94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command (94th AAMDC)
| image = 94thAAMDC.png
| image_size = 175
| caption = 94th Air Defense Artillery Command Shoulder Sleeve Insignia
| country = United States
| type = Air Defense Artillery
| branch = United States Army
| dates = 1940 – Present
| specialization = Army's operational lead for Theater Air and Missile Defense
| command_structure = United States Army Pacific
| garrison = Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam, Hawaii, U.S.
| motto = "First Line of Defense"
| colors = Yellow and Scarlet
| decorations = Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation 1944-1945, Superior Unit Award 1991-1992
| anniversaries =
| current_commander = {{Flagicon image|Flag of a United States Army major general.svg
|size=23px}} MG Brian W. Gibson
| current_commander_label = Commanding General
| ceremonial_chief = Command Sergeant Major Kelly M. Hart
| ceremonial_chief_label = Command Sergeant Major
| identification_symbol = 90px
| identification_symbol_label = Distinctive Unit Insignia
}}
The 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command (94th AAMDC) is an activated (at Fort Shafter on 16 October 2005) Air Defense Artillery command of the United States Army assigned to United States Army Pacific. It is headquartered at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam, Hawai'i at the Pacific Air Force Headquarters.
Current Structure
As of May 2021 the 94th AAMDC consists of the following units:
- 25px 94th AAMDC Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam (Hawaii)
- 20px 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, at Osan Air Base (South Korea)
- Headquarters and Headquarters Battery
- 2nd Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment, at Camp Carroll (MIM-104 Patriot){{cite web|title=Patriot TMD - Units|url=https://www.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/patriot-unit.htm|publisher=Global Security|access-date=10 November 2017}}
- 6th Battalion, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, at Suwon Air Base (MIM-104 Patriot, AN/TWQ-1 Avenger)
- Battery D, 2nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, at Camp Carroll (THAAD)
- 25px 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, at Sagami General Depot (Japan)
- Headquarters and Headquarters Battery
- 1st Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment, at Kadena Air Base (MIM-104 Patriot)
- 10th Missile Defense Battery, in Shariki
- 14th Missile Defense Battery, in Kyogamisaki
- Task Force Talon, at Andersen Air Force Base (Guam){{cite web |last1=Sgt. Raquel Villalona |title=38th ADA Brigade Welcomes Task Force Talon |url=https://www.army.mil/article/228317/38th_ada_brigade_welcomes_task_force_talon |publisher=Task Force Talon |access-date=29 April 2021}}
- Battery E, 3rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment (THAAD)
History
The 94th Air Defense Artillery was constituted on 16 December 1940 in the Regular Army as the 94th Coast Artillery. On 17 April 1941 it was activated at Camp Davis, North Carolina. The Regiment was later broken up on 15 May 1943 and its elements reorganized and re-designated as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 94th Antiaircraft Artillery Group. During the Second World War, the 94th Coast Artillery participated in major war campaigns within the East Indies, New Guinea, Leyte, and Luzon during which it received commemorate streamers and was additionally decorated with the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation streamer.
After World War II, the Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 94th Antiaircraft Artillery Group, was inactivated on 15 March 1947 in the Philippines. On 1 April 1960, it was re designated in Kaiserslautern, Germany as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 94th Artillery Group, as part of the 32nd Army Air Defense Command. The 94th Air Defense Artillery Group was re-designated on 15 March 1972 as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 94th Air Defense Artillery Group. The 94th Air Defense Artillery Group was later re-designated on 16 July 1983 as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 94th Air Defense Artillery Brigade.
Missile defense was important during the Cold War period, the 94th Artillery Group defended NATO with Nike Hercules, HAWK, PATRIOT, Chaparral and Vulcan Air Defense Systems inspiring the motto of "First Line of Defense". After the collapse of communism in Europe, the 94th Air Defense Artillery Brigade continued to support European Command contingencies throughout the European Command Area of Operations.
