90th Fighter Squadron

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the post-1991 90th Fighter Squadron. For the 90th Fighter Squadron of World War II, see 90th Flying Training Squadron.

90th Fighter Squadron
U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors assigned to the 90th Fighter Squadron
Active20 August 1917 – 1 October 1949
25 June 1951 – present
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
RoleAir Superiority
SizeSquadron
Part ofPacific Air Forces
Garrison/HQ
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
Nickname(s)The Dicemen[citation needed]
ColorsRed
Fuselage Code"AK"
Engagements

  • World War I

  • World War II - Antisubmarine

  • World War II - Asia-Pacific Theater

  • Korean War

  • Vietnam War

  • Vietnam Ceasefire

  • Operation Deny Flight
    Operation Joint Endeavor
    Operation Northern Watch,

  • Afghanistan Campaign
Decorations

  • Distinguished Unit Citation (8x)

  • Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device (5x)

  • Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (18x)

  • Philippine Presidential Unit Citation

  • Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm
Commanders
Current
commander		Lt Col Ryan "Rase" Graf[
Hoyt S. Vandenberg
Nathan F. Twining
Richard H. Ellis
Insignia
90th Fighter Squadron emblem

The 90th Fighter Squadron is a squadron of the

F-22 Raptor fighter.[1]

The 90 FS is one of the oldest units in the United States Air Force, first being organized as the 90th Aero Squadron on 20 August 1917 at Kelly Field, Texas. The squadron deployed to France and fought on the Western Front during World War I as a Corps observation squadron.[2]

During World War II, the unit earned the

Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO) as part of Fifth Air Force. During the Cold War the squadron fought in the Korean War and Vietnam War.[3]

Mission

The 90th Fighter Squadron trains in the fighter missions of

suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD), as well as strategic attack and interdiction.[4]

History

World War I

see 90th Aero Squadron for an expanded history of World War I operations

The 90th Fighter Squadron origins begin with Special Order 104, Headquarters Kelly Field, San Antonio, Texas, on 25 September 1917. The men in it were largely from two detachments; one from Vancouver Barracks, Washington, which arrived at Kelly Field on 18 August; another from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, which arrived on 25 August. Both of these detachments had been held from the date of their arrival until 25 September under Recruit Camp Headquarters as a Provisional Squadron.[4]

The first few months of its existence were consumed by the necessary training to prepare the men for operations in France during World War I. On 30 September, the squadron left Kelly Field for the Aviation Concentration Center, Camp Mills, Garden City, New York, Long Island, where it arrived five days later. On the night of 5 October the squadron detrained, and early next morning hiked out to Field No. 2 of the Aviation Concentration Center (

Hazelhurst Field), where they were quartered with the Headquarters of the First Provisional Wing in Barracks No. 5. Here they stayed for several weeks performing guard duty and fatigue work, and carrying on the work of organization, equipment and preparation for overseas duty.[5]

On 26 October, orders were received to pack up equipment and to prepare for immediate overseas departure. The following day the squadron was moved to Pier 54, New York Harbor, and boarded the SS Orduña. The crossing of the Atlantic was uneventful, and on 10 November the Orduna moved into the dock at Liverpool, England.[5]

90th Aero Squadron – Salmson 2A2

On 12 November 1917 the men of the 90th arrived at

Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome for what they thought would be immediate deployment to the front. But, to their great disappointment, they were given the assignment of road and barracks construction work, building the large 1st Air Depot and staging area which would eventually process and equip a large number of Americans that would arrive in France during 1918.[4]

After seven months at Colombey, the 90th Aero Squadron was designed as a Corps Observation squadron, being assigned to the

Meuse-Argonne Offensives. Later, the squadron upgraded to Salmson 2-A2s SPAD Xis, and Breguet BR-14 observation aircraft. Due to ever-present low clouds and rain, the flyers were forced to drop dangerously close to the ground to carry out their missions, usually in the worst conditions.[5]

90th Aero Squadron "Lucky 7 dice emblem"

The 90th Aero Squadron carried out many reconnaissances, engaged in 23 combats and relieved official confirmation for 7 aerial victories. The group's lucky "Seven Up" emblem of red dice with white dots reading "7" no matter which way it was tallied, proved prophetic, for they suffered 3 casualties, consisting of 2 killed and 1 wounded.

First Lieutenant William G. Schauffler, designed the 90th's Pair o' Dice emblem displaying natural sevens during this campaign.[4]

After the Armistice with Germany on 11 November 1918, little flying was done, most of the pilots and observers being absent on leave or returning to the States. On 15 January 1919 the squadron's planes were turned in to the 1st Air Depot, Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome, and there, practically all of the pilots and observers were detached from the squadron.[5]

90th Aero Squadron – 11:00am 11 November 1918 Bethelainville Aerodrome, France.

