| 17th Weapons Squadron | |
|---|---|
 17th Weapons SquadronF-15E Strike Eagle[note 1] | |
| Founded | 1917 |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Type | Squadron |
| Role | Advanced F-15E Strike Eagle Training |
| Part of | Air Combat Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Nellis AFB, Nevada |
| Nickname | Hooters |
| Motto | Who Said Rats? (147th Aero Squadron)[1] |
| Tail Code | "WA" |
| Engagements | World War I Southwest Pacific Theater Vietnam War Desert Storm |
| Decorations | Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award withCombat "V" Device Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm Philippine Presidential Unit Citation |
| Insignia | |
| 17th Weapons Squadron emblem(approved 28 February 2004)[2] |  |
| 17th Tactical Fighter Squadron emblem(approved 28 February 1984) |  |
| Patch with unofficial 17th Wild Weasel Squadron emblem |  |
| 17 Pursuit Squadron emblem(approved 3 March 1924)[3][note 2] |  |
| 17th Aero Squadron emblem(approved 18 November 1918)[1] |  |
| 147th Aero Squadron emblem(approved 18 November 1918)[1] |  |
The17th Weapons Squadron is aUnited States Air Force unit, assigned to theUSAF Weapons School atNellis Air Force Base, Nevada.
The squadron traces its lineage to theUnited States Army Air Service's17th and147th Aero Squadrons, both of which were active duringWorld War I. The 147th was redesignated the17th Pursuit Squadron in the post-war Air Service and later consolidated with the17th Aero Squadron in 1936 to preserve the history of both pursuit units. The17th Aero Squadron was activated in August 1917 and earned 13 campaign streamers in France flying theSopwith Camel. The 147th Aero Squadron was organized in November 1917 and flew theNieuport 28 andSPAD S.XIII fighters, earning eight streamers.
DuringWorld War II, the17th Pursuit Squadron participated in the defense of the Philippines flying theCurtiss P-40 Warhawk and garnering the first American Ace ofWorld War II. Wiped out during theBattle of the Philippines, some of its squadron members endured theBataan Death March. Reactivated during theVietnam War, the squadron went on to flyRepublic F-105F Thunderchief Wild Weasel aircraft, and inOperation Desert Storm flying theGeneral Dynamics F-16C Fighting Falcon.
Flying theMcDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle, the squadron accomplishes its mission by providing graduate-level instructor academic and flying courses to USAF Combat Air Forces (CAF). The squadron conducts extensive technical off-station training and liaises with CAF units.
The 17th emblem, modified from the one adopted in 1917, consists of a Great White Snowy Owl in front of a black triangle with a blue background. Because of its distinctive Owl Patch, the squadron's nickname is the Hooters.
Company A, Remount Station,Fort Sam Houston, Texas was organized on 13 May 1917, about a month afterPresident Wilson declared war on Germany. It was later redesignated Company M, and later, Company B. On 16 June, its personnel were organized as the29th Provisional Aero Squadron, Aviation Section, Signal Corps, which was redesignated the17th Aero Squadron on 30 July. It was made of entirely of volunteers.[4]
The unit was the first United States aero squadron sent to Canada to be trained by the British; the first squadron to be completely trained prior to be sent overseas with its complete quota of trained pilots; the first squadron to be attached to BritishRoyal Air Force (RAF) squadrons and the first to be sent into combat.[4][3]
The squadron entered combat as apursuit unit with British Second andThird Armies from 15 July-28 October 1918 seeing extensive combat during the Battle of the Somme while serving with the RAF. In October 1918 the squadron was requested by the Americans to be transferred to theAmerican Expeditionary Forces (AEF) and it was reassigned toSecond Army on 1 November 1918 and prepared for operations on American front but did not become combat-ready before the end of hostilities on 11 November 1918. It was demobilized in 1919. One of the aces serving in the squadron during World War I wasRobert Miles Todd.[5]
On 17 October 1936, theWorld War I17th Aero Squadron was consolidated with theUnited States Army Air Corps17th Pursuit Squadron.[2]
