91st Aero Squadron Returns Home to Kelly Field Published July 16, 2007 By William J. Allen 67th Network Warfare Wing Kelly Field Annex, Lackland AFB, Texas -- Almost 90 years ago 156 men and two officers boarded a train at Kelly Field, Texas bound for New York and eventually on to France to fight Germany and the Central Powers during World War One. Their squadron was the 91st Aero Squadron that was activated at Kelly Field on August 21, 1917. These original members began a journey of the squadron to more than and will once again return to Kelly Field on July 26 when the squadron will be activated as the 91st Network Warfare Squadron, a part of the 67th Network Warfare Wing. During the course of the squadron's history it was one of the five orginal Aero Squadrons sent by the United States in 1917 to support the Allied war effort in France. The squadron pioneered the use of aircraft as observation, reconnaissance, and intelligence gathering platforms for the U.S. Army and the American Expeditionary Force. Led by their commander Major John N. Reynolds, the unit began combat operations on June 3, 1918 and flew 360 combat missions. Squadron pilots and observers engaged with enemy aircraft some 139 times and was credited with 21 enemy aircraft shot down. After the war, the squadron served as part of the Occupation forces in Germany until it returned to the United States in 1919.