The 17th Attack Squadron is a squadron of the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...

. It is assigned to the

432d Wing The 432nd Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Combat Command at Creech Air Force Base near Indian Springs, Nevada. It flies General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper and RQ-170 Sentinel Unmanned aerial vehicles. The group operates unmanne ...

, and stationed at

Creech Air Force Base Creech Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) command and control facility in Clark County, Nevada used "to engage in daily Overseas Contingency Operations …of remotely piloted aircraft systems which fly missions across the globe." ...

Indian Springs, Nevada Indian Springs is an unincorporated town and a census-designated place located on U.S. Route 95 next to Creech Air Force Base in northwestern Clark County and southern Nevada. The population was 991 at the 2010 census. History The community wa ...

. The 17th is equipped with the MQ-9 Reaper.

Overview

The 17th conducts intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operating the flies MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft.

History

World War II

Constituted as 17 Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 14 Jul 1942. Activated on 23 Jul 1942 with Lightning P-38/F-5 reconnaissance aircraft at Colorado Springs AAB, CO. Redesignated as: 17 Photographic Squadron (Light) on 6 Feb 1943; 17 Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 13 Nov 1943. Deployed to the South Pacific Area, assigned to

Thirteenth Air Force The Thirteenth Air Force (Air Forces Pacific) (13 AF) was a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It was last headquartered at Hickam Air Force Base on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. 13 AF has never been sta ...

. Flew hazardous unarmed reconnaissance missions over enemy-held territory in Guadalcanal; New Guinea; Northern

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capit ...

; Bismarck Archipelago; Western Pacific;

Leyte Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census. Since the accessibility of land has be ...

;

Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...

; Southern Philippines; Central Burma and southeast China. Inactivated in the Philippines, 19 April 1946. Redesignated as 17 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Photo-Jet on 1 Apr 1951. Activated on 2 Apr 1951 at

Shaw AFB Shaw Air Force Base (Shaw AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located approximately west-northwest of downtown Sumter, South Carolina. It is one of the largest military bases operated by the United States, and is under the jurisdict ...

South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

. Redesignated as 17 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 1 Oct 1966. Inactivated 1 January 1979. Redesignated as 17 Reconnaissance Squadron on 4 Mar 2002. Activated on 8 March 2002 at Indian Springs AFAF (later,

Creech AFB Creech Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) command and control facility in Clark County, Nevada used "to engage in daily Overseas Contingency Operations …of remotely piloted aircraft systems which fly missions across the globe." ...

), NV. Redesignated as 17 Attack Squadron on 15 May 2016.

Cold War reconnaissance

Reactivated at

Shaw Air Force Base Shaw Air Force Base (Shaw AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located approximately west-northwest of downtown Sumter, South Carolina. It is one of the largest military bases operated by the United States, and is under the jurisdict ...

, South Carolina in 1951 as a photo-reconnaissance training squadron. Equipped with several reconnaissance aircraft during the 1950s, deploying to

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

in 1959 with the

McDonnell RF-101C Voodoo The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo is a supersonic jet fighter which served the United States Air Force (USAF) and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Initially designed by McDonnell Aircraft Corporation as a long-range bomber escort (known as a '' ...

. Operated from France until 1966, moving to

RAF Upper Heyford RAF Upper Heyford was a Royal Air Force station located north-west of Bicester near the village of Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England. In the Second World War the airfield was used by Bomber Command. During the Cold War, Upper Heyford was one ...

, England. Remained in England until 1970, moved to Zweibrucken AB, West Germany and re-equipped with McDonnell RF-4C Phantom II aircraft. Remained at

Zweibrücken Air Base Zweibrücken Air Base was a NATO military air base in West Germany . It was located SSW of Kaiserslautern and SE of Zweibrücken. It was assigned to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) durin ...

until 1 January 1979.

Unmanned vehicle operations

The squadron was reactivated at what was then known as Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field (now

) on 8 March 2002, flying the

MQ-1 Predator The General Atomics MQ-1 Predator (often referred to as the predator drone) is an American remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) built by General Atomics that was used primarily by the United States Air Force (USAF) and Central Intelligence Agency ...

. Added the larger and more heavily-armed MQ-9 Reaper in 2006. According to the 2014 documentary film ''

Drone Drone most commonly refers to: * Drone (bee), a male bee, from an unfertilized egg * Unmanned aerial vehicle * Unmanned surface vehicle, watercraft * Unmanned underwater vehicle or underwater drone Drone, drones or The Drones may also refer to: ...

'', since 2002 the squadron had been working for the

Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...

as "customer", carrying out armed missions in Pakistan.

Lineage

* Constituted as the 17th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 14 July 1942 : Activated on 23 July 1942 : Redesignated 17th Photographic Squadron (Light) on 6 February 1943 : Redesignated 17th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 13 November 1943 : Inactivated on 19 April 1946 * Redesignated 17th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Photo-Jet on 1 April 1951 : Activated on 2 April 1951 : Redesignated 17th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 1 October 1966 : Inactivated 1 January 1979 * Redesignated 17th Reconnaissance Squadron on 4 March 2002 : Activated on 8 March 2002 * Redesignated 17th Attack Squadron on 15 May 2016 :

Assignments

* 4th Photographic Group (later 4th Photographic Reconnaissance and Mapping Group, 4th Photographic Group 4th Reconnaissance Group), 23 July 1942 *

, 5 December 1945 *

XIII Fighter Command The XIII Fighter Command was a United States Army Air Forces formation. It was last assigned to Thirteenth Air Force, based at Manila, Luzon, Philippines. It was inactivated on 15 March 1946. History XIII Fighter Command was a World War II comm ...

