United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air 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 of the United States Army Signal ...
, stationed 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, where it operates the
General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper
The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper (sometimes called Predator B) is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) primarily for the Unit ...
unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...
. It is assigned to the 25th Attack Group, also at Shaw AFB, and a component of 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 ...
, located 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." ...
, Nevada.
Formed in August 1917, as the 50th Aero Squadron, the unit flew observation missions in the American built de Havilland DH-4 over the battlefields of World War I. On 6 October 1918, 1Lt Harold E. Goettler and 2Lt
Erwin R. Bleckley
Erwin Russell Bleckley (December 30, 1894 – October 6, 1918) was a United States Army aviator during World War I, and posthumous recipient of the Medal of Honor, killed in action on October 6, 1918, near the "lost battalion". Bleckley ent ...
, of the 50th Aero Squadron were posthumously awarded the
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...
.Order of Battle of the United States Land Forces in the First World War, Volume 3,
During World War II as the 431st Bombardment Squadron, the unit earned the
Distinguished Unit Citation
The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enem ...
and the Presidential Unit Citation for its services in the Pacific Theatre. The unit was subsequently inactivated on 20 October 1947.
The squadron was reactivated at the
United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) is a United States service academy in El Paso County, Colorado, immediately north of Colorado Springs. It educates cadets for service in the officer corps of the United States Air Force and Uni ...
on 1 October 1983 and designated the 50th Airmanship Training Squadron. The focus of the 50th changed to the classroom, supporting the instruction of US Air Force Academy Cadets in military strategic studies as the 50th Education Squadron.
History
World War I
The unit was first organized as the 50th Aero Squadron with 149 men at Kelly Field No. 1, Texas, on 6 August 1917. Moved to Kelly Field No. 2 on 12 September and designated as a school squadron, personnel entering training for engine mechanics and performed field garrison duties. Was moved back to Field No. 1 on 17 November and was designated a service squadron, being equipped with Curtiss JN-4 aircraft and pilots, and entered training for combat service in France.Gorrell, Series E, Volume 3, History of the 47th-50th Aero Squadrons.
On 20 December 1917, the 50th transferred from Kelly Field and ordered for overseas duty. It moved to the Aviation Concentration Center, Camp Mills, Garden City, New York and arrived on 3 January 1918. Departed from the United States on transport No. 508 (
RMS Carmania
RMS ''Carmania'' may refer to the following ocean liners:
* – in service with Cunard Line 1905–32
* – in service with Cunard Line 1962–73
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carmania, RMS
Ship names ...
on 9 January, arriving Liverpool, England on 24 January. Once in England, the 50th was moved to RFC Harlaxton, Lincolnshire and began advance training prior to being sent to France. Instruction was received in aircraft rigging and engine repair, along with gunnery, radio, photography and aerial bombing.
Combat in France
: ''See:
Erwin R. Bleckley
Erwin Russell Bleckley (December 30, 1894 – October 6, 1918) was a United States Army aviator during World War I, and posthumous recipient of the Medal of Honor, killed in action on October 6, 1918, near the "lost battalion". Bleckley ent ...
Lost Battalion (World War I)
The Lost Battalion is the name given to the nine companies of the US 77th Division, roughly 554 men, isolated by German forces during World War I after an American attack in the Argonne Forest in October 1918. Roughly 197 were killed in acti ...
''
Departure orders for France were received on 3 July 1918, the squadron departing from the port of Southampton, arriving in Le Havre, France on 14 July. Entered service with the Air Service, AEF at the Air Service Replacement Concentration Barracks, St. Maixent on 17 July. After receiving additional personnel, supplies and equipment, was moved to the combat flying school at the 1st Observation Group School on
Amanty Airdrome
Amanty Airdrome was a temporary World War I airfield in France. It was located northwest of Amanty, in the Meuse department in the Lorraine region in northeastern France (48.527383,5.598371).
History
The airfield was set up early 1917, with Fr ...
on 27 July. At Amanty, the squadron received American-built De Havilland DH-4 and after training was received on the DH-4s, the squadron was designated as a Corps Observation squadron and assigned to the I Corps Observation Group. After a short spell at the Behonne depot, the squadron moved to
Bicqueley Airdrome
Bicqueley Aerodrome was a temporary World War I airfield in France. It was located East-Southeast from the commune of Bicqueley, in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in northeastern France.
Overview
The airfield was secretly constructed by t ...
on 8 September for combat duty on the front. The squadron adopted the Dutch Girl insignia, trademark of Old Dutch Cleanser. To the fliers of the 50th Aero Squadron, the Dutch Girl meant one thing: "Clean up on Germany." The insignia was painted on the aircraft, and squadron members wore matching pins above the right breast pocket on their uniforms.
