66th Weapons Squadron

The United States Air Force's 66th Weapons Squadron (66 WPS) is a United States Air Force Weapons School A-10 Thunderbolt II instructional flying unit, at Nellis AFB, Nevada.

Overview
Established in 2003, the 66th Weapons Squadron teaches graduate-level instructor courses that provide the world's most advanced training in weapons and tactics employment to officers of the combat air forces and mobility air forces. The 66th WPS focuses on the A-10 Thunderbolt II, with the climax of the course being the mission employment phase, a two-week staged battle over the Nevada Test and Training Range.

Upon graduation, the new weapons officers return to the field to serve as unit weapons and tactics officers, providing advanced instruction and technical advice to their commanders, operations officers, and personnel.

World War II
Formed as a P-40 Warhawk pursuit squadron in January 1941 as part of the Army Air Corps Northeast Defense Sector (later I Fighter Command) at Mitchel Field, New York. Trained in New England and provided air defense of the northeast after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Was reassigned to the U.S. Army Middle East Force in Egypt, July 1942, becoming part of IX Fighter Command. Took part in the British Western Desert Campaign, engaged in combat during the Battle of El Alamein and, as part of Ninth Air Force, supported the Commonwealth Eighth Army's drive across Egypt and Libya, escorting bombers and flying strafing and dive-bombing missions against airfields, communications, and troop concentrations until Axis defeat in Tunisia in May 1943. The unit participated in the reduction of Pantelleria (May–June 1943) and the conquest of Sicily (July–August 1943).

The squadron supported the British Eighth Army's landing at Termoli and subsequent operations in Italy, being reassigned to Twelfth Air Force in August 1943. It flew dive-bombing, strafing, patrol, and escort missions.

In 1944, converted to P-47 Thunderbolt aircraft and flew interdiction operations in Italy. The moved to Corsica on 30 March 1944 to operate as a separate task force. It flew interdiction missions against railroads, communication targets, and motor vehicles behind enemy lines, providing a minimum of 48 fighter-bomber sorties per day.

Participated in the French campaign against Elba in June 1944 and in the invasion of Southern France in August. It engaged in interdiction and support operations in northern Italy from September 1944 to May 1945.

The 66th flew its last combat mission on 2 May 1945. Remained in northern Italy after the end of the European War, demobilizing throughout the summer of 1945. It was reassigned to the United States in August 1945 without personnel or equipment and was inactivated at the end of August.

Cold War
Reactivated in August 1946 as part of Eleventh Air Force (Later Alaskan Air Command) as part of the air defense forces in the northwest Pacific. Squadron began training new P-51 pilots at Elmendorf Field, Alaska. Later, it was equipped with F-80Bs in March–April 1948, F-80Cs in October–December 1948, F-94Bs in the summer of 1951, and F-89Cs in September 1953. With these aircraft, the squadron provided fighter aircraft defense in support of the Alaska Area until late in the 1950s.

Was reassigned to Oxnard AFB, California in 1957, but was never equipped or manned due to budgetary constraints, inactivated by Air Defense command, January 1958.

Reactivated by Tactical Air Command at Nellis AFB, Nevada in October 1969 Assumed the F-105C/D Thunderchief assets of the provisional 4537th Fighter Weapons Squadron, tail coded "WC". Mission was to perform "Wild Weasel" training for USAF pilots and electronic warfare officers to be deployed to combat missions in Southeast Asia. Squadron aircraft carried tail code "WA" by October 1971, black/yellow checkered tail stripes. Squadron also assumed F-4C Phantom II assets, tail coded "WD" until October 1971, then changed to "WA" as the F-105s. Trained with the F-4s and F-105s until July 1975 and Wild Weasel training and aircraft reassigned to George AFB, California.

Remained in non-operational status until October 1977 when reorganized as an A-10 Squadron, tail coded "WA", black/yellow checkered tail stripes. Performed fighter weapons training with the A-10 until the end of 1981, when inactivated and squadron was reassigned to the USAF Fighter Weapons School, being re-designated as "A-10 Division".

Modern era
Reactivated in February 2003 as 66th Weapons Squadron (65 WPS), replacing USAF Weapons School A-10 division. Provides USAF Weapons School syllabus support, priority test mission support and road shows that visit various units throughout the CONUS to ACC units for training.

