561 st FIGHTER SQUADRON

Transcription

1 561 st FIGHTER SQUADRON

2 LINEAGE 561 st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) constituted, 19 Dec 1942 Activated, 24 Dec 1942 Redesignated 561 st Bombardment Squadron, Heavy, 20 Aug 1943 Inactivated, 28 Aug 1945 Redesignated 561 st Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy, 5 May 1947 Activated in the Reserve, 12 Jun 1947 Inactivated, 27 Jun 1949 Redesignated 561 st Fighter Bomber Squadron, 5 Nov 1953 Activated, 23 Nov 1953 Inactivated, 10 Dec 1957 Redesignated 561 st Tactical Fighter Squadron and activated, 1 May 1962 Organized, 1 Oct 1962

3 Redesignated 561 st Fighter Squadron, 1 Nov 1991 Inactivated, 30 Jun 1992 Activated, 1 Feb 1993 Organized on 1 Oct 1962 Redesignated 561st Fighter Squadron on 1 Nov 1991 Inactivated on 30 Jun 1992 Activated on 1 Feb 1993 Inactivated on 1 Oct 1996 Redesignated 561 Joint Tactics Squadron on 1 May 2007 Activated on 22 May 2007 STATIONS Gowen Field, ID, 24 Dec 1942 Wendover Field, UT, c. 1 Feb 1943 Sioux City AAB, IA, 1 May 7 Jun 1943 Knettishall, England, Jun 1943 c. 6 Aug 1945 Sioux Falls AAFld, SD, c Aug 1945 Orchard Place Aprt, IL, 12 Jun 1947 General Billy Mitchell Field, WI, 2 Sep Jun 1949 Clovis AFB, NM, 23 Nov Nov 1954 Hahn AB, Germany, 12 Dec 1954 Etain/Rouvres AB, France, 1 Dec Dec 1957 McConnell AFB, KS, 1 Oct 1962 George AFB, CA, 1 Jul Jun 1992 Nellis AFB, NV, 1 Feb 1993 Nellis AFB, NV, 1 Feb Oct 1996 Nellis AFB, NV, 22 May 2007 DEPLOYED STATIONS Yokota AB, Japan, 6 Mar 8 Jul 1965 George AFB, CA, May 1966, 23 Sep 17 Oct 1966, 17 Feb 9 Mar 1967, 4 18 Aug 1967, 23 Jan 8 Feb 1968, 18 Jun 3 Jul 1968, Nov 1968, 6 21 May 1969, and 12 Nov c. 2 Dec 1969 Shaikh Isa, Bahrain, 16 Aug 1990 Mar 1991 ASSIGNMENTS 388 th Bombardment Group, 24 Dec Aug th Bombardment Group, 12 Jun Jun th Fighter Bomber Group, 23 Nov Dec 1957 Tactical Air Command, 1 May th Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 Oct rd Tactical Fighter Wing, 8 Feb nd Air Division, 1 Jul th Tactical Fighter Wing, 15 Jul th Tactical Fighter Wing, 30 Mar th Tactical Fighter (later, 35 th Fighter) Wing, 5 Oct Jun 1992

4 57th Operations Group, 1 Feb th Operations Group, 1 Feb Oct 1996 USAF Warfare Center, 22 May 2007 ATTACHMENTS 388 th Fighter Bomber Wing, 1 Jul 10 Dec st Air Division, 6 Mar 8 Jul th Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 14 Jul th Tactical Fighter Wing, Provisional, 16 Aug 1990 Mar 1991 WEAPON SYSTEMS B 17, Unkn, F 86, F 100, 1957 F 105, F 4, F 4, 1993 ASSIGNED AIRCRAFT SERIAL NUMBERS ETAIN 388th Fighter-Bomber Wing, F-86Fs, December November 1956 Twenty-six aircraft per squadron. These Sabres were flown from Clovis AFB to Bitburg, Hahn, and Spangdahlem Air Bases in West Germany by 388th FBWg pilots. Later flown to Etain, France in July, September, and November st Fighter-Bomber Squadron - Yellow Vertical Stabilizer/rudder, with black lightning bolt. F-86F Crashed, engine failure, 2nm E of Verdun, France, 23 JULY 55, 1 fatality Crashed, hydraulic system failure, 2.5nm NNE of Dover AFB, Delaware, 27 NOV 54, no fatalities Crashed, mid-air collision, 15nm WNW of Hahn AB, West Germany, 26 FEB 55, no fatalities, ejected Crashed, bad weather letdown, 0.5nm E of Combres, France, 11 DEC 55, 1 fatality Crashed, bad weather letdown into city of Bitburg, West Germany, 15 JAN 55, 1 fatality. 388th Fighter-Bomber Wing, F-100D, October December 1957

