95th Fighter Squadron
| 95th Fighter Squadron | |
|---|---|
 95th Fighter Squadron Patch |
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| Active | 9 February 1942 – 9 September 1945 12 April 1947 – 2 October 1949 1 November 1952 – 31 January 1973 1 September 1974 – 21 September 2010 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Type | Fighter Training |
| Part of | Air Education and Training Command Nineteenth Air Force 325th Fighter Wing 325th Operations Group |
| Garrison/HQ | Tyndall Air Force Base |
| Nickname | Boneheads |
| Motto | Death with Finesse |
| Engagements | Operation Tidal Wave |
| Decorations |  DUC AFOUA |
The 95th Fighter Squadron (95 FS) was part of the 325th Fighter Wing at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. It conducted advanced fighter training for the F-15 Eagle aircraft.
History
The squadron first saw service flying the original twin-tailed fighter, the P-38 Lightning, serving in both North Africa and Italy. The 95th participated in the attacks on the Ploesti oil refineries. Each aircraft carried a 1,000-pound bomb and a 300-gallon gas tank. In May 1943, the 95th was tasked with bombing Pantellaria, supporting the Allied invasion of Sicily. In part due to the squadron's efforts the garrison surrender just prior to the Allies landing on the island. The squadron also took part in some of the first shuttle missions to Russia. At the end of World War II, the 95th tallied more than 400 total victories including 199 air-to-air kills and seven aces.[1]
During the post-war period, the squadron was assigned to the Alaskan Air Command, flying the P-51 Mustang. In the fall of 1959, the 95th was tasked with defending Washington, D.C., and the surrounding area. With the initiation of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and the threat of manned bomber attacks, the 95th was assigned to 24-hour alert status at both Dover AFB, and at its Detachment 1 at Atlantic City International Airport, New Jersey. Armed with F-106 Delta Dart aircraft, the squadron could be called to action and within minutes, be airborne fully loaded and armed with nuclear missiles.[1]
The squadron was last activated at Tyndall Air Force Base on 15 August 1974, as the 95th Fighter Interceptor Training Squadron. Upon arrival at Tyndall, the 95th transitioned from the F-106 to the T-33 Shooting Star, where they flew in support of Tyndall's Weapons Controller (now known as Air Battle Manager) training program. They also provided training to pilots newly assigned to the T-33 as well as drone chase support for the Air Force's Weapons System Evaluation Program at Tyndall. The 95th FITS was the last active USAF unit to operate the T-33, affectionately known by its crews as the "T-Bird". In 1988, the 95th retired its last T-Birds and gained the mission of providing combat crew training for pilots flying the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle. At this time, the 95th was redesignated the 95th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron. In 1991, the 95th was redesginated as the 95th Fighter Squadron, which remained the squadron's designation until the time of its inactivation in September 2010.
Though the 95th's mission was training, and was not an operational squadron, during Operation Noble Eagle, the 95th Fighter Squadron generated combat-configured F-15s and flew combat air patrol missions over cities in the southeastern United States.[1]
The 95th provided air dominance training at Tyndall AFB.[1]
Lineage[2]
- Constituted 95th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 13 Jan 1942
- Activated on 9 Feb 1942
- Redesignated: 95th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor)(Twin Engine) on 22 Apr 1942
- Redesignated: 95th Fighter Squadron (Twin Engine) on 15 May 1942
- Redesignated: 95th Fighter Squadron, Two Engine, on 28 Feb 1944
- Inactivated on 9 Sep 1945
- Activated on 12 Apr 1947
- Redesignated 95th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 15 Aug 1947
- Inactivated on 2 Oct 1949
- Redesignated 95th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 11 Sep 1952
- Activated on 1 Nov 1952
- Inactivated on 31 Jan 1973
- Redesignated 95th Fighter-Interceptor Training Squadron on 15 Aug 1974
- Activated on 1 Sep 1974
- Redesignated: 95th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron on 1 Apr 1988
- Redesignated: 95th Fighter Squadron on 1 Nov 1991
- Inactivated on 21 Sep 2010
Assignments[2]
- 82d Fighter Group (1942–1945, 1947–1949)
- 4710th Air Defense Wing (1952–1956)
- 85th Air Division (1956–1958)
- Washington Air Defense Sector (1958–1963)
- New York Air Defense Sector (1963–1966)
- 21st Air Division (1966–1969)
- Attached to: 5th Air Force ADVON (15 November 1969 - c. 1 May 1970)
- 20th Air Division (1969–1973)
- 678th Air Defense Group, 1973 - 1 Oct 1979
- Attached to: Air Defense Weapons Center, 1974 - 1 Oct 1979
- Air Defense Weapons Center, 1 Oct 1979 - 1991
- 325th Fighter Wing (1991–2010)
Bases stationed[2]
- Harding Field, Louisiana (1942)
- Muroc Lake, California (1942)
- Mines Field, California (1942)
- RAF Eglington, Northern Ireland (1942)
- Tafaraoui Airport, Oran, Algeria(1942–1943)
- Telergma Airfield, Algeria (1943)
- Berteaux Airfield, Algeria (1943)
- Souk-el-Arba Airfield, Tunisia (1943)
- Grombalia Airfield, Tunisia (1943)
- San Pancrazio, Italy (1943)
- Lecce, Italy (1943–1944)
- Vincenzo Airfield, Italy (1944–1945)
- Lesina, Italy (1945)
- Grenier Air Force Base, New Hampshire (1947–1949)
- Deployed: Ladd Air Force Base, Alaska (4 April – 29 June 1948)
- Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland (1952–1963)
- Dover Air Force Base, Delaware (1963–1973)
- Detachment 1, 95th FIS, Atlantic City International Airport, New Jersey
- Deployed: Osan Air Base, South Korea (15 November 1969 - c. 1 May 1970)
- Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida (1974–2010)
Aircraft[2]
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Operations[2]
References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
- A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946 - 1980, by Lloyd H. Cornett and Mildred W. Johnson, Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
- Maurer, Maurer. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force: World War II. Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1982.
- USAF Aerospace Defense Command publication, The Interceptor, January 1979 (Volume 21, Number 1).
- USAF 95th Fighter Squadron History
- 95th Fighter Squadron Fact Sheet
See also
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