492 Fighter Squadron (USAFE)

Lineage. Constituted 55 Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 20 Nov 1940. Activated on 15 Jan 1941. Redesignated: 55 Bombardment Squadron (Dive) on 28 Aug 1942; 492 Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 10 Aug 1943; 492 Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 30 May 1944. Inactivated on 7 Nov 1945. Redesignated 492 Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 25 Jun 1952. Activated on 10 Jul 1952. Redesignated: 492 Tactical Fighter Squadron on 8 Jul 1958; 492 Fighter Squadron on 1 Oct 1991. 

Assignments. 48 Bombardment (later, 48 Fighter-Bomber; 48 Fighter) Group, 15 Jan 1941-7 Nov 1945. 48 Fighter-Bomber Group, 10 Jul 1952; 48 Fighter-Bomber (later, 48 Tactical Fighter; 48 Fighter) Wing, 8 Dec 1957 (attached to 48 Fighter Wing [Provisional], 2 Sep 1990-15 Mar 1991; 7440 Composite Wing, Sep-Dec 1991); 48 Operations Group, 31 Mar 1992-. 

Stations. Savannah, GA, 15 Jan 1941; Will Rogers Field, OK, 23 May 1941; Savannah, GA, 7 Feb 1942; Key Field, MS, 28 Jun 1942; William Northern Field, TN, 20 Aug 1943; Walterboro, AAFld, SC, 27 Jan-13 Mar 1944; Ibsley, England, 29 Mar 1944; Deux Jumeaux, France, 18 Jun 1944; Villacoublay, France, 29 Aug 1944; Cambrai/Niergnies, France, 15 Sep 1944; St Trond, Belgium, 30 Sep 1944; Kelz, Germany, 26 Mar 1945; Kassel, Germany, 18 Apr 1945; Illesheim, Germany, 25 Apr 1945; Laon, France, 5 Jul-Aug 1945; Seymour Johnson Field, NC, 9 Sep-7 Nov 1945. Chaumont AB, France, 10 Jul 1952; RAF Lakenheath, England, 11 Jan 1960- (deployed to Taif, Saudi Arabia, 2 Sep 1990-15 Mar 1991; Incirlik AB, Turkey, Sep-Dec 1991). 

Commanders. 1 Lt Robert F. Strickland, 15 Jan 1941; Maj Norman R. Burnett, 7 Dec 1941; Maj Clinton V. True, 16 Jan 1942; 1 Lt Charles G. Ketelman, 4 Feb 1942; 1 Lt William C. Hunter, 7 Apr 1942; 1 Lt Samuel Hanley, 31 Jul 1942; Capt Samuel R. Beckley, 1 Jan 1943; Capt Byron H. Foreman, 4 Mar 1943; Lt Col Jerome J. McCabe, 7 Dec 1943; Maj Thomas T. Tierney, 7 Nov 1944; Maj James M. Updike, 10 Nov 1944; Maj Norman S. Orwat, 19 Feb 1945; Maj Ray Robinson, 28 Jun 1945-unkn. Maj Staryl C. Austin Jr., 10 Jul 1952; Lt Col William A. Norris, 4 Feb 1953; Maj Donald J. Gravenstine, c. Nov 1953; Maj John E. Tuchsen, Jul 1955; Lt Col Thomas M. Hergert, Oct 1955; Lt Col Neil J. Graham, 9 May 1956; Maj Aubrey C. Moulton Jr., c. Apr 1958; Lt Col Albert W. Fell, c. Sep 1958; Maj John J. Innis, c. Apr 1959; Lt Col James R. Jarrell III, c. Jan 1961; Maj Roy J. Girard, c. Jul 1963; Maj Winfield W. Scott Jr., 26 Jun 1964; Maj Raymond Waski, c. Jun 1966; Maj Robert Marshall, Aug 1966; Lt Col Harold S. Reece, Dec 1966; Lt Col William E. Skinner, Mar 1968; Maj Robert H. Savage, Jan 1969; Lt Col Alan B. Engle, c. Apr 1969; Lt Col Edward E. Seaman, 1 Feb 1971; Lt Col Charles M. Zeitner, 1 Nov 1971; Lt Col William B. Paul, 1 Jul 1972; Lt Col Sidney J. Wright, 27 May 1973; Maj Richard A. Bedarf, 20 Jul 1975; Lt Col Richard R. O'Connor, 21 Jul 1977; Lt Col John R. Harris, 25 Jul 1979; Lt Col Donald R. Joyner, 2 Jul 1981; Lt Col Vernon Handel, 11 Feb 1983; Lt Col Robert P. Andrews, 11 Jan 1985; Lt Col Donald A. Lamontagne, 31 Jul 1986; Lt Col Thomas G. Runge, 6 Nov 1987; Lt Col James E. Brechwald, 26 May 1989; Lt Col Gale W. Larson, 9 Nov 1990; Lt Col William D. Carpenter, 6 May 1992; Lt Col James F. Slaton, 15 Jan 1993; Lt Col Mark B. Rogers, 24 Mar 1994; Lt Col George T. Doran, 26 Jun 1995; Lt Col William G. Polowitzer, 17 May 1997; Lt Col Robert E. Suminsby, 23 Jul 1999; Lt Col Steven L. Kwast, 5 Jan 2001; Lt Col Jay B. Silveria, 17 May 2002; Lt Col Christopher P. Dinenna, 22 Jan 2004; Lt Col James McGovern, 30 Jun 2005; Lt Col Troy Stone, 2 Nov 2006; Lt Col Christopher Short, 21 Nov 2007-. 

