United States Air Forces Southern Command
Encyclopedia
The United States Air Forces Southern Command is an inactive Major Command of the United States Air Force
. It was headquartered at Albrook Air Force Base
, Canal Zone
, being inactivated on 1 January 1976.
Formerly designated as Sixth Air Force, the command's mission was the defense of the Panama Canal
and for USAF relations, including foreign military sales (FMS) and disaster relief assistance, with the Latin American nations. The command supported disaster relief to countries such as Guatemala
, Jamaica, Nicaragua
, the Dominican Republic
, Panama and Colombia
. It also assisted nations in Central and South America in purchases of United States military aircraft and trained their technicians in logistics and maintenance for the aircraft.
The first United States air units arrived in the Canal Zone in February 1917, with the 7th Aero Squadron
being organized on 29 March at Ancon
. It was equipped with Curtiss JN-4
"Jennys" and Curtiss R-3 and R-4 floatplanes
.
The squadron initially came under the control of Headquarters, U.S. Troops, Panama Canal Zone, and beginning on 1 July 1917, Army aviation units were assigned directly to the Panama Canal Department, which was the senior United States Army
headquarters in the Canal Zone. During World War I, the 7th Aero was assigned to patrol for German U-Boat
s offshore of the Canal Zone
under direction of Coast Defenses of Cristobal, from 1 June – 15 November 1918.
The 7th Aero Squadron was assigned to several fields during 1917 and 1918, those being Corozal (16 April); Empire (May); Fort Sherman (29 August); Cristobal (March 1918) before finding a permanent home at Coco Walk, which became France Field
in May 1918.
A second permanent army airfield, Albrook Field, opened in 1932 due to France Field becoming too small for the numbers of aircraft being assigned to the Canal Zone, as well as having a poor landing surface; offering no room for expansion, and providing little defense for the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal. A third airfield, Howard Field
was built on the Canal Bruja Point Military Reservation, opening on 1 December 1939. By 1940, a rapid increase in the number of flying squadrons in both the Canal Zone as well as in Panama
as a result of the pre–World War II mobilization of the Air Corps warranted a new organization, and the Panama Canal Air Force was created as a major command. After several organizational changes and the establishment of the United States Army Air Forces in 1942, Sixth Air Force became the controlling Air Force command authority for USAAF activities in the Caribbean, as well as in Central
and South America. Through all these redesignations it was part of the Caribbean Defense Command, (10 February 1941 – 1 November 1947), which was the senior United States Army headquarters in the Canal Zone
. The Caribbean Interceptor Command, was the Air Force component (10 February 1941 – 17 October 1941) of the CIC until being inactivated and replaced by VI Interceptor Command.
World War II
In early 1942 the German Navy
, Kriegsmarine
, began anti-shipping operations using U-Boat
s in the Caribbean. The subs sank several tankers in the harbor at San Nicholas, Aruba
and even shelled an oil refinery on the island. It's important to note that the refineries at the island of Aruba and Curaçao
possessed oil from wells in Venezuela
and counted for one-third of the Allies supply of gasoline.
The first wartime mission of the newly created Sixth Air Force was to perform antisubmarine operations in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico
areas and to cover Allied shipping convoys in the area. The Sixth Air Force expanded throughout the Caribbean and Latin America, stationing units from Cuba
in the north to British and Dutch Guiana
on the northern coast of South America to protect the Venezuelan oilfields. Air bases were established along the western coast of South America, in Peru
, Ecuador as well as in the Galápagos Islands
, Panama, Guatemala
and Costa Rica
. In order to protect the vital Air Transport Command
South Atlantic Air Route to Europe and North Africa, Sixth Air Force combat units were stationed in Brazil to patrol the South Atlantic air routes.
