The 162nd Attack Squadron is a unit of the Ohio Air National Guard 178th Wing located at Springfield Air National Guard Base, Springfield, Ohio. The 162nd is equipped with the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper UAV.
History
World War II The 362nd Fighter Squadron was established at Hamilton Field, California in December 1942.
Became part of the United States Air Forces in Europe army of occupation in Germany during 1945. Inactivated in Germany during August 1946.
Ohio Air National Guard The 362nd Fighter Squadron was redesignated the 162nd Fighter Squadron, and was allotted to the National Guard on 24 May 1946. It was organized at Cox-Dayton Municipal Airport, Ohio, and was extended federal recognition on 22 November 1947 by the National Guard Bureau. The 162d Fighter Squadron was assigned initially to the Illinois ANG 66th Fighter Wing, operationally gained by Continental Air Command. On 7 December 1947 the Ohio ANG 55th Fighter Wing, was federally recognized and the squadron was transferred.
Air Defense
With the formation and federal recognition of the Ohio ANG 121st Fighter Group at Lockbourne Field, near Columbus, the squadron was reassigned. The mission of the 162nd Fighter Squadron was the air defense of Ohio. Parts were no problem and many of the maintenance personnel were World War II veterans so readiness was quite high and the planes were often much better maintained than their USAF counterparts. In some ways, the postwar Air National Guard was almost like a flying country club and a pilot could often show up at the field, check out an aircraft and go flying. However, the unit also had regular military exercises that kept up proficiency and in gunnery and bombing contests they would often score at least as well or better than active-duty USAF units, given the fact that most ANG pilots were World War II combat veterans. In 1950 the squadron exchanged its F-51Ds for F-51H Mustang very long range escort fighters that were suitable for long-range interception of unknown aircraft identified by Ground Control Interceptor radar stations.
With the surprise invasion of South Korea on 25 June 1950, and the regular military's lack of readiness, most of the Air National Guard was federalized placed on active duty. However, the 162nd was not federalized and remained at Cox-Dayton Municipal Airport and continued its air defense mission.
In September 1955 Air Defense Command wanted to re-equip the squadron from F-51Hs to jet-powered Republic F-84E Thunderjets in accordance with the USAF directive to phase out propeller-driven fighter-interceptor aircraft from the inventory. However, because the runways at the Cox-Dayton Municipal Airport were too short at that time to support jet fighter operations, the National Guard Bureau approved the relocation request by the Ohio ANG to move the squadron to Springfield Municipal Airport, just east of Dayton.
With new facilities under construction at Springfield, the 162nd Fighter-Interceptor Squadron conducted its transition training from temporary facilities at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The F-84E Thunderjets were Korean War veteran aircraft and the squadron received training in the equipment from the Ohio ANG 164th and 166th Tactical Fighter Squadrons.
Tactical Air Command
In November 1957 the squadron received new Republic F-84F Thunderstreak jet fighters and the squadron was redesignated the 162nd Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (Day) (Special Delivery). This designation reflected a dual mission which the squadron was tasked. The day interceptor mission of Air Defense Command, and a tactical nuclear weapon delivery mission by Tactical Air Command. Although the 162nd trained for the delivery of tactical nuclear weapons, it never had any actual nuclear weapons on hand, nor did the base at Springfield ever had nuclear weapon storage facilities.
On 10 November 1958, the squadron was redesignated the 162nd Tactical Fighter Squadron and the squadron ended its attachment to Air Defense Command, returning to Tactical Air Command control. In 1959 and 1960 the squadron participated in exercises Dark Cloud and Pine Cone III, the latter taking place at Congaree Air Force Base, South Carolina. In the exercises, the squadron practiced delivery of tactical nuclear weapons in the fictitious country of "North Saladia".
During the 1961 Berlin Crisis, the 162nd was federalized as part of the 121st Tactical Fighter Wing and Group for a period of twelve months beginning on 1 October. When activated, the 121st TFW consisted of three operational units, the 164th Tactical Fighter Squadron, based at Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport, Ohio; the 166th Tactical Fighter Squadron based at Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio, and the 162nd. However, due to funding shortages, only 26 F-84F's of 166th TFS were deployed to Étain-Rouvres Air Base, France, although several ground support units from the 162nd and 164th were also deployed. The squadron, however, remained under Federal USAF control until the crisis ended and it was returned to Ohio state control on 31 August 1962.
After the Berlin federalization ended, 15 October 1962, the 162nd was authorized to expand to a group level, and the 178th Tactical Fighter Group was established. The 162nd became the group's flying squadron. Other elements assigned into the group were the 178th headquarters, 178th Material Squadron (maintenance and supply), 178th Combat Support Squadron, and the 178th Tactical Dispensary.
In 1967, the 162nd deployed to Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii for Tropic Lighting III, an exercise designed to assist in the training of Army ground units prior to their deployment to South Vietnam. This deployment required two over-water air refuelings in either direction.