The147th Aero Squadron was organized atKelly Field, Texas on 11 November 1917. It was ordered directly toFort Worth, Texas for training at Everman Field #2,Camp Taliaferro. It trained in Texas until February 1918, when it deployed to France, where additional training was received. It became part of the1st Pursuit Group in June.[6]
Initially flying FrenchNieuport 28 pursuit aircraft, the squadron was heavily engaged in combat in the Toul Sector and the Aisne-Marne Sector. It was part of the defense against the German offensive in mid-July in the Champagne-Marne, then went on the offensive during the Aisne-Marne during July. It took part in theSt. Mihiel offensive, and the great AmericanMeuse-Argonne Offensive which continued until the Armistice with Germany on 11 November 1918.[6][7]
During its time in combat, the squadron gained 62 victories and suffered nine casualties. The squadron flew 2,000 combat hours.[6]
After returning to the United States in April 1919 nearly all of the 147th's personnel were demobilized. The War Department created a new 1st Pursuit Group between late April and mid-August 1919 when it dispatched a small cadre of personnel toSelfridge Field, Michigan. New recruits and veterans from other flying units became members of the new 147th Squadron, and by late summer the process was complete. However, on 28 August, the squadron departed by train to Kelly Field, Texas where it became part of the new Advanced Pursuit Training School.[8]
At Kelly Field, the squadron was assigned to the re-formed 1st Pursuit Group, effective 22 August 1919. The pursuit school was the first step in building a new permanent air service and by providing a course of instruction for pilots at Kelly, it was a way to transfer the hard-earned knowledge gained during World War I to a new generation of fliers. Pilots received hands-on experience in aircraft and engine maintenance. They also flew a training program that covered formation flying, aerobatics, air-to-air and air to ground gunnery, reconnaissance and patrol tactics. The aircraft used were BritishRoyal Aircraft Factory S.E.5s and U.S.-builtAirco DH.4s that were excess from the war effort.[8]
On 14 March 1921, the 147th was redesignated as the17th Squadron (Pursuit) and in July the 1st Pursuit Group moved from Kelly toEllington Field, nearHouston, Texas. In June 1922, the 1st Group prepared to return to Selfridge. The four squadrons of the group (17th,27th,94th and95th) departed Ellington on 24 June. The long deployment to Michigan was a novelty, and the press followed thegroup's progress closely. The group arrived at Selfridge Field on 1 July 1922. Selfridge served as the 1st Pursuit Group's home for many years. As the Army's only pursuit group, theWar Department took special pains to ensure that it was maintained in a high state of readiness. On 21 January 1924, the War Department sanctioned unit emblems. The "Great Snow Owl", chosen by the World War I 17th Pursuit Group as its emblem when transferred to the American Expeditionary Forces in 1918 was adopted by the 17th Pursuit Squadron on 4 March 1924.[8]
In May 1924, the group opened a satellite airfield at Oscoda, Michigan to function as an aerial gunnery camp for the unit. Loud-Reames Aviation Field was renamed Camp Skeel, for World War I pilot CaptainBurt E. Skeel, and was used as an aerial gunnery range and for winter maneuvers by the 1st Pursuit Group. During World War II, the facility would be expanded as Oscoda Army Air Field, as a training base. After the war, it would be expanded and becomeWurtsmith Air Force Base.[8]
During the 1920s, the unit participated in exercises, demonstrations, and maneuvers, events the War Department used as combined training and public relations exercises. Public and congressional interest in aviation was high. Equipped with fast, nimble, pursuit planes such as theCurtiss P-1 Hawk, the unit attracted the attention of the public wherever it appeared. Overall, the Twenties were a productive decade for the unit. The 1st Pursuit Group responded well to being the Air Corps' only group-level pursuit organization, and developed a well-trained force that responded to the demands placed on it.[8]
