Description
Korean computer made/mounted on velcro 3.75 inch-95mm
24th TACTICAL AIR SUPPORT SQUADRON
Lineage. Constituted as 24 Attack-Bombardment Squadron on 1 Aug 1939. Redesignated as 24 Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 28 Sep 1939. Activated on 1 Dec 1939. Disbanded on 1 May 1942. Reconstituted, and consolidated (19 Sep 1985) with the following units: 24 Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Medium (constituted as 24 Photographic Mapping Squadron on 14 Jul 1942; activated on 2 Sep 1942; redesignated as 24 Photographic Squadron, Heavy, on 6 Feb 1943; redesignated as 24 Combat Mapping Squadron on 11 Aug 1943; inactivated on 15 Jun 1946; redesignated as 24 Reconnaissance Squadron, Very Long Range, Photographic, Radar Counter-Measures, on 13 May 1947; activated in the Reserve on 12 Jul 1947; inactivated on 27 Jun 1949; redesignated as 24 Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Medium, Photographic, on 4 Oct 1951; activated on 10 Oct 1951; redesignated as 24 Bombardment Squadron, Medium, on 16 Jun 1952; inactivated on 16 Jan 1953; and redesignated as 24 Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Medium, on 16 Jan 1953); and 24 Composite Squadron (constituted as 24 Helicopter Squadron on 24 Feb 1956; activated on 9 Jul 1956; discontinued on 8 Mar 1960; redesignated as 24 Special Operations Squadron on 6 Mar 1969; activated on 18 Mar 1969; redesignated as 24 Composite Squadron on 15 Nov 1973; Inactivated on 1 Jul 1975; activated on 1 Jan 1976). Redesignated as 24 Tactical Air Support Squadron on 1 Jan 1987. Inactivated on 31 Mar 1991. Activated on 2 Mar 2018. Deactivated on 23 Dec 2020.
Assignments. 23 Composite Group (later, Air Corps Proving Ground Detachment; Air Forces Proving Ground Group), 1 Dec 1939-1 May 1942. 5 Photographic (later, 5 Photographic Reconnaissance and Mapping; 5 Photographic Reconnaissance) Group, 2 Sep 1942; Third Air Force, 9 Oct 1943; III Reconnaissance Command, 12 Oct 1943; Army Air Forces, India-Burma Sector, 26 Dec 1943 (attached to 5306 Photographic and Reconnaissance Group [Provisional], 26 Dec 1943-17 Jan 1944; and to Tenth Air Force, 17 Jan-7 Mar 1944); Tenth Air Force, 7 Mar 1944; 8 Photographic (later, 8 Reconnaissance) Group, 25 Apr 1944; Army Air Forces, India-Burma Theater, 20 Sep 1945; Thirteenth Air Force, 28 Jan 1946; 313 Bombardment Wing, 1 Apr-15 Jun 1946. 68 Reconnaissance Group, 12 Jul 1947-27 Jun 1949. 68 Strategic Reconnaissance Group, 10 Oct 1951 (attached to 68 Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, Medium, 10 Oct 1951-15 Jun 1952); 68 Bombardment Wing, Medium, 16 Ju 1952-16 Jan 1953. Eighteenth Air Force, 9 Jul 1956; 315 Air Division (Combat Cargo), 13 Oct 1956-8 Mar 1960. 24 Special Operations Wing (later, 24 Special Operations Group; 24 Composite Group), 18 Mar 1969-1 Jul 1975. 24 Composite Wing 1 Jan 1976; USAF Southern Air Division, 31 Jan 1987; 24 Composite Wing, 1 Jan 1989; Air Forces Panama, 15 Feb-31 Mar 1991. 57 Operations Group, 2 Mar 2018-.
Stations. Maxwell Field, AL, 1 Dec 1939; Orlando, FL, 2 Sep 1940; Eglin Field, FL, 29 Jun 1941-1 May 1942. Colorado Springs, CO, 2 Sep 1942; Will Rogers Field, OK, 13 Oct 1943; Camp Anza, CA, 11-18 Nov 1943; Guskhara, India, 5 Jan 1944 (detachments operated from Hsinching, China, 27 Apr-c. 1 Jul 1944; Liuchow, China, 10 Jul-22 Sep 1944; and Chanyi, China, 22 Sep 1944-17 Feb 1945; elements at Hsinching, China, Oct-Nov 1944, and Pangshan, China, Nov 1944); Tulihal and Cox’s Bazar, India, Feb-c. Apr 1945 (air echelon at Clark Field, Philippines after 18 Dec 1945); Calcutta, India, 23 Dec 1945; Kanchrapara, India, 27 Dec 1945-17 Jan 1946; Clark Field, Philippines, 29 Jan-15 Jun 1946 (detachment at Sydney, Australia, Jan-15 Jun 1946). Hamilton Field (later, Hamilton AFB), CA, 12 Jul 1947-27 Jun 1949. Lake Charles, LA, 10 Oct 1951-16 Jan 1953. Sewart AFB, TN, 9 Jul-25 Sep 1956; Itami AB, Japan, 10 Oct 1956; Showa AS, Japan, 1 Jul 1957-8 Mar 1960. Albrook AFB, CZ, 18 Mar 1969; Howard AFB, CZ, 1 Jul 1970-1 Jul 1975. Howard AFB, CZ (later, Howard AB, Panama), 1 Jan 1976-31 Mar 1991. Nellis AFB, NV, 2 Mar 2018-.
