Military unit
The 24th Tactical Air Support Squadron (24 TASS) was a
ground attack
squadron of the
United States Air Force . It was last active at
Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, prior to being inactivated during December 2020.
Proving ground unit
The first predecessor of the 24 TASS was the 24th Bombardment Squadron (Light) which was activated in late 1939 as a test unit for light bombardment aircraft at
Maxwell Field , Alabama. The squadron was disbanded in the spring of 1942 in a reorganization of
United States Army Air Forces operational testing units in the spring of 1942.
[3]
Mapping in the Pacific
The second predecessor of the squadron was activated in the fall of 1942 as the 24th Photographic Mapping Squadron . After training in the United States under
Second Air Force , the squadron deployed to the
China Burma India Theater , where it performed combat mapping. mostly with
North American B-25 Mitchells and
Consolidated B-24 Liberators equipped with vertical and oblique Mapping cameras until moving to
Clark Field in the Philippines, where it was inactivated in 1946. In Asia, the squadron deployed detachments to a number of locations, although the headquarters remained in
Guskhara Airfield , India.
[2]
Air Force reserve
The squadron was activated again in the reserves in 1947 as the 24th Reconnaissance Squadron , but apparently was not equipped before inactivating when
Continental Air Command reorganized under the
Wing Base Organization plan in 1949.
Strategic Air Command
The squadron was activated in the regular Air Force in 1951 as the 24th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron at
Lake Charles Air Force Base , Louisiana and equipped with
Boeing RB-29 Superfortresses . When its parent
68th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing converted to a
bombardment mission in 1952, the squadron became the 24th Bombardment Squadron , but was inactivated in 1953,
[2] and its personnel and equipment were transferred to the
656th Bombardment Squadron , which was simultaneously activated.
[note 1]
Helicopter operations
The 24th Helicopter Squadron was activated in 1956 at
Sewart Air Force Base , Tennessee. After several months of training the squadron moved to
Tachikawa Air Base , Japan, where it served until 1960. The transfer was made on an
aircraft carrier of the
United States Navy .
[4] The unit's mission was to maintain helicopter
logistics airlift capability, to perform air land supply operations, scheduled and special
airlift operations, and conduct training.
[5] Detachment 2 of the squadron was attached to the
41st Air Division to provide logistical support to the division's remote radar sites.
[6] In 1958 and 1959 the squadron returned to Burma when it participated in Operation South Bound, which provided assistance to the Burmese Air Force in combatting local insurrectionists.
[7]
[8]
Operations in Central and South America
The squadron was redesignated the 24th Special Operations Squadron and activated in Panama in 1969. In 1985, the squadron was consolidated with its two predecessor units. The consolidated squadron became the 24th Tactical Air Support Squadron in 1987, and was inactivated in the spring of 1991.
Close air support training
The 24 Tactical Air Support Squadron was activated on 2 March 2018 at
Nellis Air Force Base , Nevada. It was the USAF's Forward Air Controller – Airborne schoolhouse for the
Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon as well as supporting the
joint terminal attack controller qualification course and Weapons School.
[9]
The squadron was inactivated during a ceremony at Nellis on 23 December 2020.