In combat, the mission of the 50th Aero Squadron was general surveillance of the enemy rear areas by means of both visual and photographic reconnaissance. These missions were carried out for the purpose of intelligence-gathering and informing First Army headquarters informed of enemy movements and preparations for attacks or retreats of its infantry forces. The 50th identified enemy activity along roads and railroads, ground stations, various storage dumps and airfields; the numbers of fires and activities of enemy aircraft, and the amount of anti-aircraft artillery was also monitored and reported. Due to the nature of the missions and the depths of enemy area which was penetrated, the missions were carried out at high altitudes, usually between 4,500 and 5,500 meters.
The 50th's first combat mission was flown on 12 September, being assigned for observation duties in support of the 82d and 90th Infantry Divisions as part of the St. Mihiel Offensive. It flew two artillery surveillance flights to help adjust the artillery barrage on enemy forces for the 90th Division, and also six reconnaissance missions, observing and photographing enemy forces in the rear areas and reporting that information to the 82d Division Commander. The weather during the offensive, however, was extremely poor. Fortunately, the enemy air activity was very slight at the beginning of the offensive, but a day or two afterwards, there was a marked increase in enemy activity. One observer was killed in action, and one plane, with its observer and pilot failed to return during the Offensive.
After St. Mihiel, the squadron moved to the
Remicourt Aerodrome
Remicourt Aerodrome was a temporary World War I airfield in France. It was located West of Remicourt,Two French "escadrilles" were stationed at a "Noirlieu" airfield - 4 km west of Remicourt, in July - September 1918, which might be the same ...
in preparation for the next American offensive, in the Argonne Forest. There it joined the 1st and 12th Aero Squadrons. Movement to Remicourt was delayed until 24 September due to weather. On the 26th combat operations began supporting the 77th Division, the 50th Aero Squadron flew its first missions of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive with a complement of 15 pilots, 15 observers, and 16 aircraft. Initially the aircraft flew observation or dropped messagesFricano, p. 7.
At the beginning of October, units of the 308th Infantry Regiment were cut off and surrounded by German troops. Able to communicate with division headquarters only by
carrier pigeon
The homing pigeon, also called the mail pigeon or messenger pigeon, is a variety of domestic pigeons (''Columba livia domestica'') derived from the wild rock dove, selectively bred for its ability to find its way home over extremely long distan ...
, the battalion-sized force inadvertently supplied division headquarters with incorrect coordinates of its location. On 2 October the 50th Aero Squadron searched for signs of the cut-off battalion, and on 5 October the division commander, Maj. Gen. Robert Alexander, requested that the 50th Aero Squadron locate and resupply the " Lost Battalion" by air with ammunition, rations, and medical supplies.
On 28 October, the squadron was moved from Remicourt to the new
Parois Airdrome
Parois Airdrome, was a temporary World War I airfield in France. It was located near the commune of Aubréville, in the Lorraine region in northeastern France.
Overview
The airfield was built during the early fall of 1918 as a forward operati ...
near Clermont-en-Argonne, where it continued combat operations until the 11 November Armistice with Germany.
Post World War I duty in France
After the end of hostilities, the air service in France was slow to bring their units back to the United States. Transportation was poor, and many had to wait months to board a ship. The 50th AS was no exception, as it was split into flights and assigned to various locations in France, performing postwar service duties.
With the inactivation of the First Army Air Service, the 50th Aero Squadron was ordered demobilized. It was ordered to report to the 1st Air Depot at
Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome
: ''see also: Organization of the Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force''
When the United States entered World War I on 6 April 1917, the Air Service of the United States Army existed only as a branch of the Signal Corps, and was kno ...
on 1 April 1919, to turn in all of its supplies and equipment and was relieved from duty with the AEF. The squadron's DH-4 aircraft were delivered to the Air Service Production Center No. 2. at
Romorantin Aerodrome
Romorantin - Pruniers Air Detachment (DA 273) is a French Air Force military facility, located southwest of Romorantin-Lanthenay, in the Loir-et-Cher Departments of France, department of central France.
Pruniers airfield was part of a huge depot ...
. There practically all of the pilots and observers were detached from the squadron. Personnel at Colombey were subsequently assigned to the Commanding General, Services of Supply and ordered to report to the staging camp at Clamecy, France on 9 April. There, personnel awaited scheduling to report to one of the Base Ports in France for transport to the United States. It moved to the port of
Marseille, France
Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern France ...
, 22 April when it boarded the SS Caserta.Gorrell, Series D, Weekly Statistical Reports of Air Service Activities, October 1918-May 1919.
