42d Attack Squadron

42d Attack Squadron
	First squadron MQ-9 Reaper at Creech AFB
Active	1917-1919; 1922-1936; 1940-1963; 2006–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Squadron
Role	Unmanned Aerial vehicle
Garrison/HQ	Creech Air Force Base, Nevada
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation ; Navy Presidential Unit Citation ; Air Force Meritorious Unit Award ; Air Force Outstanding Unit Award [1]
Commanders
Notable; commanders	Lt Gen Roger M. Ramey [1] Maj Gen Orvil A. Anderson [2]
Insignia
42d Attack Squadron emblem (approved 30 November 2009) [1]
42d School Squadron emblem (approved 20 January 1925) [3]

Last updated March 05, 2019

The 42d Attack Squadron of the United States Air Force flies General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper Unmanned aerial vehicles and is currently stationed at Creech Air Force Base near Indian Springs, Nevada. The 42d oversees the training and combat deployment of aerial vehicle and sensor operators assigned to the Reaper. All aircraft will employ the AN/AAS-52 Multi-Spectral Targeting System developed by Raytheon.

The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerial and space warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the five branches of the United States Armed Forces, and one of the seven American uniformed services. Initially formed as a part of the United States Army on 1 August 1907, the USAF was established as a separate branch of the U.S. Armed Forces on 18 September 1947 with the passing of the National Security Act of 1947. It is the youngest branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, and the fourth in order of precedence. The USAF is the largest and most technologically advanced air force in the world. The Air Force articulates its core missions as air and space superiority, global integrated intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, rapid global mobility, global strike, and command and control.

The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations, developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) primarily for the United States Air Force (USAF). The MQ-9 and other UAVs are referred to as Remotely Piloted Vehicles/Aircraft (RPV/RPA) by the USAF to indicate their human ground controllers. The MQ-9 is the first hunter-killer UAV designed for long-endurance, high-altitude surveillance. In 2006, the then–Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force General T. Michael Moseley said: "We've moved from using UAVs primarily in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance roles before Operation Iraqi Freedom, to a true hunter-killer role with the Reaper."

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without a human pilot aboard. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS); which include a UAV, a ground-based controller, and a system of communications between the two. The flight of UAVs may operate with various degrees of autonomy: either under remote control by a human operator or autonomously by onboard computers.

History

World War I

The squadron was organized as the 42d Aero Squadron on 17 June 1917, shortly after the United States declared war on Germany. Based at Camp Kelly, Texas, the squadron flight-trained new pilots as part of the Air Service until demobilized on 21 February 1919.

The United States Army Air Service was the aerial warfare service of the United States between 1918 and 1926 and a forerunner of the United States Air Force. It was established as an independent but temporary branch of the U.S. War Department during World War I by two executive orders of President Woodrow Wilson: on May 24, 1918, replacing the Aviation Section, Signal Corps as the nation's air force; and March 19, 1919, establishing a military Director of Air Service to control all aviation activities. Its life was extended for another year in July 1919, during which time Congress passed the legislation necessary to make it a permanent establishment. The National Defense Act of 1920 assigned the Air Service the status of "combatant arm of the line" of the United States Army with a major general in command.

Training between the wars

The squadron was reconstituted in 1922 and became the 42d School Squadron in January 1923 as part of the 10th School Group at Kelly Field. In 1924 its lineage was consolidated with that of the 42d Aero Squadron. The 42d School Squadron continued its flying training role as part of the Air Corps in 1926, and was assigned to the Advanced Flying School at Kelly Field in 1931.

The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service of the United States of America between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical rift developed between more traditional ground-based army personnel and those who felt that aircraft were being underutilized and that air operations were being stifled for political reasons unrelated to their effectiveness. The USAAC was renamed from the earlier United States Army Air Service on 2 July 1926, and was part of the larger United States Army. The Air Corps became the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) on 20 June 1941, giving it greater autonomy from the Army's middle-level command structure. During World War II, although not an administrative echelon, the Air Corps (AC) remained as one of the combat arms of the Army until 1947, when it was legally abolished by legislation establishing the Department of the Air Force.

On 1 March 1935, with the activation of the General Headquarters Air Force, the squadron was redesignated the 42d Bombardment Squadron, although it remained a training squadron at Kelly until its inactivation in September 1936.

It was organized once again only a month later, as a Regular Army inactive unit assigned to the Eighth Corps Area, on 23 October 1936.^[2] These units remained inactive, but had Organized Reserve officers assigned for training.

