Lineage. Constituted as 512 Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 19 Oct 1942. Activated on 31 Oct 1942. Redesignated as: 512 Bombardment Squadron, Heavy, on 3 May 1944; 512 Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy, on 23 May 1945. Inactivated on 26 Mar 1946. Redesignated as 512 Reconnaissance Squadron, Very Long Range, Weather, on 6 May 1947. Activated on 23 May 1947. Inactivated on 20 Sep 1948. Activated on 13 Feb 1949. Inactivated on 20 Feb 1951. Redesignated as 512 Bombardment Squadron, Medium, on 25 May 1951. Activated on 1 Jun 1951. Discontinued, and inactivated, on 15 Mar 1965. Redesignated as 512 Special Operations Squadron on 25 Mar 1994. Activated 1 Apr 1994. Redesignated as 512 Rescue Squadron on 6 Oct 2000.
Assignments. 376 Bombardment Group, 31 Oct 1942; 468 Bombardment Group, 10 Nov 1945-26 Mar 1946. 376 Reconnaissance Group, 23 May 1947; Air Weather Service, 16 Sep 1947; 308 Reconnaissance Group, 14 Oct 1947-20 Sep 1948. 308 Reconnaissance Group, 13 Feb 1949; 2143 Air Weather Wing, 14 Nov 1949-20 Feb 1951 . 376 Bombardment Group, 1 Jun 1951 (attached to 376 Bombardment Wing, 1 Jun 1951-15 Jun 1952); 376 Bombardment Wing, 16 Jun 1952-15 Mar 1965. 58 Operations Group, 1 Apr 1994-.
Stations. Lydda, Palestine, 31 Oct 1942; Abu Sueir, Egypt, 9 Nov 1942; Gambut, Libya, 10 Feb 1943; Soluch, Libya, 25 Feb 1943; Bengasi, Libya, 16 Apr 1943; Enfidaville, Tunisia, c. 26 Sep 1943 (detachment operated from Bengasi, Libya, 3-11 Oct 1943); San Pancrazio, Italy, c. 19 Nov 1943-19 Apr 1945; Harvard AAFld, NE, 8 May 1945; Grand Island AAFld, NE, 25 Jun 1945; Tarrant Field, TX, 10 Nov 1945; Roswell AAFld, NM, 9 Jan-26 Mar 1946. Gravelly Point, VA, 23 May 1947-20 Sep 1948. Fairfield-Suisun AFB, CA, 13 Feb 1949-9 Jan 1950; Yokota AB, Japan, 27 Jan 1950; Misawa AB, Japan, 11 Aug 1950-20 Feb 1951. Forbes AFB, KS, 1 Jun 1951; Barksdale AFB, LA, 10 Oct 1951 (deployed at Upper Heyford RAF, England, 8 Jul-16 Oct 1955); Lockbourne AFB, OH, 1 Dec 1957-15 Mar 1965. Kirtland AFB, NM, 1 Apr 1994-.
Commanders. Ukn, 31 Oct 1942-Feb 1943; Maj Reynold J. Soukup, Mar 1943; Maj Robert Hoover, Apr 1943-unkn; Capt Gilmer E. Mayfield, unkn-Sep 1943; Capt James Miller, Sep 1943; Lt Col Harry R. Gillett, Jan-26 Jul 1944; unkn, 27 Jul 1944-26 Mar 1946. Not manned, 23 May 1947-20 Sep 1948. Lt Col Robert G. David, c. 1949-c. 1951. Lt Col Ralph T. Holland, 1 Jun 1951; Lt Col Clarence L. Lollar, Sep 1952; Maj John Lutz, 13 Dec 1954; Maj Dudley V. Brand, c. Jan 1956; Lt Col Cary L. Savage, 1 Dec 1957; Maj Raymond P. Lowman, c. Dec 1958; Maj Robert R. Agnew, 20 May 1959; Maj Jesse H. Beitman, 5 Jan 1961; Lt Col Joseph Fetsko, 18 Jul 1962; Lt Col Howard W. Moore, 19 Jun 1963-15 Mar 1965. Lt Col Jerald L. Folkerts, 1 Apr 1994; Lt Col Stephen P. Childers, 22 Jul 1994; Lt Col Howard C. Short, 21 Jun 1996; Lt Col Henry B. Gaither Jr., 26 Jan 1998; Lt Col Kenneth V. Volmert, 11 Jun 2000; Lt Col Gary A. Daigle, 9 Nov 2001; Lt Col Clair M. Gilk, 10 Jun 2003; Lt Col Timothy Calderwood, 3 Jun 2005; Lt Col Todd A. Worms, 29 Jun 2007; Lt Col Shelly G. Black, 26 Jun 2009-.
Aircraft. B-17, 1942; B-24, 1942-1945; B-29, 1945. B/RB/WB-29, 1949-1951; C-47, 1949-1950; C-54, 1950-1951. B-29, 1951-1954; B-47, 1954-1961; E (later, EB)-47, 1961-1965. UH-1N, 1994-; HH-60G, 1994-.
Operations. Combat in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) and European Theater of Operations (ETO), 1 Nov 1942-15 Apr 1943; not fully manned or equipped, 10 Nov 1945-26 Mar 1946. Not manned, 23 May 1947-20 Sep 1948. Weather reconnaissance during the Korean War, c. 1 Jul 1950-Feb 1951. Primarily trained in electronic countermeasures, c. Nov 1952-Mar 1965. Participated in special operations contingencies, exercises, and humanitarian rescue helicopter training, 1994-.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaign Streamers. World War II: Egypt-Libya; Air Offensive, Europe; Tunisia; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Anzio; Rome-Arno; Normandy; Northern France; Southern France; North Apennines; Rhineland; Central Europe; Po Valley; Air Combat, EAME Theater. Korea: UN Defensive; UN Offensive; CCF Intervention; First UN Counteroffensive.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: North Africa and Sicily, [Nov] 1942-17 Aug 1943; Ploesti, Rumania, 1 Aug 1943; Bratislava, Czechoslovakia, 16 Jun 1944. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 27 Jun-27 Dec 1950; 1 Jul 1998-30 Jun 2000; 1 Jul 2001-30 Jun 2002; 1 Jul 2002-30 Jun 2003; 1 Jul 2003-30 Jun 2004; 1 Jul 2004-30 Jun 2005; 1 Jul 2006-30 Jun 2007; 1 Jul 2007-30 Jun 2008.
Lineage, Assignments, Stations, and Honors through 31 Aug 2009.
Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through 31 Aug 2009.
Supersedes published information contained in: Judy G. Endicott (ed.), USAF Active Flying, Space, and Missile Squadrons as of 1 October 1995 (Washington USGPO, 1999).
Emblem. Approved on 6 Jan 1944; newest rendition approved on 13 Apr 1995.
Prepared by Patsy Robertson.
Reviewed by Daniel Haulman.