Upon its arrival in New York, the squadron proceeded to Scott Field, Illinois, arriving on 27 May where its personnel were discharged and returned to civilian life.
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...
(KIA)
* Lt.
Harold Ernest Goettler
Harold Ernest Goettler (July 21, 1890 – October 6, 1918) was a U.S. Army Air Service aviator killed in action on October 6, 1918 while locating the Lost Battalion of the 77th Division during World War I. He died of wounds resulting from Germa ...
, Medal of Honor (KIA)
* Lt. Robert M. Anderson, SSC
* Lt. David C. Beebe, SSC
* Lt. Franklin B. Bellows, DSC (KIA)
* Lt. Mitchell H. Brown, DSC, 1 aerial victory
* Lt. William D. Frayne, SSC
* Lt. George R. Phillips, DSC, 1 aerial victory
DSC:
Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries.
*Distinguished Service Cross (Australia)
*Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
*Distinguished Service Cross (U ...
; SSC:
Silver Star Citation
The Citation Star was a Department of War personal valor decoration issued as a ribbon device which was first established by the United States Congress on July 9, 1918 (Bulletin No. 43, War Dept. 1918). When awarded, a silver star was placed o ...
A small cadre of the squadron remained at Scott Field until August 1919 when it was moved to
Langley Field Langley may refer to:
People
* Langley (surname), a common English surname, including a list of notable people with the name
* Dawn Langley Simmons (1922–2000), English author and biographer
* Elizabeth Langley (born 1933), Canadian perform ...
, Virginia. At Langley, it received De Havilland DH-4s and was assigned to the 2d Observation Wing Headquarters. It was assigned to coastal and submarine patrol duties along the Atlantic coast. On 1 October it was attached to the 1st Army Observation Group.Clay
It remained active with the 2d Wing and performed demonstrations of effectiveness of aerial bombardment on naval warships, June–September 1921. Reassigned to Mexican Border in 1927 as an aerial observation squadron at Brooks Field, San Antonio, Texas before inactivation on 1 August 1927.
The designation was then transferred to the Office of Chief of the Air Corps (OCAC). Organized in December 1927 with Organized Reserve personnel as a Regular Army Inactive (RAI) unit at
Dodd Field
Dodd Army Airfield was an airfield located within the current boundaries of Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. Dodd Field includes the area bounded on the north by Rittiman Road, on the west by Harry Wurzbach Memorial Highway, on the south by ...
, Texas. Relieved from assignment to OCAC 1 September 1928. Organized Reserve officers assigned to the unit participated in summer training at
Kelly Field
Kelly Field (formerly Kelly Air Force Base) is a Joint-Use facility located in San Antonio, Texas. It was originally named after George E. M. Kelly, the first member of the U.S. military killed in the crash of an airplane he was piloting.
In ...
in 1928. Designated mobilization training station was Dodd Field, 1927-29. Withdrawn from the Eighth Corps Area on 27 October 1928 and allotted to the Second Corps Area. Assigned on 13 February 1929 to the 9th Observation Group. Relieved from assignment to the 9th Observation Group on 8 May 1929 and assigned to the 5th Composite Group. Organized on 27 May 1929 with Organized Reserve personnel as a RAI unit at
Mitchel Field
Mitchell may refer to:
People
*Mitchell (surname)
*Mitchell (given name)
Places Australia
* Mitchell, Australian Capital Territory, a light-industrial estate
* Mitchell, New South Wales, a suburb of Bathurst
* Mitchell, Northern Territory ...
, New York.
The 50th Observation Squadron was reactivated into active service as an aerial observation and defensive patrol squadron off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii Territory, 1 November 1930, based at Luke Field, with O-19Bs as initial equipment. Remained in Hawaii as part of the Army Hawaiian Department throughout the 1930s as part of the air defenses of the islands. In 1938 it was re-designated as a Medium Range reconnaissance squadron, being attached to the
5th Bombardment Group
''005'' (pronounced "''double-o five''") is a 1981 arcade video game by Sega. They advertised it as the first of their RasterScan Convert-a-Game series, designed so that it could be changed into another game in minutes "at a substantial savings" ...
and equipped with
B-18 Bolo
The Douglas B-18 Bolo is an American heavy bomber which served with the United States Army Air Corps and the Royal Canadian Air Force (as the Digby) during the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Bolo was developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company f ...
twin-engine bombers. Was attached to the 11th Bombardment Group in February 1940. Beginning in early 1941, the squadron transitioned into the Boeing B-17D Flying Fortress, having the capability to fly longer reconnaissance missions from Hickam Field.
World War II
Following the
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, ju ...
on 7 December 1941, the 50th was re-designated the 431st Bombardment Squadron. In June 1942, shortly after the
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II that took place on 4–7 June 1942, six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor and one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea. The U.S. Navy under Adm ...
