311th Fighter Squadron

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311th Fighter Squadron
F-16 Fighting Falcon[note 1]
Active1942–1946; 1952–1958; 1970–1994; 1995; 2014–present
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
TypeFighter Training
Part ofAir Education and Training Command
Nickname(s)Sidewinders[citation needed]
Engagements
  • American Theater (World War II)
  • Asiatic-Pacific Theater

  • Korean War[1]
Decorations

  • Distinguished Unit Citation (2x)

  • Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (7x)

  • Presidential Unit Citation (Philippines)

  • Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation[1]
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Clarence L. Tinker
Insignia
311th Fighter Squadron emblem (approved 18 July 1995)[1]
311th Fighter Squadron emblem (approved 9 October 1943)[2]

The 311th Fighter Squadron (Sidewinders) is part of the 54th Fighter Group at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico which is a geographically separated unit under the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training. The squadron previously operated the Fighting Falcon conducting advanced fighter training at Luke and was inactivated due to budget constraints after the end of the Cold War. It was recently reactivated at Holloman and the aircraft were received from the 309th Fighter Squadron.

The squadron was first activated during

Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
before the armistice ended combat and remained in Korea until inactivating in 1958.

History

World War II

The 311th Fighter Squadron was constituted on 21 January 1942, as the 311th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) and was activated on 9 February at

air defense of the Northeast United States, being a component of several air defense fighter wings (Philadelphia, New York, Boston), under First Air Force
.

Was converted into an operational squadron in March 1943 at

Noemfoor, bombed and strafed Japanese airfields and installations on Ceram, Halmahera, and the Kai Islands
.

Moved to the Philippines in Nov, flew fighter sweeps against enemy airfields, supported U.S. ground forces, and protected sea convoys and transport routes. Beginning in July 1945, attacked railways, airfields, and enemy installations in Korea and

Fort William McKinley
, Luzon.

Cold War

Reactivated during the

Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
.

After the armistice in 1953, the squadron was moved to Osan Air Base on 19 March 1955. Remained in South Korea to provide deterrence against any armistice violations by North Korea. Inactivated 1 July 1958 due to budget restraints.

Pilot training

311th TFTS F-4C-19-MC Phantom 63–7584, marked as Wing Commander's aircraft. Now at McChord Air Museum, Washington.
311th TFTS F-16C Block 30A Fighting Falcon 85-1455

Reactivated in January 1970 as the 311th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron, assuming personnel and equipment of the provisional 4515th Combat Crew Training Squadron, carried tail code "LA" with yellow fin cap. Initially operated the

Davis–Monthan AFB
units.

Re-equipped with Block 1, 5 and 10

F-16A/B Fighting Falcon aircraft in late 1982. F-16s carried tail code "LF". In 1988 the squadron began receiving brand new block 42 F-16C/Ds to replace the F-16A/B. Inactivated 1 April 1994 with the phase down of combat training at Luke after the end of the Cold War
.

Reactivated in January 1995 with F-16C/D block 42s to train Foreign Military Sales customers, mission and aircraft reassigned to the

Tucson Air National Guard Base and inactivated late September 1995[1]

The 311th Fighter Squadron was reactivated in 2014 as a part of the also newly reactivated 54th Fighter Group. The group is an element of the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona.[3]

Lineage

  • Constituted as the 311th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 21 January 1942
Activated on 9 February 1942
Redesignated 311th Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942
Redesignated 311th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 20 August 1943
Inactivated on 20 February 1946
  • Redesignated 311th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 25 June 1952
Activated on 10 July 1952
Inactivated on 1 July 1958
  • Redesignated 311th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron on 12 January 1970
Activated on 18 January 1970
Redesignated 311th Fighter Squadron on 1 November 1991
Inactivated on 1 April 1994
  • Activated on 1 January 1995
Inactivated on 1 December 1995
  • Activated on 1 March 2014[1]

Assignments

  • 58th Pursuit Group
    (later 58th Fighter Group), 9 February 1942
  • Fifth Air Force, 27 January 1946 – 20 February 1946
  • 58th Fighter-Bomber Group, 10 July 1952 (attached to
    58th Fighter-Bomber Wing
    after 1 March 1957)
  • 58th Fighter-Bomber Wing, 8 November 1957 – 1 July 1958
  • 58th Tactical Fighter Training Wing (later 58th Tactical Training Wing), 18 January 1970
  • 58th Operations Group, 1 October 1991 – 1 April 1994
  • 56th Operations Group, 1 January–1 December 1995
  • 54th Fighter Group, 1 March 2014 – present[1]

Stations

Aircraft

References

Notes
  1. ^ Aircraft is General Dynamics F-16D Block 42E Fighting Falcon serial 89-2157
Citations
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Robertson, Patsy (21 April 2014). "Factsheet 311 Fighter Squadron (AETC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  2. ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 378–379
  3. ^ Cannon, A1C Chase; Podner, Arian (11 March 2014). "The F-16 training mission has arrived at Holloman Air Force Base". Alamogordo News. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

Bibliography

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