The squadron's other predecessor, the 21st Tactical Air Support Squadron served in combat in the Vietnam War from spring 1965 until the withdrawal of U.S. forces in 1973, earning several combat decorations. One squadron member, Captain Hilliard A. Wilbanks, was awarded the Medal of Honor for actions that helped rescue Vietnamese Rangers that had been ambushed by Viet Cong forces. The squadron served in the tactical air support role in the United States from 1973 through 1991. During this service, the three squadrons were consolidated as a single unit in September 1985.
The squadron assumed its current role in 1992, when, as the 21st Test and Evaluation Squadron, it replaced the 3307th Test and Evaluation Squadron at Randolph.
Mission
The Air Education and Training Command Studies and Analysis Squadron mission is to minimize training costs while meeting Air Force mission goals. It evaluates the long-term impact of changes to training or curriculum of courses offered by Air Education and Training Command (AETC) and predicts Air Force resource requirements for more than five years into the future. It uses analytics to enhance command decision making that impacts numbers or categories of personnel, combining essential modeling, optimization and scheduling environments.[3]
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, the squadron began antisubmarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico and dispatched a detachment to Savannah Army Air Base, Georgia[b] to hunt for U-boats off the Atlantic Coast. By the end of the month, though, the squadron was patrolling the Pacific Coast with its Hudsons, the 30th Group having returned to March Field after a brief stay at Muroc Army Air Field, California. From May through June 1942, the squadron operated through detachments at McChord Field, Washington and Hamilton Field as well as at civilian airports in Southern California.[4][5]
21st Bomb Squadron B-24 Liberator at Amchitka in March 1943
in June 1942, the Japanese attacked Dutch Harbor, Alaska. The squadron's air echelon moved to Fort Glenn Army Air Base, on Umnak Island, Alaska to reinforce the 28th Composite Group in the Aleutian Islands, using the Consolidated B-24 Liberator and the LB-30 model of the Liberator. By September, the rest of the squadron had joined it in Alaska.[4] The squadron frequently operated from advanced bases in the Aleutian Chain. On 14 September, along with the 404th Bombardment Squadron of the 28th Group, it conducted the first raid from Adak Army Air Field, an attack on Japanese naval forces at Kiska. By February 1943, American forces had occupied Amchitka, and the squadron began operating from Amchitka Army Air Field. On 18 July, the squadron provided planes that, along with planes from the 36th and 404th Squadrons, attacked Shimushu and Paramushiru in the Kuril Islands. Although the attack caused little damage, it was the first attack on Japan itself after the Doolittle Raid.[6]
Although the squadron spent fifteen months operating under the control of the 28th Group in Alaska, it remained formally assigned to the 30th Group at March Field. By September 1943, when the Aleutian Campaign had ended and the squadron was released to return to the United States, the 30th Group and its remaining squadrons had departed for the Pacific, and the squadron was disbanded at Smoky Hill Army Air Field, Kansas on 1 November.[4][5][7]
Strategic bombing of Japan
501st Bombardment Group B-29 taking off from Northwest Field Guam
The second predecessor of the squadron was the 21st Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy, which was activated at Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas as one of the original four squadrons of the 16th Bombardment Group. However, before the squadron could be manned or equipped, groups flying the Boeing B-29 Superfortress were reorganized from four bombardment squadrons with seven aircraft each to three bombardment squadrons with ten aircraft each[8] and the squadron was inactivated on 10 May 1944.[9]
The squadron's inactivation lasted only three weeks, however, and on 1 June it was again activated at Dalhart, this time as a component of the 501st Bombardment Group. In August, the squadron moved to Harvard Army Air Field, Nebraska, where it trained for combat with the Superfortress. It left Harvard in March 1945 after completing its training and arrived at its combat station, Northwest Field, Guam, on 14 April. The squadron flew its first combat mission against Truk Island on 19 June, and eight days later made its first attack on Japan. The unit's missions focused on Japan's petroleum facilities on Honshu. In July 1945, it received a Distinguished Unit Citation for attacks on the Maruzen oil refinery at Shimotso, the Utsobo oil refinery at Yokkaichi and storage facilities at Kawasaki.[9][10]
