103d Fighter Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 103d Fighter Squadron flies the A-10 Thunderbolt II
. It is a unit of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard
. Its parent unit is the 111th Fighter Wing
.
Pennsylvania Air National Guard, 1946–present
A-10 Thunderbolt II
The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is an American single-seat, twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic in the early 1970s. The A-10 was designed for a United States Air Force requirement to provide close air support for ground forces by attacking tanks,...
. It is a unit of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard
Pennsylvania Air National Guard
The Pennsylvania Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is, along with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, an element of the Pennsylvania National Guard. It is considered a part of the United States Air Force, as well as of the state.-Overview:The...
. Its parent unit is the 111th Fighter Wing
111th Fighter Wing
The United States Air Force's 111th Fighter Wing is an Air National Guard fighter unit located at NAS Willow Grove, Pennsylvania.-Mission:To maintain highly trained, well-equipped, and motivated military forces in order to provide combat-ready OA-10/A-10 aircraft and support elements in response to...
.
Lineage
- Activated in Pennsylvania National GuardPennsylvania National GuardThe Pennsylvania National Guard is composed of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and the Pennsylvania Air National Guard. It is one of the largest National Guards in the nation. It has the largest Army National Guard of all the states and the fourth largest Air National Guard. These forces are...
as 103d Observation Squadron on 27 June 1924 : Ordered to active service on 17 February 1941
- Redesignated: 103d Observation Squadron (Medium) on 13 January 1942
- Redesignated: 103d Observation Squadron on 4 July 1942
- Redesignated: 103d Reconnaissance Squadron (Fighter) on 2 April 1943
- Redesignated: 103d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 11 August 1943
- Redesignated: 40th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 21 October 1943
- Inactivated on 2 November 1945
- Redesignated: 103d Bombardment Squadron (Light), and allotted to PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
Air National GuardAir National GuardThe Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
, on 24 May 1946.
- Redesignated: 103d Bombardment Squadron (Light), and allotted to Pennsylvania
- Redesignated: 103d Composite Squadron, 1950
- Redesignated: 103d Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, 1951
- Redesignated: 103d Composite Squadron, 1950
- Redesignated: 103d Fighter Bomber Squadron, 1952
- Redesignated: 103d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 1955
- Redesignated: 103d Air Transport Squadron, 1962
- Redesignated: 103d Military Airlift Squadron, 1966
- Redesignated: 103d Tactical Air Support Squadron, 1969
- Redesignated: 103d Tactical Fighter Squadron, 1988
- Redesignated: 103d Fighter Squadron, 1992–present
Assignments
- Pennsylvania National GuardPennsylvania National GuardThe Pennsylvania National Guard is composed of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and the Pennsylvania Air National Guard. It is one of the largest National Guards in the nation. It has the largest Army National Guard of all the states and the fourth largest Air National Guard. These forces are...
- Divisional aviation, 28th Division, 27 June 1924
- II Army Corps, 17 February 1941
- 59th Observation Group59th Medical WingThe 59th Medical Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force assigned to Air Education and Training Command, stationed at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas....
, 1 September 1941 - 26th Observation (later Reconnaissance; Tactical Reconnaissance) Group, 18 October 1942
- III Reconnaissance CommandIII Reconnaissance CommandThe III Reconnaissance Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Third Air Force stationed at Rapid City Army Air Base, South Dakota. It was inactivated on 8 April 1946.-Lineage:...
, 21 October 1943 - I (later III) Tactical Air DivisionThird Air ForceThe Third Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe . It is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany....
, 18 April 1944 - AAF, India-Burma Sector, 3 June 1944
- Tenth Air ForceTenth Air ForceThe Tenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve Command . It is headquartered at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas....
, 5 July 1944 - 8th Photographic (later Reconnaissance) Group8th Reconnaissance GroupThe 8th Reconnaissance Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last duty station was at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, where it was inactivated on 5 November 1945....
, 18 July 1944-2 November 1945 - PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
Air National GuardAir National GuardThe Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
- Allocated to: Air Defense Command, 1946
- Allocated to: Strategic Air CommandStrategic Air CommandThe Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
, 1951 - Allocated to: Air Defense Command, 1955
- Allocated to: Military Air Transport ServiceMilitary Air Transport ServiceThe Military Air Transport Service is an inactive Department of Defense Unified Command. Activated on 1 June 1948, MATS was a consolidation of the United States Navy Naval Air Transport Service and the United States Air Force Air Transport Command into a single, joint, unified command...
