The 4007th Combat Crew Training Squadron was established in the autumn of 1968 at Carswell AFB, Texas. The mission of the squadron was to train crews to fly the FB-111A for the Strategic Air Command. Initially, the squadron consisted of the simulator complex and personnel who had never flown the aircraft. It was up to these personnel to establish the first program od academic and simulator training. The first academic class graduated in August 1969. Training at Carswell AFB continued until 1971 when sufficient trained crews and aircraft were available to man the 509th Bomb Wing at Pease AFB, NH. Simultaneously, the 4007th CCTS closed its operation at Carswell AFB and moved to Plattsburgh AFB, NY, where it assumed flight line training responsibilities in addition to the academic and flight trainer programs. Captains William Wright and Jimmie Boone became the first Plattsburgh AFB trained crew to solo the FB-111A. The squadron's designation was changed from the 4007th Combat Crew Training Squadron to the 530th Strategic Bombardment Training Squadron on 1 July 1986. The designation was changed again on 1 January 1987 when the 530th became a Combat Crew Training Squadron as part of the Project Warrior initiative. The 530th was an original member of the 380th Bombardment Group, predecessor of the 380th Bombardment Wing.

The 530th was first constituted as a Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on October 28, 1942 and assigned to the 380th Bombardment Group on November 3, 1942 until inactivated on June 27, 1949. Redesignated the 530th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) in May 1955, it was reactivated on July 11 of the same year with the 380th Bombardment Wing. The squadron performed ground training until January 1956 when it received its first B-47s. Squadron crews and aircraft participated in oversea Reflex Action B-47 alert in England from Jan. 1959 until March 1965. The 530th lost its aircraft in December 1965 and was deacitivated on June 25, 1966. Reactivated and redesignated the 530th Strategic Bombardment Training Squadron in July 1986, the squadron was redesignated the 530th Combat Crew Training Squadron on January 1, 1987.

The Combat Crew Training Squadron was responsible for the development and admission of all 51-111 training syllabi for FB-111A mission-ready crew members as listed in SACR 60-4. The courses taught by the CCTS included; Navigator Bombardier Training, The Initial Qualification Course, Requalification, Difference Training, the Central Flight Instructor Course, the Senior Staff Qualification Course and the Distinguished Visitor Orientation Course.

The Initial Qualification Course. The major task of the CCTS was the FB-111A Initial Qualification Course wher pilots and navigators new to the weapon system were trained to be fully qualified FB-111 combat crew members. This course was approximately seven months long and classes started once every quarter with approximately four crews per class. The IQC itself was divided into two phases; the academic phase and the flight-line phase. The academic phase was three months long and was itself divided into avionics training and systems training. Both pilots and navigators attended all classes together. Avionics training lasted 18 days and covered all the right seat equipment such as the onboard computers, inertial navigation system, the attack radar and the stores management system. The Bomb Nav Trainer (BNT) was introduced here to reinforce classroom learning for both the pilots and the radar navigators. The systems phase followed and covered all aircraft systems such as engines, hydraulics, flight controls and egress. It was during this phase of system training that the student crew was introduced to the Operational Flight Trainer (OFT) where mission profiles were flown to reinforce academic training in the classroom and learning center. There were a total of seven OFT missions in the academics phase of training and seven BNT missions. While the bomb nav trainer mission were concentrated in the avionics phase. they were interspersed throughout both the academic and flight-line phase to facilitate navigator tarining conitnuity and introduce new blocks of instructions such as the AGM-69A Short Range Attack Missile (SRAM) and electronic countermeasures.

The flight-line phase of training followed academics and consisted of 16 sorties for the pilot, 9 for the navigator and 15 weapon system trainers. Of flight missions, the pilot flew nine with his assigned instructor pilot followed by a check ride with Stan/Eval.. The navigator flew five missions prior to the pilot's initial in-flight check and had four additional BNT missions with emphasis on degraded navigation procedures. Concurrently, the student crew received six OFT missions with emphasis on total mission accomplshment and a review of system training followed by a check ride in the OFT. The pilot and navigator both took a checkride in the OFT.

