469th Flying Training Squadron

The 469th Flying Training Squadron is part of the 80th Flying Training Wing and is based at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas.

The first predecessor of the squadron, the 469th Bombardment Squadron, served during World War II as an Operational Training Unit, and later as a Replacement Training Unit. It was inactivated at Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas in the spring of 1944 in a general reorganization of Army Air Forces support and training units in the United States.

The 469th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, the squadron's second predecessor, was formed in 1952, when it assumed the personnel, equipment, and air defense mission of an Air National Guard unit that was returning to state service after being mobilized for the Korean War. It continued this role until inactivating in 1958.

The squadron, redesignated the 469th Tactical Fighter Squadron, was organized in 1963. Two years later, it deployed to Thailand. It flew combat strike missions, and later forward air control missions, until inactivating in 1972, earning two Presidential Unit Citations for its actions in combat. The two squadrons were consolidated into a single unit in September 1985. The 469th was redesignated and activated in its current role in 2009.

Mission

The squadron provides undergraduate, pilot instructor and continuation training to military personnel of NATO air forces participating in the Euro NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training (ENJJPT) program.

History

World War II

The 469th Bombardment Squadron was activated on 15 July 1942 at Salt Lake City Army Air Base, Utah as one of the four original squadrons of the 333d Bombardment Group.Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp.213-14 In August, it began operating at Topeka Army Air Base, Kansas as an Operational Training Unit (OTU) for Consolidated B-24 Liberator units. The OTU program involved the use of an oversized parent unit to provide cadres to "satellite groups" The OTU program was patterned after the unit training system of the Royal Air Force. The parent assumed responsibility for satellite unit training and oversaw their expansion with graduates of Army Air Forces Training Command schools to become effective combat units. Phase I training concentrated on individual training in crewmember specialties. Phase II training emphasized the coordination for the crew to act as a team. The final phase concentrated on operation as a unit.

In February 1943, the squadron moved to Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas. However, many of the Army Air Forces' (AAF) bomber units had been activated. With the exception of special programs, like forming Boeing B-29 Superfortress units, training “fillers” for existing units became more important than unit training. The squadron mission changed to becoming a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). RTUs were also oversized units, but their mission was to train individual pilots or aircrews. It continued this mission through November 1943.

The AAF was finding that standard military units like the 469th, whose manning was based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were proving not well adapted to the training mission, even more so to the replacement mission. Accordingly, the Army Air Forces adopted a more functional system in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit. The 469th and other training and support units at Dalhart were disbanded or inactivated on 1 April 1944. and replaced by the 232d AAF Base Unit. In 1985, the squadron was consolidated with the 469th Tactical Fighter Squadron.

Air defense

The 469th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron was activated at McGhee Tyson Airport, Tennessee on 1 December 1952 and assigned to the 35th Air Division. The squadron assumed the mission, personnel and World War II era Republic F-47 Thunderbolts of the 105th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, a Tennessee Air National Guard unit that had been mobilized for the Korean War.Cornett & Johnson, p. 129 In early 1953, it received long range F-47Ns to replace some of the F-47Ds it had inherited. The 469th provided air defense for the Atomic Energy Commission's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ALCOA aluminum production facilities and Tennessee Valley Authority electric generating plants.

In February 1953, the squadron became part of the 516th Air Defense Group, which was organized by Air Defense Command (ADC) as headquarters for the squadron and supporting units at McGhee Tyson. It replaced its F-47s with modern North American F-86A Sabres in July. The following June, these Sabres were replaced by F-86Ds, equipped with airborne interception radar and armed with Folding-Fin Aerial Rockets

In August 1955, ADC implemented Project Arrow, which was designed to bring back on the active list the fighter units which had compiled memorable records in the two world wars. As a result, the 355th Fighter Group replaced the 516th Group as the squadron's headquarters. The squadron continued to fly Sabres in actual and simulated exercises to test its alert status and combat readiness until it was inactivated, along with the 355th Group in January 1958. Further air defense activities at McGhee Tyson were handled by the newly activated 134th Fighter Group of the Air National Guard.

Tactical fighter operations

Initial training and deployment

The squadron was redesignated the 469th Tactical Fighter Squadron and activated at George Air Force Base, California in the summer of 1962, where it was assigned to the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing. The squadron was unmanned until the end of June 1963, when it began to be equipped with Republic F-105 Thunderchiefs. It became operational with the "Thud" in February 1964. In July 1964, the 355th Wing moved to McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas,Ravenstein, pp. 189-191 but the squadron remained at George until 30 November 1964, when it moved to Yokota Air Base, Japan to augment the 41st Air Division. It then moved to Kadena Air Base. Okinawa, where it supported the fighter operations of the 18th Tactical Fighter Wing, which included supporting combat operation in Southeast Asia.

Combat in Southeast Asia

On 8 November 1965, the squadron's temporary assignment to the Pacific became permanent, when the squadron moved to Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, where it was assigned to Pacific Air Forces' 6234th Tactical Fighter Wing and began combat operations. On 8 April 1966, the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing replaced the 6234th at Korat. In 1968 the squadron converted from the F-105 to the McDonnell F-4 Phantom II.

