The 19th Weapons Squadron is a
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
unit assigned to the
USAF Weapons School
The USAF Weapons School is a unit of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force, assigned to the 57th Wing and Space Delta 1. It is located at Nellis AFB, Nevada.
Mission
The mission of the USAF Weapons School is to teach gradu ...
at
Nellis AFB
Nellis Air Force Base ("Nellis" colloq.) is a United States Air Force installation in southern Nevada. Nellis hosts air combat exercises such as Exercise Red Flag and close air support exercises such as Green Flag-West flown in " Military ...
, Nevada.
The squadron was first activated as the 19th Observation Squadron in March 1942. The 19th originally flew antisubmarine missions during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, then moved to China in 1944 to begin observation missions in support of Chinese ground forces. It later flew resupply missions to resistance forces operating behind enemy lines in French Indochina.
The squadron was redesignated the 19th Tactical Air Support Squadron, then organized in July 1963. From 1963 through 1968 the 19th Tactical Air Support Squadron flew forward air support and observation missions over Vietnam until its mission was transferred to Osan AB, South Korea in 1972, where it provided Eighth US Army and Republic of Korea ground forces with aerial reconnaissance and close air support.
Overview
The squadron has three syllabi, the Advanced Intelligence Instructor Course, the Intelligence Weapons Instructor Course and the Intelligence Sensor Weapons Instructor Course, and a flight that supports mission planning for 17,000 sorties annually.
History
World War II
Activated as the 19th Observation Squadron (Light) on 5 February 1942. The squadron activated on 2 March 1942 at Miami Municipal Airport as part of the Air Force Combat Command. Five days later, it moved to Jacksonville Municipal Airport, Florida. Two days after that, it became part of
Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
. On the 29th, it became part of the
66th Observation Group
The 66th Air Base Wing is an inactive United States Air Force wing that was last active in September 2010 at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, where it had served as the host organization since 1994. It was replaced at Hanscom by the smalle ...
.
It moved to
Pope Army Airfield
Pope Field is a U.S. military facility located northwest of the central business district of Fayetteville, in Spring Lake, Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States.. Federal Aviation Administration. effective 15 November 2012. Form ...
, North Carolina on 11 May 1942. While there, it was redesignated as the 19th Observation Squadron. On 19 October 1942, it moved to
Morris Field
Charlotte Douglas International Airport is an international airport serving Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, located roughly west of the city's central business district. Charlotte Douglas is the primary airport for commercial and m ...
, North Carolina. On 2 April 1943, it changed name once again, to
19th Liaison Squadron. The following day, it transferred bases to
Camp Campbell, Kentucky. On 22 June 1943, it changed airfields once more, to
Aiken Army Airfield, South Carolina. On 11 August 1943, it was assigned to I Air Support Command.
It flew anti-submarine missions using
A-20 Havoc
The Douglas A-20 Havoc (company designation DB-7) is an American light bomber, attack aircraft, Intruder (air combat), night intruder, night fighter, and reconnaissance aircraft of World War II.
Designed to meet an Army Air Corps requirement for ...
s,
B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Brigadier General William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allied air forces, the B-25 served ...
s, and
O-52 Owls, while undergoing observation training at these various bases in the southeastern states. They used
L-1 Vigilant
The Stinson L-1 Vigilant (company designation Model 74) is an American liaison aircraft designed by the Stinson Aircraft Company of Wayne, Michigan and manufactured at the Vultee-Stinson factory in Nashville, Tennessee (in August 1940 Stinson bec ...
s,
L-2 Grasshoppers,
Aeronca L-3
The Aeronca L-3 group of observation and liaison aircraft were used by the United States Army Air Corps in World War II. The L-3 series were adapted from Aeronca's pre-war Aeronca 50 Chief, Tandem Trainer and Chief models.
