39th Flying Training Squadron

The 39th Flying Training Squadron (39 FTS) is part of the 340th Flying Training Group and is the reserve associate to the 12th Flying Training Wing based at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas.

Mission
It operates the T-6 Texan II, T-1A Jayhawk and T-38 Talon aircraft conducting Pilot Instructor Training.

History
Activated by Northeast Air District (later First Air Force) as a P-40 Warhawk pursuit squadron, assigned to Selfridge Field, Michigan. Moved to Baer Field, Indiana during the summer of 1941. Deployed to the Pacific Northwest after the Pearl Harbor Attack and flew Antisubmarine patrols off the coast of Washington from, c. 15 December 1941-c. 15 January 1942.

Re-equipped with long-range P-38 Lightnings and deployed to Fifth Air Force in Australia, June 1942. Engaged in combat operations against the Japanese in the Lightning, Participated in offensives in the Netherlands East Indies, New Guinea,  Bismarck Archipelago, Philippines and the Battle of Okinawa.

Re-equipped with P-51 Mustangs and moved to Japan as part of the Army of Occupation, September 1945, remaining as part of the Far East Air Forces air defense mission throughout the postwar era. Engaged in combat, June 1950, during the initial actions of the Korean War. Re-equipped with F-80 Shooting Star jets, fighting air-to-air combat against communist aircraft and engaging in ground support missions supporting United Nations Forces, 1950-1953. Returned to Japan after the 1953 armistice and upgraded to the purpose-built F-94 Starfire interceptor flying air defense missions. Inactivated 1957 due to budget restraints.

Reactivated by Tactical Air Command in 1969 at Shaw AFB, South Carolina. Equipped with reconnaissance and electronic warfare versions of the B-66 Destroyer and trained tactical reconnaissance and electronic warfare crews from, 1969–1974 when the B-66 was retired. Moved to George AFB, California and equipped with F-4E Phantom IIs. Trained Wild Weasel aircrews in SAM suppression tactics from, 1977-1984. Inactivated when the F-4 was retired.

Re-activated by Air Training Command as an UPT squadron with T-38s, 1990-1991. Returned to Air Combat Command, 1993 as a flight test squadron on various weapons systems from, 1993-1999 then went back to AETC providing flying training from 2001 onwards.

Lineage

 * Constituted 39th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 22 Dec 1939
 * Activated on 1 Feb 1940
 * Re-designated: 39th Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942
 * Re-designated: 39th Fighter Squadron (Twin Engine) on 27 Oct 1942
 * Re-designated: 39th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 19 Feb 1944
 * Re-designated: 39th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 20 Jan 1950
 * Inactivated on 8 Dec 1957


 * Re-designated 39th Tactical Reconnaissance Training Squadron on 18 Aug 1969
 * Organized on 15 October 1969, assuming personnel and equipment of 4417th Combat Crew Training Squadron
 * Re-designated 39th Tactical Electronics Warfare Training Squadron on 15 Feb 1970
 * Inactivated on 15 Mar 1974


 * Re-designated 39th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron on 1 Jun 1977
 * Activated on 1 Jul 1977
 * Re-designated 39th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 9 Oct 1980
 * Inactivated on 11 May 1984


 * Re-designated 39th Flying Training Squadron on 9 Feb 1990
 * Activated on 2 Apr 1990
 * Inactivated on 15 Dec 1991


 * Re-designated 39th Test Squadron on 31 Aug 1993
 * Activated on 8 Sep 1993
 * Re-designated 39th Flight Test Squadron on 15 Mar 1994
 * Inactivated on 1 Sep 1999


 * Re-designated 39th Flying Training Squadron on 30 Sep 1999
 * Activated in the Reserve on 2 Apr 2001.

