12th Fighter Squadron

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 12th Fighter Squadron


caption= 12th Fighter Squadron Patch
dates= 15 January 1941 - Present
country= United States
allegiance=
branch=United States Air Force
type= Fighter
role=
size=
command_structure= Pacific Air Forces
11th Air Force
3d Wing
3d Operations Group
current_commander=
garrison=
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname= Dirty Dozen
patron=
motto=
colors=
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mascot=
battles=
notable_commanders=
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The 12th Fighter Squadron (12 FS) is part of the 3d Wing at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. It operates the F-15 Eagle aircraft conducting air superiority missions.

Mission

Mobilizes, deploys, and employs the F-15C air superiority fighter in global expeditionary support of all war-fighting commands. [http://www.elmendorf.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=7708 12 FS Fact Sheet] ]

History

The 12th flew patrols over the Pacific from Christmas Island between February and October 1942. It participated in combat operations in South and Southwest Pacific from, 19 November 1942-14 August 1945. [http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/rso/squadrons_flights_pages/0012fs.asp AFHRA 12 FS Page] ]

It also flew combat missions in Korea from, 1 August 1950-8 January 1953 and 25 February-27 July 1953 and in Vietnam from, 1 February-15 March 1965 and 15 June-25 August 1965.

The squadron stood alert in South Korea from, 23 January-13 June 1968, after seizure of the U.S.S. Pueblo by North Korea. It supported air defense alert capability in Southeast Asia from, 1968-1972.

The squadron was unmanned and unequipted from May 1972-November 1975. It remanned and reequipped with F-4 Phantom IIaircraft in late November 1975. Through 1980, it flew offensive and defensive exercises in support of its wing, the 313th Air Division, and Pacific Air Forces. It converted to F-15 Eagle aircraft in 1980. In 1981, the 12th earned the Hughes Trophy in recognition as the outstanding fighter squadron in the USAF. On 5 November 1999, the squadron stood down at Kadena Air Base, Japan, and moved without personnel or equipment to Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska where it joined the 3d Wing on 28 April 2000. Since 2000, performed offensive and defensive counter-air missions with current air-to-air weaponry, including night vision goggles (NVG), to achieve air superiority in support of taskings from 3 Wing.

=Operations=

*World War II
*Korean War
*Vietnam War
*Operation Southern Watch
*Operation Northern Watch

=Lineage=

*12th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) (1940 - 1942)
*12th Fighter Squadron (1942 - 1944)
*12th Fighter Squadron, Two Engine (1944 - 1946)
*12th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine (1946 - 1949)
*12th Fighter Squadron, Jet (1949 - 1950)
*12th Fighter-Bomber Squadron (1950 - 1958)
*12th Tactical Fighter Squadron (1958 - 1991)
*12th Fighter Squadron (1991 - Present)

=Assignments=

*50th Fighter Group (1941 - 1942)
*15th Fighter Group (1942 - 1943)
*18th Fighter-Bomber Group (1943 - 1957)
*13th Air Force (1957 - 1958)
*18th Wing (1958 - 2000)
*3d Wing (2000 - Present)

=Bases stationed=

*Selfridge Field, Michigan (1941)
*Key Field, Mississippi (1941 - 1942)
*Cassidy Field, Christmas Island (1942)
*Palmyra Island (1942)
*Efate Island, New Hebrides (1942 - 1943)
*Kukum Field, Guadalcanal (1943 - 1944)
**Operated From: Treasury Island, Solomon Islands (19 February - August 1944)
*Sansapor, Dutch New Guinea (1944 - 1945)
*Lingayen, Luzon (1945)
*San Jose, Occidental Mindoro (1945)
*Zamboanga, Mindanao (1945)
*Tacloban, Leyte (1945 - 1946)
*Puerto Princesa, Palawan (1946)
*Florida Blanca Army Air Base, Luzon (1946 - 1947)
*Clark Air Base, Luzon (1947 - 1950)
*Taegu Air Base, South Korea (1950)
*Ashiya Air Base, Japan (1950)
*Pusan-East Air Base, South Korea (1950)
*Pyongyang-East Air Base, North Korea (1950)
*Suwon Air Base, South Korea (1950)
*Chinhae, South Korea (1950 - 1952)
*Hoengseong, South Korea (1952 - 1953)
*Osan Air Base, South Korea (1953 - 1954)
*Kadena Air Base, Okinawa (1954 - 1957)
**Deployed: Tainan Air Base, Formosa (27 January - 19 February 1955, c. 3 September - 30 November 1955)
*Clark Air Base, Luzon (1957 - 1958)
*Kadena Air Base, Okinawa (1958 - 2000
**Deployed: Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam (1 - 19 February 1965)
**Deployed: Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand (8 February - 15 March 1965, 15 June - 25 August 1965)
**Deployed: Osan Air Base, South Korea (23 January - 13 June 1968)
*Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska (2000 - 2007)

=Aircraft Operated=

*P-35 (1941)
*P-36 Hawk (1941)
*BT-13 Valiant (1941)
*P-40 Warhawk (1941 - 1942)
*P-39 Airacobra (1942 - 1943, 1944)
*P-400 (1942 - 1944)
*P-38 Lightning (1943 - 1946)
*P-47 Thunderbolt (1944, 1946, 1947 - 1948)
*P-51 Mustang (1946 - 1947, 1948 - 1950, 1950 - 1953)
*P-80 Shooting Star (1946, 1949 - 1950)
*F-86 Sabre (1953 - 1956)
*F-84 Thunderjet (1956 - 1957)
*F-100 Super Sabre (1957 - 1958, 1958 - 1963)
*F-105 Thunderchief (1962 - 1972)
*F-4 Phantom II (1975- 1980)
*F-15 Eagle (1980 - Present)

References

Notes

Bibliography

* [http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/rso/squadrons_flights_pages/0012fs.asp USAF 12th Fighter Squadron History]
* [http://www.elmendorf.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=7708 12th Fighter Squadron Fact Sheet]

ee also