394th Combat Training Squadron

The 394th Combat Training Squadron is a United States Air Force unit, assigned to the 509th Operations Group. It is stationed at Whiteman AFB, Missouri. The mission of the squadron is to train B-2 Spirit Aircrews.

History
The squadron was originally activated as the 4th Aero Squadron on 5 May 1917 during World War I at Dodd Field Texas. but within a month was transferred to Kelly Field, after training at Kelly Field, it was transferred to Post Field where it operated as an observation school until inactivated on 2-January-1919.

After World War I the unit was reactivated at Hazelhurst Field on the 23-June-1919 and after reorganization was moved to its permanent station in Hawaii on 8-January-1920, and stayed there throughout the 1920s and 1930s as part of the Hawaiian Air Force under GHQAF.

The squadron suffered devastating casualties and equipment damage during the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hickam Field and other targets on the island of Oahu on December 7, 1941. Remained in Hawaii during most of 1942 as part of the island's defense forces.

Left Hawaii in November 1942 and, operating in the South Pacific with a mix of B-17C/D Flying Fortresses and early B-24 Liberator (LB-30) aircraft. Converted to very long-range (VLR) Liberators in 1943 when the B-17s were withdrawn from combat in the Pacific and sent to Egypt for use in the Western Desert Campaign. Served in combat during the Allied drive from the Solomons to the Philippines. Flew long patrol and photographic missions over the Solomon Islands and the Coral Sea, attacked Japanese shipping off Guadalcanal, and raided airfields in the northern Solomons until August 1943. Then struck enemy bases and installations on Bougainville, New Britain, and New Ireland.

Raided the heavily defended Japanese base on Woleai during April and May 1944 and received a Distinguished Unit Citation for the action. Helped to neutralize enemy bases on Yap and in the Truk and Palau Islands, June–August 1944, preparatory to the invasion of Peleliu and Leyte. Flew missions to the Netherlands Indies. Completed a variety of missions from October 1944 until the end of the war, these operations including raids on enemy bases and installations on Luzon, Ceram, Halmahera, and Formosa; support for ground forces in the Philippines and Borneo; and patrols off the China coast. Moved to Clark Field, and was inactivated on 29 April 1946.

The squadron was reactivated as the 394th Combat Training Squadron on 7-November-1996 at Whiteman Air Force Base and took up the mission of training stealth bomber crews.

Lineage

 * Organized as 4th Aero Squadron on 5 May 1917
 * Redesignated: Squadron B, Post Field, OK, on 22 July 1918
 * Demobilized on 2 January 1919


 * Reconstituted and consolidated (1924) with the 4th Aero Squadron which was organized on 23 June 1919
 * Redesignated: 4th Squadron (Observation) on 14 March 1921
 * Redesignated: 4th Observation Squadron on 25 January 1923
 * Redesignated: 4th Reconnaissance Squadron on 25 January 1938
 * Redesignated: 4th Reconnaissance Squadron (Medium Range) on 6 December 1939
 * Redesignated: 4th Reconnaissance Squadron (Heavy) on 20 November 1940
 * Redesignated: 394th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 22 April 1942
 * Redesignated: 394th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy by September 1944
 * Inactivated on 29 April 1946


 * Redesignated 394th Combat Training Squadron on 22 October 1996
 * Activated on 6 November 1996.

Assignments

 * Eastern Department, 23 June 1919
 * 2 (later 5) Observation Group, 15 December 1919
 * Attached to Eastern Department until 8 January 1920


 * Hawaiian Department, 31 January 1922
 * Divisional aviation for Hawaiian Division, February 1922-January 1927


 * 5 Composite (later, 5 Bombardment) Group, assigned 11 January 1927, attached 12 October 1938, assigned 25 February 1942-29 April 1946
 * Associated with: 1st Photographic Group, 10 Jun 1941-22 Apr 1942 (training)


 * 509th Operations Group, 6 November 1996–present

Stations

 * Dodd Field, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, 5 May 1917
 * South San Antonio, Texas, May 1917
 * Fort Sill, Oklahoma, 24 September 1917
 * Post Field, Oklahoma, November 1917-2 January 1919
 * Hazelhurst Field, New York, 23 June 1919
 * Mitchel Field, New York, November 1919-8 January 1920
 * Luke Field, Hawaii Territory, 24 January 1920
 * Schofield Barracks, Hawaii Territory, 6 February 1922
 * Luke Field, Hawaii Territory, 11 January 1927
 * Hickam Field, Hawaii Territory, 1 January 1939
 * Bellows Field, Hawaii Territory, c.30 May 1942
 * Hickam Field, Hawaii Territory, 24 July 1942
 * Bellows Field, Hawaii Territory, 28 September-17 November 1942


 * Nadi Airfield, Viti Levu, Fiji Islands, 25 December 1942
 * Operated from Palikulo Bay Airfield, Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides and Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, 3–19 January 1943, and 25 April-5 June 1943


 * Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, c.28 June 1943
 * Operated from Munda Airfield, New Georgia, Solomon Islands, c.28 February-9 April 1944


 * Momote Airfield, Los Negros, Admiralty Islands, 13 April 1944
 * Wakde Airfield, Netherlands East Indies, c.25 August 1944
 * Kornasoren (Yebrurro) Airfield, Noemfoor, Schouten Islands, c.27 September 1944
 * Wama Airfield, Morotai, Netherlands East Indies, 1 November 1944
 * Guiuan Airfield, Samar, Philippines, c.2 March 1945
 * Clark Field, Luzon, December 1945-29 April 1946
 * Whiteman AFB, Missouri, 6 November 1996–present

Aircraft

 * Apparently included Curtiss Model R-4, Curtiss JN-4, and JN-6, during period 1917-1919
 * Primarily Airco DH.4 during period 1919-1929; in addition to Thomas-Morse O-19 and Thomas-Morse OA-1, included Martin B-12 bomber and Boeing P-12 fighter during period 1929-1937
 * Primarily B-18 Bolo during period 1938-1941
 * B-17 Flying Fortress, 1941–1942; November 1942-1943
 * LB-30 Liberator, 1942
 * B-24 Liberator, 1943–1945
 * B-2 Spirit, 1996–present