Lineage. Constituted as 85 Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 20 Nov 1940. Activated on 15 Jan 1941. Redesignated as: 85 Bombardment Squadron, Light, on 20 Aug 1943; 85 Bombardment Squadron, Light (Night Attack), on 16 Apr 1946; 85 Bombardment Squadron, Light, Jet, on 23 Jun 1948; 85 Bombardment Squadron, Light, on 16 Nov 1950; 85 Bombardment Squadron, Tactical, on 1 Oct 1955. Discontinued, and inactivated, on 22 Jun 1962. Redesignated as 85 Flying Training Squadron on 22 Mar 1972. Activated on 1 Sep 1972.
Assignments. 47 Bombardment Group, 15 Jan 1941; Twelfth Air Force, 2 Oct 1949; Ninth Air Force (attached to 363 Tactical Reconnaissance Group), 17 Oct 1949; Tactical Air Command, 1 Aug 1950 (remained attached to 363 Tactical Reconnaissance Group to 31 Aug 1950; attached to 363 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 1 Sep 1950-11 Mar 1951); 47 Bombardment Group, 12 Mar 1951 (attached to 47 Bombardment Wing, 17 Nov 1952-7 Feb 1955); 47 Bombardment Wing, 8 Feb 1955-22 Jun 1962. 47 Flying Training Wing, 1 Sep 1972; 47 Operations Group, 15 Dec 1991-.
Stations. McChord Field, WA, 15 Jan 1941; Fresno, CA, 11 Aug 1941; Will Rogers Field, OK, 17 Feb 1942; Greensboro, NC, 16 Jul-17 Oct 1942; Mediouna, French Morocco, c. 17 Nov 1942; Thelepte, Tunisia, 9 Jan 1943; Youks-les-Bains, Algeria, 16 Feb 1943; Canrobert, Algeria, 27 Feb 1943; Thelepte, Tunisia, 30 Mar 1943; Souk-el-Arba, Tunisia, 16 Apr 1943; Soliman, Tunisia, 1 Jun 1943; Malta, 22 Jul 1943; Sicily, 12 Aug 1943; Grottaglie, Italy, 24 Sep 1943; Vincenzo Airfield, Italy, 15 Oct 1943; Vesuvius Airfield, Italy, 11 Jan 1944; Capodichino, Italy, 22 Mar 1944; Vesuvius Airfield, Italy, 25 Apr 1944; Ponte Galeria, Italy, 13 Jun 1944; Ombrone Airfield, Italy, 26 Jun 1944; Poretta Corsica, 15 Jul 1944; Salon, France, 4 Sep 1944; Follonica, Italy, 16 Sep 1944; Rosignano Airfield, Italy, 4 Oct 1944; Grosseto, Italy, 10 Dec 1944; Pisa, Italy, 17–23 Jun 1945; Seymour Johnson Field, NC, c. 11 Jul 1945; Lake Charles AAFld, LA, 9
Sep 1945; Biggs Field, TX, 20 Oct 1946; Barksdale AFB, LA, 19 Nov 1948; Langley AFB, VA, 17 Oct 1949-21 May 1952; Sculthorpe RAF Station (later, RAF Sculthorpe), England, 31 May 1952-22 Jun 1962. Laughlin AFB, TX, 1 Sep 1972-.