Sixth Air Force had the responsibility for tracking down "Wolfpacks". "Wolfpacks", consisted of three of more subs together in a mission now known as search and destroy, attacking Allied shipping. As most shipping in the Caribbean was not in defensive convoys, aerial surveillance of the area was crucial to their safety. However, in the fall of 1942 the Germans changed tactics and reduced their submarine activity in the Caribbean region to concentrate its activity on the North Atlantic convoy route and the approaches to northwest Africa. With the withdrawal of submarines from the Caribbean region the Sixth Air Force concentrated its efforts as a striking force on its primary function of guarding against possible attacks on the Panama Canal
.
Postwar Mission
With the end of the war, most of the wartime Caribbean air bases used for antisubmarine patrols were returned to civil authorities in late 1945 or early 1946. The Lend-Lease
air bases from Great Britain, which were on 99-year leases were reduced to skeleton units and used largely as MATS weather stations. They were all closed for budgetary reasons in 1949.
The postwar Sixth Air Force, redesignated Caribbean Air Command as part of the 1946 USAAF reorganization, and its successor units returned to its prewar mission, the defense of the Panama Canal; support for friendly Latin American air forces, and to provide support to Latin American nations engaged in anti-communist activities during the Cold War
. Howard Air Force Base became a focus for military air support, with many surplus USAF aircraft being transferred to Latin American air forces there, as well as the establishment of the Inter-American Air Forces Academy, which provided technical training and education for airmen and officers from approximately 14 Latin American countries.
In the post Vietnam War
drawdown of the USAF, the United States Air Forces Southern Command was inactivated in 1976 for budgetary reasons. Most of its functions and resources passed to the Tactical Air Command
, which established the USAF Southern Air Division
(later 830th Air Division; Air Forces Panama) as the USAF component of the United States Armed Forces in the Panama Canal Zone.
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...
. It was headquartered at Albrook Air Force Base
Albrook Air Force Base
Albrook Air Force Station is a former United States Air Force facility in Panama. It was closed on 30 September 1997 as a result of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties which specified that United States military facilities in the former Panama Canal Zone be closed and the facilities be turned over to the...
, Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
, being inactivated on 1 January 1976.
Formerly designated as Sixth Air Force, the command's mission was the defense of the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
and for USAF relations, including foreign military sales (FMS) and disaster relief assistance, with the Latin American nations. The command supported disaster relief to countries such as Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, Jamaica, Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
, the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, Panama and Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
. It also assisted nations in Central and South America in purchases of United States military aircraft and trained their technicians in logistics and maintenance for the aircraft.
History
397th Bombardment Squadron
The 397th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the VI Bomber Command, based at Rio Hato Army Air Base, Panama. It was inactivated on 1 November 1946.-Heraldry:...
being organized on 29 March at Ancon
Ancón, Panama
Ancón is a "corregimiento" in central Panama , northeast of the [town-]limits of the town of Balboa. Ancon Hill is also the name of a large hill that overlooks Panama City, and served as a form of protection from pirates, and sea invasion...
. It was equipped with Curtiss JN-4
Curtiss JN-4
The Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny" was one of a series of "JN" biplanes built by the Curtiss Aeroplane Company of Hammondsport, New York, later the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. Although the Curtiss JN series was originally produced as a training aircraft for the U.S...
"Jennys" and Curtiss R-3 and R-4 floatplanes
Curtiss Model R
|-See also:-References:*...
.
The squadron initially came under the control of Headquarters, U.S. Troops, Panama Canal Zone, and beginning on 1 July 1917, Army aviation units were assigned directly to the Panama Canal Department, which was the senior United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
headquarters in the Canal Zone. During World War I, the 7th Aero was assigned to patrol for German U-Boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
s offshore of the Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
under direction of Coast Defenses of Cristobal, from 1 June – 15 November 1918.
The 7th Aero Squadron was assigned to several fields during 1917 and 1918, those being Corozal (16 April); Empire (May); Fort Sherman (29 August); Cristobal (March 1918) before finding a permanent home at Coco Walk, which became France Field
Enrique Adolfo Jiménez Airport
Enrique Adolfo Jiménez Airport is a commercial airport located in Colón, Panama, offering scheduled airline flights to the national capital, Panama City, and to other destinations....
in May 1918.
