562d Flying Training Squadron
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The 562nd Flying Training Squadron (also known as the 562d Flying Training Squadron) is an inactive
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 ...
unit. It was part of the
12th Flying Training Wing The 12th Flying Training Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Education and Training Command's Nineteenth Air Force. It is headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. The wing is the parent organization for the 479th Flyin ...
at
Randolph Air Force Base Randolph Air Force Base was an United States Air Force base located at Universal City, Texas ( east-northeast of Downtown San Antonio). Opened in 1931, Randolph has been a flying training facility for the United States Army Air Corps, the Uni ...
, Texas, where it operated the
Boeing 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 ...
conducting navigator training from 1993 until inactivating on 19 November 2010. The squadron was originally activated during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
as the 562d Bombardment Squadron. After training in the United States, it deployed to the
European Theater of Operations The European Theater of Operations, United States Army (ETOUSA) was a Theater of Operations responsible for directing United States Army operations throughout the European theatre of World War II, from 1942 to 1945. It commanded Army Ground For ...
, where it participated in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany. The squadron was twice awarded 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 ...
for its combat actions. Following
V-E Day Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easter ...
, it returned to the United States and was inactivated. The squadron was briefly active in the
reserve Reserve or reserves may refer to: Places * Reserve, Kansas, a US city * Reserve, Louisiana, a census-designated place in St. John the Baptist Parish * Reserve, Montana, a census-designated place in Sheridan County * Reserve, New Mexico, a US vi ...
in the late 1940s, but does not appear to have been fully manned or equipped. The squadron was redesignated the 562d Fighter-Bomber Squadron and activated in 1953. It moved to Europe, but was inactivated in 1957, when it was replaced by another unit. It was activated again as the 562d Tactical Fighter Squadron in 1962. It conducted frequent deployments, but focused on training pilots for operations in Southeast Asia. Elements of the squadron participated in combat there, although the squadron remained in the United States. From 1973, it conducted
Wild Weasel Wild Weasel is a code name given by the United States Air Force (USAF) to an aircraft of any type equipped with anti-radiation missiles and tasked with the suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD): destroying the radar and surface-to-air mis ...
training. It deployed elements for
Desert Storm The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
before inactivating in 1992.


History


World War II


Initial training and deployment

The 562d was first activated as the 562d Bombardment Squadron at
Gowen Field Boise Airport (Boise Air Terminal or Gowen Field) is a joint civil-military airport in the western United States, south of downtown Boise in Ada County, Idaho. The airport is operated by the city of Boise Department of Aviation and is overseen ...
, Idaho, one of the four original squadrons of the
388th Bombardment Group 388th may refer to: *388th Electronic Combat Squadron, inactive United States Air Force unit *388th Fighter Squadron or 132nd Fighter Wing (132d W), United States Air Force unit assigned to the Iowa Air National Guard, located at Des Moines Interna ...
, in December 1942.Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 275-276 The
cadre Cadre may refer to: *Cadre (military), a group of officers or NCOs around whom a unit is formed, or a training staff *Cadre (politics), a politically controlled appointment to an institution in order to circumvent the state and bring control to th ...
that formed at Gowen moved to
Wendover Field Wendover is a market town and civil parish at the foot of the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, England. It is situated at the point where the main road across the Chilterns between London and Aylesbury intersects with the once important road a ...
, Utah in February 1943, where the unit was fully manned and squadron training with
Boeing B-17 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 ...
heavy bombers began. Training continued until June 1943, when it deployed to England. The air echelon ferried its B-17s to England via the northern ferry route, while the ground echelon departed for
Camp Kilmer Located in Central New Jersey, Camp Kilmer is a former United States Army camp that was activated in June 1942 as a staging area and part of an installation of the New York Port of Embarkation. The camp was organized as part of the Army Service ...
, New Jersey, the port of embarkation, sailing in the on 1 July.Freeman, p. 255


