North African Campaign Operation Husky Operation Avalanche Italian campaign Burma campaign
Decorations
Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm
Commanders
Current commander
Lt Col Chadford “Swagford” Bridgeford
Insignia
559th Flying Training Squadron emblem[a][1]
Military unit
The 559th Flying Training Squadron is an active United States Air Force squadron at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas. It operates the Beechcraft T-6 Texan II, and has trained instructor pilots at Randolph since 1972.
The squadron was first organized in January 1941 as the 81st Bombardment Squadron. After training in the United States, it moved to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, where it engaged in combat operations until 1944, earning a Distinguished Unit Citation. It then moved to the China Burma India Theater, continuing in combat until V-J Day. It returned to the United States and was inactivated at Fort Lawton, Washington on 22 January 1946. It was briefly activated in 1947, but budget considerations resulted in reductions of Air Force strength in Fiscal Year 1949, and the squadron did not equip or man.
In 1950, the squadron became the 559th Fighter-Escort Squadron, under this designation, and as the 559th Strategic Fighter Squadron, the squadron operated under Strategic Air Command (SAC) until July 1957, when SAC transferred its fighter units to Tactical Air Command. It deployed to England and Japan while under SAC control. Plans to upgrade its equipment were dropped, and the squadron inactivated in January 1958.
The squadron was activated again in 1962 as the 559th Tactical Fighter Squadron. Although intended to become one of the Air Force's first McDonnell F-4 Phantom II squadrons, it was temporarily equipped with Republic F-84F Thunderstreaks until Phantoms became available in 1964. The squadron deployed to Okinawa in the summer of 1965 to augment air defenses in the Pacific. Shortly afterwards, in December 1965, the squadron moved to Viet Nam, where it engaged in combat until inactivating in March 1970, earning five Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards with Combat "V" Device.
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^Robertson, Patsy (7 December 2007). "Factsheet 559 Flying Training Squadron (AETC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
and 24 Related for: 559th Flying Training Squadron information
predecessor of the squadron is the 559th Bombardment Squadron, which was organized in 1942 as a Martin B-26 Marauder unit. After training in the United States...
and ground missions. The squadron was first activated during World War II as the 555th Bombardment Squadron. After training in the United States, it deployed...
see all USAF squadrons, regardless of active or not, as well as non-flyingsquadrons, go to the List of United States Air Force squadrons. United States...
and Training Command, Air Force Personnel Center, Air Force Recruiting Service, and the 12th FlyingTraining Wing. Flying and notable non-flying units...
training 559thFlyingTrainingSquadron T-6A Texan II Instructor pilot training 560th FlyingTrainingSquadron T-38C Talon Instructor pilot training The group...
Special Air Service No. 450 Squadron RAAF No. 601 Squadron RAF Second Battle of El Alamein 559thFlyingTrainingSquadron German map of Haggag el Qasaba...
related to Squadron emblems of the United States Air Force. This is a list of United States Air Force Bomb Squadrons. It covers all squadrons that were...
two tours as a fighter-bomber pilot, flying the Republic F-84 Thunderjet in the 559th Strategic Fighter Squadron. Promoted to captain, he decided to make...
support to the 17 units across the state. The Flying Castle Composite Squadron is a Civil Air Patrol squadron that is composed of cadet and senior members...
(Nothing Stands in Our Way) 558th Artillery Group - Honor Guides Our Power 559th Artillery Group - Spina Frontis (Backbone of the Front) 570th Artillery...
Active Air Force Wings as of 1 October 1995 and USAF Active Flying, Space, and Missile Squadrons as of 1 October 1995 (PDF). Air Force History and Museums...
operational squadrons, 556th (FW), 557th (KS), 558th (KX), and 559th (TQ) and was equipped with the Martin B-26B/C Marauder. After training at several...
had moved to the village of Château-Salins, where a fierce attack by the 559th Volksgrenadier Division of the German First Army nearly overwhelmed 4th...
(Shilovo village near Voronezh), 260th Red Banner (Bryansk), 326th (Podolsk), 559th (?), 791st (?) and 1284th (Yerdenyovo village near Maloyaroslavets) 41st...
politics, than the US view. For example, the NVA decision to create the 559th Group and establish the Ho Chi Minh trail, about which there seems to have...
trail, which had been formed in May 1959 under the North Vietnamese Army's 559th Transportation Group, whose unit number reflected its creation date. Many...
Global Information
United States
United States Air Force