13th Space Warning Squadron

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13th Space Warning Squadron
13th Space Warning Squadron emblem
Active	1967-Present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Space Force
Type	Missile Warning
Role	Combat Support
Part of	Space Delta 4
Garrison/HQ	Clear Space Force Station
Motto(s)	SENTINEL OF SPACE
Decorations	AFOUA
Commanders
Current commander	Lt Col Shahn Rashid
Notable commanders	Stephen Whiting

The 13th Space Warning Squadron (13SWS) is a missile warning unit assigned to the United States Space Force and located at Clear Space Force Station 5 miles (8 km) south of Anderson, Alaska^[1]

Mission[]

The primary mission of the 13th SWS is to provide early warning of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) launches to the Missile Warning Center at North American Aerospace Defense Command. The secondary mission of the 13SWS is to provide space surveillance data on orbiting objects to the Space Control Center also located in the Cheyenne Mountain Complex.

History[]

The 13th SWS is controlled by the Missile Warning Center, part of the NORAD, and by the Space Control Center, part of United States Strategic Command. Both agencies are located at the Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center in Colorado. Clear accomplishes these missions using the Solid State Phased Array Radar System (SSPARS) radar. Clear's radar was originally located at El Dorado Air Station, Texas as part of the PAVE PAWS program and was only recently transplanted to Alaska to replace the US' last mechanical missile warning radar site.

Assignments[]

Major Command[]

• Air Force Space Command (1 May 1983–Present)
• Strategic Air Command (1 December 1979-1 May 1983)
• Air Defense Command (later Aerospace Defense Command) (1 November 1966-1 December 1979)

Wing/Group[]

• 21st Space Wing (15 May 1992–Present)
• 1st Space Wing (1 May 1983-15 May 1992)
• 71st Missile Warning Wing (1 January 1967-???)

Previous designations[]

• 13th Space Warning Squadron (15 May 1992–Present)
• 13th Missile Warning Squadron (1 November 1966-15 May 1992)

Bases stationed[]

• Clear Missile Early Warning Station (later Clear AFS, Clear AS, and Clear Space Force Station), Alaska (1 January 1967–Present)

Decorations[]

• Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
  • 1 October 1997-30 September 1999^[2]
  • 1 January 1998-31 December 1998^[3]
  • 1 October 1995-30 September 1997^[4]
  • 1 May 1983-30 April 1984
  • 1 July 1971-30 June 1973
  • 1 June 1968-31 May 1970

List of commanders[]

This list is incomplete; you can help by . (September 2021)

• Lt Col Stephen Whiting, July 2004–July 2005^[5]
• Lt Col , June 2011–March 2012^[6]
• Lt Col Michael Sowa, ~2010^[7]
• Lt Col Matthew A. Morand, June 2012–May 2013^[8]
• Lt Col Jason Burch, June 2015^[9]
• Lt Col Joel Lane, 13 June 2017^[10]
• Lt Col Jeffrey Rutherford, 13 June 2018^[11]
• Lt Col Shawn P. Lee, 20 June 2019^[12]
• Lt Col Shahn Rashid, 2 July 2020^[13]

References[]

External links[]

• Global's Clear AFS website