=Air Force Cross

=
On 11 August 1967, Lt. Col. Harry Schurr commanded of a strike force of twenty F-105s of the 469th. He flew through intense, accurately directed hostile fire that damaged his aircraft prior to reaching the target, but he continued to lead the strike in a devastating attack against a key railroad and highway bridge. One span was destroyed and others heavily damaged. As a result, the flow of war materials into this area was appreciably reduced. For his heroism, airmanship, and aggressiveness in the face of the hostile force, he was awarded the Air Force Cross.

=Fast FACs

=

By January 1969, proliferating antiaircraft defenses in the Barrel Roll area in Laos were making operations ever riskier for slow forward air controllers (FACs) such as the Raven FACs. Volunteers from the squadron were approved for fast FAC duty under the call sign "Tiger" in February. The inertial guidance systems in their fresh F-4E Phantom IIs were important for piloting and target location in an environment largely lacking in navigation aids, especially after the March loss of the only TACAN site in northern Laos. On 17 March, the volunteer FACs began supplying the necessary tactical air power for General Vang Pao's Hmong guerrillas to sweep through Operation Raindance. In April, the "Tigers" were considered for night FAC duties, but rejected. By July, the "Tiger" FACs were so immersed in directing close air support, they were allotted four sorties per day. Between July and September 1969, the "Tigers" were credited with 34 enemy killed by air, 12 antiaircraft sites destroyed, 246 interdictory road cuts of enemy supply lines, 15 enemy supply trucks destroyed, 403 structures destroyed, 360 fires caused by explosions, and 681 secondary explosions of munitions and fuel. They accomplished this during 182 FAC missions, during which they directed 2,004 air strikes. In turn, the "Tigers" suffered five F-4E's severely damaged by enemy fire.

The squadron continued combat operations, for which it received two Presidential Unit Citations until inactivating on 31 October 1972. While inactive, it was consolidated with the 469th Bombardment Squadron in September 1985, retaining its designation as tactical fighter squadron.

Pilot training

Member nations of NATO combined pilot training programs to reduce costs and increase standardization. The US offered to host Euro NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training (ENJJPT) at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. Participating nations contribute to the ENJJPT program proportionately to their use.Manning, p. 224
The 469th Flying Training Squadron was reactivated in April 2009 as part of the 80th Flying Training Wing to conduct undergraduate flying training for ENJJPT pilot candidates.

In April 2009, the consolidated squadron, redesignated the 469th Flying Training Squadron, was activated. Its personnel represent 13 NATO nations and it supports the ENJJPT with Northrop T-38 Talon aircraft. It flys over 11,500 training sorties and 13,000 hours while training over 200 student pilots and instructor trainees annually.

Lineage

; 469th Bombardment Squadron
* Constituted as the 469th Bombardment Squadron on 1 July 1942
: Activated 15 July 1942
: Inactivated 1 April 1944
* Consolidated with the 469th Tactical Fighter Squadron as the 469th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 19 September 1985

; 469th Flying Training Squadron
* Constituted as the 469th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 10 October 1952
: Activated on 1 December 1952
: Inactivated 8 January 1958
* Redesignated 469th Tactical Fighter Squadron and activated on 13 April 1962 (not organized)
: Organized on 8 July 1962
: Inactivated 31 October 1972
* Consolidated with the 469th Bombardment Squadron on 19 September 1985
* Redesignated 469th Flying Training Squadron on 25 February 2009
* Activated on 10 April 2009

Assignments

* 333d Bombardment Group, 15 July 1942 – 1 April 1944
* 35th Air Division, 1 December 1952
* 516th Air Defense Group, 16 February 1953
* 355th Fighter Group, 18 August 1955 – 8 January 1958
* Tactical Air Command, 13 April 1962 (not organized)
* 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, 8 July 1962 – 8 November 1965 (attached to 41st Air Division, 30 November 1964, 18th Tactical Fighter Wing, unknown – 8 November 1965 for operations)
* 6234th Tactical Fighter Wing, 8 November 1965
* 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, 8 April 1966 – 31 October 1972
* 80th Operations Group, 20 April 2009 – present

Stations

* Topeka Army Air Field, Kansas, 15 July 1942
* Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas, 22 February 1943 – 1 April 1944
* McGhee Tyson Airport, Tennessee, 13 April 1952 – 8 January 1958
* George Air Force Base, California, 13 April 1962
* McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, 21 July 1964 – October 1965
* Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, 8 November 1965 – 31 October 1972
* Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, 10 April 2009 – present

Aircraft

* Consolidated B-24 Liberator, 1942–1944
* Republic F-47 Thunderbolt, 1952
* North American F-86A Sabre, 1953–1954
* North American F-86D Sabre, 1954–1958
* Republic F-105 Thunderchief, 1963–1968
* McDonnell F-4 Phantom II, 1968–1972
* Northrop T-38C Talon, 2009–present

Awards and campaigns

References

Notes

; Citations

Bibliography

* Buss, Lydus H.(ed), Sturm, Thomas A., Volan, Denys, and McMullen, Richard F., History of Continental Air Defense Command and Air Defense Command July to December 1955, Directorate of Historical Services, Air Defense Command, Ent AFB, CO, (1956)
*
*
*
* .
* .
*

External links

{{Aerospace Defense Command

Military units and formations in Texas
0469