Combat in Europe

The squadron assembled at
RAF Knettishall RAF Knettishall is a former World War II airfield in Suffolk. It was numbered as Station 136 by the United States Army Air Forces while home to the 388th Bombardment Group of the Eighth Air Force The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategi ...
, its combat station, and flew its first combat mission on 17 July, when it attacked an aircraft factory in
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
. The squadron primarily engaged in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany, attacking industrial sites, oil
refineries A refinery is a production facility composed of a group of chemical engineering unit processes and unit operations refining certain materials or converting raw material into products of value. Types of refineries Different types of refineries ar ...
and storage facilities, communications centers and naval targets on the European Continent. The squadron was awarded 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 attacking an aircraft factory at
Regensburg Regensburg or is a city in eastern Bavaria, at the confluence of the Danube, Naab and Regen rivers. It is capital of the Upper Palatinate subregion of the state in the south of Germany. With more than 150,000 inhabitants, Regensburg is the f ...
, Germany, on 17 August 1943, withstanding heavy resistance to reach the target. It was awarded a second DUC for three separate missions: an earlier attack on a tire and rubber factory in
Hanover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...
, Germany on 26 July 1943 and two missions in 1944, one against synthetic oil refineries near
Brüx Most (; german: Brüx; la, Pons) is a city in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 63,000 inhabitants. It lies between the Central Bohemian Uplands and the Ore Mountains, approximately northwest of Prague along the Bí ...
, GermanyNow Most, Czech Republic. on 12 May and at
Ruhland ( Sorbian: ''Rólany'') is a town in the Oberspreewald-Lausitz district, in Upper Lusatia, Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated on the river Schwarze Elster, 12 km southwest of Senftenberg. Ruhland station is a major railway junction, for f ...
, Germany on 21 June. This last attack was on a shuttle bombing mission from England to Germany to
Poltava Poltava (, ; uk, Полтава ) is a city located on the Vorskla River in central Ukraine. It is the capital city of the Poltava Oblast (province) and of the surrounding Poltava Raion (district) of the oblast. Poltava is administratively ...
, USSR,Now in the Ukraine. to
Foggia Foggia (, , ; nap, label= Foggiano, Fògge ) is a city and former ''comune'' of Apulia, in Southern Italy, capital of the province of Foggia. In 2013, its population was 153,143. Foggia is the main city of a plain called Tavoliere, also known ...
, Italy, and back to England. Other strategic targets included aircraft factories at Brunswick,
Kassel Kassel (; in Germany, spelled Cassel until 1926) is a city on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Kassel and the district of the same name and had 201,048 inhabitants in December 2020 ...
, and
Reims Reims ( , , ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French department of Marne, and the 12th most populous city in France. The city lies northeast of Paris on the Vesle river, a tributary of the Aisne. Founded by ...
;
airfield An aerodrome (Commonwealth English) or airdrome (American English) is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for publ ...
s at
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
,
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
and in
Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...
; naval installations at
Emden Emden () is an independent city and seaport in Lower Saxony in the northwest of Germany, on the river Ems. It is the main city of the region of East Frisia and, in 2011, had a total population of 51,528. History The exact founding date of E ...
,
Kiel Kiel () is the capital and most populous city in the northern Germany, German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 246,243 (2021). Kiel lies approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the southeast of the J ...
and
La Pallice La Pallice (also known as ''grand port maritime de La Rochelle'') is the commercial deep-water port of La Rochelle, France. During the Fall of France, on 19 June 1940, approximately 6,000 Polish soldiers in exile under the command of Stanisław ...
, chemical works in
Ludwigshafen Ludwigshafen, officially Ludwigshafen am Rhein (; meaning " Ludwig's Port upon Rhine"), is a city in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, on the river Rhine, opposite Mannheim. With Mannheim, Heidelberg, and the surrounding region, it form ...
;
ball bearing A ball bearing is a type of rolling-element bearing that uses balls to maintain the separation between the bearing races. The purpose of a ball bearing is to reduce rotational friction and support radial and axial loads. It achieves this ...
factories at
Schweinfurt Schweinfurt ( , ; ) is a city in the district of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the surrounding district (''Landkreis'') of Schweinfurt and a major industrial, cultural and educational hub. The urban agg ...
and rail
marshalling yards A classification yard (American and Canadian English (Canadian National Railway use)), marshalling yard (British, Hong Kong, Indian, Australian, and Canadian English (Canadian Pacific Railway use)) or shunting yard (Central Europe) is a railway ya ...
in
Bielefeld Bielefeld () is a city in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe Region in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population of 341,755, it is also the most populous city in the administrative region (''Regierungsbezirk'') of Detmold and the ...
,
Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
, and Osnabruck. The squadron was occasionally diverted from the strategic campaign to perform
air support In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement ...
and
interdiction Interdiction is a military term for the act of delaying, disrupting, or destroying enemy forces or supplies en route to the battle area. A distinction is often made between strategic and tactical interdiction. The former refers to operations whose e ...
missions. It attacked military installations in France in early 1944 to help prepare the way for
Operation Overlord Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The operat ...
, the invasion of Normandy, and on
D Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...
hit coastal defenses,
artillery batteries In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit or multiple systems of artillery, mortar systems, rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers, surface-to-surface missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, etc., so grouped to faci ...
and transportation targets. It attacked troop concentrations and supply depots. In July 1944, it supported
Operation Cobra Operation Cobra was the codename for an Offensive (military), offensive launched by the United States First United States Army, First Army under Lieutenant General Omar Bradley seven weeks after the D-Day landings, during the Invasion of Norman ...
at
Saint Lo In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Catholic, Eastern Ortho ...
and the following month attacked targets in
Caen Caen (, ; nrf, Kaem) is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the department of Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inhabitants (), while its functional urban area has 470,000,Arnhem Arnhem ( or ; german: Arnheim; South Guelderish: ''Èrnem'') is a city and municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands about 55 km south east of Utrecht. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland, located on both banks of ...
during
Operation Market Garden Operation Market Garden was an Allies of World War II, Allied military operation during the World War II, Second World War fought in the Netherlands from 17 to 27 September 1944. Its objective was to create a Salient (military), salient into G ...
, the unsuccessful attempt to secure a bridgehead across the
Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...
in the Netherlands. It attacked transportation targets to support the final drive through Germany in early 1945.


