Lineage

Organized as 86th Aero Squadron on 17 Aug 1917. Demobilized on 26 May 1919. Reconstituted, and consolidated (1 Dec 1936) with 86th Observation Squadron, which was constituted and activated on 1 Mar 1935. Inactivated on 1 Sep 1936. Activated on 1 Feb 1940. Redesignated: 86th Observation Squadron (Medium) on 26 Feb 1942; 86th Observation Squadron on 4 Jul 1942; 86th Reconnaissance Squadron (Bomber) on 31 May 1943; 86th Combat Mapping Squadron on 13 Nov 1943; 43d Reconnaissance Squadron, Long Range, Photographic, on 16 Jun 1945. Inactivated on 22 Feb 1946. Redesignated 43d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Night-Photographic, on 14 Jan 1954. Activated on 18 Mar 1954. Redesignated 43d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Night Photo-Jet, on 8 Apr 1956. Inactivated on 18 May 1959. Redesignated 43d Electronic Combat Squadron on 6 Jun 1986. Activated on 1 Oct 1986. Inactivated on 31 Jul 1991. Activated on 1 May 1992.

Assignments

Unkn, 17 Aug 1917?Sep 1918; Advanced Air Service Depot, Sep 1918?Mar 1919; unkn, Mar?26 May 1919. Air Corps Tactical School, 1 Mar 1935?1 Sep 1936. Hawaiian Department, 1 Feb 1940; Hawaiian (later, Seventh) Air Force, Nov 1940; AAF, Pacific Ocean Areas (later, US Army Strategic Air Forces), 24 Oct 1944 (attached to VI Air Service Area Command, 24 Oct 1944?14 Sep 1945; detachment attached to 4th Reconnaissance Group, Jun?Aug 1945); US Army Forces, Middle Pacific, 14 Sep 1945 (attached to 7th Fighter Wing to 22 Feb 1946); Twentieth Air Force, 18 Sep 1945; Seventh Air Force, 1 Jan?22 Feb 1946. 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 18 Mar 1954; 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 8 Feb 1958?18 May 1959 (attached to 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, c. 1 Feb?7 Apr 1959). 66th Electronic Combat Wing, 1 Oct 1986?31 Jul 1991. 355th Operations Group, 1 May 1992?.

Stations

Kelly Field, TX, 17 Aug 1917; Scott Field, IL, 24 Sep 1917; Garden City, NY, 26 Feb?5 Mar 1918; Shoreham by Sea, England, 25 Mar?11 Aug 1918; St Maixent, France, 15 Aug 1918; Romorantin, France, c. 25 Aug 1918; Vavincourt, France, 4 Sep 1918; Behonne, France, 18 Sep 1918; Bordeaux, France, c. 9 Mar 1919?unkn; Camp Lee, VA, c. 23?26 May 1919. Maxwell Field, AL, 1 Mar 1935?1 Sep 1936. Wheeler Field, TH, 1 Feb 1940; Bellows Field, TH, 15 Mar 1941; Hilo Aprt, TH, Jun 1942; Wheeler Field, TH, 17 Aug 1942?c. 28 Jun 1944 (detachment operated from Kwajalein, May?Jun 1944, and from Eniwetok, Jun?Aug 1944); Saipan, 8 Jul?6 Nov 1944 (air echelon, less Eniwetok detachment, at Wheeler Field, TH, to Oct 1944, and at Kahuka AAB, TH, from Oct 1944); Kahuka AAB, TH, 24 Nov 1944 (detachment operated from Puerta Princesa, Palawan, Jun?Aug 1945); Wheeler Field, TH, Feb?22 Feb 1946. Shaw AFB, SC, 18 Mar 1954?18 May 1959. Sembach AB, Germany, 1 Oct 1986?31 Jul 1991. Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, 1 May 1992?.



Aircraft

Included O?19 during period 1935?1936. In addition to O?47, 1940?1943, and B?18, 1942?1943, included B?12, 1940?1942, O?49, 1941?1942; and A?20, A?24, L?2, L?3, PQ?8, and AT?23, 1943; principally F?7, 1944?1945. RB?57, 1954?1956; RB?66, 1956?1959. EC?130, 1987?1991. EC?130, 1992?.

Operations

Air Park in Zone of Advance, Sep 1918?Mar 1919. Patrols over Hawaiian waters, 7 Dec 1941?c. May 1942; combat in Central Pacific and Western Pacific, 14 Apr?8 Aug 1944; primarily aerial transportation, Feb?Jul 1945; reconnaissance in Southwest Pacific, 6 Jul?c. 5 Aug 1945. Photographic reconnaissance over the southwestern US, Mar 1954?May 1959. Electronic countermeasures, 1987?1991 and 1992?. Provided crewmen and equipment for electronic combat operations during the Gulf War, 17 Jan?10 Mar 1991.

Honors

Service Streamers. None.

Campaign Streamers. World War I: Meuse-Argonne. World War II: Central Pacific; Eastern Mandates; Western Pacific; Southern Philippines; China Offensive; Air Combat, Asiatic-Pacific Theater. Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.

Decorations. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award: 1 Jun 1989?31 May 1991.

Emblem

On a disc divided horizontally Red above White, a Black bat displayed throughout detailed White with Red eyes and mouth wearing a Silver Gray helmet and a Blue scarf detailed Black; all within a narrow Black border. Approved on 5 Nov 1987 (DFSC 88?01580); replaced emblem approved on 29 Apr 1955 (152520 A.C.).