A second permanent army airfield, Albrook Field, opened in 1932 due to France Field becoming too small for the numbers of aircraft being assigned to the Canal Zone, as well as having a poor landing surface; offering no room for expansion, and providing little defense for the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal. A third airfield, Howard Field
Howard Air Force Base
Howard Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located in Panama. It was closed on 1 November 1999 as a result of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties which specified that United States military facilities in the former Panama Canal Zone be closed and the facilities be turned over to the...
was built on the Canal Bruja Point Military Reservation, opening on 1 December 1939. By 1940, a rapid increase in the number of flying squadrons in both the Canal Zone as well as in Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
as a result of the pre–World War II mobilization of the Air Corps warranted a new organization, and the Panama Canal Air Force was created as a major command. After several organizational changes and the establishment of the United States Army Air Forces in 1942, Sixth Air Force became the controlling Air Force command authority for USAAF activities in the Caribbean, as well as in Central
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and South America. Through all these redesignations it was part of the Caribbean Defense Command, (10 February 1941 – 1 November 1947), which was the senior United States Army headquarters in the Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
. The Caribbean Interceptor Command, was the Air Force component (10 February 1941 – 17 October 1941) of the CIC until being inactivated and replaced by VI Interceptor Command.
World War II
German Navy
The German Navy is the navy of Germany and is part of the unified Bundeswehr .The German Navy traces its roots back to the Imperial Fleet of the revolutionary era of 1848 – 52 and more directly to the Prussian Navy, which later evolved into the Northern German Federal Navy...
, Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
, began anti-shipping operations using U-Boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
s in the Caribbean. The subs sank several tankers in the harbor at San Nicholas, Aruba
Aruba
Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
and even shelled an oil refinery on the island. It's important to note that the refineries at the island of Aruba and Curaçao
Curaçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
possessed oil from wells in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
and counted for one-third of the Allies supply of gasoline.
The first wartime mission of the newly created Sixth Air Force was to perform antisubmarine operations in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
areas and to cover Allied shipping convoys in the area. The Sixth Air Force expanded throughout the Caribbean and Latin America, stationing units from Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
in the north to British and Dutch Guiana
Dutch Guiana
Dutch Guiana, also known as Netherlands Guyana or Dutch Guyana , is the name given to various Dutch colonies on the northern coast of South America, created by the Dutch West India Company...
on the northern coast of South America to protect the Venezuelan oilfields. Air bases were established along the western coast of South America, in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, Ecuador as well as in the Galápagos Islands
Galápagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part.The Galápagos Islands and its surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province, a national park, and a...
, Panama, Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
and Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
. In order to protect the vital Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its mission was to meet the urgent demand for the speedy reinforcement of the United States' military bases worldwide during World War II, using an air supply system to supplement surface transport...
South Atlantic Air Route to Europe and North Africa, Sixth Air Force combat units were stationed in Brazil to patrol the South Atlantic air routes.
Sixth Air Force had the responsibility for tracking down "Wolfpacks". "Wolfpacks", consisted of three of more subs together in a mission now known as search and destroy, attacking Allied shipping. As most shipping in the Caribbean was not in defensive convoys, aerial surveillance of the area was crucial to their safety. However, in the fall of 1942 the Germans changed tactics and reduced their submarine activity in the Caribbean region to concentrate its activity on the North Atlantic convoy route and the approaches to northwest Africa. With the withdrawal of submarines from the Caribbean region the Sixth Air Force concentrated its efforts as a striking force on its primary function of guarding against possible attacks on the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
.