World War II

In September 1939, the squadron existed only as an inactive cadre of Organized Reserve officers, centered on Brownsville Municipal Airport, Texas. The squadron was reactivated on 1 February 1940 as part of the expansion of the Air Corps anticipating U.S. participation in World War II. It became part of the 11th Bombardment Group based at Hickam Field, Hawaii. Initially flying Douglas B-18 Bolos, the squadron was converting to Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses when Hickam was attacked by Japanese carrier aircraft as part of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The Douglas B-18 Bolo is an American medium bomber which served with the United States Army Air Corps and the Royal Canadian Air Force during the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Bolo was built by the Douglas Aircraft Company, based on its DC-2, and was developed to replace the Martin B-10.

The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Competing against Douglas and Martin for a contract to build 200 bombers, the Boeing entry outperformed both competitors and exceeded the air corps' performance specifications. Although Boeing lost the contract because the prototype crashed, the air corps ordered 13 more B-17s for further evaluation. From its introduction in 1938, the B-17 Flying Fortress evolved through numerous design advances, becoming the third-most produced bomber of all time, behind the four-engined B-24 and the multirole, twin-engined Ju 88.

The Attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Territory, on the morning of December 7, 1941. The attack, also known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor, led to the United States' formal entry into World War II. The Japanese military leadership referred to the attack as the Hawaii Operation and Operation AI, and as Operation Z during its planning.

The 42d Squadron deployed with the 11th Bombardment Group to Espiritu Santo, where it participated in the Guadalcanal Campaign. It conducted long-range reconnaissance and bombing missions throughout the South, Southwest, Central, and Western Pacific areas until the end of the war, converting to Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers in 1943.

In 1946, while based on Guam, the 42d BS was briefly equipped with Boeing B-29 Superfortresses, but had no aircraft or flying mission from 1947 to its inactivation on in 1948.

Strategic Air Command

The squadron was reactivated as a unit of the United States Air Force on 1 December 1948. Assigned to the 11th Bombardment Group as part of the Strategic Air Command, it flew Convair B-36 Peacemaker intercontinental bombers from Carswell Air Force Base, Texas. In 1957 it moved to Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, to convert to Boeing B-52 Stratofortresses.

In 1960 was reassigned to the 4043d Strategic Wing, being re-equipped with B-52E intercontinental heavy bombers. The squadron moved to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio by SAC to disperse its heavy bomber force. Conducted worldwide strategic bombardment training missions and providing nuclear deterrent. Was inactivated in 1963 when SAC inactivated its strategic wings, replacing them with permanent Air Force Wings. Squadron was inactivated with its aircraft, personnel and equipment transferred to the 34th Bombardment Squadron.

Unmanned aerial vehicles

On 9 November 2006, the squadron was redesignated the 42d Attack Squadron and reactivated at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, initially as part of the 57th Wing before being assigned as one of the six unmanned aerial vehicle squadrons of the 432d Wing, and the only squadron designated as an attack squadron.

The 42d received its first General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper on 13 March 2007. Officially combat-operational in Afghanistan since September 2007, the typical MQ-9 system consists of several aircraft, a ground control station, communications equipment/links, spares, and active duty and/or contractor personnel. The crew consists of one unmanned aerial system pilot, one sensor operator and one mission intelligence coordinator.

Lineage

42d Aero Squadron

Organized as the 42d Aero Squadron on 13 June 1917
Demobilized on 21 February 1919
Reconstituted on 8 April 1924 and consolidated with the 42d School Squadron as the 42d School Squadron^[1]

42d Attack Squadron

Authorized 10 June 1922 as the 42d Squadron (School)

Organized on 5 July 1922

Redesignated 42d School Squadron on 25 January 1923

Consolidated with the 42d Aero Squadron on 8 April 1924

Redesignated 42d Bombardment Squadron on 1 March 1935

Inactivated on 1 September 1936

Organized as a Regular Army Inactive unit on 23 November 1936^[2]
Redesignated 42d Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 22 December 1939

Activated on 1 February 1940

Redesignated 42d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 11 December 1940

Redesignated 42d Bombardment Squadron, Heavy c. 1 August 1944

Redesignated 42d Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 30 April 1946

Inactivated on 20 October 1948

Redesignated 42d Bomb Squadron, Heavy and activated on 1 December 1948

Discontinued and inactivated on 1 February 1963

Redesignated 42d Attack Squadron and activated on 9 November 2006^[1]

