335th Fighter Squadron
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335th Fighter Squadron
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm[1] | |
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Commanders | |
Current commander | Lt Col Kevin Murphy |
Notable commanders | Pierce McKennon Richard Myers Robert R. Scott Vermont Garrison |
Insignia | |
335th Fighter Squadron emblem (approved 17 November 1958[1] | ![]() |
The 335th Fighter Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 4th Operations Group and stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina.
The 335th was constituted on 22 August 1942 as an incorporation of the No. 121 (Eagle) Squadron of the Royal Air Force, formed on 14 May 1941 as the second of three Eagle Squadrons of the Royal Air Force. These squadrons were composed of American volunteers, recruited by the RAF as a result of the heavy loss of pilots during the Battle of Britain in 1940; the volunteers were ineligible to join the USAAF. In this capacity, the squadron operated Supermarine Spitfires and Hawker Hurricanes.
Its current emblem contains the head of an American Indian chief, which dates back to the original emblem of 121 Squadron RAF.
Overview
The "Chiefs" fly the McDonnell-Douglas (now Boeing)
Currently the squadron provides worldwide deployable aircraft and personnel capable of executing combat missions in support of worldwide Aerospace Expeditionary Force deployments to combat areas as part of the
The 335th is known as the "World's Leading MiG Killers" for destroying 218.5 MiGs in aerial combat.
History
World War II
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4f/4fg-p51-wd.jpg/220px-4fg-p51-wd.jpg)
In 1942, the
They remained with the group until they were returned to the United States and inactivated at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey on 10 November 1945.
1940s
After less than a year, the 335th was reactivated on 9 September 1946 at
They flew out of Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, until 1949, when they moved to Langley Air Force Base, Virginia and received the North American F-86 Sabre.
1950s
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e0/F-86-4fiw.jpg/220px-F-86-4fiw.jpg)
On 10 November 1950 they took their Sabres to Korea as the 335th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron of the Fifth Air Force. By the end of the Korean War, the 335th led all squadrons with 218.5 kills (for around forty losses) and had become a part of the "MiG Killer" legend with 12 aces.
The 335th remained in the Far East until 8 December 1957, when they moved to their current base at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, and converted to the North American F-100 Super Sabre.
In May 1958, the squadron deployed to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, tasked with operational testing of the new Republic F-105 Thunderchief for the next three years. In May 1959, the 335th became the first squadron in the Air Force to receive the F-105 Thunderchief, and the transition from F-100s to F-105s began. The squadron returned to Seymour Johnson AFB in November 1961.
1960s
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/F-105s-4thtfw-sj.jpg/220px-F-105s-4thtfw-sj.jpg)
The squadron saw action in Southeast Asia in November 1965, flying the F-105 out of
1970s
In 1972, the squadron again saw action in Vietnam, from July to December, flying out of Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand.
Later in the 1970s, they became the first operational squadron to qualify with the GBU-15 guided bomb, and in doing so, exceeded 100,000 consecutive accident-free hours. They deployed briefly to Ramstein Air Base, Germany in 1978 and 1979, for a month each time.
1990s
On 1 March 1990, in conjunction with the fifty-first change of command, the squadron's final F-4 sortie and first McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle sortie were flown. The 335th was the second fighter squadron in the Air Force to receive the Strike Eagle.
![F-15Es from the 4th FW parked during Operation Desert Shield.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4d/Multiple_F-15E_parked_during_Operation_Desert_Shield.jpg/220px-Multiple_F-15E_parked_during_Operation_Desert_Shield.jpg)
On 27 December 1990, the 335th deployed twenty-four F-15Es along with support personnel and equipment to
After the war, the 335th continued to fly
2000s
In January 2002, the 335th deployed to
In February 2003 the 335th again deployed to Southwest Asia for
F-15E serial number 89-0487, known as "America's Aircraft", has the most hours of any F-15 model (C, D, E), and it has 1 air to air kill (the only air-to-air kill by F-15Es).[4]
Throughout the 2000s, 2010s and 2020s the 335th conducted multiple deployments including combat deployments to the Middle East.
In early April 2024, the 335th's F-15Es were urgently deployed to the CENTCOM AOR to bolster US military presence in the region due to possible Iranian military action against US military personnel and Israel tied to the Israel-Hamas War.
On April 13-14, 2024, 335th F-15Es assisted in the defense of Israel against an onslaught of drones and surface to air missiles launched from Iran. The 335th's F-15Es, operating with F-15Es from the 494th FS, were credited with over +70 kills of Iranian drones during combat air patrols.
Following the April 13-14 operation, the President of the United States called the Commanding Officers of both the 335th FS and 494th FS. The President commended the F-15E squadrons for their excellent airmanship and piloting skills in defense of Israel and US military personnel in the AOR.
Lineage
- Constituted as the 335th Fighter Squadron on 22 August 1942
- Activated on 12 September 1942
- Redesignated 335th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 20 August 1943
- Inactivated on 10 November 1945
- Activated on 9 September 1946
- Redesignated 335th Fighter Squadron, Jet Propelled on 23 April 1947
- Redesignated 335th Fighter Squadron, Jet on 14 June 1948
- Redesignated 335th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 20 January 1950
- Redesignated 335th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 8 March 1955
- Redesignated 335th Fighter-Day Squadron on 25 April 1956
- Redesignated 335th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 July 1958
- Redesignated 335th Fighter Squadron on 1 November 1991[1]
Assignments
- 4th Fighter Group, 12 September 1942 – 10 November 1945
- 4th Fighter Group (later 4th Fighter-Interceptor Group, 4th Fighter-Bomber Group, 4th Fighter-Day Group), 9 September 1946
- 4th Fighter-Day Wing(later 4th Tactical Fighter Wing), 8 December 1957
- Attached to 86th Tactical Fighter Wing2 September–2 October 1978 and 28 August–29 September 1979, 4th Tactical Fighter Wing, Provisional, 27 December 1990 – 12 March 1991, 4404th Tactical Fighter Wing, Provisional after 13 March 1991)
- 4th Operations Group, 22 April 1991 – present (remained attached to 4404th Tactical Fighter Wing, Provisional until 27 June 1991)[1]
Stations
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Aircraft
- Supermarine Spitfire, 1942–1943
- Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, 1943–1944; 1947
- North American P-51 (later F-51) Mustang, 1944–1945, 1948–1949
- Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star, 1947–1949
- North American F-86 Sabre, 1949–1958
- North American F-100 Super Sabre, 1958–1960
- Republic F-105 Thunderchief, 1959–1966
- McDonnell F-4 Phantom II, 1967–1989
- McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle, 1990–present[1]
Emblems
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121 Eagle Squadron, RAF, 1940
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335th Fighter Squadron Korea
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USAF 335th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (ADC)
References
- Notes
- Citations
- ^ a b c d e f g h Robertson, Patsy (21 June 2011). "Factsheet 335 Fighter Squadron (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
- ^ "335th Fighter Squadron [335th FS] (Base Code: SJ)". Globalsecurity.org.
- ^ "Gulf War Chronology: 1993 Operations after the war". 25 September 2006. Archived from the original on 25 September 2006. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
- ^ Keyes, A1C Shawna (27 April 2018). "America's Jet". Defense Video Information Distribution Seervice. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c Station numbers in Anderson.
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.
- 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.
External links
- "4th Fighter Group WWII" Official WWII Association Website Referenced 4 March 2012
- a U.S. Air Force website