, the 11th Group was authorized as a mobile force by the Army Air Forces in order to respond to a Navy request by
Admiral Nimitz
Chester William Nimitz (; February 24, 1885 – February 20, 1966) was a fleet admiral in the United States Navy. He played a major role in the naval history of World War II as Commander in Chief, US Pacific Fleet, and Commander in C ...
for long-range armed search planes support for locating Japanese fleets and with firepower to withstand defending Japanese fighter attacks while tracking the fleet. As a mobile group, the 11th Group received authorization to leave Hickam Field to support Navy operations in the South Pacific Theater during the
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the south-western Pacific, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomon Islands by area, and the seco ...
New Hebrides
New Hebrides, officially the New Hebrides Condominium (french: link=no, Condominium des Nouvelles-Hébrides, "Condominium of the New Hebrides") and named after the Hebrides Scottish archipelago, was the colonial name for the island group ...
on 22 July 1942 and temporarily becoming part of
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 stat ...
the end of 1942. They bombed airfields, supply dumps, ships, docks, troop positions, and other objectives in the South Pacific from July to November 1942, and received a
Distinguished Unit Citation
The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enem ...
(DUC) for those operations. Continued operations attacking Japanese airfields, installations, and shipping until late March 1943.
The squadron returned to Hickam Field on 8 April 1943 and was reassigned to
Seventh Air Force
The Seventh Air Force (Air Forces Korea) (7 AF) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, South Korea.
The command's mission is to plan and direct air component operations in ...
. Following this, the 11th Bomb Group received the Consolidated
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models des ...
bombers, which it flew until the end of the war. While in Hawaii, the group refitted and trained with the B-24, flying combat training missions against
Wake Island
Wake Island ( mh, Ānen Kio, translation=island of the kio flower; also known as Wake Atoll) is a coral atoll in the western Pacific Ocean in the northeastern area of the Micronesia subregion, east of Guam, west of Honolulu, southeast of To ...
and other central Pacific bases held by the Japanese. It deployed to Ellice Island on 9 November 1943 and resumed combat participating in the Allied offensive through the
Gilbert Gilbert may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Gilbert (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
*Gilbert (surname), including a list of people
Places Australia
* Gilbert River (Queensland)
* Gilbert River (South ...
,
Marshall
Marshall may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria
Canada
* Marshall, Saskatchewan
* The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia
Liberia
* Marshall, Liberia
Marshall Islands
* Marshall Islands, an i ...
and
Marianas Islands
The Mariana Islands (; also the Marianas; in Chamorro: ''Manislan Mariånas'') are a crescent-shaped archipelago comprising the summits of fifteen longitudinally oriented, mostly dormant volcanic mountains in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, betw ...
, while operating from Funafuti, Tarawa, and Kwajalein. Moved to
Guam
Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
on 25 October 1944 and attacked shipping and airfields in the Volcano and Bonin Islands. Moved to
Okinawa
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city ...
on 2 July 1945 to participate in the final phases of the air offensive against Japan, bombing railways, airfields, and harbor facilities on
Kyushu
is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surroun ...
and striking Japanese airfields in Eastern China.
After the war ceased the group flew reconnaissance and surveillance missions to China and ferried liberated prisoners of war from Okinawa to Luzon, Philippines. The unit earned the Distinguished Unit Citation and the Presidential Unit Citation for its services in the Pacific.
Postwar era
After
V-J Day
Victory over Japan Day (also known as V-J Day, Victory in the Pacific Day, or V-P Day) is the day on which Imperial Japan surrendered in World War II, in effect bringing the war to an end. The term has been applied to both of the days on ...
, most squadron members returned to the United States and demobilized. On 29 April 1946 the squadron was redesignated as the 5th Reconnaissance Squadron (Very Long Range, Photographic), and assigned to Headquarters, US Army Forces, Pacific at Fort William McKinley, Luzon, Philippines.
Transferred to the 313th Bombardment Wing at Clark Field, the 5th was equipped with
F-13 Superfortress
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is a WWII era long range, strategic heavy bomber that was produced in many experimental and production models.
XB-29
: ''Section source: Baugher''
The XB-29, Boeing Model 345, was the first accepted prototype or ...
(B-29)s, F-7A Liberators (B-24J and L)s and a few F-9B Flying Fortresses (B-17F)s equipped for long range photography and mapping which had operated from Australia during the war. The squadron's mission was to perform aerial photography and mapping over the Southwest Pacific, Southeast Asia,
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
, Japan, Philippines, Formosa, and the Pescadores, 1946–1947, some missions being clandestine over northern China, Northern Korea and the Soviet Union.
