| 97th Flying Training Squadron | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 1942–1945; 1947–1949; 1950–1958; 1973–1993; 1998–present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Pilot Training |
| Part of | Air Force Reserve Command 10th Air Force 340th Flying Training Group |
| Garrison/HQ | Sheppard Air Force Base |
| Nickname(s) | Devil Cats |
| Engagements | European Theater of OperationsMediterranean Theater of Operations |
| Decorations | Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award |
| Insignia | |
| 97th Flying Training Squadron Emblem[note 2] |  |
| 97th Fighter Squadron emblem(approved 30 October 1942)[1] |  |
The97th Flying Training Squadron is part of the340th Flying Training Group and is the Reserve associate to the80th Flying Training Wing based atSheppard Air Force Base,Texas.
The 97th flew combat in theEuropean Theater of Operations and theMediterranean Theater of Operations between 25 December 1942 and 3 May 1945.It flew fighter escort and air defense from, 1947–1949 and air defense from, 1951–1957.
The squadron was redesignated as the97th Flying Training Squadron and trained USAF pilots to fly supersonic jet aircraft from 1973 to 1993. Since 1998 it has trained fighter pilots for the United States as well as America's European andNATO allies.
The squadron operatesBeechcraft T-6A Texan II andNorthrop T-38 Talon aircraft conducting flight training for the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program (ENJJPT) with highly experiencedAir Force Reserve instructor pilots.
The squadron was first activated in early 1942 atHarding Field, Louisiana as the97th Pursuit Squadron,[2] one of the original three squadrons of the82d Pursuit Group.[3] It soon moved to California where it equipped withLockheed P-38 Lightnings and began training withFourth Air Force as the97th Fighter Squadron. It left California in the fall and sailed for Northern Ireland, where it received additional combat training underEighth Air Force. A month after the initialOperation Torch landings in North Africa the squadron deployed to Algeria, where it entered combat as an element ofTwelfth Air Force.[4]
In North Africa, the squadron flewantisubmarine patrols, bomber escort missions and attacked enemy shipping and airfields, moving its base east through Algeria and Tunisia. As the North African campaign drew to a close, the unit began attacking targets in Italy, earning aDistinguished Unit Citation[2] for its actions on 25 April 1943 during an attack on enemy airfields inFoggia.[4]
In September, the squadron participated inOperation Husky, the invasion of Sicily, during which it was awarded a second Distinguished Unit Citation for a bomber escort mission againstmarshalling yards nearNaples.[2][4] The squadron moved to Italy, where it became part ofFifteenth Air Force as part of the buildup to provide fighter cover for Fifteenth's heavybombers.[4] On 10 June 1944 the squadron earned a third Distinguished Unit Citation for its actions during an attack onoil refineries inPloiești, Romania.[2]
Following thesurrender of Germany, the squadron remained in Italy until September 1945, when it was inactivated[2] In the course of the war the squadron was credited with the destruction of 146 enemy aircraft.[5]
In 1947 the squadron was again activated atGrenier Field, New Hampshire, where it was equipped withNorth American P-51 Mustangs as aStrategic Air Command fighter escort unit.[1] Between April and June 1948 the squadron deployed toLadd Air Force Base,Alaska, where it practiced rendezvousing with and escorting bombers, intercepting simulated enemy bombers and aerial gunnery.[4] In August 1949 it was transferred toContinental Air Command and its primary role becameair defense, but this mission change was brief, for the squadron was inactivated in October.[1]
In late 1950, the squadron, now designated the97th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, was activated underAir Defense Command (ADC) atWright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio and soon began to equip withNorth American F-86 Sabres. Although it was assigned toEastern Air Defense Force, in the first year it was active, it was attached to both the56th and142d Fighter-Interceptor Wings.[2] This was due to ADC's difficulty under the existingwing base organizational structure in deploying fighter squadrons to best advantage.[6] As a result, in February 1952 ADC reorganized its fighter forces on a regional basis, and the squadron was reassigned to the4706th Defense Wing.[2]