Aircraft. A-18, 1941; A-20, 1941-1942; A-35, 1942-1943; P-40, 1943; P-39, 1943-1944; P-47, 1944-1945. F-84, 1952-1954; F-86, 1953-1956; F-100, 1956-1972; F-4, 1972-1977; F-111, 1977-1992; F-15, 1992-. 

Operations. Antisubmarine patrols, Mar-Apr 1942. Replacement training, 1942-1943. Combat in European Theater of Operations (ETO), 20 Apr 1944-4 May 1945. Between 1952-1990: conducted gunnery training and special weapons operations; trained for conventional and nuclear bombing missions in support of NATO. Participated in the air raid on Tripoli, Libya, 14/15 Apr 1986. Combat in Southwest Asia, Jan-Feb 1991. Prepared aircrews, maintenance and support personnel to accomplish USAFE, USEUCOM and NATO war plans and contingency operations, 2000-. 

Service Streamers. None. 

Campaign Streamers. World War II: Antisubmarine, American Theater; Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe; Air Combat, EAME Theater. Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait; Cease Fire Campaign. Kosovo: Air Campaign. 

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None. 

Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: European Theater of Operations (ETO), 15 Oct 1944; Germany, 6 Dec 1944. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jul 1961-29 Feb 1964; 1 Jul 1966-30 Jun 1968; 14 Oct 1976-31 Dec 1977; 1 Apr 1978-31 Mar 1980; 1 Jul 1984-30 Jun 1986; 1 Jul 1986-30 Jun 1988; 1 Jul 1988-30 Jun 1990; 20 Aug 1990-11 May 1991; 1 Jul 1992-30 Jun 1994; 1 Oct 2000-24 Sep 2002; 1 Oct 2002-30 Sep 2004; 1 Oct 2004-31 Oct 2005; 1 Nov 2005-31 Dec 2006; 1 Jan-31 Dec 2007. Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (Libya), 10-16 Apr 1986. Cited in the Orders of the Day, Belgian Army: 6 Jun-30 Sep 1944; 1 Oct-17 Dec 1944; 18 Dec 1944-15 Jan 1945. Belgian Fourragere. 

Lineage, Assignments, Stations, and Honors through 11 Sep 2008. 

Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through 29 May 2008. 

Supersedes published information contained in: Judy G. Endicott (ed.), USAF Active Flying, Space, and Missile Squadrons as of 1 October 1995 (Washington: USGPO, 1999). 

Emblem. Originally approved on 25 Feb 1943; modified on 11 Feb 2005. 

Prepared by Patsy Robertson.
 
Reviewed by Daniel Haulman.