510th Fighter Squadron

The 510th Fighter Squadron is part of the 31st Operations Group at Aviano Air Base, Italy. It is a combat-ready F-16CM fighter squadron prepared to deploy and fly combat sorties as tasked by NATO and US combatant commanders.

510th Fighter Squadron
510th Fighter Squadron F-16 Fighting Falcon[note 1]
Active1943–1945; 1952–1958; 1959–1969; 1978–1994; 1994–present
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
RoleFighter
Part ofUnited States Air Forces in Europe
Garrison/HQAviano Air Base
Nickname(s)Buzzards[1]
Motto(s)Buzzards Rule
ColorsPurple
Mascot(s)Buzz
DecorationsDistinguished Unit Citation
Presidential Unit Citation
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Cited in the Order of the Day, Belgian Army
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm[2]
Insignia
510th Fighter Squadron emblem (approved 8 May 2007)[2]
510th Fighter-Bomber Sq emblem (approved 14 February 1957)[2]
510th Fighter-Bomber Sq emblem (approved 8 September 1953)[3]
510th Fighter Sq emblem (approved 7 July 1944)[3]

The squadron was first activated as the 625th Bombardment Squadron in 1943, changing to the 510th Fighter-Bomber Squadron a few months later. After training in the United States, it moved to England in March 1944, helping prepare for Operation Overlord by attacking targets in France. Following D-Day, the squadron moved to the continent, providing close air support for Allied forces. The squadron earned a Distinguished Unit Citation and was cited in the Order of the Day by the Belgian Army. After V-E Day the squadron returned to the United States and was inactivated at the Port of Embarkation.

The squadron was activated again in 1952, when it replaced an Air National Guard squadron that had been mobilized for the Korean War. It trained for fighter bomber operations until inactivating in 1958. A year later, it was activated in the Philippines as the 510th Tactical Fighter Squadron. The squadron returned to the United States in 1964, but soon deployed back to the Pacific, moving to Vietnam in 1965, and engaging in combat until inactivating in 1969 as the United States began withdrawing forces from Vietnam.

The squadron was activated with Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt IIs in 1978 as the 81st Fighter Wing doubled its tactical strength. It moved to Germany in 1992 and was inactivated there in 1994. A few weeks later, the squadron was reactivated in its current role.

Mission

The 510th performs strategic attack, air interdiction, combat search and rescue, close air support, and forward air control-airborne forces missions. The squadron employs a full range of precision ordnance.[1]

History

World War II

The squadron was originally activated at Drew Field, Florida on 1 March 1943 as the 625th Bombardment Squadron, one of the four original squadrons of the 405th Bombardment Group. It was initially equipped with Douglas A-24 Banshees and Bell P-39 Airacobras. Although retaining the same mission and equipment, in August the squadron was renamed the 510th Fighter-Bomber Squadron. The following month, it moved to Walterboro Army Air Field, South Carolina, where it began to fly the Republic P-47 Thunderbolts, with which it would be equipped for the rest of World War II. On 14 February 1944, the 510th left its training base for the European Theater of Operations.[2][4]

P-47D Thunderbolt of the 510th Fighter Squadron[note 2]

The squadron arrived at its first station in the theater, RAF Christchurch, England in early March 1944 and flew its first combat mission the following month. It dropped the "bomber" portion of its designation in May, but retained the fighter bomber mission. The 510th helped prepare for Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy, by striking military airfields, and lines of communication, particularly bridges and railroad marshalling yards. On D-Day, it flew combat patrols in the vicinity of Brest, France, and in the following days flew armed reconnaissance missions over Normandy.[4]

Toward the end of June, the squadron moved to Picauville Airfield, France, and for the rest of the war concentrated on providing close air support for ground forces. It supported Operation Cobra, the breakout at Saint Lo in July with attacks on military vehicles and artillery positions. The squadron engaged and destroyed a German armored column near Avranches, France on 29 July 1944. After immobilizing leading and trailing elements of the 3-mile (4.8 km) long column, the rest of the tanks and trucks were systematically destroyed with multiple sorties.[5] Its operations from D-Day through September 1944 supporting the liberation of Belgium earned the squadron a citation in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army. The squadron received a Distinguished Unit Citation for action on 24 September 1944 when the 4th Armored Division experienced a counterattack by enemy forces and urgently needed air support. Elements of the 405th Group attacked the enemy armor despite an 800-foot ceiling that forced attacks to be made from low level in the face of intense flak. A second group element was unable to locate the tank battle because of the adverse weather, but located a reinforcing column of armor and trucks, causing major damage. A third element attacked warehouses and other buildings in the vicinity that were being used by the enemy.[4][note 3]

