17th Training Group
Encyclopedia
The 17th Training Group (17 TG) is a component organization of the 17th Training Wing
assigned to the United States Air Force
Air Education and Training Command
. The group is stationed at Goodfellow Air Force Base
, Texas.
The Group is a direct successor to the 17th Pursuit Group, one of the 15 original combat air groups formed by the Army before World War II
. The 17th's heritage traces back to World War I
, when the 95th Aero Squadron played a key role in the St. Mihiel
, Meuse-Argonne
, and other Allied campaigns. These battles are symbolized by the seven pattee crosses on the 17th's shield, and it was from the 95th, together with the 34th
and 73d Pursuit Squadrons, that the 17th first was formed.
The Group's aircraft and many of its aircrews took part in the 1942 Doolittle Raid
on Imperial Japan came from the 17th Bombardment Group. During World War II
the 17th Bomb Group was the only combat organization to fight all three of the Axis powers (Japan,Italy, and Germany) on three continents (Asia, Africa, and Europe).
Authorized originally as the 17th Observation Group on 18 October 1927, the unit was redesignated the 17th Pursuit Group and finally activated at March Field, California, on 15 July 1931. At March, it operated Boeing P-12 and P-26 fighter aircraft until, in 1935, it was redesignated the 17th Attack Group and acquired the Northrup A-17 attack bomber. In 1939 the unit was redesignated again, becoming the 17th Bombardment Group (Medium) and converting to the Douglas B-18 bomber.
, Algeria, where it participated in the North African
campaign as part of Twelfth Air Force. The aircraft of the 17th Group left for Africa equipped with the Norden Bombsight, however only the leader of each flight carried the Norden, with the remainder dropping their bombs when the leader dropped. As German fighter opposition declined, the Marauder crews in the Mediterranean began removing the four package guns.
Upon the expulsion of Axis forces from North Africa in May 1943, the 17th transferred to Sedrata Airfield, Algeria, to begin air operations against Pantelleria
. Five by eight miles in dimension, the Mediterranean island sheltered an important Axis airfield with hangars carved into solid rock. Its sheer cliffs would have proved a daunting obstacle to amphibious invasion but precision bombardment by the 17th secured the surrender of the island's defenders in less than a month.
As part of the Fifteenth Air Force
, the group followed the Allied forces from North Africa from bases in Tunisia
, Sardinia
, Corsica
, and France
, the 17th conducted bombing missions against critical targets throughout the Mediterranean, Italy
, southern France and Germany
. It later returned to Twelfth Air Force in January 1944. It received a Distinguished Unit Citation for its support of the Anzio invasion and another for its outstanding performance over Schweinfurt. For operations in support of the invasion of southern France, it received the French Croix de Guerre with Palm. All told, the group conducted 624 missions and participated in 11 campaigns during the war, finally returning to the United States and inactivating in November 1945.
, in May 1952. There, the group flew Douglas B-26 Invader light bombers on night intruder strikes along enemy supply routes. In August, the group switched to daylight formation raids, earning the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
by the end of the war in July 1953. It flew one of the last if not the last mission of the Korean War.
At Hurlburt, was redesignated the 17th Bombardment Group (Tactical) and the unit transitioned to the Martin B-57 Canberra and Douglas B-66 Destroyer medium bombers before inactivating again in 1958 due to budgetary cuts. Group was eliminated from Wing's table of organization as part of the Air Force tri-deputate reorganization.
17th Training Wing
The 17th Training Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command Second Air Force. It is stationed at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas...
assigned to the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
Air Education and Training Command
Air Education and Training Command
Air Education and Training Command was established July 1, 1993, with the realignment of Air Training Command and Air University. It is one of the U.S. Air Force's ten major commands and reports to Headquarters, United States Air Force....
. The group is stationed at Goodfellow Air Force Base
Goodfellow Air Force Base
Goodfellow Air Force Base is a non-flying United States Air Force base located in San Angelo, Texas. As part of Air Education & Training Command , Goodfellow's main mission is cryptologic and intelligence training for the Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps. Military firefighters are also...
, Texas.
The Group is a direct successor to the 17th Pursuit Group, one of the 15 original combat air groups formed by the Army before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The 17th's heritage traces back to World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, when the 95th Aero Squadron played a key role in the St. Mihiel
Battle of Saint-Mihiel
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a World War I battle fought between September 12–15, 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Force and 48,000 French troops under the command of U.S. general John J. Pershing against German positions...
, Meuse-Argonne
Meuse-Argonne Offensive
The Meuse-Argonne Offensive, or Maas-Argonne Offensive, also called the Battle of the Argonne Forest, was a part of the final Allied offensive of World War I that stretched along the entire western front.-Overview:...
