Lineage. Constituted as 561 Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 19 Dec 1942. Activated on 24 Dec 1942. Redesignated as 561 Bombardment Squadron, Heavy, on 20 Aug 1943. Inactivated on 28 Aug 1945. Redesignated as 561 Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy, on 5 May 1947. Activated in the Reserve on 12 Jun 1947. Inactivated on 27 Jun 1949. Redesignated as 561 Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 5 Nov 1953. Activated on 23 Nov 1953. Inactivated on 10 Dec 1957. Redesignated as 561 Tactical Fighter Squadron, and activated on 1 May 1962. Organized on 1 Oct 1962. Redesignated as 561 Fighter Squadron on 1 Nov 1991. Inactivated on 30 Jun 1992. Activated on 1 Feb 1993. Inactivated on 1 Oct 1996. Redesignated as 561 Joint Tactics Squadron on 1 May 2007. Activated on 22 May 2007. Redesignated as 561 Weapons Squadron on 16 Jul 2019.
Assignments. 388 Bombardment Group, 24 Dec 1942–28 Aug 1945. 338 Bombardment Group, 12 Jun 1947–27 Jun 1949. 388 Fighter-Bomber Group, 23 Nov 1953–10 Dec 1957 (attached to 388 Fighter-Bomber Wing, 1 Jul–10 Dec 1957). Tactical Air Command, 1 May 1962; 388 Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 Oct 1962; 23 Tactical Fighter Wing, 8 Feb 1964 (attached to 41 Air Division, 6 Mar–8 Jul 1965); 832 Air Division, 1 Jul 1972 (attached to 35 Tactical Fighter Wing, 1–14 Jul 1973); 35 Tactical Fighter Wing, 15 Jul 1973; 37 Tactical Fighter Wing, 30 Mar 1981; 35 Tactical Fighter (later, 35 Fighter) Wing, 5 Oct 1989–30 Jun 1992 (attached to 35 Tactical Fighter Wing, Provisional, 16 Aug 1990–Mar 1991). 57 Operations Group, 1 Feb 1993–1 Oct 1996. USAF Warfare Center, 22 May 2007; 57 Wing, 14 Feb 2010; USAF Weapons School, 31 Jan 2019-.
Stations. Gowen Field, ID, 24 Dec 1942; Wendover Field, UT, c. 1 Feb 1943; Sioux City AAB, IA, 1 May–7 Jun 1943; Knettishall, England, Jun 1943–c. 6 Aug 1945; Sioux Falls AAFld, SD, c. 13–28 Aug 1945. Orchard Place Aprt, IL, 12 Jun 1947; General Billy Mitchell Field, WI, 2 Sep 1948–27 Jun 1949. Clovis AFB, NM, 23 Nov 1953–28 Nov 1954; Hahn AB, Germany, 12 Dec 1954; Etain/Rouvres AB, France, 1 Dec 1955–10 Dec 1957. McConnell AFB, KS, 1 Oct 1962 (deployed at Yokota AB, Japan, 6 Mar–8 Jul 1965; George AFB, CA, 16–26 May 1966, 23 Sep–17 Oct 1966, 17 Feb–9 Mar 1967, 4–18 Aug 1967, 23 Jan–8 Feb 1968, 18 Jun–3 Jul 1968, 15–27 Nov 1968, 6–21 May 1969, and 12 Nov–c. 2 Dec 1969); George AFB, CA, 1 Jul 1973–30 Jun 1992 (deployed at Shaikh Isa, Bahrain, 16 Aug 1990–Mar 1991). Nellis AFB, NV, 1 Feb 1993–1 Oct 1996. Nellis AFB, NV, 22 May 2007-.
