| 50th Education Squadron | |
|---|---|
Emblem of the 50th Education Squadron |
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| Active | 1917-1947;1983-Present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Role | Training |
| Garrison/HQ | United States Air Force Academy |
| Engagements | World War I World War II |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Lt Col Mark D. Bontrager |
The 50th Education Squadron is a training squadron of the United States Air Force. It is currently stationed at the United States Air Force Academy, Colorado.
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The unit was first organized as a service Squadron at Kelly Field. After training, it went to Garden City, New Jersey. From there it was shipped out to Liverpool, England, on board the RMS Carmania (1905), arriving 24-January-1917. In England, the Squadron was stationed at a training airfield at Harlaxton, where it stayed until leaving for France. Finally, it arrived at Port of Le Havre on 14-July-1918. Its first station in France was Amanty and arrived there 27-July-1918. At Amanty it received 18 DH-4s divided into 3 flights, and began observation operations. Operations included St. Michael, Lorraine, Meuse-Argonne, and other locations as part of I Corps (United States). The squadron adopted the famous Dutch Girl insignia, trademark of Old Dutch Cleanser. To the fliers of the 50th Aero Squadron, the Dutch Girl meant one thing: "Clean up on Germany." The insignia was painted on the aircraft, and squadron members wore matching pins above the right breast pocket on their uniforms. On 6 October 1918, 1Lt Harold E. Goettler and 2Lt Erwin R. Bleckley, of the 50th Aero Squadron were shot down near Bienville, Oise, France, while attempting to drop supplies to a battalion of the 77th Infantry Division (United States), surrounded by the enemy in the Argonne Forest. Both died from their wounds and were posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor during World War I. The Squadron was shipped home from the port of Marseille 22-April-1919 on board the SS Caserta.
Returned to the United States in May 1919; remained active with the Army Air Service Second Wing and performed demonstrations of effectiveness of aerial bombardment on naval warships, June–September 1921. Reassigned to Mexican Border in 1927 as an aerial observation squadron before inactivation. Reactivated as aerial observation and defensive patrol squadron off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii Territory, 1930. Remained in Hawaii throughout the 1930s as part of the air defenses of the islands.
After the Attack on Pearl Harbor, performed search and reconnaissance missions over the Pacific, 8 December 1941-July 1942; being redesignated as a heavy bomber squadron in April 1942. Initially flew early model B-17C/D Flying Fortresses, May–October 1943
Engaged in combat operations in the Central Pacific June 1942. Returned to Hawaii and converted to Very Long Range (VLR) B-24 Liberators in May 1943. Redeployed to Central Pacific May, Jun, Jul, September 1943; in South and Southwest Pacific, 2 August 1942-c. 16 February 1943; and in Central and Western Pacific, 13 November 1943-12 August 1945. The unit earned the Distinguished Unit Citation and the Presidential Unit Citation for its services in the Pacific.
Reorganized in the Philippines and returned to being a reconnaissance squadron, being equipped largely with B-17 and B-24s converted for photographic and mapping use. Performed aerial photography and mapping over the Southwest Pacific, Southeast Asia, Korea, Japan, Philippines, Formosa, and the Pescadores, 1946–1947.
The unit was subsequently deactivated on 20 October 1947.
The squadron was reactivated at the United States Air Force Academy on 1 October 1983 and designated the 50th Airmanship Training Squadron. In 1994, the unit earned its fourth Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, three of them consecutively, in its time at the Academy. In November 1994 the squadron was redesignated as the 50th Training Squadron. The summer of 1997 saw the last flight of the T-43A for the squadron with a change in direction for the squadron mission and a loss of funding for the Buckley ANG Base unit which supported T-43 operations. In January 2001 the squadron was redesignated the 50th Education Squadron, reflecting the squadron's change in mission.
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This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency. This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Air Force document "50th Education Squadron History".
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