Lineage. Constituted 86 Bombardment Squadron, Light, on 20 Nov 1940. Activated on 15 Jan 1941. Redesignated: 86 Bombardment Squadron, Light, on 20 Aug 1943; 86 Bombardment Squadron, Light (Night Attack), on 16 Apr 1946; 86 Bombardment Squadron, Light, Jet, on 23 Jun 1948. Inactivated on 2 Oct 1949. Redesignated 86 Bombardment Squadron, Light, on 1 Mar 1954. Activated on 23 Mar 1954. Redesignated 86 Bombardment Squadron, Tactical, on 1 Oct 1955. Discontinued, and inactivated, on 22 Jun 1962. Redesignated 86 Flying Training Squadron on 22 Mar 1972. Activated on 1 Sep 1972. Inactivated on 15 Sep 1992. Activated on 1 Dec 1993.
Assignments. 47 Bombardment Group, 15 Jan 1941-2 Oct 1949. 47 Bombardment Group, 23 Mar 1954 (attached to 47 Bombardment Wing, 23 Mar 1954-7 Feb 1955); 47 Bombardment Wing, 8 Feb 1955-22 Jun 1962. 47 Flying Training Wing, 1 Sep 1972; 47 Operations Group, 15 Dec 1991-15 Sep 1992. 47 Operations Group, 1 Dec 1993-.
Stations. McChord Field, WA, 15 Jan 1941; Fresno, CA, 11 Aug 1941; Will Rogers Field, OK, 15 Feb 1942; Greensboro, NC, 16 Jul-17 Oct 1942; Mediouna, French Morocco, 17 Nov 1942; Youks-les-Bains, Algeria, Dec 1942; Canrobert, Algeria, 21 Feb 1943; Thelepte, Tunisia, 30 Mar 1943; Souk-el-Arba, Tunisia, 16 Apr 1943; Soliman, Tunisia, c. 1 Jun 1943; Ta Kali Airdrome, Malta, 22 Jul 1943; Torrente Comunelli, Sicily, 13 Aug 1943; Gerbini, Sicily, 19 Aug 1943; Grottaglie, Italy, 27 Sep 1943; Vincenzo Airfield, Italy, 12 Oct 1943; Vesuvius Airfield, Italy, 13 Jan 1944; Capodichino, Italy, 22 Mar 1944; Vesuvius Airfield, Italy, 25 Apr 1944; Ponte Galeria, Italy, 9 Jun 1944; Ombrone Airfield, Italy, 23 Jun 1944; Poretta, Corsica, 12 Jul 1944; Salon, France, 5 Sep 1944; Follonica, Italy, 19 Sep 1944; Rosignano Airfield, Italy, 4 Oct 1944; Grosseto, Italy, 2 Jan 1945; Pisa, Italy, 15-23 Jun 1945; Seymour Johnson Field, NC, 14 Jul 1945; Lake Charles AAFld, LA, 9 Sep 1945; Biggs Field (later, AFB), TX, 20 Oct 1946; Barksdale AFB, LA, 19 Nov 1948-2 Oct 1949. Sculthorpe RAF Station, England, 23 Mar 1954; Alconbury RAF Station (later, RAF Alconbury), England, 15 Sep 1955; RAF Sculthorpe, England, 5 Aug 1959-22 Jun 1962. Laughlin AFB, TX, 1 Sep 1972-15 Sep 1992. Laughlin AFB, TX, 1 Dec 1993-.