The squadron flew its last combat mission of the war on 8 May 1945. It was credited with the destruction of 30 enemy aircraft.[6][note 4] It briefly served in the occupation forces at AAF Station Straubing, but by 8 July was mostly a paper unit. Its remaining personnel returned to the United States in October and the squadron was inactivated upon arrival at the Port of Embarkation.[2][4]

Reactivation as a fighter bomber unit
510th F-100D Super Sabre [note 5]

The squadron returned to its designation as the 510th Fighter-Bomber Squadron and was activated at Godman Air Force Base, Kentucky on 1 December 1952, when it assumed the mission, personnel and F-47 Thunderbolt aircraft of the 149th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, a Virginia Air National Guard unit that had been called to active duty for the Korean War. However, Godman was not suitable for jet fighter operations, and in April 1953, the squadron moved to Langley Air Force Base, Virginia[2] as the Air Force prepared to transfer Godman to the Army. After arriving at Langley, the squadron was able to upgrade to Republic F-84 Thunderjets, and later to North American F-100 Super Sabres. The squadron became non-operational on 15 April 1958 and was inactivated with the rest of the 405th Wing in July 1958.[1][7]

In 2014, a description of Stu Roosa's time as an astronaut described how the 510th had been charged to deploy to bases in West Germany to deliver nuclear weapons onto Soviet targets, eject, as fuel aboard their F-100s was not sufficient, and to escape and evade back to the West.[8]

Vietnam War
510th Tactical Fighter Squadron F-100 at Bien Hoa[note 6]

The squadron was redesignated the 510th Tactical Fighter Squadron and activated in April 1959, when the 405th Fighter Wing replaced the 6200th Air Base Wing at Clark Air Base, Philippines. The squadron assumed the mission, personnel and F-100 Super Sabres of the 72d Tactical Fighter Squadron,[1] which was simultaneously inactivated.[9] In 1959, the squadron deployed twice to Chiayi Air Base in Taiwan, and deployed a detachment to Tainan Air Base from December 1959 to November 1965, and in spring 1962, to Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base as part of Joint Task Force 116. The squadron left Clark in March 1964 for England Air Force Base, Louisiana, where the 3d Wing was reforming as a tactical fighter unit.[2][10]

The squadron was not long at England before it returned to Clark, deploying there from May through August 1965, attached to its old headquarters, the 405th Fighter Wing. It was back in Louisiana for less than four months, for, in November it moved to Bien Hoa Air Base, South Vietnam as the 3d Wing replaced the 6251st Tactical Fighter Wing there.[2] During its time at Bien Hoa, it frequently came under attack by Viet Cong rocket and mortar attacks. The squadron supported numerous ground operations with strike missions against enemy fortifications, supply areas, lines of communication and personnel, in addition to suppressing fire in landing areas.[10] Along with the other F-100 squadrons at Bien Hoa, the squadron was frequently tasked with providing cover for Operation Ranch Hand missions flying from the base.

The squadron was deployed to Tainan Air Base, Taiwan from November 1965 to August 1967.

The 510th flew over 27,200 combat missions in Southeast Asia.[1] In November 1969, the unit inactivated and its aircraft were distributed to other units in Vietnam.[2][11]

A-10 "Warthog" operations
Squadron A-10A Thunderbolt II[note 7]

The squadron was activated at RAF Bentwaters, England in October 1978 as the 81st Tactical Fighter Wing changed its mission to close air support and air interdiction, equipped with Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, and expanded from three to six operational squadrons.[12] The squadron participated in joint and combined exercises with American and British ground forces and periodically deployed to designated wartime operating bases.[12] The squadron deployed aircraft and personnel to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey for Operation Provide Comfort to support Kurdish relief in Northern Iraq from 6 September to 10 December 1991, 8 April to 10 June 1992, and from 6 August to 30 October 1992.[2][1]

In the middle of this last deployment, on 1 October 1992, the squadron was reassigned to the 52d Operations Group at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. In January 1993, it moved to Spangdahlem and joined its parent group.[2] During 1993 and 1994, the 510th flew more than 1,700 combat sorties from Aviano Air Base, Italy, in support of Operation Deny Flight.[1] The squadron continued its attack mission until inactivating in March 1994.[2]

