Lineage. Constituted as 381 Fighter Squadron (Single Engine) on 11 Feb 1943. Activated on 1 Mar 1943. Redesignated as: 381 Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 20 Aug 1943; 161 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 25 Aug 1944. Inactivated on 9 Nov 1945. Redesignated as 161 Reconnaissance Squadron, Photo (Jet Propelled) on 9 Jul 1946. Activated on 31 Aug 1946. Redesignated as: 161 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Photo-Jet on 27 Aug 1948; 18 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Photo-Jet on 10 Oct 1950; 18 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 1 Oct 1966. Inactivated on 30 Sep 1979. Redesignated as 18 Reconnaissance Squadron on 14 Mar 2006. Activated on 3 Apr 2006. Inactivated on 24 Aug 2007. Activated on 11 Dec 2009. Redesignated as 18 Attack Squadron on 15 May 2016.
Assignments. 363 Fighter (later, 363 Tactical Reconnaissance) Group, 1 Mar 1943 (attached to 10 Photographic Group, 23 Dec 1944-3 Jan 1945); 67 Reconnaissance Group, 3 Ju1-9 Nov 1945. 363 Reconnaissance (later, 363 Tactical Reconnaissance) Group, 31 Aug 1946; Fourteenth Air Force, 23 Sep 1949 (attached to 20 Fighter Wing, 20 Sep 1949-2 Apr 1951); 363 Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 2 Apr 1951; 432 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 8 Feb 1958; 66 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 1 Jun 1959; 363 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 30 Jan 1970-30 Sep 1979 (attached to 36 Tactical Fighter Wing, 12-28 Apr 1977). 9 Operations Group, 3 Apr 2006-24 Aug 2007. 432 Operations Group, 11 Dec 2009; 732 Operations Group, 2 Jul 2018-.
Stations. Hamilton Field, CA, 1 Mar 1943; Santa Rosa AAFld, CA, 23 Aug 1943; Sacramento Mun Aprt, CA, 6 Oct-2 Dec 1943; Keevil, England, 20 Dec 1943; Rivenhall, England, 2 Feb 1944; Staplehurst, England, 14 Apr 1944; Maupertus, France, c. 4 Jul 1944; Azeville, France, 23 Aug 1944; Montrevil, France, 11 Sep 1944; Sandwieler, Luxembourg, 2 Oct 1944; Le Culot, Belgium, 31 Oct 1944 (operated from Conflans, France, 23 Dec 1944-4 Jan 1945); Venlo, Holland, 11 Mar 1945; Gutersloh, Germany, 16 Apr 1945; Brunswick, Germany, 26 Apr 1945; Wiesbaden, Germany, 19 May 1945; Reims, France, c. 3 Jul-c. 4 Sep 1945; Drew Field, FL, 16 Sep-9 Nov 1945. Brooks Field, TX, 31 Aug 1946; Langley Field, VA, 1 Nov 1946; Shaw AFB, SC, 23 Sep 1949-25 May 1959; Laon, France, 1 Jun 1959; RAF Upper Heyford, England, 1 Sep 1966-15 Jan 1970. Shaw AFB, SC, 30 Jan 1970-30 Sep 1979. Beale AFB, CA, 3 Apr 2006-24 Aug 2007. Creech AFB, NV, 11 Dec 2009-.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaign Streamers. World War II: Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe; Air Combat, EAME Theater.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Meritorious Unit Awards: 1 Jun 2011-31 May 2012; 1 Jun 2012-31 May 2013. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jan-31 Dec 1962; 1 Jul 1974-1 Jul 1976; 2 Jul 1976-30 Jun 1978; [11 Dec] 2009-31 May 2010; 1 Jun 2013-31 May 2014. Belgian Fourragere. Citation in the Order of the Day, Belgian Army: 1 Oct-17 Dec 1944; 18 Dec 1944-15 Jan 1945.
Lineage, Assignments, Stations, and Honors through 17 May 2023.
Supersedes statement prepared on 22 Aug 2016.
Emblem. Approved on 9 Aug 2006; latest rendering, 15 Feb 2017.
Prepared by James Musser.
Reviewed by Margaret Ream.