17th Weapons Squadron

The 17th Weapons Squadron is a United States Air Force unit, assigned to the USAF Weapons School at Nellis AFB, Nevada.

The squadron traces its lineage to the United States Army Air Service 17th Aero Squadron. The 17th Aero Squadron was activated in August 1917 and earned 13 Campaign Streamers in World War I flying the Sopwith Camel. During World War II, the 17th Pursuit Squadron participated in the defense of the Philippines flying the P-40 Warhawk and garnering the first American Ace of World War II. Wiped out during the Battle of the Philippines, some of its squadron members endured the Bataan Death March. Reactivated during the Vietnam War, the squadron went on to fly F-105F Wild Weasles, and in Operation Desert Storm flying the F-16C.

Overview

Flying the F-15E Strike Eagle, the squadron accomplishes its mission by providing graduate-level instructor academic and flying courses to USAF Combat Air Forces (CAF). The squadron conducts extensive technical off-station training and liaises with CAF units.

The 17th patch, adopted in 1917, consists of a Great White Snowy Owl in front of a black triangle with a blue background. Because of its distinctive Owl Patch, the squadron’s nickname is the “HOOTERS.”

History

World War I

The 17th Aero Squadron began as flying training unit in 1917. From February to June 1918 it underwent combat training while attached by flights to tactical units of RAF serving on the Western Front France in support of the British Second and the Fifth British Armies. Under British Command, they were equipped with Sopwith Camels, resulting in their original nickname of "The Camel Drivers."^[1]

Following assignment of pilots and reassembling of flights on 20 June 1918, the squadron entered combat as a pursuit unit with British Second and Third Armies from 15 July-28 October 1918. The squadron was reassigned to Second Army, American Expeditionary Force on 1 November 1918 and prepared for operations on American front but did not become combat-ready before the end of hostilities on 11 November 1918. It was demobilised in 1919

The 147th Aero Squadron served in combat as pursuit unit with French Sixth Army, French Eighth Army, and American First Army, 2 June-10 November 1918.

It was then redesignated as the 17th Pursuit in 1921.

World War II

During World War II, the 17th Pursuit Squadron was initially part of Far East Air Force and took part in the Battle of the Philippines (1941–42). However, most of its aircraft were destroyed on the ground, by Japanese air raids. Some 17th PS personnel later fought as infantry during the Battle of Bataan and, after their surrender, were subjected to the Bataan Death March.

Other members of the 17th PS escaped to Australia, where they collected new P-40s (see Pensacola Convoy) and re-formed as the "17th Pursuit Squadron (Provisional)". In January 1942, the squadron undertook a flight across Australia and the Arafura Sea, to Java and took part in the Dutch East Indies Campaign, where it claimed 49 Japanese aircraft destroyed, for the loss of 17 P-40s.^[2] In March, as Japanese ground forces approached, the squadron handed over its aircraft to the Dutch military and returned to Australia.

Cold War

The 17th Pursuit Squadron was reactivated in 1971 as the 17th Wild Weasel Squadron on 12 November 1971, and engaged in combat in Southeast Asia, December 1971– April 1973; thereafter maintained capability to deliver Wild Weasel support for B-52, F-111, and F-4 aircraft, and a hunter-killer role until inactivated in 1974. Trained in close air support, air interdiction, suppression of enemy defenses, and armed reconnaissance to support worldwide contingencies, 1982–1983. Flew combat in Southwest Asia, 17 January-28 February 1991.

Lineage

• Organized as 29th Aero Squadron on 16 Jun 1917

Re-designated 17th Aero Squadron on 30 Jul 1917

Demobilized on 1 Apr 1919

• Reconstituted, and consolidated (17 Oct 1936) with 147th Aero Squadron, which was organized on 11 Nov 1917

Re-designated: 17th Squadron (Pursuit) on 14 Mar 1921

Re-designated: 17th Pursuit Squadron on 25 Jan 1923

Re-designated: 17th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 6 Dec 1939

Inactivated on 2 Apr 1946

• Re-designated 17th Wild Weasel Squadron on 12 Nov 1971

Activated on 1 Dec 1971

Inactivated on 15 Nov 1974

• Re-designated 17th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 11 Dec 1981

Activated on 1 Jul 1982

Re-designated 17th Fighter Squadron on 1 Nov 1991

Inactivated on 31 Dec 1993

• Re-designated 17th Weapons Squadron on 24 Jan 2003

Activated on 3 Feb 2003.

Assignments

• 17th Aero: Unknown, 16 Jan 1917-Feb 1918
• Attached to RAF for operations and training, Feb 1918
• 65th Wing, RAF, Jun 1918
• 13th Wing, RAF, Aug 1918
• 4th Pursuit Group, AEF, Nov-Dec 1918
• Unknown Dec 1918-1 Apr 1919
• 147th Aero (later, 17th Pursuit): Unknown, 11 Nov 1917-Jun 1918
• 1st Pursuit Group, Jun-Dec 1918
• Unknown, Dec 1918-22 Aug 1919
• 1st Pursuit Group, 22 Aug 1919-consolidation
• Consolidated Squadron: 1st Pursuit Group, from consolidation in 1936
• 4th Composite Group, 14 Dec 1940
• 24th Pursuit Group, 1 Oct 1941-2 Apr 1946
• 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 Dec 1971-15 Nov 1974
• 363d Tactical Fighter (later, 363d Fighter) Wing, 1 Jul 1982

Attached to 363d Tactical Fighter Wing Provisional, 9 Aug 1990-13 Mar 1991

• 363d Operations Group, 1 May 1992-31 Dec 1993
• USAF Weapons School, 3 Feb 2003–Present

Stations

Consolidated squadron

• Selfridge Field, Michigan, from consolidation in 1936 to 27 October 1940
• Nichols Field, Luzon, Philippines, 5 December 1940

Operated from Clark Field, Luzon, Philippines, 9–24 December 1941

• Bataan Field, Luzon, Philippines, 25 December 1941 – April 1942

Air echelon operated from: Lubao Field, Luzon, Philippines,25–31 December 1941

Air echelon operated from: Del Monte Airfield, Mindanao, Philippines, c. 8 April–May 1942

• Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, 1 December 1971 – 15 November 1974
• Shaw AFB, South Carolina, 1 July 1982 – 31 December 1993

Deployed to Al Dhafra AB, United Arab Emirates, 9 August 1990 – 13 March 1991

• Nellis AFB, Nevada, 3 February 2003–present

Aircraft

Campaigns

See also

• Howard Burdick
• Howard Knotts
• Robert Todd
• William Tipton
• George Augustus Vaughn, Jr.
• Lloyd Hamilton^[3]
• Robert Olds
• List of American Aero Squadrons

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

1. ^ http://www.amazon.com/Camel-Drivers-17th-Squadron-World/dp/0764300717
2. ^ Molesworth, Carl. P-40 Warhawk Aces of the Pacific (Aircraft of the Aces). London: Osprey Publishing, 2003
3. ^ American Aces of World War I. p. 86. 

• Franks, Norman, et al. American Aces of World War I. Osprey Publishing, 2001. ISBN 1-84176-375-6, 9781841763750.
• Mauer, Mauer (1969), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, Air Force Historical Studies Office, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. ISBN 0-89201-097-5
• The Army Air Forces in World War II, Chapter 6, Pearl Harbor and Clark Field
• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
• AFHRA 17th Weapons Squadron Factsheet

External links