Design and developme ...
s,
L-4 Grasshoppers,
L-5 Sentinel
The Stinson L-5 Sentinel is a World War II-era liaison aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), U.S. Army Ground Forces, U.S. Marine Corps and the British Royal Air Force. It was produced by the Stinson Division of the Vultee ...
s,
L-6 Grasshoppers, and
Douglas O-46
The Douglas O-46 is an observation aircraft used by the United States Army Air Corps and the Philippine Army Air Corps. s for observation sorties.
P-39 Airacobra
The Bell P-39 Airacobra is a fighter produced by Bell Aircraft for the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. It was one of the principal American fighters in service when the United States entered combat. The P-39 was used by th ...
s,
P-43 Lancer
The Republic P-43 Lancer was a single-engine, all-metal, low-wing monoplane fighter aircraft built by Republic, first delivered to the United States Army Air Corps in 1940. A proposed development was the P-44 Rocket. While not a particularly out ...
s, and
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter aircraft, fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in 1940 by a team headed ...
s were also in the squadron aircraft inventory.
From Aiken, the squadron shipped cross-country to
Camp Anza
Camp Anza was a United States Army installation, in Riverside, California, during World War II. Construction began on July 3, 1942, and was completed on February 15, 1943. The camp was named after Juan Bautista de Anza, an early explorer who campe ...
, California, arriving on 28 March 1944. This was a transit base for the squadron, as it shipped out to Bombay (now
Mumbai
Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
), India. It arrived in India on 9 April, and was attached to U.S. Army Forces, China-India-Burma. It spent an itinerant few weeks further training in India, moving through
Kanchrapara
Kanchrapara is a city and a municipality of North 24 Parganas district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of West Bengal. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA).
History
From earl ...
and
Ondal, to land in
Chabua
Chabua ( or ) is a town and a town area committee in Dibrugarh district in the state of Assam, India. Chabua is situated in between Dibrugarh town and Tinsukia town on NH-37 from both the district towns, respectively. Its name derives from Ch ...
on 17 May.
It then moved onward to
Kunming
Kunming is the capital and largest city of the province of Yunnan in China. The political, economic, communications and cultural centre of the province, Kunming is also the seat of the provincial government. During World War II, Kunming was a Ch ...
, China arriving on 29 May 1944. They were attached to
Y Force
Y Force was the South East Asia Command designation given to Chinese National Revolutionary Army forces that re-entered Burma from Yunnan in 1944 as one of the Allies fighting in Burma Campaign of World War II. It consisted of 175,000 troops divide ...
, to begin observation missions in support of Chinese Nationalist ground forces. They supported Y Force until 8 August. Their American parent unit would be variously
Fourteenth Air Force
The Fourteenth Air Force (14 AF; Air Forces Strategic) was a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Space Command (AFSPC). It was headquartered at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.
The command was responsible for the organizatio ...
and the
69th Composite Wing.
At various times, the 19th operated detachments from
Kunming
Kunming is the capital and largest city of the province of Yunnan in China. The political, economic, communications and cultural centre of the province, Kunming is also the seat of the provincial government. During World War II, Kunming was a Ch ...
,
Baoshan,
Wenshan, , Zhijiang,
Guiyang
Guiyang; Mandarin pronunciation: ; Chinese postal romanization, alternatively as Kweiyang is the capital of Guizhou, Guizhou province in China. It is centrally located within the province, on the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau, eastern part of the Yun ...
, and
Liuzhou
Liuzhou (; , Standard Mandarin: , Liuzhou Yue dialect: International Phonetic Alphabet, iəu53 ʦəu44 is a prefecture-level city in north-central Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China. The prefecture's population was 4 ...
. It moved bases to
Chenggong on 28 March 1945. After March 1945, the squadron carried mail and passengers to American liaison personnel in South China, and the 19th flew re-supply missions to resistance forces operating behind enemy lines in French Indochina.
On 1 August, the 19th was placed under operational control of
Tenth Air Force
The Tenth Air Force (10 AF) is a unit of the U.S. Air Force, specifically a numbered air force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). 10 AF is headquartered at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base/Carswell Field (formerly Carswel ...
