ONTARIO, Canada –
On Aug. 18, the 722nd Support Squadron at Canadian Forces Base North Bay, Ontario, Canada, was renamed the 722nd Air Control Squadron.
Brig. Gen. Donald Quenneville, Canadian NORAD Region deputy commander, presided over the re-designation ceremony.
General Quenneville said this renaming reflects "a transformation to be more attuned to threats facing Canada and the United States and what it takes to defend each nation."
Lt. Col. Robert Bower, 722nd ACS commander, feels the new name more accurately reflects the squadron's mission.
"In U.S. Air Force terms, 'support' suggests critical roles that we simply do not fill," Colonel Bower said. "It refers to civil engineering, airfield management, logistical support, among many other vital activities."
Colonel Bower explained that 'air control' is more suitable because it refers to the surveillance, identification and control functions that we execute side by side with Canadian Forces personnel.
Furthermore, he said that even though the squadron's name has changed, its mission remains the same: " ... providing combat capability to the Canadian Air Defense Sector, deployed in place at CFB North Bay, executing Operation Noble Eagle among other air sovereignty roles key to the aerospace defense of Canada and the United States."
U.S. presence at North Bay was established in the NORAD underground complex (a near twin of the Cheyenne Mountain complex in Colorado Springs) since the early 1960s.
The 722nd's lineage can be traced back to April 1983, when Air Deployment and Control Squadron Detachment 22 was deactivated and re-designated the 1022nd Support Squadron.
The next milestone for the 722nd ACS, 22nd Wing and CFB North Bay will be this October, when they relocate their underground operations to a new above ground complex.