42nd Attack Squadron

The 42d Attack Squadron is a dormant United States Air Force unit assigned to the 25th Attack Group and formerly located at Creech Air Force Base near Indian Springs, Nevada. It flew the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle. The 42d oversaw the training and combat deployment of aerial vehicle and sensor operators assigned to the Reaper.

42d Attack Squadron
First squadron MQ-9 Reaper at Creech AFB
Active1917–1919; 1922–1936; 1940–1963; 2006–2020
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
TypeSquadron
RoleUnmanned Aerial vehicle
Garrison/HQCreech Air Force Base, Nevada
DecorationsDistinguished 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]

Created as the first operational MQ-9 Reaper squadron in 2006,[4] the squadron flew its final sortie and was subsequently placed in a dormant status on 31 January 2020.[5]

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.

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.

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 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]
Placed in dormant status on 1 February 2020

Assignments

Stations

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-1 Predator, 2006–2013
  • General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper, 2006–present[1]

Decorations

South Pacific, 31 July-30 November 1942

Pacific Theater, 7 August-9 December 1942

6 August 1954 – 15 July 1957
27 October 1958 – 1 June 1960
28 May 2019

15 November 2019

See also

References
  1. Haulman, Daniel L. (15 May 2012). "Factsheet 42 Attack Squadron (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  2. Clay, p. 1406
  3. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 193–194
  4. "First MQ-9 squadron looks good for 100". Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  5. Rosado, William. "Dormant, not deactivated: 42nd ATKS end of operations". Creech Air Force Base. Retrieved 24 December 2020.

Bibliography

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

Further reading
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