Assignments

Unknown, 13 June 1917 – 21 February 1919 (probably Post Headquarters, Kelly Field and Wilbur Wright Field)
10th School Group, 5 July 1922
Air Corps Advanced Flying School, 16 July 1931
3d Wing, GHQ Air Force, 1 March 1935 – 1 September 1936 (attached to Air Corps Advanced Flying School)
Eighth Corps Area as a Regular Army Inactive unit on 23 November 1936^[2]
11th Bombardment Group, 1 February 1940 – 20 October 1948
11th Bombardment Group, 1 December 1948 (attached to 11th Bombardment Wing after 16 February 1951)
11th Bombardment Wing, 16 June 1952
4043d Strategic Wing, 1 June 1960
57th Operations Group, 9 November 2006
432d Operations Group, 1 May 2007^[1]

Stations

Camp Kelly, Texas, 13 June 1917
Wilbur Wright Field, Ohio, 25 August 1917 – 21 February 1919
Kelly Field, Texas, 5 July 1922 – 1 September 1936
Brownsville Municipal Airport, Texas as a Regular Army Inactive unit on 23 November 1936^[2]
Hickam Field, Hawaii, 1 February 1940
Kualoa Airfield, Hawaii, 5 June 1942
Mokuleia Airfield, Hawaii, 8 July 1942
Plaine Des Gaiacs Airfield, New Caledonia, 22 July 1942
Luganville Airfield, Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, 23 November 1942
Kualoa Point Field, Hawaii, 8 April 1943
Funafuti Airfield, Nanumea, Gilbert Islands, 9 November 1943
Mokuleia Field, Hawaii, 9 January 1944

Kahuku Army Air Field, Hawaii, 19 March 1944
Mokuleia Field, Hawaii, 13 June 1944
Agana Airfield, Guam, Marianas Islands, 22 September 1944
Yontan Air Base, Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, 2 July 1945
Fort William McKinley, Luzon, Philippines, 11 December 1945
Northwest Field (Guam) (later Harmon Field), Guam, 15 May 1946 – 20 October 1948
Carswell Air Force Base, Texas, 1 December 1948
Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, 13 December 1957 – 1 June 1960
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, 1 June 1960 – 1 February 1963
Creech Air Force Base, Nevada. 9 November 2006 – present^[1]

Aircraft

Standard J-1, 1917–1919
Curtiss JN-4, 1917–1919
Airco DH.4, 1917–1919, 1923–1931
Douglas O-2, 1926–1933
Curtiss O-11 Falcon, 1930–1932
Thomas-Morse O-19, 1930–1935
Keystone B-3, 1935–1936
Keystone B-4, 1935–1936
Keystone B-5, 1935–1936
Douglas B-18 Bolo, 1940–1941
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, 1941–1943
Consolidated B-24 Liberator, 1943–1945
Boeing B-29 Superfortress, 1946
Convair B-36 Peacemaker, 1949–1957
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, 1958–1963
General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper, 2006–present^[1]
General Atomics MQ-1 Predator, 2006- present

Decorations

Distinguished Unit Citation

South Pacific, 31 July-30 November 1942

Navy Presidential Unit Citation

Pacific Theater, 7 August-9 December 1942

Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards

6 August 1954 – 15 July 1957

27 October 1958-1 June 1960

Related Research Articles

The 95th Reconnaissance Squadron is a squadron of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the 55th Operations Group, Air Combat Command, stationed at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. The squadron is equipped with several variants of the Boeing C-135 aircraft equipped for reconnaissance missions.

The 26th Space Aggressor Squadron is a unit of the United States Air Force located at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado. It is part of the 926th Group and is the reserve associate of the 527th Space Aggressor Squadron.

The 23d Bomb Squadron is a United States Air Force unit, assigned to the 5th Bomb Wing. It is stationed at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota. The mission of the squadron is to fly the Boeing B-52H Stratofortress strategic bomber. The squadron stands ready to deploy and fly its B-52Hs to enforce national security policy by being ready to deliver overwhelming nuclear or conventional firepower to destroy targets, worldwide, at any time.

The 13th Bomb Squadron is a squadron of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the 509th Operations Group, Air Force Global Strike Command, stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. The squadron is equipped with the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber.

The 93d Bomb Squadron is a squadron of the United States Air Force Reserve. It is assigned to the 307th Operations Group of Air Force Reserve Command, stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The squadron is equipped with the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress. It is one of two reserve bomber squadrons in the United States Air Force.

The 73d Special Operations Squadron was a unit of the United States Air Force, assigned to the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida. The squadron operated AC-130J Ghostrider ground-attack aircraft in support of Air Force Special Operations Command.