The squadron began phasing down for inactivation in 1947, with it being inactivated on 20 October 1947.
Modern era
The squadron was reactivated at the
United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) is a United States service academy in El Paso County, Colorado, immediately north of Colorado Springs. It educates cadets for service in the officer corps of the United States Air Force and Uni ...
on 1 October 1983 and designated the 50th Airmanship Training Squadron. In November 1994 the squadron was re-designated as the 50th Training Squadron.50th Education Squadron History /ref>
In 1994, the unit earned its fourth
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
The Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award (ASOUA) is one of the Awards and decorations of the United States Department of the Air Force, unit awards of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. It was established in 1954 as the A ...
, three of them consecutively in its time at the Academy. The summer of 1997 saw the last flight of the
Boeing T-43A
The Boeing T-43 is a modified Boeing 737#737-200, Boeing 737-200 that was used by the United States Air Force for training navigators, now known as USAF combat systems officers, from 1973 to 2010. Informally referred to as the Gator (an abbrevi ...
for the squadron with a change in direction for the squadron mission and a loss of funding for the Buckley ANG Base unit which supported T-43 operations. In January 2001 the squadron was re-designated the 50th Education Squadron, reflecting the squadron's change in mission.
Lineage
* Organized as the 50th Aero Squadron on 6 August 1917
: Redesignated 50th Aero Squadron (Corps Observation) on 8 September 1918
: Redesignated 50th Aero Squadron on 1 June 1919
: Redesignated 50th Squadron, Observation on 14 March 1921
: Redesignated 50th Observation Squadron on 25 January 1923
: Inactivated on 1 August 1927
* Organized in the reserve, 1 December 1927
: Inactivated in the reserve, 31 October 1930
* Activated on 1 November 1930
: Redesignated 50th Reconnaissance Squadron on 25 January 1938
: Redesignated 50th Reconnaissance Squadron (Medium Range) on 6 December 1939
: Redesignated 50th Reconnaissance Squadron (Heavy) on 20 November 1940
: Redesignated 431st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 22 April 1942
: Redesignated 431st Bombardment Squadron, Heavy c. 3 August 1944
: Redesignated 5th Reconnaissance Squadron, Very Long Range, Photographic on 29 April 1946
: Inactivated on 20 October 1947
* Redesignated 50th Airmanship Training Squadron and activated on 1 October 1983
: Redesignated 50th Training Squadron on 1 November 1994
: Redesignated 50th Education Squadron on 1 January 2001
: Inactivated on 1 August 2005
: Redesignated as 50th Attack Squadron on 13 Feb 2018.
: Activated on 27 Feb 2018.
Assignments
* Post Headquarters, Kelly Field, 6 August 1917
* Aviation Concentration Center, 3 January 1918
* Air Service Headquarters, AEF, British Isles, 24 January 1918 (attached to
Royal Flying Corps
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colors =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries =
, decorations ...
for training until 3 July 1918)
* Replacement Concentration Center, AEF, 17–27 July 1918
*
I Corps Observation Group
The I Corps Observation Group was a United States Army Air Service unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I as part of the Air Service, First United States Army. It was demobilized in France after the 1918 Armistice with Germany ...
, 8 September 1918
* 1st Air Depot, 1 April 1919
* Commanding General, Services of Supply, April–May 1919
* Post Headquarters, Mitchel Field, 1 May 1919
* Post Headquarters, Scott Field, 27 May 1919
* Post Headquarters, Langley Field, 1 August 1919
*
2d Wing
The Second Bombardment Wing, abbreviated as 2nd Bombardment Wing of the United States Army Air Forces is a disbanded unit whose last assignment was with the Continental Air Forces, based at McChord Field, Washington. It was last active in Novemb ...
, September 1919 (attached to:
First Army Observation Group
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
after 1 October 1919)
* First Army Observation Group, 24 May 1920
: Attached to: 1st Provisional Air Brigade, 6 May-3 October 1921
* 2nd Wing (Provisional), 8 August 1922 (attached to Air Service Field Officers' (later Air Service Tactical School; Air Corps Tactical School)
* Air Corps Training Center, June-1 August 1927
* Regular Army Inactive (RAI) Reserve (attached to Office of the Chief of the Air Corps 1 December 1927,
9th Observation Group
The 9th Reconnaissance Wing (9 RW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command and Sixteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Beale Air Force Base, California. The wing is also the host unit at Beale.
Its mission is to ...
13 February 1929,
5th Composite Group
''005'' (pronounced "''double-o five''") is a 1981 arcade video game by Sega. They advertised it as the first of their RasterScan Convert-a-Game series, designed so that it could be changed into another game in minutes "at a substantial savings" ...