, and other Allied campaigns. These battles are symbolized by the seven pattee crosses on the 17th's shield, and it was from the 95th, together with the 34th
34th Pursuit Squadron
The 34th Pursuit Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was wiped out in the Battle of the Philippines . The survivors fought as infantry during Battle of Bataan and after their surrender, were subjected to the Bataan Death March, although some did escape to Australia. The unit...
and 73d Pursuit Squadrons, that the 17th first was formed.
The Group's aircraft and many of its aircrews took part in the 1942 Doolittle Raid
Doolittle Raid
The Doolittle Raid, on 18 April 1942, was the first air raid by the United States to strike the Japanese Home Islands during World War II. By demonstrating that Japan itself was vulnerable to American air attack, it provided a vital morale boost and opportunity for U.S. retaliation after the...
on Imperial Japan came from the 17th Bombardment Group. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the 17th Bomb Group was the only combat organization to fight all three of the Axis powers (Japan,Italy, and Germany) on three continents (Asia, Africa, and Europe).
Overview
The mission of the group is to produce the world's best Intelligence, Fire Protection, and Special Instruments mission-ready warriors.Units
The group is composed of a number of squadrons, each with a particular mission for training.- 17th Training Support Squadron
- 311th Training Squadron at the Presidio of Monterey is where Air Force members are assigned when they attend the Defense Language InstituteDefense Language InstituteThe Defense Language Institute is a United States Department of Defense educational and research institution, which provides linguistic and cultural instruction to the Department of Defense, other Federal Agencies and numerous and varied other customers...
. This is primarily for 1N3 and 1A8 language training. - 312th Training Squadron
- 313th Training Squadron
- 314th Training Squadron
- 315th Training Squadron
- 316th Training Squadron
Origins
World War II
Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, the 17th Bombardment Group flew anti-submarine patrols off the west coast of the United States with the new North American B-25 Mitchell medium bomber. As the first unit to operate the B-25, the 17th achieved another "first" on 24 December 1941 when one of its Mitchells dropped four 300-pound bombs on a Japanese submarine near the mouth of the Columbia River.Doolittle Raid
In February 1942 the group transferred to Columbia Army Air Field in South Carolina, where it practiced short take-offs and landings for yet another "first." On the morning of 18 April 1942, some 600 miles east of Japan, the aircraft carrier Hornet launched 16 Mitchells on the highly successful Doolittle raid on Tokyo and other Japanese cities. A boost to American morale, the raid marked the first combat launch of bombers from an aircraft carrier and the first American aerial attack on the Japanese mainland. Piloting the 16th Mitchell was 1Lt William Farrow, a Goodfellow graduate captured and subsequently executed by the Japanese after completing his mission. Following the Doolittle raid, the group transferred to Barksdale Field, Louisiana, and began training on the Martin B-26 Marauder medium bomber.Twelfth Air Force
In December the group transferred once more, this time to Telergma AirportTelergma Airport
Telergma Airport is a joint-use civilian/military airport in Algeria , just south of the city of Telerghma, about 300 km east of Algiers-History:...
, Algeria, where it participated in the North African
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
campaign as part of Twelfth Air Force. The aircraft of the 17th Group left for Africa equipped with the Norden Bombsight, however only the leader of each flight carried the Norden, with the remainder dropping their bombs when the leader dropped. As German fighter opposition declined, the Marauder crews in the Mediterranean began removing the four package guns.
Upon the expulsion of Axis forces from North Africa in May 1943, the 17th transferred to Sedrata Airfield, Algeria, to begin air operations against Pantelleria
Pantelleria
Pantelleria , the ancient Cossyra, is an Italian island in the Strait of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea, southwest of Sicily and just east of the Tunisian coast. Administratively Pantelleria is a comune belonging to the Sicilian province of Trapani...
. Five by eight miles in dimension, the Mediterranean island sheltered an important Axis airfield with hangars carved into solid rock. Its sheer cliffs would have proved a daunting obstacle to amphibious invasion but precision bombardment by the 17th secured the surrender of the island's defenders in less than a month.
As part of the Fifteenth Air Force
Fifteenth Air Force
The Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
, the group followed the Allied forces from North Africa from bases in Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
, Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
, and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the 17th conducted bombing missions against critical targets throughout the Mediterranean, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, southern France and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It later returned to Twelfth Air Force in January 1944. It received a Distinguished Unit Citation for its support of the Anzio invasion and another for its outstanding performance over Schweinfurt. For operations in support of the invasion of southern France, it received the French Croix de Guerre with Palm. All told, the group conducted 624 missions and participated in 11 campaigns during the war, finally returning to the United States and inactivating in November 1945.