. Shortly after the Japanese surrendered, on 18 August 1945, the 19th moved to
Nanning
Nanning; is the capital of the Guangxi, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in South China, southern China. It is known as the "Green City (绿城) " because of its abundance of lush subtropical foliage. Located in the South of Guangxi, Nanning ...
, China. From there it returned via
Calcutta
Kolkata, also known as Calcutta (List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern ba ...
, India to the U.S., where it inactivated on 1 December 1945 at
Fort Lewis Fort Lewis may refer to:
* Fort Lewis (Colorado), a former United States Army post (1878–1891) in the U.S. State of Colorado
** Fort Lewis College, a college in the Durango, Colorado, United States
** Fort Lewis Skyhawks, athletic teams of Fort L ...
, Washington.
Vietnam War
The 19th TASS was the first Forward Air Control squadron assigned to the Vietnam War. It was activated on 19 June 1963 at
Bien Hoa Air Base
Bien Hoa Air Base (Vietnamese language, Vietnamese: ''Sân bay Biên Hòa'') is a Vietnam People's Air Force (VPAF) military airfield located in South-Central southern Vietnam about from Ho Chi Minh City, across the Dong Nai river in the norther ...
, with the aim of training
Republic of Vietnam Air Force
The South Vietnam Air Force, officially the Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF; ; ) (sometimes referred to as the Vietnam Air Force or VNAF), was the aerial branch of the Republic of Vietnam Military Forces, the official military of the Repub ...
(RVNAF) pilots and observers as forward air controllers. However, the squadron would not be fully operational until 15 September 1963.
[Rowley, p. 30.] The new unit faced formidable shortages in equipment. The only suitable aircraft, the
Cessna O-1 Bird Dog
The Cessna O-1 Bird Dog is a liaison and observation aircraft that first flew on December 14, 1949, and entered service in 1950 as the L-19 in the Korean War. It went to serve in many branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, was not retired until t ...
, was no longer being manufactured; the U.S. Army held the scanty inventory of existing O-1s. They had to be refitted before being turned over. Ground transportation was also at a premium. Jeeps were not only in short supply, but radio jeeps were driven the minimum possible for fear jarring would damage the radios. Minimal mechanical maintenance was available, and replacement parts were no longer made for the Bird Dog. Radio equipment in general was outdated and inadequate.
One of the squadron's added missions was flying support and forward air control for
Project DELTA
Project DELTA was the first of the Reconnaissance Projects, which were special reconnaissance (SR) units named with a Greek letter. The Reconnaissance Projects were formed by the U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) during the Vietnam ...
in their covert insertions into Laos. They began this secretive mission in July 1963, and carried it out until the
21st Tactical Air Support Squadron
First most commonly refers to:
* First, the ordinal form of the number 1
First or 1st may also refer to:
Acronyms
* Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array
* Far Infrared a ...
later took over the role. 19th TASS was also tasked with visual reconnaissance missions,
psychological warfare
Psychological warfare (PSYWAR), or the basic aspects of modern psychological operations (PsyOp), has been known by many other names or terms, including Military Information Support Operations ( MISO), Psy Ops, political warfare, "Hearts and Mi ...
, and logistics escort duties. While the 19th TASS's pilots could fly forward air control missions, a Vietnamese national had to approve any air strikes. With 44 pilots and 22 O-1s, the TASS never had more than 11 Vietnamese observers posted to it.
[Rowley, p. 30.]
On 2 January 1964, 19th TASS began actual training of RVNAF pilots and observers. Observer training was lengthened from 14 hours to 17 weeks of instruction. By 30 June 91 Vietnamese FACs were available. On 1 July, the RVNAF was supposed to assume the FAC training duty. However, U.S.
Secretary of Defense
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divided ...
