450th Expeditionary Flying Training Squadron

450th Expeditionary Flying Training Squadron
Afghan Mil Mi-35 Hind with 450th Expeditionary Flying Training Squadron member
Active	1942-1945; 1947-1949; 1954-1957; 1973-1992; c. 2009
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Flying training
Part of	Air Combat Command
Engagements	European Theater of Operations War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Insignia
450th Expeditionary Flying Training Squadron emblem
450th Fighter-Day Squadron emblem
450th Bombardment Squadron emblem

The 450th Expeditionary Flying Training Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force unit. The squadron was first activated as the 450th Bombardment Squadron in July 1942. After training in the United States, it deployed to the European Theater of Operations (ETO) in December 1942. It engaged in combat operations from 1943 to 1945, earning a Distinguished Unit Citation for demonstrating the effectiveness of medium bombers in the ETO. Following V-E Day, it participated in the disarmament of the Luftwaffe until September 1945, when it returned to the United States for inactivation.

The squadron served in the reserves from October 1947 to June 1949, when it was inactivated as the military budget was reduced, although it does not appear to have been fully manned or equipped with operational aircraft at this time.

The squadron was activated in July 1954 as the 450th Fighter-Day Squadron and equipped with North American F-86 Sabre fighters. Although it upgraded to the North American F-100 Super Sabre it was inactivated in November 1957, when Tactical Air Command reduced the number of fighter groups at Foster Air Force Base from two to one.

In 1973, Air Training Command was converting its flying training units from MAJCON status. As part of this reorganization, the squadron was redesignated the 450th Flying Training Squadron and replaced the 3537th Electronic Warfare Training Squadron at Mather Air Force Base, California. It conducted flight training for members of the United States military and foreign allies until inactivating in May 1993 as Mather prepared for closure.

On 28 October 2008, it was converted to provisional status as the 450th Expeditionary Flying Training Squadron and assigned to Air Combat Command to activate or inactivate as needed. In 2009, it was active at Kandahar Air Base, training Afghan Army Air Corps personnel on Soviet-built helicopters.

History

World War II

Established as a Martin B-26 Marauder medium bomber squadron in mid-1942; trained under Third Air Force in Florida. Deployed to European Theater of Operations, being assigned to VIII Bomber Command's 3d Bombardment Wing in England. Engaged in attacks on enemy targets in France and the Low Countries; being reassigned to IX Bomber Command in 1943 with the establishment of Ninth Air Force in England. Also supported VIII Bomber Command strategic bombardment raids in Occupied Europe and Nazi Germany, attacking enemy airfields to disrupt interceptor attacks on heavy bomber formations and destroy enemy interceptor aircraft on the ground before they could be launched.

After D-Day deployed to Advanced Landing Grounds in France and later Belgium. Provided tactical air support and bombardment of enemy strong points and military targets to disrupt resistance to Allied ground forces advancing from the French invasion beaches and the ensuing offensives on the continent; 1944-1945. Attacked enemy forces as part of the Western Allied invasion of Germany, 1945 and continued offensive tactical operations in support of ground forces until German capitulation in May 1945.

Became part of the United States Air Forces in Europe army of occupation in Germany during 1945. Demobilized and personnel returned to the United States in the fall of 1945; squadron inactivated as a paper unit in December 1945.

Air Force reserve

The squadron was reactivated on 10 August 1947 at Phillips Field, Maryland, on the Aberdeen Proving Ground reservation. It does not appear to have been fully manned and was equipped only with trainer aircraft. In July 1948 Continental Air Command (ConAC) assumed responsibility for managing reserve and Air National Guard units from ADC. President Truman’s reduced 1949 defense budget required reductions in the number of units in the Air Force, and the 450th was inactivated and not replaced as responsibility for military flying activity at the field was transferred to the Army.

Fighter operations

The squadron was redesignated the 450th Fighter-Day Squadron and activated at Foster Air Force Base, Texas as Tactical Air Command took over Foster from Air Training Command (ATC). It was initially equipped with North American F-86 Sabre fighters, but by 1955 was replacing them with supersonic North American F-100 Super Sabres. However, the Air Force decided to close Foster. In November 1957, the 450th Fighter-Day Wing reduced to a single group and the squadron was inactivated along with other elements of the 322nd Fighter-Day Group.

