The 561st Weapons Squadron is a United States Air Force squadron assigned to the USAF Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. The

squadron Squadron may refer to: * Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies * Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, de ...

was the last United States Air Force unit to fly the McDonnell F-4 Phantom II on operational missions. The last

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 ...

shot down in the Vietnam War was from the 561st. The squadron was originally activated during World War II as the 561st 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, it returned to the United States and was inactivated. The squadron was briefly active in the reserve in the late 1940s, but does not appear to have been fully manned or equipped. The squadron was redesignated the 561st 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 561st 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 training. It deployed crews and planes to Southwest Asia during Desert Storm and maintained elements there until inactivating in 1996. It was activated in its current role in 2007.

Mission

The 561st provides information on tactical lessons learned and current tactics, techniques and procedures to ensure that training contributes to increased readiness and. It is the focal point for a process that collects, vets, disseminates, and integrates relevant and timely information and is a central source for current tactical doctrine and tactical resources.

History

World War II

Initial training and deployment

The 561st was first activated as the 561st Bombardment Squadron at Gowen Field, 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, 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, New Jersey, the port of embarkation, sailing in the on 1 July.Freeman, p. 255

Combat in Europe

The squadron assembled at RAF Knettishall, its combat station, and flew its first combat mission on 17 July, when it attacked an aircraft factory in Amsterdam. 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

(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, 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, 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 ...

; airfields at Paris, Berlin and in Bordeaux; 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 and La Pallice, 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 factories at Schweinfurt and rail marshalling yards in Bielefeld, Brussels, and Osnabruck. The squadron was occasionally diverted from the strategic campaign to perform air support and interdiction 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 hit coastal defenses, artillery batteries and transportation targets. It attacked troop concentrations and supply depots. In July 1944, it supported Operation Cobra at Saint Lo 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 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 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 in April 1945. After V-E Day, 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, South Dakota on 28 August 1945.

Air reserve

The squadron was activated in the reserves at

Orchard Place Airport Chicago O'Hare International Airport , sometimes referred to as, Chicago O'Hare, or simply O'Hare, is the main international airport serving Chicago, Illinois, located on the city's Northwest Side, approximately northwest of the Loop business ...

, 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 ...

.Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 217–218 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. In July 1948 Continental Air Command (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. ConAC moved the squadron to General Mitchell Field, Wisconsin in September 1948. The 561st was inactivated when President Truman's reduced 1949 defense budget required reductions in the number of units in the Air Force, With the squadron's inactivation reserve flying operations at Mitchell ended until 1952, when the

438th Troop Carrier Wing 438th may refer to: * 438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group (438 AEAG), assigned to the 438th Air Expeditionary Wing of USAFCENT, stationed at Kabul Airport, Afghanistan *438th Air Expeditionary Group, provisional unit assigned to United States Ai ...

was activated there.

Fighter operations in Europe

The squadron was redesignated the 561st 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 and departed, along with other elements of the

388th Fighter-Bomber 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) : T ...

, 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

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, 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, Libya in April 1955, where it was able to train in gunnery and bombing for the first time since arriving in Europe. The squadron was the last of the wing's operational units to rejoin the wing at its permanent base in France. Starting in November 1955, the squadron provided support for Detachment 1 of the 388th Wing at Hahn, and deployed there to stand nuclear alert. The detachment moved 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 in February 1956. In August 1956, the squadron began training to convert to the North American F-100 Super Sabre. 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 561st was inactivated and its mission, personnel and aircraft transferred to the

7th Fighter-Bomber Squadron 7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube. As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion, mythology, s ...

F-105 fighter operations

The squadron was redesignated the 561st Tactical Fighter Squadron and organized at McConnell Air Force Base, 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 561st was equipped with the

. The squadron conducted tactical operations and training in preparation for global deployment and deployed to Yokota Air Base, Japan in 1965. After 1966, the squadron conducted replacement training in the F-105, conducting frequent deployments to George Air Force Base, California.

Wild Weasel operations

Wild Weasel operations became the squadron's primary mission in mid-1970, when the squadron exchanged its single seat F-105s for two seat F-105G Thunderchiefs. In April 1972, the squadron established Detachment 1 at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand and flew combat Wild Weasel missions. The detachment was discontinued in September, but crews and planes of the squadron continued to fly missions until late January 1973. The squadron was awarded the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with

"V" Device A "V" device is a metal capital letter "V" with serifs which, when worn on certain decorations awarded by the United States Armed Forces, distinguishes an award for heroism or valor in combat instead of for meritorious service or achievement. ...

and the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm for this period. A plane from the 561st was the last F-105 shot down in the Vietnam War.This plane was Republic F-105G Thuderchief, serial 63-8359 It was hit by a

surface-to-air-missile A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-aircraft syst ...

on 16 November 1972; the crew was rescued. One of the surviving aircraft from the squadron is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force with the 561st Squadron's markings. On 1 July 1973, the 561st moved to George Air Force Base and joined the

35th Tactical Fighter Wing The 35th Fighter Wing is an air combat unit of the United States Air Force and the host unit at Misawa Air Base, Japan. The wing is part of Pacific Air Forces (PACAF)'s Fifth Air Force. The wing was first activated in August 1948 at Johnson A ...

. At George, the squadron mission was primarily the training of Wild Weasel crews. The squadron continued to fly the F-105G until 1980, when it began transitioning into the

McDonnell F-4G Phantom II The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and Bowe ...

advanced Wild Weasel, completing the transition the following year. In August 1990, the Wild Weasels deployed to

Sheikh Isa Air Base Isa Air Base, formerly known as Shaikh Isa Air Base , is located on the island nation of Bahrain. Isa Air Base is located on the shore of the Persian Gulf in southern Bahrain. It hosts the Royal Bahraini Air Force (RBAF) Fighter Wing and the two ...