[10]
Lineage
24th Bombardment Squadron
Constituted as the 24th Attack-Bombardment Squadron on 1 August 1939
Redesignated 24th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 28 September 1939
Activated on 1 December 1939
Disbanded on 1 May 1942
Reconstituted on 19 September 1985 and consolidated with 24th Bombardment Squadron , Medium and 24th Composite Squadron as 24th Composite Squadron
[1]
24th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron
Constituted as the 24th Photographic Mapping Squadron on 14 July 1942
Activated on 2 September 1942
Redesignated as 24th Photographic Squadron , Heavy on 6 February 1943
Redesignated as 24th Combat Mapping Squadron on 11 August 1943
Inactivated on 15 June 1946
Redesignated 24th Reconnaissance Squadron , Very Long Range, Photographic, Radar Counter-Measures on 13 May 1947
Activated in the reserve on 12 July 1947
Inactivated on 27 June 1949
Redesignated 24th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron , Medium, Photographic on 4 October 1951
Activated on 10 October 1951
Redesignated 24th Bombardment Squadron , Medium on 16 June 1952
Redesignated 24th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron , Medium and inactivated on 16 January 1953
Consolidated on 19 September 1985 with 24th Bombardment Squadron , (Light) and 24th Composite Squadron as 24th Composite Squadron
[1]
24th Tactical Air Support Squadron
Constituted as the 24th Helicopter Squadron on 24 February 1956
Activated on 9 July 1956
Inactivated on 8 March 1960
Redesignated 24th Special Operations Squadron on 6 March 1969
Activated on 18 March 1969
Redesignated 24th Composite Squadron on 15 November 1973
Inactivated on 1 July 1975
An F-16C Fighting Falcon on display at Aviation Nation 2019 at Nellis Air Force Base. Activated on 1 January 1976
Consolidated with 24th Bombardment Squadron , Medium and 24th Bombardment Squadron , Medium on 19 September 1985
Redesignated 24th Tactical Air Support Squadron on 1 January 1987
Inactivated on 31 March 1991
Activated on 2 March 2018
[1]
Inactivated on 23 December 2020
Assignments
23d Composite Group (later Air Corps Proving Ground Detachment, Air Forces Proving Ground Group): 1 December 1939 – 1 May 1942
5th Photographic Group (later 5th Photographic Reconnaissance and Mapping Group, 5th Photographic Reconnaissance Group), 2 September 1942
Third Air Force , 9 October 1943
III Reconnaissance Command , 12 October 1943
Army Air Forces, India-Burma Sector , 26 December 1943 (attached to 5306th Photographic and Reconnaissance Group (Provisional), 26 December 1943 – 17 January 1944,
Tenth Air Force )
Tenth Air Force, 7 March 1944
8th Photographic Reconnaissance Group (later 8th Reconnaissance Group), 25 April 1944
Army Air Forces, India-Burma Theater , 20 September 1945
Thirteenth Air Force , 28 January 1946
313th Bombardment Wing , 1 April 1946 − 15 June 1946
68th Reconnaissance Group , 12 July 1947 − 27 June 1949
68th Strategic Reconnaissance Group, 10 October 1951 (attached to
68th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing )
68th Bombardment Wing, 16 June 1952 − 16 January 1953
Eighteenth Air Force , 9 July 1956
315th Air Division : 13 October 1956 − 8 March 1960
24th Special Operations Wing (later 24th Special Operations Group, 24th Composite Group), 18 March 1969 − 1 July 1975
24th Composite Wing, 1 January 1976
USAF Southern Air Division , 31 January 1987
24th Composite Wing, 1 January 1989
Air Forces Panama, 15 February − 31 March 1991
57th Operations Group , 2 March 2018 – 23 December 2020
Stations
Maxwell Field, Alabama, 1 December 1939
Orlando Army Air Base , Florida, 2 September 1940
Eglin Field , Florida 29 June 1941 − 1 May 1942
Peterson Field , Colorado, 2 September 1942
Will Rogers Field , Oklahoma, 13 October 1943
Camp Anza , California, 8 November 1943 − 18 November 1943
Guskhara, India, 5 January 1944
Calcutta , India, 23 December 1945
Kanchrapara , India, 17 December 1945 − 17 January 1946 (air echelon moved to Clark Field on 18 December)
Clark Field, Luzon, Philippines, 29 January 1946 − 15 June 1946
Hamilton Field (later Hamilton Air Force Base), California, 12 July 1947 − 27 June 1949
Lake Charles Air Force Base, Louisiana, 10 October 1951 − 16 January 1953
Sewart Air Force Base , Tennessee, 9 July – 25 September 1956
Itami Air Base , Japan, 10 October 1956