8 May 1929)
* 5th Composite Group, 1 November 1930
* Hawaiian Dept, United States Army, 12 October 1938 (attached to
5th Bombardment Group
''005'' (pronounced "''double-o five''") is a 1981 arcade video game by Sega. They advertised it as the first of their RasterScan Convert-a-Game series, designed so that it could be changed into another game in minutes "at a substantial savings" ...
,
11th Bombardment Group
An international call prefix, international dial-out code or international direct dial code (IDD code) is a trunk prefix that indicates an international phone call. In the dialling sequence, the prefix precedes the country calling code (and, fur ...
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 ...
, 27 February 2018 – 2 October 2018
* 25th Attack Group, 2 October 2018 – present
Stations
*
Kelly Field
Kelly Field (formerly Kelly Air Force Base) is a Joint-Use facility located in San Antonio, Texas. It was originally named after George E. M. Kelly, the first member of the U.S. military killed in the crash of an airplane he was piloting.
In ...
, Texas, 6 August-20 December 1917
*
Aviation Concentration Center
Camp Albert L. Mills (Camp Mills) was a military installation on Long Island, New York. It was located about ten miles from the eastern boundary of New York City on the Hempstead Plains within what is now the village of Garden City. In September 1 ...
, Garden City, New York, 3 January 1918
* Port of Entry,
Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken ( ; Unami: ') is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 60,417. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 58,690 i ...
:: Overseas transport,
RMS Carmania
RMS ''Carmania'' may refer to the following ocean liners:
* – in service with Cunard Line 1905–32
* – in service with Cunard Line 1962–73
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carmania, RMS
Ship names ...
, 9–24 January 1918
* Romney Rest Camp, Winchester, England, 24 January 1918
* RFC Harlaxton, Lincolnshire, England, 30 January 1918
*
St. Maixent Replacement Barracks
The Air Service Replacement Concentration Barracks is a former military facility in the vicinity of Saint-Maixent-l'École, Poitou-Charentes, France. It was used by the Air Service, United States Army as the Air Service Replacement Concentration ...
, France, 17 July 1918
*
Amanty Airdrome
Amanty Airdrome was a temporary World War I airfield in France. It was located northwest of Amanty, in the Meuse department in the Lorraine region in northeastern France (48.527383,5.598371).
History
The airfield was set up early 1917, with Fr ...
, France, 27 July 1918
* Behonne Air Depot, France, 4 September 1918 (advanced air depot of Colombey depot).
*
Bicqueley Airdrome
Bicqueley Aerodrome was a temporary World War I airfield in France. It was located East-Southeast from the commune of Bicqueley, in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in northeastern France.
Overview
The airfield was secretly constructed by t ...
, France, 8 September 1918
*
Remicourt Aerodrome
Remicourt Aerodrome was a temporary World War I airfield in France. It was located West of Remicourt,Two French "escadrilles" were stationed at a "Noirlieu" airfield - 4 km west of Remicourt, in July - September 1918, which might be the same ...
, France, 24 September 1918
*
Parois Airdrome
Parois Airdrome, was a temporary World War I airfield in France. It was located near the commune of Aubréville, in the Lorraine region in northeastern France.
Overview
The airfield was built during the early fall of 1918 as a forward operati ...
, France, 28 October 1918
* LongeauThis aerodrome is somewhat puzzling: Maurer says (p 531) "Langres, France (operated from Longeau)", but this is rather out of the war zone, even if it is after Armistice; furthermore, two construction squadrons (482nd and 484th) worked earlier at Longeaux (with an "x"), south of Ligny en Barrois, very well identified through the 484th's history. So, despite what Maurer says, we might wonder whether the 50th Sqn did not actually stayed at Longeaux aerodrome, near
Langres
Langres () is a commune in France, commune in northeastern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Departments of France, department of Haute-Marne, in the Regions of France, region of Grand Est.
History
As the capital o ...
, France, 6 December 1918
: B Flight stayed in Parois Airdrome until 18 December 1918, then moved to Clamecy before sailing back to United States.
: C Flight operated from Parois Airdrome till 12 December 1918, then moved to the "Camp de La Valbonne" ( Ain department), a military training grounds near Lyons.
*
Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome
: ''see also: Organization of the Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force''
When the United States entered World War I on 6 April 1917, the Air Service of the United States Army existed only as a branch of the Signal Corps, and was kno ...
, France, 1 April 1919
* Clamecy, France, 9 April 1919
*
Marseilles
Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...
, France, 22 April 1919
*
Mitchel Field
Mitchell may refer to:
People
*Mitchell (surname)
*Mitchell (given name)
Places Australia
* Mitchell, Australian Capital Territory, a light-industrial estate
* Mitchell, New South Wales, a suburb of Bathurst
* Mitchell, Northern Territory ...