, Bahrain and during Operation Desert Storm flew over 2,400 sorties logging more than 8,000 combat hours. After the war, the squadron was inactivated on 30 June 1992. The squadron was activated at Nellis Air Force Base as part of the

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 Nel ...

on 1 February 1993. the 561st soon deployed to Incirlik Air Base in support of Operation Provide Comfort and returned to Southwest Asia at Dhahran Air Base in Saudi Arabia, supporting Operation Southern Watch and

Operation Vigilant Warrior Operation Vigilant Warrior ( ar, عملية المحارب اليقظ) was a military operation from 8 October 1994 to 15 December 1994 by the United States in response to two divisions of Iraqi Republican Guard troops moving toward the Kuwaiti ...

. The 561st was also employed as an "Aggressor" squadron during

RED FLAG exercise Exercise Red Flag (also Red Flag – Nellis) is a two-week advanced aerial combat training exercise held several times a year by the United States Air Force. It aims to offer realistic air-combat training for military pilots and other flight ...

s. In 1994, the 561st became the largest fighter squadron in the United States Air Force. It maintained a continuous deployment to the Middle East until inactivating in October 1996.

Joint tactics

The squadron was redesignated the 561st Joint Tactics Squadron and activated at Nellis in May 2007 in its current role. It was reassigned to the USAF Weapons School and renamed the 561st Weapons Squadron in July 2019.

Lineage

* Constituted as the 561st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 19 December 1942 : Activated on 24 December 1942 : Redesignated 561st Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 20 August 1943 : Inactivated on 28 August 1945 * Redesignated 561st Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 5 May 1947 : Activated in the reserve on 12 June 1947 : Inactivated on 27 June 1949 * Redesignated 561st Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 5 November 1953 : Activated on 23 November 1953 : Inactivated on 10 December 1957 * Redesignated 561st Tactical Fighter Squadron and activated on 1 May 1962 (not organized) : Organized on 1 October 1962 : Redesignated 561st Fighter Squadron on 1 November 1991 : Inactivated on 30 June 1992 * Activated on 1 February 1993 : Inactivated on 1 October 1996 * Redesignated 561st Joint Tactics Squadron on 1 May 2007 : Activated on 22 May 2007 * Redesignated 561st Weapons Squadron on 16 July 2019

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 * 23d Tactical Fighter Wing, 8 February 1964 (attached to

41st Air Division The 41st Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Fifth Air Force at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It was inactivated on 15 January 1968. History "The 41st Air Division was organized, administered, equipp ...

, 6 March – 8 July 1965) *

832d Air Division The 832nd Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Tactical Air Command, (TAC) assigned to Twelfth Air Force at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, where it was inactivated on 1 October 1991. The ...

, 1 July 1972 (attached to 35th Tactical Fighter Wing) * 35th Tactical Fighter Wing, 15 July 1973 *

37th Tactical Fighter Wing The 37th Training Wing is a unit of the United States Air Force assigned to the 2nd Air Force and the Air Education and Training Command. As the host unit to Lackland Air Force Base, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, the 37th TRW is the predominan ...

, 30 March 1981 * 35th Tactical Fighter Wing (later 35th Fighter Wing), 5 October 1989 – 30 June 1992 (attached to 35th Tactical Fighter Wing, Provisional, 16 August 1990 – March 1991) * 57th Operations Group, 1 February 1993 – 1 October 1996 * United States Air Force Warfare Center, 22 May 2007 *

57th Wing The 57th Wing (57 WG) is an operational unit of the United States Air Force (USAF) Warfare Center, stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. The 57 WG's mission is to provide well trained and well equipped combat forces ready to deploy ...

, 14 February 2010 * USAF Weapons School, 16 July 2019 – present

Stations

* Gowen Field, Idaho, 24 December 1942 * Wendover Field, Utah, c. 1 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 (AAF-136), England, June 1943-c. 6 August 1945 * Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota, c. 13–28 August 1945 * Orchard Place Airport, Illinois, 12 June 1947 * General Mitchell Field, Wisconsin, 2 September 1948 – 27 June 1949 * Clovis Air Force Base, New Mexico, 23 November 1953 – 28 November 1954 * Hahn Air Base, Germany, 12 December 1954 * Étain-Rouvres Air Base, France, 1 December 1955 – 10 December 1957 * McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, 1 October 1962 : Deployed to Yokota Air Base, Japan, 6 March – 8 July 1965. deployed to George Air Force Base, California, 16–26 May 1966, 23 September – 17 October 1966, 17 February – 9 March 1967, 4–18 August 1967, 23 January – 8 February 1968, 18 June – 3 July 1968, 15–27 November 1968, 6–21 May 1969, and 12 November-c. 2 December 1969 * George Air Force Base, California, 1 July 1973 – 30 June 1992 : Deployed at: Sheik Isa Air Base, Bahrain, 16 August 1990 – March 1991 * Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, 1 February 1993 – 1 October 1996 * Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, 22 May 2007 – presentAssignment data in Musser, except as noted.

Aircraft

* Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, 1943–1945 * North American F-86 Sabre, 1954–1956 * North American F-100 Super Sabre, 1957 * Republic F-105 Thunderchief, 1964–1980 * McDonnell F-4 Phantom II, 1981–1992, 1993–1996

Awards and campaigns

References

Notes

; Explanatory notes ; Citations

Bibliography

* * (link to Google Books extract) * * * * * * *

External links

The 561st

Society of Wild Weasels
{{USAAF 2d Air Force World War II Squadrons of the United States Air Force Military units and formations in Nevada