Postwar Mission
With the end of the war, most of the wartime Caribbean air bases used for antisubmarine patrols were returned to civil authorities in late 1945 or early 1946. The Lend-Lease
Lend-Lease
Lend-Lease was the program under which the United States of America supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, China, Free France, and other Allied nations with materiel between 1941 and 1945. It was signed into law on March 11, 1941, a year and a half after the outbreak of war in Europe in...
air bases from Great Britain, which were on 99-year leases were reduced to skeleton units and used largely as MATS weather stations. They were all closed for budgetary reasons in 1949.
The postwar Sixth Air Force, redesignated Caribbean Air Command as part of the 1946 USAAF reorganization, and its successor units returned to its prewar mission, the defense of the Panama Canal; support for friendly Latin American air forces, and to provide support to Latin American nations engaged in anti-communist activities during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
. Howard Air Force Base became a focus for military air support, with many surplus USAF aircraft being transferred to Latin American air forces there, as well as the establishment of the Inter-American Air Forces Academy, which provided technical training and education for airmen and officers from approximately 14 Latin American countries.
In the post Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
drawdown of the USAF, the United States Air Forces Southern Command was inactivated in 1976 for budgetary reasons. Most of its functions and resources passed to the Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command
Tactical 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...
, which established the USAF Southern Air Division
Air Forces Panama
The Air Forces Panama, formerly 830th Air Division, is an inactive United States Air Force Division. Its last assignment was with Tactical Air Command, assigned to Twelfth Air Force, being stationed at Howard Air Force Base, Panama. It was inactivated on 11 February 1992.The USAF Southern Airlift...
(later 830th Air Division; Air Forces Panama) as the USAF component of the United States Armed Forces in the Panama Canal Zone.
Lineage
- Established as Panama Canal Air Force on 19 October 1940
- Activated on 20 November 1940
- Redesignated as Caribbean Air Force, on 5 August 1941
- Redesignated as 6th Air Force on 18 September 1942
- Redesignated as Caribbean Air Command on 31 July 1946
- Redesignated as United States Air Forces Southern Command on 8 July 1963
- Inactivated as a Major Command on 1 January 1976
- Activated as Air Forces Panama on 1 January 1976
Units assigned
- Commands
- VI Bomber CommandVI Bomber CommandThe VI Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Sixth Air Force, based at Albrook Field, Canal Zone...
, 25 October 1941 – 1 November 1946 - VI Interceptor Command, 17 October 1941
- Redesignated as: VI Fighter CommandTrinidad Wing, Antilles Air CommandThe Trinidad Wing, Antilles Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Sixth Air Force, based at Waller Field, Trinidad...
, May 1942 – October 1943
- Redesignated as: VI Fighter Command
- XXVI Fighter CommandXXVI Fighter CommandThe XXVI Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Sixth Air Force, based at Albrook Field, Canal Zone...
, 6 March 1942 – 25 August 1946 - XXXVI Fighter CommandXXXVI Fighter CommandThe XXXVI Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Sixth Air Force, based at Waller Field, Trinidad. It was inactivated on 30 April 1943.- Lineage:...
, 21 August 1942 – 30 April 1943 - VI Air Force Service Command, Undetermined
- Antilles Air CommandAntilles Air CommandThe Antilles Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Sixth Air Force, based at Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico...
, 11 July 1941 – 22 January 1949
- Wings
- 6th Fighter Wing, 25 August 1946 – 28 July 1948
- 13th Composite Wing13 Strategic Missile DivisionThe 13 Strategic Missile Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Fifteenth Air Force, based at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming...
, 1 November 1940 – 25 October 1941 - 19th Composite Wing, 25 January 1933
- Redesignated: 19 Wing on 14 July 1937
- Redesignated: 19 Bombardment Wing on 19 October 1940 – 25 October 1941
- 23d Fighter23d WingThe 23d Wing is a front-line United States Air Force Air Combat Command wing currently assigned to Moody Air Force Base, Georgia.-Mission:The mission of the 23d Wing is to organize, train and employ combat-ready A-10, HC-130 and HH-60, as well as pararescuemen and force protection assets...
, 25 April – 24 September 1949 - 24th Composite24th WingThe 24th Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Twelfth Air Force, stationed at Howard Air Force Base, Panama...
