89th Attack Squadron![]() | |
---|---|
AnMQ-9 Reaper taxis before a mission in Afghanistan | |
Active | 1917–1919; 1940–1945; 2011–present |
Country | ![]() |
Branch | ![]() |
Role | Attack |
Size | 280 military and civilians[1] |
Part of | Air Combat Command |
Garrison/HQ | Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota |
Nickname(s) | Marauders |
Engagements | European Theater of World War II Mediterranean Theater of Operations |
Decorations | Distinguished Unit Citation French Croix de Guerre with Palm |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Joseph T. McNarney John A. Hilger |
Insignia | |
89th Attack Squadron emblem | ![]() |
89th Reconnaissance Squadron emblem[a][2] | ![]() |
The89th Attack Squadron is aUnited States Air Force unit assigned to the432d Wing as a tenant unit atEllsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. It has been active as aremotely piloted aircraft (drone) squadron there since 2011.
Thesquadron was first activated as the89th Aero Squadron atKelly Field, Texas during World War I. It deployed to France in 1917, where it constructed fields and trained observers, In 1918 it briefly trained as an observation unit, but the unit did not move to the front before the Armistice.
It was consolidated in the mid-1930s with the89th Observation Squadron as the89th Reconnaissance Squadron but remained inactive until 1940, when it was attached to the17th Bombardment Group atMarch Field, California and equipped with medium bombers. In 1942 members of the squadron participated in theDoolittle Raid against Tokyo. The squadron, now named the432d Bombardment Squadron, moved to theMediterranean Theater of Operations and participated in combat until 1945, earning twoDistinguished Unit Citations and theFrench Croix de Guerre with Palm before returning to the United States in late 1945 and being inactivated.
The 432d was reactivated as the432d Attack Squadron in October 2011 atEllsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota as aMQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft squadron.
The89th Attack Squadron mission is to remotely employGeneral Atomics MQ-9 Reaper aircraft from ground control facilities located atEllsworth Air Force Base to support combatant commander requirements around the world.[3] The squadron, which operates the aircraft, and the Reaper ground control station are based at Ellsworth. Its aircraft are deployed overseas, supporting continuing operations.[1]
The first predecessor of thesquadron was activated atKelly Field, Texas as the89th Aero Squadron on 19 August 1917.[2] The men who formed the squadron had been inducted into theArmy ten days earlier atFort Logan, Colorado. After processing, they departed for Kelly and upon arrival, formed the 89th and88th Aero Squadrons and were trained on assembling new aircraft. The squadron moved to theAviation Concentration Center at Camp Mills, Garden City, New York in October to prepare for overseas movement.[4]
The 89th arrived at the 1st Air Depot, American Expeditionary Force atColombey-les-Belles Airdrome, France on 16 November where it began work on constructing facilities for the depot.[5] In February 1918, the squadron moved toChâtillon-sur-Seine, where it began work on construction of a flying field for the 2d Corps Aeronautical School. However, the squadron was quartered on a large farm some distance from the flying field, so construction of the field and supporting facilities took a month to complete and training of observers did not begin until May.[6]
The squadron was assigned the first pilots to arrive at Chatillon and began training observers in artillery adjustment, photography, and gunnery.[5] A photographic detachment of squadron enlisted men developed the pictures taken by the students at the school.[6] These men formed the cadre for the 101st Photographic Section later in the year.[7]
The 89th prepared for combat as an observation unit in July 1918, but never went to front,[2][5] and in September all pilots assigned to the school were transferred to the headquarters of the Aeronautical School.[8] The squadron returned to the United States where it was demobilized in 1919.[2]
In 1936 the 89th was consolidated on the inactive list with the89th Observation Squadron.[2]
The second predecessor of the 89th was constituted as the89th Observation Squadron on the inactive list in 1935. In October 1936, the two squadrons were consolidated as the89th Reconnaissance Squadron, but remained inactive until February 1940.[2] The squadron was activated and assigned toGeneral Headquarters Air Force atMarch Field, California, but was attached to the17th Bombardment Group. The squadron moved toMcChord Field, Washington and was reassigned toNorthwest Air District in June 1940, with its primary mission beingreconnaissance with a secondary mission ofbombardment. It was initially equipped withDouglas B-18 Bolos, but soon converted toDouglas B-23 Dragons.[2]
In February 1941, the squadron replaced its B-23s with the newNorth American B-25 Mitchell medium bomber,[9] when the 17th Group became the firstAir Corps unit to receive the new bomber.[10] In June, the squadron moved toPendleton Field, Oregon.[9] In August, it received the updated B-25B, which had a much heavier defensive armament, suggested by combat reports coming in from Europe.[11]
After Japan'sattack on Pearl Harbor, the 89th flewantisubmarine patrols off the Oregon and Washington coastline.[12] The 89th moved toLexington County Airport, South Carolina in early 1942 to perform antisubmarine patrols over southeast Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico.[12] There it became the fourth bombardment squadron of the 17th Group as the432d Bombardment Squadron.[2]