After VJ Day, the squadron dropped food and supplies to prisoners of war in Japan, China, Korea and Manchuria. The squadron remained on Guam until it was inactivated in June 1946.[9][10]
Vietnam War
The 21st Tactical Air Support Squadron was organized at Pleiku Air Base, South Vietnam on 8 May 1965, as one of three squadrons activated to augment the 19th Tactical Air Support Squadron, which had been operating in the forward air control mission in South Vietnam since 1963.[11] It initially flew Cessna O-1 Bird Dog aircraft in the forward air control mission. However, it was not until August that the squadron became operational. The 21st operated primarily in the II Corps Area, with its aircraft dispersed to support United States Army, ARVN and Korean units.[12] While initially organizing, it directed air strikes during the Battle of Duc Co[13]
The squadron performed visual reconnaissance with light aircraft, flying slowly at low altitude. By patrolling the same area regularly, squadron forward air controllers grew familiar with the terrain and learned to detect changes that could indicate enemy forces hiding below. The controller called in fighter-bombers and marked targets with smoke grenades or white phosphorus rockets. After the attacks, controllers flew low over the target to assess the damage.[12] In September 1966, the 21st moved from the highlands of Pleiku to the coastal base of Nha Trang Air Base.[14]
21st Squadron Cessna O-2A
On 27 February 1967, Captain Hilliard A. Wilbanks, one of the squadron's forward air controllers, was flying visual reconnaissance in his Cessna O-1 ahead of a South Vietnamese ranger battalion. He located a well-concealed numerically superior Viet Cong (VC) force poised to ambush the rangers. The enemy immediately fired on his plane and advanced on the ranger force, which was pinned down by devastating fire. Capt. Wilbanks recognized that close air support would not be able to arrive soon enough to help the rangers to withstand the advancing enemy. Flying through withering fire at treetop level, he flew over the VC and inflicted many casualties by firing his rifle out the side window of his Bird Dog. Despite increasingly intense antiaircraft fire, he made repeated low passes over the VC. His tactics interrupted the VC's advance and allowed the rangers to withdraw to safety. During his final attack, Capt. Wilbanks was mortally wounded and his aircraft crashed between the opposing forces. He saved numerous friendly personnel from certain injury or death. For his action that day, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.[15]
The single engine of the O-1 Bird Dog made it particularly vulnerable to ground fire and it lacked radio equipment that would permit it to communicate with ground troops and attacking aircraft at the same time. Its low speed and endurance, in addition to making it more vulnerable, sometimes delayed its arrival in areas of operation and the time it could operate.[16] In 1968, the squadron began equipping with twin engined, faster Cessna O-2 Skymasters that had higher speed, greater endurance and better communications equipment, although the O-1 would not be completely phased out of squadron operations until 1971. The 21st moved to Cam Ranh Bay Air Base, South Vietnam in September 1969, and to Phan Rang Air Base two years later. As the United States withdrew forces from Vietnam, the squadron moved to Tan Son Nhut Air Base in January 1972 and was inactivated there on 21 February 1973.[14] Aircraft losses during the war included 41 O-1s, 16 O-2s and an OV-10, while 29 crewmembers lost their lives in combat.[13][17]
Cold War
Squadron OV-10 firing rockets during an exercise near Shaw AFB
The squadron was redesignated the 21st Test and Evaluation Squadron and activated on 15 September 1992 at Randolph Air Force Base, where it was assigned to the 12th Operations Group. It absorbed the resources of the 3307th Test and Evaluation Squadron, which had been activated on 15 September 1991 and assigned to the 3300th Training Support Group, and which was simultaneously inactivated.[22][23] Air Training Command (ATC) had established the 3307th Squadron to perform tests and evaluations of new ATC systems including aircraft, simulators and software to determine if these acquisitions met operational requirements.