During deployment from September 1991 to February 1992, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 94th Air Defense Artillery Brigade earned the Army Superior Unit Award for its direct support of United States led multinational operation "Determined Resolve" in the Persian Gulf. Before its inactivation in 1998, the 94th Air Defense Artillery Brigade formed the nucleus for the first ever Joint Theater Missile Defense Task Force that deployed to Israel in support of Operation Noble Safeguard and Desert Thunder.
On 16 July 2021 soldiers from 94th AAMDC conducted the first-ever MIM-104 Patriot live fire exercise in Australia during the Talisman Saber 21 exercise at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Queensland, Australia.{{Cite web|last=Defence|first=Department of|date=2021-07-17|title=Troops in awe of Patriot firepower display|url=https://news.defence.gov.au/capability/troops-awe-patriot-firepower-display|access-date=2021-08-25|website=news.defence.gov.au|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=US Army launches Patriot missiles during Exercise Talisman Saber 21|url=https://www.army.mil/article/249151/us_army_launches_patriot_missiles_during_exercise_talisman_saber_21|access-date=2021-08-25|website=www.army.mil|language=en}}{{Citation|title=First Patriot Missile launch in Australia - Talisman Sabre 2021|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgBzlrvGTdg |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/EgBzlrvGTdg |archive-date=2021-12-20 |url-status=live|language=en|access-date=2021-08-25}}{{cbignore}}
On 7 October 2021 94th AAMDC announced it was deploying one of the Army's two Iron Dome Defense System - Army (IDDS-A) batteries to Andersen Air Force Base in Guam for experimental testing. The deployment was focused on gathering data on deployability, sustainment, and how Iron Dome integrates with current Army air defense architecture.{{Cite web|title=94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command Deploys Iron Dome System to Guam for Operational Testing|url=https://www.army.mil/article/251013/94th_army_air_and_missile_defense_command_deploys_iron_dome_system_to_guam_for_operational_testing|access-date=2021-10-13|website=www.army.mil|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Trevithick|first=Joseph|title=The Iron Dome Air Defense System Is Heading To Guam|url=https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/42687/the-iron-dome-air-defense-system-is-heading-to-guam|access-date=2021-10-13|website=The Drive|date=8 October 2021 |language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Judson|first=Jen|date=2021-10-07|title=Iron Dome heads to missile defense experiment in Guam|url=https://www.defensenews.com/land/2021/10/07/iron-dome-heads-to-missile-defense-experiment-in-guam/|access-date=2021-10-13|website=Defense News|language=en}}{{Cite news|title=US Army deploys Iron Dome batteries to Guam for further testing|url=https://www.jpost.com/international/us-army-deploys-iron-dome-batteries-to-guam-for-further-testing-681640|access-date=2021-10-13|newspaper=The Jerusalem Post | Jpost.com|language=en-US}}
In March 2022 the command deployed a THAAD remote launch package to the CNMI island of Rota - the first operational use of THAAD's new remote launch capability.{{Cite web |last=Center |first=Pacific News |date=2022-03-04 |title=THAAD Remote Launch System Sent To Rota |url=https://www.pncguam.com/thaad-remote-launch-system-sent-to-rota/ |access-date=2022-06-30 |website=PNC News First |language=en-US}}
On 15 June 2022 the command conducted the first Patriot live-fire in Palau as well as the first Patriot live-fire to integrate F-35 radar data outside of a testing environment.{{Cite web |last=Eastwood |first=Brent M. |date=2022-06-17 |title=F-35A and Patriot Air Defense Team Up to Kill Mock Cruise Missile |url=https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/06/f-35a-and-patriot-air-defense-team-up-to-kill-mock-cruise-missile/ |access-date=2022-06-30 |website=19FortyFive |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=US Army conducts first firing of Patriot missiles from Palau |url=https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/us-army-conducts-first-firing-of-patriot-missiles-from-palau |access-date=2022-06-30 |website=Janes.