Planning for a retaliatory bombing raid on Japan began in December 1941, and twenty-four B-25Bs were diverted from the 17th Bombardment Group, which was the only B-25 unit in the Air Corps, and volunteers from its four squadrons, including the 89th, were recruited, the crews being told only that this was a secret and dangerous mission. The volunteers trained atEglin Field, Florida. Upon completion of training, they left Eglin forMcClellan Field, California for final modifications to the B-25s before moving toNaval Air Station Alameda, where the bombers were loaded on theUSS Hornet (CV-8) for the raid.[13]
The remainder of the squadron remained in Columbia, flying antisubmarine patrols until 23 June when it was moved toBarksdale Field, Louisiana. There, the squadron re-equipped with theMartin B-26 Marauder, and began transition training underThird Air Force.[9]
In November 1942, the squadron deployed to North Africa, arriving atTelergma Airport, Algeria in December 1942 followingOperation Torch's initial landings, becoming part ofXII Bomber Command. The squadron flewinterdiction andclose air support, bombing bridges, rail lines,marshalling yards, harbors, shipping, gun emplacements, troop concentrations and other enemy targets in Algeria and later Tunisia supporting American and later Allied ground forces as they moved east and participated in theTunisian Campaign.[12][14]
During 1943, the 34th participated inOperation Corkscrew, the reduction ofPantelleria. It supportedOperation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily andOperation Avalanche, the invasion of Italy. During the drive towardRome, the squadron was awarded aDistinguished Unit Citation for its attacks on airfields near Rome on 13 January 1944. It was also awarded theFrench Croix de Guerre with Palm for its operations in Italy between April and June.[12]
The unit provided tactical air support in the liberation of Sardinia and Corsica. From airfields in Corsica, the 432d supported Allied ground forces duringOperation Dragoon, the invasion of southern France in August 1944. It moved to Southern France and bombed enemy targets during the Allied drive northward. It earned a second Distinguished Unit Citation for bombing attacks on enemy defenses nearSchweinfurt, Germany just before the end of the war on 10 April 1945.[12]
The squadron remained in Europe afterV-E Day. It became part of theoccupation forces, and participated in the disarmament of Germany.[12] It moved to the American Occupation Zone in Austria.[2] The squadron returned to France to stage for its return to the United States, where it was inactivated in late November 1945.[12][9]
The squadron was activated in October 2011 atEllsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota[15] as anMQ-9 Reaper squadron and assigned to the28th Operations Group.[3] The squadron replaced Detachment 1, 28th Operations Group, which had been activated in April 2011 to act as the lead organization to prepare Ellsworth for the activation of theremotely piloted aircraft unit.[1] The squadron was reassigned from the 28th to the432d Operations Group in October 2015 when the28th Bomb Wing was reassigned toAir Force Global Strike Command. The following June, the squadron returned to its original number and became the89th Attack Squadron.[16]
In March 2019, the squadron was reassigned to the25th Attack Group, located atShaw Air Force Base, South Carolina.[9] In May 2022, the squadron was recognized byGeneral Atomics Aeronautical Systems as the MQ-9 Squadron of the Year for 2021. That year, the squadron provided protection to American and coalition forces across multiple combatant commands and otherDepartment of Defense and government organizations. The squadron achieved the first network accredited MQ-9A simulator, integrating in joint exercises with twelve nations across three combatant commands. Its intelligence flight was also namedTwelfth Air Force Intelligence Agency Team of the Year.[17]
89th Aero Squadron
89th Attack Squadron
|
|
Award streamer | Award | Dates | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Distinguished Unit Citation | 13 January 1944, Italy | 432d Bombardment Squadron[2] | |
Distinguished Unit Citation | 10 April 1945 Schweinfurt | 432d Bombardment Squadron[2] | |
Air Force Meritorious Unit Award | 1 May 2012-31 May 2013 | 432d Attack Squadron[9] | |
Air Force Meritorious Unit Award | 1 June 2017-31 May 2018 | 89th Attack Squadron[9] | |
Air Force Meritorious Unit Award | 1 June 2018-31 May 2020 | 89th Attack Squadron[9] | |
![]() | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 June 2013-31 May 2014 | 432d Attack Squadron[9] |
![]() | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 June 2019-31 May 2021 | 89th Attack Squadron[9] |
![]() | French Croix de Guerre with Palm | April, May and June 1944 | 432d Bombardment Squadron[2] |
Campaign Streamer | Campaign | Dates | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | Theater of Operations | 16 November 1917 – 1919 | 89th Aero Squadron[2] |
![]() | Antisubmarine | 7 December 1941 – 22 June 1942 | 89th Reconnaissance Squadron (Later 432d Bombardment Squadron)[2] |
![]() | Tunisia | 22 December 1942 – 13 May 1943 | 432d Bombardment Squadron[2] |
![]() | Sicily | 14 May 1943 – 17 August 1943 | 432d Bombardment Squadron[2] |
![]() | Naples-Foggia | 18 August 1943 – 21 January 1944 | 432d Bombardment Squadron[2] |
![]() | Anzio | 22 January 1944 – 24 May 1944 | 432d Bombardment Squadron[2] |
![]() | Rome-Arno | 22 January 1944 – 9 September 1944 | 432d Bombardment Squadron[2] |
![]() | Southern France | 15 August 1944 – 14 September 1944 | 432d Bombardment Squadron[2] |
![]() | North Apennines | 10 September 1944 – 4 April 1945 | 432d Bombardment Squadron[2] |
![]() | Rhineland | 15 September 1944 – 21 March 1945 | 432d Bombardment Squadron[2] |
![]() | Central Europe | 22 March 1944 – 21 May 1945 | 432d Bombardment Squadron[2] |
![]() | Air Combat, EAME Theater | 7 December 1941 – 11 May 1945 | 432d Bombardment Squadron[2] |
World War II Army of Occupation | 9 May 1945 – 3 October 1945 | 432d Bombardment Squadron[2] |
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency