66th Weapons Squadron The United States Air Force ' s 66th Weapons Squadron ( 66 WPS ) is a United States Air Force Weapons School A - 10 Thunderbolt II instructional flying unit , at Nellis AFB , Nevada . Overview . Established in 2003 , the 66th Weapons Squadron teaches graduate - level instructor courses that provide the world ' s most advanced training in weapons and tactics employment to officers of the combat air forces and mobility air forces . The 66th WPS focuses on the A - 10 Thunderbolt II , with the climax of the course being the mission employment phase , a two - week staged battle over the Nevada Test and Training Range . Upon graduation , the new weapons officers return to the field to serve as unit weapons and tactics officers , providing advanced instruction and technical advice to their commanders , operations officers , and personnel . History . World War II . Formed as a P - 40 Warhawk pursuit squadron in January 1941 as part of the Army Air Corps Northeast Defense Sector ( later I Fighter Command ) at Mitchel Field , New York . Trained in New England and provided air defense of the northeast after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor . Was reassigned to the U . S . Army Middle East Force in Egypt , July 1942 , becoming part of IX Fighter Command . Took part in the British Western Desert Campaign , engaged in combat during the Battle of El Alamein and , as part of Ninth Air Force , supported the Commonwealth Eighth Army ' s drive across Egypt and Libya , escorting bomber s and flying strafing and dive - bombing missions against airfields , communications , and troop concentrations until Axis defeat in Tunisia in May 1943 . The unit participated in the reduction of Pantelleria ( May – June 1943 ) and the conquest of Sicily ( July – August 1943 ) . The squadron supported the British Eighth Army ' s landing at Termoli and subsequent operations in Italy , being reassigned to Twelfth Air Force in August 1943 . It flew dive - bombing , strafing , patrol , and escort missions . In 1944 , converted to P - 47 Thunderbolt aircraft and flew interdiction operations in Italy . The moved to Corsica on 30 March 1944 to operate as a separate task force . It flew interdiction missions against railroads , communication targets , and motor vehicle s behind enemy lines , providing a minimum of 48 fighter - bomber sorties per day . Participated in the French campaign against Elba in June 1944 and in the invasion of Southern France in August . It engaged in interdiction and support operations in northern Italy from September 1944 to May 1945 . The 66th flew its last combat mission on 2 May 1945 . Remained in northern Italy after the end of the European War , demobilizing throughout the summer of 1945 . It was reassigned to the United States in August 1945 without personnel or equipment and was inactivated at the end of August . Cold War . Reactivated in August 1946 as part of Eleventh Air Force ( Later Alaskan Air Command ) as part of the air defense forces in the northwest Pacific . Squadron began training new P - 51 pilots at Elmendorf Field , Alaska . Later , it was equipped with F - 80Bs in March – April 1948 , F - 80Cs in October – December 1948 , F - 94Bs in the summer of 1951 , and F - 89Cs in September 1953 . With these aircraft , the squadron provided fighter aircraft defense in support of the Alaska Area until late in the 1950s . Was reassigned to Oxnard AFB , California in 1957 , but was never equipped or manned due to budgetary constraints , inactivated by Air Defense command , January 1958 . Reactivated by Tactical Air Command at Nellis AFB , Nevada in October 1969 Assumed the F - 105C / D Thunderchief assets of the provisional 4537th Fighter Weapons Squadron , tail coded " WC " . Mission was to perform " Wild Weasel " training for USAF pilots and electronic warfare officers to be deployed to combat missions in Southeast Asia . Squadron aircraft carried tail code " WA " by October 1971 , black / yellow checkered tail stripes . Squadron also assumed F - 4C Phantom II assets , tail coded " WD " until October 1971 , then changed to " WA " as the F - 105s . Trained with the F - 4s and F - 105s until July 1975 and Wild Weasel training and aircraft reassigned to George AFB , California . Remained in non - operational status until October 1977 when reorganized as an A - 10 Squadron , tail coded " WA " , black / yellow checkered tail stripes . Performed fighter weapons training with the A - 10 until the end of 1981 , when inactivated and squadron was reassigned to the USAF Fighter Weapons School , being re - designated as " A - 10 Division " . Modern era . Reactivated in February 2003 as 66th Weapons Squadron ( 65 WPS ) , replacing USAF Weapons School A - 10 division . Provides USAF Weapons School syllabus support , priority test mission support and road shows that visit various units throughout the CONUS to ACC units for training .