Lineage

Constituted 563 Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 19 Dec 1942. Activated on 24 Dec 1942. Redesignated 563 Bombardment Squadron, Heavy, on 20 Aug 1943. Inactivated on 28 Aug 1945. Redesignated 563 Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy, on 5 May 1947. Activated in the Reserve on 12 Jun 1947. Inactivated on 27 Jun 1949. Redesignated 563 Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 5 Nov 1953. Activated on 23 Nov 1953. Inactivated on 10 Dec 1957. Redesignated 563 Tactical Fighter Squadron, and activated, on 1 May 1962. Organized on 1 Oct 1962. Inactivated on 31 Jul 1972. Redesignated 563 Tactical Fighter Training Squadron on 15 Jul 1975. Activated on 31 Jul 1975. Redesignated 563 Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 Jul 1977. Inactivated on 5 Oct 1989. Redesignated 563 Flying Training Squadron on 14 Dec 1992. Activated on 14 May 1993. Inactivated on 3 Jun 1996. Activated on 30 Apr 1999.

Assignments

388 Bombardment Group, 24 Dec 1942-28 Aug 1945. 338 Bombardment Group, 12 Jun 1947-27 Jun 1949. 388 Fighter-Bomber Group, 23 Nov 1953-10 Dec 1957 (attached to 388 Fighter-Bomber Wing, 1 Jul-10 Dec 1957). Tactical Air Command, 1 May 1962; 388 Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 Oct 1962; 23 Tactical Fighter Wing, 8 Feb 1964 (attached to 2 Air Division, 8-9 Apr 1965, and to 6235 Tactical Fighter Wing [Provisional], 10 Apr-15 Aug 1965); 832 Air Division, 1-31 Jul 1972. 35 Tactical Fighter Wing, 31 Jul 1975; 37 Tactical Fighter Wing, 30 Mar 1981-5 Oct 1989. 12 Operations Group, 14 May 1993-3 Jun 1996. 12 Operations Group, 30 Apr 1999-.

Stations

Gowen Field, ID, 24 Dec 1942; Wendover Field, UT, c. 1 Feb 1943; Sioux City AAB, IA, 1 May-8 Jun 1943; Knettishall, England, 23 Jun 1943-Aug 1945; Sioux Falls AAfld, SD, 13-28 Aug 1945. Orchard Place (later, Chicago-Orchard) Aprt, IL, 12 Jun 1947-27 Jun 1949. Clovis AFB, NM, 23 Nov 1953-28 Nov 1954; Bitburg AB, Germany, 12 Dec 1954 (deployed at Etain/Rouvres AB, France, 20 Jun-6 Jul 1955); Etain/Rouvres AB, France, 7 Jul 1955-10 Dec 1957. McConnell AFB, KS, 1 Oct 1962-31 Jul 1972 (deployed at Takhli RTAFB, Thailand, 8 Apr-15 Aug 1965 and at Eglin AFB, FL, 22 Apr-3 Jun 1971). George AFB, CA, 31 Jul 1975-5 Oct 1989. Randolph AFB, TX, 14 May 1993-3 Jun 1996. Randolph AFB, TX, 30 Apr 1999-.

Commanders

None (not manned), 24 Dec 1942-31 Jan 1943; Lt Col Francis J. Henggeler, 1 Feb 1943; Maj William H. Harrell, c. 8 Oct 1944; Maj William J. Atkinson, 1 Jan 1945; Capt William B. Wade, c. 22 Jun 1945-unkn. Unkn, 12 Jun 1947-27 Jun 1949. 2Lt James H. Boundy (acting), 23 Nov 1953; Maj Harry M. Chapman, 1 Feb 1954; Lt Col Ernest T. Cragg, by Nov 1954; Maj Roy L. Carr, by Mar 1955-10 Dec 1957. None (not manned), 1 Oct 1962-c. Apr 1963; Lt Col James M. Morris, by 1 Jul 1963; Lt Col Howard F. Hendricks, c. Jan 1964; Maj Jack F. Brown, by Jul 1965; Maj Everett W. Harris, by Dec 1965-14 Aug 1966; none (not manned), 15 Aug-2 Nov 1966; Lt Col Joe W. Pickett, 3 Nov 1966; Col William N. Dillard, 13 Sep 1968; Lt Col James W. Mathews, 1 Apr 1970; Lt Col Philip O. Bradley, c. 7 Jul 1971-c. 31 Jul 1972. Lt Col Kenneth W. Lyon, 31 Jul 1975; Lt Col Russell H. Bartlett, 1 Sep 1976; Lt Col James H. Martin, 2 May 1977; Lt Col Leonard C. Ekman, 1 Oct 1978; Lt Col Gordon F. Billington, 7 Mar 1980; Lt Col Alfred P. Adams, 5 Mar 1982; Lt Col Richard A. Rash III, 6 Jan 1984; Lt Col Richard Mangnall, 29 Nov 1984; Lt Col Thomas M. Lillis, 30 Dec 1986; Lt Col Lawrence E. Ernst, late Sep 1988; unkn, 22 Sep-5 Oct 1989. Lt Col Thomas M. Hall, 14 May 1993; Lt Col William N. Holway, 18 Nov 1994-3 Jun 1996.

Aircraft

B-17, 1943-1945. AT-6, 1947-1949; AT-11, 1947-1949; C-46, 1949; C-47, 1949; B-26, 1949. F-86, 1954-1956; F-100, 1957. F-100, 1963-1964; F-105, 1963-1966, 1966-1972. F-4, 1975-1989. T-43, 1993-1996.

Operations

Combat in ETO, 17 Jul 1943-21 Apr 1945. Combat in Southeast Asia, 8 Apr-15 Aug 1965. Replacement training, 1 Jan 1966-30 Sep 1970. Electronic warfare training and operations, late 1975-Oct 1989. Undergraduate navigator training, 1993-1996.

Service Streamers

None.

Campaign Streamers

World War II: Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe; Air Combat, EAME Theater. Vietnam: Vietnam Defensive.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers

None.

Decorations

Distinguished Unit Citations: Germany, 17 Aug 1943; for three missions (Hannover, Germany, 26 Jul 1943; Brux, Czechoslovakia, 12 May 1944; England to Russia, 21 Jun 1944). Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards with Combat "V" Device: 8 Apr-8 Jun 1965; 29 Jun-15 Aug 1965. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jun 1970-15 Jun 1971; 2 Feb 1976-31 Mar 1977; 1 Jun 1985-31 May 1987; 14 May-30 Jun 1993; 1 Jul 1993-30 Jun 1994; 1 Jul 1995-[3] Jun 1996.

Emblem

Approved on 4 Feb 1955.

Lineage, Assignments, Components, Stations, and Honors through 7 Jul 2000.

Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through June 1996.