The 99th Reconnaissance Squadron is a squadron of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the 9th Operations Group, Air Combat Command, stationed at Beale Air Force Base, California. The squadron is equipped with the Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady reconnaissance aircraft.

The 911th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 916th Air Refueling Wing at Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina. The squadron is the Air Force’s very first active duty squadron that is under the command of a reserve wing. In October of 2016, the 911th, formerly geographically separated from the 6th Air Mobility Wing at MacDill AFB, FL and operated as the active duty associate to the 916th Air Refueling Wing, became the first “I-Wing” or Integrated Wing.

The 436th Training Squadron is a non-flying training squadron of the United States Air Force. It is a tenant unit assigned to the 7th Operations Group, 7th Bomb Wing, Dyess Air Force Base, Texas

The 65th Special Operations Squadron is a United States Air Force unit stationed at Hurlburt Field, Florida. It was first activated in 1941 as the 65th Bombardment Squadron when United States increased its armed forces prior to entry into World War II. It briefly served in the antisubmarine role, then deployed to the Southwest Pacific Theater, where it participated in combat against Japan, earning a Distinguished Unit Citation and a Philippine Presidential Unit Citation. It remained in the Philippines after the war ended, and was inactivated in the Philippines in 1946.

The 74th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was first active during World War II as the 74th Aero Squadron. In 1933 it was consolidated with the 74th Pursuit Squadron, which had been organized as a reserve training organization in 1927, activating in the Panama Canal Zone, where it served during World War II as the 74th Bombardment Squadron.

The 429th Attack Squadron is a classic associate squadron, stationed at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. It is geographically separated from its parent 926th Wing at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.

The 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit. Its current assignment is with the 53d Wing, based at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana.

2d Combat Bombardment Wing 1919-1945 United States Army Air Forces numbered wing

The Second Bombardment Wing, abbreviated both as 2d Bombardment Wing and 2nd Bombardment Wing, of the United States Army Air Forces is a disbanded unit whose last assignment was with the Continental Air Forces, based at McChord Field, Washington. It was last active in November 1945.

The 491st Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 341st Bombardment Wing at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas where it was inactivated on 25 June 1961.

The 489th Attack Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit, stationed at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada and operating MQ-1 and MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicles. It was previously active at Beale Air Force Base, California as the 489th Reconnaissance Squadron from 2011 to 2015.

The 394th Combat Training Squadron was a United States Air Force unit assigned to the 509th Operations Group until inactivated on 13 April 2018. It was stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. The mission of the squadron was to train Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit aircrews, a mission now executed by the 13th Bomb Squadron. The 394th is the fourth oldest squadron in the United States Air Force. Its history dated to 5 May 1917 as the 4th Aero Squadron.

The 89th Attack Squadron is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the 432d Wing as a tenant unit at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. It has been active as a remotely piloted aircraft (drone) squadron there since 2011.

The 482d Attack Squadron is a United States Air Force unit, stationed at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, where it is the operational squadron of the 25th Attack Group, operating unmanned aerial vehicles.

The 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force (USAF) unit. It is assigned to the 380th Expeditionary Operations Group at Al Dhafra Air Base in United Arab Emirates. It has supported combat operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria from this location. The squadron has a varied background, having been formed by a series of consolidations of no fewer than five distinct units.

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Haulman, Daniel L. (15 May 2012). "Factsheet 42 Attack Squadron (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
1 2 3 4 5 Clay, p. 1406
↑ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 193-194

Bibliography

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/ .

Clay, Steven E. (2011). US Army Order of Battle 1919-1941 (PDF). Vol. 3 The Services: Air Service, Engineers, and Special Troops 1919-1941. Fort Leavenworth, KS: Combat Studies Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-98419-014-0. LCCN 2010022326. OCLC 637712205 . Retrieved 16 October 2012.
Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979 . Retrieved 17 December 2016.
Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556 . Retrieved 17 December 2016.
Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9 . Retrieved 17 December 2016.

External links

Dumboski, Andrew, A1C, USAF. "First attack squadron stands up at Creech AFB", Nellis AFB Public Affairs, 17 November 2006. Retrieved on 27 January 2007.
Defense Update. "MQ-9 Reaper Joins First Unmanned Attack Squadron", Defense Update, 2007. Retrieved on 6 May 2007.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[42ASfacts-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Haulman, Daniel L. (15 May 2012). "Factsheet 42 Attack Squadron (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 17 February 2017.

[Clay-2] 1 2 3 4 5 Clay, p. 1406

[Maurer42BS-3] Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 193-194