17th Attack Squadron

17th Attack Squadron
17th Attack Squadron
	MQ-9 Reaper at Creech AFB
Active	1942-1946; 1951-1979; 2002-present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Attack
Part of	Air Combat Command
Garrison/HQ	Creech Air Force Base
Engagements	Southwest Pacific Theater
Decorations	Air Force Meritorious Unit Award; Air Force Outstanding Unit Award; Philippine Presidential Unit Citation
Insignia
17th Attack Squadron emblem (approved 4 January 2008)

The 17th Attack Squadron is a squadron of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the 432d Wing, and stationed at Creech Air Force Base in Indian Springs, Nevada. The 17th is equipped with the MQ-9 Reaper.

Overview

The 17th conducts intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operating the flies MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft.

History

World War II

Constituted as 17 Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 14 Jul 1942. Activated on 23 Jul 1942 with Lightning P-38/F-5 reconnaissance aircraft at Colorado Springs AAB, CO. Redesignated as: 17 Photographic Squadron (Light) on 6 Feb 1943; 17 Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 13 Nov 1943. Deployed to the South Pacific Area, assigned to Thirteenth Air Force. Flew hazardous unarmed reconnaissance missions over enemy-held territory in Guadalcanal; New Guinea; Northern Solomon Islands; Bismarck Archipelago; Western Pacific; Leyte; Luzon; Southern Philippines; Central Burma and southeast China. Inactivated in the Philippines, 19 April 1946.^[1]

Redesignated as 17 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Photo-Jet on 1 Apr 1951. Activated on 2 Apr 1951 at Shaw AFB, South Carolina. Redesignated as 17 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 1 Oct 1966. Inactivated 1 January 1979. Redesignated as 17 Reconnaissance Squadron on 4 Mar 2002. Activated on 8 March 2002 at Indian Springs AFAF (later, Creech AFB), NV. Redesignated as 17 Attack Squadron on 15 May 2016.^[1]

Cold War reconnaissance

Aactivated at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina in 1951 as a photo-reconnaissance training squadron. Equipped with several reconnaissance aircraft during the 1950s, deploying to NATO in 1959 with the McDonnell RF-101C Voodoo. Operated from France until 1966, moving to RAF Upper Heyford, England. Remained in England until 1970, moved to Zweibrucken AB, West Germany and re-equipped with McDonnell RF-4C Phantom II aircraft. Remained at Zweibrücken Air Base until 1 January 1979.^[1]

Unmanned vehicle operations

The squadron was activated at what was then known as Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field (now Creech Air Force Base) on 8 March 2002, flying the MQ-1 Predator. Added the larger and more heavily-armed MQ-9 Reaper in 2006.^[2]

According to the 2014 documentary film Drone,carrying out armed missions in Pakistan.^[3]

Lineage

Constituted as the 17th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 14 July 1942

Activated on 23 July 1942

Redesignated 17th Photographic Squadron (Light) on 6 February 1943

Redesignated 17th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 13 November 1943

Inactivated on 19 April 1946

Redesignated 17th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Photo-Jet on 1 April 1951

Activated on 2 April 1951

Redesignated 17th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 1 October 1966

Inactivated 1 January 1979

Redesignated 17th Reconnaissance Squadron on 4 March 2002

Activated on 8 March 2002

Redesignated 17th Attack Squadron on 15 May 2016^[1]

Assignments

4th Photographic Group (later 4th Photographic Reconnaissance and Mapping Group, 4th Photographic Group 4th Reconnaissance Group), 23 July 1942
Thirteenth Air Force, 5 December 1945
XIII Fighter Command, 10 December 1945
85th Fighter Wing; 1 February 1946
Pacific Air Command, U. S. Army, 1–19 April 1946
363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 2 April 1951
432d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 8 February 1958
66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 10 May 1959
86th Tactical Fighter Wing, 12 January 1970
26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 31 January 1973 – 1 January 1979
57th Operations Group, 8 March 2002 – 1 May 2007
432d Operations Group, 1 May 2007
732d Operations Group, 10 September 2012 – present^[1]

Stations

Colorado Springs Army Air Base, Colorado, 23 July – 24 October 1942
Camp Deptha,^{[citation needed]} Nouméa, New Caledonia, 2 December 1942
Henderson Field (Guadalcanal), Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, 16 January 1943

Detachment operated from: Munda Airfield, New Georgia, Solomon Islands, c. 13 October 1943 – 31 January 1944, 9 March – 1 April 1944

Detachment operated from: Buka Airfield, Bougainville, Solomon Islands, c. 11 December 1943 – February 1945

Detachment operated from: Kornasoren (Yebrurro) Airfield, Noemfoor, Schouten Islands, 8–23 October 1944

Detachment operated from: Sansapor Airfield, Netherlands East Indies, 13 October – 4 November 1944

Wama Airfield, Morotai, Netherlands East Indies, 4 November 1944

Detachment operated from: Dulag Airfield, Leyte, Philippines, 9 February–October 1945

Puerto Princesa Airfield, Palawan, Philippines, 11 May 1945 – 19 April 1946
Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, 2 April 1951 – 10 May 1959
Laon-Couvron Air Base, France, 10 May 1959
RAF Upper Heyford, England, September 1966
Zweibrücken Air Base, Germany, 12 January 1970 – 1 January 1979
Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field (later Creech Air Force Base), Nevada, 8 March 2002 – present^[1]

Aircraft

Lockheed P-38 Lightning, 1942–1946
North American B-25 Mitchell, 1944–1946
North American F-6 Mustang, 1946
Lockheed RF-80 Shooting Star, 1951–1955
Republic RF-84F Thunderflash, 1954–1958

McDonnell RF-101C Voodoo, 1957–1969
McDonnell RF-4C Phantom II, 1969-1978
MQ-1 Predator, 2002–2018
MQ-9 Reaper, 2006–present^[1]

References

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Haulman, Daniel (23 June 2016). "Factsheet 17 Attack Squadron (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
^ "17th ATKS celebrates 75 years of aviation excellence". 25 July 2017. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
^ Chris Woods (14 April 2014). "CIA's Pakistan drone strikes carried out by regular US air force personnel". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 April 2014.

Bibliography

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9. Retrieved 17 December 2016.