5 Twenty-two aircraft per squadron. No F-100Fs were delivered to the 388th FBWg. These Super Sabres were flown from Inglewood, CA and Columbus, OH to French Morocco by MATS ferry pilots. 561st Fighter-Bomber Squadron - Yellow vertical stabilizer/rudder with black lightning bolt. 562d Fighter-Bomber Squadron - Blue vertical stabilizer/rudder with whjte lightning bolt. 563d Fighter-Bomber Squadron - Red vertical stabilizer/rudder with white lightning bolt. F-100D-5, -10, -15, -25, -30-NA and -35, -40-NH TFS F4E WW YELLOW ASSIGNED AIRCRAFT TAIL/BASE CODES UNIT COLORS COMMANDERS Unkn, 24 Dec st Lt William L. Chamberlin, 1 Feb 1943-unkn Maj Richard Bynum, Oct 1944-unkn LTC James F. Pierce, by Dec 1944 LTC Andrew Chaffin, 16 Apr 1945-unkn Maj Garland I. Phillips, Jun 1945-unkn Unkn, 12 Jun Jun st Lt William M. Blackwell, 23 Nov 1953 Maj Sam Malone, 8 Feb 1954 LTC Benjamin F. Long, 10 Aug 1954 Maj Howard F. Poulin, 15 Feb Dec 1957 None (not manned), 1 May-30 Sep 1962 Unkn, (minimally manned), 1 Oct 1962-Oct 1963 LTC Howard F. Hendricks, by Nov 1963 LTC James M. Morris, by Jun 1964 LTC Elvis H. Walker, by Nov 1964 Maj Joseph W. Brand, by Dec 1965 LTC Lawrence E. McKenney, 19 Apr 1966 LTC Harry D. Sultzer Jr., 14 Oct 1968

6 LTC Nevin G. Christensen, 10 Feb 1969 LTC Edward T. Rock, 15 Dec 1970 LTC Richard E. Moser, 16 Apr 1972 LTC Donald R. Yates, c. Aug 1973 LTC John T. Halley, 20 Jun 1975 LTC Anton M. Taylor, 20 Jun 1977 LTC Leonard C. Ekman, 14 Apr 1978 LTC John D. Logeman Jr., 1 Oct 1978 LTC Grover E. Musselwhite, 4 Dec 1979 LTC Gordon J. Jenkins, 4 Aug 1981 LTC Jeffrey R. Grime, 4 Aug 1983 LTC William A. Payne, 3 Jul 1984 LTC Robin A. DeTurk, 3 Jul 1986 LTC Allen J. Thrush, 2 Oct 1987 LTC Kent E. Harrison, 4 Oct 1988 LTC George W. Walton, 6 Aug Jun 1992 LTC Daniel W. Costantini, 1 Feb 1993 LTC James R. Uken, 10 Feb Oct 1996 HONORS Service Streamers None Campaign Streamers World War II Air Offensive, Europe Normandy Northern France Rhineland Ardennes-Alsace Central Europe Air Combat, EAME Theater Southwest Asia Defense of Saudi Arabia Liberation and Defense of Kuwait Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers None Decorations Distinguished Unit Citations Germany, 17 Aug 1943; for three missions (Hannover, Germany, 26 Jul 1943; Brux, Czechoslovakia, 12 May 1944; and from England to Russia, 21 Jun 1944) Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device

7 6 Apr Jan 1973 Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards 1 Jun Jun Feb Mar Jun May 1987 Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm 1 Apr Jan 1973 EMBLEM Or, a sword palewise point to chief Argent hilt Sable surmounted by the silhouette of a Trojan soldier s helm of the last; all within a diminished bordure of the like. (Approved, 13 Oct 1993; replaced emblem approved, 31 Jan 1955) EMBLEM SIGNIFICANCE MOTTO NICKNAME WILD WEASELS OPERATIONS Combat in ETO, 17 Jul Apr Stood alert in Korea, Mar Jul Replacement training, Jan Jul Portion of squadron flew combat from Korat RTAFB, Thailand, Apr Sep Wild Weasel training, Sep Jun Combat in Southwest Asia, Jan Feb Members of the 561st Fighter Squadron deployed to Operation PROVIDE COMFORT (southern Turkey). 27 Dec 1993 Members of the 561st Fighter Squadron rotated home from a 90-day deployment to Operation SOUTHERN WATCH. 2 Jan 1994 The 561st Fighter Squadron's last six Wild Weasel aircraft and associated troops returned from Saudi Arabia. Elements of the 561 st had been deployed continuously for 1,572 days, since the early days of Desert Shield. 12 Dec 1994 The Center inactivated the last Wild Weasel unit in the Air Force, the 561st Fighter Squadron. Its F-4s would become drone targets. 26 Mar 1996 Etain-Rouvres AB, France 561 TFS Yellow