Commanders. Maj John J. O’Hara, 15 Jan 1941; 1 Lt Delmar E. Wilson, 7 May 1941-unkn; Maj Reginald J. Clizbe, c. 1942; Maj Guymon Penix, 20 May 1943; Maj Martin H. Johnson, 28 Apr 1944; Maj Gene C. Vance, 6 Aug 1944; Lt Col Roger W. Page, 5 Feb 1945; 1 Lt Robert A. Browning Jr., 29 Aug 1945; Maj John F. Sharp, 9 Sep 1945; Lt Col Joseph W. Ruebel, 12 Mar 1946; Maj Richard D. Salter, c. 1 Nov 1946; Maj John F. Sharp, c. Feb 1947; Capt James L. Louden, c. 9 Jun 1947; Maj Robert E. Wilmarth, c. 11 Jun 1947; Maj Paul B. Neafus, c. 25 Jun 1947; Maj Atlee G. Manthos, Aug 1947; Maj Harlan C. Wilder, c. Sep 1947; Lt Col John G. Napier, c. Nov 1947; Maj Harlan C. Wilder, c. Apr 1948; Maj Harold W. Burns, 3 Aug 1948; Maj Paul B. Neafus, 13 Aug 1948; Maj Gus Weiser, 30 Aug 1948; Maj Paul B. Neafus, 3 Sep 1948; Lt Col Benjamin G. Willis, 22 Sep 1948; Maj Hubert M. Blair, Feb 1949; Lt Col Benjamin G. Willis, Mar 1949; Maj Hubert M. Blair, 3 Jul 1949; Maj James S. Kale, 4 Nov 1949; Lt Col Benjamin G. Willis, c. 24 Feb 1950; Maj Harlan C. Buttrill, 1 Sep 1950; Lt Col Hubert M. Blair, 3 Jan 1951; Lt Col George B. Leaverton, 1 Mar 1953; Maj Robert E. Grovert, 17 Dec 1954; Lt Col Raymond L. Fitzgerald, 7 Jul 1955; Maj Keith Conley, Nov 1955; Maj Carl A. Pacharzina Jr., c. Dec 1957; Lt Col Jack C. West, 25 Aug 1958; Lt Col William L. Sheppard, 19 Feb 1961-22 Jun 1962. Lt Col Edwin W. Johnson, 1 Sep 1972; Lt Col Max C. Brestel, Oct 1974; Lt Col Dale R. Ullrich, 28 May 1976; Lt Col James N. Ahmann, 17 Feb 1978; Lt Col James L. Weaver, 14 Apr 1978; Lt Col Carl Hintze III, 2 Aug 1979; Lt Col Terrence P. Corrigan, 11 Sep 1980; Lt Col Charles R. Edwards, 4 Aug 1981; Lt Col John P. Stephenson, 15 Jul 1983; Lt Col Gary L. Lindner, 19 Apr 1985; Lt Col Sigourney D. Hall, 3 Apr 1987; Lt Col Thomas R. Cooper, 24 Jun 1988; Lt Col Gary A. Praesel, 15 Jun 1990; Lt Col James S. Sheehan, 15 Jun 1992; Lt Col Kevin J. Kennedy, 28 Jan 1994; Lt Col Carl A. Steel, 7 Jul 1995; Lt Col Jason B. Barlow, 2 Jun 1997; Lt Col Michael A. Silver, 28 May 1999; Lt Col William T. Davidson Jr., 14 Jul 2000; Lt Col David L. Turner, 22 Mar 2002; Lt Col Steven G. Moore, 4 Aug 2003; Lt Col Daniel W. Gernert, 25 Apr 2005; Lt Col Christopher C. Richardson, 31 Aug 2006; Lt Col Christopher J. Stratton, 20 Jun 2008; Lt Col Richard Nesmith, 27 Mar 2009; Lt Col Stephen Frank, 9 Jul 2010-.
Aircraft. B-18, 1941-1942; DB-7, 1941-1942; A-20, 1941-1945; A-26 (later B-26), 1945-1949, 1950-1951; B-45, 1949-1957; B-66, 1958-1962. T-37, 1972-2004; T-6, 2004-.
Operations. Antisubmarine patrols, Dec 1941-Jan 1942. Combat in Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO), 10 Jan 1943-30 Apr 1945. Earned a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for actions at Kasserine Pass in Feb 1943; and a second DUC for actions in the Po Valley, Apr 1945. Conducted undergraduate pilot training, 1972-.
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 1983-30 Sep 1984; 1 Apr 1985-31 Jan 1987; [1 Feb] 1987-31 Mar 1988; 1 Apr 1988-31 Mar 1989; 1 Apr 1989-15 Mar 1991; 1 Jul 1991-30 Jun 1993; 1 Jul 1997-30 Jun 1999; 1 Jul 1998-30 Jun 2000; 1 Sep 2003-30 Jun 2005; 1 Jul 2005-30 Jun 2007; 1 Jul 2010-30 Jun 2012; 1 Jul 2011-30 Jun 2013.
Lineage, Assignments, Stations, and Honors through Jun 2014.
Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through 31 Sep 2010.
Supersedes statement prepared on 20 Aug 2008.
Emblem. Approved on 2 Jan 1973; latest rendering, 2 Dec 2021.
Prepared by Patsy Robertson.
Reviewed by Daniel Haulman.