About TCVA
The TACAMO Community Veterans Association is not-for-profit (501c3) organization, originally established in 1997 as TACAMO Survivors Association, also known as TSA.
In 2012, the association’s name was changed due to the government agency TSA. At this time a new board of directors was appointed to grow the association beyond holding gatherings. The mission to build a community to share common experiences with reunions, share the history of TACAMO, collect artifacts and memorabilia for display in museums to educate the public and celebrate the service and sacrifice of our members.
We are a fraternal Veterans association of the TACAMO mission, associated civilian contractors, government employees and their families.
Accomplishments and Projects Click here
A Brief History of TACAMO
"Take Charge and Move Out!" In 1961, the Chief of Naval Operations used these words to task the development of a unique part of naval aviation. The nation needed a reliable strategic communications system between the President and other national command authorities with nuclear ballistic missile submarines.
This system had to survive any hostile military action. The Navy created such a system, modifying a Marine Corps KC-130 Hercules transport aircraft with a Very Low Frequency radio transmitter capable of communicating with submerged missile submarines. This experiment was a success and TACAMO, with its "Take Charge and Move Out" mission, was born. Since then the three squadrons have flown many years and hundreds of thousands flight hours of safe missions.
The period following the end of the Cold War in 1989 brought revolutionary changes to the world and to TACAMO as well. The E-6A Mercury aircraft replaced the EC-130 Hercules that had provided 30 years of faithful service. TACAMO commands moved from six different homeports to a central location: Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. The result is a 25 percent reduction in operations and personnel expenses.
In years past, TACAMO provided communications capability only to submarines with ballistic missiles. Currently, TACAMO provides command and control capability for all three strategic platforms including submarines, bombers and land-based missile sites.
On Oct. 1, 1998, The U.S. Navy's fleet of E-6Bs replaced the EC-135 in performing the "Looking Glass" mission flown for over 29 years by the U.S. Air Force. This new mission allows the President and the Secretary of Defense direct command and control capability with America's "nuclear triad" of ballistic nuclear missile submarines, intercontinental nuclear missiles and strategic bombers. With the assumption of this new mission, a battle staff now flies with the TACAMO crew.
Source: The United States Government Information Locator Service (GILS) Record is #45592.
Last Updated: 07/02/2002