The 1930s produced a different set of challenges. During the Thirties, the group introduced at least six new aircraft into the Air Corps inventory. It also provided personnel for newly formed squadrons and groups. The onset of the Great Depression gave the unit additional responsibilities in 1931, the group participated in several air shows staged to benefit the unemployed. Squadron involvement ranged from two- and four-ship flights to squadron deployments. Beginning in 1933, the unit saw a handful of its officers detailed to work with theCivilian Conservation Corps, aNew Deal program designed to put unemployed youths to work on various conservation projects.[8]
TheCurtiss P-6E Hawks flown by the squadron were improvements in the line of Hawks since the squadron received the P-1 in 1925. In 1934, it converted to theBoeing P-26A Peashooter, a low-wing, all-metal monoplane, and in 1937, it received theSeversky P-35, the first single-seat fighter in U.S. Army Air Corps to feature all-metal construction, retractable landing gear and an enclosed cockpit.[8] 17 October 1936 saw the Air Corps formally consolidate the 17th Pursuit Squadron with the World War I 17th Aero Squadron. With the consolidation, the combat history and lineage of its World War I predecessor became a part of the 17th.[8]
The growing threat of war with the Japanese Empire in the Philippine Islands led to the 17th Squadron to be relieved from assignment to the 1st Pursuit Group and transferred to thePhilippine Department. Leaving Selfridge on 31 October, the squadron was reassigned to the4th Composite Group atNichols Field, nearManila in the Philippines, on 14 December 1940.[8]
The 17th Pursuit Squadron had been sent overseas without aircraft to fly Seversky P-35s that had been held back from a sale to Sweden to reinforce the Philippines. Until their aircraft arrived and were assembled in March 1941, they practiced in the Boeing P-26 Peashooters that then constituted the interceptor force at Nichols Field. By late 1941 standards, the P-35A was hopelessly obsolescent. It was too lightly armed and lacked either armor around the cockpit or self-sealing fuel tanks, and the instruments of the aircraft flown by the 17th were marked in Swedish and calibrated in themetric system.
When newCurtiss P-40E Warhawks arrived in September 1941, the 17th was happy to hand down the Severskys to the34th Pursuit Squadron, recently arrived from the United States without its aircraft. With the3d and20th Pursuit Squadrons, the 17th formed the interceptor component of the Philippine Department's4th Composite Group.[9] On 1 October 1941 the squadrons were reassigned to the newly created24th Pursuit Group and became part of theFar East Air Force (FEAF) when it stood up in November.
After word was received of the attack on Pearl Harbor, FEAF units gathered in anticipation of the Japanese attack everyone knew would be coming. However, attack orders against known Japanese forces on Formosa were not forthcoming. "We can't attack till we're fired on". By 11:00 am both the 20th and 17th Pursuit Squadrons were on the ground atClark Field. Both had been flying patrol missions during the morning and needed to refuel. While the planes were being serviced, the pilots went to eat; as soon as they had eaten, they returned to their planes and went on alert. The 17th, who had refueled first, was ready to go.[10][11]
About 11:30 am, a message from Iba Field reported a large formation of planes heading west over the China Sea, heading presumably for Manila. The 17th was ordered into the air to patrol over theBataan Peninsula and the entrance toManila Bay and intercept whatever the Japanese tried to send though. At that moment, the first formation of Japanese bombers appeared over Clark Field. They came over the unprotected field in a V-formation at a height estimated at 22,000 to 25,000 feet, dropping their bombs on the aircraft and buildings below, just as the air raid warning sounded. As at Pearl Harbor, the Japanese achieved complete tactical surprise. The 17th and 21st Pursuit Squadrons, on patrol over Bataan and Manila, received no warning of the raid, and thus did not attack the Japanese aircraft.[10]
