90th Fighter Squadron PAIR O' DICE

Established: 20 Aug 1917

Assigned to: 3rd Fighter Wing

Home Station: Elmendorf AFB, Alaska

Primary Mission: F-15E operational squadron

Unit History:

The 90th Fighter Squadron, "Pair-O-Dice", celebrated it's 80th anniversary in Aug of 1997 and is the most decorated and historic squadron in the United States Air Force. It has been active all but two of it's illustrious history. The Aviation Section,  US Army Signal Corps organized the 90th Aero Squadron on 20 Aug 1917 at Kelly Field, San Antonio, Texas. The united States was already at war with Germany and her allies and the succeeding months of the squadron's history involved getting the squadron ready for the European war. The squadron embarked for France from Long Island, New York, arriving at Le Havreon 12 Nov 1917. The initial cadre of officers and enlisted men mostly engaged in building the infrastructure  necessary to support flying missions.
 
The air contingent soon arrived. The squadron's first aircraft were the Sopwith TF-1 ground attack aircraft. These were supplanted by Salmson 2-A2s, Spad XIs and Brequet BR-14 observation aircraft. Flying from forward airfields, the 90th Observation Squadron scored  7 confirmed aerial victories-all against aircraft-and participated in  the final victorious allied offensives. Flying nearly continuously in General Billy Mitchell's air offensive over the lines at St. Mihiel, the 90th Observer Squadron earned an enviable reputation conducting ground attack missions. It was during this period that it's first wartime commander 1 Lt William G. Shauffler designed the  90th's unique "lucky" Pair-O-Dice emblem. The 90th left nothing to chance-only natural sevens were allowed to grace the sides of their planes. In the heady days following the war to end all wars, 90th alumni commissioned Tiffany's of New York to design a silver pin with the squadron logo and it remains one of the most famous unit emblems in the world of aviation.

The interwar period was a particularly important phase for the 90^th. Upon leaving France, the squadron moved to Kelly Field and began it's long association with the 3rd Observation Group (changed to an Attack Group in 1922 and now the 3rd Fighter Wing). Indeed the 90th was one of the first squadrons assigned to the 3rd. Flying DeHavilland DH-4 observation aircraft, the squadron patrolled the Mexican border from scattered bases from San Antonio to Eagle Pass, Texas. This phase of operations gave rise to the famous cactus in the 3rd Wing's emblem. The 90th Attack Squadron was one of the first American unit to develop dive bombing tactics with their DH-4s, and the attack mission has formed the crux of the Pair-O-Dice operations ever since.

One of the more famous exploits of the 90th Squadron member came on 2 Sep 1922. The First Lieutenant James H. Doolittle became the first pilot to travel coast-to-coast in under 24 hours-a stated US Army Air Service goal to improve deployment readiness and national confidence in aviation. Improving his airframe for long-duration travel, Doolittle's glossy black DH-4 completed the arduous journey in 22 hours and 35 minutes, including a 85 minute service stop at Kelly Field. Thus, in the era of rapidly evolving technology and record setting, the 90th played an important role as a training and experimentation squadron. The squadron also delivered mail for a brief period in 1934 and were engaged in aerial mapping in the 1930s. The interwar period also saw two illustrious commanders for the 90th: LTs Hoyt S. Vandenberg and Nathan Twining, later to become Air Force Chief of Staff.

World War II found the 90th at work in the South Pacific, flying highly dangerous skip bombing missions in Douglas A-20 Havocs and North American B-25 Mitchells.

After the war, the unit moved to Japan and was inactivated from 1949-1951. From July of 1951, the squadron participated in the Korean war-its glossy black A-26s providing interdiction bombing for the United Nations. The Douglas A-26 Invader, with as many as 12 forward firing .50 caliber machine guns, was easily one of the most feared ground attack aircrafts in the war. Despite its age(the90th also flew the aircraft in WW II), the A-26 racked up a tremendous total of sorties and destruction. The 90th became particularly  adept on destroying locomotives and marshaling yards.

After serving nuclear alert in B-57 Canberras near Taiwan during the tense mid-1950s, the squadron  converted to tactical fighters in 1964. The 90th served later in Vietnam, flying close air support missions primarily with North American F-100 Super Sabre aircraft from Bien Hoa and other airfields with sorties numbering in the tens of thousands. During the war,  a tattered  pair-o-dice flag fluttered outside the squadron ops area. Squadron ground personnel also endured  many Viet Cong attacks during the seven year of squadron involvement  in Vietnam.

The last war involvement of the 90th was limited. After relinquishing their McDonnell Douglas F-4G Phantoms and awaiting replacement McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagles, many 90th TFS personnel undertook the 13000-mile flight from Clark AB, RP, to join the forces of Operation Desert Storm were they supplemented the forces flying F-4s.

Prior to the evacuation from Clark AB in the wake of Mt. Pinatubo eruption. the 90th moved to Alaska and Elmendorf AFB for the first time in its seven decade-plus history 29 May 1991. Flying the worlds premier attack and air supremacy aircraft the F-15E Strike Eagle, the 90th has emerged in the modern era as one of the most  versatile and important squadron in the 1990s, undertaking a deployment to Operation Deny Flight in Central Europe on 4 Oct 1995-19 Jan 1996 and is ready to deploy anywhere, anytime in support of worldwide contingencies.

PRIMARY ASSIGNED F-15E AIRCRAFT: