World War I Organization and training in the United States The unit was first organized as the
50th Aero Squadron with 149 men at
Kelly Field No. 1, Texas, on 6 August 1917. It moved to Kelly Field No. 2 on 12 September and was designated as a school squadron, its personnel entered training for engine mechanics and performed field garrison duties. It moved back to Field No. 1 on 17 November and was equipped with
Curtiss JN-4 aircraft and pilots, and entered training for combat service in France. On 20 December 1917, the 50th transferred from Kelly Field for overseas duty. It moved to the Aviation Concentration Center,
Camp Mills, Garden City, New York arriving on 3 January 1918. It departed from the United States on transport No. 508 (
RMS Carmania on 9 January, arriving at Liverpool, England on 24 January. Once in England, the 50th was moved to
RFC Harlaxton, Lincolnshire and began advanced training in aircraft rigging and engine repair, along with gunnery, radio, photography and aerial bombing prior to being sent to France. In combat, the mission of the 50th Aero Squadron was general surveillance of the enemy rear areas by means of both visual and photographic reconnaissance. These missions were carried out for the purpose of intelligence-gathering and informing
First Army headquarters informed of enemy movements and preparations for attacks or retreats of its infantry forces. The 50th identified enemy activity along roads and railroads, ground stations, various storage dumps and airfields; the numbers of fires and activities of enemy aircraft, and the amount of anti-aircraft artillery was also monitored and reported. Due to the nature of the missions and the depths of enemy area which was penetrated, the missions were carried out at high altitudes, usually between 4,500 and 5,500 meters. At the beginning of October, units of the
308th Infantry Regiment were cut off and surrounded by German troops. Able to communicate with division headquarters only by
carrier pigeon, the battalion-sized force inadvertently supplied division headquarters with incorrect coordinates of its location. On 2 October the 50th Aero Squadron searched for signs of the cut-off battalion, and on 5 October the 77th Division commander, Maj. Gen.
Robert Alexander, requested that the 50th Aero Squadron locate and resupply the "
Lost Battalion" by air with ammunition, rations, and medical supplies. On 28 October, the squadron moved from Remicourt to the new
Parois Airdrome near
Clermont-en-Argonne,
Post World War I duty in France After the end of hostilities, the air service in France was slow to bring their units back to the United States. Transportation was poor, and many had to wait months to board a ship. The 50th was no exception, as it was split into flights and assigned to various locations in France, performing postwar service duties. With the inactivation of the
First Army Air Service, the 50th Aero Squadron was ordered to report to the 1st Air Depot at
Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome on 1 April 1919, to turn in all of its supplies and equipment and was relieved from duty with the AEF. The squadron's DH-4 aircraft were delivered to the Air Service Production Center No. 2. at
Romorantin Aerodrome. There practically all of the pilots and observers were detached from the squadron. Personnel at Colombey were subsequently assigned to the Commanding General, Services of Supply and ordered to report to the staging camp at
Clamecy, France on 9 April. There, personnel awaited scheduling to report to one of the Base Ports in France for transport to the United States. It moved to the port of
Marseille, France, 22 April when it boarded the . Upon its arrival in New York, the squadron proceeded to
Scott Field, Illinois, arriving on 27 May.
Notable personnel • Lt. Erwin Russell Bleckley, Medal of Honor (
Killed in Action) • Lt. Harold Ernest Goettler, Medal of Honor (Killed in Action) • Lt. Franklin B. Bellows,
Distinguished Service Cross (Killed in Action) • Lt. Mitchell H. Brown, Distinguished Service Cross, 1 aerial victory • Lt. George R. Phillips, Distinguished Service Cross, 1 aerial victory
Inter-War era Regular unit at Langley Field A small
cadre of the squadron remained at Scott Field until August 1919 when it was moved to
Langley Field, Virginia. At Langley, it again received De Havilland DH-4s and was assigned to the
2d Wing. It was assigned to coastal and submarine patrol duties along the Atlantic coast. On 1 October it was attached to the
1st Army Observation Group. In 1920, the squadron was called upon to help keep order during coal miner strikes in West Virginia. The squadron moved to
Brooks Field, Texas, where it was assigned to the
Air Corps Training Center, in June 1927. It was inactivated on 1 August 1927 and its personnel and equipment transferred to the 51st School Squadron.
Regular Army Inactive service The squadron was organized in December 1927 with
Organized Reserve personnel as a Regular Army Inactive (RAI) unit at
Dodd Field, Texas. and assigned to the
5th Composite Group, with
Thomas-Morse O-19 as initial equipment. It remained in Hawaii as part of the
Hawaiian Department throughout the 1930s as part of the
air defenses of the islands. In 1932 and 1933, it participated in joint maneuvers with Army and Navy forces in the Hawaiian Islands. Beginning in May 1941, the squadron began training with the
Boeing B-17D Flying Fortress, with the capability to fly longer reconnaissance missions from its base at
Hickam Field.
World War II The squadron was at Hickam during the
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. In April 1942, the 50th was redesignated the
431st Bombardment Squadron. The squadron flew patrol and search mission from the Hawaiian Islands, including air support during the
Battle of Midway. In June 1942, shortly after the
Battle of Midway, the 11th Group was authorized as a mobile force by the
Army Air Forces in order to respond to a
Navy request by
Admiral Nimitz for long-range armed search planes to locate Japanese fleets, accompanied with firepower to withstand defending Japanese
interceptors while tracking the fleet. The 11th Group left Hawaii to support Navy operations in the South Pacific Theater during the
Guadalcanal and
Northern Solomon Islands Campaigns. In February 1947, the squadron was reassigned to the 5th Reconnaissance Group, but was inactivated on 20 October 1947, transferring its mission, equipment and personnel to the
23d Reconnaissance Squadron, which was simultaneously activated at Clark.
United States Air Force Academy service The squadron was designated the
50th Airmanship Training Squadron and activated at the
United States Air Force Academy, Colorado as part of the
34th Education Group on 1 October 1983. In November 1994 it was redesignated the
50th Training Squadron. The squadron operated
Boeing T-43 Bobcats, which flew out of
Buckley Air National Guard Base, Colorado and were maintained by the
200th Airlift Squadron of the
Colorado Air National Guard. The summer of 1997 saw the last flight of the squadron's T-43As for the squadron with a change in mission for the squadron to classroom education of cadets in military strategic studies and a loss of funding for the 200th Airlift Squadron. In January 2001 the squadron was redesignated the
50th Education Squadron, reflecting the squadron's change in mission. The squadron was inactivated on 1 August 2005.
Remotely piloted vehicle operations The squadron was redesignated the
50th Attack Squadron and activated at
Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina on 18 February 2018. It was originally assigned to a unit located at
Creech Air Force Base, Nevada. As unmanned aerial vehicle operations at Shaw expanded, the
25th Attack Group was activated in October 2018 and the 50th was assigned to it. The squadron operates the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper. ==Lineage==