Robert McNamara
Robert Strange McNamara (; June 9, 1916 – July 6, 2009) was an American businessman and government official who served as the eighth United States secretary of defense from 1961 to 1968 under presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson ...
noted that the RVNAF seemed to have made no improvement within the past year. He emphasized that the Americans should be training the Vietnamese so the latter could fight. However, the squadron's stand-down was postponed because of Vietnamese unreadiness. The Vietnamese were often overwhelmed by American technology. They slacked off, and allowed the Americans to fly the
close air support
Close air support (CAS) is defined as aerial warfare actions—often air-to-ground actions such as strafes or airstrikes—by military aircraft against hostile targets in close proximity to friendly forces. A form of fire support, CAS requires ...
missions instead. RVNAF policies did not help the situation, as trained RVNAF FAC pilots were returned to flying liaison sorties instead of FAC missions.
The squadron was inactivated on 8 August 1964, with its assets turned over to the Vietnamese. When the RVNAF proved unequal to taking over the disbanded squadron's responsibilities, the 19th TASS was reactivated on 21 October 1964. Not until January 1965 did six U.S. fighter pilot FACs return to resume the training. In this incarnation, the squadron's principal mission was visual reconnaissance and forward air control of fighter-bombers, although it continued to train Vietnamese pilots and observers. It was shifted to the 6251st Tactical Fighter Wing on 8 July 1965. Shortly thereafter, on 8 November 1965, it was transferred to the
505th Tactical Air Support Group.
The 19th TASS began flying actual forward air control sorties out of Bien Hoa on 11 November 1965, using the call sign "Sidewinder".
By July 1966, the 19th was parceled out among numerous forward operating locations in
III Corps
III or iii may refer to:
Companies
* Information International, Inc., a computer technology company
* Innovative Interfaces, Inc., a library-software company
* 3i, formerly Investors in Industry, a British investment company
Other uses
* I ...
and
II Corps. While serving as FACs and/or Air Liaison Officers, they used the radio net under various call signs, most of which were names of serpents.
Beginning in 1968, the 19th TASS extended its squadron inventory to include
O-2 Skymaster
The Cessna O-2 Skymaster (nicknamed "Oscar Deuce") is a military version of the Cessna Skymaster, Cessna 337 Super Skymaster, used for forward air control (FAC) and psychological operations (PSYOPS) by the US military between 1967 and 2010.
D ...
s and
OV-10 Bronco
The North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco is an American twin-turboprop attack aircraft, light attack and surveillance aircraft, observation aircraft. It was developed in the 1960s as a special aircraft for Counter-insurgency aircraft, counter-ins ...
s.
On 15 January 1971, 19th TASS absorbed the 22nd Tactical Air Support Squadron, leaving the 22nd an unmanned unequipped paper unit.
Representative of this change, the FACs supporting the
199th Light Infantry Brigade
The 199th Infantry Brigade (Light) is a unit of the United States Army which served in the Army Reserve from 1921 to 1940, in the active army from 1966 to 1970 (serving in the Vietnam War), briefly in 1991–1992 at Fort Lewis, and from 2007 as ...
upgraded from O-1s to OV-10s at this time.
The unit transferred to
Phan Rang Air Base
Phan Rang Air Base (also called Thành Sơn Air Base) is a Vietnam People's Air Force (VPAF) ''(Khong Quan Nhan Dan Viet Nam)'' military airfield in Vietnam. It is located north-northwest of Phan Rang – Tháp Chàm in Ninh Thuận Provi ...
, Vietnam on 1 August 1971. On 30 September 1971, another unit acquired the 19th's inventory. The 19th then remained a paper squadron until 15 January 1972, when it transferred to Osan AB, South Korea.
By the time the 19th TASS left Vietnam, it had earned three
Presidential Unit Citations, four
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
The Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award (ASOUA) is one of the unit awards of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. It was established in 1954 as the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and was the first independent Air Force ...
s with Combat V, the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm, and numerous campaign honors for its Vietnam wartime service.
During its Vietnam service, the squadron had suffered 37
killed in action
Killed in action (KIA) is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their personnel at the hands of enemy or hostile forces at the moment of action. The United States Department of Defense, for example, ...