At Colombey, very comfortable quarters were assigned and the squadron settled down to await orders to the coast. The squadron left Colombey les Belles 25 January 1919, en route for the port of embarkation. It stopped at the pretty little village of St. Denis de Piles, near Libourne, Gironde, and the officers and enlisted personnel occupied excellent billets.[5]

On 3 February after five days spent at St. Denis, the squadron was ordered to Libourne, the next step on the way home. There the men occupied the old stone French barracks, while the officers were billeted at private houses throughout the town. The squadron remained at Libourne until 10 April, when the long-awaited order to proceed to the Embarkation Camp. After two or three disappointments, the men were ordered on board the

Mitchell Field), and the work of demobilizing the squadron was begun.[5]

After the war, 90th alumni commissioned

Tiffany's of New York to design a silver pin with the squadron logo.[4]

Inter-war period

De Havilland DH-4 bomber with members of the 90th Squadron (Surveillance) at Sanderson Field, Texas, ca 1920.
see also: United States Army Border Air Patrol

After returning from France, most of the squadron demobilized at

Army Surveillance Group on 1 July 1919. The group was redesignated the 3d Attack Group on 2 July 1921.[4]

The mission of the Army Surveillance Group was to carry out observation overflights along the Mexican Border. During this period, Mexico was enduring a period of revolution and unrest, which led to border violations and the deaths of American citizens. From Kelly Field, the squadron was divided into two flights, Flight A operated from

deHavilland DH-4 aircraft, which were designed as bombers during the war.[4]

90th Attack Squadron – Curtiss A-12 Shrike, 1933

In the late summer of 1919 the 464th Aero Construction Squadron had been sent to establish an Army airfield at

Del Rio Field, Texas, on 12 Jun 1920.[4]

As the unrest in Mexico died down by the middle of 1921 the 90th reunited and moved back to Kelly Field in July. At Kelly Field,

Army Air Service, decided to use this low-level flying experience and the World War I experience of the 3d Group's pilots to create a group devoted to low-level mission of supporting ground troops and attacking ground targets.[4]

Northrop A-17A Serial 36-207 at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. It was assigned to the 90th Attack Squadron. It is the only A-17A known to exist.

Flew border reconnaissance missions from Fort Huachuca, Arizona, during the Escobar-Topete Revolution 7 April–2 May 1929. The 90th Squadron contributed to the pioneering of new tactics for attack aircraft, delivered

James H. Doolittle. On 2 September 1922 General Doolittle, then a first lieutenant, became the first pilot to travel coast-to-coast in under 24 hours. Although he could not remember if he was assigned to the 90th during the flight, the Air Force Historical Research Agency confirmed he was a member of the 90th at the time, and his DH-4 aircraft displayed the 90th's pair-o-dice emblem. Early commanders of the 90th also included Lieutenants Hoyt Vandenberg and Nathan Twining, both of whom later became Air Force Chiefs of Staff.[4]
Transferred on 27 February 1935 to Barksdale Field, Louisiana, then transferred on 10 October 1940 to Savannah AAF, Georgia.

North American B-25C Mitchell of the 90th BS, 3rd BG(L) USAAF, Dobodura Airfield 1943

World War II

During

.50 caliber machine guns, supplemented with two twin .50 caliber gun packages side mounted on the fuselage. The lower turret was discarded. The A-20s received similar modifications. The modified aircraft were first employed by the 90th and proved exceptionally effective, receiving the nickname 'commerce destroyers.' During the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, every aircraft in the 90th scored a hit on the Japanese convoy of 18 ships. It was the first sea-level attack by B-25 strafers in World War II and demonstrated that this tactic was extremely effective. The squadron also participated in the raids on Wewak, New Guinea, which were preemptive strikes that virtually ended the threat of enemy offensive air capabilities.[4]

Cold War

3d Bomb Wing B-26B-50-DL Invaders during the Korean War. Serial 44-34306 identifiable.