, 1967–1976 - 36th Fighter Wing36th WingThe United States Air Force's 36th Wing is the host wing for Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. It is part of United States Pacific Air Forces Thirteenth Air Force...
, 2 July 1948 – 13 August 1948- Attached to 6th Fighter Wing, 2–28 July 1948
- 5700 Composite, 1948–1949; Air Base, 24 October 1954 – 8 November 1967
- Groups
- 25th Bombardment Group25th Tactical Reconnaissance WingThe 25th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing is an inactive United States Air Force wing. Its last duty assignment was at Chambley-Bussieres Air Base, France.-History:...
, 1 November 1940 – 25 October 1941 - 32d Pursuit Group, 1 January 1941 – 18 September 1942
- 36 Pursuit Group (Interceptor)36th WingThe United States Air Force's 36th Wing is the host wing for Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. It is part of United States Pacific Air Forces Thirteenth Air Force...
, 3 June – 25 October 1941 - 37th Pursuit Group (Interceptor)37th Training WingThe 37th Training Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force stationed at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.The 37th TRW provides basic military, professional and technical skills, and English language training for the Air Force, other military services, government agencies, and...
, 19 November 1940 – 18 September 1942 - 53d Fighter Group53d WingThe 53d Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.-Mission:The 53d Wing serves as the focal point for the Combat Air Forces in electronic warfare, armament and avionics, chemical defense, reconnaissance, and aircrew training devices...
, 1 January – 6 March 1942
- Squadrons
- 4th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron4th Tactical Reconnaissance SquadronThe 4th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with 5600th Composite Wing, based at Howard Field, Canal Zone. It was inactivated on 14 March 1949.-History:...
, 25 August 1946 – 1 February 1948 - 20th Troop Carrier Squadron20th Tactical Air Support SquadronThe 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron is the former name of the 20th Reconnaissance Squadron, a unit of the United States Air Force. It is currently assigned to the 432d Wing at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada. Its original term of service overlapped World War II, and it was inactivated in 1949...
, 5 May 1945 – 17 June 1948- Attached to: 314th Troop Carrier Group [later, 314th Troop Carrier Group, Heavy; 314th Troop Carrier Group, Medium314th Airlift WingThe 314th Airlift Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Little Rock Air Force Base in Little Rock, Arkansas.-World War 2 and aftermath:...
], c. November 1946-16 June 1948
- Attached to: 314th Troop Carrier Group [later, 314th Troop Carrier Group, Heavy; 314th Troop Carrier Group, Medium
Assigned Stations
- Permanent
- Albrook Air Force Station, Canal Zone, 1932–1976
- France Air Force BaseEnrique Adolfo Jiménez AirportEnrique Adolfo Jiménez Airport is a commercial airport located in Colón, Panama, offering scheduled airline flights to the national capital, Panama City, and to other destinations....
, Canal Zone, 1917–1949 - Howard Air Force BaseHoward Air Force BaseHoward Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located in Panama. It was closed on 1 November 1999 as a result of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties which specified that United States military facilities in the former Panama Canal Zone be closed and the facilities be turned over to the...
, Canal Zone, 1939–1976 - Rio Hato Army Air BaseRio Hato AirportRío Hato Airport is an airport and former Panamanian Defense Base in Panama, Río Hato.-International Airport:In 2011 the Government of Panama gave the order to proceed for the project to rebuild the airport...
, Panama, 1931–1948 - Borinquen (later Ramey) Air Force BaseRamey Air Force BaseRamey Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. In addition to a small on-site Air Force detachment, and occasional operations by the Puerto Rico Air National Guard, a portion of the former Air Force Base is operated by the United States Coast Guard as Coast...
, Puerto Rico, 1936–1971- (Assigned 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...