F-16 "Viper" operations

The 510th was reactivated at Aviano Air Base, Italy on 1 July 1994 as the 510th Fighter Squadron. The squadron was equipped with General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons made available from the 512th Fighter Squadron at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, which was inactivating as the 86th Fighter Wing became an airlift unit. The 510th, during Operation Deliberate Force, the 1995 NATO intervention in Bosnia, was the first F-16 Block 40 squadron to drop a laser-guided bomb. It also made the first combat use of night vision goggles in an F-16 during Operation Deliberate Guard, a follow up operation. It was also one of the first F-16 units to become Forward Air Controllers (Airborne), and were the first controllers to employ the F-16 in combat.[1]

In October 1998, the squadron deployed its F-16s to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey to fly in support of Operation Northern Watch. In Operation Allied Force, the Air War over Serbia, the 510th flew more combat missions than any other F-16 squadron. Subsequently, the squadron was the first Aviano fighter squadron to deploy to Operation Southern Watch in June 2000. During those deployments the squadron engaged in combat operations over Iraq in both surface attack and combat search and rescue. From September to December 2002, the Buzzards returned to Operation Southern Watch and dropped 136,508 pounds of ordnance over Iraq to include the first use of the GBU-31A Joint Direct Attack Munition in F-16CG combat.[1]

Lineage
  • Constituted as the 625th Bombardment Squadron (Dive) on 4 February 1943
Activated on 1 March 1943
Redesignated: 510th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 10 August 1943
Redesignated: 510th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, Single Engine on 20 August 1943
Redesignated: 510th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 30 May 1944
Inactivated on 27 October 1945
  • Redesignated 510th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 15 October 1952
Activated on 1 December 1952
Inactivated on 1 July 1958
  • Redesignated 510th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 11 March 1959
Activated on 9 April 1959
Inactivated on 15 November 1969
  • Activated on 1 October 1978
Inactivated on 1 February 1994
  • Redesignated 510th Fighter Squadron on 23 March 1994
Activated on 1 July 1994[2]

Assignments
  • 405th Bombardment Group (later 405th Fighter-Bomber Group, 405th Fighter Group), 1 March 1943 – 27 October 1945
  • 405th Fighter-Bomber Group, 1 December 1952
  • 405th Fighter-Bomber Wing, 8 October 1957 – 1 July 1958
  • 405th Fighter Wing, 9 April 1959 (attached to Joint Task Force 116 16 May–8 June 1962)
  • 3d Tactical Fighter Wing, 16 March 1964 – 15 November 1969 (attached to 405th Fighter Wing c. 8 May–17 August 1965)
  • 81st Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 October 1978
  • 52d Operations Group, 1 October 1992 – 1 February 1994
  • 31st Operations Group, 1 July 1994 – present[2]