, with another two killed in a flying accident. There were also a number of casualties among non-USAF
aerial observer
Aerial may refer to:
Music
* ''Aerial'' (album), by Kate Bush, and that album's title track
* "Aerials" (song), from the album ''Toxicity'' by System of a Down
Bands
* Aerial (Canadian band)
* Aerial (Scottish band)
* Aerial (Swedish band)
...
s. Its aircraft losses over the course of the war amounted to 53 O-1 Bird Dogs, 12 O-2 Skymasters and 16 OV-10 Broncos.
[Hobson 2001, p. 253.]
Korean Service
Transferred to
Osan AB
Osan Air Base (K-55; ; Hanja: ) is a United States Air Force (USAF) and Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) base located near Songtan station in the city of Pyeongtaek, South Korea, south of Seoul. Despite its name, Osan AB is not within Osan ...
, South Korea, on 15 January 1972. It became part of the
314th Air Division
The 314th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Pacific Air Forces at Osan Air Base, South Korea, where it was inactivated in September 1986.
The unit was first organized during World War II as ...
; Colonel William Peters was placed in command. It was then reconstituted and took over the O-2 aircraft of another squadron. Its new role was support of the Eighth U.S. Army and
Republic of Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
ground forces, providing close air and aerial reconnaissance support. In 1973, the 19th trained the
Republic of Korea Air Force
The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF; ), also known as the ROK Air Force or South Korean Air Force, is the Air force, aerial and Space force, space warfare service branch of South Korea, operating under the Ministry of National Defense (South K ...
to operate a Direct Air Support Center.
On 30 September 1974, the Squadron was transferred to the
51st Composite Wing (Tactical). In 1975, the squadron converted to the OV-10A Bronco. From 1975 until 1980, 19th TASS operated the forward air control mission within the Korean tactical air control system. On 15 April 1976, Detachment 1 of the 19th was assigned to
Camp Casey, South Korea
Camp Casey () is a U.S. military base in Dongducheon (also sometimes spelled Tongduchŏn or TDC), South Korea, 40 miles (64 km) north of Seoul, South Korea. Camp Casey was named in 1952 after Major Hugh Boyd Casey, who was killed in a plan ...
, remaining there until 8 January 1980.
On 8 January 1980, the 19th TASS was forwarded to the 5th Tactical Air Control Group. In 1983, the squadron converted to the
OA-37B Dragonfly twin-jet aircraft. In 1985, the 19th switched back to the OV-10. On 1 August 1989, the 19 TASS transferred to
Suwon Air Base
Suwon Air Base is a Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) base near Suwon city.
Units
The base is home to the ROKAF's 10th Fighter Wing (제10전투비행단), comprising:
*101st Fighter Squadron flying KF-5E/KF-5F/F-5F
*153rd Fighter Squadron f ...
, South Korea and converted to the
OA-10A aircraft. The OV-10s were either retired or transferred to the USMC.
During its time in the Republic of Korea, the 19 TASS used the call sign 'Bronco' while flying the OV-10, and 'Misty' after changing to the OA-37 and OA-10. The 19th TASS remained an active combat-ready unit flying the OA-10A aircraft until the Persian Gulf War in 1991.
The squadron was inactivated on 1 October 1993, without seeing further combat action.
Modern era
USAF Weapons School Intelligence Division was activated in 1989. Its personnel and equipment were the
en cadre
A cadre (, , ) is the complement of commissioned officers and non-commissioned officers of a military unit responsible for training the rest of the unit. The cadre may be the permanent skeleton establishment of a unit, around which the full unit ca ...
for the formation of the 19th Weapons Squadron on 3 February 2003.
In 2019, the 19th added two Weapons Instructor Courses for U-2 and RQ-4 pilots. As well as an Advanced Instructor Course (AIC) for enlisted intelligence analysts.
Lineage
* Constituted as the 19th Observation Squadron (Light) on 5 February 1942
: Activated on 2 March 1942
: Redesignated: 19th Observation Squadron on 4 July 1942
: Redesignated: 19th Liaison Squadron on 2 April 1943
: Inactivated on 1 December 1945
* Redesignated 19th Tactical Air Support Squadron (Light), and activated, on 17 June 1963 (not organized)
: Organized on 8 July 1963
: Discontinued and inactivated on 8 August 1964
* Activated on 16 October 1964 (not organized)
: Organized on 21 October 1964
: Inactivated on 1 October 1993
* Redesignated 19th Weapons Squadron on 24 January 2003
: Activated on 3 February 2003
Assignments
*
Air Force Combat Command
The Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the prim ...