, 10 December 1945 * 85th Fighter Wing; 1 February 1946 * Pacific Air Command, U. S. Army, 1–19 April 1946 * 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 2 April 1951 * 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 8 February 1958 *

66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing 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 ...

, 10 May 1959 *

86th Tactical Fighter Wing The 86th Airlift Wing (86 AW) is a United States Air Force wing, currently assigned to the Third Air Force, United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa. The 86th AW is stationed at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The wing's primary m ...

, 12 January 1970 *

26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing The 26th Information Operations Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with United States Air Forces in Europe at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, where it was inactivated on 5 July 2006. The wing was first establi ...

, 31 January 1973 – 1 January 1979 *

57th Operations Group The 57th Operations Group (57 OG) is the operational component of the 57th Wing, assigned to the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command. The group is stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. The Group provides direct oversight of the N ...

, 8 March 2002 – 1 May 2007 *

432d Operations Group The 432nd Operations Group (432 OG) is an active flying component of the United States Air Force's 432nd Wing, stationed at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada. The unit employs unmanned aerial vehicles to support operational needs worldwide and depl ...

, 1 May 2007 * 732d Operations Group, 10 September 2012 – present

Stations

Colorado Springs Army Air Base Peterson Space Force Base, previously Peterson Air Force Base, Peterson Field, and Army Air Base, Colorado Springs, is a U.S. Space Force Base that shares an airfield with the adjacent Colorado Springs Municipal Airport and is home to the Nor ...

, Colorado, 23 July – 24 October 1942 * Camp Deptha,

Nouméa Nouméa () is the capital and largest city of the French special collectivity of New Caledonia and is also the largest francophone city in Oceania. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main island, Grande Terre, and ...

, New Caledonia, 2 December 1942 *

Henderson Field (Guadalcanal) Henderson Field is a former military airfield on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands during World War II. Originally built by the Japanese Empire, the conflict over its possession was one of the great battles of the Pacific War. Today it is Honiara I ...

, Guadalcanal,

, 16 January 1943 : Detachment operated from:

Munda Airfield Munda Airport is an international airport adjacent to the town of Munda, Western Province in Solomon Islands. Originally built by Japanese forces during World War II and further developed by the U. S. Naval Construction Battalions 24 and 73 f ...

New Georgia New Georgia, with an area of , is the largest of the islands in Western Province, Solomon Islands, and the 200th-largest island in the world. Geography New Georgia island is located in the New Georgia Group, an archipelago including most ...

, Solomon Islands, c. 13 October 1943 – 31 January 1944, 9 March – 1 April 1944 : Detachment operated from: Buka Airfield, Bougainville, Solomon Islands, c. 11 December 1943 – February 1945 : Detachment operated from: Kornasoren (Yebrurro) Airfield, Noemfoor,

Schouten Islands The Schouten Islands ( id, Kepulauan Biak, also Biak Islands or Geelvink Islands) are an island group of Papua province, eastern Indonesia in the Cenderawasih Bay (or Geelvink Bay) 50 km off the north-western coast of the island of New ...

, 8–23 October 1944 : Detachment operated from: Sansapor Airfield, Netherlands East Indies, 13 October – 4 November 1944 *

Wama Airfield Leo Wattimena Airport, formerly known as Pitu Airport is a private airport located on the southern coast of Morotai Island, North Maluku, Indonesia. History World War II Morotai island was the final island invasion in Netherlands New Guinea be ...

, Morotai, Netherlands East Indies, 4 November 1944 : Detachment operated from:

Dulag Airfield Dulag Airfield is a World War II airfield located near Dulag in the province of Leyte, Philippines. It was closed after the war. History The airfield was built by the Japanese during the Occupation of the Philippines in 1943. Seized by the Americ ...

, Philippines, 9 February–October 1945 *

Puerto Princesa Airfield Puerto Princesa International Airport ( fil, Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Puerto Princesa; ) is an airport serving the general area of Puerto Princesa, located in the province of Palawan in the Philippines. It is classified as an international airpo ...

Palawan Palawan (), officially the Province of Palawan ( cyo, Probinsya i'ang Palawan; tl, Lalawigan ng Palawan), is an archipelagic province of the Philippines that is located in the region of Mimaropa. It is the largest province in the country in t ...

, Philippines, 11 May 1945 – 19 April 1946 * Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, 2 April 1951 – 10 May 1959 * Laon-Couvron Air Base, France, 10 May 1959 * RAF Upper Heyford, England, September 1966 * Zweibrücken Air Base, Germany, 12 January 1970 – 1 January 1979 * Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field (later Creech Air Force Base), Nevada, 8 March 2002 – present

Aircraft

* Lockheed P-38 Lightning, 1942–1946 *

North American B-25 Mitchell The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Major General William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allied air forces, the B-25 served in ...

, 1944–1946 *

North American F-6 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team headed by James ...

, 1946 *

Lockheed RF-80 Shooting Star The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star was the first Jet aircraft, jet fighter aircraft, fighter used operationally by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) during World War II. Designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed in 1943 and del ...

, 1951–1955 *

Republic RF-84F Thunderflash The Republic F-84F Thunderstreak was an American swept-wing turbojet fighter-bomber. While an evolutionary development of the straight-wing F-84 Thunderjet, the F-84F was a new design. The RF-84F Thunderflash was a photo reconnaissance version ...

, 1954–1958 * McDonnell RF-101C Voodoo, 1957–1969 * McDonnell RF-4C Phantom II, 1969-1978 * MQ-1 Predator, 2002–2018 * MQ-9 Reaper, 2006–present

Overview

History

World War II

Cold War reconnaissance

Unmanned vehicle operations

Lineage

Assignments

Stations

Aircraft

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links