Showa Air Station , Japan, 1 July 1957 − 8 March 1960
Howard Air Force Base , 18 March 1969 − 1 July 1975
Howard Air Force Base (later Howard Air Base), 1 January 1976 − 31 March 1991
Nellis Air Force Base, 2 March 2018 – 23 December 2020
[1]
Detachment Locations during World War II
Hsinching Airfield, China, 17 March 1944 – 9 April 1944, 27 April 1944 − c. 1 July 1944, October–November 1944
Jorhat Airfield, India, 9 April 1944 – 22 April 1944
Liuchow Airfield, China, 10 July 1944 – 22 September 1944
Chanyi Airfield, China, 22 September 1944 – 17 February 1945
Pengshan Airfield, China, November 1944
Tulihal and Cox's Bazar, India, February 1945 − c. April 1945
Aircraft
Awards and campaigns
Award streamer
Award
Dates
Notes
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
1 January 1957 – 1 August 1958
24th Helicopter Squadron
[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
18 March 1969 – 13 April 1970
24th Special Operations Squadron
[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
2 June 1970 – 3 July 1970
24th Special Operations Squadron
[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
16 March 1971 – 15 March 1973
24th Special Operations Squadron
[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
1 July 1976 – 30 June 1978
24th Composite Squadron
[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
1 April 1982 – 31 March 1984
24th Composite Squadron
[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
20 December 1989 – 14 February 1991
24th Tactical Air Support Squadron
[1]
Campaign Streamer
Campaign
Dates
Notes
India-Burma
5 January 1944 – 28 January 1945
24th Combat Mapping Squadron
[1]
Central Burma
29 January 1945 – 15 July 1945
24th Combat Mapping Squadron
[1]
China Defensive
5 January 1944 – 4 May 1945
24th Combat Mapping Squadron
[1]
References
Notes
Explanatory notes
^ SAC found itself with two 24th Bombardment Squadrons when the 24th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron became a bombardment unit. The 24th Bombardment Squadron, Medium, assigned to the 68th Wing, and the
24th Bombardment Squadron , Heavy at
Walker Air Force Base , assigned to the
6th Bombardment Wing . SAC elected to replace the squadron at Chennault. Maurer, Combat Squadrons , pp. 125–127.
Citations
^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
n
o Haulman, Daniel L. (5 December 2018).
"Factsheet 24 Tactical Air Support Squadron (ACC)" . Air Force Historical Research Agency.
Archived from the original on 12 January 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2019 .
^
a
b
c Maurer, Combat Squadrons , pp. 126–127
^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons , p. 125
^
Abstract, History 314th Troop Carrier Wing Jul–Dec 1956 (retrieved 10 July 2013)
^
Abstract, History 24th Helicopter Sq Jan–Jun 1958 (retrieved 10 July 2013)
^
a
b
Abstract, History 41st Air Div Jul–Dec 1956 (retrieved 10 July 2013)
^
Abstract, History 24th Helicopter Sq July–Dec 1958 (retrieved 10 July 2013)
^
Abstract, History 24th Helicopter Sq Jan–Jun 1959 (retrieved 10 July 2013)
^ Sarver, A1C Andrew D. (16 March 2018).
"24th TASS activates, focuses on close air support" . 99th Air Base Wing Public Affairs.
Archived from the original on 21 March 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2019 . {{
cite web }}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
link )
^ Mathison, 2nd Lt. Nicolle E. (28 December 2020).
"24th Tactical Air Support Squadron inactivates, leaving mark on joint integration, close a" . Nellis Air Force Base .
Archived from the original on 4 February 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2021 . {{
cite web }}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
link )
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 .
AF Pamphlet 900-2, Unit Decorations, Awards and Campaign Participation Credits
Archived 4 August 2015 at the
Wayback Machine Department of the Air Force, Washington, DC, 15 June 1971
AF Pamphlet 900-2, Unit Decorations, Awards and Campaign Participation Credits, Vol II
Archived 4 August 2015 at the
Wayback Machine Department of the Air Force, Washington, DC, 30 September 1976, p.
External links
Airfields
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Groups
Air Commando Bombardment Combat Cargo Fighter Reconnaissance Troop Carrier
Squadrons
United States Army Air Forces