In an Inactivation Ceremony at Columbus Air Force Base last Wednesday, Lt. Col. Nicole Janson commander of the 50th Flying Training Squadron, passed the squadron’s guidon to Col James Blech, the commander of the 14th Flying Training Wing. Col. Blech and Lt. Col. Janson then slid the guidon into a case symbolizing the squadron was no longer active. The historic squadron is being merged with the 49th Flying Training Squadron under a unified command.
The 50th Flying Training Squadron had a long and distinguished history. Known as the “Strikin’ Snakes,” the squadron, which was activated in January 1941, was assigned to the defense of the U.S. West Coast flying P-40s out of Hamilton Field, California. In 1942 the squadron, designated the 50th Fighter Squadron, was deployed to Iceland.
In Iceland the 50th Fighter Squadron not only provided defense against German aerial reconnaissance and attack but conducted anti-submarine patrols while protecting convoys traveling the dangerous northern supply route to the Soviet Union. Though assigned to the 8th Air Force in early 1944, it was no longer operational and was disbanded on Aug. 9, 1944.
The squadron was activated as the 50th Flying Training Squadron at Columbus Air Force Base on June 1, 1972. The squadron’s mission was to conduct “advanced phases of undergraduate pilot training, focusing on high performance jet instruction.” First flying the T-38A Talon, and now the T-38C with enhanced avionics and capabilities, the 50th FTS along with the other squadrons at Columbus trained and continue to train the world’s best fighter bomber pilots.
The Inactivation Ceremony was held at the Walker Center Building with its hanger door open to show two T-38 Talons. The ceremony began with the singing of the National Anthem by Chaplin Lawrence, an invocation and the recounting of the squadron’s history. There was an address by Blech, the commander of the 14th Flying Training Wing who told of the many honors previously awarded the 50th Flying Training Squadron and its achievements under Lt. Col. Janson who had commanded the squadron since 2023.
Col. Blech then presented Lt. Col. Janson with the Meritorious Service Medal, First Oak Leaf Cluster. The citation included that “Lt. Col. Janson commanded 66 instructor pilots and a 67 million flying hour program, producing over 205 graduates and contributing to the highest pilot producing wing in the Air Education Training Command. Additionally she led the development of three generations of the Fighter Bomber Fundamentals Program, a chief of staff directed program revolutionizing combat pilot training.”
In her biographical information I saw that she is a decorated command pilot with more than 2,600 flight hours including 564 combat hours.
Janson then spoke about the 60 aircraft 50th Flying Training Squadron and its many accomplishments and outstanding people.
Following Janson’s remarks, Col. Blech stated, “publish the order,” and the order announcing that the 50th Flying Training Squadron is inactivated was read. Janson then relinquished her command, and the squadron guidon was passed to Col. Blech and cased. A moment of silence was held for the members of the 50th FTS “who were lost or missing in action in service to our nation.”
The ceremony concluded with the singing of the Air Force song.
Though the 50th FTS is now inactive, its legacy continues. The squadron’s history also addressed the future of the squadron’s legacy as it “prepares not only to transition from the T-38C Talon to the next generation T-7A Red Hawk but to merge with the 49th Flying Training Squadron. This consolidation reflects a strategic effort by the U.S. Air Force to enhance training efficiency, streamline resources, and bolster advanced pilot development under a unified command. … By combining the heritage, experience and instructor cadre of both squadrons … this merger will position the newly formed unit at the forefront of pilot training innovation.”
Rufus Ward is a Columbus native a local historian. E-mail your questions about local history to Rufus at [email protected].
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