, 2 March 1942
*
Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
, 9 March 1942
*
66th Observation Group
The 66th Air Base Wing is an inactive United States Air Force wing that was last active in September 2010 at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, where it had served as the host organization since 1994. It was replaced at Hanscom by the smalle ...
(later 66th Reconnaissance Group), 29 March 1942
* I Air Support Command (later I Tactical Air Division), 11 August 1943
* U.S. Army Forces, China-Burma-India, April 1944
*
Fourteenth Air Force
The Fourteenth Air Force (14 AF; Air Forces Strategic) was a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Space Command (AFSPC). It was headquartered at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.
The command was responsible for the organizatio ...
. 29 May 1944 (attached to
Y Force
Y Force was the South East Asia Command designation given to Chinese National Revolutionary Army forces that re-entered Burma from Yunnan in 1944 as one of the Allies fighting in Burma Campaign of World War II. It consisted of 175,000 troops divide ...
)
*
69th Composite Wing, 10 June 1944 (remained attached to Y Force until 8 August 1944)
*
Tenth Air Force
The Tenth Air Force (10 AF) is a unit of the U.S. Air Force, specifically a numbered air force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). 10 AF is headquartered at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base/Carswell Field (formerly Carswel ...
, 1 August 1945 – 1 December 1945
*
34th Tactical Group, 8 July 1963 – 8 August 1964
*
34th Tactical Group, 21 October 1964
* 6251st Tactical Fighter Wing, 8 July 1965 (attached to 6250th Tactical Air Support Group, Provisional, 1 August-8 November 1965)
* 505th Tactical Control Group, 8 November 1965 (attached to 6253d Tactical Air Support Group, Provisional, 9 September – 8 December 1966)
*
504th Tactical Air Support Group, 8 December 1966
* 314th Air Division, 15 January 1972
*
51st Composite Wing, 30 September 1974
* 5th Tactical Air Control Group, 8 January 1980
*
51st Operations Group, 1 October 1990 – 1 October 1993
*
USAF Weapons School
The USAF Weapons School is a unit of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force, assigned to the 57th Wing and Space Delta 1. It is located at Nellis AFB, Nevada.
Mission
The mission of the USAF Weapons School is to teach gradu ...
, 3 February 2003 – present
Components
* Detachment: 1 (Camp Casey, South Korea): 15 April 1976 – 8 January 1980.
Stations
*
Miami Army Air Field, Florida, 2 March 1942
*
Jacksonville Army Air Field
Imeson Field, also known as Jacksonville Imeson Airport, was the airport serving Jacksonville, Florida, from 1927 until its closing in 1968. It was known as Jacksonville Municipal Airport prior to World War II, Jacksonville Army Airfield when th ...
, Florida, 7 March 1942
*
Pope Field
Pope Field is a U.S. military facility located northwest of the central business district of Fayetteville, North Carolina, Fayetteville, in Spring Lake, North Carolina, Spring Lake, Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States.. Federal A ...
, North Carolina, 11 May 1942
*
Morris Field
Charlotte Douglas International Airport is an international airport serving Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, located roughly west of the city's central business district. Charlotte Douglas is the primary airport for commercial and m ...
, North Carolina, 19 October 1942
*
Camp Campbell Army Air Field, Kentucky, 3 April 1943
*
Aiken Army Air Field, South Carolina, 22 June 1943 – 26 February 1944
*
Juhu Aerodrome
Juhu Aerodrome is located in Juhu, an upmarket residential suburb of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It is served primarily by general aviation aircraft and helicopters. Page 52 It was founded in 1928 as one of India's first civil aviation airpo ...
