The 604th Special Operations 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 ...

squadron It was last active at Bien Hoa Air Base, Vietnam, where it was inactivated in September 1970. 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, ...

was first activated in the spring of 1944 as the 4th Fighter Reconnaissance Squadron, although it was soon redesignated the 4th Fighter Squadron (Commando). It moved to the Pacific in the fall of 1944 and earned a

Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation The Philippine Presidential Unit citation BadgeThe AFP Adjutant General, ''Awards and Decorations Handbook'', 1997, OTAG, p. 65. is a unit decoration of the Republic of the Philippines. It has been awarded to certain units of the United States mil ...

for combat in the Philippines. After the surrender of Japan, it served in the

occupation forces Japan was occupied and administered by the victorious Allies of World War II from the 1945 surrender of the Empire of Japan at the end of the war until the Treaty of San Francisco took effect in 1952. The occupation, led by the United States wi ...

until being inactivated in March 1946. The squadron was active briefly as the 604th Fighter Squadron, Commando from 1963 to 1964 in a build-up of Air Force counterinsurgency units in a period of increased American involvement in Southeast Asia. It was activated again as the 604th Air Commando Squadron, Fighter in 1967 to test the combat capability of the Cessna A-37A Dragonfly and moved to Vietnam where it engaged in combat until 1970, when it was inactivated as the Air Force began to withdraw forces from the country. The squadron was awarded two Presidential Unit Citations, an

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 ...

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 ...

and three Vietnamese Gallantry Crossed with Palm for its actions during the war.

History

World War II

3d Fighter Squadron (Commando) P-51D Mustangs

210855-G-KITT at White Waltham (9465356119)

The

was first activated at

Drane Field Lakeland Linder International Airport is a public airport five miles southwest of Lakeland, in Polk County, Florida. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017–2021 categorized it as a nati ...

in the spring of 1944 as the 4th Fighter Reconnaissance Squadron, one of the original squadrons of the

3d Air Commando Group 3-D, 3D, or 3d may refer to: Science, technology, and mathematics Relating to three-dimensionality * Three-dimensional space ** 3D computer graphics, computer graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data ** 3D film, a ...

.Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 28–29Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 28–29 After training in Florida until October, the squadron shipped overseas to the Philippines as the 4th Fighter Squadron, Commando. Under

Fifth Air Force The Fifth Air Force (5 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It is the U.S. Air Force's oldest continuously serving Numbered Air Force. The organizat ...

, it attacked Japanese

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 ...

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

s and other targets in the Philippines and Taiwan and supported ground forces in the Philippines. The unit flew escort missions for attacks on Taiwan and the Chinese coast and provided top cover for ship convoys. For its actions in the liberation of the Philippines the squadron was awarded a

. In August 1945 the squadron moved to

Ie Shima , previously romanized in English as Ie Shima, is an island in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, lying a few kilometers off the Motobu Peninsula on Okinawa Island. The island measures in circumference and covers . As of December 2012 the island had ...

and flew a few patrols over Japan before the surrender of Japan. It moved to

Chitose Airfield , is a Japan Air Self-Defense Force base located in Chitose, Hokkaidō, adjacent to New Chitose Airport. It is the JASDF's primary base in northern Japan and tasked with monitoring Japan's maritime borders with Russia. It was also Hokkaidō's ...

and served with the

until inactivating in March 1946. The squadron was disbanded in October 1948 while inactive.

Vietnam War

The squadron was activated again at Eglin Air Force Base Auxiliary Airfield#9 (Hurlburt Field), Florida on 1 July 1963 as the 604th Fighter Squadron, Commando.''See'' Mueller, p. 131 Its parent, the 1st Air Commando Wing was in the process of expanding from a groupRavenstein, pp. 2–5 in response to the

's expansion of

special operations Special operations (S.O.) are military activities conducted, according to NATO, by "specially designated, organized, selected, trained, and equipped forces using unconventional techniques and modes of employment". Special operations may include ...

forces in the face of insurgencies in Southeast Asia. The squadron was inactivated in November 1964. The 604th was redesignated the 604th Air Commando Squadron, Fighter and activated again at

England Air Force Base England Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base in Louisiana, located northwest of Alexandria and about northwest of New Orleans. Originally known as Alexandria Army Air Base, on 23 June 1955 the facility was renamed England Ai ...

