557 Flying Training Squadron (AETC)

Lineage.    Constituted as 557 Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 25 Nov 1942. Activated on 1 Dec 1942.  Redesignated as 557 Bombardment Squadron, Medium, on 9 Oct 1944.  Inactivated on 12 Nov 1945.  Consolidated (19 Sep 1985) with the 557 Tactical Fighter Squadron, which was constituted, and activated, on 17 Apr 1962. Organized on 25 Apr 1962.  Inactivated on 31 Mar 1970.  Redesignated as 557 Flying Training Squadron on 18 Jun 1974.  Activated on 31 Jul 1974.

 

Assignments.   387 Bombardment Group, 1 Dec 1942–12 Nov 1945.  Tactical Air Command, 17 Apr 1962; 12 Tactical Fighter Wing, 25 Apr 1962; 836 Air Division, 8 Nov 1965; 12 Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 Dec 1965–31 Mar 1970.  Air Training Command, 31 Jul 1974; United States Air Force Academy, 1 Oct 1982; 12 Operations Group, 1 Jul 1993; 34 Training Group, 1 Oct 2000; 306 Flying Training Group, 4 Oct 2004–.

 

Stations.   MacDill Field, FL, 1 Dec 1942; Lakeland AAFld, FL, 12 Apr 1943; Godman Field, KY, 12 May–10 Jun 1943; Chipping Ongar, England, 1 Jul 1943; Stoney Cross, England, c. 21 Jul 1944; Maupertuis, France, c. 27 Aug 1944; Chateaudun, France, c. 18 Sep 1944; Clastres, France, c. 2 Nov 1944; Beek, Holland, c. 2 May 1945; Rosieres-en-Santerre, France, c. 27 May–c. 4 Nov 1945; Camp Kilmer, NJ, 11–12 Nov 1945.  MacDill AFB, FL, 25 Apr 1962–Nov 1965; Cam Ranh Bay AB, South Vietnam, 1 Dec 1965–31 Mar 1970.  USAF Academy, CO, 31 Jul 1974–.

 

Commanders.   None (not manned), 1-15 Dec 1942; 2 Lt Clifford F.  Bailey, 16 Dec 1942; Lt Col Charles R. Keller Jr., 16 Jan 1943; Lt Col Joe M. Whitfield, 12 Feb 1944; Capt Sidney S. Pidgeon, 13 May 1945-unkn.  None (not manned), 25 Apr 1962-unkn; Lt Col Leonard I. Wiehrdt, by Aug 1962;  Lt Col Mark V. Wilson, by Dec 1963; Maj George F. Williams, by Jun 1964; Lt Col Mark V. Wilson, by 1 Oct 1964; Lt Col Allen J. Diefendorf, by 16 Oct 1964; Maj David G. Palmer, c. Oct 1966; Lt Col William E. Adams, 1 Nov 1966; Lt Col William G. Fuller, 18 Jun 1967; Lt Col Ernes Craigwell Jr., 18 Sep 1967; Lt Col Victor E. Bocquin, 23 Apr 1968; Lt Col James D. Smith, 10 Aug 1968; Lt Col Boyd E. Gibson, 8 Nov 1968; Lt Col Ira L. Kimes Jr., 26 Mar 1969; Lt Col George Aubry Jr., 3 Dec 1969-10 Mar 1970; none (not manned), 11-31 Mar 1970.   Lt Col Howard D. Jumper, 31 Jul 1974; Lt Col James E. Wilhelm, 3 Jun 1977; Lt Col Richard F. Lord, 28 May 1980; Lt Col James L. Higham, 30 Mar 1981; Lt Col James D. Manning Jr., 9 Jul 1982; Lt Col Monroe S. Sams Jr., 19 Sep 1983; Lt Col Gary L. Scheimer, 13 May 1986; Lt Col Dennis R. Bell, by Jul 1989; Lt Col Irvin L. Cakerice, 14 Jun 1990; Lt Col James L. Thomas, 4 Jun 1993; Lt Col Vincent P. Wisniewski, 12 Apr 1995; Lt Col Paul M. Poronsky, 14 Jul 1998; Lt Col Robert A. Nissen, 13 Oct 2000; Lt Col Kathleen T. Dody, 5 May 2001; Lt Col Phillip J. Beaudoin, 10 Jan 2003; Lt Col Jeffrey A. Koch, by Jul 2005; Lt Col Chris F. Carper, 16 Jun 2006-unkn; Lt Col Jeffrey J. Bakken, Jun 2010; Lt Col Bradley L. Oliver, 8 Jun 2012; Lt Col Gregory D. Thornton, 20 May 2014-.      

 

Aircraft.  B–26, 1942–1945.  F–84, 1962–1964; F–4, 1964–1970.  T–41, 1974–; UV–18, 1979–1982; DA-20, 2002-2007; T-51, 1982-; T-52, 2009-2012; T-53, 2011-.

 

Operations.   Combat in European Theater of Operations (ETO), 31 Jul 1943–19 Apr 1945.   Earned a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for attacks on heavily defended targets at Mayen, Germany, on 23 Dec 1944, during the Battle of the Bulge.  Combat in Southeast Asia, 1 Dec 1965–10 Mar 1970.  Provided basic flight training for USAF Academy cadets, 31 Jul 1974–.

 

Service Streamers.  None.

 

Campaign Streamers. World War II:  Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe. Vietnam: Vietnam Defensive; Vietnam Air; Vietnam Air Offensive; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase II; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase III; Vietnam Air/Ground; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase IV; TET 69/Counteroffensive; Vietnam Summer-Fall, 1969; Vietnam Winter-Spring, 1970.

 

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers.  None.

 

Decorations.   Distinguished Unit Citation: Germany, 23 Dec 1944.  Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards with Combat “V” Device: 1 Dec 1965–30 May 1966; 1 Jun 1966–31 May 1967; 1 Jun 1967–31 May 1968; 1 Jun 1968–31 May 1969; 1 Jun 1969–[10] Mar 1970.  Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jan 1979–30 Apr 1980; 30 Mar 1981–31 Oct 1982; 1 Jan 1983–18 Dec 1984; 1 Jan 1987-31 Dec 1988; 1 Jul 1991-30 Jun 1993; 1 Jul 1993-30 Jun 1994; 1 Sep 1994-31 Oct 1995; 1 Nov 1995-30 Jun 1996; 1 Jul 1996-30 Jun 1998; 1 Jul 1998-30 Jun 2000; 1 Jul 2005-30 Jun 2007; 1 Jul 2007-30 Jun 2009; 1 Jul 2009-30 Jun 2011; 1 Jul 2011-30 Jun 2013; 1 Jul 2013-30 Jun 2015.  Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: [1 Dec] 1965–[10] Mar 1970.

 

Lineage, Assignments, Stations, and Honors through 23 Mar 2017.

 

Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through May 2014.

 

Supersedes statement prepared in Dec 2013.

 

Emblem.   Approved on 8 Sep 1975; latest rendering, 30 Oct 2019.

 

Prepared by Daniel Haulman.