Return and inactivation

The squadron flew its last combat mission to the Landsberg Airfield near
Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...
, on 21 April 1945. After
V-E Day Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easter ...
, the squadron flew missions to the Netherlands to drop food in flooded areas. It then began redeploying to the United States. Its aircraft left Knettishall between 9 June and 5 July 1945. The ground echelon sailed again on the ''Queen Elizabeth'' on 5 August. The squadron inactivated at
Sioux Falls Army Air Field Sioux Falls Regional Airport , also known as Joe Foss Field, is a public and military use airport three miles northwest of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. It is named in honor of aviator and Sioux Falls native Joe Foss, who later served a ...
, South Dakota on 28 August 1945.


Air reserve

The squadron was activated in the reserves at Orchard Place Airport, Illinois on 12 June 1947 and assigned to the
338th Bombardment Group The 338th Bombardment Group is a disbanded United States Air Force unit. It was last active with Continental Air Command at O'Hare International Airport, Illinois on 27 June 1949. It was first activated during World War II as the 338th Fighter G ...
. The squadron trained under the supervision of
Air Defense Command Aerospace Defense Command was a major command (military formation), command of the United States Air Force, responsible for continental air defense. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air Defense Command, was est ...
(ADC)'s 141st AAF Base Unit (Reserve Training) (later the 2471st Air Force Reserve Flying Training Center), although it does not appear that it was fully manned or equipped.Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 217–218 Although nominally a bombardment unit, the squadron was equipped with
North American AT-6 Texan The North American Aviation T-6 Texan is an American single-engined advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), United States Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force and other air forces ...
and
Beechcraft AT-11 Kansan Beechcraft is an American brand of civil aviation and military aircraft owned by Textron Aviation since 2014, headquartered in Wichita, Kansas. Originally, it was a brand of Beech Aircraft Corporation, an American manufacturer of general aviati ...
trainers. In July 1948
Continental Air Command Continental Air Command (ConAC) (1948–1968) was a Major Command of the United States Air Force (USAF) responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve. During the Korean War, ConAC provided the necessary au ...
(ConAC) assumed responsibility for managing reserve and
Air National Guard The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...
units from ADC. In 1949, the 562nd began to fly a few
Curtiss C-46 Commando The Curtiss C-46 Commando is a twin-engine transport aircraft derived from the Curtiss CW-20 pressurised high-altitude airliner design. Early press reports used the name "Condor III" but the Commando name was in use by early 1942 in company pub ...
and
Douglas C-47 Skytrain The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota (RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in ...
troop carriers and
Douglas B-26 Invader The Douglas A-26 Invader (designated B-26 between 1948 and 1965) is an American twin-engined light bomber and ground attack aircraft. Built by Douglas Aircraft Company during World War II, the Invader also saw service during several major Col ...
light bombers, but it was inactivated in June when ConAC reorganized its reserve units under the wing base organization system. President Truman's reduced 1949 defense budget also required reductions in the number of units in the Air Force, At O'Hare, the 338th Group and its squadrons were inactivated, and most of its personnel transferred to the 437th Troop Carrier Wing.


