29th Attack Squadron

29th Attack Squadron
29th Attack Squadron
	MQ-9 Reaper inflight over Holloman AFB
Active	1942–1946; 1954–1971; 2009–preent
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Remote Piloted Aircraft operations
Part of	Air Combat Command
Garrison/HQ	Holloman Air Force Base
Decorations	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Insignia
29th Attack Squadron emblem (approved 12 December 1956)
13th Observation Squadron emblem

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

History

World War II

Established in early 1942 as an observation squadron; trained under Third Air Force in the southeast. Equipped with the P-39F-2 Airacobra 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 North American F-6 Mustang night reconnaissance squadron, but inactivated in 1946 as part of the general demobilization of the USAAF.

Cold War tactical reconnaissance

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 Republic RF-84F Thunderflash in 1955 and the McDonnell 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 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing.

Equipped with the McDonnell 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.

Remotely Piloted Vehicle operations

On 23 October 2009, the 29th Attack Squadron stood up under the 49th Wing at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico under the command of Lt Colonel James S. Merchant. An initial cadre of twelve instructors (six Instructor Pilots and six instructor sensor 0perators) manned the unit. The unit replaced the 432d Operations Group, Detachment 3.^[3] It is a General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper Formal Training Unit.

Lineage

Constituted as the 13th Observation Squadron (Medium) on 5 February 1942

Activated on 10 March 1942^[4]

Redesignated 13th Observation Squadron on 4 July 1942

Redesignated 13th Reconnaissance Squadron (Fighter) on 1 April 1943^[5]

Redesignated 13th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 11 August 1943

Redesignated 29th Reconnaissance Squadron (Night Photographic) on 25 January 1946

Inactivated on 29 July 1946

Redesignated 29th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (Photographic-Jet) on 14 January 1954

Activated on 18 March 1954

Redesignated 29th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron and activated on 1 October 1966

Inactivated 24 January 1971

Redesignated 29th Attack Squadron on 20 October 2009

Activated on 23 October 2009^[1]

Assignments

74th Observation Group (later 74th Reconnaissance Group, 74th Tactical Reconnaissance Group), 2 March 1942
XIX Tactical Air Command, 7 November 1945 (attached to 69th Reconnaissance Group)
69th Reconnaissance Group, 25 January–29 July 1946^[6]
432d Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 18 March 1954
432d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 8 February 1958 (attached to 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing after 8 April 1959)
363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 18 May 1959
4403d Tactical Training Group, 1 July 1966
363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 20 January 1968 – 24 January 1971
49th Operations Group, 23 October 2009 – present^[1]

Stations

Brooks Field, Texas, 2 March 1942
Lawson Field, Georgia, c. 8 March 1942;
DeRidder Army Air Base, Louisiana, 11 April 1942
Esler Field, Louisiana, 15 December 1942
Desert Center Army Air Field, California, 28 December 1942
Morris Field, North Carolina, 24 September 1943
Camp Campbell Army Airfield, Kentucky, 5 November 1943

DeRidder Army Air Base, Louisiana, 19 April 1944
Stuttgart Army Air Field, Arkansas, 7 February 1945
Brooks Field, Texas, 8 December 1945 – 29 July 1946
Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, 18 March 1954 – 24 January 1971
Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, 23 October 2009 – present^[1]

Aircraft

Curtiss O-52 Owl, 1942-1943
Piper L-4 Cub, 1942-1943;
Bell P-39 Airacobra, 1943-1944
Curtiss P-40F Warhawk, 1944-1945
North American P-51 Mustang, 1945-1946
North American F-6 Mustang, 1945-1946
Douglas A-26 Invader, 1946
Lockheed RF-80A Shooting Star, 1955
Republic RF-84F Thunderflash, 1955-1958
McDonnell RF-101C Voodoo, 1957-1971
McDonnell RF-4C Phantom II, 1968-1971^{[citation needed]}
General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper, 2009-present^[1]

References

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Kane, Robert B. (18 May 2017). "Factsheet 29 Attack Squadron (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
^ Hubbard, p. 719
^ Escutia, A1C Sondra (8 October 2009). "MQ-9 Reaper makes first local flight". Air Force Print News Today. Archived from the original on 12 March 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ Maurer says 2 March 1942. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 74-75
^ Maurer says 2 April 1942. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 74-75
^ Maurer says assignment began 18 February. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 74-75

Bibliography

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

Hubbard, Gerardl (1943). "Aircraft Insignia, Spirit of Youth". The National Geographic Magazine. Vol. LXXXIII (No. 6). National Geographic Society: 718–722. Retrieved 1 September 2017. {{cite journal}}: |issue= has extra text (help); |volume= has extra text (help) (subscription required for web access)
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 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9. Retrieved 17 December 2016.

External links

Staff writer, no byline (25 August 2011). "MQ-9 sustains damage during landing". U.S. Air Force Public Affairs. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
The Official Home Page of the U.S. Air Force
http://www.shephard.co.uk/news/4168/reaper-takes-flight-at-holloman/^{[dead link]}
https://web.archive.org/web/20110927153214/http://www.holloman.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123177365
On Intellipedia

[29ASfacts-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Kane, Robert B. (18 May 2017). "Factsheet 29 Attack Squadron (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 2 September 2017.

[2] Hubbard, p. 719

[3] Escutia, A1C Sondra (8 October 2009). "MQ-9 Reaper makes first local flight". Air Force Print News Today. Archived from the original on 12 March 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

[4] Maurer says 2 March 1942. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 74-75

[5] Maurer says 2 April 1942. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 74-75

[6] Maurer says assignment began 18 February. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 74-75

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