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497th Combat Training Flight
Military unit From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The 497th Combat Training Flight is a United States Air Force unit stationed at Paya Lebar Air Base, where its mission is to provide operational and logistical support to United States Air Force aircraft deployed to Singapore for training exercises with the Republic of Singapore Air Force.
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Mission
The squadron supports/participates in regional exercise and global contingencies, and provides housing; morale, recreation and welfare facilities and programs: medical services; force protection to resources and personnel; and legal, financial, communications, and contracting support to assigned and deployed personnel. The 497th commander is also the designated commanding officer for the Uniform Code of Military Justice for U.S. military personnel in nine Southeast Asian countries.[3]
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History
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World War II
World War II
The squadron was activated in 1942 as the 302nd Bombardment Squadron (Light) at Savannah Air Base, Georgia, and equipped with Douglas A-24 Banshee dive bombers as one of the original squadrons of the 84th Bombardment Group.[1][4] It received its initial cadre and equipment from the 3d Bombardment Group.[5] It operated briefly with Vultee V-72 (A-31 Vengeance) aircraft, but its operations showed this aircraft was unsuitable for dive bombing.[5] The squadron served as an Operational Training Unit (OTU), equipping with Douglas A-24 Banshees and Bell P-39 Airacobras.[1]
The OTU program involved the use of an oversized parent unit to provide cadres to “satellite groups "[6] The OTU program was patterned after the unit training system of the Royal Air Force. After forming the satellite groups, the parent unit assumed responsibility for satellite training and oversaw its expansion with graduates of Army Air Forces Training Command schools to become effective combat units.[7][8] Phase I training concentrated on individual training in crewmember specialties. Phase II training emphasized the coordination for the crew to act as a team. The final phase concentrated on operation as a unit.[9] The squadron contributed to the 84th Group's role as the parent for elements of several light bombardment groups.[d]
In August 1943, the squadron was redesignated the 497th Fighter-Bomber Squadron[1] as were other Army Air Forces (AAF) single engine bombardment units, and was re-equipped with Republic P-47 Thunderbolts.[4] It continued to serve as an OTU until October 1943.[1] During the fall of 1943, operations dwindled and by the end of September 1943 only five aircraft were assigned to the entire 84th Group.[10]
In October 1943, the squadron moved to Harding Field, Louisiana, where it became a Replacement Training Unit (RTU) and also participated occasionally in demonstrations and maneuvers.[4] RTUs were also oversized units, but with the mission of training individual pilots or aircrews.[11] However, the AAF found that standard military units, based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were not proving well adapted to the training mission. Accordingly, it adopted a more functional system in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit.[12] The squadron was, therefore, disbanded in April 1944[1] and replaced by the 263rd AAF Base Unit (Combat Crew Training School, Fighter), which took over the personnel, equipment and mission of the 84th Group and supporting units at Harding Field.[13]
Cold War air defense
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The squadron was reconstituted as the 497th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron and activated at Portland Air Force Base, Oregon, where it was assigned to the 503d Air Defense Group.[1] The squadron was originally equipped with Lockheed F-94B Starfires, armed with 20mm cannon, but by the end of the year, replaced them with F-94As. The squadron converted to Northrop F-89D Scorpions, armed with Folding-Fin Aerial Rockets by July 1954.[14]
In August 1955, Air Defense Command (ADC) implemented Project Arrow, which was designed to bring back on the active list the fighter units which had compiled memorable records in the two world wars.[15] In this reorganization, the 337th Fighter Group replaced the 503rd Air Defense Group at Portland[16] and the squadron transferred its mission, personnel and F-89s to the 337th's 460th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, which moved to Portland on paper from McGhee-Tyson Airport, Tennessee.[17] Simultaneously, the 497th moved to Geiger Field, Washington, where it assumed the personnel and North American F-86D Sabres of the 445th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron and was again assigned to the 84th Fighter Group.[18][1]
