WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION (WMD)
31st
Munitions Support Squadron [31st MUNSS]
831st Munitions Support Squadron [831st MUNSS]
704th Munitions Support Squadron [704th MUNSS] (bottom of page)
The mission of the 831st Munitions Support Squadron [ 831st MUNSS, formerly designated as the 31st Munitions Support Squadron, and prior to that, as the 616th Munitions Support Squadron ] is to receive, store, maintain, and upon receipt of properly authenticated instructions, provide reliable weapons to the 154th and 102nd Fighter Bomber Squadrons of the 6th STORMO Italian Air Force. The Squadron directly supports their North Atlantic Treaty Organization responsibilities. The squadron is a tenant unit on the Italian Air Base at Ghedi, Italy; it's made up of six flights and totals about 135 assigned personnel. The majority of personnel work in the Custody Flight with responsibility for maintaining security for assigned resources twenty-four-hours-a-day 365 days a year. The Command and Control Flight directs operations and is the 24-hour contact point for the squadron. The Maintenance Flight has two sections. The Maintenance and Inspection section stores and prepares resources for mission requirements. The Load Monitor section assists and monitors host nation forces on proper load and configuration of capable aircraft. The Communications Flight provides communication maintenance and operates the message center for the squadron. Through support clinics located at Vicenza Army Post, Aviano AB, and local area hospitals there are two Independent Duty Medical Technicians (IDMT) assigned to support active duty personnel and to assist in getting dependent medical appointments. The command section has several functions such as Unit Information Management and Personnel. The Services Flight operates the dining facility and Recreation Services.
The 831s MUNSS has three distinct chains of command for US Operational Orders, NATO Taskings, and US Support Functions. The US Operational Chain begins with the National Command Authorities (President and Secretary of Defense), goes to USCINCEUR, and to the MUNSS. The Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff and Commander USAFE are used for communications. The NATO chain of command is used when USCINCEUR chops (hands over control) the MUNSS to NATO. The top of this chain is the NATO political leadership. Command descends through SACEUR, CINCSOUTH, AFSOUTH, 5th ATAF and the 6th STORMO to the MUNSS. For day to day support matters, the 31 MUNSS reports to the 31st Logistics Group (31 LG) at Aviano AB, Italy. This administrative chain begins with the President and runs through the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Air Force, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, the Commander of USAFE, Commander 16th Air Force (16 AF), and the 31 LG.
The 6th STORMO is one of the most famous of all Italian Air Force fighter wings. When it was originally activated on 15 January 1936, it consisted of two fighter squadrons with a total of 52 aircraft. At the end of 1936, the wing had already logged over ten thousand flying hours. The year 1939 signaled the end of the Spanish conflict-a conflict in which 6th STORMO personnel earned many decorations. The 6th STORMO's heroic flying continued into World War II. However, its fighter squadrons had become self-sufficient causing the wing to be deactivated on 14 July 1941. The wing was reactivated on 1 January 1951 as the 6th STORMO Caccia Bombadieri. Formed in Treviso, the wing moved to its present location, Ghedi, 1 July 1951. The resurrected wing started its flying operation with the North American P-51D Mustang. These already outdated aircraft were soon replaced by the Fiat DH 100 vampire, the F-84G, the F-84F Thunderstreak, the F-104G Starfighter, and more recently, by the PA-200 Tornado, a Multi-Role Combat Aircraft. On 8 March 1954, the wing was declared to be operationally ready. In 1958, the 6th STORMO Diavoli Rossi Acrobatic team was selected the best in NATO. In 1965, the 154th Fighter Bomber Squadron won the NATO Safety Award. In December 1982, the 6th STORMO received their first PA-200 Tornado. For its colors and standards, many airman continue to perform their work with pride and dignity. These are the airmen of the 6th STORMO Caccia Bombardieri-the Red Devils.
Operational Command:
USAF
USAFE
16 AF
31 FW
Units:
Detachment 1, Camp Darby
Base:
Ghedi AB, Italy
Official Homepage:
831st Munitions Support Squadron (1/2010 - no longer active)
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Page last modified: 27-04-2005 23:31:48 Zulu
http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/agency/831munss.htm
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NUCLEAR INFORMATION: US nuclear weapons in Europe (partial)
for the 31st Munitions Support Squadron (31st MUNSS)
ITALY
Nuclear weapons are stored at two locations in Italy: Aviano AB, a U.S. facility in the north, and Ghedi-Torre Air Base, an Italian air force base on the Adriatic coast. This is a marked change from 19 nuclear bases in Italy at the end of the Cold War, including U.S. Air Force, Army, and Navy nuclear weapons, the only European country to host all three services nuclear weapons.