Aircraft. Unkn, 1939-1940; included A-12, A-18, A-20, XA-21, B-10, B-12, B-18, B-23, B-25, C-36, C-40, YFM-1, O-38, PB-2, PT-17, and SBD-1 (USN) during 1940-1942. B-24/F-7, 1943; F-7, 1944-1946; B-25, 1944; F-13, 1946. B-29, 1951-1953. H-21, 1956-1960. UH-1P, Mar 1969-Jun 1970; O-10B, Mar 1969-May 1971; CH-3E, Mar 1969-Sep 1970; C-123K, Jul 1970-Jun 1972; UC-123K, Jul 1970-Apr 1973; UH-1F, Jul 1970-Feb 1971; UC-123K, Nov 1970-1972; UH-1N, Jan 1971-Jun 1975; A-37, Apr-Nov 1972; O-2A, Nov 1972-Jun 1975; O-2B, Oct 1973-Mar 1975; VC-118, Oct 1973-Jun 1975. UH-1N, Jan 1976-Mar 1983; O-2A, Jan 1976-Jun 1986; A-37B, Sep 1985-1991. F-16, 2018-.
Operations. Tested and evaluated aircraft and equipment, 1940-1942, at shat became the Air Proving Ground in 1942. Trained for more than a year in Colorado and Oklahoma before moving to the China-Burma-India (CBI) Theater of Operations for combat. Used several detachments in China between Mar 1944 and Feb 1945 to accomplish combat mapping. Flew last combat mission on 19 Apr 1945, but remained in India until well past the end of World War II. Air echelon moved to the Philippines in Dec 1945, followed by the remainder of the squadron in Jan 1946. From Jan to Jun 1946, operated a detachment in Australia. Inactivated at Clark Field, Philippines, in Jun 1946. Unknown operations between 1947 and 1949. From Oct 1951 to Jan 1953, flew B-29s for the 68 Strategic Reconnaissance (later, 68th Bombardment) Wing. Trained with H-21s in Tennessee, Jul-Oct 1956, when it moved to Japan to provide military support and rescue operations in Japan, Okinawa, and the Marshall Islands, operating through several detachments. As a special operations squadron in Panama, trained Latin American air forces personnel starting in 1969. It also provided air defense of the Canal Zone (CZ) and participated in tactical exercises in close cooperation with U.S. Army special forces. After gaining C-123s in 1970, the squadron flew airlift and search and rescue missions, and provided jump training for U.S. Army paratroopers. Between Apr and Nov 1972, flew A-37s to fly strike training missions. From Nov 1972 until inactivation in 1975, flew O-2s in training with Army forces. C-123s were transferred in Apr 1973, and the squadron lost its airlift mission. By Jun 1975, the squadron was reduced to five O-2A and five UH-1 aircraft, and it inactivated the next month. In 1976, the squadron began serving at Howard AFB, Canal Zone, as the only tactical component of the 24 Composite Wing. Equipped with O-2A and UH-1N aircraft, it also operated a boat section which supported rescue operations. While charged with providing air defense, it flew the helicopters to take part in joint training exercises, search and rescue missions, disaster relief, medical evacuation, and civic action activities. It flew the O-2s for forward air control and air support missions and for aerial reconnaissance. On 1 Oct 1979, the Canal Zone reverted to Panama, but the squadron continued to perform the same kinds of missions. In 1981, trained Panamanian UH-1N helicopter pilots. The squadron lost its helicopters in 1983, when they were transferred to Military Airlift Command, but the squadron used its remaining airplanes to train Latin American pilots. Took part in Operation Just Cause in 1989 and 1990, removing a dictator from power in Panama. The unit inactivated in 1991. Activated in 2018 in Nevada as an F-16 unit for tactical air support.
Service Streamers. World War II American Theater.
Campaign Streamers. World War II: India-Burma; Central Burma; China Defensive.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. Panama, 1989-1990.
Decorations. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jan 1957-1 Aug 1958; 18 Mar 1969-13 Apr 1970; 2 Jun-3 Jul 1970; 16 Mar 1971-15 Mar 1973; 1 Jul 1976-30 Jun 1978; 1 Apr 1982-31 mar 1984; 20 Dec 1989-14 Feb 1991.
Emblem. Approved on 21 Jun 2018.