Description
Computer made/mounted on velcro 3.5 inch-90mm
196th ATTCK SQUADRON
Lineage. Constituted 411th Fighter Squadron on 25 May 1943. Activated on 15 Aug 1943. Inactivated on 7 Nov 1945. Redesignated 196th Fighter Squadron and allotted to ANG on 24 May 1946. Extended federal recognition on 9 Nov 1946. Redesignated: 196th Fighter Squadron (Jet) on 16 Jun 1948; 196th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 1 Nov 1950; 196th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron in Oct 1952; 196th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 1 Jan 1953; 196th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron in Mar 1954; 196th Tactical Air Support Squadron on 8 Mar 1975; 196th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 Oct 1982; 196th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 1 Jul 1990; 196th Reconnaissance Squadron on 15 Mar 1992; 196th Air Refueling Squadron on 1 Oct 1993; 196th Reconnaissance Squadron on 1 Nov 2006; 196th Attack Squadron in 2016-.
Assignments. 373rd Fighter group 15 Aug 1943-7 Nov 1945. CA ANG, 9 Nov 1946; 116th Fighter-Bomber Group, 10 Oct 1950-10 Jul 1952; 163rd Fighter-Interceptor Group, 12 May 1958; 163rd Tactical Air Support Group, 8 Mar 1975; 163rd Tactical Fighter Group, 1 Oct 1982; 163rd Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 1 Jul 1990; 163rd Reconnaissance Group, 15 Mar 1992; 163rd Air Refueling Group, 1 Oct 1993; 163rd Operations Group, 1 Oct 1995-. (assigned to: 116th Fighter-Bomber Group, 10 Oct 1950-10 Jun 1952)
Stations. Westover Field, MA, 15 Aug 1943; Blackstone AAF, VA, 22 Oct 1943; Richmond AAB, VA, 15 Feb-14 Mar 1944; Woodchurch, England, 5 Apr-27 Jul 1944; Tour-en-Bassin, France, 30 Jul 1944; St-James, France, 20 Aug 1944; Reims, France, c. 29 Sep 1944; Le Culot, Belgium, c. 24 Oct 1944; Venlo, Holland, 15 Mar 1945; Lippstadt, Germany, 23 Apr 1945; Illesheim, Germany, 20 May-Jul 1945; Sioux Falls AAF, SD, 4 Aug 1945; Seymour Johnson Field, NC, 20 Aug 1945; Mitchel Field, NY, 28 Sep-7 Nov 1945. San Bernardino Air Material Area (later Norton AFB), CA, 9 Nov 1946; Ontario IAP, CA, 10 Jul 1952; March AFB, CA, Oct 1982-. (Operated from: George AFB, CA, 11 Nov 1950; Misawa AB, Japan, 25 Jul 1951-10 Jul 1952; Chitose AB, Japan, 1 Sep 1951-?)
Aircraft. P-47, 1943-1945. T-6, 1946; L-5, 1946; F-51D, 1947-1948; F-80C, 1948-1951; F-84E, 1951-1952; F-51H, 1952-1954; F-86A, 1954-1961; F-86L, 1961-1965; F-102A, 1965-1975 O-2, 1975-1982; F-4, 1982-1990; RF-4, 1990-1993; KC-135, 1993-2008; MQ-1, 2007-2018; MQ-9, 2018-.
Operations. Combat in ETO, 8 May 1944-4 May 1945. First ANG Jet Fighter Squadron. Called to active duty as part of the Korean War call-up, 10 Oct 1950-10 Jul 1952. Participated in Operation Greenhouse nuclear tests on a TDY to Ewiwetok, Jan-Jun 1951. Air defense of western US, 1948-1950, 1954-1975. Maintained a dual state/federal mission of Tactical Reconnaissance. Deployed to Pisa Airport, Italy, in support of Operation Decisive Endeavor and also supported of flight operations over Bosnia. Also supported Operation Allied Force, 1999; Operation Joint Forge, 31 Oct-3 Dec 2000. ANG Flying Training Unit (FTU) and Field Training Detachment (FTD) for the MQ-1 Predator until 2018, now the MQ-9 Reaper.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaigns. Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe; Air Combat, EAME Theater.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citation: Rhine River, 20 Mar 1945. French Croix de Guerre with Palm: Aug 1944. Cited in the Order of the Day, Belgian Army: 1 Oct-17 Dec 1944; 18 Dec 1944-15 Jan 1945. Belgian Fourragere. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award: 1999 Governor’s Outstanding Unit Citation, 1999.