21st Fighter Squadron

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 21st Fighter Squadron


caption= 21st Fighter Squadron Patch
dates= 15 October 1944 - 15 October 1946
11 November 1954 - 15 March 1959
1 December 1972 - 28 June 1991
1 November 1991 - 31 December 1993
8 August 1996 - Present
country= United States
allegiance=
branch=United States Air Force
type= Fighter Training
role=
size=
command_structure= Air Education and Training Command
19th Air Force
56th Fighter Wing
56th Operations Group
current_commander=
garrison= Luke Air Force Base
ceremonial_chief=
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nickname=
patron=
motto=
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The 21st Fighter Squadron (21 FS) is part of the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training.

Mission

History

The 21st flew combat missions in western Pacific from, 20 May-14 August 1945. It trained for wild weasel radar detection and suppression missions from, 1972-1981. The squadron went on to train for forward air control missions from, November 1991-1993. Since August 1996, it has trained F-16 crews. [http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/rso/squadrons_flights_pages/0021fs.html AFHRA 21 FS Page] ]

=Operations=

*World War II

=Lineage=

*21st Fighter Squadron, Single Engine (1944 - 1954)
*21st Fighter-Day Squadron (1954 - 1958)
*21st Tactical Fighter Squadron (1958 - 1972)
*21st Tactical Fighter Training Squadron (1972 - 1980)
*21st Tactical Fighter Squadron (1980 - 1983)
*21st Tactical Fighter Training Squadron (1983 - 1991)
*21st Fighter Squadron (1991 - Present)

=Assignments=

*413th Fighter Group (1945 - 1946)
*413th Tactical Fighter Wing (1954 - 1959)
*35th Tactical Fighter Wing (1972 - 1991)
*507th Air Control Wing (1991 - 1992)
*363d Fighter Wing (1992 - 1993)
*56th Fighter Wing (1996 - Present)

=Bases stationed=

*Seymour Johnson Field, North Carolina (1944)
*Bluethenthal Field, North Carolina (1944 - 1945)
*Ie Shima (1945)
*Kadena Air Base, Okinawa (1945 - 1946)
*Yontan Air Base, Okinawa (1946)
*George Air Force Base, California (1954 - 1959)
*Moron Air Base, Spain (1959)
*George Air Force Base, California (1972 - 1991)
*Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina (1991 - 1993)
*Luke Air Force Base, Arizona (1996 - Present)

=Aircraft Operated=

*P-47 Thunderbolt (1944 - 1946)
*F-86 Sabre (1954 - 1956)
*F-100 Super Sabre (1956 - 1959)
*F-4 Phantom II (1972 - 1981)
*F-16 Fighting Falcon (1981 - 1991, 1996 - Present)
*OA-10 Thunderbolt II (1991 - 1993)

References

Notes

Bibliography

* [http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/rso/squadrons_flights_pages/0021fs.html USAF 21st Fighter Squadron History]
* [http://www.luke.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=5003 56th Operations Group Fact Sheet]

ee also