44th Fighter Squadron

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 44th Fighter Squadron


caption= 44th Fighter Squadron Patch
dates= 1 January 1941 - Present
country= United States
allegiance=
branch=United States Air Force
type= Fighter
role=
size=
command_structure= Pacific Air Forces
5th Air Force
18th Wing
18th Operations Group
current_commander=
garrison= Kadena Air Base
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname=
patron=
motto=
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles=
notable_commanders= Carrol Chandler
anniversaries=
decorations=
battle_honours=

The 44th Fighter Squadron (44 FS) is part of the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base, Japan. It operates the F-15 Eagle aircraft conducting air superiority missions.

Mission

History

The 44th Flew patrols over the Pacific from Hawaii from 7 December 1941–October 1942. It went on to fly combat missions in the South and Southwest Pacific from 21 December 1942–15 August 1945. It again flew combat missions in Southeast Asia from 18 December 1964–25 February 1965, 21 April–22 June 1965, 19–29 October 1965, and 25 April 1967–6 October 1970. [http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/rso/squadrons_flights_pages/0044fs.html AFHRA 44 FS Page] ]

The squadron was unmanned from 31 December 1966–24 April 1967 and November 1970–15 May 1971. It has flown air defense over Okinawa and Japan since 1971.

=Operations=

*World War II
*Vietnam War

=Lineage=

*44th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) (1940 - 1942)
*44th Fighter Squadron (1942 - 1944)
*44th Fighter Squadron, Two Engine (1944 - 1946)
*44th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine (1946 - 1949)
*44th Fighter Squadron, Jet (1949 - 1950)
*44th Fighter-Bomber Squadron (1950 - 1958)
*44th Tactical Fighter Squadron (1958 - 1991)
*44th Fighter Squadron (1991 - Present)

=Assignments=

*18th Fighter Group (1941 - 1942)
*318th Fighter Group (1942)
*South Pacific Area (1942 - 1943)
*13th Air Force (1943)
*18th Tactical Fighter Wing (1943 - 1967)
**Attached: 6200th Air Base Wing (1 December 1950 - 30 January 1953, 5 - 27 January 1955, 17 February - 14 July 1955)
**Attached: 13th Air Force (31 January 1953 - 10 November 1954, 11 December 1954 - 4 January 1955)
**Attached: Air Task Group Fifth, Provisional (27 January - 16 February 1955)
**Attached: Air Task Force 13, Provisional (3 - 30 September 1955)
**Attached: 314th Air Division (15 - 18 April 1956)
**Attached: 2d Air Division (18 December 1964 - 25 February 1965, 21 April - 23 June 1965, 19 - 29 October 1965)
*388th Tactical Fighter Wing (1967 - 1969)
*355th Tactical Fighter Wing (1969 - 1970)
*13th Air Force (1970 - 1971)
*18th Wing (1971 - Present)
**Attached: 3d Tactical Fighter Wing (2 APril - 2 June 1972, 28 July - 8 September 1972)
**Attached: 327th Air Division (6 November 1972 - 5 August 1973, 26 August - 16 September 1973, 7 - 28 October 1973)
**Attached: 327th Air Division (18 November - 9 December 1973, 30 December 1973 - 20 January 1974, 10 February - 2 March 1974)
**Attached: 327th Air Division (23 March - 13 April 1974, 4 - 25 May 1974, 15 June - 6 July 1974)
**Attached: 327th Air Division (27 July - 16 August 1974, 5 September - 17 October 1974)
**Attached: 327th Air Division (30 November 1974 - 9 January 1975, 20 February - 10 April 1975)

=Bases stationed=

*Wheeler Field, Hawaii (1941, 1942)
*Bellows Field, Hawaii (1941, 1942)
*Kaneohe, Hawaii (1941 - 1942)
*Efate, New Hebrides (1942 - 1943)
**Air Echelon: Guadalcanal (20 December 1942 - 20 March 1944)
*Espiritu Santo (1943 - 1944)
**Air Echelon: Treasury Island, Solomon Islands (20 March - 25 April 1944)
**Air Echelon: Guadalcanal (11 May - 16 July 1944)
*Guadalcanal (1944)
*Cape Opmarai, New Guinea (1944 - 1945)
**Air Echelon: Morotai (7 November 1944 - 16 January 1945)
*Lingayen, Luzon (1945)
*San Jose, Mindoro (1945)
**Air Echelon: Palawan (26 May - 13 May 1945)
*Zamboanga, Mindanao (1945)
*Puerto Princesa, Palawan (1945 - 1946)
*Florida Blanca, Luzon (1946 - 1947)
*Clark Air Force Base, Luzon (1947 - 1955)
**Deployed: Yontan Air Base, Okinawa (11 November - 11 December 1954)
**Deployed: Tao Yuan Air Base, Formosa (27 January - 17 February 1955)
*Kadena Air Base, Okinawa (1955 - 1967)
**Deployed: Tao Yuan Air Base, Formosa (3 - 30 September 1955)
**Deployed: Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand (18 December 1964 - 25 February 1965)
**Deployed: Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand (21 April - 22 June 1965)
**Deployed: Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand (10 - 29 October 1965)
*Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand (1967 - 1969)
*Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand (1969 - 1971)
*Kadena Air Base, Japan (1971 - Present)
**Deployed: Kunsan Air Base, South Korea (2 April - 2 June 1972)
**Deployed: Kunsan Air Base, South Korea (28 July - 8 September 1972)
**Deployed: Ching Chaun Kang Air Base, Taiwan (6 November 1972 - 5 August 1973)
**Deployed: Ching Chaun Kang Air Base, Taiwan (26 August - 16 September 1973)
**Deployed: Ching Chaun Kang Air Base, Taiwan (67 - 28 October 1973)
**Deployed: Ching Chaun Kang Air Base, Taiwan (18 November - 9 December 1973)
**Deployed: Ching Chaun Kang Air Base, Taiwan (30 December 1973 - 20 January 1974)
**Deployed: Ching Chaun Kang Air Base, Taiwan (10 February - 2 March 1974)
**Deployed: Ching Chaun Kang Air Base, Taiwan (23 March - 13 April 1974)
**Deployed: Ching Chaun Kang Air Base, Taiwan (4 - 25 May 1974)
**Deployed: Ching Chaun Kang Air Base, Taiwan (15 June - 6 July 1974)
**Deployed: Ching Chaun Kang Air Base, Taiwan (27 July - 16 August 1974)
**Deployed: Ching Chaun Kang Air Base, Taiwan (5 September - 17 October 1974)
**Deployed: Ching Chaun Kang Air Base, Taiwan (30 November 1974 - 9 January 1975)
**Deployed: Ching Chaun Kang Air Base, Taiwan (20 February - 10 April 1975)

=Aircraft Operated=

*P-40 Warhawk (1940 - 1942, 1943)
*P-38 Lightning (1943 - 1946)
*P-51 Mustang (1946 - 1947, 1948 - 1950)
*P-47 Thunderbolt (1946 - 1948)
*F-80 Shooting Star (1946 - 1947, 1949 - 1954)
*F-86 Sabre (1954 - 1957)
*F-100 Super Sabre (1957 - 1964)
*F-105 Thunderchief (1963 - 1970)
*F-4 Phantom II (1971 - 1980)
*F-15 Eagle (1979 - Present)

References

Notes

Bibliography

* [http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/rso/squadrons_flights_pages/0044fs.html USAF 44th Fighter Squadron History]
* [http://www.kadena.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=9581 18th Operatinos Group Fact Sheet]

ee also