Fighter operations in Europe

The squadron was redesignated the 562d Fighter-Bomber Squadron and activated at
Clovis Air Force Base Cannon Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base, located approximately southwest of Clovis, New Mexico. It is under the jurisdiction of Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). The host unit at Cannon is the 27th Special Operation ...
, New Mexico in November 1953. The squadron was equipped with
North American F-86F Sabre The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing Sov ...
s, with a capability of carrying nuclear weapons. A year after activation, in November 1954, the squadron was transferred to
United States Air Forces Europe United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...
and departed, along with other elements of the 388th Fighter-Bomber Wing, for Étain-Rouvres Air Base, France. However, construction at Etain was not far enough advanced to permit it to accept fighter aircraft, and only the wing
headquarters Headquarters (commonly referred to as HQ) denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the to ...
settled in to the base.Ravenstein, pp. 209-211 Instead, the squadron ferried their Sabres to
Spangdahlem Air Base Spangdahlem Air Base (IATA: SPM, ICAO: ETAD, former code EDAD) is a NATO air base with the USAF as a tenant constructed between 1951 and 1953 and located near the small German town of Spangdahlem, approximately 30 km NNE of the city of Trier ...
, Germany, arriving the following month. Little flying was done in the squadron's first winter in Europe due to weather. It deployed to
Wheelus Air Base Wheelus Air Base was a United States Air Force base located in British-occupied Libya and the Kingdom of Libya from 1943 to 1970. At one time it was the largest US military facility outside the US. It had an area of on the coast of Tripoli. T ...
, Libya in April 1955, where it was able to train in gunnery and bombing for the first time since arriving in Europe. The squadron rejoined the wing at its permanent base in France in September 1955. Starting in November 1955, it began deployments to Detachment 1 of the 388th Wing at
Hahn Air Base Hahn Air Base was a United States Air Force installation near Lautzenhausen in Germany for over 40 years. The major unit was the United States Air Force's 50th Tactical Fighter Wing during most of the years it was active. It was originally buil ...
, Germany to stand nuclear alert. The detachment moved to Spangdahlem in February 1956. In August 1956, the squadron began training to convert to the
North American F-100 Super Sabre The North American F-100 Super Sabre is an American supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force (USAF) from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard (ANG) until 1979. The first of the Century Series of ...
. The conversion was completed by May 1957. However, the squadron flew the "Hun" for less than a year. On 10 December 1957, the
49th Fighter-Bomber Wing "Thank God for Mississippi" is an adage used in the United States, particularly in the South, that is generally used when discussing rankings of U.S. states. Since the U.S. state of Mississippi commonly ranks at or near the bottom of such rankin ...
moved from Japan on paper to replace the 388th Wing, The 562d was inactivated and its mission, personnel and aircraft transferred to the 8th Fighter-Bomber Squadron.


