Army and Air Force signal and communication units were somewhat unique in that they were assigned to larger military elements to provide relay and long line communications for them and in-between each others various commands. Radio communications on the battalion level was handled by signal units within the local command. It was surprising to me to find records that connected unit lineages to one another for the Army and the Air Force services that were in Korea during the War and for the signal and communications units that followed and served during the many years of the Cold War and nuclear threats.

One point of special interest to me was finding that the 581st Signal Radio Relay Company which Paul Noll and others on this web site were part of during and following the Korean War, is linked by signal lineage to the signal unit STRATCOM that I served with while in Korea in 1969 and '70 and still operates the long haul radio relay systems today but has been re-designated Netcom / 9th SC (A). We all served the signals in South Korea!

After the Korean War and action in 9 campaigns the 581st Signal Radio Relay Company has been one of many sub-commands under Strategic Communications Command (STRATCOM) which later became Network Enterprise / 9th Signal Command (Army) headquartered at Fort Huachuca, AZ. The 581st Signal Company has served in 3 Viet Nam campaigns and the Middle East where they were called "Desert Marauders" and did not use the nickname "Vagabonds" as in Korea. It has also been a unit in the 39th Signal Battalion, 5th Signal Command Europe and was called the "Ma Bell" of Europe during World War II where the unit participated in no less than 6 campaigns.    On to Hi-Res Pic (205K)