78th Reconnaissance Squadron

78th Attack Squadron
78th Attack Squadron Emblem
Active	28 February 1918 – 15 November 1918 1 April 1931 – 1 September 1937 1 February 1940 – 15 October 1946 1 November 1952 – 1 May 1992 1 January 1994 – 30 June 2003 19 May 2006 – present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Reconnaissance and Surveillance
Part of	Air Force Reserve Command 10th Air Force
Garrison/HQ	Nellis Air Force Base
Nickname(s)	Bushmasters
Engagements	World War I World War II
Decorations	DUC AFOUA

The 78th Attack Squadron (78 ATKS) is part of the Tenth Air Force, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas. The 78 ATKS conducts operations from Creech Air Force Base, Nevada in conjunction with their active-duty associates in the Air Force Warfare Center.

The mission of the 78th Attack Squadron is to maintain combat-ready reservists to train and equip the Combat Air Forces to conduct Integrated and Expeditionary Combat Operations, as well as training operations, in the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper Unmanned Aerial Systems.

The squadron consists of RPA pilots, sensor operators and intelligence personnel integrated into Regular Air Force units within the 432d Air Expeditionary Wing at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada.

The 78th was organized in 1917 at Rich Field, Waco, Texas as a training unit. In February 1918 moved to Hicks Field, Fort Worth, Texas before being demoilized. In 1931, the 78th Pursuit Squadron was again activated and assigned to the 20th Pursuit Group at Mather Field, California flying single-seat Boeing P-12 biplane fighters.

During World War II the unit was recognized and stationed in the Pacific theater where the unit flew P-39s, P-40s, and P-51s. With a combat record from the war of 200 enemy aircraft destroyed or damaged, versus the loss of only six aircraft assigned to the unit. The 78th received the Distinguished Unit Citation for actions at the Musashino Plant, Tokyo, Japan, on 7 April 1945.