Lineage

 * Constituted 66th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 20 Nov 1940
 * Activated on 15 Jan 1941
 * Re-designated: 66th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) (Twin Engine) on 31 Jan 1942
 * Re-designated: 66th Fighter Squadron (Twin Engine) on 15 May 1942
 * Re-designated: 66th Fighter Squadron on 1 Jun 1942
 * Re-designated: 66th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 21 Aug 1944
 * Inactivated on 7 Nov 1945


 * Activated on 15 Aug 1946
 * Re-designated: 66th Fighter Squadron, Jet on 20 Jul 1948;
 * Re-designated: 66th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 20 Jan 1950
 * Inactivated on 8 Jan 1958


 * Re-designated 66th Fighter Weapons Squadron on 22 Aug 1969
 * Activated on 15 Oct 1969
 * Inactivated on 30 Dec 1981, assets re-designated A-10 Division, USAF Weapons School


 * Re-designated 66th Weapons Squadron on 24 Jan 2003
 * Activated and organized on 3 February 2003, assuming resources of A-10 Division, USAF Weapons School

Assignments

 * 57th Pursuit (later, 57th Fighter) Group, 15 Jan 1951 – 7 Nov 1945
 * 57th Fighter (later, 57th Fighter-Interceptor) Group, 15 Aug 1946
 * 10th Air Division, 13 Apr 1953
 * 414th Fighter Group, 1 Dec 1957 – 8 Jan 1958
 * 57th Fighter Weapons (later, 57th Tactical Training; 57th Fighter Weapons) Wing, 15 Oct 1969 – 30 Dec 1981
 * USAF Weapons School, 3 Feb 2003 – present

Stations

 * Mitchel Field, NY, 15 Jan 1941
 * Bradley Field, CT, 18 Aug 1941
 * Farmingdale Army Airfield, NY, 14 Dec 1941
 * Quonset Point NAS, RI, 27 Feb 1942
 * Hillsgrove Army Airfield, RI, 8 Jun – 5 Jul 1942
 * RAF Beit Daras 31.73667°N, 34.69833°W, British Palestine, 19 Aug 1942
 * Egypt, 16 Sep 1942
 * RAF Gambut, Libya, 13 Nov 1942
 * El Gazala Airfield, Libya, 15 Nov 1942
 * Belandah Airfield, Libya, 11 Dec 1942
 * Hamraiet Airfield, Libya, 12 Jan 1943
 * Darragh Airfield, Libya, 18 Jan 1943
 * Zuara Airfield, Libya, 24 Feb 1943
 * Nefatia Airfield, Tunisia, 5 Mar 1943
 * Ben Gardane Airfield, Tunisia, 7 Mar 1943
 * Soltane Airfield, Tunisia, 20 Mar 1943
 * Medenine Airfield, Tunisia, 4 Apr 1943
 * Chekira Airfield, Tunisia, 11 Apr 1943
 * El Djem Airfield, Tunisia, 14 Apr 1943
 * El Hani Airfield, Tunisia, 21 Apr 1943

.
 * Bou Grara Airfield, Tunisia, 20 May 1943
 * Takali Airfield, Malta, 27 Jun 1943
 * Pachino Airfield, Sicily, 19 Jul 1943
 * Scordia Airfield, Sicily 30 Jul 1943
 * Gioia del Colle, Italy, c. 25 Sep 1943
 * Foggia Airfield, Italy, c. 1 Oct 1943
 * Amendola Airfield, Italy, 27 Oct 1943
 * Cercola Airfield, Italy, c. 1 Mar 1944
 * Alto Airfield, Corsica, 28 Mar 1944
 * Ombrone Airfield, Italy, 11 Sep 1944
 * Grosseto Airfield, Italy, 25 Sep 1944
 * Villafranca di Verona Airfield, Italy, 29 Apr 1945
 * Grosseto Airfield, Italy, 8 May 1945
 * Bagnoli Airfield, Italy, 15 Jul – 5 Aug 1945
 * Drew Field, FL, 23 Aug – 7 Nov 1945
 * Shemya Army Airfield, Aleutian Islands, 15 Aug 1946
 * Elmendorf Field (later, AFB), Alaska Territory, c. 30 May 1947 – 1 Dec 1957
 * Oxnard AFB, CA, 1 Dec 1957 – 8 Jan 1958
 * Nellis AFB, NV, 15 Oct 1969 – 30 Dec 1981; 3 Feb 2003 – present

Aircraft

 * P-40 Warhawk, 1941–1944
 * P-47 Thunderbolt, 1944–1945
 * P-38 Lightning, 1946
 * P-51 Mustang, 1946–1948
 * F-80 Shooting Star, 1948–1951


 * F-94 Starfire, 1951–1953
 * F-89 Scorpion, 1953–1957
 * F-105 Thunderchief, 1969–1975
 * F-4 Phantom II, c. 1971-1975
 * A-10 Thunderbolt II, 1977–1981, 2003 – present