Navigator training

T-43 Bobcat as flown by the squadron

Reactivated in 1972 as an Air Training Command navigator training squadron. It conducted undergraduate navigator training for USAF, United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, and United States allies from, 1973-1992.

Expeditionary operations

On 28 October 2008, the squadron was converted to provisional status as the 450th Expeditionary Flying Training Squadron and assigned to Air Combat Command to activate or inactivate as needed. By October 2009, the squadron was activated at Kandahar Air Base, Afghanistan, where it was involved in training airmen of the Afghan National Army Air Corps with Soviet-built helicopters along with members of the Czech Air Force. In October 2009, the squadron added three Mil Mi-35 Hind helicopters to the Mil Mi-17 Hips it was already using.

Lineage

• Constituted as the 450th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 19 June 1942

Activated on 17 July 1942

Redesignated 450th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 20 August 1943

Inactivated on 17 December 1945

• Redesignated 450th Bombardment Squadron, Light on 3 July 1947

Activated in the reserve on 10 August 1947

Inactivated on 27 June 1949

• Redesignated 450th Fighter-Day Squadron on 24 March 1954

Activated on 1 July 1954

Inactivated on 18 November 1957

• Redesignated 450th Flying Training Squadron on 28 July 1972

Activated on 1 April 1973

Inactivated on 10 November 1992

• Redesignated 450th Expeditionary Flying Training Squadron and converted to provisional status on 28 Oct 2008
• Activated by 3 October 2009
• Inactivated unknown

Assignments

• 322d Bombardment Group, 17 July 1942 - 17 December 1945
• 322d Bombardment Group, 10 August 1947 - 27 June 1949
• 322d Fighter-Day Group, 1 July 1954 - 18 November 1957
• 323d Flying Training Wing, 1 April 1973
• 323d Operations Group, 15 December 1991 - 10 November 1992
• Air Combat Command, to activate or inactivate at any time after 28 Oct 2008

Unknown October 2009

Stations

• MacDill Field, Florida, 17 July 1942
• Drane Field, Florida, 22 September-15 November 1942
• Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, 15–23 November 1942
• RAF Bury St Edmunds (Rougham) (AAF-468), England, 1 December 1942
• RAF Great Saling (later Andrews Field) (AAF-485), England, 12 June 1943
• Beauvais/Tille Airfield (A-61), France, c. 21 September 1944
• Le Culot Airfield (A-89), Belgium, 5 April 1945
• Frankenberg, Germany, 6 July 1945
• Arolsen, Germany, 10 September 1945

• Clastres Airfield, France, c. 1 October-29 November 1945
• Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, 16–17 December 1945
• Phillips Field, Maryland, 10 August 1947 - 27 June 1949
• Foster Air Force Base, Texas, 1 July 1954 - 18 November 1957 (deployed to Wendover Air Force Base, Utah, 3 January – 4 February 1957
• Mather Air Force Base, California, 1 April 1973 - 10 November 1992
• Kandahar Air Base c. 3 October 2009

Aircraft

• Martin B-26 Marauder (1942–1945)
• North American AT-6 Texan (1947–1949)
• Beechcraft AT-11 Kansan (1947–1949)
• North American F-86 Sabre (1954–1955)
• North American F-100 Super Sabre (1955–1957)
• Convair T-29 Flying Classroom (1973–1974)
• Cessna T-37 Tweet (1974–1992)
• Boeing T-43 Bobcat (1973–1992)
• Mil Mi-17 Hip (2009)
• Mil Mi-35 Hind (2009)

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

• Anderson, Capt. Barry (1985). Army Air Forces Stations: A Guide to the Stations Where U.S. Army Air Forces Personnel Served in the United Kingdom During World War II (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 January 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
• Johnson, 1st Lt. David C. (1988). U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO) D-Day to V-E Day (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 September 2015.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
• Watkins, Robert (2008). Battle Colors. Vol. III Insignia and Markings of the Ninth Air Force in World War II. Atglen, PA: Shiffer Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7643-2938-8.