Stations

Aircraft

Awards and campaigns
Award streamerAwardDatesNotes
Distinguished Unit Citation24 September 1944510th Fighter Squadron[2]
Presidential Unit Citation8 June 1966–16 April 1967510th Tactical Fighter Squadron[2]
Presidential Unit Citation6 March 1968–31 July 1969510th Tactical Fighter Squadron[2]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device31 January 1968-5 March 1968510th Tactical Fighter Squadron[2]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device1 August 1969-16 November 1969510th Tactical Fighter Squadron[2]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device1 February 2000–31 May 2000510th Tactical Fighter Squadron[2]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 November 1960-30 June 1961510th Tactical Fighter Squadron[2]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 May 1964–16 July 1965510th Tactical Fighter Squadron[2]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 July 1979–30 June 1981510th Tactical Fighter Squadron[2]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 July 1981–30 June 1983510th Tactical Fighter Squadron[2]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 June 1989–31 May 1991510th Tactical Fighter Squadron[2]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 June 1991–30 June 1993510th Tactical Fighter Squadron[2]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 October 1992-30 June 1993510th Tactical Fighter Squadron[2]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 April 1994-1 April 1996510th Fighter Squadron[2]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award2 April 1996-1 April 1998510th Fighter Squadron[2]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award2 April 1998-1 April 2000510th Fighter Squadron[2]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award24 March 1999-18 June 1999510th Fighter Squadron[2]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 October 2000-1 October 2002510th Fighter Squadron[2]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award2 October 2002–30 September 2004510th Fighter Squadron[2]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 June 2009–31 May 2011510th Fighter Squadron[2]
Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm25 November 1965–19 May 1969510th Tactical Fighter Squadron[2]
Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm1 April 1966–15 November 1969510th Tactical Fighter Squadron[2]
Campaign Streamer Campaign Dates Notes
Air Offensive, Europe7 March 1944 – 5 June 1944510th Fighter-Bomber Squadron (later 510th Fighter Squadron)[2]
Air Combat, EAME Theater7 March 1944 – 11 May 1945510th Fighter-Bomber Squadron (later 510th Fighter Squadron)[2]
Normandy6 June 1944 – 24 July 1944510th Fighter Squadron[2]
Northern France25 July 1944 – 14 September 1944510th Fighter Squadron[2]
Rhineland15 September 1944 – 21 March 1945510th Fighter Squadron[2]
Ardennes-Alsace16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945510th Fighter Squadron[2]
Central Europe22 March 1944 – 21 May 1945510th Fighter Squadron[2]
Vietnam Defensive8 November 1965 – 30 January 1966510th Tactical Fighter Squadron[2]
Vietnam Air31 January 1966 – 28 June 1966510th Tactical Fighter Squadron[2]
Vietnam Air Offensive29 June 1966 – 8 March 1967510th Tactical Fighter Squadron[2]
Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase II9 March 1967 – 31 March 1968510th Tactical Fighter Squadron[2]
Vietnam Air/Ground22 January 1968 – 7 July 1968510th Tactical Fighter Squadron[2]
Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase III1 April 1968 – 31 October 1968510th Tactical Fighter Squadron[2]
Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase IV1 November 1968 – 22 February 1969510th Tactical Fighter Squadron[2]
Tet 1969/Counteroffensive23 February 1969 – 8 June 1969510th Tactical Fighter Squadron[2]
Vietnam Summer-Fall 19699 June 1969 – 31 October 1969510th Tactical Fighter Squadron[2]
Vietnam Winter-Spring 19703 November 1969 – 30 April 1970510th Tactical Fighter Squadron[2]
Southwest Asia Cease-Fire12 April 1991 – 30 November 1995510th Tactical Fighter Squadron (later 510th Fighter Squadron)[2]
Kosovo Air Campaign510th Fighter Squadron[2]
Consolidation III1 December 2006 – 30 June 2011510th Fighter Squadron[2]
Iraqi Governance29 June 2004 – 15 December 2005510th Fighter Squadron[2]
Iraqi Surge10 January 2007 – 31 December 2008510th Fighter Squadron[2]

See also

References

Notes
Explanatory notes
  1. Aircraft is General Dynamics F-16C Block 40A Fighting Falcon serial 89-30.
  2. Aircraft is Republic P-47D-27-RE Thunderbolt serial 42-27312
  3. Both Maurer and Rust identify the 405th Group's three attacks as being made by one of the group's three squadrons. However, neither identifies which squadron was involved in which action. All three of the group's squadrons were awarded a DUC for the day's attacks. Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 290–291; Rust, p. 122.
  4. The Aviano Air Base Fact Sheet for the squadron claims 39 aircraft were destroyed by the squadron.
  5. Aircraft is North American F-100D-90-NA Super Sabre, serial 56-3264 at Clark Air Base, Philippines, December 1961. This aircraft remained with the 510th TFS until being shot down on 22 August 1967 on a combat mission from Bien Hoa AB, South Vietnam.
  6. Aircraft is North American F-100D-90-NA Super Sabre, serial 56-3242, taken in 1968.
  7. Aircraft is Fairchild A-10A Thunderbolt II serial 81-962, taken about 1990.
Citations
  1. "Library, Factsheets, 510th Fighter Squadron "Buzzards"". 31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs. 28 April 2009. Archived from the original on 31 December 2013. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  2. Dollman, TSG David (11 December 2016). "Factsheet 510 Fighter Squadron (USAFE)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  3. Endicott, p. 913
  4. Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 290–291
  5. Rust, p. 97
  6. Newton & Senning, p. 669
  7. Ravenstein, pp. 217–219
  8. Chaikin, "A Man on the Moon," 344.
  9. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 265–266
  10. Robertson, Patsy (19 June 2017). "Factsheet 3 Wing (PACAF)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
  11. Nalty, p. 140
  12. Robertson, Patsy (22 August 2011). "Factsheet 81 Training Wing (AETC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  13. Station number in Anderson.
  14. Station number in Johnson.

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

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