World War I :
see 22d Aero Squadron and 135th Aero Squadron for expanded histories of their World War I operations Established as the
7th Aero Squadron in June 1917; redesignated
22d Aero Squadron later that month in an Air Service reorganisation. Trained with JN-4 Jennys in
Texas, later receiving instruction in British aircraft in
Toronto, Ontario,
Canada with the
Royal Flying Corps, until 19 October 1917, when it returned to
Taliaferro Field. On 21 January 1918, it was shipped to Garden City, and shipped out on the
RMS Adriatic (1907) on 31 January 1918. When it arrived in England, the squadron
Flights (A, B, C) were split up amongst English squadrons, and used in bombing and observation missions. In Europe, the 22nd and
135th Aero Squadrons fought in combat on the
Western Front as fighter squadrons, flying
French SPAD S.XIIIs (22d Aero) and
British Airco DH.4s (135th Aero). The unit was finally reassembled on 24 June 1918 at
Guînes, and went to (
Issoudun). It remained in combat, moving to numerous airfields as needed along the front frequently as the ground situation required. On 7 July 1918, the unit went to
Orly, and was retasked as a Pursuit squadron. On 16 August 1918, it was sent to
Toul, and on 21 August 1918 started combat operations. It was then sent to
Belrain on or about 20 September 1918 and remained there until after the armistice. After the November 1918 cease fire, remained in France until the spring of 1919 when was returned to the United States. 22d Aero was demobilized and inactivated in June 1919; 135th Aero remained as part of the postwar Air Service.
Inter-war period After returning from France, most of the 135th Aero Squadron demobilized at
Hazelhurst Field, Long Island, and returned to civilian life. A small cadre of the unit remained in the Air Service, and were assigned to
Post Field, Oklahoma, and attached as an observation squadron, supplying aircraft for the
United States Army Field Artillery School at
Fort Sill and supported Army units at
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Was moved to
Maxwell Field, Alabama in late 1921 and provided reconnaissance for Army units in the IV Corps Area. Participated in the annual maneuvers of the 8th Infantry Brigade 1923–31, however continued to support Army units at
Fort Bragg, North Carolina throughout the 1920s with a detachment assigned to
Pope Field. Re-designated as the 22d Observation Squadron on 25 January 1923. Pilots of the 22d Squadron’s detachment at Pope Field, North Carolina, mapped routes to Savannah and Macon, Georgia, and Louisville, Kentucky. So it went in order that all parts of the country might be covered. Transferred in 1931 to
Brooks Field, Texas supporting Army units in Texas. In 1937, the Army Air Corps consolidated the unit with the demobilized 22d Aero Squadron and giving the unit a second World War I lineage and honors. Supported Army units at
Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
World War II After the
Attack on Pearl Harbor was assigned to
Third Air Force in 1942, supporting Army units at
Fort Polk, Louisiana in training maneuvers. Deployed to the
Desert Training Center in
Southern California in 1942 providing reconnaissance and helping to prepare
Fifth Army ground forces for desert combat prior to the
Operation Torch landings in
French West Africa in November 1942. Later returned to North Carolina to support units at Fort Bragg; later
Fort Campbell,
Kentucky with flying observation missions. In late 1944 was ordered to train for service overseas as a combat reconnaissance squadron Re-equipped with modern A-20, P-39 and P-40 fighters used as tactical reconnaissance aircraft. Trained under
Third Air Force for battlefield tactical reconnaissance missions. Deployed to
Nancy/Essey Airfield (Y-42),
France in March 1945 as part of
Ninth Air Force, later to
Haguenau Airfield (Y-39), France in April flying tactical reconnaissance missions over
Nazi Germany with P-51/F6 photo-reconnaissance aircraft in the closing stage of the war, supporting Allied ground forces (Primarily
US Third Army) as part of the
Western Allied invasion of Germany. Returned to the United States after the German Capitulation in May. Conducted pilot training at DeRidder airfield Louisiana in May 1945 for missions in the Pacific theater, however never deployed due to Japanese Capitulation in September. Became part of the
Continental Air Forces Third Air Force at
Drew Field,
Florida in August, being reassigned to Brooks Field, Texas in December. Demobilized throughout 1946, inactivated in August.