, Bombay, India, 9 April 1944
*
Kanchrapara Airfield
Air Force Station Kanchrapara is a military airfield located near Kanchrapara, in the North 24 Parganas district in West Bengal, India.
History
Air Force Station Kanchrapara was established on September 1, 1942.
During September–c. 4 October 19 ...
, India, c. 15 April 1944
* Ondal Airfield, India, 29 April 1944
*
Chabua Airfield
Chabua Air Force Station is an Indian Air Force base located at Chabua of Dibrugarh district in the state of Assam, India.
History US Air Force
This Base was built in 1939. During World War II it was a major supply point for the ferrying of ...
, India, 17 May 1944
*
Kunming Airport
Kunming Changshui International Airport is an international airport serving Kunming, the capital of Southwestern China’s Yunnan province. The airport is located northeast of the city center in a graded mountainous area about above sea le ...
, China, 29 May 1944
*
Chengkung Airfield
Chengkung Airfield (呈贡机场) is a former World War II United States Army Air Forces airfield in Chenggong County, Yunnan, Republic of China, at in the suburb of Kunming. After its demolished during the PRC era, its current site is Chenggung ...
, China, 28 March 1945
*
Nanning Airport, China, 18 August 1945
*
Calcutta Airport, India, c. October 1945 – 7 November 1945
*
Fort Lewis Fort Lewis may refer to:
* Fort Lewis (Colorado), a former United States Army post (1878–1891) in the U.S. State of Colorado
** Fort Lewis College, a college in the Durango, Colorado, United States
** Fort Lewis Skyhawks, athletic teams of Fort L ...
, Wachington, 30 November 1945 – 1 December 1945
*
Bien Hoa Air Base
Bien Hoa Air Base (Vietnamese language, Vietnamese: ''Sân bay Biên Hòa'') is a Vietnam People's Air Force (VPAF) military airfield located in South-Central southern Vietnam about from Ho Chi Minh City, across the Dong Nai river in the norther ...
, South Vietnam, 8 July 1963 – 8 August 1964; 21 October 1964
* Bien Hoa Air Base, South Vietnam, 21 October 1964
*
Phan Rang Air Base
Phan Rang Air Base (also called Thành Sơn Air Base) is a Vietnam People's Air Force (VPAF) ''(Khong Quan Nhan Dan Viet Nam)'' military airfield in Vietnam. It is located north-northwest of Phan Rang – Tháp Chàm in Ninh Thuận Provi ...
, South Vietnam, 1 August 1971
*
Osan Air Base
Osan Air Base (K-55; ; Hanja: ) is a United States Air Force (USAF) and Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) base located near Songtan station in the city of Pyeongtaek, South Korea, south of Seoul. Despite its name, Osan AB is not within Osan C ...
, South Korea, 15 January 1972
*
Suwon Air Base
Suwon Air Base is a Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) base near Suwon city.
Units
The base is home to the ROKAF's 10th Fighter Wing (제10전투비행단), comprising:
*101st Fighter Squadron flying KF-5E/KF-5F/F-5F
*153rd Fighter Squadron f ...
, South Korea, 1 August 1989
* Osan Air Base, South Korea, 1 October 1990 – 1 October 1993
*
Nellis Air Force Base
Nellis Air Force Base ("Nellis" colloquialism, colloq.) is a United States Air Force military installation, installation in southern Nevada. Nellis hosts Aerial warfare, air combat exercises such as Exercise Red Flag and close air support exerc ...
, Nevada, 3 February 2003 – present
Aircraft
*
A-20 Havoc
The Douglas A-20 Havoc (company designation DB-7) is an American light bomber, attack aircraft, Intruder (air combat), night intruder, night fighter, and reconnaissance aircraft of World War II.
Designed to meet an Army Air Corps requirement for ...
, 1942–1943
*
B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Brigadier General William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allied air forces, the B-25 served ...
, 1942–1943
*
DB-7 Boston, 1942–1943
*
L-1 Vigilant
The Stinson L-1 Vigilant (company designation Model 74) is an American liaison aircraft designed by the Stinson Aircraft Company of Wayne, Michigan and manufactured at the Vultee-Stinson factory in Nashville, Tennessee (in August 1940 Stinson bec ...