F-105 fighter operations

The squadron was redesignated the 562d Tactical Fighter Squadron, organized at
McConnell Air Force Base McConnell Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located four miles (6 km) southeast of the central business district of Wichita, a city in Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States., effective 2007-12-20 The airbase was named in ...
, Kansas in October 1962 and assigned to the
388th Tactical Fighter Wing The 388th Fighter Wing (388FW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Fifteenth Air Force. The unit is stationed at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. Units 388th Operations Group (388 OG) *4th Fighter Squadron (4 FS) ...
. In February 1964, the 388th was replaced at McConnell by the
23d Tactical Fighter Wing The 23rd Wing is a front-line United States Air Force Air Combat Command wing currently assigned to Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. Mission The mission of the 23rd Wing is to organize, train and employ combat-ready Fairchild Republic A-10 Thund ...
. The 562d was equipped with the
Republic F-105 Thunderchief The Republic F-105 Thunderchief is an American supersonic fighter-bomber that served with the United States Air Force from 1958 to 1984. Capable of Mach 2, it conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Vie ...
. The squadron conducted tactical operations and training in preparation for global deployment. In August 1965, the 562nd deployed to
Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base is a Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) facility in central Thailand, approximately 144 miles (240 km) northwest of Bangkok in Takhli District, Nakhon Sawan Province. Units Takhli is the home of the Royal Tha ...
, Thailand, relieving the 563d Tactical Fighter Squadron, which had been there since April. For the next five months, it participated in sustained combat operations in the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
. In November, the
355th Tactical Fighter Wing 355th may refer to: Aviation * 355th Fighter Squadron, an inactive United States Air Force unit * 355th Fighter Wing, a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command's Twelfth Air Force * 355th Tactical Airlift Squadron, a U.S. Ai ...
replaced the 6235th Tactical Fighter Wing at Takhli and the Air Force began to station permanent fighter squadrons there. The squadron returned to McConnell in December, but earned an
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 ...
with
Combat "V" Device Combat (French language, French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violence, violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed (Hand-to-hand combat, not using weapons). Combat is sometim ...
during its combat tour in Thailand. In January 1966, the squadron focused on training replacement F-105 pilots for units in Southeast Asia. It continued this mission until August 1970, when the need for "Thud Drivers" diminished with the withdrawal of the United States from Southeast Asia. The squadron continued to fly the F-105 until inactivated in September 1972.


Wild Weasel operations

The squadron was again activated on 31 October 1974 at
George Air Force Base George Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base located within the city limits, 8 miles northwest, of central Victorville, California, about 75 miles northeast of Los Angeles, California. Established by the United States Army Air Co ...
, California and assigned to the 35th Tactical Fighter Wing. It was once again equipped with F-105s, but now with the two seat F-105G equipped for the
Wild Weasel Wild Weasel is a code name given by the United States Air Force (USAF) to an aircraft of any type equipped with anti-radiation missiles and tasked with the suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD): destroying the radar and surface-to-air mis ...
mission. The squadron upgraded to McDonnell F-4G Phantom IIs in 1980, and starting the following year trained
electronic warfare officer In the U.S. Air Force, an electronic warfare officer (EWO) is a trained aerial navigator who has received training in enemy threat systems, electronic warfare principles and overcoming enemy air defense systems. These officers are specialists in f ...
s in the Wild Weasel mission. It continued in this role until inactivating in June 1992. During
Operation Desert Storm Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...
, the squadron deployed crews and aircraft to participate in combat operations.


Navigator training

The squadron was redesignated the 562nd Flying Training Squadron and activated at
Randolph Air Force Base Randolph Air Force Base was an United States Air Force base located at Universal City, Texas ( east-northeast of Downtown San Antonio). Opened in 1931, Randolph has been a flying training facility for the United States Army Air Corps, the Uni ...
, Texas in May 1993 and assigned to the 12th Operations Group. the squadron operated the
Boeing 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 ...
to train
navigator A navigator is the person on board a ship or aircraft responsible for its navigation.Grierson, MikeAviation History—Demise of the Flight Navigator FrancoFlyers.org website, October 14, 2008. Retrieved August 31, 2014. The navigator's primar ...
s and
naval flight officer A naval flight officer (NFO) is a commissioned officer in the United States Navy or United States Marine Corps who specializes in airborne weapons and sensor systems. NFOs are not pilots (naval aviators), but they may perform many "co-pilot" or ...
s in Joint Undergraduate Navigator Training until navigator training and electronic warfare officer training was combined into the Combat Systems Officer course and moved to
Naval Air Station Pensacola Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola (formerly NAS/KNAS until changed circa 1970 to allow Nassau International Airport, now Lynden Pindling International Airport, to have IATA code NAS), "The Cradle of Naval Aviation", is a United State ...
, Florida. The squadron was inactivated in November 2010.Research Division, Air Force Historical Research Agency, Air Force Organization Change Status Report, November 2010, Maxwell AFB, AL