Commanders. Unkn, 24 Dec 1942; 1 Lt William L. Chamberlin, 1 Feb 1943-unkn; Maj Richard Bynum, Oct 1944-unkn; Lt Col James F. Pierce, by Dec 1944; Lt Col Andrew Chaffin, 16 Apr 1945-unkn; Maj Garland I. Phillips, Jun 1945-unkn. Unkn, 12 Jun 1947-27 Jun 1949. 1 Lt William M. Blackwell, 23 Nov 1953; Maj Sam Malone, 8 Feb 1954; Lt Col Benjamin F. Long, 10 Aug 1954; Maj Howard F. Poulin, 15 Feb 1956-10 Dec 1957. None (not manned), 1 May-30 Sep 1962; Unkn, (minimally manned), 1 Oct 1962-Oct 1963; Lt Col Howard F. Hendricks, by Nov 1963; Lt Col James M. Morris, by Jun 1964; Lt Col Elvis H. Walker, by Nov 1964; Maj Joseph W. Brand, by Dec 1965; Lt Col Lawrence E. McKenney, 19 Apr 1966; Lt Col Harry D. Sultzer Jr., 14 Oct 1968; Lt Col Nevin G. Christensen, 10 Feb 1969; Lt Col Edward T. Rock, 15 Dec 1970; Lt Col Richard E. Moser, 16 Apr 1972; Lt Col Donald R. Yates, c. Aug 1973; Lt Col John T. Halley, 20 Jun 1975; Lt Col Anton M. Taylor, 20 Jun 1977; Lt Col Leonard C. Ekman, 14 Apr 1978; Lt Col John D. Logeman Jr., 1 Oct 1978; Lt Col Grover E. Musselwhite, 4 Dec 1979; Lt Col Gordon J. Jenkins, 4 Aug 1981; Lt Col Jeffrey R. Grime, 4 Aug 1983; Lt Col William A. Payne, 3 Jul 1984; Lt Col Robin A. DeTurk, 3 Jul 1986; Lt Col Allen J. Thrush, 2 Oct 1987; Lt Col Kent E. Harrison, 4 Oct 1988; Lt Col George W. Walton, 6 Aug 1990-30 Jun 1992. Lt Col Daniel W. Costantini, 1 Feb 1993; Lt Col James R. Uken, 10 Feb 1995-1 Oct 1996.
Aircraft. B–17, 1943–1945. Unkn, 1947–1949. F–86, 1954–1956; F–100, 1957. F–105, 1964–1980; F–4, 1981–1992. F–4, 1993–1996.
Operations. Combat in European Theater of Operations (ETO), 17 Jul 1943–21 Apr 1945. Stood alert in Korea, Mar–Jul 1965. Replacement training, Jan 1966–1 Jul 1970. Portion of squadron flew combat from Korat RTAFB, Thailand, Apr–Sep 1972. Wild Weasel training, Sep 1973–30 Jun 1992. Combat in Southwest Asia, Jan–Feb 1991. Provided combat ready F-4 Wild Weasel aircraft and aircrews to perform defense suppression mission, 1993-1996.
Service Streamers. Global War on Terrorism – Service (GWOT-S).
Campaign Streamers. World War II: Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe; Air Combat, EAME Theater.
Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait; Southwest Asia Ceasefire.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Germany, 17 Aug 1943; for three missions
(Hannover, Germany, 26 Jul 1943; Brux, Czechoslovakia, 12 May 1944; and from England to Russia, 21 Jun 1944). Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat “V” Device: 6 Apr 1972–27 Jan 1973. Meritorious Unit Award: [22 May 2007]-31 May 2008. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jun 1970-15 Jun 1971; 2 Feb 1976-31 Mar 1977; 1 Jun 1985-31 May 1987; 1 Mar 1990-29 Feb 1992; 1 Jun 2010-31 May 2012; 1 Jun 2012-31 May 2013. Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: 1 Apr 1966-28 Jan 1973.
Lineage, Assignments, Stations, and Honors through 1 Apr 2021.
Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through 1 Oct 1996.
Supersedes statement prepared on 17 Apr 2013.
Emblem. Approved on 13 Oct 1993; latest rendering, 30 Jul 2019.
Prepared by James Musser.
Reviewed by Margaret Ream.