Lineage

Organized as 30th Aero Squadron on 13 Jun 1917. Demobilized on 14 Apr 1919. Reconstituted, and redesignated 30th Bombardment Squadron, on 24 Mar 1923. Activated on 24 Jun 1932. Redesignated: 30th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 6 Dec 1939; 30th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy, on 28 Mar 1944. Inactivated on 1 Apr 1944. Activated on 1 Apr 1944. Redesignated: 30th Bombardment Squadron, Medium, on 10 Aug 1948; 30th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy, on 1 Jul 1961. Discontinued, and inactivated, on 1 Feb 1963. Consolidated (19 Sep 1985) with unit constituted as USAF Air Demonstration Squadron, and activated, on 13 Feb 1967. Organized on 25 Feb 1967.

Assignments

Unkn, 13 Jun-Sep 1917; Third Aviation Instruction Center, Sep 1917-Jan 1919; unkn, Jan-14 Apr 1919. 19th Bombardment Group, 24 Jun 1932-1 Apr 1944 (ground echelon attached to 5th Interceptor Command, c. 20 Dec 1941- May 1942). 19th Bombardment Group, 1 Apr 1944; 19th Bombardment Wing, 1 Jun 1953; 4133d Strategic Wing, 1 Jan 1962-1 Feb 1963. Tactical Air Command, 13 Feb 1967; USAF Tactical Fighter Weapons Center, 25 Feb 1967; 57th Fighter Weapons (later, 57th Tactical Training; 57th Fighter Weapons; 57th Fighter; 57th) Wing, 15 Feb 1974-.

Stations

Camp Kelly (later, Kelly Field), TX, 13 Jun 1917; Fort Totten, NY, 16-22 Aug 1917; Southampton, England, 15 Sep 1917; Etampes, France, 19 Sep 1917; Issoudun, France, 23 Sep 1917; Bordeaux, France, c. 6 Jan-c. 18 Mar 1919; Mitchel Field, NY, c. 5-14 Apr 1919. Rockwell Field, CA, 24 Jun 1932; March Field, CA, 25 Oct 1935; Albuquerque, NM, c. 1 Jun-27 Sep 1941; Clark Field, Philippines, c. 23 Oct 1941; Batchelor, Australia, c. 20 Dec 1941 (ground echelon in Luzon and Mindanao, Philippines, c. 20 Dec 1941-May 1942); Singosari, Java, c. 31 Dec 1941; Melbourne, Australia, c. 5 Mar 1942; Cloncurry, Australia, c. 27 Mar 1942; Longreach, Australia, c. 13 May 1942; Mareeba, Australia, c. 24 Jul-c. 10 Nov 1942; Pocatello, ID, c. 9 Dec 1942; Pyote AAB, TX, 24 Jan 1943-1 Apr 1944. Great Bend AAFld, KS, 1 Apr 1944; Dalhart AAFld, TX, 26 May 1944; Great Bend AAFld, KS, 23 Aug- 7 Dec 1944; Fort Lawton, WA, 11-19 Dec 1944; North Field (later, Andersen AFB), Guam, 16 Jan 1945; Kadena AB, Okinawa, 1 Jul 1950-16 May 1954; Pinecastle AFB, FL, 30 May 1954; Homestead AFB, FL, 1 Jun 1956; Grand Forks AFB, ND, 1 Jan 1962-1 Feb 1963. Nellis AFB, NV, 25 Feb 1967-.

Aircraft

Included O-27, OA-4, YOA-5, B-3, and B-12 during period 1932-1936; included B-10, B-18, and B-17, successively, during period 1935-1941; B-17, and probably B-24 and LB-30, 1941-1942; B-17, 1942-1944. B-29, 1944- 1954; B-47, 1954-1961; B-52, 1962-1963. F-100, 1967-1968; F-4, 1969- 1973; T-38, 1974-1986; F-16, 1982-.

Operations

Repaired and overhauled aircraft engines in France, Sep 1917-Nov 1918. Combat in Southwest Pacific, 7 Dec 1941-c. 16 Nov 1942; ground echelon fought with infantry units, in the Philippines Islands, c. 20 Dec 1941-May 1942. Replacement training in the US, 1943-1944. Combat in Western Pacific c. 12 Feb-15 Aug 1945. Combat in Korea, 28 Jun 1950-25 Jul 1953. Precision aerobatic demonstrations (popularly known as the "Thunderbirds" squadron), 1967-.

Honors

Service Streamers. World War I Theater of Operations.

Campaign Streamers. World War II: Philippine Islands; East Indies; Papua; Guadalcanal; Western Pacific; Air Offensive, Japan; Air Combat, Asiatic-Pacific Theater. Korea: UN Defensive; UN Offensive; CCF Intervention; First UN Counteroffensive; CCF Spring Offensive; UN Summer-Fall Offensive; Second Korean Winter; Korean Summer-Fall, 1952; Third Korean Winter; Korea, Summer 1953.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.

Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Philippine Islands, 7 Dec 1941-10 May 1942; Philippine Islands, 8-22 Dec 1941; Philippines and Netherlands Indies, 1 Jan- 1 Mar 1942; Philippine Islands, 6 Jan-8 Mar 1942; Papua, 23 Jul-[c. 10 Nov] 1942; New Britain, 7-12 Aug 1942; Japan, 9-19 Mar 1945; Kobe, Japan, 5 Jun 1945; Korea, 28 Jun-15 Sep 1950. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: [25 Feb 1967]-31 Dec 1968; 1 Jan-31 Dec 1973; 1 Jan-31 Dec 1974; 1 Jan 1979-31 Dec 1980. Air Force Organizational Excellence Awards: 1 Jan 1984- 31 Dec 1985; 1 Jan 1986-31 Dec 1987; 30 Sep 1989-30 Sep 1991. Philippine Presidential Unit Citation (WWII). Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation: 7 Jul 1950-27 Jul 1953.

Emblem

On a White disc with an attached White scroll below the disc, all edged Black, a Blue Thunderbird with Yellow beak and eye, surmounted by a Red disc charged with a White five-pointed star, all above an arced inscription, THUNDERBIRDS, in Black script. Approved on 14 Jun 1977 (KE 62880); replaced emblems approved on 8 Sep 1953 (47563 A.C.) and 9 Jan 1933 (8545 A.C.).