In June 1958, the squadron moved to Torrejon Air Base, Spain, where it was assigned to the 65th Air Division of Strategic Air Command the following month. It continued to fly Sabres until 1960, when it converted to the data link equipped and AIM-4 Falcon armed Convair F-102 Delta Dagger, On 1 July 1960, United States Air Forces Europe assumed responsibility for United States air defense in Spain, and the squadron was reassigned to it, although it remained attached to 65th Air Division. While flying Deuces at Torrejon, the squadron was twice a runner-up Hughes Trophy (1961 and 1962), and won the trophy for most outstanding performance as an air defense squadron in 1963.[1] Headquarters, United States Air Force implemented Project Clearwater in 1964. Clearwater called for the return of overseas based F-102s. The original plan called for the inactivation of the 497th and dispersing its aircraft to ADC interceptor squadrons in the US.[19] Instead, it was decided to use the overseas interceptor squadrons as the elements of the 32d Tactical Fighter Wing, which was forming at George Air Force Base, California.[1]
Vietnam War
Combat in Southeast Asia, 1965–1974; Defense of South Korea, 1974–1988.[1]
Current operations
The squadron was redesignated the 497th Fighter Training Squadron and activated at Paya Lebar Airbase, Singapore under Thirteenth Air Force to conduct combat training. In 1994, it was renamed the 497th Combat Training Squadron and in 2006 it was reduced in size to a flight. Since then, it has been assigned to the 36th Operations Group, which is located at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam[1]
The 497th organization includes the functional elements of a small-scale wing – operations, flightline logistics, community and mission support, and medical services. With a small staff,[20] it is the entire permanent USAF presence in Singapore. Several times a year, for up to four weeks the unit grows to between 120 and 190 in strength, with the deployment of aircraft and support personnel. When so configured, the flight conducts an intense schedule of air-to-air combat training with the Republic of Singapore Air Force in exercises titled Exercise Commando Sling. While Commando Sling is normally a bilateral air-to-air combat exercise,[21] but it has been expanded on occasion to include the Royal Australian Air Force.[citation needed]
The flight's base support functions are located at Sembawang Air Base[20], where it is a tenant under Naval Region Singapore.[3][22][g]
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Lineage
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Perspective
- Constituted as the 302d Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 13 January 1942
- Activated on 10 February 1942
- Redesignated 302d Bombardment Squadron (Dive) on 27 July 1942
- Redesignated 497th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 10 August 1943
- Disbanded on 1 April 1944
- Reconstituted on 3 February 1953 and redesignated 497th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
- Activated on 18 February 1953
- Redesignated 497th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 25 July 1964
- Inactivated on 16 September 1974
- Activated on 1 October 1978
- Inactivated on 24 January 1989
- Redesignated 497th Fighter Training Squadron on 28 October 1991
- Activated on 31 October 1991
- Redesignated 497th Combat Training Squadron on 1 August 1994
- Redesignated 497th Combat Training Flight on 26 October 2006[23]
Assignments
- 84th Bombardment Group (later 84th Fighter-Bomber Group), 10 February 1942 – 1 April 1944
- 503d Air Defense Group, 18 February 1953
- 84th Fighter Group, 18 August 1955
- 65th Air Division, 5 July 1958
- United States Air Forces Europe (attached to 65th Air Division), 1 July 1960
- 32d Tactical Fighter Wing. 18 June 1964
- 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, 25 July 1964
- 831st Air Division, 6 December 1965 (attached to 479th Tactical Fighter Wing)
- 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, 8 December 1965 – 16 September 1974
- 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 October 1978
- 51st Composite Wing (later 51st Tactical Fighter Wing), 1 January 1982 – 1 January 1988
- Thirteenth Air Force, 31 October 1991
- 36th Air Base Wing, 30 June 2005
- 36th Operations Group, 15 March 2006 – present[23]
Stations
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Aircraft
- Vultee V-72 Vengeance, 1942
- Douglas A-24 Banshee, 1942–1943
- Bell P-39 Airacobra, 1943
- Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, 1943–1944
- Lockheed F-94B Starfire, 1953
- Lockheed F-94A Starfire, 1953–1954
- Northrop F-89D Scorpion, 1954–1955
- North American F-86D Sabre, 1955–1960
- Convair F-102 Delta Dagger, 1960–1964[1]
- McDonnell F-4 Phantom II, 1964–1988[23]
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References
External links
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