303rd Fighter Squadron
303d Fighter Squadron | |
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Insignia | |
303d Fighter Squadron emblem (approved 13 April 1995)[2] |
The 303rd Fighter Squadron is assigned to the
The
The squadron was reactivated in the reserve in 1949. It was mobilized for the Korean War, but was inactivated and its personnel used as fillers for other units. When the reserve began flying operations again in 1952, it was once again activated. The 303d was mobilized again during the Berlin Crisis of 1961. It continued the airlift mission until 1984, when it converted to operating fighter aircraft.
History
World War II
The
On
Following
Reserves and mobilization for the Korean War
In 1949 the 303d was reactivated at
Return to reserve duty
Following another
The squadron was recalled to active duty for the Berlin Crisis in 1961 and, from 1966 through 1971, provided support for ongoing activities in Southeast Asia.[3]
The mission of the 303d changed to fighter aircraft in 1982 when the unit received the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II and the unit was redesignated the 303d Fighter Squadron.[3]
In 1991 the Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommended the closure and inactivation of Richards-Gebaur. It was later announced that the 442d, with the 303d, would relocate to Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri and, on schedule, in June 1994 the unit completed its move to Whiteman.[3]
After its return to its original home at Whiteman, the squadron deployed to Italy to support the No-fly zone over Bosnia and Herzegovina four times for Operations Deny Flight and Decisive Edge. In 1998, the squadron deployed to the Persian Gulf area for 45 days to support Operation Southern Watch, the United Nations' effort to deny Iraqi military access to southern Iraq.[3]
In 2000, the squadron's responsibility shifted from Operation Southern Watch to flying Combat
303d operations and maintenance members, along with two A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft deployed to Afghanistan from April to July 2002 in support of
In 2006 the 303d won the A-10 gunnery competition Hawgsmoke.
Fox News reported that on 19 January 2018, 12 A-10s from the Squadron were deployed to Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, to provide close-air support, marking the first time in more than three years A-10s had been deployed to Afghanistan.[4]
In April 2023, a group of A-10s were deployed to Thessaloniki Airport, Greece for the DEFENDER 23 exercise to train alongside the 113th Fighter Squadron of the Hellenic Air Force[citation needed]
Lineage
- Constituted as the 303d Troop Carrier Squadron on 25 May 1943
- Activated on 1 September 1943
- Inactivated on 30 September 1946
- Redesignated 303d Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium' on 10 May 1949
- Activated in the reserve on 27 June 1949
- Ordered to active service on 10 March 1951
- Inactivated on 12 March 1951
- Activated in the reserve on 15 June 1952
- Redesignated 303d Troop Carrier Squadron, Heavy on 8 May 1961
- Ordered to active service on 1 October 1961
- Relieved from active duty on 27 August 1962
- Redesignated 303d Air Transport Squadron, Heavy on 1 December 1965
- Redesignated 303d Military Airlift Squadron on 1 January 1966
- Redesignated 303d Tactical Airlift Squadron on 27 June 1971
- Redesignated 303d Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 October 1982
- Redesignated 303d Fighter Squadron on 1 February 1992[2]
Assignments
- 442d Troop Carrier Group, 1 September 1943 – 30 September 1946
- 442d Troop Carrier Group, 27 June 1949 – 12 March 1951
- 442d Troop Carrier Group, 15 June 1952
- 442d Troop Carrier Wing, 14 April 1959
- 935th Tactical Airlift Group (later 935th Air Transport Group, 935th Military Airlift Group, 935th Tactical Airlift Group), 17 January 1963
- 442d Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 November 1974
- 442d Tactical Fighter Group, 1 October 1982
- 442d Tactical Fighter Wing (later 442d Fighter Wing), 1 February 1984
- 442d Operations Group, 1 August 1992 – present[2]
Stations
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Aircraft
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References
- Notes
- ^ McCauley, Parker (9 April 2021). "KC Hawgs depart for Jaded Thunder". DVIDS. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f Endicott, Judy G. (7 December 2007). "Factsheet 303 Fighter Squadron (AFRC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "442nd Fighter Wing Fact Sheet: 303rd Fighter Squadron History". 442d Fighter Wing Public Affairs. April 2004. Archived from the original on 3 January 2009. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
- ^ "Air Force deploys A-10s to Afghanistan to ramp up Taliban fight". Fox News. 23 January 2018.
- ^ a b Station number in Anderson.
- ^ a b c d Station number in Johnson.
- ^ Stations in Endicott, Factsheet 303 Fighter Squadron except as noted.
Bibliography
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Anderson, Capt. Barry (1985). Army Air Forces Stations: A Guide to the Stations Where U.S. Army Air Forces Personnel Served in the United Kingdom During World War II (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL yes: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 January 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
- Cantwell, Gerald T. (1997). Citizen Airmen: a History of the Air Force Reserve, 1946-1994. Washington, D.C.: Air Force History and Museums Program. ISBN 0-16049-269-6. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- Johnson, 1st Lt. David C. (1988). U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO) D-Day to V-E Day (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 September 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. LCCN 61060979. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. OCLC 72556. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9. Retrieved 17 December 2016.