World War II The
squadron was activated in 1942 as the
302nd Bombardment Squadron (Light) at
Savannah Air Base, Georgia, and equipped with
Douglas A-24 Banshee dive bombers as one of the original squadrons of the
84th Bombardment Group. It received its initial
cadre and equipment from the
3d Bombardment Group. It operated briefly with
Vultee V-72 (A-31 Vengeance) aircraft, but its operations showed this aircraft was unsuitable for dive bombing. The OTU program was patterned after the unit training system of the
Royal Air Force. After forming the satellite groups, the parent unit assumed responsibility for satellite training and oversaw its expansion with graduates of
Army Air Forces Training Command schools to become effective combat units. Phase I training concentrated on individual training in
crewmember specialties. Phase II training emphasized the coordination for the crew to act as a team. The final phase concentrated on operation as a unit. The squadron contributed to the 84th Group's role as the parent for elements of several light bombardment groups. In August 1943, the squadron was redesignated the
497th Fighter-Bomber Squadron In October 1943, the squadron moved to
Harding Field, Louisiana, where it became a
Replacement Training Unit (RTU) and also participated occasionally in demonstrations and maneuvers. The squadron was, therefore, disbanded in April 1944
Cold War air defense The squadron was reconstituted as the
497th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron and activated in February 1953 at
Portland Air Force Base, Oregon, where it was assigned to the
503d Air Defense Group. In August 1955,
Air Defense Command (ADC) implemented Project Arrow, which was designed to bring back on the active list the fighter units which had compiled memorable records in the two world wars. In this reorganization, the
337th Fighter Group replaced the 503rd Air Defense Group at Portland and the squadron transferred its mission, personnel and F-89s to the 337th's
460th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, which moved to Portland on paper from
McGhee-Tyson Airport, Tennessee. Simultaneously, the 497th moved to
Geiger Field, Washington, where it assumed the personnel and
North American F-86D Sabres of the
445th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron and was again assigned to the 84th Fighter Group. Instead, it was decided to use the overseas interceptor squadrons as the elements of the
32d Tactical Fighter Wing, which was forming at
George Air Force Base, California. For the next year and a half, the squadron trained with
McDonnell F-4 Phantom IIs and participated in numerous exercises. In December 1965, the 8th Wing moved to
Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, followed two days later by the 497th. Accordingly, in support of
Operation Commando Hunt, the 497th was tasked to act as nighttime
Fast Forward Air Control (FAC)s controlling night strikes in Laos, particularly near the
Mu Gia Pass and
Ban Karai Pass, which were choke points, in what were called "Night Owl" missions. The squadron flew its first Night Owl mission on 18 October 1969. Night Owl missions involve flying individual sorties over areas of enemy activity to either strike them or call in additional aircraft to destroy the targets they identified. Squadron F-4s would drop flares, mark targets, and control strikes illuminated by the flares. The squadron typically launched 8 to 12 sorties nightly to provide coverage of potential targets from dusk until dawn. The 8th Wing continued combat operations in Southeast Asia until August 1973, but afterwards remained in Thailand, flying training missions and maintaining the capability to resume combat operations. In mid-1974 it began to draw down, flying its last F-4 mission in July 1974. On 16 September, the squadron was inactivated as other wing elements moved on paper to Korea. it is the entire permanent USAF presence in Singapore. Several times a year, for up to four weeks the unit grows to between 120 and 190 in strength, with the deployment of aircraft and support personnel. When so configured, the flight conducts an intense schedule of air-to-air combat training with the
Republic of Singapore Air Force in exercises titled Exercise Commando Sling. While Commando Sling is normally a bilateral
air-to-air combat exercise, but it has been expanded on occasion to include the
Royal Australian Air Force. The flight's base support functions are located at
Sembawang Air Base, ==Lineage==