The 90th Fighter Squadron is a squadron of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the 3rd Operations Group, based out of Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska and part of the Pacific Air Forces. The squadron is equipped with the F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft.
The 90 FS is one of the oldest units in the United States Air Force, first being organized as the 90th Aero Squadron on 20 August 1917 at Kelly Field, Texas. The squadron deployed to France and fought on the Western Front during World War I as a Corps observation squadron.Gorrell
During World War II, the unit earned the Distinguished Unit Citation and the Presidential Unit Citation for its services in the Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO) as part of Fifth Air Force. During the Cold War the squadron fought in the Korean War and Vietnam War.Maurer, Combat Squadrons
Mission The 90th Fighter Squadron trains in the fighter missions of offensive counter-air (OCA) and defensive counter-air (DCA), as well as strategic attack and interdiction.
History World War I see 90th Aero Squadron for an expanded history of World War I operations The 90th Fighter Squadron origins begin with Special Order 104, Headquarters Kelly Field, San Antonio, Texas, on 25 September 1917. The men in it were largely from two detachments; one from Vancouver Barracks, Washington, which arrived at Kelly Field on 18 August; another from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, which arrived on 25 August. Both of these detachments had been held from the date of their arrival until 25 September under Recruit Camp Headquarters as a Provisional Squadron.
The first few months of its existence were consumed by the necessary training to prepare the men for operations in France during World War I. On 30 September, the squadron left Kelly Field for the Aviation Concentration Center, Camp Mills, Garden City, New York, Long Island, where it arrived five days later. On the night of 5 October the squadron detrained, and early next morning hiked out to Field No. 2 of the Aviation Concentration Center (Hazelhurst Field), where they were quartered with the Headquarters of the First Provisional Wing in Barracks No. 5. Here they stayed for several weeks performing guard duty and fatigue work, and carrying on the work of organization, equipment and preparation for overseas duty.Carver, et al.
On 26 October, orders were received to pack up equipment and to prepare for immediate overseas departure. The following day the squadron was moved to Pier 54, New York Harbor, and boarded the . The crossing of the Atlantic was uneventful, and on 10 November the Orduna moved into the dock at Liverpool, England.
On 12 November 1917 the men of the 90th arrived at Le Havre, France. Boarding the famous "Hommes 40, Chevaux 8" railroad box cars (maximum capacity of 40 men or eight horses,) they were shipped to Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome for what they thought would be immediate deployment to the front. But, to their great disappointment, they were given the assignment of road and barracks construction work, building the large 1st Air Depot and staging area which would eventually process and equip a large number of Americans that would arrive in France during 1918.
After seven months at Colombey, the 90th Aero Squadron was designed as a Corps Observation squadron, being assigned to the III Corps Observation Group on 11 June 1918. Two days later it reached what was called the "Zone of Advance" (combat area) at Ourches Aerodrome. The squadron's first aircraft were the Sopwith 1½ Strutter ground attack aircraft.Bruce, p. 590. At Ourches, the 90th and other squadrons were engaged in combat operations, both in aerial combat and aerial reconnaissance photography. It took part in operations in the Toul Sector, the Battle of Saint-Mihiel and the first and second Meuse-Argonne Offensives. Later, the squadron upgraded to Salmson 2-A2s SPAD Xis, and Breguet BR-14 observation aircraft. Due to ever-present low clouds and rain, the flyers were forced to drop dangerously close to the ground to carry out their missions, usually in the worst conditions.
The 90th Aero Squadron carried out many reconnaissances, engaged in 23 combats and relieved official confirmation for 7 aerial victories. The group's lucky "Seven Up" emblem of red dice with white dots reading "7" no matter which way it was tallied, proved prophetic, for they suffered 3 casualties, consisting of 2 killed and 1 wounded. In September 1918 it took part in the final allied offensives. The 90th earned a positive reputation for its ground attack missions during its continuous participation in the air offensive over Saint-Mihiel. Its first commander, First Lieutenant William G. Schauffler, designed the 90th's Pair o' Dice emblem displaying natural sevens during this campaign.
After the Armistice with Germany on 11 November 1918, little flying was done, most of the pilots and observers being absent on leave or returning to the States. On 15 January 1919 the squadron's planes were turned in to the 1st Air Depot, Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome, and there, practically all of the pilots and observers were detached from the squadron.
At Colombey, very comfortable quarters were assigned and the squadron settled down to await orders to the coast. The squadron left Colombey les Belles 25 January 1919, en route for the port of embarkation. It stopped at the pretty little village of St. Denis de Piles, near Libourne, Gironde, and the officers and enlisted personnel occupied excellent billets.
On 3 February after five days spent at St. Denis, the squadron was ordered to Libourne, the next step on the way home. There the men occupied the old stone French barracks, while the officers were billeted at private houses throughout the town. The squadron remained at Libourne until 10 April, when the long-awaited order to proceed to the Embarkation Camp. After two or three disappointments, the men were ordered on board the (ID-1443). Officers were detached, and sailed the same day, 20 April, Easter Sunday, on board the . The voyage was very uneventful; land was finally sighted at 5 a.m. 3 May, and the squadron docked in Hoboken, New Jersey, at 10 a.m., after a voyage of thirteen days. On 4 May at 8 a.m., the squadron marched over to Field No. 2, Garden City (Mitchell Field), and the work of demobilizing the squadron was begun.