Korean War
With war in Korea the group was activated to replace the Air Force Reserve 452d Bombardment Group when its term of service was up in May 1952. Assigned to Far East Air Forces, being stationed at Pusan East AB (K-9), South KoreaSouth Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, in May 1952. There, the group flew Douglas B-26 Invader light bombers on night intruder strikes along enemy supply routes. In August, the group switched to daylight formation raids, earning the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
Presidential Unit Citation
The Presidential Unit Citation is a senior unit award granted to military units which have performed an extremely meritorious or heroic act, usually in the face of an armed enemy...
by the end of the war in July 1953. It flew one of the last if not the last mission of the Korean War.
Cold War
On 10 October 1954 the unit received orders to move to Miho AFB, Japan. This move was accomplished and training operations commenced from Japan. The group was to be re outfitted with Martin B-57 Canberra's, the new jet light bomber. On 26 January 1955, due to problems in the B-57 program, this decision was reversed and the unit was directed to transfer with 39 aircraft to Hurlburt Auxiliary Field Florida. Training flights continued through January. In February, all flying except that concerned with cruise control missions was terminated. The aircraft were stripped of all armament (guns, turrets, sighting equipment and rocket racks) and fitted with 625 gallon auxiliary tanks. On 16 April the first section of 4 aircraft departed. The last section departed on 19 April. Either a B-29 or a C-124, as a lead ship, escorted each flight of four aircraft. The last aircraft landed in Hulburt on 29 April.At Hurlburt, was redesignated the 17th Bombardment Group (Tactical) and the unit transitioned to the Martin B-57 Canberra and Douglas B-66 Destroyer medium bombers before inactivating again in 1958 due to budgetary cuts. Group was eliminated from Wing's table of organization as part of the Air Force tri-deputate reorganization.
Modern era
Assigned to the Second Air Force, the 17th Training Group was activated at Goodfellow Air Force Base on 1 July 1993. At Goodfellow the 17th focused on cryptologic and general intelligence training while providing special instruments and fire protection training for multiservice personnel.Lineage
- Authorized as 17th Observation Group on 18 October 1927
- Redesignated 17th Pursuit Group in 1929
- Activated on 15 July 1931
- Redesignated 17th Attack Group in 1935
- Redesignated 17th Bombardment Group (Medium) in 1939
- Inactivated on 26 November 1945.
- Redesignated 17th Bombardment Group (Light) and activated on 19 May 1947
- Inactivated on 10 September 1948.
- Activated on 10 May 1952
- Redesignated 17th Bombardment Group (Tactical) on 1 October 1955
- Inactivated on 25 June 1958
- Redesignated as 17th Training Group and activated on 1 July 1993
Assignments
- 1st Wing, 1 March 1935
- GHQ Air ForceUnited States Army Air CorpsThe United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
, 24 June 1940
- Remained under jurisdiction of 1st Wing
- Northwest Air District (later Second Air Force), 19 October 1940
- 5th Bombardment Wing, 10 December 1940 – 25 May 1941
- II Bomber CommandII Bomber CommandThe II Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Second Air Force, based at Fort George Wright, Washington. It was inactivated on 6 October 1943....
, 25 May 1941 - III Bomber CommandIII Bomber CommandThe III Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Third Air Force stationed at MacDill Field, Florida. It was inactivated on 8 April 1946.-Lineage:...
, 9 February 1942 - Northwest African Training Command, 9 December 1942
- Northwest African Strategic Air Force, 20 April 1943
- XII Bomber CommandXII Bomber CommandThe XII Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Twelfth Air Force, based in Corsica, France...
, 1 September 1943 - 42d Bombardment Wing42d Air DivisionThe 42d Air Division was a unit of the United States Air Force. It was established as the 42 Bombardment Wing on 8 February 1943. The wing first saw combat in September 1943. It was inactivated in 1991.-History:...
, 24 August 1943 – 29 May 1945 - XXII Tactical Air CommandXXII Tactical Air CommandThe XXII Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Twelfth Air Force, based at Pomigliano Airfield, Italy...
, 29 May-26 November 1945 - Ninth Air ForceNinth Air ForceThe Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
, 19 May 1947 – 10 September 1948 - 17th Bombardment Wing, Light17th Training WingThe 17th Training Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command Second Air Force. It is stationed at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas...
, 10 May 1952 – 25 June 1958 - 17th Training Wing17th Training WingThe 17th Training Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command Second Air Force. It is stationed at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas...
, 1 July 1993–present
Components
- 34th Bombardment Squadron: 15 July 1931 – 26 November 1945; 19 May 1947-10 September 1948; 10 May 1952 – 25 June 1958
- 37th Bombardment Squadron: 15 July 1931 – 26 November 1945; 19 May 1947-10 September 1948; 10 May 1952 – 25 June 1958
- 73d Bombardment Squadron (USAAC)73d Bombardment Squadron (World War II)The 73d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the Second Air Force, stationed at Pyote Army Air Base, Texas. It was inactivated on 1 November 1943.-History:...