, New York, 1 May 1919
* Scott Field, Illinois, 27 May 1919
*
Langley Field Langley may refer to:
People
* Langley (surname), a common English surname, including a list of notable people with the name
* Dawn Langley Simmons (1922–2000), English author and biographer
* Elizabeth Langley (born 1933), Canadian perform ...
, Virginia, August 1919
* Brooks Field, Texas, 25 June-1 August 1927
*
Dodd Field
Dodd Army Airfield was an airfield located within the current boundaries of Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. Dodd Field includes the area bounded on the north by Rittiman Road, on the west by Harry Wurzbach Memorial Highway, on the south by ...
, Texas, 1 December 1927
*
Mitchel Field
Mitchell may refer to:
People
*Mitchell (surname)
*Mitchell (given name)
Places Australia
* Mitchell, Australian Capital Territory, a light-industrial estate
* Mitchell, New South Wales, a suburb of Bathurst
* Mitchell, Northern Territory ...
, New York, 27 May 1929
* Luke Field, Hawaii, 1 November 1930
*
Hickam Field Hickam may refer to:
;Surname
*Homer Hickam (born 1943), American author, Vietnam veteran, and a former NASA engineer
** October Sky: The Homer Hickam Story, 1999 American biographical film
*Horace Meek Hickam (1885–1934), pioneer airpower advoca ...
, Hawaii, 9 October 1939
*
Nadi Airfield
Nadi International Airport is the main international airport of Fiji as well as an important regional hub for the South Pacific islands, located by the coast on the western side of the main island Viti Levu. Owned and operated by Fiji Airpor ...
,
Viti Levu
Viti Levu (pronounced ) is the largest island in the Republic of Fiji. It is the site of the nation's capital, Suva, and home to a large majority of Fiji's population.
Geology
Fiji lies in a tectonically complex area between the Australian P ...
,
Fiji
Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
, 24 July 1942
: Air echelon operated from
Luganville Airfield
Luganville Airfield or Bomber Field #3 is a former World War II airfield on the island of Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides Islands at the Espiritu Santo Naval Base.
History
World War II
The Seabees of the 40th Naval Construction Battalion arr ...
,
Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo (, ; ) is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of and a population of around 40,000 according to the 2009 census.
Geography
The island belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region o ...
,
New Hebrides
New Hebrides, officially the New Hebrides Condominium (french: link=no, Condominium des Nouvelles-Hébrides, "Condominium of the New Hebrides") and named after the Hebrides Scottish archipelago, was the colonial name for the island group ...
, August 1942
* Luganville Airfield, Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, 1 November 1942 – 28 March 1943
: Forward echelon operated from
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 ...
,
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 capita ...
, December 1942
* Hickam Field, Hawaii Territory, 8 April 1943
*
Funafuti Airfield
Funafuti International Airport is an airport in Funafuti, in the capital city of the island nation of Tuvalu. It is the sole international airport in Tuvalu. Fiji Airways (trading as Fiji Link) operates between Suva and Funafuti. Air Kiribati pr ...
,
Nanumea
Nanumea is the northwesternmost atoll in the Polynesian nation of Tuvalu, a group of nine coral atolls and islands spread over about of the Pacific Ocean just south of the equator and west of the International Date Line. Nanumea is with a popul ...
,
Gilbert Islands
The Gilbert Islands ( gil, Tungaru;Reilly Ridgell. ''Pacific Nations and Territories: The Islands of Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia.'' 3rd. Ed. Honolulu: Bess Press, 1995. p. 95. formerly Kingsmill or King's-Mill IslandsVery often, this n ...
, 11 November 1943
*
Hawkins Field
Hawkins Field is a baseball stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. It is the home field of the Vanderbilt Commodores college baseball team.
,
Tarawa
Tarawa is an atoll and the capital of the Republic of Kiribati,Kiribati ''
Kwajalein Airfield
Bucholz Army Airfield is a United States Army airfield located on Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands. Its position is ideal for refueling during trans-Pacific flights, and the airport is available to civilians through Air Marshall Islands and Uni ...
,
Marshall Islands
The Marshall Islands ( mh, Ṃajeḷ), officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands ( mh, Aolepān Aorōkin Ṃajeḷ),'' () is an independent island country and microstate near the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the Internati ...
, 31 March 1944
*
Agana Airfield
Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport , also known as Guam International Airport, is an airport located in Tamuning and Barrigada, east of the capital city of Hagåtña (formerly Agana) in the United States territory of Guam. The airport is ...
