Lineage. Constituted as11 Reconnaissance Squadron (Light) on 20 Nov 1940. Activated on 15 Jan 1941. Redesignated as: 91 Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 14 Aug 1941; 524 Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 23 Aug 1943; 524 Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 30 May 1944. Inactivated on 7 Nov 1945. Activated on 20 Aug 1946. Redesignated as: 524 Fighter Squadron, Two Engine, on 22 Jul 1947; 524 Fighter Squadron, Jet, on 1 Dec 1949; 524 Fighter-Escort Squadron on 1 Feb 1950; 524 Strategic Fighter Squadron on 20 Jan 1953; 524 Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 1 Jul 1957; 524 Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 Jul 1958; 524 Tactical Fighter Training Squadron on 8 Jul 1980; 524 Fighter Squadron on 1 Nov 1991. Inactivated on 24 Sep 2007. Redesignated as 524 Special Operations Squadron on 23 Sep 2009. Activated on 1 Oct 2009.
Assignments. 27 Bombardment (later, 27 Fighter-Bomber; 27 Fighter) Group, attached on 15 Jan 1941, assigned 14 Aug 1941-7 Nov 1945. 27 Fighter (later, 27 Fighter-Escort) Group, 20 Aug 1946 (attached to 136 Fighter-Bomber Wing, 30 Jun–12 Aug 1951; 27 Fighter-Escort Wing, 25 Aug 1951–15 Jun 1952); 27 Fighter-Escort (later, 27 Strategic Fighter; 27 Fighter-Bomber; 27 Tactical Fighter; 27 Fighter) Wing, 16 Jun 1952 (attached to unkn, 17 Jun– 8 Jul 1959; TUSLOG, 10 Feb–16 Jun 1961; 4158 Strategic Wing, 30 Oct–14 Nov 1961; 2 Air Division, 9–c. 27 Jun 1963 and 21 Jan–19 Mar 1964; 39 Air Division, 1 Dec 1964–28 Mar 1965); 27 Operations Group, 1 Nov 1991–24 Sep 2007. 27 Special Operations Group, 1 Oct 2009-.
Stations. Hunter Field, GA, 15 Jan–19 Oct 1941; Ft William McKinley, Luzon, 20 Nov 1941; San Marceleno, Luzon, 22 Dec 1941 (air echelon operated from Brisbane, Australia, 24 Dec 1941–5 Feb 1942); Limay, Luzon, 25 Dec 1941; Bataan, Luzon, 5 Jan 1942 (air echelon operated from Malang, Java, 18 Feb–c. 1 Mar 1942, and from Brisbane, Australia, 10–24 Mar 1942); Charters Towers, Australia, Apr–4 May 1942; Hunter Field, GA, 4 May 1942; Key Field, MS, 15 Jul 1942; Hattiesburg, MS, 15 Aug 1942; Harding Field, LA, 26 Oct–21 Nov 1942; Ste-Barbe-du-Tlelat, Algeria, 26 Dec 1942; Nouvion, Algeria, 7 Jan 1943; Ras el Ma, French Morocco, 6 Apr 1943; Korba, Tunisia, 4 Jun 1943; Gela, Sicily, 18 Jul 1943; San Antonio, Sicily, 3 Sep 1943; Capaccio, Italy, 18 Sep 1943; Guado Airfield, Italy, 4 Nov 1943; Pomigliano, Italy, 19 Jan 1944; Castel Volturno, Italy, 10 Apr 1944; Santa Maria, Italy, 8 May 1944; Le Banca, Italy, 7 Jun 1944; Ciampino, Italy, 11 Jun 1944; Voltone, Italy, 4 Jul 1944; Sarragia, Corsica, 13 Jul 1944; Le Luc, France, 25 Aug 1944; Salon, France, 30 Aug 1944; Loyettes, France, 12 Sep 1944; Tarquinia, Italy, 2 Oct 1944; Pontedera, Italy, 1 Dec 1944; St Dizier, France, 21 Feb 1945; Toul/Ochey, France, 19 Mar 1945; Biblis, Germany, 5 Apr 1945; Sandhofen, Germany, 24 Jun 1945; Echterdingen, Germany, 15 Sep–20 Oct 1945; Camp Shanks, NY, 6–7 Nov 1945. Fritzlar, Germany, 20 Aug 1946; Bad Kissingen, Germany, 25 Jun 1947; Andrews Field, MD, 25 Jun 1947; Kearney AAFld (later, AFB), NE, 16 Jul 1947; Bergstrom AFB, TX, 16 Mar 1949 (deployed at Taegu AB, South Korea, 5 Dec 1950–30 Jan 1951; Itazuke AB, Japan, 31 Jan–12 Aug 1951; Misawa AB, Japan, 13 Oct 1952–c. 13 Feb 1953; Sturgate RAF Station, England, 7 May–19 Aug 1955); Cannon AFB, NM, 18 Feb 1959-24 Sep 2007 (deployed at Hahn AB, Germany, 17 Jun–8 Jul 1959; Incirlik AB, Turkey, 10 Feb–16 Jun 1961; Elmendorf AFB, AK, 30 Oct–14 Nov 1961; MacDill AFB, FL, 21 Oct–1 Dec 1962; Takhli RTAFB, Thailand, 9–c. 27 Jun 1963 and 21 Jan–19 Mar 1964; Misawa AB, Japan, [with detachment at Kunsan AB, South Korea], 1 Dec 1964–28 Mar 1965; Holloman AFB, NM, 13 Apr–12 May 1966). Cannon AFB, NM, 1 Oct 2009-.