The Japanese followed up their success of the first day of war with air attacks that completed the destruction of American airpower in the Philippines. Before dawn of the 9th, seven Japanese naval bombers struckNichols Field near Manila, opening the next round, but the remainder of that day's attackers were grounded on Taiwan by fog. On the 10th they struck Nichols andDel Carmen Airfields in full force in the early afternoon. The pattern set at Clark Field two days earlier was repeated. High-level bombers came in first and hit the barracks, offices, and warehouses. The fighters then came in at low level to strafe the grounded planes and installations. An entire flight of 17th planes returning to refuel was shot down by Zeros, although all the pilots survived. There was noantiaircraft fire and no fighter protection over the field.[10]
By that time American airpower was at a low ebb. There were only 22 P-40s in commission, with six more promised if they could be repaired in time. With FEAF thus reduced in strength, it was decided to use the remaining planes for reconnaissance in order to conserve them as long as possible. The pursuit planes were based at Clark and Nichols, and the heavy bombers were withdrawn to Del Monte. On the morning of the 12th, few American planes remained to hinder the Japanese.[10]
With almost all of the squadron's aircraft destroyed, the men of the ground echelon were pressed into service as infantry under the5th Interceptor Command. On Christmas Eve of 1941, the 17th's ground echelon evacuated Nielson Field and went by train to Bataan. There they took part in theBattle of the Philippines. However, most of its aircraft were destroyed on the ground, by Japanese air raids. Some 17th personnel later fought as infantry during theBattle of Bataan and, after their surrender, were subjected to theBataan Death March.[10]
Other members of the 17th escaped to Australia, where they collected new P-40s (seePensacola Convoy) and reformed as the17th Pursuit Squadron (Provisional). In January 1942, the squadron undertook a flight across Australia and theArafura Sea, to Java and took part in theDutch East Indies Campaign, where it claimed 49 Japanese aircraft destroyed, for the loss of 17 P-40s.[12] At the end of February, as Japanese ground forces approached, the squadron handed over its surviving aircraft to the Dutch military and returned to Australia.
What remained of the 17th Pursuit Squadron was integrated into other American units in Australia. Fifth Air Force carried the squadron as an active, unmanned unit through the end of the war. Lastly, 2 April 1946, the unit was placed in inactive status. It would remain inactive until almost the end of the Vietnam War.
It was reactivated on 12 November 1971 as the17th Wild Weasel Squadron, and assumed the mission, personnel, andRepublic F-105G Thunderchief Wild Weasel IV of the inactivating 6010th Wild Weasel Squadron. The mission of the 17th was the destruction of North Vietnamesesurface-to-air-missile batteries by destroying or otherwise shutting down their guidance radars, leaving enemy missile sites effectively blind and impotent. The electronic weapons officer in the rear seat of theWild Weasel F-105G operated a battery of sophisticated electronic equipment which was capable of detecting the emissions from enemy radars and determining the exact location of their sources. Once these sites were identified, the Wild Weasel aircraft could attack them with a battery ofAGM-45 Shrike anti-radar missiles, which were designed to home in on an enemy radar transmission and follow it all the way to its source and destroy it. The Wild Weasel aircraft would also carry powerfuljamming equipment which was designed to confuse the enemy radar installation or to misdirect any surface-to-air missiles that might be launched. Alternatively, the Wild Weasel crew could direct other aircraft toward the missile sites, which would be attacked by iron bombs or cannon fire.[13]
After the end of American military flights over North Vietnam in January 1973, the squadron maintained the capability to deliver Wild Weasel support for operations over Cambodia ofBoeing B-52 Stratofortress,General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark, andMcDonnell F-4 Phantom II aircraft until August 1973. It maintained an alert mission until the squadron was inactivated in 1974. The squadron's aircraft were returned to the United States, being assigned to the35th Tactical Fighter Wing atGeorge Air Force Base, California.
