524th Special Operations Squadron - History

History

524th SPECIAL OPERATIONS SQUADRON

Lineage. Constituted 11 Reconnaissance Squadron (Light) on 20 November 1940. Activated on 15 January 1941. Redesignated: 91 Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 14 August 1941; 524 Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 23 August 1943; 524 Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 30 May 1944. Inactivated on 7 November 1945. Activated on 20 August 1946. Redesignated: 524 Fighter Squadron, Two Engine, on 22 July 1947; 524 Fighter Squadron, Jet, on 1 December 1949; 524 Fighter-Escort Squadron on 1 February 1950; 524 Strategic Fighter Squadron on 20 January 1953; 524 Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 1 July 1957; 524 Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 July 1958; 524 Tactical Fighter Training Squadron on 8 July 1980; 524 Fighter Squadron on 1 November 1991. Inactivated on 24 September 2007. Reactivated as 524 Special Operation Squadron on 1 October 2009 – present

Assignments. 27 Bombardment (later, 27 Fighter-Bomber; 27 Fighter) Group, attached on 15 January 1941, assigned 14 August 1941 – 7 November 1945. 27 Fighter (later, 27 Fighter-Escort) Group, 20 August 1946 (attached to 136 Fighter-Bomber Wing, 30 June-12 August 1951; 27 Fighter-Escort Wing, 25 August 1951 – 15 June 1952); 27 Fighter-Escort (later, 27 Strategic Fighter; 27 Fighter-Bomber; 27 Tactical Fighter; 27 Fighter) Wing, 16 June 1952 (attached to unkn, 17 June- 8 July 1959; TUSLOG, 10 February-16 June 1961; 4158 Strategic Wing, 30 October-14 November 1961; 2 Air Division, 9-c. 27 June 1963 and 21 January-19 March 1964; 39 Air Division, 1 December 1964 – 28 March 1965); 27 Operations Group, 1 November 1991 – 24 September 2007; 27 Special Operations Wing on 1 October 2009 – present

Stations. Hunter Field, GA, 15 January-19 October 1941; Ft William McKinley, Luzon, 20 November 1941; San Marceleno, Luzon, 22 December 1941 (air echelon operated from Brisbane, Australia, 24 December 1941 – 5 February 1942); Limay, Luzon, 25 December 1941; Bataan, Luzon, 5 January 1942 (air echelon operated from Malang, Java, 18 February-c. 1 March 1942, and from Brisbane, Australia, 10-24 March 1942); Charters Towers, Australia, Apr-4 May 1942; Hunter Field, GA, 4 May 1942; Key Field, MS, 15 July 1942; Hattiesburg, MS, 15 August 1942; Harding Field, LA, 26 October-21 November 1942; Ste-Barbe-du-Tlelat, Algeria, 26 December 1942; Nouvion, Algeria, 7 January 1943; Ras el Ma, French Morocco, 6 April 1943; Korba, Tunisia, 4 June 1943; Gela, Sicily, 18 July 1943; San Antonio, Sicily, 3 September 1943; Capaccio, Italy, 18 September 1943; Guado Airfield, Italy, 4 November 1943; Pomigliano, Italy, 19 January 1944; Castel Volturno, Italy, 10 April 1944; Santa Maria, Italy, 8 May 1944; Le Banca, Italy, 7 June 1944; Ciampino, Italy, 11 June 1944; Voltone, Italy, 4 July 1944; Sarragia, Corsica, 13 July 1944; Le Luc, France, 25 August 1944; Salon, France, 30 August 1944; Loyettes, France, 12 September 1944; Tarquinia, Italy, 2 October 1944; Pontedera, Italy, 1 December 1944; St Dizier, France, 21 February 1945; Toul/Ochey, France, 19 March 1945; Biblis, Germany, 5 April 1945; Sandhofen, Germany, 24 June 1945; Echterdingen, Germany, 15 September-20 October 1945; Camp Shanks, NY, 6-7 November 1945. Fritzlar, Germany, 20 August 1946; Bad Kissingen, Germany, 25 June 1947; Andrews Field, MD, 25 June 1947; Kearney AAFld (later, AFB), NE, 16 July 1947; Bergstrom AFB, TX, 16 March 1949 (deployed at Taegu AB, South Korea, 5 December 1950 – 30 January 1951; Itazuke AB, Japan, 31 January-12 August 1951; Misawa AB, Japan, 13 October 1952-c. 13 February 1953; Sturgate RAF Station, England, 7 May-19 Aug 1955); Cannon AFB, NM, 18 February 1959 – 24 September 2007, 1 October 2009 – present; (deployed at Hahn AB, Germany, 17 June-8 July 1959; Incirlik AB, Turkey, 10 February-16 June 1961; Elmendorf AFB, AK, 30 October-14 November 1961; MacDill AFB, FL, 21 October-1 December 1962; Takhli RTAFB, Thailand, 9-c. 27 June 1963 and 21 January-19 March 1964; Misawa AB, Japan, 1 December 1964 – 28 March 1965; Holloman AFB, NM, 13 April-12 May 1966).

Aircraft. B-18, 1941; A-24, 1941-1942; A-20, 1941, 1942-1943; A-36, 1943-1944; P-40, 1944; P-47, 1944-1945. P-47, 1946-1947; P-51, 1947-1948; F-82, 1948-1950; F-84, 1950-1958; F-101, 1957-1958; F-100, 1959-1969, 1969-1972; F-111D, 1972-1998; F-16, 1998-2007;

Operations. Combat in Southwest Pacific, 8 December 1941 – 4 May 1942; ground echelon fought with infantry units in Philippine Islands, Jan-Apr 1942. Combat in Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) and European Theater of Operations (ETO), 6 June 1943 – 4 May 1945. Combat in Korea, c. 8 December 1950 – 3 August 1951. F-100 replacement training, 1 January 1966 – 6 March 1969. Beginning in Jan 1980 served as wing's primary fighter training squadron. Conducted overseas deployments to maintain combat readiness of personnel and aircraft, 1984-1989. Rotated personnel and aircraft to IncirlikAB, Turkey in support of operations in Southwest Asia, Sep 1992-Jul 1993. Transitioned to F-16 aircraft in 1998 and trained for day and night, all weather precision attack and electronic combat operations. Maintained capability to deploy and support unified commanders worldwide with day and night combat operations, 2000-2007.

Campaign Streamers. World War II: Philippine Islands; East Indies; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Anzio; Rome-Arno; Northern France; Southern France; North Apennines; Rhineland; Central Europe; Air Combat, EAME Theater. Korea: CCF Intervention; First UN Counteroffensive; CCF Spring Offensive; UN Summer-Fall Offensive.

Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Philippine Islands, 7 December 1941- 1942; Philippine Islands, 8-22 December 1941; Philippine Islands, 6 January-8 March 1942; Italy, 10 September 1943; France, 4 September 1944; Korea, 26 January-21 April 1951. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 15 August 1968 – 15 August 1969; 1 January 1981 – 30 June 1982; 1 January 1988 – 31 December 1989; 1 April-30 September 1992; 1 June 1996 – 31 May 1998; 1 June 2002 – 31 May 2004. Philippine Presidential Unit Citation (WWII). Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation: 9 November 1950 – 31 May 1951.

Emblem. Approved on 21 January 1955.