478th Tactical Fighter Squadron
 | This article includes a improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (January 2013) ) |
| 478th Tactical Fighter Squadron | |
|---|---|
 Emblem of the 478th Tactical Fighter Squadron | |
| Active | 1957–1970 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Nickname(s) | "Green Foxes" |
The 478th Tactical Fighter Squadron is an inactive
Homestead AFB
, Florida.
History
Activated in October 1957 at
North American F-100D Super Sabre
. Aircraft initially had green diagonal stripes on tail, later changing to black and white. The squadron received some of the last production batch of the F-100 from North American, the production line closing in December 1957.
Trained for proficiency and operational readiness in the Super Sabre, deploying on
General Dynamics F-111A and a move to Nellis Air Force Base
in late 1965.
Instead, the squadron moved to
McDonnell F-4C Phantom IIs upon assignment, upgrading to F-4Ds in August 1967. Mission at Homestead primarily was to provide air defense of South Florida in wake of Cuban Missile Crisis
, operating the Phantom and gaining proficiency in the aircraft. Was upgraded to the F-4E in November 1968.
Provisional wing began rotational temporary duty deployments to
354th Tactical Fighter Wing, carrying tail code "ZE", with white outlined blue fin cap, containing white arrows. 478th assigned to Kunsan 21 May 1970, reassigned to 54th Tactical Fighter Wing at Kunsan when the 354th returned to Myrtle Beach Air Force Base
, South Carolina in June 1970. Remained in South Korea until September 1970, returning to Homestead.
The 31st Wing returned from duty at
309th Tactical Fighter Squadron
, 31 October 1970 and inactivated.
Lineage
- Constituted as the 478th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 26 September 1957
- Activated on 8 October 1957
- Redesignated 478th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 July 1958
- Inactivated on 31 October 1970
Assignments
- 405th Fighter-Bomber Wing, 23 May – 8 June 1962, not operational after 15 September 1965)
- 4531st Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 November 1966 (attached to 354th Tactical Fighter Wing, 21 May 1970, 54th Tactical Fighter Wing, 15 June-2 September 1970)
- 31st Tactical Fighter Wing, 15–31 October 1970
Stations
- Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, 13 December 1954
- Homestead Air Force Base, Florida, 1 November 1966 – 31 October 1970
Aircraft
- North American F-100 Super Sabre, 1957–1966
- McDonnell F-4E Phantom II, 1966–1970
References
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
