489th Attack Squadron

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489th Attack Squadron
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award[2]
Commanders
Current
commander		Lt Col Theodore[3]
Insignia
489th Attack Squadron emblem (approved 27 February 2017)[4]
489th Reconnaissance Squadron emblem[note 1]
489th Bombardment Squadron emblem (approved 27 October 1959)[1]
489th Bombardment Squadron emblem (World War II)

The 489th Attack Squadron is an active

MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicles. It was active at Beale Air Force Base
, California as the 489th Reconnaissance Squadron from 2011 to 2015.

The squadron was first activated as the 77th Aero Squadron in 1917. Redesignated as the 489th Aero Squadron, it served as a support unit in France during World War I before returning to the US and being demobilized in 1919.

Through most of its existence, the squadron was named the 489th Bombardment Squadron. It served under this name from 1925 to 1942 in the

Distinguished Unit Citations for actions in North Africa and Sicily. Inactivated after the war, it served briefly in the reserves a second time between 1947 and 1949. When Strategic Air Command reorganized its Boeing B-47 Stratojet wings as four squadron units the squadron was activated at Whiteman Air Force Base
, Missouri, remaining active until 1962.

History

World War I

The

American Expeditionary Force. On 4 December 1917, the squadron moved to the port of Embarkation Philadelphia and boarded the transport Northland. On the Northland were 9 Aero Squadrons with 70 officers and 1,339 enlisted men. These 9 Squadrons were the 10th, 12th, 13th, 16th, 19th, 75th, 76th, 77th and 101st.[citation needed
]

In January 1918 a new numbering scheme for aero squadrons was set up. The numbers 400 through 599 were reserved for Aero Squadrons (Construction).[

Camp Lee, Virginia.[1]

Organized Reserve

The first 489th Bombardment Squadron was constituted in the

Ninth Corps Area. The squadron was manned in 1925 at Boeing Field, near Seattle, Washington.[1][5] It was assigned to the 349th Bombardment Group from 22 October 1925 until c. June 1929 for mobilization as part of the General Headquarters Reserve.[6] The 489th was one of the few Air Corps units in the Organized Reserve that possessed facilities, equipment and, aircraft between the wars. In June 1932, the 489 Aero Squadron was reconstituted and consolidated with the 489 Bombardment Squadron. The unit typically conducted its inactive training at Pearson Field or in Seattle. It performed its summer training at various Air Corps installations in the Pacific coastal region. The squadron was disbanded, along with all other Organized Reserve Air Corps units on 31 May 1942 and its remaining personnel were called to active duty individually.[1][5]

World War II

The second 489th Bombardment Squadron was organized as a

12th Air Force and participated in the Allied invasion of Italy in September 1943. Moved to Corsica as part of the Mediterranean Allied Tactical Air Force in April 1944 and provided tactical support for Allied troops in Italy and Southern France (Operation Dragoon
). Based at Rimini, Italy from April 1945 until the end of the war.

Personnel demobilized in Italy during the summer of 1945; the squadron returned to the United States, being prepared for deployment to the Pacific Theater for use as a tactical bomb squadron in the programmed Invasion of Japan. Japanese capitulation led to the squadron's inactivation in November 1945.

Return to reserve status

Activated as an

A-26 Invader
squadron in the postwar Air Force reserves in 1947; inactivated in 1949 due to budget reductions.

Strategic Air Command

From 1958, the

340th Bombardment Wing.[4] The alert commitment was increased to half the squadron's aircraft in 1962 and the four squadron pattern no longer met the alert cycle commitment, so the squadron was inactivated on 1 January 1962.[4][8]

Reconnaissance operations

The squadron was activated as the 489th Reconnaissance Squadron on 26 August 2011 at Beale Air Force Base near Marysville, CA as a component of the

MC-12W
aircraft. It was inactivated on 10 May 2015.

489th Attack Squadron

The squadron was redesignated as the 489th Attack Squadron at Creech Air Force Base under the

432d Operations Group, on 2 December 2016. It is equipped with MQ-1 and MQ-9 UAV aircraft.[4][3]

Lineage

489th Aero Squadron
Redesignated 489th Aero Squadron (Construction) on 1 February 1918
Demobilized on 6 March 1919
  • Reconstituted and consolidated with the 489th Bombardment Squadron in June 1932[1][5]
489th Bombardment Squadron
  • Constituted as the 489th Bombardment Squadron on 31 March 1924 and allotted to the reserve
Activated, date unknown (personnel assigned in January 1925)
  • Consolidated with the 489th Aero Squadron in June 1932
Disbanded on 31 May 1942
  • Consolidated with the 489th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 11 August 1958[1][5]
489th Attack Squadron
  • Constituted as the 489th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 10 August 1942
Activated on 20 August 1942
Redesignated 489th Bombardment Squadron, Medium c. 20 August 1943
Inactivated on 7 November 1945
  • Redesignated 489th Bombardment Squadron, Light on 24 October 1947
Activated in the reserve on 10 November 1947
Inactivated on 27 June 1949
  • Redesignated 489th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 11 August 1958 and consolidated with the 489th Bombardment Squadron
Activated on 1 October 1958
Discontinued and inactivated on 1 January 1962[9]
  • Redesignated 489th Reconnaissance Squadron on 14 June 2011
Activated on 26 August 2011
Inactivated on 10 May 2015
  • Redesignated 489th Attack Squadron on 1 December 2016
Activated on 2 December 2016[4]

Assignments

  • Unknown, 13 August 1917 – February 1918[note 3]
  • Air Service Production Center No. 2, February–December 1918
  • Unknown, December 1918 – 6 March 1919
  • Ninth Corps Area, 1925 – 31 May 1942 (349th Bombardment Group for mobilization until c. June 1929)[5]
  • 340th Bombardment Group
    , 20 August 1942 – 7 November 1945
  • 340th Bombardment Group, 10 November 1947 – 27 June 1949
  • 340th Bombardment Wing, 1 October 1958 – 1 January 1962
  • 9th Operations Group, 26 August 2011 – 10 May 2015
  • 432nd Operations Group, 2 December 2016 – present[4]

Stations

Aircraft

References

Notes
  1. ^ While active at Beale, the squadron used an updated version of its World War II emblem. "Beale Air Force Base: Art: 489th Reconnaissance Squadron". 9th Reconnaissance Wing Public Affairs. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  2. ^ This squadron is not related to the 77th Aero Squadron established on 20 February 1918. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 277-278.
  3. ^ Probably Station Headquarters, Kelly Field and Station Headquarters, Hazelhurst Field while stationed there
Citations
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 587-588
  2. ^ "Air Force Personnel Services: Unit Awards". Air Force Personnel Center. Retrieved 19 December 2016. (search)
  3. ^ a b Campbell, A1C Kristan (16 December 2016). "Centennial Squadron reactivates at Creech". 432d Wing Public Affairs. Retrieved 19 December 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Bailey, Carl E. (8 August 2017). "Factsheet 489 Attack Squadron (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  5. ^ a b c d e Clay, p. 1523
  6. ^ Clay, p. 1339
  7. ^ a b Schake, p. 220 (note 43)
  8. ^ a b "Abstract (Unclassified), History of the Strategic Bomber since 1945 (Top Secret, downgraded to Secret)". Air Force History Index. 1 April 1975. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  9. ^ a b Lineage, including assignments, stations through 1962 in Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 587-588
  10. ^ Alley, p. 50
  11. ^ Other aircraft before 1942 unknown.

Bibliography

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

External links
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