| 172nd Attack Squadron | |
|---|---|
 Airman 1st Class Nickolas Holbrook, 110th Airlift Wing, Communications Flight, prepares simulated rockets for overhead C-130s at Grayling Air Gunnery Range, Frederic, Mich. | |
| Active | 10 February 1943 – present |
| Country |  United States |
| Allegiance |  United States Michigan |
| Branch |  United States Air Force Air National Guard |
| Type | Squadron |
| Role | Airfield Support |
| Part of | Michigan Air National Guard 110th Operations Group |
| Garrison/HQ | Kellogg Air National Guard Base, Battle Creek, Michigan |
| Engagements | World War II |
| Insignia | |
| 172nd Attack Squadron emblem |  |
The172nd Attack Squadron (172 ATKS) is a unit of theMichigan Air National Guard110th Wing located atBattle Creek Air National Guard Base, Battle Creek, Michigan. The 172nd is equipped with theMQ-9 Reaper drone.
The squadron was first organized duringWorld War II as the375th Fighter Squadron. It saw combat in theEuropean Theater of Operations as an element ofVII Fighter Command before returning to the United States, where it was inactivated.
In May 1946, the squadron was allotted to theNational Guard as the172nd Fighter Squadron. During theKorean War, the squadron was called into federal service and acted in anair defense role until being returned to the Michigan Air National Guard in 1952. It had various flying missions, includingfighter,reconnaissance andairlift until 2013, when it was converted to a support unit.
Thesquadron was first activated atRichmond Army Air Base as the375th Fighter Squadron and equipped withRepublic P-47 Thunderbolts. The squadron trained underI Fighter Command in the mid-Atlantic states. It also flewair defense missions as part of thePhiladelphia Fighter Wing. The squadron deployed to theEuropean Theater of Operations, where it became part ofVIII Fighter Command in England during November 1943.[1]
The unit served primarily as an escort organization, covering the penetration, attack, and withdrawal ofBoeing B-17 Flying Fortress andConsolidated B-24 Liberatorbomber formations thatEighth Air Force sent against targets on the European continent. The squadron also engaged in counter-air patrols, fighter sweeps, andstrafing anddive bombing missions. It attacked such targets asairfields,marshalling yards,V-1 flying bomb andV-2 rocket launch sites, industrial areas,ordnance depots, oilrefineries, trains, and highways. During its operations, the unit participated in the assault against theLuftwaffe and the German aircraft industry duringBig Week, from 20 to 25 February 1944, and the attack on transportation facilities prior toOperation Overlord, the Normandy invasion. Following the invasion it supported ground forces thereafter, including providing cover duringOperation Cobra, theSaint-Lô breakout in July.
The squadron supported the airborne attack on theNetherlands in September 1944, and deployed toChievres Airdrome, Belgium between February and April 1945, flying tactical ground support missions during the airborne assault across theRhine. The unit returned toRAF Little Walden and flew its last combat mission on 20 April 1945. The squadron returned to the United States and was inactivated atCamp Kilmer, part of the New York Port of Embarkation, in October.[1]
In May 1946, the squadron was allotted to theNational Guard as the172nd Fighter Squadron. It was organized and equipped withNorth American P-51D Mustangs atKellogg Field, Battle Creek, Michigan in 1947. This was the same year the United States Air Force became an independent branch of the armed forces and the 172nd received its federal recognition as anAir National Guard squadron.
In February 1951 the squadron was called to active duty for theKorean War and assigned toAir Defense Command (ADC). Upon activation it was redesignated the172nd Fighter-Interceptor Squadron and moved toSelfridge Air Force Base, Michigan, where it was assigned to the128th Fighter-Interceptor Wing, then to the56th Fighter-Interceptor Group.[2][note 1] However, ADC experienced difficulty under the existingwing base organizational structure in deploying its fighter squadrons to best advantage.[3] As a result, in February 1952 the squadron was reassigned to the4708th Defense Wing, a regional organization.[4] The squadron was released from active service and returned to theMichigan Air National Guard on 1 November 1952 and its mission, personnel and F-51 Mustangs were transferred to the431st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, which activated the same day at Selfridge.[5]
The 172nd Fighter-Interceptor Squadron flew the F-51 Mustang until 1954. The 172nd transitioned into theNorth American F-86 Sabre and became the172nd Fighter-Bomber Squadron. The Unit flew this aircraft only until 1955 before transitioned into the more sophisticated two seatNorthrop F-89 Scorpion and returned to theinterceptor. In 1956, the squadron became part of the newly created110th Fighter Group. The Unit flew the F-89 Scorpion until 1958. That year the 172nd Squadron traded its F-89s for a new mission and a new aircraft, theMartin RB-57A Canberra. With the assumption of the reconnaissance mission the squadron became the172nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron.
The 172nd flew RB-57A's until 1971. In 1971, the unit's mission changed again toforward air control, with the transition to theCessna O-2 Skymaster, which it flew until 1980 when it transitioned to theCessna OA-37 Dragonfly. The 172nd was the last Air Force or Air National Guard unit to fly the Dragonfly. The dedicated forward air control mission lasted until the 172nd transitioned to theFairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, or Warthog, in 1991 and was returned to its first name as a National Guard unit, the 172nd Fighter Squadron.
The squadron served in several United Nations operations and contingencies throughout the world. From Bosnia, to Kosovo, to Alaska and most recently Iraq and Afghanistan, in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. In 2009, the squadron was realigned from a fighter squadron to become the172nd Airlift Squadron flying theLearjet C-21. On 12 July 2013, the last C-21 departed, and the unit became a support unit as the172nd Air Support Squadron as Battle Creek was named as the location of a control center for drone aircraft.[6]
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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