25th Fighter Squadron

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25th Fighter Squadron
Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm[2]
Insignia
25th Fighter Squadron emblem (approved 22 May 1996)[2]
25th Fighter Squadron emblem (approved 1 August 1947)[3]
25th Fighter Squadron emblem (World War II)[4][note 1]

The 25th Fighter Squadron is part of the

US Air Force's 51st Operations Group, 51st Fighter Wing, at Osan Air Base, South Korea. It operates the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft conducting close air support
missions.

Mission

History

The

March Field, California. In July the squadron received Curtiss P-40 Warhawk
aircraft.

World War II

The 25th sailed to combat operations in the Pacific Theater aboard the SS President Coolidge on 11 January 1942. The squadron was part of the first deployment of U.S. forces leaving the mainland after the declaration of war. The journey to Melbourne, Australia, took 20 days. By late March the 25th Pursuit Squadron had arrived in Karachi, India, and set up wartime operations.[5]

The 25th flew its first aerial combat mission over The Hump on 25 September 1942, flying a combat escort mission. After the squadron moved to Dinjan Airfield in Assam, India, combat activity increased. Due to the terrain, the pilots would usually "drag in" on their passes. It was there that the 25th picked up the name Assam Draggins.[5]

Operations from Dinjan were concentrated against the Japanese in northern Burma along the upper

Lieutenant Colonel John E. Barr, the executive officer for the 51st Fighter Group, modified a P-40 to carry 1,000 pound bombs, and by May 1943, the Japanese offensive had been halted.[5]

The 25th Fighter Squadron encountered more combat activity than any other unit within the 51st Fighter Group during the war. The squadron returned to the United States and was inactivated on 12 December 1945.[5]

Postwar

On 15 October 1946, the 25th was reactivated at

Okinawa, where the squadron was assigned Republic P-47 Thunderbolt and Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star aircraft. As part of the occupation force, the 25th provided defense for the Ryukyu Islands.[5]

Korean War

New F-80C Shooting Stars at Itazuke Air Base, Japan, 1950[note 2]

The 25th was placed on alert when hostilities erupted in Korea in June 1950. The unit moved to

U.N. forces from North Korea into the South. The 25th flew more than 21 sorties each day that month to save the 2nd Infantry Division, which had been cut off by the enemy near Kunuri, from being overrun. Air cover was officially credited with preventing disastrous losses to the division.[5]

On 20 November 1951, squadron pilots received their new

MiG-15 aircraft. Major William T. Whisner Jr. got his fifth MiG kill on 23 February 1952, becoming an ace.[5]

Post Korean War

Squadron F-86E Sabre at Mangun AB[note 3]

After the war, the 25th was assigned to the

33d Tactical Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.[5]

Vietnam War

25th Tactical Fighter Squadron F-4D Phantom II[note 4]

On 31 May 1968, the 25th was assigned to the

Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards (1967–1973).[5]

Post Vietnam War – Present

When the Air Force began its withdrawal from Thailand, the 25th was reassigned the

18th Tactical Fighter Wing at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, where it remained until 1 February 1981. On that date, the 25th was relocated without personnel or equipment to Suwon Air Base, Republic of Korea, and assigned to the 51st Composite Wing.[5]

On 28 January 1982, the 25th received its first

19th Tactical Air Support Squadron and other stateside units. The 25th was then inactivated on 1 July 1990. On 1 October 1993, the 25th Fighter Squadron was reactivated under the 51st Wing at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Syd McPherson. The 25th has since added six A-10 aircraft to its fleet, making it a dual qualified A/OA-10 squadron.[5]

Lineage

  • Constituted as the 25th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 20 November 1940
Activated on 15 January 1941
Redesignated 25th Pursuit Squadron (Fighter) on 12 March 1941
Redesignated 25th Fighter Squadron (Twin Engine) on 15 May 1942
Redesignated 25th Fighter Squadron on 1 June 1942
Redesignated 25th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 28 February 1944
Inactivated on 12 December 1945
  • Activated on 15 October 1946
Redesignated 25th Fighter Squadron, Jet Propelled on 19 February 1947
Redesignated 25th Fighter Squadron, Jet on 10 August 1948
Redesignated 25th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 1 February 1950
Discontinued on 8 June 1960
  • Redesignated 25th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 18 June 1965
Organized 20 June 1965
Inactivated 31 July 1990

Assignments

  • 51st Pursuit Group (later 51st Fighter Group), 15 January 1941 – 12 December 1945
  • 51st Fighter Group (later 51st Fighter-Interceptor Group, 15 October 1946 (attached to 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing after 1 July 1957)
  • 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing, 25 October 1957 – 8 June 1960
  • Tactical Air Command, 18 June 1965 (not organized)
  • 33d Tactical Fighter Wing
    , 20 June 1965
  • 8th Tactical Fighter Wing
    , 28 May 1968
  • 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
    (later 432d Tactical Fighter Wing), 5 July 1974
  • 3d Tactical Fighter Wing
    , 18 December 1975
  • 18th Tactical Fighter Wing
    , 19 December 1975
  • 18th Tactical Fighter Group
    , 1 May 1978
  • 51st Composite Wing (later 51st Tactical Fighter Wing), 1 February 1981 – 31 July 1990
  • 51st Operations Group, 1 October 1993 – present[2]

Stations

Aircraft

References

Notes

Explanatory notes
  1. ^ Watkins depicts the emblem in shades of green, rather than blue. This is likely to the use of black and white photographs as a source.
  2. ^ Lockheed F-80C-LO serial 49-801 is in the foreground.
  3. ^ Aircraft is North American F-86E-10-NA Sabre serial 51-2737 at K-12 (Mangun AB), South Korea, 1952.
  4. Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center
    as FP0164 on 6 October 1988.
Citations
  1. ^ a b Renner, Lt Col Stephen (11 May 2011). "HARRUMPH! – A war cry echoing throughout the 25th FS". Warthog News. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Robertson, Patsy (19 December 2008). "Factsheet 25 Fighter Squadron (PACAF)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  3. ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 130–131)
  4. ^ Watkins, pp. 30–31)
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k No byline (6 May 2007). "Library: Fact Sheet 25th Fighter Squadron". 51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs. Archived from the original on 27 September 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2018.

Bibliography

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

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