78th Reconnaissance Squadron

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 78th Reconnaissance Squadron


caption= 78th Reconnaissance Squadron Patch
dates= 28 February 1918 - 15 November 1918
1 April 1931 - 1 September 1937
1 February 1940 - 15 October 1946
1 November 1952 - 1 May 1992
1 January 1994 - 30 June 2003
19 May 2006 - Present
country= United States
allegiance=
branch=United States Air Force
type= Reconnaissance and Surveillance
role=
size=
command_structure= Air Force Reserve Command
10th Air Force
current_commander=
garrison= Nellis Air Force Base
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname= Bushmasters
patron=
motto=
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles=
notable_commanders=
anniversaries=
decorations=
battle_honours=

The 78th Reconnaissance Squadron (78 RS) is part of the Tenth Air Force, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas. The 78 RS conducts operations from Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada in conjunction with their active-duty associates in the Air Force Warfare Center.

Mission

History

The 78th was organized in 1917 at Rich Field, Waco, Texas as a training unit. In February 1918 moved to Hicks Field, Fort Worth, Texas before being deactivated. In 1931, the 78th Pursuit Squadron was again activated and assigned to the 20th Pursuit Group at Mather Field, California flying single seat Boeing P-12 biplane fighters.

During World War II the unit was recognized and stationed in the Pacific theater where the unit flew P-39s, P-40s, and P-51s. With a combat record from the war of 200 enemy aircraft destroyed or damaged, versus the loss of only 6 aircraft assigned to the unit. The 78th received the Distinguished Unit Citation for actions at the Musashino Plant, Tokyo, Japan, on 7 April 1945.

On the 1 November 1952 the 78th Fighter Interceptor Squadron was reactived flying F-86 Sabre aircraft as part of the 81st Fighter-Interceptor Wing. In 1954 the 81st became a Fighter Bomber Wing and the assigned squadrons began flying the F-84 Thunderjet. Then in 1958, the 78th received it's first F-101 Voodoo aircraft.

The squadron deployed to Saudi Arabia in 1990, where it took part in Operation Desert Storm. Subsequently, the 78th began a regular rotation of deployments to patrol the Northern and Southern No-Fly Zones of Iraq. The last of which took place in mid to late 2002 where they deployed to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey. The squadron also performed combat operations in Kosovo from, March-June 1999. [http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/rso/squadrons_flights_pages/0078rs.asp AFHRA 78 RS Page] ]

The 78th was prepared to again deploy to Turkey in preparation for Operation Iraqi Freedom, however, the Turkish government denied the use of its nation as a staging area against Iraq. Consequently, the 78th stood down and was deactivated. The personnel and equipment to the 55th Fighter Squadron.

=Operations=

*World War II
*Operation Desert Storm
*Operation Allied Force
*Operation Northern Watch
*Operation Southern Watch

=Lineage=

*78th Aero Squadron (1918)
*Squadron A, Taliaferro Field (1918 - 1927)
*78th Observation Squadron (1927 - 1929)
*78th Pursuit Squadron (1929 - 1939)
*78th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) (1939 - 1942)
*78th Fighter Squadron (1942 - 1943)
*78th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine (1943 - 1952)
*78th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (1952 - 1954)
*78th Fighter-Bomber Squadron (1954 - 1958)
*78th Tactical Fighter Squadron (1958 - 1993)
*78th Fighter Squadron (1993 - 2006)
*78th Reconnaissance Squadron (2006 - Present)

=Assignments=

*20th Pursuit Group (1931 - 1932)
**Attached: 6th Composite Group (1931 - 1932)
*3d Attack Group (1932)
*16th Pursuit Group (1932 - 1937)
*18th Fighter Group (1940 - 1943)
*15th Fighter Group (1943 - 1946)
*81st Tactical Fighter Wing (1952 - 1992)
*20th Fighter Wing (1994 - 2003)
*Tenth Air Force (2006 - Present)

=Bases stationed=

*Waco, Texas (1918)
*Taliaferro Field, Texas (1918)
*France Field, Panama Canal Zone (1931 - 1932)
*Albrook Field, Panama Canal Zone (1932 - 1937)
*Wheeler Field, Hawaii (1940 - 1941)
*Kaneoke, Hawaii (1941 - 1943)
*Midway (1943)
*Barking Sands, Hawaii (1943)
*Haliewa Field, Hawaii (1943 - 1944)
*Stanley Field, Hawaii (1944)
*Mokuleia Field, Hawaii (1944)
*Bellows Field, Hawaii (1944 - 1945)
*South Field, Iwo Jima (1945)
*Bellows Field, Hawaii (1945 - 1946)
*Wheeler Field, Hawaii (1946)
*RAF Shepherds Grove, England (1952 - 1956, 1957 - 1958)
*RAF Sculthorpe, England (1956 - 1957)
*RAF Woodbridge, England (1958 - 1992)
*Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina (1994 - 2003
*Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada (2006 - Present)

=Aircraft Operated=

*JN-4 (1918)
*JN-6 Jenny (1918)
*S-4 (1918)
*P-12 (1932 - 1936)
*P-26 Peashooter (1940)
*P-36 Hawk (1940 - 1941)
*P-40 Warhawk (1941 - 1944)
*P-39 Airacobra (1942)
*P-47 Thunderbolt (1944 - 1945)
*P-51 Mustang (1944 - 1946)
*F-86 Sabre (1952 - 1955)
*F-84 Thunderjet (1954 - 1958)
*F-101 Voodoo (1958 - 1966)
*F-4 Phantom II (1965 - 1979)
*A-10 Thunderbolt II (1979 - 1992)
*F-16 Fighting Falcon (1994 - 2003)

References

Notes

Bibliography

* [http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/rso/squadrons_flights_pages/0078rs.asp 78th Reconnaissance Squadron History]
* [http://www.nellis.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123023135 78th Reconnaissance Squadron Activation]

ee also