Aviano
Aviano Air Base, located two miles north of downtown Aviano near Udine at the northern end of the Po Valley, was originally established in 1911 and served as an airfield for Italian aerial operations in the First World War. The base served as a Luftwaffe base from 1943-1945 and was occupied by allied forces on May 15, 1945 and later served as an RAF base. After the war Det 1 of HQ Seventeenth Air Force arrived at Udine in November 1954 and the base was activated for U.S. use in February 1955 under the 7207th Air Base Squadron (ABS), which began hosting rotational tactical fighter squadrons on December 13, 1955.
The 40th Tactical Group was activated at Aviano on April 1, 1966 to handle the rotational units from the United States on a permanent basis. With the closure of U.S. operations at Torrejon in Spain in 1992, the 401st Tactical Fighter Wing moved to Aviano, supplanting the 40th Tactical Group. The 401st was further redesignated the 31st Fighter Wing in April 1994. Two F-16 fighter squadrons moved to Aviano from Ramstein AB in Germany to permanently equip the Wing. Headquarters for the 16th Air Force, also at Aviano, is responsible for the southern region of NATO and the Mediterranean.
Nuclear weapons have been stored at Aviano since at least the late 1950's. They were initially stored at a secluded Weapons Storage Area (WSA), known as "Area D." Weapons Storage and Security System (WS3) vaults achieved initial operational capability on January 22, 1996 supplementing Area D. Eighteen are operational at Aviano. The 31st Fighter Wing was awarded excellent and outstanding ratings in its 1994 Nuclear Surety Inspection (NSI.) It also received a USAF Nuclear Surety Plaque in 1994 "for demonstrating outstanding capability to support a nuclear airlift mission." The Wing underwent a two-week Functional Inspection/Quality Air Force Assessment in December 1995, including subordinate dispersed elements with nuclear responsibilities: 31st Munitions Support Squadron Supply Support Element and the 731st Munitions Support Squadron Custody Flight, both at Araxos AB, Greece. In May 1996, the Wing underwent a full NSI, earning six awards of excellence. In July 1997, the Air Force director of security forces conducted an inspection of Aviano and Ghedi-Torre AB.
Ghedi-Torre
Ghedi-Torre Air Base is a main operating base of the Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare Italiana), near Brescia. It is home to the 6th Wing (Stormo), made up of 102 and 154 squadrons (Gruppo) flying the Tornado strike aircraft. Ghedi-Torre is the sole custodial facility remaining in Italy, with the closure of the U.S. site at Rimini-Miramare. Eleven WS3 vaults are operational on base.
The first custodial unit was established at Ghedi in 1963 as Detachment 1200 of the 7232nd Munitions Maintenance Group. Over the years, the 7232nd was redesignated the 7402nd MUNSS (activated April 1, 1972), and then the 616th MUNSS. The current designation, 31st MUNSS represents the close relationship with the parent unit, the 31st Wing at Aviano. The squadron underwent its initial Nuclear Surety Inspection (NSI) in June 1997.
2010 Source: http://www.motherearth.org/nuke/info3.php
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704TH MUNITIONS SUPPORT SQUADRON
Ghedi Air Base, Italy
Mission:
The 704th MUNSS is a Geographically Separated Unit responsible for receipt, storage, maintenance and control of U.S. war reserve weapons committed to NATO's 6th STORMO Italian Wing (PA-200 Tornado Aircraft). The squadron directly supports NATO and its strike mission.
Location:
Ghedi Air Base is located approximately 40 miles west of Verona, Italy. Ghedi Air Base is in the Italian province of Brescia.
Personnel and Resources:
The 704th MUNSS has approximately 134 active duty military, Department of Defense and local national civilians. The 704th MUNSS is responsible for maintaining US resources with an annual budget of $200K. The Italian Air Force, through a bi-lateral agreement between the U.S. and Italian Governments, provides and maintains property occupied by USAF personnel. Ghedi Air Base does not have personnel support facilities or billeting for U.S. forces.
Organization:
The 704th MUNSS consists of the communications flight, custody flight, maintenance flight, mission support flight, and operations flight.
Point of Contact:
704th MUNSS, Unit 6345, APO AE 09610; DSN 632-4912 or commercial (011) 39-0434-30-4912; e-mail: 704MUNSS.CSS@aviano.af.mil. (Current as of February 2007)
Source: http://www.spangdahlem.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=8416