Commanders. Unkn, 15 Jan-c. Jul 1941; 1 Lt William Eubanks, Jul 1941-unkn; Capt Eugene C. Vance, 14 Jul 1942; Maj John P. Crowder Jr., May 1943; Maj Arthur B. Hilmo, Sep 1943; Maj James M. Dyer, Nov 1943; Capt Benjamin L. Rorie, 9 Apr 1944; Capt Arthur E. Sortore Jr., 30 May 1944; Capt Harry R. Casselman, 1 Jun 1944; 1 Lt Glen T. Maltby, 10 Jul 1944; Maj Joseph E. Andres, 21 Jul 1944; Maj William R. Young, 12 Apr 1945; Capt Robert A. Gray, 26 Sep 1945-unkn. Maj Robert W. Holmes, 20 Aug 1946; Maj William M. Shelton, 19 Nov 1946-24 Jun 1947; none (not manned), 25 Jun-15 Jul 1947; unkn, 16 Jul-14 Aug 1947; Maj Ray C. Williams, 15 Aug 1947-Jun 1948; Lt Col George V. Williams, unkn 1948-11 Sep 1948; unkn, 12 Sep-c. 23 Sep 1948; Lt Col George V. Willliams, c. 23 Sep 1948-unkn; Lt Col Robert W. Shick, by Dec 1950; Lt Col Niven K. Cranfill, 16 Jul 1952; Lt Col Clark P. Manning, Feb 1953; Maj James H. Doolittle Jr., 1 Dec 1955; Maj Brian J. Lincoln, 9 Apr 1958-c. Jan 1959; none (not manned), c. 28 Jan-17 Feb 1959; Maj Ray L. Obenshain, c. 18 Feb 1959; Maj Charles E. Pope, by Dec 1959; Lt Col Walter M. Fowler, Oct 1960; Lt Col Charles E. Horton, c. 25 Jan 1962; Maj Raymond B. Kleber, c. 30 Jun 1963; Lt Col Wendall H. Whitehouse, c. 24 Feb 1963; Maj Joseph H. Turner, by Dec 1965-unkn; none (not manned), 7 Mar-c. Jul 1969; unkn, c. Jul 1969; Lt Col James L. Glessner Jr., by Sep 1969; Lt Col Robert D. McCann, 15 Jan 1970; Maj James M. Frogge, 12 Apr 1971; Lt Col Robert D. McCann, 27 Apr 1971; Lt Col Ronald M. Clements, 1 Jul 1971; Maj James M. Frogge, 19 Jun 1972; Capt Charles J. Jackson, 5 Jul 1972; Maj Charles J. Wood, 10 Aug 1972; Lt Col Ronald M. Clements, 21 Aug 1972; Maj James M. Frogge, 10 Nov 1972; Lt Col Ronald M. Clements, 21 Nov 1972; Maj James M. Frogge, 26 Dec 1972; Maj Charles J. Wood, 27 Dec 1972; Lt Col Ronald M. Clements, 28 Dec 1972-12 Mar 1973; unkn, 13 Mar-1 Apr 1973; Lt Col Harold H. Gabby, 2 Apr 1973; Lt Col Thomas C. Germscheid, 31 Mar 1975; Lt Col Benjamin M. Budzowski, 12 Jan 1976; Lt Col Daniel A. Taylor Jr., 14 Nov 1977; Lt Col Norman L. Rice, 9 Aug 1978; Lt Col Kenneth F. Keller, 1 Jan 1980; Maj Richard B. Hellier, 23 Jun 1980; Lt Col Jay D. Milstead, 30 Jun 1982; Lt Col John W. Zwerg, 1 Jun 1984;Lt Col David A. Mitchell, 6 Jun 1986; Lt Col John A. Osborn, 19 Aug 1988; Lt Col Jerome P. Brumby, 31 Aug 1990; Lt Col Stuart M. Ehrlich, 1 Dec 1993; Lt Col Dale R. Hanner, 12 Jul 1994; Lt Col Steven P. Schavrien, 12 Jul 1996; Lt Col Walter Wright III, 5 Jun 1998; Lt Col Bob J. Thomas, 4 Jan 2000; Lt Col Chris Chambliss, 2 Jan 2001; Lt Col Thomas A. Berghoff, 3 Jul 2002; Lt Col Gary Bell, 14 May 2004; Lt Col David Walker, unkn-unkn. Lt Col Robert Powell, 2 Oct 2009; Lt Col Andrew C. Maas, 3 Jun 2011-.