Assignments

 * 31st Pursuit Group, 1 Feb 1940
 * 35th Pursuit (later, 35th Fighter; 3th5 Fighter-Interceptor) Group, 15 Jan 1942
 * Attached to: 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing, 7 May 1951-1 Jun 1952
 * Attached to: 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing, 1 Jun 1952-14 Jul 1954


 * 41st Air Division, 1 Oct-8 Dec 1957
 * 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 15 Oct 1969-15 Mar 1974
 * Attached to: 36th Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 April 1969 – 31 December 1971


 * 35th Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 Jul 1977-11 May 1984
 * 47th Flying Training Wing, 2 Apr 1990-15 Dec 1991
 * 46th Operations Group, 8 Sep 1993-1 Sep 1999.
 * 340th Flying Training Group, 2 Apr 2001–Present

Stations

 * Selfridge Field, Michigan (1940–1941)
 * Baer Field, Indiana (1941)
 * Bellingham, Washington (1941–1942)
 * Archerfield Airport (Brisbane), Australia (1942)
 * Ballarat Airport, Australia (1942)
 * Mount Gambier Airport, Australia (1942)
 * RAAF Base Williamtown, Australia (1942)
 * Donnington Airpark (Woodstock), Australia (1942)
 * RAAF Base Townsville, Australia (1942)
 * Port Moresby Airfield Complex New Guinea (1942–1943)
 * Rogers (Rarona) Airfield (30 Mile Drome)
 * Schwimmer Airfield (14 Mile Drome)


 * Nadzab Airfield, New Guinea, (1943–1944)
 * Gusap Airfield, New Guinea, (1944)
 * Kornasoren (Yebrurro) Airfield Noemfoor, Schouten Islands, (1944)
 * Owi Airfield, Schouten Islands, Netherlands East Indies, (1944)
 * Wama Drome, Morotai, Netherlands East Indies,(1944–1945)
 * Mangaldan Airfield, Luzon, Philippines, (1945)
 * Lingayen Airfield, Luzon, Philippines, (1945)
 * Clark Field, Luzon, Philippines, (1945)
 * Yontan Airfield, Okinawa, (1945)
 * Irumagawa Air Base, Japan (1945–1950)
 * Yokota Air Base, Japan (1950)
 * Ashiya, Japan (1950)
 * Pohang, South Korea (1950)
 * Tsuiki, Japan (1950)
 * Yonpo Airfield, North Korea (1950)
 * Pusan Air Base, South Korea (1950–1951)
 * Chinhae, South Korea (1951–1952)
 * Suwon Air Base, South Korea (1952–1954)
 * Johnson Air Base, Japan (1954)
 * Detachment: Komati, Japan (20 July-4 August 1954)
 * Detachment: Misawa Air Base, Japan (20 July-27 August 1954)
 * Yokota Air Base, Japan (1954–1955)
 * Komaki Air Base, Japan (1955–1957)
 * Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina (1969–1974)
 * George Air Force Base, California (1977–1984)
 * Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas (1990–1991)
 * Eglin Air Force Base, Florida (1993–1999)
 * Moody Air Force Base, Georgia (2001–2007)
 * Randolph Air Force Base, Texas (2007–Present)

Aircraft

 * P-35 Guardsman (1940–1941)
 * P-36 Hawk (1940–1941)
 * P-39 Airacobra (1941–1942)
 * P-38 Lightning (1942–1943)
 * P-47 Thunderbolt (1943–1944)
 * P-51 Mustang (1944–1945)
 * F-51 Mustang (1945–1952)
 * F-80 Shooting Star (1950)
 * F-86D Sabre Interceptor (1952–1957)
 * F-94 Starfire (1954)
 * RB-66 (1969–1970)
 * WB-66 (1969–1970)
 * EB-66 (1970–1974)


 * F-4 Phantom II (1977–1980, 1982–1984)
 * F-105 Thunderchief (1977)
 * T-37 Tweet (1990–1991)
 * T-38 Talon (1990–1991, 2001–present)
 * F-16 Fighting Falcon (1993–1999)
 * B-52 Stratofortress (1995–1999)
 * T-6 Texan II (2001–present)
 * A-10 Thunderbolt (1999)
 * T-1A Jayhawk (2007–present)

Operations

 * World War II
 * Korean War