176th Air Defense Squadron re-designated

  • Published
  • By N. Alicia Halla
  • 176 WG
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  The 176th Air Control Squadron was re-designated as the 176th Air Defense Squadron (176 ADS) and ceremonially recognized during a ceremony here Aug. 3.

The squadron will keep its current leadership and same mission, which is to provide combat mission-ready personnel to execute the aerospace surveillance, identification, data links and weapons control in support of North American Aerospace Defense command's air sovereignty and Homeland Defense missions.

"This morning, we mark a new chapter in this unit's history," said Lt. Col. Scott Howard, the commander of the 176 ADS.

The 176 ADS traces its heritage from the early 1950s. It began as the U.S. Air Force's 744th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron and has since undergone several structural alignment and name changes.

This name change allows the 176 ADS to be more in line with its counterparts in the rest of the country. A name change puts the squadron in a different category administratively, to allow more manning and reduces confusion as to the squadron's true capabilities.

"The re-designation was chosen to represent the correct war-fighting capability to the war planners," Howard said.