1968 was the first time the 162nd participated in a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) exercise. It deployed to Greece, participating in Operation Deep Furrow 68 at Larrossa Air Base. On this exercise fourteen F-84Fs were deployed, staging though Lajes Field, Azores and Torrejon Air Base, Spain. During Deep Furrow, they performed air-to-ground maneuvers with the United States Navy's Sixth Fleet. Upon their return, the 162nd TFS deployed eight aircraft to Alaska in November for Operation Punch Card IV.
F-100 Super Sabre
In the spring of 1970, the F-84F Thunderstreaks were sent to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base for storage, the squadron receiving Vietnam War veteran North American F-100D/F Super Sabres. Concentration on the qualifications of aircrews, munitions load crews and the attainment of a C-3 combat readiness rating were the primary objectives for 1971. The squadron achieved C-3 on 30 August, a "first" for F-100D-equipped Air Guard units. January 1972 saw the squadron in extensive practice for their pending Ninth Air Force Operational Readiness Inspection (ORI). The ORI was conducted in March and the 9th Air Force did not agree with the unit's C-3 rating. A retake was scheduled in June, with the 162nd coming away with the TAC-confirmed rating of C-1, the first F-100D squadron to achieve this feat.
During April 1973, the squadron participated in Gallant Hand 73, a large-scale U.S. Readiness Command Joint Forces Training exercise at Fort Hood, Texas. Flying a 98 percent sortie rate. In August, the 162nd took part in another joint training exercise called Operation Ember Dawn/Punch Card XIX at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. In October, the TAC Unit Achievement Award was received for the fourth consecutive time, and the General Frank P. Lahm Air Safety Trophy was awarded for the second consecutive year.
31 May 1974 saw the 162nd's accident-free flying streak end at 69 months when a pilot was forced to eject from his out-of-control F-100D. The unit participated in "Sentry Guard Strike V" at Volk Field, Wisconsin during 13–27 July the same year. In September 1975, the 162nd was selected as a replacement for another unit to participate in NATO's Reforger 75 Cornet Razor exercise at Ramstein Air Base, West Germany as part of a series of NATO exercises called "Autumn Forge." Deploying thirteen F-100D aircraft, 162nd pilots provided close air support as the aggressor in exercise "Captain Trek," flying 121 sorties with 198 hours of flying time.
January 1976 saw the unit preparing for Operation Snowbird and the pending April ORI. "Snowbird" was conducted at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona. and was designed to give pilots favorable weather locations for clear weather flying opportunities. To provide its pilots with proficiency for real combat conditions, the 162nd took part in "Red Flag 77-9." Captain Edward J. Mechenbier, a former Vietnam War POW, was selected as the outstanding fighter pilot for 1977.
A-7D Corsair II
January 1978 initiated the conversion to the LTV A-7D Corsair II attack aircraft. The conversion from the F-100 to the A-7 was accomplished in less than three months, the fastest ever for an Air Force or Air National Guard unit. The first major deployment with the A-7 was to Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, on 12 August in support of forward air controller training. Also in 1978, the 162nd participated in Red Flag 78-9 on 23 September, and Tequilla Shooter at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, from 14 to 20 November.
The first deployment in 1979 was Operation Snowbird again as 118 enlisted and 30 officers deployed to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in support of the exercise. "Sabre Sluff 79-2," a locally generated version of "Red Flag" was conducted at Springfield during 26–28 April, providing realistic training for the 162nd's flying, communications, and radar control units. 13–15 September saw a second "Sabre Sluff" exercise, now known as "Buckeye Flag," carried out.
The 1980 exercise year started with "Empire Glacier" at Fort Drum, New York. The 162nd was awarded the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for its meritorious service from 1 March 1978 to 28 February 1979. In April, the 162nd was teamed with the Ohio ANG 166th Tactical Fighter Squadron in support of Exercise Cope Elite. The exercise which was carried out at NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii, involved combat training for U.S. Army and Air Force units based in Hawaii.
In February 1981, Major John Smith commanded a six-aircraft deployment to the 49th TFW at Holloman AFB, New Mexico for Dissimilar air combat training (DACT). In March, the squadron flew close air support (CAS) missions for opposing forces during "Eagle Strike I," an exercise involving two brigades for the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. During the May exercise "Maple Flag 7," support was given to the Ohio ANG 112th Tactical Fighter Squadron for a 30-day rotation TDY to Howard Air Force Base, Panama. This deployment provided the only operational fighters in the Southern Command. In July, the 162nd participated in the Michigan-based combat readiness exercise "Sentry Buckeye XI," the first "Sentry Buckeye" to be flown from the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center.
1982 was a busy year with the unit taking part in eight individual exercises, including "Red Flag 82-4" at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. The 162nd won the annual Ohio ANG Turkey Shoot Competition in October at the Jefferson Proving Ground air-to-ground range. The squadron also celebrated its 35th anniversary with an open house and a military ball.
More deployments were in store for 1983, starting with Coronet Castle in April. In June, the 162nd completed five and one-half years of accident-free flying and earned the Tactical Air Command Flight Safety Award.