, Louisiana in January 1967.Mueller, p. 170 The squadron was equipped with the

Cessna A-37 Dragonfly The Cessna A-37 Dragonfly, or Super Tweet, is an American light attack aircraft developed from the T-37 Tweet basic trainer in the 1960s and 1970s by Cessna of Wichita, Kansas. The A-37 was introduced during the Vietnam War and remained in pe ...

, testing the plane's suitability for combat in project Combat Dragon. This project had been inspired by the dwindling availability of

Douglas A-1 Skyraider The Douglas A-1 Skyraider (formerly known as the AD Skyraider) is an American single-seat attack aircraft in service from 1946 to the early 1980s. The Skyraider had an unusually long career, remaining in front-line service well into the Jet Age ...

s, which had been performing the special operations attack mission. After training until July, the squadron moved to Bien Hoa Air Base to continue testing the A-37 in combat. Although initially assigned to the 14th Air Commando Wing the unit was operationally part of the 3d Tactical Fighter Wing while stationed in Vietnam.Ravenstein, pp. 29–30Ravenstein. pp. 9–12 At Bien Hoa, the squadron was nicknamed the "Mattel Marauders" by the pilots of the 3d wing's larger North American F-100 Super Sabre pilots. The squadron flew its first combat mission on 15 August 1967, only three months after receiving its first A-37. The slower speed at which the Dragonfly delivered its ordnance gave it improved accuracy and its small size made it a more difficult target for enemy anti-aircraft warfare, antiaircraft defenses. The test of the A-37A ended in December 1967. In addition to close air support, the squadron flew forward air control missions during the test. Once the test was complete, the unit continued to engage in combat, later flying the improved A-37B. until being inactivated on 30 September 1970 as the Air Force discontinued its combat units at Bien Hoa in preparation to transfer the base to the Republic of Vietnam Air Force.''See'' Ravenstein. pp. 9–12

Lineage

* Constituted as the 4th Fighter Reconnaissance Squadron on 25 April 1944 : Activated on 1 May 1944 : Redesignated 4th Fighter Squadron, Commando on 2 June 1944 : Inactivated on 25 March 1946 * Disbanded on 8 October 1948Lineage, including assignments, stations and aircraft prior to 1963 in Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 28–29 * Reconstituted, redesignated 604th Fighter Squadron, Commando and activated on 15 April 1963 (not organized) : Organized on 1 July 1963 : Discontinued and inactivated on 8 November 1964 * Redesignated 604th Air Commando Squadron, Fighter on 16 January 1967 and activated (not organized) : Organized on 25 January 1967 * Redesignated 604th Special Operations Squadron on 1 August 1968 : Inactivated on 30 September 1970

Assignments

: 1 May 1944 – 25 March 1946 * Tactical Air Command: 15 April 1963 (not organized) * 1st Air Commando Wing: 1 July 1963 – 8 November 1964 * Tactical Air Command: 16 January 1967 (not organized) * United States Air Force Tactical Fighter Weapons Center, 25 January 1967 * 14th Air Commando Wing: 15 November 1967 (attached to 3d Tactical Fighter Wing) * 3d Tactical Fighter Wing: March 1970 – 30 September 1970

Stations

* Drane Field, Florida, 1 May 1944 * Alachua Army Air Field, Florida, 21 August 1944 * Drew Field, Florida, 6 October 1944 – 27 October 1944 * Leyte, Philippines 5 January 1945 * Mangaldan, Luzon, Philippines, 26 January 1945 * Laoag, Luzon, Philippines, 15 April 1945 * Ie Shima, Ryukyu Islands, 9 August 1945 * Chitose Airfield, Japan. 27 October 1945 – 25 March 1946 * Eglin Air Force Base Auxiliary Airfield No. 9, Florida, 1 July 1963 – 8 November 1964Mueller, p. 131 * England Air Force Base, Louisiana, 25 January 1967 * Bien Hoa Air Base, Vietnam, 28 July 1967 – 30 September 1970

Aircraft

* Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, 1944 * North American P-51 Mustang, 1944–1946 * Unknown, 1963–1964 (probably Douglas A-1 Skyraider or North American AT-28 Trojan) * Cessna A-37A Dragonfly, 1967–1970

Awards and campaigns

References

Notes

Bibliography

* * * * *
AF Pamphlet 900-2, Unit Decorations, Awards and Campaign Participation Credits, Vol II
Department of the Air Force, Washington, DC, 30 September 1976

External links

* {{USAAF 3d Air Force World War II Special operations squadrons of the United States Air Force