, 26 May 1949)
- (Assigned to Strategic Air Command
- Wartime/Lend-Lease
- Coolidge Air Force BaseVC Bird International AirportV. C. Bird International Airport is located on the island of Antigua, northeast of St. John's, the capital of Antigua and Barbuda.- History :...
, Antigua, 1941–1949 - Dakota Army AirfieldQueen Beatrix International AirportQueen Beatrix International Airport , in Oranjestad, Aruba, is an aviation facility. It has flight services to the United States, most countries in the Caribbean, the northern coastal countries of South America, Canada and some parts of Europe, notably the Netherlands...
, Aruba, 1942–1944 - Batista Army AirfieldBatista Army AirfieldSan Antonio de los Baños Air Base is a military air base located near San Antonio de los Baños, a municipality in the province of Havana in Cuba. It is located approximately southwest of the city of San Antonio de los Baños, about southwest of Havana.- 1942 :The station was built in 1942 and...
, Cuba, 1942–1946 - Camaguey Air BaseIgnacio Agramonte International AirportIgnacio Agramonte International Airport is an international airport in central Camagüey Province, Cuba. It serves the cities of Camagüey and Santa Lucia.-Airlines and destinations:...
, Cuba, 1942–1944 - Vernam Air Force BaseVernam Air Force BaseVernam Field is a former World War II United States Army Air Forces airfield located in Clarendon Parish, west-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica...
, Jamaica, 1941–1949 - Arecibo FieldAntonio (Nery) Juarbe Pol AirportAntonio Juarbe Pol Airport is a public airport located three miles southeast of the central business district of Arecibo, in Puerto Rico.Although most U.S...
, Puerto Rico, 1941–1943 - Losey Army AirfieldLosey Army AirfieldLosey Army Airfield is a former United States Army Air Forces World War II air base on Juana Díaz, Puerto Rico. It is located on the southern coast of Puerto Rico....
, Puerto Rico, 1941–1944 - Benedict Army Airfield, Saint Croix, 1941–1942
- Beane Air Force BaseHewanorra International AirportHewanorra International Airport , near Vieux Fort Quarter, Saint Lucia, in the Caribbean, is the larger of the country's two airports and is managed by the Saint Lucia Air and Seaports Authority ....
, Saint Lucia, 1941–1949 - Saint Thomas AirportCyril E. King Airport-Cargo:*Ameriflight *Four Star Aviation*FedEx-Accidents and incidents:On December 28, 1970, Trans Caribbean Airways Flight 505 made a hard landing and ran off the side of the runway. Two of the 48 passengers died in the subsequent fire....
, Saint ThomasSaint Thomas, U.S. Virgin IslandsSaint Thomas is an island in the Caribbean Sea and with the islands of Saint John, Saint Croix, and Water Island a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands , an unincorporated territory of the United States. Located on the island is the territorial capital and port of...
, 1942–1943 - Carlsen Air Force BaseCarlsen Air Force BaseCarlsen Air Force Base is a former United States Army Air Forces World War II airbase on Trinidad, consisting of two landing strips, "Edinburgh" and "Xeres"...
, Trinidad, 1941–1949 - Piarco AirportPiarco International AirportPiarco International Airport is the main airport serving Trinidad and Tobago located in Piarco, a town in northern Trinidad, about east of the capital city, Port of Spain. It is one of two international airports serving the twin isle republic. The other is located on the island of Tobago, A.N.R...
, Trinidad, 1941–1943 - Waller Air Force BaseWaller Air Force BaseWaller Air Force Base is a former United States Army Air Forces World War II air base located in northeastern Trinidad. It is located about 5 miles southwest of Valencia south of the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway.-History:...
, Trinidad, 1941–1949 - Aguadulce Army AirfieldAguadulce Army AirfieldAguadulce Army Airfield is a former United States Army Air Forces World War II airfield in Panama used as part of the defense of the Panama Canal. It was closed on 1 March 1948....
