US Air Force squadrons are the smallest unit with administrative and tactical duties, consisting of up to 24 aircraft and several hundred personnel. They are specialized by mission and have unique names, nicknames, and heraldry. Squadrons are organized into groups and wings. The first military flying unit was the 1st Aero Squadron in 1913, which still exists today as the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron.
An air squadron is the main organizational division of the United States Air Force (USAF) and the smallest unit with both administrative and tactical duties. In addition to its aircraft and aircrew, each squadron also includes its own technical, supply, mess, maintenance and headquarters personnel. A modern squadron has up to 24 aircraft and several hundred personnel, with precise dimensions varying according to the squadron’s mission, the conditions it operates in, and the type of aircraft flown. Squadrons are specialized by mission, with different squadrons dedicated to functions such as reconnaissance, electronic warfare and strategic bombing.
United States Air Force squadrons usually have names consisting of up to three numbers and the function of the squadron, such as the 8th Fighter Squadron or 717th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Squadron. Squadron numbers 101 through 299 are always used to denote Air National Guard units. Additionally, squadrons often have nicknames, such as the Black Birds or Fightin’ Fuujins. Squadrons also have distinctive heraldry, often featuring an image reflecting the squadron’s nickname.
An air force squadron is made up of smaller units called flights, with each flight consisting of at least two aircraft. The commander of an air force squadron is usually a lieutenant colonel, although in some cases he is of a lower rank. Below the lieutenant colonel are the commanders of each flight, usually holding the rank of captain. Squadrons with similar functions are organized into larger units called groups, usually containing three or more squadrons that train and fight as one unit. The groups, in turn, are organized into larger units called wings.
The organization of aircraft into units called squadrons in the United States Army dates back to the creation of the first Provisional Aviation Squadron by the US Army Signal Corps in May 1913. At that time, an Army squadron referred to a mounted cavalry formation, and early military aircraft were used for reconnaissance, which had historically been a cavalry function. In December of that year, the term Provisional was dropped from the squadron name and the 1st Aero Squadron became the first officially designated military flying unit of the United States, although it would not technically be a US Air Force squadron until the USAF had not been named a separate service branch in 1947. It originally consisted of eight aircraft, 16 officers and 90 enlisted men. Despite a number of name changes, the squadron still exists today as the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron, a training unit flying U-2 surveillance aircraft and the U-2’s two-seat trainer variant, the U-2. 2ST.
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