94th Flying Training Squadron

94th Flying Training Squadron [1]
94th Flying Training Squadron Patch
Active	1 June 1943 - 31 July 1946 27 June 1949 - 3 April 1951 1 October 1983 - Present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Part of	Air Education and Training Command 19th Air Force 306th Flying Training Group
Garrison/HQ	United States Air Force Academy
Engagements	Operation Overlord Operation Dragoon Operation Market Garden Operation Varsity
Decorations	DUC FCdG w/ Palm French Fourragère

A UV-18B used for parachute training.

Douglas C-47A-80-DL Serial 43-15159 of the 94th Troop Carrier Squadron in Normady Invasion Markings.

The 94th Flying Training Squadron (94 FTS) is part of the 306th Flying Training Group based at United States Air Force Academy, Colorado. It conducts glider training for Air Force Academy cadets. The squadron is augmented by the Reserve 70th Flying Training Squadron.^[2]

History

Activated in June 1943 under I Troop Carrier Command and equipped with C-47 Skytrains. Trained in various parts of the eastern United States until the end of 1943. Deployed to England and assigned to IX Troop Carrier Command, Ninth Air Force.

Prepared for the invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe. Began operations by dropping paratroops of the 101st Airborne Division in Normandy on D-Day (6 June 1944) and releasing gliders with reinforcements on the following day. The unit received a Distinguished Unit Citation and a French citation for these missions. After the Normandy invasion the squadron ferried supplies in the United Kingdom.

After moving to France in September, the unit dropped paratroops of the 82nd Airborne Division near Nijmegen and towed gliders carrying reinforcements during the airborne attack on the Netherlands. In December, it participated in the Battle of the Bulge by releasing gliders with supplies for the 101st Airborne Division near Bastogne.

When the Allies made the air assault across the Rhine River in March 1945, each aircraft towed two gliders with troops of the 17th Airborne Division and released them near Wesel. The squadron also hauled food, clothing, medicine, gasoline, ordnance equipment, and other supplies to the front lines and evacuated patients to rear zone hospitals. It converted from C-47s to C-46s and the new aircraft to transport displaced persons from Germany to France and Belgium after V-E Day.

Returned to the U.S. during the period July–September 1945, and trained with C-46 aircraft until inactivated.

The squadron has taught soaring and parachuting to cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy since October 1983.^[1]

Operations and Decorations

• Combat Operations: Airborne assaults on Normandy, Southern France, the Netherlands, and Germany; relief of Bastogne, transportation of personnel and cargo in ETO and MTO during World War II.
• Campaigns: Rome-Arno, Normandy; Northern France; Southern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe.
• Decorations: Distinguished Unit Citation. France, [6-7] Jun 1944. French Croix de Guerre with Palm. [6-7] Jun 1944; 15 Aug 1944. French Fourragere.

Lineage

• Constituted as 94th Troop Carrier Squadron on 14 May 1943

Activated on 1 Jun 1943

Inactivated on 31 Jul 1946

• Re-designated as 94th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium, on 19 May 1949

Activated in the Reserve on 27 Jun 1949

Ordered to active service on 1 Apr 1951

Inactivated on 3 Apr 1951

• Re-designated as 94th Airmanship Training Squadron on 30 Sep 1983

Activated on 1 Oct 1983

Re-designated as 94th Flying Training Squadron on 31 Oct 1994.

^[1]

Assignments

• 439th Troop Carrier Group, 1 Jun 1943
• Third Air Force, 10 Jun-31 Jul 1946
• 439th Troop Carrier Group, 27 Jun 1949-3 Apr 1951
• United States Air Force Academy, 1 Oct 1983
• 34th Operations Group, 31 Oct 1994
• 306th Flying Training Group, 4 Oct 2004–Present

^[1]

Stations

Alliance Army Air Field, Nebraska, 1 June 1943 Sedalia Army Air Field, Missouri, 15 June 1943 Alliance Army Air Field, Nebraska, 2 August 1943 Laurinburg-Maxton Army Air Base, North Carolina 16 December 1943 Baer Field, Indiana, 2–14 February 1944 RAF Balderton (AAF-482), England, 10 March 1944 RAF Upottery (AAF-462), England, 26 April 1944

Juvincourt Airfield (A-68), France, 8 September 1944 Lonray Airfield (A-45), France, 28 September 1944 Chateaudun Airfield (A-39), France, 4 November 1944 – 7 September 1945 Baer Field, Indiana, 22 September 1945 Sedalia Army Air Field, Missouri, 7 October 1945 – 10 June 1946 Selfridge AFB, Michigan, 27 Jun 1949-3 Apr 1951 USAF Academy, Colorado, 1 Oct 1983–Present

^[1]

Aircraft

C-47 Skytrain (1943–1945) C-46 Commando (1945–1946) T-6 Texan (1949–1950) T-7 Navigator (1949–1951) T-11 Kansan (1949–1951) TC-46 (1949–1951)

UV-18 Twin Otter (1983 - 1994) TG-10B (2002–2012) TG-10C (2002-2011) TG-15A (2008–present) TG-15B (2008–present) TG-16A (2011–present)

^[1]

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

1. AFHRA 94 FTS Page
2. 70th FTS flexes wartime muscle

• 94th Flying Training Squadron History
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.

See also