After the initial checks, the crew entered the solo phase of training in the aircraft and the Emergency War Order (EWO) phase of training in the OFT. each crew member received two crossover flights with an instructor and two solo flights to increase proficiency and practice peacetime procedures on a full mission profile wich included formation, refueling and low-level. During this period, the crew also received tactics, SRAM and ECM training. They practiced these skills on eight EWO Proflie OFT missions and were evaluated during their Mission Qualification Check on their ability to fly an EWO Profile.

Navigator Bombardier Training. The Navigator Bombardier Training (NBT) course administered by the 530th CCTS was a three and one-half week accelerated course designed for navigators not having previous SAC bombing experience. This course teachec the fundamentals of the bombing problem and teached the techniques and procedures of radar bombing. Eight BNT missions were flown in this course to gain experience in these skills. Completion of this course resulted in the awarding of the 1521E AFSC required of all navigators enetering the Initial Qualification Course.

Central Flight Instructor Course. The Central Flight Instructor Course (CFIC) was a four-week course for those highly qualified FB-111 crew members selected to upgrade to instructor status. This course normally included one crew each from the 509th BMW and 380th BMW. CFIC encompassed 64 academic hours, three flights, four OFT missions and three BNT missions for the pilot, 60 academic hours, two flights, four OFT missions and three missions for the navigator.

FB-111A Requalification/Difference Training. FB-111A Requalification Training was a 50 day course designed to retrain to combat-ready status those individuals who had been non-current in the aircraft for more than six months or to train crew members previously qualified in the F-111 models to a level of proficiency required to perform combat crew duty in the Strategic Air Command and the FB-111A aircraft. This course was divided into academic, operational flight trainer and flight training as required dependent upon crew specialty. Generally, pilots received five flights and navigators four, both specialties received eight OFTs and navigators were given six BNTs.

SAC Senior Officers Qualification Course. This course was designed to qualify senior officers in the FB-111A aircraf in the minimum time of five weeks. Those officers who attended this course normally occupied senior command positions in either the 509th BMW or 380th BMW. Graduation did not qualify an individual for solo flight, but flight only with an instructor pilot. The course consisted of 33 hours academic instruction and egress training, 18 hours in the OFT and four flight missions.

Senior Staff/Distinguished Visitor Orientation. This was a special orientation conducted for senior staff officers/DVs who had a specific requirement for an FB-111A weapon system orientation. Academic instructor personnel tailored this orientation to accomplish all the requirements necessary to prepare an individual for a flight mission and conduct a mission representative of the aircraft capabilities. While this orientation training normally took two days, the course could be adapted to suit the type of orientation required by the individual or group to be briefed.

The emblem: The blue band with stars is the traditional marking that has appeared on all aerospace vehicles of the Startegic Air Command. The aerodynamic shapes are projections of manned vehicles of the future. The shapes are connotations of the combined features designed in the FB-111A. The extended wings for cruise, and maneuvrability. The swept wings characterizing the high speed "Mach 2 Plus" capability. The lamp of knowledge is symbolic of the mission of the 4007th CCTS; quality training of FB-111A crew members for the Strategic Air Command.

Back row: Maj. Wade, Capt. Wilson, Maj. Pate, Maj. Cottrell, Maj. Smith, Maj. A. Johnson, Maj. Martin, Capt. Osterholtz, Capt. Bayles, Capt. Kotton, Capt. Mason, Capt. J.Johnson, SrA Ryan,

Second row: Capt. Beverley, Capt. Fess, Maj. Cahill, Capt. Henderson, Maj. Causey, Maj. Brown, Maj. Hanfland, Maj. Fernald, Capt. Bishop, Capt. Otten, Lt Peters, SSgt Barry.

Kneeling: LTC Dula, Maj. Lamirande, Capt. Wallace, Capt. Craig, Maj. Killian, Capt. Glazener, Capt. Gahr, Maj. Barraclough, LTC. Stretchberry, LTC Harmon.

Front: Mrs Jewell, A1C Williams, MSgt Osbun.

Capt. Richard J. Zielinski, navigator, left and Capt. Kenneth C. Anderson, pilot, receive FB-111A models from LTC John F. Buddi, right, 4007th CCTS commander, following the first solo flight of Class 77-03

LTC Russell C. Mountcastle, (left) commander of the 4007th CCTS presents a solo model of an FB-111A to the first 2nd Lt. Aircraft Commander in SAC's history, 2nd Lt. Steven Luebbert, a student in the 4007th CCTS.