549th Fighter Squadron History

549th Night Fighter Squadron

A Good Web Page on the 549th

Lineage

Constituted 549 Night Fighter Squadron on 19 Apr 1944. Activated on 1 May 1944. Inactivated on 5 Feb 1946. Activated on 25 Jun 1946. Inactivated on 19 Feb 1947. Redesignated 549 Tactical Air Support Training Squadron on 18 Aug 1969. Activated on 15 Oct 1969. Inactivated on 1 Jul 1988. Redesignated 549 Joint Training Squadron, and activated, on 1 Nov 1991. Redesignated 549 Combat Training Squadron on 1 Jul 1994.

Assignments

Fourth Air Force, 1 May 1944 (attached to 319 Wing, 1 May-c. 4 Oct 1944); 7 Fighter Wing, 20 Oct 1944; VII Fighter Command, 1 Nov 1944; Army Air Forces, Middle Pacific, 16 Jul 1945 (attached to VII Fighter Command, 16 Jul-c. 20 Nov 1945; Twentieth Air Force Combat Staging Center, 20 Nov-3 Dec 1945; Iwo Jima Base Command, Provisional, 3 Dec 1945- ); Seventh Air Force, 1 Jan-5 Feb 1946 (remained attached to Iwo Jima Base Command, Provisional, to 5 Feb 1946). 20 Fighter Wing, 25 Jun 1946-19 Feb 1947 (attached to 21 Fighter Group, 25 Jun 1946-19 Feb 1947). 1 Special Operations (later, 834 Tactical Composite; 1 Special Operations) Wing, 15 Oct 1969; 549 Tactical Air Support Training Group, 15 Dec 1975-1 Jul 1988. 57 Operations Group, 1 Nov 1991; USAF Air Ground Operations School, 3 Feb 1998-.

Stations

Hammer Field, CA, 1 May 1944; Bakersfield Muni Aprt, CA, 26 Jul 1944; Ft Lawton, WA, 6-13 Oct 1944; Kipapa Field, TH, 20 Oct 1944-19 Feb 1945; South Field, Iwo Jima, 14 Mar 1945-5 Feb 1946 (air echelon on Saipan, 20 Feb-20 Mar 1945). Northwest AAB, Guam, 25 Jun 1946-19 Feb 1947. Eglin AF Aux Field No. 9 (Hurlburt Field), FL, 15 Oct 1969; Patrick AFB, FL, 15 Dec 1975-1 Jul 1988. Nellis AFB, NV, 1 Nov 1991- Current.

Commanders

Maj Hubbard K. Gayle Jr., 3 May 1944; Lt Col Joseph E. Payne, 22 Jul 1944; Capt William R. Charlesworth, c. 25 Sep 1945; 1Lt Raymond E. Rudkin, c. 17 Jan- 5 Feb 1946. 1Lt Eldon P. Harvey, c. 25 Jun 1946; Capt Lyall L. Frazier, c. 29 Jun 1946; 2Lt James D. Morris, c. 7 Aug 1946; 1Lt Thomas F. Mirabito, c. 1-19 Feb 1947. Lt Col Joseph B. Madden, 15 Oct 1969; Lt Col Hubert R. Martin, 30 Jun 1971; Lt Col Felix L. Sambogna, 25 May 1973; Lt Col John G. Schroeder, 28 Feb 1975; Lt Col Walter E. Ackerlund, by Mar 1976; Lt Col Winslow E. Reither, c. 8 Jul 1977; Lt Col Rand Brandt, 30 Jun 1978; Lt Col Paul H. Burbage, III, 1 Aug 1980; Lt Col Don A. Lyon, 30 Jul 1982; Lt Col Paul A. Taylor, 20 Jan 1984; Lt Col Robert A. Rohlfing, 3 Mar 1986; Lt Col David N. Talley III, 7 Jan-1 Jul 1988. Col Steven K. Ladd, 1 Nov 1991; Lt Col Gary L. Buis, 12 Aug 1994; Col Philip J. Frazee, 27 Aug 1996; Lt Col Walter D. Givhan, 19 Dec 1997-June 1999;
Lt Col Joseph L. Rehm, June 1999 - May 2001; Lt Col James A. Riess, May 2001 - Current

Aircraft

P-70, 1944; P-61, 1944-1946. None, 1946-1947. OV-10, 1969-1988; O-2, 1975-1986. A-10, 1991-; F-16, 1991-.

Operations

Flew night fighter missions from Iwo Jima against the Japanese, 22 Mar-c. 5 Aug 1945. Trained forward air controller (FAC) and Strike Control and Reconnaissance (SCAR) pilots, 1969-1988. Flew close air support sorties in "Air Warrior" exercises to train U.S. and allied fighter pilots, 1991-.

Service Streamers

None.

Campaign Streamers

World War II: Air Combat, Asiatic-Pacific Theater; Air Offensive, Japan.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers

None.

Decorations

Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 15 Dec 1975-31 Dec 1976; 1 May 1981-30 Apr 1983; 1 May 1983-30 Apr 1985; 1 May 1985-30 Apr 1987; 1 Jun 1995-31 May 1997. Air Force Organizational Excellence Award: 11 Nov 1997-31 May 1999.

Emblem

Approved on 17 Jul 1944.

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