62d Fighter Squadron

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 62d Fighter Squadron


caption= 62d Fighter Squadron Patch
dates= 15 January 1941 - 18 October 1945
1 May 1946 - 30 April 1971
1 September 1974 - 14 May 1993
18 March 1994 - 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=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname=
patron=
motto=
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battles=
notable_commanders=
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The 62d Fighter Squadron (62 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 62d Fighter Squadron was constituted as the 62d Pursuit Squadron as part of the 56th Pursuit Group at Savannah, Georgia, on 15 January 1941. The squadron immediately began training for its wartime missions, rapidly transitioning through the P-35, P-36, P-39, and P-40 aircraft. On 7 December 1941, the 62d stepped up to defend the Northeastern United States from anticipated enemy air attack while it converted to the P-47 aircraft and prepared to deploy overseas. The squadron arrived in England on 9 January 1943, and was declared operationally ready two months later and flew its first combat missions 13 April. [http://www.luke.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=5003 56 OG Fact Sheet] ]

Following World War II the 62d began flying the P-51 and P-80, the squadron performed escort duty for the Strategic Air Command bombers, deploying to Alaska and Europe in this role. In 1948, the squadron converted to the interceptor role, a mission the squadron would maintain until 1971. Stationed in the northern tier of the United States, the 62d Fighter Interceptor Squadron flew the P-80, F-86, and F-101 on patrol against the ever-present Soviet bomber threat. A highlight from this era was the squadron capturing top F-101 squadron honors at the William Tell 1965, USAF Worldwide Weapons Meet.

On 1 September 1974, the squadron became a fighter-training unit. Activating at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, the 62d assumed the mission of training F-4 and F-106 weapons instructors at the United States Air Force interceptor Weapons School. The following October, the flag moved again; this time to rejoin the 56th Tactical Fighter Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, and began training F-4 crews for tactical units around the world. On 1 January 1981, the squadron transitioned to the F-16 Fighting Falcon" and continued to train fighter pilots until the squadron's inactivation on 12 May 1993. The 62d Fighter Squadron was reactivated on 18 March 1994, at Luke Air Force Base, where it currently flies the F-16 Block 25 aircraft.

=Operations [http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/rso/squadrons_flights_pages/0062fs.html AFHRA 62 FS Page] ] =

*World War II

=Lineage=

*62d Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) (1940 - 1942)
*62d Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) (Twin Engine) (1942)
*62d Fighter Squadron (Twin Engine) (1942)
*62d Fighter Squadron (1942 - 1944)
*62d Fighter Squadron, Single Engine (1944 - 1947)
*62d Fighter Squadron, Jet Propelled (1947 - 1948)
*62d Fighter Squadron, Jet (1948 - 1950)
*62d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (1950 - 1974)
*62d Fighter-Interceptor Training Squadron (1974 - 1975)
*62d Tactical Fighter Squadron (1975 - 1981)
*62d Tactical Fighter Training Squadron (1981 - 1991)
*62d Fighter Squadron (1991 - Present)

=Assignments=

*56th Fighter Group (1941 - 1945)
*56th Fighter-Interceptor Group (1946 - 1952)
**Attached: Alaskan Provisional Wing (c. 28 December 1946 - c. 10 APril 1947)
**Attached: 30th Air Division (c. 28 July 1950 - 30 April 1951)
**Attached: 142d Fighter-Interceptor Group (1 May 1951 - 5 February 1952)
*4706th Defense Wing (1952 - 1953)
*501st Air Defense Group (1953 - 1955)
*56th Fighter Wing (1955 - 1963)
**Attached: 473d Fighter Group (1 August - 30 September 1959)
*Duluth Air Defense Sector (1963 - 1966)
*29th Air Division (1966 - 1969)
*34th Air Division (1969)
*23d Air Division (1969 - 1971)
*Air Defense Weapons Center (1974 - 1975)
*Tactical Air Command (1975)
*56th Fighter Wing (1975 - 1993, 1994 - Present)

=Bases stationed=

*Savannah, Georgia (1941)
*Charlotte Army Air Base, North Carolina (1941)
**Deployed: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (October - November 1941)
*Wilmington, North Carolina (1941 - 1942)
*Bendix, New Jersey (1942)
*Newark, New Jersey (1942)
*Bradley Field, Connecticut (1942 - 1943)
*RAF Kings Cliffe, England (1943)
*RAF Horsham St Faith, England (1943)
*RAF Halesworth, England (1943 - 1944)
*RAF Boxted, England (1944 - 1945)
*RAF Debden, England (1945)
*Camp Kilmer, New Jersey (1945)
*Selfridge Field, Michigan (1946 - 1950)
**Deployed: Ladd Field, Alaska (28 December 1946 - 10 April 1947)
**Deployed: Oscoda Air Force Base, Michigan 1 April - 6 June 1949)
*O'Hare International Airport, Illinois (1950 - 1959)
*K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base, Michigan (1959 - 1971)
*Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida (1974 - 1975)
*MacDill Air Force Base, Florida (1975 - 1993)
*Luke Air Force Base, Arizona (1994 - Present)

=Aircraft Operated=

*P-35 (1941)
*P-36 Hawk (1941)
*P-39 Airacobra (1941 - 1942)
*P-40 Warhawk (1941 - 1942)
*P-47 Thunderbolt (1942 - 1945, 1946)
*P-51 Mustang (1946 - 1947)
*F-80 Shooting Star (1947 - 1950)
*F-86 Sabre (1950 - 1959)
*F-101 Voodoo (1959 - 1971)
*F-106 Delta Dart (1974 - 1975)
*F-4 Phantom II (1974 - 1980)
*F-16 Fighting Falcon (1980 - 1993, 1994 - Present)

References

Notes

Bibliography

* [http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/rso/squadrons_flights_pages/0062fs.html USAF 62d Fighter Squadron History]
* [http://www.luke.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=5003 56th Operations Group Fact Sheet]

ee also