29th Attack Squadron

The 29th Attack Squadron is an active United States Air Force training unit flying the MQ-9 Reaper. It is assigned to the 49th  Wing, stationed at Holloman AFB, New Mexico. It was activated on 23 October 2009.

History
Established in early 1942 as an observation squadron; trained under Third Air Force in the southeast. Equipped with the P-39F-2 Aircobra variant which was capable of both ground-attack and reconnaissance missions. Functioned primarily as a training unit during World War II, providing training of reconnaissance pilots and also supporting various Army training units at Fort Polk, Fort Campbell and also the Desert Training Center in Southern California. Also flew P-40F Warhawks also equipped for reconnaissance missions. Remained in active service after the war ended as a F-6 Mustang night reconnaissance squadron, but inactivated in 1946 as part of the general demobilization of the USAAF.

Reactivated in 1954 under Tactical Air Command and equipped with RF-80A Shooting Stars at Shaw AFB, South Carolina. Performed training of reconnaissance pilots; being upgraded to the RF-84F Thunderstreak in 1955 and the RF-101C Voodoo in 1957 as a component of the 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Group. Remained at Shaw when the 432d was inactivated and reassigned to the 363d TRW. Inactivated in 1966 with the phaseout of the RF-101.

Reactivated in 1968 and equipped with the RF-4C Phantom II due to a critical need for reconnaissance pilots due to the Vietnam War. Performed training on the RF-4C until 1971 when inactivated due to the USAF drawdown in Vietnam and budget reductions.

On October 23, 2009, the 29th Attack Squadron (ATKS) was stood up under the 49th Wing at Holloman AFB, New Mexico under the command of Lt Colonel James S. Merchant. An initial cadre of twelve instructors (six Instructor Pilots and six Instructor Sensor Operators) manned the unit. The unit replaced the 432d Operations Group, Detachment 1 and fell under the auspices of the 432d Wing at Creech AFB, Nevada. It is the one and only MQ-9 Reaper FTU (Formal Training Unit) in the United States Air Force.

Lineage

 * Constituted 13th Observation Squadron (Medium) on 5 Feb 1942
 * Activated on 2 Mar 1942
 * Redesignated: 13th Observation Squadron on 4 July 1942
 * Redesignated: 13th Reconnaissance Squadron (Fighter) on 2 Apr 1943
 * Redesignated: 13th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 11 Aug 1943
 * Redesignated: 29th Reconnaissance Squadron (Night Photographic) on 25 Jan 1946.
 * Inactivated on 29 Jul 1946


 * Redesignated 29th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (Photographic) on 14 Jan 1954
 * Activated on 18 Mar 1954
 * Inactivated on 1 Jul 1966


 * Redesignated 29th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron and activated on 20 Jan 1968
 * Inactivated 24 Jan 1971


 * Redesignated 29th Attack Squadron on 20 October 2009
 * Activated on 23 Oct 2009

Assignments

 * 74th Observation (later Reconnaissance; Tactical Reconnaissance) Group, 2 Mar 1942
 * XIX Tactical Air Command
 * Attached to: 69th Reconnaissance Group, 7 Nov 1945


 * 69th Reconnaissance Group, 18 Feb-29 July 1946
 * 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 18 Mar 1954
 * 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 8 Feb 1958
 * Attached to: 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 8 Apr-17 May 1959


 * 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 18 May 1959-1 July 1966; 20 Jan 1968-24 Jan 1971
 * 49th Fighter Wing, 23 October 2009-Present

Stations

 * Brooks Field, Texas, 2 Mar 1942
 * Lawson Field, Georgia, c. 8 Mar 1942;
 * DeRidder Army Airbase, Louisiana, 11 Apr 1942
 * Esler Field, Louisiana, 15 Dec 1942
 * Desert Center Army Airfield, California, 28 Dec 1942
 * Morris Field, North Carolina, 24 Sept 1943
 * Camp Campbell Army Airfield, Kentucky, 5 Nov 1943


 * DeRidder Army Airbase, Louisiana, 19 Apr 1944
 * Stuttgart Army Airfield, Arkansas, 7 Feb 1945
 * Brooks Field, Texas, 8 Dec 1945-29 Jul 1946
 * Shaw AFB, South Carolina, 18 Mar 1954-1 Jul 1966; 20 Jan 1968-24 Jan 1971
 * Holloman AFB, New Mexico, 23 October-Present
 * Operated from MacDill AFB, Florida, 21 Oct-30 Nov 1962

Aircraft

 * P-39F-2 Aircobra, 1943-1944
 * P-40F Warhawk, 1944-1945
 * P-51/F-6 Mustang, 1945-1946
 * RF-80A Shooting Star, 1955
 * RF-84F Thunderstreak, 1955-1958
 * RF-101C Voodoo, 1957-1966
 * RF-4C Phantom II, 1968-1971
 * MQ-9 Reaper, 2009-