Commanders. 1st Lt G. L. Robinson, 1941-unkn; Maj Richard E. Horner, c. 1942; Lt Col Leo E. Fielder, 20 May 1943; Maj John A. Tilton, 25 Oct 1944; Capt Wilburn J. Butler, 29 Jan 1945; Lt Col Marion J. Akers, 1 Feb-15 Jun 1945; unkn, 15 Jun-9 Sep 1945; Maj Cameron W. Lane, 9 Sep 1945; Maj Homer B. Howard, 8 Feb 1946; Lt Col Charles J. Lutz, 11 Mar 1946; Maj Leonard Kaufmann Jr., 11 May 1947; Maj John L. Egan, 4 Jun 1947; Lt Col Delwin D. Bentley, c. Apr 1948; Maj John J. Ruettgers, 2 Jul 1948; Lt Col Frederick E. Price, Dec 1948; Maj John J. Ruettgers, Feb-2 Oct 1949. Lt Col Edward M. Miller, 23 Mar 1954; Lt Col Robert E. Adamina, 3 May 1955; Maj Francis H. Riggs, c. Jun 1957; Lt Col Raymond A. Fulton, c. Mar 1958; Maj William A. Nolte Jr., 19 Jun 1961; Maj Charles M. Sargen, 29 Jan-22 Jun 1962. Lt Col Wilbur L. Mahaffey, 1 Sep 1972; Lt Col Rollin S. Siefken, 8 Jun 1973; Lt Col Bill D. Ericson, c. Jul 1975; Lt Col Robert F. Waggoner, 1 Mar 1976; Lt Col John H. Hanna, 24 Mar 1977; Lt Col Frederick A. Zehrer III, 1 Jul 1977; Lt Col Arthur E. Stamps, 8 Dec 1978; Lt Col William F. Flanagan, 1 Aug 1979; Lt Col Richard G. Thompson Jr., 12 Dec 1980; Lt Col Robert S. Schaumberg, 21 Aug 1981; Lt Col James U. Mitchell Jr., 29 Jan 1982; Lt Col Robert F. Wendrock Jr., 6 Jan 1984; Lt Col Roger A. Alexander, 26 Nov 1984; Lt Col Thomas S. Brandon, 10 Jan 1986; Lt Col Gregory A. Loser, 1 Aug 1986; Lt Col Sigourney D. Hall, 21 Dec 1986; Lt Col Gregory A. Loser, 1 Jan 1987; Lt Col Raymond C. Chapman Jr., 25 Nov 1987; Lt Col Kenneth E. Hamlin, 23 Jun 1989; Lt Col Joseph K. Stertz, 18 Jun 1990; Lt Col Michael L. Mosier, 6 Dec 1991-15 Sep 1992. Lt Col Robert M. McGreal, 1 Dec 1993; Lt Col Kathleen M. Conley, 18 Dec 1995; Lt Col Kim L. Lott, by 30 Jun 1997; Lt Col Gregory S. Wiebe, 2 Jun 1999; Lt Col Robert J. Rosedale, 20 Jul 2001; Lt Col Jeffrey J. Kubiak, 19 Jul 2002; Lt Col Frank L. Van Horn, 14 Jan 2004; Lt Col David G. Stamos, 23 Jan 2006-.
Aircraft. B-18, 1941-1942; DB-7, 1942; A-20, 1942-1945; A-26 (later, B-26), 1945-1949; B-45, 1949. B-45, 1954-1958; B-66, 1958-1962. T-38, 1972-1992. T-1, 1993-.
Operations. Antisubmarine patrols, 9 Dec 1941-15 Jan 1942. Combat in Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO), 14 Dec 1942-30 Apr 1945. Undergraduate pilot training, Sep 1972-Sep 1992 and specialized undergraduate pilot training, 1993 to present.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaign Streamers. World War II: Antisubmarine, American Theater; Algeria-French Morocco; Tunisia; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Anzio; Rome-Arno; Southern France; North Apennines; Po Valley; Air Combat, EAME Theater.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: North Africa, 22 Feb 1943; Po Valley, 21-24 Apr 1945. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jul 1958-30 Jun 1960; 1 Jan-31 Dec 1973; 1 Jan 1976-28 Feb 1977; 1 Jan 1979-30 Apr 1980; 1 May 1982-29 Feb 1984; 1 Mar 1985-28 Feb 1987; [1 Mar] 1987-31 Mar 1988; 16 Mar 1989-15 Mar 1991; 1 Jul 1991-[15 Sep 1992]; [1 Dec 1993]-30 Jun 1995; 1 Jul 1997-30 Jun 1999; 1 Sep 2003-30 Jun 2005; 1 Jul 2005-30 Jun 2007.
Lineage, Assignments, Stations, and Honors through 25 Aug 2008.
Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through 31 Dec 2006.
Supersedes published information in Judy G. Endicott (ed.), USAF Active Flying, Space, and Missile Squadrons as of 1 October 1995 (Washington: USGPO, 1999).
Emblem. Approved on 20 Feb 1973; latest rendering, 2 Dec 2021.
Prepared by Carl E. Bailey.
Reviewed by Daniel L. Haulman.