Aircraft. B–18, 1941; A–24, 1941–1942; A–20, 1941, 1942–1943; A–36, 1943–1944; P–40, 1944; P–47, 1944–1945. P–47, 1946–1947; P–51, 1947–1948; F–82, 1948–1950; F–84, 1950–1958; F–101, 1957–1958; F–100, 1959–1969, 1969–1972; F–111, 1972–1998; F-16, 1998-2007. Q-200, 2009-2010; Dornier 328, 2011; C-146, 2012-.
Operations. Combat in Southwest Pacific, 8 Dec 1941–4 May 1942; ground echelon fought with infantry units in Philippine Islands, Jan–Apr 1942. Combat in Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) and European Theater of Operations (ETO), 6 Jun 1943–4 May 1945. Combat in Korea, c. 8 Dec 1950–3 Aug 1951. F–100 replacement training, 1 Jan 1966–6 Mar 1969. Beginning in Jan 1980 served as wing’s primary fighter training squadron. Conducted overseas deployments to maintain combat readiness of personnel and aircraft, 1984-1989. Rotated personnel and aircraft to Incirlik AB, Turkey in support of operations in Southwest Asia, Sep 1992-Jul 1993. Transitioned to F-16 aircraft in 1998 and trained for day and night, all weather precision attack and electronic combat operations. Maintained capability to deploy and support unified commanders worldwide with day and night combat operations, 2000-2007. Supported special operations commanders by conducting night vision goggle infiltration, exfiltration, resupply and other combat taskings on unimproved runways, 2009-.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaign Streamers. World War II: Philippine Islands; East Indies; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Anzio; Rome-Arno; Northern France; Southern France; North Apennines; Rhineland; Central Europe; Air Combat, EAME Theater. Korea: CCF Intervention; First UN Counteroffensive; CCF Spring Offensive; UN Summer-Fall Offensive. Global War on Terrorism: GWOT-E. Iraq: Iraqi National Resolution; Iraqi Surge.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Philippine Islands, 7 Dec 1941–[Apr] 1942;
Philippine Islands, 8–22 Dec 1941; Philippine Islands, 6 Jan–8 Mar 1942; Italy, 10 Sep 1943; France, 4 Sep 1944; Korea, 26 Jan–21 Apr 1951. Meritorious Unit Award: 1 Oct 2009-30 Sep 2011; 1 Oct 2011-30 Sep 2013; 1 Oct 2013-30 Sep 2015. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 15 Aug 1968–15 Aug 1969; 1 Jan 1981–30 Jun 1982; 1 Jan 1988–31 Dec 1989; 1 Apr–30 Sep 1992; 1 Jun 1996-31 May 1998; 1 Jun 2002-31 May 2004. Philippine Presidential Unit Citation (WWII). Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation: 9 Nov 1950–31 May 1951.
Lineage, Assignments, Stations, and Honors through 9 Aug 2016.
Commanders through Jun 2011; Aircraft, and Operations through 9 Aug 2016.
Supersedes statement prepared in Apr 2014.
Emblem. Approved on 21 Jan 1955, newest rendition approved on 19 Jul 2010.
Prepared by TSgt David Dollman.