, 1962 - Allocated to: Military Airlift CommandMilitary Airlift CommandThe Military Airlift Command is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command of the USAF which was headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. It was constituted on 1 January 1966 and active until the end of the Cold War, when the Air Force table of organization was revised...
, 1966 - Allocated to: Tactical Air CommandTactical Air CommandTactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
, 1969 - Allocated to: Air Combat CommandAir Combat CommandAir Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....
, 1992–present
Stations
- Philadelphia Airport, PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, 27 June 1924 - Olmsted AAFOlmsted Air Force BaseHarrisburg Air National Guard Base is a United States Air Force base, located at Harrisburg International Airport, Pennsylvania. It is located west-southwest of Middletown, Pennsylvania....
, PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, 27 February 1941 - Hillsgrove AAFT. F. Green AirportT. F. Green Airport , also known as Theodore Francis Green State Airport, is a public airport located in Warwick, six miles south of Providence, in Kent County, Rhode Island, USA. Dedicated in 1931, the airport was named for former Rhode Island governor and longtime senator Theodore F. Green...
, Rhode IslandRhode IslandThe state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, 23 December 1941 - Hyannis Airport, MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, 9 June 1942 - Ft Devens AAF, MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, 20 August 1942 - Reading AAF, PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, 8 June 1943 - Birmingham AAF, AlabamaAlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, 20 November 1943 - Will Rogers Field, OklahomaOklahomaOklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, 11 February-11 May 1944 - Guskhara, IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, 10 July 1944 - Alipore, IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, 9 August 1944
- Detachment at Cox's Bazar, IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, after c. 10 December 1944- Cox's Bazar, IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, 18 January 1945 - Akyab, Burma, 14 February 1945
- Alipore, IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, C. 15 May 1945 - Kanchrapara, IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, September–c. 4 October 1945 - Camp KilmerCamp KilmerCamp Kilmer, New Jersey is a former United States Army camp that was activated in June 1942 as a staging area and part of an installation of the New York Port of Embarkation. The camp was organized as part of the Army Service Forces Transportation Corps. Troops were quartered at Camp Kilmer in...
, New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, 1–2 November 1945. - Philadelphia International AirportPhiladelphia International AirportPhiladelphia International Airport is a major airport in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, and is the largest airport in the Delaware Valley region and in Pennsylvania...
, (1946–1963) - Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove, PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
(1963–present)
- Cox's Bazar, India
Aircraft
- C-27J Spartan (2010?)
- A-10 Thunderbolt IIA-10 Thunderbolt IIThe Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is an American single-seat, twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic in the early 1970s. The A-10 was designed for a United States Air Force requirement to provide close air support for ground forces by attacking tanks,...
(1988–2010) - OA-37B Dragonfly (1981–1988)
- O-2 SkymasterO-2 SkymasterThe O-2 Skymaster is a military version of the Cessna 337 Super Skymaster utilized as an observation and forward air control aircraft...
(197?–1981) - U-3A Blue Canoe (1969-197?)
- C-97 StratofreighterC-97 StratofreighterThe Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter was a long range heavy military cargo aircraft based on the B-29 bomber. Design work began in 1942, with the prototype's first flight being on 9 November 1944, and the first production aircraft entered service in 1947. Between 1947 and 1958, 888 C-97s in several...
(1962–1969) - F-89H Scorpion (1959–1962)
- F-94A/B/C Starfire (1956–1959)
- F-84 ThunderjetF-84 ThunderjetThe Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 flew in 1946...
(1954–1956) - T-33 Shooting StarT-33 Shooting StarThe Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star is an American-built jet trainer aircraft. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948, piloted by Tony LeVier. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then designated T-33A. It was used by the...
(1953–1954) - F-51 Mustang (1952–1953)
- RB-29 Superfortress (1951–1952)
- B-29 SuperfortressB-29 SuperfortressThe B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
(1951–1952) - 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....
(1946–1951) - Taylorcraft O-57 (1941–1942)
- O-49 Vigilant (1941–1942)
- O-47 (1941–1942)
- O-46 (1941–1942)
Operations
Emergency operations while under state control included flood-relief in Pennsylvania, 19–22 March 1936. Antisubmarine patrols, 27 December 1941-19 August 1942; combat in CBI, 6 September 1944-10 May 1945.Pennsylvania Air National Guard, 1946–present