In 1945, after World War II, the 90th Squadron was moved to Japan. The 90th began flying the Douglas A-26 Invader as the 3d Bombardment Group became an all A-26 outfit. In September 1946 the 90th moved with the 3d Bombardment Group to Yokota Air Base, Japan, and began training to become combat-ready with the A-26, which was redesignated the B-26 Invader. With the creation of the U.S. Air Force in late 1947 the force began an internal reorganization. This led to the activation of the 3d Bombardment Wing in August 1948, to which the 3d Bombardment Group was assigned. The 90th Squadron was inactivated from 1 October 1949 until 25 June 1951.[4]

At that point, the squadron was redesignated the 90th Bombardment Squadron Light, Night Intruder. In July, as part of the 3d Bombardment Group, the 90th participated in the Korean War. The B-26 Invaders, which the 90th flew, had as many as 12 forward-firing .50 caliber machine guns. The 90th's specialty during the Korean War was destroying locomotives and marshalling yards.[4]

Martin B-57B-MA Serial 53-3896 of the 3d Bomb Wing.

After the war, the 90th moved with the 3d Bombardment Group to

air refueling. It also served nuclear alert during this period as well. In the mid-1960s, however, the squadron underwent significant changes.[4]

In 1964 the 3d Bombardment Wing converted to a tactical fighter wing, as did the 90th, which became the 90th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 8 June 1964. The wing and the 90th moved to

14th Special Operations Wing on 31 October 1970 and was redesignated the 90th Special Operations Squadron and remained in Vietnam at Nha Trang Air Base.[4]

90th TFS North American F-100D-90-NA Super Sabre 56-3304 Bien Hoa Air Base, South Vietnam, 1967

From late 1970 until 1974 the 90th underwent several command reassignments. It remained with the 14th Special Operations Wing until 1 September 1971, when it moved to the

McDonnell F-4 Phantom IIs
. In September of the following year, the 90th returned once again to the 3d Tactical Fighter Wing, when it relocated to Clark Air Base after the 405th Fighter Wing was inactivated.

F-4D-28-MC Phantom II 65-0755 of the 90th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Ching Chuan Kang Air Base, Taiwan, 1974

From 31 August 1973 to 31 July 1974 the 90th Tactical Fighter Squadron maintained an F-4 detachment at the

Tainan Air Base, Taiwan
, and primary mission was to support Taiwan’s air defense. In 1975 the 90th converted to the F-4E and participated in combat training and providing air defense for the Philippines.[4]

McDonnell Douglas F-4G-42-MC Phantom Serial 69-0275 of the 90th TFS/3d TFW Clark AFB, Philippines, 1979.

In July 1977 the 90th once again upgraded its aircraft, this time to the F-4G, which performed a ground radar suppression and destruction mission. The squadron had both F-4G and F-4E aircraft assigned, operating in "hunter-killer" roles. Each F-4G was paired with an F-4E during each mission, and the G models would point out threat radar sites to the E models for attack, as well as attacking using their own armaments. This multiplied the force being applied without having to purchase more of the expensive G models. During the late 1970s and 1980s, the squadron provided training and support to other units throughout the Pacific, as well as ensuring the readiness of its own pilots and aircraft. The unit participated in numerous Cope Thunder exercises hosted at Clark AB, as well as Pitch Black in Darwin, Australia, and other exercises in South Korea. By 1990, however, the Philippines had expressed a desire for the withdrawal of American military forces in the islands. In May 1991 the 90th Tactical Fighter Squadron was reassigned to the

21st Operations Group. This association did not last long, however.[4]

Post-Cold War

"Philippine Expeditionary Force" back home at Clark AB, RP before Mount Pinatubo eruption.

In June 1991

Desert Storm due to instability in the Philippines. However, it was not going to remain in the islands for very long. It became a 'paper' unit briefly while the Chief of Staff, General Merrill McPeak, decided where to send the wing. He selected Elmendorf. The 21st Tactical Fighter Wing was inactivated and the 3d Wing replaced it as the lead wing at Elmendorf on 19 December 1991. With the establishment of the 3d Wing on Elmendorf, the 90th Fighter Squadron was once again reunited with its old wing.[4]

While these changes occurred with the 3d Wing, the 90th Fighter Squadron deployed six F-4G crews to join other Wild Weasel squadrons and coalition forces in Sheikh Isa, Bahrain for the

F-15C Eagle had more survivability enhancements than any other fighter aircraft at the time. It carried a wide array of armament as it performed both air-to-air and air-to-surface attack missions.[4]

A 90th FS F-15E Strike Eagle flies over glacial fields during a training mission.

