page_title: 162d Reconnaissance Squadron
section_title: Tactical Air Command
hierarchical_section_title: 162d Reconnaissance Squadron / History / Ohio Air National Guard / Tactical Air Command
caption_attribution_description: A U.S. Air Force Republic F-84E-25-RE Thunderjet (s/n 51-508) from the 162nd Fighter Squadron, Ohio Air National Guard, with its pilot. The 162nd FS flew the Thunderjet from 1955 to 1957.
context_page_description: The 162d Reconnaissance Squadron is a unit of the Ohio Air National Guard 178th Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing located at Springfield Air National Guard Base, Springfield, Ohio. The 162d is equipped with the General Atomics MQ-1 Predator UAV.
context_section_description: In November 1957 the squadron received new F-84F Thunderstreak jet interceptors and the squadron was re-designated as the 162d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (Day) (Special Delivery).  This designation reflected a dual mission which the squadron was tasked.  The day interceptor mission of Air Defense Command, and a tactical nuclear weapon delivery mission by Tactical Air Command. Although the 162d trained for the delivery of tactical nuclear weapons, it never had any actual nuclear weapons on hand, nor did the base at Springfield ever had nuclear weapon storage facilities.
  On 10 November 1958, the squadron was re-designated as the 162th Tactical Fighter Squadron and the squadron ended its attachment to Air Defense Command, returning to Tactical Air Command control.  In 1959 and 1960 the squadron participated in exercises Dark Cloud and Pine Cone III, the latter taking place at Congaree AFB, South Carolina. In the exercises, the squadron practiced delivery of tactical nuclear weapons in the fictitious country of "North Saladia".
  During the 1961 Berlin Crisis, the 162th was federalized as part of the 121st Tactical Fighter Wing and Group for a period of twelve months beginning on 1 October.  When activated, the 121st TFW consisted of three operational units, the 164th Tactical Fighter Squadron, based at Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport, Mansfield, Ohio; the 166th Tactical Fighter Squadron based at Lockbourne AFB, Ohio, and the 162d TFS at Springfield. However, due to funding shortages, only 26 F-84F's of 166th TFS were deployed to Étain-Rouvres Air Base, France, although several ground support units from the 162d and 164th were also deployed.   The squadron, however, remained under Federal USAF control until the crisis ended and it was returned to Ohio state control on 31 August 1962.
  After the Berlin Federalization ended, 15 October 1962, the 162d was authorized to expand to a group level, and the 178th Tactical Fighter Group was established by the National Guard Bureau. The 162d TFS becoming the group's flying squadron. Other squadrons assigned into the group were the 178th Headquarters, 178th Material Squadron (Maintenance), 178th Combat Support Squadron, and the 178th USAF Dispensary.
  In 1967, the 162d TFS deployed to Hickam AFB, Hawaii for Tropic Lighting III, an exercise designed to assist in the training of Army ground units prior to their deployment to South Vietnam. This deployment required two over-water air refuelings in either direction.
  1968 was the first time the 162d participated in a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) exercise. It deployed to Greece, participating in Operation Deep Furrow 68 at Larrossa Air Base.  On this exercise fourteen F-84Fs were deployed, staging though Lajes Field, Azores and Torrejon Air Base, Spain.   During Deep Furrow, they performed air-to-ground maneuvers with the United States Navy's Sixth Fleet.  Upon their return, the 162d TFS deployed eight aircraft to Alaska in November for Operation Punch Card IV.
caption: The 162nd FS flew the F-84E Thunderjet from 1955–1957
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