After the war, 90th alumni commissioned Tiffany's of New York to design a silver pin with the squadron logo.
Inter-war period
see also: United States Army Border Air Patrol After returning from France, most of the squadron demobilized at Mitchell Field and returned to civilian life. A small cadre of the unit remained in the Air Service, and were sent back to Kelly Field, Texas. At Kelly, the 90th, along with the 8th, 12th and 13th Aero Squadrons were formed into the Army Surveillance Group on 1 July 1919. The group was redesignated the 3d Attack Group on 2 July 1921.
The mission of the Army Surveillance Group was to carry out observation overflights along the Mexican Border. During this period, Mexico was enduring a period of revolution and unrest, which led to border violations and the deaths of American citizens. From Kelly Field, the squadron was divided into two flights, Flight A operated from Eagle Pass Field, while Flight B operated from Kelly Field. Both flights were equipped with American-built deHavilland DH-4 aircraft, which were designed as bombers during the war.
In the late summer of 1919 the 464th Aero Construction Squadron had been sent to establish an Army airfield at Sanderson, Texas. By November, enough construction had been completed at Sanderson Field that the squadron moved from Kelly to operate from the new airfield, while the detachment at Eagle Pass Field continued operations. The detachment moved from Eagle Pass to Del Rio Field, Texas, on 12 Jun 1920.
As the unrest in Mexico died down by the middle of 1921 the 90th reunited and moved back to Kelly Field in July. At Kelly Field, Brigadier General William 'Billy' Mitchell, a senior staff officer in the Army Air Service, decided to use this low-level flying experience and the World War I experience of the 3d Group's pilots to create a group devoted to low-level mission of supporting ground troops and attacking ground targets.
Flew border reconnaissance missions from Fort Huachuca, Arizona, during the Escobar-Topete Revolution 7 April–2 May 1929. The 90th Squadron contributed to the pioneering of new tactics for attack aircraft, delivered US mail in 1934 took part in aerial mapping missions during the 1930s, and attracted significant talent among early military airmen. One example of these early airmen was General James H. Doolittle. On 2 September 1922 General Doolittle, then a first lieutenant, became the first pilot to travel coast-to-coast in under 24 hours. Although he could not remember if he was assigned to the 90th during the flight, the Air Force Historical Research Agency confirmed he was a member of the 90th at the time, and his DH-4 aircraft displayed the 90th's pair-o-dice emblem. Early commanders of the 90th also included Lieutenants Hoyt Vandenberg and Nathan Twining, both of whom later became Air Force Chiefs of Staff. Transferred on 27 February 1935 to Barksdale Field, Louisiana, then transferred on 10 October 1940 to Savannah AAF, Georgia.
World War II During World War II, the 90th, now a bombardment squadron, operated in the South Pacific, flying Douglas A-20 Havoc and North American B-25 Mitchell aircraft. Their main mission involved highly-dangerous skip bombings. In an effort to improve the effectiveness and protection of the 3d Bombardment Group's pilots, Major Paul 'Pappy' Gunn, 3d Bombardment Group engineering officer, devised a modification of the B-25C. The modification replaced the forward bombardier with four forwards firing .50 caliber machine guns, supplemented with two twin .50 caliber gun packages side mounted on the fuselage. The lower turret was discarded. The A-20s received similar modifications. The modified aircraft were first employed by the 90th and proved exceptionally effective, receiving the nickname 'commerce destroyers.' During the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, every aircraft in the 90th scored a hit on the Japanese convoy of 18 ships. It was the first sea-level attack by B-25 strafers in World War II and demonstrated that this tactic was extremely effective. The squadron also participated in the raids on Wewak, New Guinea, which were preemptive strikes that virtually ended the threat of enemy offensive air capabilities.
Cold War
In 1945, after World War II, the 90th Squadron was moved to Japan. The 90th began flying the Douglas A-26 Invader as the 3d Bombardment Group became an all A-26 outfit. In September 1946 the 90th moved with the 3d Bombardment Group to Yokota Air Base, Japan, and began training to become combat-ready with the A-26, which was redesignated the B-26 Invader. With the creation of the U.S. Air Force in late 1947 the force began an internal reorganization. This led to the activation of the 3d Bombardment Wing in August 1948, to which the 3d Bombardment Group was assigned. The 90th Squadron was inactivated from 1 October 1949 until 25 June 1951.
At that point, the squadron was redesignated the 90th Bombardment Squadron Light, Night Intruder. In July, as part of the 3d Bombardment Group, the 90th participated in the Korean War. The B-26 Invaders, which the 90th flew, had as many as 12 forward-firing .50 caliber machine guns. The 90th's specialty during the Korean War was destroying locomotives and marshalling yards.