The squadron became the Air Education and Training Command Studies and Analysis Flight at the end of March 1994. In April 1997, it added the resources of the 602d Training Support Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base, California, which developed training programs for new weapons systems as they were acquired by the Air Force and became a squadron again.[14] Personnel at Edwards formed Detachment 1 of the squadron. The Edwards detachment later downgraded to Operating Location A in 2003, and its mission and personnel were absorbed by the squadron at Randolph in 2008. The squadron currently includes a technology innovation flight and a strategy analysis flight.
Lineage
21st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy)
Constituted as the 21st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 20 November 1940
Reconstituted on 19 September 1985 and consolidated with the 21st Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy and the 21st Tactical Air Support Squadron as the 21st Tactical Air Support Squadron[14]
21st Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy
Constituted as the 21st Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 28 March 1944
Consolidated with the 21st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) and the 21st Tactical Air Support Squadron as the 21st Tactical Air Support Squadron on 19 September 1985[14]
Air Education and Training Command Studies and Analysis Squadron
Constituted as the 21st Tactical Air Support Squadron (Light) on 26 April 1965 and activated (not organized)
Organized on 8 May 1965
Inactivated on 21 February 1973
Redesignated 21st Tactical Air Support Squadron on 17 July 1973
Activated on 31 August 1973
Consolidated with the 21st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) and the 21st Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 19 September 1985
Inactivated on 1 November 1991
Redesignated 21st Test and Evaluation Squadron on 1 September 1992
Activated 15 September 1992
Redesignated Air Education and Training Command Studies and Analysis Flight on 31 March 1994
Redesignated Air Education and Training Command Studies and Analysis Squadron on 1 April 1997[14]
Assignments
30th Bombardment Group, 15 January 1941 (under operational control of 28th Composite Group, 9 January 1942–September 1943)
2d Air Division, 8 May 1965 (attached to Tactical Air Support Group 6250th, Provisional after 1 August 65)
505th Tactical Control Group, 8 November 1965 (attached to Tactical Air Support Group, Provisional, 6250th 1–8 September 1966, Tactical Air Support Group, Provisional, 6253d after 9 September 1966)
^Approved 5 June 2001. The emblem is described: Per fessazure and vert, in fess a mountain range gules overall rising out of sinister base a demi-raven, wings elevated and displayed proper, with an eye of the third (gules) radiating two electronics flashes sable, one terminating in front of a billet at nombril point celeste, the other terminates at a sword of the like hafted gules, extending point downwards from the sinister wing. The dexter wing points to a red triangle in dexter flank, in dexter chief, four light blue flight symbols descending bendwise sinister in tactical formation one, two and one, all within a narrow bordure yellow.
^Rickard implies that the Savannah detachment conducted the squadron's first mission against submarines.
^Ravenstein indicates this assignment started on 15 March 1972. Ravenstein, p. 202.
^AF Pamphlet 900-2 lists four awards, the AFPC web site lists a single award.
^ abInitial Historical Report, 505th Tactical Control Group, reprinted at Dixon, Lee (2007). "505th Tactical Control Group". squawk-flash.org. Archived from the original on 12 May 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
^ abcdefghiHaulman, Daniel L., Lineage and Honors History of the Air Education and Training Command Studies and Analysis Squadron (AETC), Air Force Historical Research Agency. January 6, 1998
Cate, James L. (1953). "The Twentieth Air Force and Matterhorn, Chapter 4, XX Bomber Command against Japan". In Craven, Wesley F.; Cate, James L. (eds.). The Army Air Forces in World War II(PDF). Vol. V, The Pacific: Matterhorn to Nagasaki. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. LCCN48003657. OCLC704158. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
Hobson, Chris (2001). Vietnam Air Losses: United States Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps Fixed-Wing Aircraft Losses in Southeast Asia 1961–1973. Naperville, IL: Midland Publications. ISBN9781857801156.
Watkins, Robert A. (2013). Insignia and Aircraft Markings of the U.S. Army Air Force In World War II. Vol. V, Pacific Theater of Operations. Atglen, PA: Shiffer Publishing, Ltd. ISBN978-0-7643-4346-9.
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