702d Tactical Air Support Squadron

702d Tactical Air Support Squadron
	Emblem first approved for the 12th Reconnaissance Squadron
Active	1941-1944, 1944, 1944-1946, 1969-1975
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Bombardment
Engagements	Pacific Theater
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation; Air Force Outstanding Unit Award

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The 702d Tactical Air Support Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 601st Tactical Air Control Wing at Bergstrom AFB, Texas, where it was inactivated on 30 November 1975.

During World War II the squadron was active as the 402d Bombardment Squadron It was a training unit from 1941 to 1944 and then served in combat in the Pacific Theater. It was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citations for combat in Japan before inactivating on 15 April 1946.

History

The squadron was first activated in January 1941 as the 12th Reconnaissance Squadron, a long-range air reconnaissance at Fort Douglas, Utah. It was equipped with a mixture of early-model Boeing B-17C/D Flying Fortress and North American B-25 Mitchells and assigned to the GHQ Air Force. It moved to Geiger Field, Washington where the squadron flew training missions and also reconnaissance missions along the Northwest Pacific Coast. After the Pearl Harbor Attack, the squadron was redesignated the 402d Bombardment Squadron as the United States Army Air Forces added a fourth bombardment squadron to its groups. became first an Operational Training Unit (OTU) at Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona, later converting to a B-24 Liberator Replacement Training Unit (RTU).

The squadron inactivated in April 1944 with the reduction of heavy bomber training. It was reactivated the same day to become a Boeing B-29 Superfortress unit, but was inactivated the following month when very heavy bombardment groups were reduced from four to three squadrons. It was then activated as part of a newly formed B-29 group at Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas. There it was initially equipped with B-17s for training, due to shortage of B-29s. The 492d moved to Harvard Army Air Field, Nebraska in August 1944 and equipped with B-29B limited production aircraft.

After completion of training the squadron deployed to Central Pacific Area and became part of XXI Bomber Command at Northwest Field (Guam) for operational missions. B-29Bs were standard production aircraft stripped of most defensive guns to increase speed and bomb load, The tail gun was aimed and fired automatically by the new AN/APG-15B radar fire control system that detected the approaching enemy plane and made all the necessary calculations.

The mission of the squadron was the strategic bombardment of the Japanese Home Islands. It entered combat on 16 June 1945 with a bombing raid against an airfield on Moen. It flew its first mission against the Japanese home islands on 26 June 1945 and afterwards operated principally against the enemy's petroleum industry. Flew primarily low-level, fast attacks at night using a mixture of high-explosive and incendary bombs to attack targets.

The 402d flew its last combat mission on 15 August 1945 and was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for its operations that month. It later flew in a "Show of Force" mission on 2 September 1945 over Tokyo Bay during the formal Japanese Surrender. The Squadron was inactivated on Guam 15 April 1946. Its personnel returned to the United States and its aircraft were sent to storage in Southwest United States.

In 1969, the 702d Tactical Air Support Squadron activated at Bergstrom AFB to provide light airlift and forward control support for the Tactical Air Control System (TACS), the deployable command and control system of Tactical Air Command under the control of Twelfth Air Force. It continued this mission, maintaining readiness to deploy and participating in exercises for the next thirteen years until inactivating late in 1975.