• Forum
• SITREP
• Military
• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security

• Space

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Public Eye

21st Operations Support Squadron [21st OSS]

The 21st Operations Support Squadron is a binational squadron, comprising approximately 100 American and four Canadian personnel. It is a component squadron of the 21st Operations Group, 21st Space Wing, located at Peterson Air Force Base (PAFB), CO.

The 21st Operations Support Squadron comprises four flights that provide operational, tactical, training and intelligence support to Air Force Space Command's worldwide network of 17 ground-based and space-based missile warning, space surveillance and space control weapon systems.

In addition, the weather flight provides 24/7 weather support to Headquarters 21st Space Wing and its geographically separated assets, the 50th Space Wing located at Schriever AFB, Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA), the 302nd Airlift Wing, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Headquarters United States Space Command and Headquarters North American Aerospace Defense Command.

Lastly, an airfield flight directs and coordinates base operations and all flight line activities, and manages flight records for PAFB, USAFA, Patrick AFB/USSOUTHCOM and Johnson Space Center.

The 21st OSS is responsible for providing mission support to Air Force Space Command's worldwide network of attack warning, space surveillance, and space communications units; supporting weather information requirements for Peterson Air Force Base, Schriever Air Force Base, and Cheyenne Mountain Air Station; directing and coordinating base operations, all flight line activities, and flight records management; and providing intelligence and administrative support to wing, group, and squadron commanders.

The 21st Operations Support Squadron's is one of the 21st Space Wing's oldest squadrons. The squadron finds its origin in a 25 September 1991 reconstitution of two flight operations squadrons: the 21st Aerodrome Squadron, activated at Topeka Army Air Base on 1 February 1943 and disbanded 1 April 1944, and the 21st Operations Support Squadron, activated at Elmendorf AFB, AK, on 6 May 1966 and deactivated 1 January 1970.

The reconstituted squadron was deactivated 19 December 1991, but reactivated 15 May 1992 at Peterson AFB under the 21st Operations Group.