, 15 July 1931 – 3 May 1941 - 89th Reconnaissance Squadron: attached during December 1941
- 95th Bombardment Squadron: 15 July 1931 – 26 November 1945; 19 May 1947-10 September 1948; 10 May 1952 – 25 June 1958
- 432d Bombardment Squadron432d Bombardment SquadronThe 432d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Group, stationed at Camp Miles Standish, Massachusetts. It was inactivated on 26 November 1945.-History:Activated during World War I...
: 25 February 1942 – 26 November 1945
Stations
- March Field, California, 15 July 1931
- McChord Field, Washington, 24 June 1940
- Pendleton AirportPendleton AirportPendleton Airport, , is located northwest of Pendleton, Ontario, Canada, east of Ottawa. The airfield is currently operated by the Gatineau Gliding Club.-History:...
, OregonOregonOregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, 29 Jule 1941 - Columbia Army Air Base, South CarolinaSouth CarolinaSouth Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, 9 February 1942 - Barksdale Field, LouisianaLouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, 23, June–Nov. 1942 - Telergma Airfield, Algeria, Dec. 1942
- Sedrata Airfield, Algeria, c, 10 May 1943
- Djedeida AirfieldDjedeida AirfieldDjedeida Airfield is an airfield in Tunisia, located approximately 10 km east-northeast of El Battan, and 30 km west of Tunis. The airfield was built prior to 1942 and used by the German Luftwaffe. It was attacked and seized by the American II Army on 25 November 1942...
, Tunisia, 23 June 1943 - SardiniaSardiniaSardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
, Nov. 1943
- CorsicaCorsicaCorsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
, c. 14 September 1944 - Dijon-Longvic AirfieldDijon Bourgogne - Longvic AirportDijon Air Base is a Front-line French Air Force NATO air base. The base is located approximately east-southeast of Longvic; about southeast of Paris...
(Y-9), France, c. 20 November 1944 - Fliegerhorst Hörsching, Austria, June 1945
- Clastres AirfieldSaint-Simon - Clastres Air BaseSaint-Simon-Clastres Air Base is an abandoned military airfield, which is located approximately 3 km northwest of Clastres, approximately 116 km north-northeast of Paris....
(A-71), France, c. 3 October–Nov. 1945 - Langley Field, VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, 19 May 1947 – 10 September 1948 - Pusan East AB (K-9), South KoreaSouth KoreaThe Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, 10 May 1952 - Miho AB, Japan, 10 October 1954 – 16 March 1955
- Eglin AF Aux Field No 9Hurlburt FieldHurlburt Field is a U.S. Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the Town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation, and is home to Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command , the 1st Special Operations Wing , the...
, Florida, April 1955-25 June 1958 - Goodfellow AFB, Texas, 1 July 1993–present
Aircraft assigned
- Boeing P-12Boeing P-12The Boeing P-12 or F4B was an American pursuit aircraft that was operated by the United States Army Air Corps and United States Navy.-Design and development:...
and P-26 PeashooterP-26 PeashooterThe American Boeing P-26 Peashooter, was the first all-metal production fighter aircraft and the first pursuit monoplane used by the United States Army Air Corps...
, 1931–1932 - Northrop A-17Northrop A-17The Northrop A-17, a development of the Northrop Gamma 2F was a two seat, single engine, monoplane, attack bomber built in 1935 by the Northrop Corporation for the US Army Air Corps.-Development and design:...
, 1933–1939 - B-18 BoloB-18 BoloThe Douglas B-18 Bolo was a United States Army Air Corps and Royal Canadian Air Force bomber of the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Bolo was built by Douglas Aircraft Company and based on its DC-2 and was developed to replace the Martin B-10....
, 1939–1941 - B-25 MitchellB-25 MitchellThe North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
, 1941–1942 - B-26 MarauderB-26 MarauderThe Martin B-26 Marauder was a World War II twin-engine medium bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, it was also used in the Mediterranean Theater and in Western Europe....
1942–1945 - A (later B-26) Invader, 1947–1948; 1952–1954
- B-57 CanberraB-57 CanberraThe Martin B-57 Canberra was a United States-built, twin jet engine light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft, which entered service with the United States Air Force in 1953. The B-57 was initially a version of the English Electric Canberra built under license. However, the Glenn L...
, 1954–1958 - B-66 DestroyerB-66 Destroyer|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Baugher, Joe. USAAC/USAAF/USAF Bomber Aircraft: Third Series of USAAC/USAAF/USAF Bombers, 2001. Retrieved: 27 July 2006....
, 1954–1958