549th Combat Training Squadron



The 549th Combat Training Squadron is a non-flying United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 57th Operations Group, and is stationed at Nellis AFB, Nevada.

Overview
549th Combat Training Squadron hosts Green Flag-West exercises, providing the ultimate peacetime close air support training for Joint and Coalition personnel in the integration and employment of air, space, and cyber power in conjunction with ground force operations.

World War II
Established as a Night Fighter Squadron in April 1944, trained in Southern California under Fourth Air Force with a specialized version of the A-20 Havoc modified for night combat.

Deployed to Seventh Air Force in the Central Pacific Area in February 1945, initially being stationed on Saipan in the Mariana Islands. Mission was the air defense of the Marianas, specifically the B-29 airfields from Japanese night intruder aircraft. Moved to Iwo Jima in March 1945, flying long range missions over eastern China and night intradiiton missions to chi Chi Jima.

Remained on Iwo Jima after the war, then moved to Guam, February 1956 and inactivated in February 1947.

Modern era
Trained forward air controller (FAC) and Strike Control and Reconnaissance (SCAR) pilots, 1969–1988. Beginning in 1991, conducted air support and air interdiction sorties in "Air Warrior (later, Green Flag)" exercises to train USAF fighter pilots and the aerospace power component to the US Army's brigade combat training.

Lineage

 * Constituted as: 549th Night Fighter Squadron in April 1944
 * Activated on May 1, 1944
 * Inactivated on February 5, 1946


 * Activated on June 25, 1946
 * Inactivated on February 19, 1947


 * Re-designated as 549th Tactical Air Support Training Squadron on 18 Aug 1969
 * Activated on 15 Oct 1969
 * Inactivated on 1 Jul 1988


 * Re-designated as 549th Joint Training Squadron, and activated, on 1 Nov 1991
 * Re-designated as 549th Combat Training Squadron on 1 Jul 1994.

Assignments

 * Fourth Air Force, 1 May 1944
 * Attached to 319th Wing, 1 May-c. 4 Oct 1944


 * 7th Fighter Wing, 20 Oct 1944
 * VII Fighter Command, 1 Nov 1944
 * Army Air Forces, Middle Pacific, 16 Jul 1945
 * Attached to:VII Fighter Command, 16 Jul-c. 20 Nov 1945
 * Attached to: Twentieth Air Force Combat Staging Center, 20 Nov-3 Dec 1945
 * Attached to: Iwo Jima Base Command, Provisional, 3 Dec 1945-


 * Seventh Air Force, 1 Jan-5 Feb 1946
 * Remained attached to Iwo Jima Base Command, Provisional, to 5 Feb 1946


 * 20th Fighter Wing, 25 Jun 1946-19 Feb 1947
 * Attached to 21st Fighter Group, 25 Jun 1946-19 Feb 1947


 * 1st Special Operations (later, 834th Tactical Composite; 1st Special Operations) Wing, 15 Oct 1969
 * 549th Tactical Air Support Training Group, 15 Dec 1975-1 Jul 1988
 * 57th Operations Group, 1 Nov 1991
 * USAF Air Ground Operations School, 3 Feb 1998
 * 57th Operations Group, 4 Oct 2007–Present

Stations

 * Hammer AAF, California, May 1, 1944
 * Meadows Field, Bakersfield, California, July 26 – October 4, 1944
 * Kipapa Gulch Airfield, Territory of Hawaii, October 20, 1944 – February 15, 1945
 * East Field, Saipan, Mariana Islands (Air Echelon), February 20, 1945 – March 20, 1945
 * North Field, Iwo Jima, Bonin Islands (Japan) (Ground Echelon), March 14, 1945 – February 5, 1946


 * Northwest AAB, Guam, Marianas Islands, June 25, 1946 – February 19, 1947
 * Eglin AF Aux Field No. 9 (Hurlburt Field), FL, 15 Oct 1969
 * Patrick AFB, FL, 15 Dec 1975-1 Jul 1988
 * Nellis AFB, NV, 1 Nov 1991–Present

Aircraft

 * P-61 Black Widow, 1944–1946
 * P-70 Havoc, 1944
 * OV-10 Bronco, 1969–1988
 * O-2 Skymaster, 1975–1986