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Patriot missiles down drone target from Palau with assist from Lightning II |url=https://www.stripes.com/branches/army/2022-06-16/palau-patriot-f-35-drone-6358533.html |access-date=2022-06-30 |website=Stars and Stripes |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Eckstein |first=Megan |date=2022-06-21 |title=Lockheed Martin blends AI decision aide, virtual Aegis combat system in drill near Guam |url=https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2022/06/21/lockheed-martin-blends-ai-decision-aide-virtual-aegis-combat-system-in-drill-near-guam/ |access-date=2022-06-30 |website=Defense News |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2022-06-20 |title=US INDO-PACOM Forces Conclude Exercise Valiant Shield 2022 |url=https://www.overtdefense.com/2022/06/20/us-indo-pacom-forces-conclude-exercise-valiant-shield-2022/ |access-date=2022-06-30 |website=Overt Defense |language=en-CA}}{{Cite web |date=2022-06-23 |title=Patriot destroyed missile using target designation provided by F-35 |url=https://bulgarianmilitary.com/2022/06/23/patriot-destroyed-missile-using-target-designation-provided-by-f-35/ |access-date=2022-06-30 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=US Army conducts first firing of Patriot missiles from Palau – Polygon Military Magazine |url=https://polygonjournal.com/2022/06/17/us-army-conducts-first-firing-of-patriot-missiles-from-palau/ |access-date=2022-06-30 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=日本放送協会 |title=米軍 パラオで迎撃ミサイル発射訓練 影響力拡大の中国けん制 {{!}} NHK |url=https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20220615/k10013673921000.html |access-date=2022-06-30 |website=NHKニュース}} The live-fire was a part of the Valiant Shield 22 exercise.
List of commanders
- BG John Seward 2005
- .BG Roger Mathews 2007
- BG Jeffery Underhill
- BG James H. Dickinson, August 2011{{Cite web|url=https://www.gomo.army.mil/public/Biography/usa-7549/jamesh-dickinson|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220512152341/https://www.gomo.army.mil/public/Biography/usa-7549/jamesh-dickinson|url-status=dead|archive-date=12 May 2022|title=General James H. Dickinson - General Officer Management Office|website=www.gomo.army.mil}}
- BG Daniel L. Karbler, July 2012{{Cite web|url=https://www.gomo.army.mil/public/Biography/usa-7787/daniell-karbler|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514041526/https://www.gomo.army.mil/public/Biography/usa-7787/daniell-karbler|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 May 2021|title=Lieutenant General Daniel L. Karbler - General Officer Management Office|website=www.gomo.army.mil}}
- BG Eric L. Sanchez, June 2014
- BG Sean Gainey, 5 August 2016{{Cite web|url=https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2016/08/07/hawaii-based-army-missile-defense-command-gets-new-leader/|title=Hawaii-based Army missile defense command gets new leader|author=Audrey McAvoy|agency=Associated Press|date=7 August 2016|website=Army Times}}
- BG Michael T. Morrissey, 26 July 201894th_army_air_and_missile_defense_command_change_of_command_ceremony
- BG Mark A. Holler, 11 February 2020{{Cite web|url=https://www.army.mil/article/232783/94th_aamdc_changes_command|title=94th AAMDC Changes Command|website=www.army.mil}}
- MG Brian W. Gibson, 30 June 2022{{Cite web|url=https://www.army.mil/article/237114/maj_gen_brian_w_gibson|title=Maj. Gen. Brian W. Gibson|website=www.army.mil}}
References
{{reflist}}
- {{Cite web |url=http://www.94aamdc.army.mil/unithistory.html |title=Unit History |access-date=12 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105225107/http://www.94aamdc.army.mil/unithistory.html |archive-date=5 November 2013 |url-status=dead}}
External links
- [https://www.army.mil/94thAAMDC 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command]
- {{Cite web |url=http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/ADA/94ArmyAirMissileDefenseCommand.htm |title=The Institute of Heraldry: 94th AAMDC |access-date=25 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227102309/http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/ADA/94ArmyAirMissileDefenseCommand.htm |archive-date=27 February 2009 |url-status=dead}}
{{Artillery Regiments (United States)}}
{{United States Army Pacific}}