Reactivated as the17th Tactical Fighter Squadron in early 1982 atShaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, assigned to the newly redesignated363d Tactical Fighter Wing as the wing was converting from aMcDonnell RF-4C Phantom II tactical reconnaissance mission toGeneral Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons.[14]
The initial aircraft received were Block 10 F-16A models, but shortly afterwards the first block 15 aircraft started to arrive. The responsibility of the 17th wasclose air support, airinterdiction,suppression of enemy air defenses and armed reconnaissance to support worldwide contingencies. For this mission the squadron was eventually equipped with Block 50 aircraft and theAGM-45 Shrike anti-radiation missile. This was one of a few units within the USAF that flew with this missile.[14]
In 1985 the squadron was upgraded to the Block 25 F-16C from the General Dynamics factory in Fort Worth. These aircraft were more capable in comparison with the former block 15 models. Also new weapon systems could now be introduced, like theCBU-87 Combined Effects Munition.[14]
After the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990, the 24 aircraft of the 17th were deployed toAl Dhafra Air Base,Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on 9 August 1990 and started flying air defense missions over the Saudi kingdom as part ofOperation Desert Shield. When Operation Desert Storm started in January 1991 the squadron was at the forefront of air operations.[14]
Upon their return to the United States, in March 1991, the squadron started receiving some brand-new block 42 F-16s. Their primary mission of air interdiction remained the same. During 1993 the first rumors came that the entire wing was to be disbanded. The news was quickly acknowledged. On 31 December 1993 the squadron was inactivated in favor of squadrons from the senior20th Fighter Wing, which was moving from the closedRAF Upper Heyford, England to Shaw as part of theUSAFE drawdown at the end of theCold War. The squadron transferred its aircraft and personnel to the 20th Fighter Wing, and the 17th Fighter Squadron, along with the entire 363d Fighter Wing was inactivated.[14]
After lying dormant for ten years, the 17th was reactivated at Nellis AFB in February 2003, and renamed the 17th Weapons Squadron. Equipped with Boeing F-15E Strike Eagles, they fly direct support of the U. S. Air Force Weapons School, assigned to the57th Wing.
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| Award streamer | Award | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Distinguished Unit Citation | Philippine Islands 7 December 1941 – 10 May 1942 | 17th Pursuit Squadron[2] |
| Distinguished Unit Citation | Philippine Islands 8–22 December 1941 | 17th Pursuit Squadron[2] |
| Distinguished Unit Citation | Philippine Islands 6 January-8 March 1942 | 17th Pursuit Squadron[2] |
 | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award withCombat "V" Device | 18 December 1972-15 August 1973 | 17th Wild Weasel Squadron[2] |
 | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | [1 Jul 1982]-1 Jun 1983 | 17th Tactical Fighter Squadron[2] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 January 1988-30 December 1989 | 17th Tactical Fighter Squadron[2] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 January 1992-31 December 1993 | 17th Fighter Squadron[2] |
_Streamer.png) | Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation | 7 December 1941-2 March 1946 | 17th Pursuit Squadron[2] |
 | Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm | 1 Dec 1971-28 Jan 1973 | 17th Wild Weasel Squadron[2] |
| Campaign Streamer | Campaign | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Picardy | 1918 | 17th Aero Squadron[2] |
| Somme Defensive | 21 March 1918 – 6 April 1918 | 17th Aero Squadron[2] |
| Lorraine | 1918 | 147th Aero Squadron[2] |
| Montdidier-Loyon | 1918 | 147th Aero Squadron[2] |
| Flanders | 1918 | 17th Aero Squadron[2] |
| Champagne | 1918 | 147th Aero Squadron[2] |
| Ile-de-France | 1918 | 147th Aero Squadron[2] |
| Champagne-Marne | 15 July 1918 – 18 July 1918 | 147th Aero Squadron[2] |
| Aisne-Marne | 18 July 1918 – 16 August 1918 | 147th Aero Squadron[2] |
| Somme Offensive | 8 August 1918 – 11 November 1918 | 17th Aero Squadron[2] |
| Oise-Aisne | 18 August 1918 – 11 November 1918 | 147th Aero Squadron[2] |
| St Mihiel | 12 September 1918 – 16 September 1918 | 147th Aero Squadron[2] |
| Meuse-Argonne | 26 September 1918 – 11 November 1918 | 147th Aero Squadron[2] |
 | Philippine Islands | 7 December 1941 – 10 May 1942 | 17th Pursuit Squadron[2] |
 | Commando Hunt VII | 1 December 1971 – 29 March 1972 | 17th Wild Weasel Squadron[2] |
| Vietnam Ceasefire Campaign | 29 March 1972 – 28 January 1973 | 17th Wild Weasel Squadron[2] |
 | Defense of Saudi Arabia | 9 August 1990 – 16 January 1991 | 17th Tactical Fighter Squadron[2] |
| Liberation and Defense of Kuwait | 17 January 1991 – 13 March 1991 | 17th Tactical Fighter Squadron[2] |
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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