, Panama, 1941–1945 - Anton Army AirfieldAnton Army AirfieldAnton Army Airfield is a former United States Army Air Forces World War II airfield in Panama used as an auxiliary of Howard Field as part of the defense of the Panama Canal.Wartime units assigned to the station were:...
, Panama, 1943
- Calzada Larga Army AirfieldCalzada Larga AirportCalzada Larga Airport is an airport in Panama.During World War II the facility was used as part of the defense of the Panama Canal. The USAAF XXVI Fighter Command 29th Fighter Squadron used the airfield from 17 May 1942-25 March 1944, flying A-24 Dauntless dive bombers. The squadron flew...
, Panama, 1942–1944 - Chame Army AirfieldChame AirportChame Airport is an airport in Panama.During World War II the facility was used as an auxiliary military airfield of Howard Field as part of the defense of the Panama Canal...
, Panama, 1942–1945 - David Army AirfieldEnrique Malek International Airport-Accidents and incidents:On July 13, 1943, there was an accident at this airfield that claimed the life of 12 airmen when their B-17 Flying Fortress stalled during approach and crashed in the runway....
, Panama, 1941–1945 - La Chorrera Army AirfieldLa Chorrera Army AirfieldLa Chorrera Army Airfield is a former United States Army Air Forces World War II air base on Panama. It was a sub-base of Albrook Field and later Howard Field which used for dispersal and overflow units as part of the defense of the Panama Canal....
, Panama, 1941–1944 - Madden Army AirfieldMadden Army AirfieldMadden Army Airfield is a former United States Army Air Forces World War II air base on Panama as part of the defense of the Panama Canal. The airfield was built to defend Madden Lake and Dam. The 24th Fighter Squadron was assigned to the station from 8 March to 15 August 1944 flying P-39...
, Panama, 1944 - Patilla Point Army AirfieldTocumen International AirportTocumen International Airport is an international airport located from Panama City, Panama. In 2006, it underwent a major expansion and renovation program in order to modernize and improve its facilities...
, Panama, 1944 - Pocri Army AirfieldPanama City Metropolitan AirportPoncri Auxiliary Aerodrome is a former airport in Panama.During World War II the airfield was used by the United States Army Air Forces Sixth Air Force as an auxiliary of Howard Field as part of the defense of the Panama Canal...
, Panama, 1944 - Belém Army AirfieldVal de Cães International AirportBelém-Val de Cães/Júlio Cezar Ribeiro International Airport is the main airport serving Belém, Brazil. Val de Cães, the name of the neighborhood where the airport is located, is the most common spelling although Val de Cans is also considered correct...
, Brazil, 1941–1945 - Atkinson Air Force BaseCheddi Jagan International AirportCheddi Jagan International Airport , formerly Timehri International Airport, is the national airport of Guyana. The airport is located on the right bank of the Demerara River in the city of Timehri, south of Guyana's capital, Georgetown.-History:...
, British Guiana, 1941–1948 - Zandery Army AirfieldJohan Adolf Pengel International AirportJohan Adolf Pengel International Airport , also known as Paramaribo-Zanderij International Airport, is an airport located in the town of Zanderij, 45 km south of Paramaribo...
, Dutch Guiana, 1941–1946 - Salinas Army AirfieldGeneral Ulpiano Paez AirportGeneral Ulpiano Paez Airport is a public/military joint-use airport located near Salinas, a city in the province of Santa Elena in Ecuador.-History:...
, Ecuador, 1942–1943 - Seymour Island AirfieldSeymour AirportSeymour Airport is an airport serving the island of Baltra, one of the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador.- Facilities :The airport resides at an elevation of above mean sea level...
, Galápagos Islands, 1942–1948 - Guatemala City Air BaseLa Aurora International AirportLa Aurora International Airport serves Guatemala City, Guatemala. It is located south of Guatemala City's center and from Antigua. It is administered by the Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil....
, Guatemala, 1941–1949 - Talara Army AirfieldCap. FAP Victor Montes Arias Airport-External links:...
, Peru, 1942–1947