The 17th conducts intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operating the flies MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft.

World War II edit

Constituted as 17 Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 14 Jul 1942. Activated on 23 Jul 1942 with Lightning P-38/F-5 reconnaissance aircraft at Colorado Springs AAB, CO. Redesignated as: 17 Photographic Squadron (Light) on 6 Feb 1943; 17 Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 13 Nov 1943. Deployed to the South Pacific Area, assigned to Thirteenth Air Force. Flew hazardous unarmed reconnaissance missions over enemy-held territory in Guadalcanal; New Guinea; Northern Solomon Islands; Bismarck Archipelago; Western Pacific; Leyte; Luzon; Southern Philippines; Central Burma and southeast China. Inactivated in the Philippines, 19 April 1946.^[1]

Redesignated as 17 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Photo-Jet on 1 Apr 1951. Activated on 2 Apr 1951 at Shaw AFB, South Carolina. Redesignated as 17 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 1 Oct 1966. Inactivated 1 January 1979. Redesignated as 17 Reconnaissance Squadron on 4 Mar 2002. Activated on 8 March 2002 at Indian Springs AFAF (later, Creech AFB), NV. Redesignated as 17 Attack Squadron on 15 May 2016.^[1]

Cold War reconnaissance edit

Aactivated at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina in 1951 as a photo-reconnaissance training squadron. Equipped with several reconnaissance aircraft during the 1950s, deploying to NATO in 1959 with the McDonnell RF-101C Voodoo. Operated from France until 1966, moving to RAF Upper Heyford, England. Remained in England until 1970, moved to Zweibrucken AB, West Germany and re-equipped with McDonnell RF-4C Phantom II aircraft. Remained at Zweibrücken Air Base until 1 January 1979.^[1]

Unmanned vehicle operations edit

The squadron was activated at what was then known as Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field (now Creech Air Force Base) on 8 March 2002, flying the MQ-1 Predator. Added the larger and more heavily-armed MQ-9 Reaper in 2006.^[2]

According to the 2014 documentary film Drone,carrying out armed missions in Pakistan.^[3]

• Constituted as the 17th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 14 July 1942

Activated on 23 July 1942

Redesignated 17th Photographic Squadron (Light) on 6 February 1943

Redesignated 17th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 13 November 1943

Inactivated on 19 April 1946

• Redesignated 17th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Photo-Jet on 1 April 1951

Activated on 2 April 1951

Redesignated 17th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 1 October 1966

Inactivated 1 January 1979

• Redesignated 17th Reconnaissance Squadron on 4 March 2002

Activated on 8 March 2002

• Redesignated 17th Attack Squadron on 15 May 2016^[1]

Assignments edit

• 4th Photographic Group (later 4th Photographic Reconnaissance and Mapping Group, 4th Photographic Group 4th Reconnaissance Group), 23 July 1942
• Thirteenth Air Force, 5 December 1945
• XIII Fighter Command, 10 December 1945
• 85th Fighter Wing; 1 February 1946
• Pacific Air Command, U. S. Army, 1–19 April 1946
• 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 2 April 1951
• 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 8 February 1958
• 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 10 May 1959
• 86th Tactical Fighter Wing, 12 January 1970
• 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 31 January 1973 – 1 January 1979
• 57th Operations Group, 8 March 2002 – 1 May 2007
• 432d Operations Group, 1 May 2007
• 732d Operations Group, 10 September 2012 – present^[1]

Stations edit

• Colorado Springs Army Air Base, Colorado, 23 July – 24 October 1942
• Camp Deptha,^{[citation needed]} Nouméa, New Caledonia, 2 December 1942
• Henderson Field (Guadalcanal), Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, 16 January 1943

Detachment operated from: Munda Airfield, New Georgia, Solomon Islands, c. 13 October 1943 – 31 January 1944, 9 March – 1 April 1944

Detachment operated from: Buka Airfield, Bougainville, Solomon Islands, c. 11 December 1943 – February 1945

Detachment operated from: Kornasoren (Yebrurro) Airfield, Noemfoor, Schouten Islands, 8–23 October 1944

Detachment operated from: Sansapor Airfield, Netherlands East Indies, 13 October – 4 November 1944

• Wama Airfield, Morotai, Netherlands East Indies, 4 November 1944

Detachment operated from: Dulag Airfield, Leyte, Philippines, 9 February–October 1945

• Puerto Princesa Airfield, Palawan, Philippines, 11 May 1945 – 19 April 1946
• Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, 2 April 1951 – 10 May 1959
• Laon-Couvron Air Base, France, 10 May 1959
• RAF Upper Heyford, England, September 1966
• Zweibrücken Air Base, Germany, 12 January 1970 – 1 January 1979
• Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field (later Creech Air Force Base), Nevada, 8 March 2002 – present^[1]

Aircraft edit

Notes edit

Bibliography edit

  This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9. Retrieved 17 December 2016.