354th Fighter Squadron

354th Fighter Squadron
354th Fighter Squadron Patch
Active	12 November 1942 – 20 November 1946 1 November 1952 – 8 January 1958 13 April 1962 – 30 April 1982 1 November 1991 – Present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Fighter Training
Part of	Air Combat Command 12th Air Force 355th Fighter Wing 355th Operations Group
Garrison/HQ	Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
Nickname(s)	Bulldogs
Decorations	DUC PUC AFOUA w/ V Device RVGC w/ Palm

An A-10 in the Arizona sunset

North American P-51B-15-NA Mustang Serial 42-106950 "The Iowa Beaut" of the 354th Fighter Squadron. This aircraft was lost on 11 September 1944 – Capt Kevin G Rafferty KIA.

354 FIS (Air Defense Command)

Lockheed F-94C-1-LO Starfire 51-5607, 1952, Long Beach Airport, California

Three F-94C Starfires of the 354th FIS, Oxnard AFB, California, 1956

The 354th Fighter Squadron (354 FS) is part of the 355th Fighter Wing at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft conducting close air support missions.

Mission

Conduct Close Air Support, Air Interdiction, Forward Air Control – Airborne, and Combat Search and Rescue for theater commanders worldwide.

History

The 354th flew combat missions in the European Theater of Operations from, 14 September 1943–25 April 1945and in Southeast Asia from, 13 March–12 June 1965, 28 November 1965–7 October 1970, and c. 14 January–3 July 1973.

It conducted combat crew training from, 1971–1982 and forward air control training since 1991.

Operations

• World War II
• Vietnam War

Lineage

• 354th Fighter Squadron (1942–1944)
• 354th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine (1944–1952)
• 354th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (1957–1962)
• 354th Tactical Fighter Squadron (1962–1979)
• 354th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron (1979–1991)
• 354th Fighter Squadron (1991 – Present)

Assignments

• 355th Fighter Group (1942–1946)
• 27th Air Division (1952–1953)
• 533d Air Defense Group (1953–1955)
• 355th Fighter Group (1955–1958)
• Tactical Air Command (1962)
• 831st Air Division (1962)
• 355th Tactical Fighter Wing (1962–1970)
• Thirteenth Air Force (1970–1971)
• 4453d Combat Crew Training Wing (1971)
• 355th Tactical Training Wing (1971–1982)
• 602d Air Control Wing (1991–1992)
• 355th Operations Group (1992 – Present)

Bases stationed

• Orlando AAB, Florida (1942–1943)
• Zephyrhills AAF, Florida (1943)
• Norfolk Municipal Airport, Virginia (1943)
• Philadelphia Municipal Airport, Pennsylvania (1943)
• Millville, New Jersey (1943)
• RAF Steeple Morden, England (1943–1945)
• Gablingen, Germany (1945–1946)
• Schweinfurt, Germany (1946)
• Mitchel Field, New York (1946)
• Long Beach Municipal Airport, California (1952)
• Oxnard Air Force Base, California (1952–1955)
  • Operated From: Moody Air Force Base, Georgia (8 May – 10 June 1955)
• McGhee Tyson Airport/McGhee Tyson Air Force Base, Tennessee (1955–1958)
• George Air Force Base, California (1962–1964)
  • Operated From: Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska (24 January – 14 February 1964)
  • Operated From: Incirlik Air Base, Turkey (5 May – 18 September 1964)
• McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas (1964–1965)
  • Deployed: Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand (6 March – 18 June 1965)
• Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand (1965–1970)
• Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona (1970–1982)
  • Deployed: Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand (14 January – 4 July 1973)
• Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona (1991–1993)
• McChord Air Force Base, Washington (1993–1994)
• Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona (1994 – Present)

Myrtle Beach Air Force Base South Carolina

Aircraft Operated

• P-47 Thunderbolt (1943–1944)
• P-51 Mustang (1944–1946, 1952–1953)
• F-94C Starfire (1953–1955)
• F-86D Sabre Interceptor (1955–1957)
• F-105 Thunderchief (1962–1970)
• A-7D Corsair II (1971–1979)
• A-10 Thunderbolt II (1979–1982, 1991 – Present)

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from 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 354th Fighter Squadron History
• 355th Operations Group Fact Sheet