, 1942–1943, 1944–1945
*
L-4 Grasshopper, 1942–1943, 1943–1944
*
Douglas O-46
The Douglas O-46 is an observation aircraft used by the United States Army Air Corps and the Philippine Army Air Corps. , 1942–1943
*
O-52 Owl, 1942
*
P-39 Airacobra
The Bell P-39 Airacobra is a fighter produced by Bell Aircraft for the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. It was one of the principal American fighters in service when the United States entered combat. The P-39 was used by th ...
, 1942–1943
*
P-43 Lancer
The Republic P-43 Lancer was a single-engine, all-metal, low-wing monoplane fighter aircraft built by Republic, first delivered to the United States Army Air Corps in 1940. A proposed development was the P-44 Rocket. While not a particularly out ...
, 1942–1943
*
L-2 Grasshopper, 1943, 1943–1944
*
L-3 Grasshopper, 1943
*
L-5 Sentinel
The Stinson L-5 Sentinel is a World War II-era liaison aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), U.S. Army Ground Forces, U.S. Marine Corps and the British Royal Air Force. It was produced by the Stinson Division of the Vultee ...
, 1943, 1943–1945
*
L-6 Grasshopper, 1943; 1943–1944
*
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter aircraft, fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in 1940 by a team headed ...
, 1943
*
O-1 Bird Dog
The Cessna O-1 Bird Dog is a Liaison aircraft, liaison and observation aircraft that first flew on December 14, 1949, and entered service in 1950 as the L-19 in the Korean War. It went to serve in many branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, was no ...
, 1963–1964, 1964–1970, 1971
*
O-2 Skymaster
The Cessna O-2 Skymaster (nicknamed "Oscar Deuce") is a military version of the Cessna Skymaster, Cessna 337 Super Skymaster, used for forward air control (FAC) and psychological operations (PSYOPS) by the US military between 1967 and 2010.
D ...
, 1968–1971, 1972–1975
*
OV-10 Bronco
The North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco is an American twin-turboprop attack aircraft, light attack and surveillance aircraft, observation aircraft. It was developed in the 1960s as a special aircraft for Counter-insurgency aircraft, counter-ins ...
, 1968–1971, 1975–1983, 1985-c. 1989
*
OA-37 Dragonfly, 1983–1985
*
A(later OA)-10 Thunderbolt II, 1989–1993
See also
*
20th Attack Squadron
*
22nd Attack Squadron
: ''See 46th Bomb Squadron for the Strategic Air Command squadron''
The 22nd Attack Squadron is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the 432d Wing Air Combat Command at Creech Air Force Base near Indian Springs, Nevada. It flies General ...
*
23rd Flying Training Squadron
The 23rd Flying Training Squadron is a unit of the United States Air Force, currently assigned to 58th Operations Group performing helicopter training at Fort Novosel, Alabama.
Mission
Since January 1994, the 23d Flying Training Squadron is t ...
*
25th Air Support Operations Squadron
*
137th Airlift Squadron
*
*
Raven Forward Air Controllers
The Raven Forward Air Controllers, also known as The Ravens, were fighter pilots (special operations capable) unit used as forward air controllers (FACs) in a clandestine and covert operation in conjunction with the US Central Intelligence Ag ...
*
54 Squadron ISR Warfare School UK Royal Air Force equivalent, delivering the QWI ISR course.
References
Notes
Bibliography
* Hobson, Chris (2001). ''Vietnam Air Losses: United States Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps Fixed-Wing Aircraft Losses in Southeast Asia 1961–1973.'' Midland Publications. , 9781857801156.
*
*
* Rowley, Ralph A. (1972). ''The Air Force in Southeast Asia: US FAC Operations in Southeast Asia 1961–1965''. Office of Air Force History. (2011 reprint). Military Studies Press. ISBNs 1780399987, 9781780399980.
{{USAF Air Combat Command
Weapons 0019