In August 1955, ADC implemented Project Arrow, which was designed to bring back on the active list the fighter units which had compiled memorable records in the two world wars.[7] Project Arrow was also designed to reunite fighter squadrons with their traditional headquarters. As a result, the 97th moved on paper toNew Castle County Airport,Delaware,[2] where it assumed the mission, personnel, andMighty Mouse Rocket armedLockheed F-94 Starfire aircraft of the332d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, which moved on paper toMcGuire Air Force Base,New Jersey.[8] Meanwhile, the 97th's personnel and equipment at Wright-Patterson were assigned to the56th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron.[9] The squadron remained at New Castle until it was inactivated in 1958.[2]
In 1972Air Training Command replaced its Major Command (MAJCOM) controlled flying training units with USAF controlled units (AFCON) units. As part of this program the squadron was redesignated the97th Flying Training Squadron and activated atWilliams Air Force Base, Arizona when its parent82d Flying Training Wing replaced the3525th Pilot Training Wing. At Williams the unit trained USAF pilots to flyNorthrop T-38 Talon supersonic jet aircraft[1] in the advanced phase of the Undergraduate Pilot Training program. The squadron was inactivated in 1993 when Williams closed in the second round of theBase Realignment and Closure program.[4]
In 1998, the97th Flying Training Squadron was activated in theAir Force Reserve atSheppard Air Force Base, Texas[1] as an associate of the80th Flying Training Wing. The 80th wing conducts the European-North Atlantic Treaty Organization Joint Jet Pilot Training Program. The squadron also uses the T-38C in the Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals course (IFF), an advanced pilot course that teaches basic fighter maneuvers.[10] As the reserve associate unit for these programs the squadron usesAir Force Reserve instructor pilots to perform student training.[1]
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| Award streamer | Award | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Distinguished Unit Citation | 25 April 1943 | 97th Fighter Squadron, Italy[2] |
| Distinguished Unit Citation | 2 September 1943 | 97th Fighter Squadron, Italy[2] |
| Distinguished Unit Citation | 10 June 1944 | 97th Fighter Squadron, Ploiești, Romania[2] |
 | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 January 1978-30 April 1979 | 97th Flying Training Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 May 1983-30 April 1985 | 97th Flying Training Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 June 1988-31 May 1990 | 97th Flying Training Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 April 1991-31 March 1993 | 97th Flying Training Squadron[1] |
| Campaign Streamer | Campaign | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Air Offensive, Europe | 3 October 1942 – 5 June 1944 | 97th Fighter Squadron[2] |
| Tunisia | 24 December 1942 – 13 May 1943 | 97th Fighter Squadron[2] |
| Sicily | 14 May 1943 – 17 August 1943 | 97th Fighter Squadron[2] |
| Naples-Foggia | 18 August 1943 – 21 January 1944 | 97th Fighter Squadron[2] |
| Rome-Arno | 22 January 1944 – 9 September 1944 | 97th Fighter Squadron[2] |
| Normandy | 6 June 1944 – 24 July 1944 | 97th Fighter Squadron[2] |
| Northern France | 25 July 1944 – 14 September 1944 | 97th Fighter Squadron[2] |
| Southern France | 15 August 1944 – 14 September 1944 | 97th Fighter Squadron[2] |
| North Apennines | 10 September 1944 – 4 April 1945 | 97th Fighter Squadron[2] |
| Rhineland | 15 September 1944 – 21 March 1945 | 97th Fighter Squadron[2] |
| Central Europe | 22 March 1944 – 21 May 1945 | 97th Fighter Squadron[2] |
| Po Valley | 3 April 1945 – 8 May 1945 | 97th Fighter Squadron[2] |
| Air Combat, EAME Theater | 3 October 1942 – 11 May 1945 | 97th Fighter Squadron[2] |
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Explanatory Notes
Citations
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