Lineage

* Constituted as the 562d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 19 December 1942 : Activated on 24 December 1942 : Redesignated 562nd Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 20 August 1943 : Inactivated on 28 August 1945 * Redesignated 562nd Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 5 May 1947 : Activated in the reserve on 12 June 1947 : Inactivated on 27 June 1949 * Redesignated 562nd Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 5 November 1953 : Activated on 23 November 1953 : Inactivated on 10 December 1957 * Redesignated 562nd Tactical Fighter Squadron and activated, on 1 May 1962 (not organized) : Organized on 1 October 1962 : Inactivated on 31 July 1972 * Activated on 31 October 1974 : Redesignated 562nd Tactical Fighter Training Squadron on 9 October 1980 : Redesignated 562nd Fighter Squadron on 1 November 1991 : Inactivated on 30 June 1992 * Redesignated 562nd Flying Training Squadron on 14 December 1992 : Activated on 14 May 1993Lineage, including assignments, through May 2007 in Robertson. : Inactivated on 19 November 2010


Assignments

* 388th Bombardment Group, 24 December 1942 – 28 August 1945 * 338th Bombardment Group, 12 June 1947 – 27 June 1949 * 388th Fighter-Bomber Group, 23 November 1953 – 10 December 1957 (attached to 388th Fighter-Bomber Wing after 1 July 1957) *
Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 J ...
, 1 May 1962 (not organized) * 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 October 1962 * 23rd Tactical Fighter Wing, 8 February 1964 (attached to 6235th Tactical Fighter Wing 6 August-7 November 1965; 355th Tactical Fighter Wing 8 November-c. 4 December 1965) * 832nd Air Division, 1–31 July 1972 * 35th Tactical Fighter Wing, 31 October 1974 * 37th Tactical Fighter Wing, 30 March 1981 * 35th Tactical Fighter Wing, 5 October 1989 – 30 June 1992 * 12th Operations Group, 14 May 1993 – 19 November 2010


Stations

* Gowen Field, Idaho, 24 December 1942 * Wendover Field, Utah, 5 February 1943 *
Sioux City Army Air Base Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...
, Iowa, 1 May-7 June 1943 * RAF Knettishall (Station 136), England, June 1943 – August 1945 * Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota, c. 13–28 August 1945 * Orchard Place Airport (later O'Hare International Airport), Illinois, 12 June 1947 – 27 June 1949 * Clovis Air Force Base, New Mexico, 23 November 1953 – 28 November 1954 * Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, 12 December 1954 * Étain-Rouvres Air Base, France, c. 15 September 1955 – 10 December 1957 * McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, 1 October 1962 – 31 July 1972 (deployed to Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, 6 August-c. 4 December 1965) * George Air Force Base, California, 31 October 1974 – 30 June 1992 * Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, 14 May 1993 – 19 November 2010


Aircraft

* Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress (1943–1945) * North American AT-6 Texan (1947–1949) * Beechcraft AT-11 Kansan (1947–1949) * Curtiss C-46 Commando (1949) * Douglas C-47 Skytrain (1949) * Douglas B-26 Invader (1949) * North American F-86 Sabre (1954–1956) * North American F-100 Super Sabre (1957) * Republic F-105 Thunderchief (c. 1963 - 1972, 1974–1980) * McDonnell F-4 Phantom II (1980–1992) * Boeing T-43 Bobcat (1993–2010)Aircraft through December 2005 in Robertson.


Awards and campaigns


See also

*
B-17 Flying Fortress units of the United States Army Air Forces This is a list of United States Army Air Forces B-17 Flying Fortress units of the United States Army Air Forces, including variants and other historical information. Heavy bomber training organizations primarily under II Bomber Command in t ...
* List of F-86 Sabre units *
List of F-100 units of the United States Air Force This is a List of F-100 Units of the United States Air Force by wing, squadron, location, tailcode, features, variant, and service dates. During the 1960s, squadrons were transferred regularly to different wings and bases temporarily, and someti ...
*
List of F-105 units of the United States Air Force Active duty Source: *4th Tactical Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB ** 333d Tactical Fighter Squadron 1960–1970 ** 334th Tactical Fighter Squadron 1959–1966 **335th Tactical Fighter Squadron 1959–1966 **336th Tactical Fighter Squadron 1959– ...
*
List of F-4 Phantom II operators F-4 Phantom II non-U.S. operators are the non-U.S. nations with air forces that operate or used to operate the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II. The Phantom II entered service with the U.S. military in 1960 and served until 1996. During this tim ...


References


Notes

; Explanatory notes ; Citations


Bibliography

* * * * * * * {{USAAF 2d Air Force World War II 0562