8 562 TFS Blue 563 TFS Red F105G WW History. Wheelus Field; The Story of the US Air Force in Libya. The Early days R. L. Swetzer. Historical Division Office of Information USAFE. 15 Jan 1965 On 19 Sep 1951, Strategic Air Command's 56lst Fighter-Escort Squadron, based in England, arrived at Wheelus for training The 561st maintained an average of approximately 30 flying hours per day with its F-84 aircraft. This unit was replaced on 20 Oct 1951 by its sister unit the 559th Fighter-Escort Squadron. 388th Fighter Bomber Wing The 388th Bombardment Group was activated during 1942 and trained for combat with B-17s. During 1943 the group moved to England in 1943 and was assigned to the Eighth Air Force. It saw action for some two years before returning to the United States during 1945 where it was deactivated. Re-established as the 388th Fighter Day Wing on 23 March 1953, it was then redesignated a Fighter Bomber Wing prior to its activation on 23 November On 12 December 1954 it was assigned to USAFE, taking up residence at Etain-Rouvres Air Base France, where it operated F-86F. The F-86F served with the unit until the latter part of 1956 when it began to be replaced with F- 100Ds. The three squadrons within the group were the colors 561st (Yellow), 562nd (Blue) and 563rd (Red). Initially, the F-100s arrived at the base with their outer wing panels, tails and rear fuselages painted Red. Although normally removed, a few aircraft retained this scheme and unofficially painted over these areas in squadron colors and added thirteen stars to both sides of the tail. In early 1957 the 388th began to paint their F-100s in the squadron markings formerly applied to their F-86s. These consisted of a solid colored tail with the lightning bolt superimposed and painted in White on the Blue and Red tailed aircraft and in Black on Yellow tailed aircraft. On 10 December 1957, the 388th was renumbered the 49th Tactical Fighter Wing. The 388th was not activated again until late 1962 and only one of its squadrons, the 560th TFS, flew F- l00cs. 561st Bomb Squadron was one of four bomb squadrons of the 388th. The 561st was led by Lt. Col. William Chamberlin. He was killed in combat in May Chamberlin was the highest ranking 388th officer killed in combat B-17F BS 388BG Wendover Field, UT KCRoG Williams, Melvin H 2 Mi SE Soda Springs, ID

9 B-17F BS 388BG TOAEF Swift, Paul (NMI) B-17G BS 388BG LAC Dewey, John B Troston/Sta B-17G BS 388BG LAC Bissonette, Riley F Hethel/Sta B-17G BS 388BG CBL George, Mario F Troston/Sta B-17G * 561BS 388BG CBL Franklin, Paul H Troston/Sta B-17F BS 388BG LAC McLaughlin, John W B-17F BS 388BG LAC Maple, Howard E B-17G BS 388BG TAC McArthur, Douglas G B-17F BS 388BG TOA Sutton, Leon C Jr B-17G BS 388BG LAC Larsen, Arnold E B-17F BS 388BG FLSF B-17G BS 388BG 140 CBL B-17G BS 388BG KBMAC B-17G BS 388BG TAC Resch, Haarold E Barton, Thomas H Thompson, George F Jr Shute, Herbert C Walnut Tree Fm/1mi NNE RAF Fersfield/Sta 140 Soham/ over B-17G BS 388BG KCR Metz, Walter B Barningham/ 1mi SE B-17F FS 388BG LAC B-17G FS 388BG KCR Reed, Boardman C Cole, Harry J Lavenham/Sta 137 Kettlewell/ 2mi NW

10 B Curlings Jr B Penn B Porter B Felece B B Todd B Eccleston B Hoehn B Bianchi B Tolles B Evans B B B McLaughlin B Gerstenhaber B Lenderman B B Trubia B Knowles B Fisher Jr B Castrup B Kluth B Sarten B B Sutton Jr B B Resch B Esselmeyer B McRee B Panther B Senter B Edelman B Lenocker B Taylor B Farley B Hickman Jr B Carroll Jr

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12 Air Force Order of Battle Created: 10 Nov 2010 Updated: Sources Air Force Historical Research Agency. U.S. Air Force. Maxwell AFB, AL. The Institute of Heraldry. U.S. Army. Fort Belvoir, VA. Air Force News. Air Force Public Affairs Agency.