701st Tactical Air Support Squadron

401st Bombardment Squadron
401st Bombardment Squadron Patch
Active	1942–1945; 1967–1980
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Tactical Air Support
Engagements	European Theater of World War II
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation
Insignia
WW II Group Marking	Triangle A
WW II Squadron Code	LL

The 701st 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 31 January 1980.

During World War II the squadron was active as the 401st Bombardment Squadron and served in combat in the European Theater of Operations. It was awarded two Distinguished Unit Citations for combat in Germany.

The squadron was established as the 11th Reconnaissance Squadron, a B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombardment squadron in early 1942. Shortly after activation, the squadron was redesignated the 401st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy). It trained under Third Air Force in the southeastern United States with final training under Second Air Force in Washington. The squadron deployed with its parent group to the European Theater of Operations (ETO), where it became part of VIII Bomber Command in England, being one of the first heavy bomb squadrons arriving in England.

The 401st flew combat missions over Nazi Germany and Occupied Europe until the German capitulation in May 1945. Most personnel were demobilized in England immediately after the end of the war in Europe, The squadron returned to the United States with a small headquarters staff and was planned to be re-equipped and remanned as a B-29 Superfortress squadron. The Japanese capitulation canceled plans to deploy to the Pacific and the 401st was inactivated in the United States during November 1945.

In 1967, the 701st 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 early in 1980.