Cold War Reactivated at Shaw AFB, South Carolina, 1971, not manned or equipped. Reactivated as an unmanned drone reconnaissance squadron at
Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona under
Tactical Air Command in 1971 with the establishment of the 11th Tactical Drone Squadron on 1 July 1971 under the
355th Tactical Fighter Wing. The 22d Tactical Drone Squadron was a second drone squadron at Davis-Monthan, being activated and assigned to the 432d Tactical Drone Group on 1 July 1976; being its operational component. Performed photographic reconnaissance to support tactical air and surface forces with tactical drones manufactured by
Ryan Aeronautical. Used AQM-34L/M/V drones, DC-130 launch vehicles, and CH-3 recovery helicopters. The group conducted follow-on testing and evaluation of the AQM-34V model drone and the initial operational testing and evaluation and developmental testing and evaluation of the DC-130H "mother ship." The 432d also supported testing and evaluation of the BQM-34C drone at
Hill AFB,
Utah. Support organizations included the 432d Field Maintenance (later Drone Generation) Squadron and 432d Organizational Maintenance (later Aircraft Generation) Squadron. Both TDS were inactivated in 1979 due to budget restrictions; drone operations moved to
Eglin AFB.
Florida.
Aces •
Jacques Swaab: 10 victories •
Clinton Jones: 8 victories •
James Beane: 6 victories •
Arthur Raymond Brooks: 6 victories •
Remington Vernam: 5 victories
Lineage ; 22d Aero Squadron • Organized as the
17th Aero Squadron on 16 June 1917 : Redesignated
22d Aero Squadron on 20 June 1917 : Redesignated
22d Aero Squadron (Pursuit) on 16 August 1918 : Demobilized on 16 June 1919 • Consolidated with the
22d Observation Squadron on 17 April 1937 ; 22d Intelligence Squadron • Organized as the
135th Aero Squadron on 1 August 1917 : Redesignated
135th Aero Squadron (Corps Observation) on 19 July 1918 : Redesignated
135th Aero Squadron on 29 May 1919 : Redesignated
22d Squadron (Observation), 14 March 1921 : Redesignated
22d Observation Squadron on 25 January 1923 • Consolidated with 22d Aero Squadron (Pursuit), on 17 April 1937 : Redesignated
22d Observation Squadron (Medium) on 13 January 1942 : Redesignated
22d Observation Squadron on 4 July 1942 : Redesignated
22d Reconnaissance Squadron (Bombardment) On 2 April 1943 : Redesignated
22d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 11 August 1943 : Inactivated on 31 August 1946 • Activated on 1 December 1965 : Inactivated on 15 October 1971 • Redesignated
22d Tactical Drone Squadron : Activated on 1 July 1976 : Inactivated on 1 April 1979 • Redesignated
22d Intelligence Squadron : Activated on 1 October 1993
Assignments ;; As 22d Aero Squadron (World War I): • Post Headquarters, Kelly Field, 16 June 1917 – 21 January 1918 : Attached to the Royal Flying Corps for training, 9 August 1917 – 21 January 1918 • Aviation Concentration Center, 25 January-10 February 1918 :: Overseas transport,
RMS Adriatic, 10–16 February 1918 •
American Expeditionary Force, 16 January 1918 : Attached to the Royal Flying Corps for training, 24 January-19 July 1918 • 3d Air Instructional Center, 26 June 1918 • Air Service Acceptance Park No. 1, 7 July 1918 •
2d Pursuit Group, 16 August 1918 •
American Expeditionary Force, 29 January-22 May 1919 :: Return transport,
SS Louisville, 22 May-15 June • Post Headquarters, Hazelhurst Field, 15–17 June 1919
Stations 22d Aero Squadron (World War I): •
Kelly Field, Texas, 16 June 1917 • Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 9 August 1917 : Detachments at Camp Borden, Deseronto, Armour Heights, Longbranch, North Toronto, Leaside •
Hicks Field (Taliaferro #1), Texas, 19 October 1917 •
Aviation Concentration Center, Garden City, New York, 25 January 1918 •
Liverpool, England, 16 February 1918 • Dunkirk, France, 4 March 1918 : Unit divided into flights which operated from various stations in
