89th Attack Squadron

The 89th Attack Squadron mission is to remotely employ General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper aircraft from ground control facilities located at Ellsworth Air Force Base to support combatant commander requirements around the world. The squadron, which operates the aircraft, and the Reaper ground control station are based at Ellsworth. Its aircraft are deployed overseas, supporting continuing operations. ==History==

World War I The first predecessor of the squadron was activated at Kelly Field, Texas as the 89th Aero Squadron on 19 August 1917. The 89th arrived at the 1st Air Depot, American Expeditionary Force at Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome, France on 16 November where it began work on constructing facilities for the depot. In February 1918, the squadron moved to Châtillon-sur-Seine, where it began work on construction of a flying field for the 2d Corps Aeronautical School. However, the squadron was quartered on a large farm some distance from the flying field, so construction of the field and supporting facilities took a month to complete and training of observers did not begin until May. The squadron was assigned the first pilots to arrive at Chatillon and began training observers in artillery adjustment, photography, and gunnery. The 89th prepared for combat as an observation unit in July 1918, but never went to front, The squadron returned to the United States where it was demobilized in 1919. In June, the squadron moved to Pendleton Field, Oregon. Antisubmarine patrols After Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the 89th flew antisubmarine patrols off the Oregon and Washington coastline. The 89th moved to Lexington County Airport, South Carolina in early 1942 to perform antisubmarine patrols over southeast Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico. Combat in the Mediterranean The remainder of the squadron remained in Columbia, flying antisubmarine patrols until 23 June when it was moved to Barksdale Field, Louisiana. There, the squadron re-equipped with the Martin B-26 Marauder, and began transition training under Third Air Force. During 1943, the 34th participated in Operation Corkscrew, the reduction of Pantelleria. It supported Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily and Operation Avalanche, the invasion of Italy. During the drive toward Rome, the squadron was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for its attacks on airfields near Rome on 13 January 1944. It was also awarded the French Croix de Guerre with Palm for its operations in Italy between April and June. as an MQ-9 Reaper squadron and assigned to the 28th Operations Group. In March 2019, the squadron was reassigned to the 25th Attack Group, located at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. In May 2022, the squadron was recognized by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems as the MQ-9 Squadron of the Year for 2021. That year, the squadron provided protection to American and coalition forces across multiple combatant commands and other Department of Defense and government organizations. The squadron achieved the first network accredited MQ-9A simulator, integrating in joint exercises with twelve nations across three combatant commands. Its intelligence flight was also named Twelfth Air Force Intelligence Agency Team of the Year. ==Lineage==

89th Aero Squadron • Organized as the 89th Aero Squadron on 19 August 1917 : Demobilized on 19 May 1919 • Reconstituted and consolidated on 24 October 1936 with the 89th Observation Squadron (Long Range, Light Bombardment) as the 89th Reconnaissance Squadron 89th Attack Squadron • Constituted as the 89th Observation Squadron (Long Range, Light Bombardment) on 1 March 1935 : Consolidated with the 89th Aero Squadron and redesignated 89th Reconnaissance Squadron on 24 October 1936 (remained inactive) : Redesignated 89th Reconnaissance Squadron (Medium Range) on 22 December 1939 (remained inactive) • Activated on 1 February 1940 : Redesignated 89th Reconnaissance Squadron (Medium) on 20 November 1940 : Redesignated 432d Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 22 April 1942 : Redesignated 432d Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 9 October 1944 • Inactivated on 26 November 1945 : Redesignated 432d Expeditionary Bomb Squadron and converted to provisional status on 16 January 2002 : Redesignated 432d Bomb Squadron and withdrawn from provisional status on 16 February 2007 (remained inactive) : Redesignated 432d Attack Squadron on 1 September 2011 • Activated on 1 October 2011 • Redesignated 89th Attack Squadron on 21 June 2016 Assignments • Unknown, 19 August 1917 – November 1917 • 1st Air Depot, c. 6 November 1917 • 2d Corps Aeronautical School, c. 17 February 1918 – c. 12 January 1919 • Unknown January – 19 May 1919 • Air Force Combat Command, 1 February 1940 (attached to 17th Bombardment Group) • Northwest Air District (later 2d Air Force), June 1940 (remained attached to 17th Bombardment Group) • 17th Bombardment Group, 25 February 1942 – 26 November 1945 • Pacific Air Forces, to activate or inactivate any time between 16 January 2002 and 16 February 2007 • 28th Operations Group: 1 October 2011 – 30 September 2015 • 432d Operations Group, 1 October 2015 • 25th Attack Group, 22 March 2019 – present Stations • Kelly Field, Texas, 19 August 1917 • Camp Mills, New York, c. 6 October 1917 – 27 October 1917 • Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome, France, 16 November 1917 • Châtillon-sur-Seine, France, 17 February 1918 • Saint-Nazaire, France, c. 14 January 1919 – unknown • Garden City, New York, c. 25 March 1919 – 19 May 1919 • March Field, California, 1 February 1940 • McChord Field, Washington, 26 June 1940 • Pendleton Field, Oregon, 29 June 1941 • McChord Field, Washington, c. 30 December 1941 • Pendleton Field, Oregon, c. 24 January 1942 • Lexington County Airport (later Columbia Army Air Base), South Carolina, 15 February 1942 • Barksdale Field, Louisiana, 22 June 1942 – 18 November 1942 • Telergma Airport, Algeria, c. 22 December 1942 • Sedrata Airfield, Algeria, c. 13 May 1943 • Djedeida Airfield, Tunisia, c. 25 June 1943 • Villacidro Airfield, Sardinia, Italy, 5 November 1943 • Poretta Airport, Corsica, France, c. 21 September 1944 • Dijon Air Base, France, 22 November 1944 • AAF Station Linz, Austria, c. 18 June 1945 • Zell am See, Austria, 4 July 1945 (ground echelon) • Clastres Airfield, France, c. 3 October 1945 – c. 17 November 1945 (ground echelon) • Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts, 25 November 1945 – 26 November 1945 • Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, 1 October 2011 – present Aircraft • Dorand AR and other types for training observers, 1918 • Breguet 14 when preparing for combat, 1918 • Douglas B-18 Bolo, 1940 • Douglas B-23 Dragon, 1940–1941 • North American B-25 Mitchell, 1941–1942 • Martin B-26 Marauder, 1942–1945 • General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper, 2011–present Awards and campaigns ==See also==