History
Activated in March 1944 at Hammer Field, California. The 547th was one of the last purpose-activated night fighter squadrons of World War II. Trained in Southern California, under IV Fighter Command initially equipped with specifically modified twin-seat black painted P-38M Lightnings equipped with AN/APS-6 radar in an external radome underneath the nose, relocated radio equipment and anti-flash gun muzzles. The pilot sat in the front seat, radar operator in the rear.
Deployed to the Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA) in September 1944, being assigned to Fifth Air Force and engaged in defensive night operations, also conducting night interdiction raids on enemy targets. Received P-61 Black Widows in Oct 1944 at Owi Airfield, Netherlands East Indies. Operated in NEI, Philippines, Okinawa.
Moved to Japan in October 1945 as part of Fifth Air Force occupation Forces, Inactivated in Japan February 1946.
Trained US and allied forward air controllers, 1969-1975 and psychological warfare pilots, 1969-1972.
Serves as USAFs center of excellence for adversary tactics analysis; develops intelligence threat training programs; defines potential threats to the US, provides intelligence support to Air Combat Command's test and evaluation programs and live-fly exercises, 1991-present.
Read more about this topic: 547th Intelligence Squadron
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“It’s nice to be a part of history but people should get it right. I may not be perfect, but I’m bloody close.”
—John Lydon (formerly Johnny Rotten)
“When the landscape buckles and jerks around, when a dust column of debris rises from the collapse of a block of buildings on bodies that could have been your own, when the staves of history fall awry and the barrel of time bursts apart, some turn to prayer, some to poetry: words in the memory, a stained book carried close to the body, the notebook scribbled by hand—a center of gravity.”
—Adrienne Rich (b. 1929)
“The custard is setting; meanwhile
I not only have my own history to worry about
But am forced to fret over insufficient details related to large
Unfinished concepts that can never bring themselves to the point
Of being, with or without my help, if any were forthcoming.”
—John Ashbery (b. 1927)