Nord-Pas-de-Calais, and
Somme, Regions until squadron reassembled on 24 June 1918 : Headquarters flight was in
Flanders Region, Belgium : A, B, and C flights in
Picardy Region •
Guînes Aerodrome, France, 24 June 1918 •
Issoudun Aerodrome, France, 26 June 1918 •
Orly Airport, Paris, France, 7 July 1918 •
Gengault Aerodrome, France, 16 August 1918 •
Belrain Aerodrome, France, 22 September 1918 •
Souilly Aerodrome, France, 7 November 1918 • Grand Aerodrome, France, c. 29 January 1919 •
Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome, France, 18 April 1919 •
Le Mans, France, 2 May 1919 •
Brest, France, 22 May 1919 •
Hazelhurst Field, New York, 15–17 June 1919
135th Aero (later 22d) Squadron: •
Rockwell Field, California, 1 August-25 November 1917 •
Aviation Concentration Center, Garden City, New York, 1–18 December 1917 :: Overseas Transport:
RMS Orduna, 18–31 December 1917 •
Glasgow, Scotland, 31 December 1917 •
Winchester, England, 1 January 1918 : Unit divided into flights which operated from various stations in England, including Waddington, Scampton, and South Carlton • Winchester, England, 24 June 1918 •
Le Havre, France, 28 June 1918 •
Issoudun Aerodrome, France, 2 Jul 1918 •
Amanty Airdrome, France, 19 Jul 1918 •
Ourches Aerodrome, France, 30 Jul 1918 •
Gengault Aerodrome, Toul, France, 30 Sep 1918 •
Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome, France, 10 Feb 1919 •
Tresses, France, 23 Feb 1919 •
Bordeaux, France, 18–25 Apr 1919 •
Hazelhurst Field, New York, c. 7 May 1919 •
Post Field, Oklahoma, 29 May 1919 : Flight at
Sherman Army Airfield, Kansas, 30 Apr-30 Jun, 6 Sep – 3 Nov 1920 : Detachment at
Maxwell Field, Alabama, after 4 Nov 1921 •
Maxwell Field, Alabama, 30 Nov 1921 : Detachment at
Pope Field, North Carolina, 26 Nov 1921 – 15 Mar 1931 •
Brooks Field, Texas, 28 Jun 1931 to consolidation in 1937
Consolidated squadron: • Brooks Field, Texas, from consolidation in 1937 •
DeRidder Army Air Base, Louisiana 30 Jan 1942 •
Esler Field, Louisiana, 13 Dec 1942 •
Desert Center Army Air Field, California, 29 Dec 1942 •
Morris Field, North Carolina, 24 Sep 1943 •
Camp Campbell Army Air Field, Kentucky, 6 Nov 1943 • DeRidder Army Air Base, Louisiana, 19 Apr 1944 •
Key Field, Mississippi, 27 Jan – 26 Feb 1945 •
Nancy/Essey Airfield (Y-42), France, 22 Mar 1945 •
Haguenau Airfield (Y-39), France, 2 Apr–Jul 1945 •
Drew Field, Florida, 4 Aug 1945 • Brooks Field, Texas, 1 Dec 1945 – 31 Aug 1946. •
Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, 20 Sep 1966 – 15 Jul 1971 •
Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, 15 Jul – 15 Oct 1971 •
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, 1 Jul 1976 – 1 Apr 1979 •
Ft George G. Meade, Maryland, 1 Oct 1993 – present
Aircraft •
Curtiss JN-4, 1917 (22d AS) •
SPAD S.XIII, 1918–1919 (22d AS) •
Wright-Martin Model V, 1917 (135th AS) •
Curtiss Model J, 1917 (135th AS) •
Dayton-Wright DH-4, 1918–1919 (135th AS) •
Dayton-Wright DH-4, 1919–1927 (22d OS, before consolidation) •
Douglas O-2, 1926–1930 • Included
Curtiss JN-6H, JNS-1, and C-1 during period 1919–1930 •
Thomas-Morse O-19, 1930–1935 •
Douglas O-43, 1934 to consolidation • Included Douglas O-27,
Douglas O-31, and Y10-40 during period 1935–1937 • In addition to
Douglas O-43, consolidation to c. 1939 •
North American O-47, c. 1939–1941, and
Douglas O-46, 1940–1942 • Apparently included
Douglas O-25,
Douglas O-31, and
Douglas O-38 during period from consolidation to 1940 •
O-49 Vigilant, 1941–1942, and
Curtiss O-52 Owl, 1941–1943 • Included L-4 and P-43 during period 1942–1943 •
A-20 and DB-7 Havoc, 1943 •
P-39 Airacobra, 1943–1944 •
P-40 Warhawk, 1943–1945 • Included
A-24 Banshee and
L-5 Sentinel during period 1943–1944 •
P-51/F-6 Mustang; 1945, 1946 •
AQM-34L/M: 1976–1979 (RPV) •
Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion: 1976–1979 (Helicopter) •
DH-130H Hercules Hercules: 1976–1979 ==See also==