,
Guam
Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
,
Marianas Islands
The Mariana Islands (; also the Marianas; in Chamorro: ''Manislan Mariånas'') are a crescent-shaped archipelago comprising the summits of fifteen longitudinally oriented, mostly dormant volcanic mountains in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, betw ...
, 21 October 1944
*
Kadena Airfield
( IATA: DNA, ICAO: RODN) is a highly strategic United States Air Force base in the towns of Kadena and Chatan and the city of Okinawa, in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It is often referred to as the "Keystone of the Pacific" because of its hi ...
,
Okinawa
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city ...
, 2 July 1945
*
Fort William McKinley
Fort Andres Bonifacio (formerly named Fort William McKinley) is the site of the national headquarters of the Philippine Army (Headquarters Philippine Army or HPA) located in Metro Manila, Philippines. It is located near the national headquarter ...
,
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 ...
, Philippines, December 1945
*
Clark Field
Clark is an English language surname, ultimately derived from the Latin with historical links to England, Scotland, and Ireland ''clericus'' meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar within a religious order, referring to someone who was educate ...
, Luzon, Philippines, 15 June 1946 – 20 October 1947
*
United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) is a United States service academy in El Paso County, Colorado, immediately north of Colorado Springs. It educates cadets for service in the officer corps of the United States Air Force and Uni ...
, Colorado, 1 October 1983 – 1 August 2005
*
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 ...
Thomas-Morse O-19
The Thomas-Morse O-19 was an American observation biplane built by the Thomas-Morse Aircraft Company for the United States Army Air Corps.
Development
The O-19 was based on the earlier Thomas-Morse O-6 biplane. It was a conventional two-seat ...
, 1930–1936
*
Martin B-12
The Martin B-10 was the first all-metal monoplane bomber to be regularly used by the United States Army Air Corps, entering service in June 1934.Jackson 2003, p. 246. It was also the first mass-produced bomber whose performance was superior to ...
, 1936-1938
*
Curtiss A-3 Falcon
The Curtiss Falcon was a family of military biplane aircraft built by the American aircraft manufacturer Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company during the 1920s. Most saw service as part of the United States Army Air Corps as observation aircraft ...
, 1936-1938
*
Boeing P-12
The Boeing P-12/F4B was an American pursuit aircraft that was operated by the United States Army Air Corps , United States Marine Corps, and United States Navy.
Design and development
Developed as a private venture to replace the Boeing F2B an ...
, 1936-1938
*
B-18 Bolo
The Douglas B-18 Bolo is an American heavy bomber which served with the United States Army Air Corps and the Royal Canadian Air Force (as the Digby) during the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Bolo was developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company f ...
, 1938–1941
*
B-17D Flying Fortress
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Theater ...
F-13 Superfortress
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is a WWII era long range, strategic heavy bomber that was produced in many experimental and production models.
XB-29
: ''Section source: Baugher''
The XB-29, Boeing Model 345, was the first accepted prototype or ...
T-43 Bobcat
The Boeing T-43 is a modified Boeing 737-200 that was used by the United States Air Force for training navigators, now known as USAF combat systems officers, from 1973 to 2010. Informally referred to as the Gator (an abbreviation of "navigator ...
, 1983-1997
*
MQ-9 Reaper
The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper (sometimes called Predator B) is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) primarily for the Unit ...
, 2018–Present
See also
*
Erwin R. Bleckley
Erwin Russell Bleckley (December 30, 1894 – October 6, 1918) was a United States Army aviator during World War I, and posthumous recipient of the Medal of Honor, killed in action on October 6, 1918, near the "lost battalion". Bleckley ent ...
*
Harold Ernest Goettler
Harold Ernest Goettler (July 21, 1890 – October 6, 1918) was a U.S. Army Air Service aviator killed in action on October 6, 1918 while locating the Lost Battalion of the 77th Division during World War I. He died of wounds resulting from Germa ...
*
List of American aero squadrons
This is a partial list of original Air Service, United States Army "Aero Squadrons" before and during World War I. Units formed after 1 January 1919, are not listed.
Aero Squadrons were the designation of the first United States Army aviation ...
*
List of United States Air Force bomb squadrons
This is a list of United States Air Force Bomb Squadrons. It covers all squadrons that were constituted or redesignated as ''bombardment squadron'' sometime during their active service. Today ''Bomb Squadrons'' are considered to be part of the ...
*
Lists of World War I flying aces
The following are lists of World War I flying aces. Historically, a flying ace was defined as a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The term was first used by French newspapers, describ ...
*
Organization of the Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force
The Organization of the Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force on November 11, 1918, represents its maximum strength in World War I. Units of the Air Service are listed as assigned to the order of battle for that date, which was that of t ...