563rd Tactical Fighter Squadron
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The 563rd Flying Training Squadron (also 563d Flying Training Squadron) is an inactive
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...
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 Un ...
, Texas, where it operated the Boeing T-43 Bobcat conducting navigator training 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 opposing ...
as the 563d Bombardment Squadron. After training in the United States, it deployed to the European Theater of Operations, where it participated in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany. The squadron was twice awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation 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 Easte ...
, 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 563d 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 563d 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 563d was first activated as the 563d 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 overse ...
, 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 Intern ...
, in December 1942.Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 275-276 The cadre 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 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 Strategic ...
, 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 and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...
. The squadron primarily engaged in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany, attacking industrial sites, oil refineries and storage facilities, communications centers and naval targets on the European Continent. The squadron was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for attacking an aircraft factory at Regensburg, 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, 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, fo ...
, Germany on 21 June. This last attack was on a shuttle bombing mission from England to Germany to Poltava, USSR,Now in the Ukraine. to Foggia, Italy, and back to England. Other strategic targets included aircraft factories at Brunswick, Kassel, and Reims;
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 pub ...
s at
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, 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), ma ...
,
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
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 prefect ...
; naval installations at Emden,
Kiel Kiel () is the capital and most populous city in the northern 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 Jutland ...
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 Stanisła ...
, chemical works in Ludwigshafen;
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 ag ...
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 ...
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 movemen ...
and
air interdiction Air interdiction (AI), also known as deep air support (DAS), is the use of preventive tactical bombing and strafing by combat aircraft against enemy targets that are not an immediate threat, to delay, disrupt or hinder later enemy engagement of ...
missions. It attacked military installations in France in early 1944 to help prepare the way for Operation Overlord, 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 ...
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 facil ...
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 launched by the United States First Army under Lieutenant General Omar Bradley seven weeks after the D-Day landings, during the Normandy campaign of World War II. The intention was to take adv ...
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 Orth ...
and the following month attacked targets in Caen. It struck military installations and airfields near
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 ban ...
during Operation Market Garden, 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 in 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 Easte ...
, 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 Force 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 squadron trained under the supervision of Air Defense Command (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 augm ...
(ConAC) assumed responsibility for managing reserve and Air National Guard units from ADC. In 1949, the 563nd began to fly a few Curtiss C-46 Commando 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 ...
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 563d Fighter-Bomber Squadron and activated at Clovis Air Force Base, New Mexico in November 1953. The squadron was equipped with North American F-86F Sabres, 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 f ...
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 settled in to the base.Ravenstein, pp. 209-211 Instead, the squadron ferried their Sabres to
Bitburg Air Base Bitburg (; french: Bitbourg; lb, Béibreg) is a city in Germany, in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate approximately 25 km (16 mi.) northwest of Trier and 50 km (31 mi.) northeast of Luxembourg city. The American Spangdahlem A ...
, 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 July 1955, the first of the wing's squadrons to arrive. 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 Air Base, Germany in February 1956. The unit flew support for the Suez Canal and Hungarian crises. 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 2 April 1957. However, the squadron flew the "Hun" for less than a year. On 10 December 1957, the 49th Fighter-Bomber Wing moved from Japan on paper to replace the 388th Wing, The 563d was inactivated and its mission, personnel and aircraft transferred to the 9th Fighter-Bomber Squadron.


F-105 fighter operations

The squadron was redesignated the 563d 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) : ...
. The 563d 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 Viet ...
, although it initially flew F-100s as well until becoming an all Thunderchief unit. In February 1964, the 388th was replaced at McConnell by the 23d Tactical Fighter Wing. The squadron conducted tactical operations and training in preparation for global deployment. In April 1965, the 563d 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, where it participated in combat operations in the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by 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 Vietnam a ...
under the control of the 6235th Tactical Fighter WingThis was actually two different organizations. As the squadron arrived at Takhli,
Pacific Air Forces Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) is a Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force and is also the air component command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). PACAF is headquartered at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam (f ...
formed the Tactical Fighter Wing, 6235th, Provisional. The provisional wing was replaced by a MAJCON wing with the same number on 8 July 1965, to which the squadron was attached until August, when it was relieved by the 562d Tactical Fighter Squadron.
On 27 July 1965, the unit participated in the first destruction of a surface-to-air missile site in North Vietnam in Operation Iron Hand. It participated in the first increment of
Operation Rolling Thunder Operation Rolling Thunder was a gradual and sustained aerial bombardment campaign conducted by the United States (U.S.) 2nd Air Division (later Seventh Air Force), U.S. Navy, and Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF) against the Democratic R ...
, and in several attempts to destroy the Thanh Hoa and Paul Doumer Bridges. The squadron returned to McConnell after earning two
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award The Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award (ASOUA) is one of the unit awards of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. It was established in 1954 as the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and was the first independent Air Force d ...
s with
Combat "V" Device Combat ( French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is sometimes resorted to as a method of self-defense, or ...
during its combat tour in Thailand. It had flown more than 1500 sorties over North Vietnam and Laos and lost ten of the F-105Ds it originally deployed with. Two squadron pilots were killed in action and three became Prisoners of War. In 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 July 1972.