Since arriving in Alaska, the 90th Fighter Squadron participated in numerous training

Alaska Governor's Safety Award conferred through the Alaska Department of Labor. This was the first time a military organization won the state award since its inception in 1980.[4]

In addition to exercises, the 90th Fighter Squadron also undertook real-world deployments during the 1990s and early 2000s (decade). From October 1995 until January 1996 the squadron deployed 8 F-15Es and 193 personnel to

Taegu Air Base, both in Korea. While there, the unit flew 1200 joint combat training sorties. Personnel and aircraft redeployed in June 1998.[4]

In 2001 the 90th began a series of deployments which took members of the squadron to the Middle East and

Southwest Asia. In March of that year, the 90th participated in a 90-day deployment in support of Operation Northern Watch, patrolling the northern No-fly zone in Iraq. The squadron sent 154 personnel and 10 F-15Es to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey and returned to Elmendorf on 9 June 2001. In October that year, 18 F-15Es were deployed to Kwangju Air Base, Korea, in support of Afghanistan operations. While deployed pilots flew practice strike missions and provided long-range interdiction strike capability in the region during the absence of the USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63), they also flew missions over South Korea and repaired base infrastructure while there. The squadron redeployed from 20 to 23 December.[4]

302d Fighter Squadron
.

The 90th Fighter Squadron participated in an historic event on 4 September 2002. Two

Flight Lieutenant Paul Simmons and Flight Lieutenant Tony Southwood, paired up to fly one of the 90th's F-15Es. This was the first time Australian pilots flew an American aircraft in the Pacific Theatre.[4]

In 2003 the squadron undertook another deployment in the Pacific in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The 90th sent 18 F-15Es to bases in the Pacific, including Osan Air Base, Kunsan Air Base, (both in Korea), Kadena Air Base, Japan and Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. The deployment included 592 personnel from mid-February until mid-May.[4]

Kwangju AB, Korea, once again became home to members of the 90th Fighter Squadron in 2004. In August the squadron deployed 12 F-15Es in a rotation. The unit was temporarily designated the 90th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron and assigned to the 3d Air Expeditionary Group. While deployed the unit flew more than 1100 sorties over the Korean Peninsula and provided two important flights to distinguished visitors, Republic of Korea Air Force Brigadier General Ko and Republic of Korea General Kim, Commander Korean Ground Forces.[4]

In 2005 the squadron focused on training and preparation for its next real-world deployment. Amidst the training and exercises, however, the squadron was able to showcase their talent with participation in the Aero India Airshow and with a flyby at the

Small Diameter Bomb.[4]

As 2006 progressed, the 90th Fighter Squadron began to prepare for significant changes in its mission and weapons system. The F-15Es were scheduled to relocate to Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, through the

F-22 Raptor in August 2007, which greatly enhanced the 90th Fighter Squadron's ability to perform its duties.[4]

In August 2022 twelve of the squadron's F-22 Raptors deployed to Łask Air Base, Poland as part of NATO's air shielding mission.[8]

Lineage

  • Organized as the 90th Aero Squadron on 20 August 1917
Redesignated 90th Aero Squadron (Corps Observation) on 19 April 1918
Redesignated 90th Aero Squadron in May 1919
Redesignated 90th Squadron (Surveillance) on 13 August 1919
Redesignated 90th Squadron (Attack) on 15 September 1921
Redesignated 90th Attack Squadron on 25 January 1923
Redesignated 90th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 15 September 1939
Redesignated 90th Bombardment Squadron (Dive) on 28 September 1942
Redesignated 90th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 25 May 1943
Redesignated 90th Bombardment Squadron, Light on 29 April 1944
Inactivated on 1 Oct 1949
  • Redesignated as: 90th Bombardment Squadron, Light, Night Intruder on 7 June 1951
Activated on 25 Jun 1951
Redesignated 90th Bombardment Squadron, Tactical on 1 October 1955
Redesignated 90th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 8 June 1964
Redesignated 90th Attack Squadron on 12 December 1969
Redesignated 90th Special Operations Squadron on 31 October 1970
Redesignated 90th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 8 July 1973
Redesignated 90th Fighter Squadron on 26 September 1991[1][2][3]

Assignments

Stations

World War I
Inter-War period
United States Air Force

Aircraft

Operations

See also

  • List of American Aero Squadrons

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Robertson, Patsy (6 February 2012). "Factsheet 90 Fighter Squadron (PACAF)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d Gorrell [page needed]
  3. ^ a b c d Maurer, Combat Squadrons [page needed]
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa "90th Fighter Squadron". Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.mil. 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Carver, et al. [page needed]
  6. ^ Bruce, p. 590.
  7. ^ Schreiner & Eisel, [page needed]
  8. ^ Helfrich, Emma (4 August 2022). "Ukraine Situation Report: F-22 Raptors Arrive In Poland". The Drive. Retrieved 24 August 2022.

Bibliography

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

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