactical Air Center, the School of Applied Tactics was activated on October 16, 1942, to train selected officers under simulated combat conditions. More than 840 weather officers attended the Weather Staff Officer course conducted at the School of Applied Tactics during World War II.
The Army Air Forces disbanded the 26th Weather Squadron on June 3, 1944, and Squadron personnel were transferred in-place to Squadron B, 902nd Army Air Forces Base Unit.
The newly independent United States Air Force reconstituted the 26th Weather Squadron on May 18, 1948. On June 1, it activated the 26th at Brookley Air Force Base, near Mobile, Alabama. The Air Force assigned the 26th to the 104th Weather Group, which was later redesignated the 2104th Air Weather Group.
The 26th Weather Squadron was soon indirectly supporting Operation VITTLES as Brookley transports, including the limited production C-74 Globemaster I, began participating in the Berlin Airlift.
The 26th Weather Squadron was reassigned to the 2059th Air Weather Wing on October 24, 1950, as part of Air Weather Service’s restructuring to eliminate the Weather Groups.
The 26th Weather Squadron moved its headquarters to Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, on September 10, 1951, in order to align itself with the headquarters of Strategic Air Command's Second Air Force at Barksdale for which the 26th had been given functional responsibility under Air Weather Service's new organizational scheme.
In continuing Air Weather Service reorganizations, the 26th was reassigned to the 2101st Air Weather Group on September 16, 1951, and to the 1st Weather Group on April 20, 1952. The squadron began its long association with the 3rd Weather Wing on October 8, 1956, to which it was assigned until it was inactivated on June 30, 1972.
The 26th was again activated and assigned to the 3rd Weather Wing on January 1, 1975. The 26th continued at Barksdale until the divestiture of Air Weather Service. The squadron was deactivated on July 31, 1991.
As part of Air Force Weather's re-engineering, the squadron was redesignated the 26th Operational Weather Squadron on February 5, 1999, and again activated at Barksdale on October 1, 1999, where it was assigned to Eighth Air Force’s 608th Air Operations Group.
The 26th Operational Weather Squadron, Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, realigned under the 1st Weather Group, Air Force Weather Agency on 22 June 2006.
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