Wild Weasel

On 31 July 1975, the 563rd was again activated 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 C ...
, California as the 563d Tactical Fighter Training Squadron and assigned to the 35th Tactical Fighter Wing. It initially flew Thunderstick II aircraft but replaced them with
McDonnell F-4 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 Bow ...
s in September 1975. In October 1978, the 563rd received new aircraft from
Nellis Air Force Base Nellis Air Force Base ("Nellis" colloq.) is a United States Air Force installation in southern Nevada. Nellis hosts air combat exercises such as Exercise Red Flag and close air support exercises such as Green Flag-West flown in " Military ...
, Nevada, and was the first operational squadron to fly the advanced F-4G
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 ...
. The unit served with this
electronic warfare Electronic warfare (EW) is any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum (EM spectrum) or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponen ...
aircraft in many
exercises Exercise is a body activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness. It is performed for various reasons, to aid growth and improve strength, develop muscles and the cardiovascular system, hone athletic s ...
until it was inactivated in October 1989.


Flying training

On 14 May 1993, the 563rd was redesigned the 563d 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 Un ...
, Texas. The squadron was assigned to 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 ...
under
Air Education and Training Command Air Education and Training Command (AETC) is one of the nine List of major commands of the United States Air Force, Major Commands (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force (USAF), reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force. It was establis ...
. In conjunction with the 562nd Flying Training Squadron, it operated the Boeing T-43 Bobcat aircraft conducting
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 ...
and combat systems officer training in electronic attack, threat reaction, and electronic surveillance. The 563rd also operated the T-25 Simulator. In 1996, its mission transferred to
Pensacola Naval Air Station 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 Stat ...
and
Corry Station The United States Navy's Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT) is one of the learning centers of Naval Education and Training Command, headquartered on Naval Air Station Pensacola Corry Station in Escambia County, Florida. It is resp ...
, Florida as the Air Force and the
Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...
combined their training activities and the squadron was inactivated in June 1996. The Air Force resumed training electronic warfare officers in 1999 and the squadron was reactivated in April. This training moved again to Pensacola and became the responsibility of the
479th Flying Training Group The 479th Flying Training Group is a United States Air Force unit, stationed at Naval Air Station Pensacola. A component of Air Education and Training Command, the group was activated on 2 October 2009. The current commander of the 479th Flying ...
and the squadron was inactivated in November 2010.Brief History of Randolph AFB, p. 52


Lineage

* Constituted as the 563rd Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 19 December 1942 : Activated on 24 December 1942 : Redesignated 563rd Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 20 August 1943 : Inactivated on 28 August 1945 * Redesignated 563rd Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 5 May 1947 : Activated in the reserve on 12 June 1947 : Inactivated on 27 June 1949 * Redesignated 563rd Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 5 November 1953 : Activated on 23 November 1953 : Inactivated on 10 December 1957 * Redesignated 563rd Tactical Fighter Squadron and activated on 1 May 1962 (not organized) : Organized on 1 October 1962 : Inactivated on 31 July 1972 * Redesignated 563rd Tactical Fighter Training Squadron on 15 July 1975 : Activated on 31 July 1975 : Redesignated 563rd Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 July 1977 : Inactivated on 5 October 1989 * Redesignated 563rd Flying Training Squadron on 14 December 1992 : Activated on 14 May 1993 : Inactivated on 3 June 1996 * Activated on 30 April 1999Lineage information, including assignments and aircraft, through 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, 1 May 1962 (not organized) * 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 October 1962 * 23rd Tactical Fighter Wing, 8 February 1964 (attached to 2nd Air Division, 8–9 April 1965; 6235th Tactical Fighter Wing rovisional 10 April-15 August 1965) * 832nd Air Division, 1–31 July 1972 * 35th Tactical Fighter Wing, 31 July 1975 * 37th Tactical Fighter Wing, 30 March 1981 – 5 October 1989 * 12th Operations Group, 14 May 1993 – 3 June 1996 * 12th Operations Group, 30 April 1999 – 19 November 2010


Stations

* Gowen Field, Idaho, 24 December 1942 * Wendover Field, Utah, c. 1 February 1943 * Sioux City Army Air Base, 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 – 27 June 1949 * Clovis Air Force Base, New Mexico, 23 November 1953 – 28 November 1954 * Bitburg Air Base, Germany, 12 December 1954 * Étain-Rouvres Air Base, France, 7 July 1955 – 10 December 1957 * McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, 1 October 1962 – 31 July 1972 (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 8 April-15 August 1965; Eglin Air Force Base, Florida 22 April-3 June 1971) * George Air Force Base, California, 31 July 1975 – 5 October 1989. * Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, 14 May 1993 – 3 June 1996 * Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, 30 April 1999Station information through 2007 in Robertson, except as noted. - 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 Marauder (1949) * North American F-86 Sabre (1954–1956) * North American F-100 Super Sabre (1957, 1963–1964) * Republic F-105 Thunderchief (1963–1972) * McDonnell F-4 Phantom II (1975–1989) * Boeing T-43 Bobcat (1993–1996, 1999–2010)


Awards and campaigns


See also

* B-17 Flying Fortress units of the United States Army Air Forces * 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


References


Notes

; Explanatory notes ; Citations


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * {{USAAF 2d Air Force World War II 0563 Military units and formations disestablished in 2010