4th Fighter Squadron

The 4th was activated as the 4th Pursuit Squadron at Selfridge Field, Michigan on 15 January 1941 as one of the original three squadrons of the 52d Pursuit Group and trained under Third Air Force as a tactical fighter squadron. Moved to several U.S. bases before relocating to Northern Ireland and England in 1942. Equipped with the British Supermarine Spitfire, was assigned to Twelfth Air Force during the North African Campaign in late 1942. Moved across Algeria and Tunisia flying ground support missions for American ground forces; taking part in the invasion of Sicily and Italy in 1943. Participated in the liberation of Corsica in 1943; then returning to Italy and being re-equipped with North American P-51D Mustangs in May 1944. Participated in Northern Italian Campaign, returning to the United States in August 1945 and inactivating.[4]

Squadron P-82G Twin Mustang[note 2]

Reactivated as part of Twentieth Air Force in Okinawa, assuming personnel and Northrop P-61 Black Widows of the inactivated 418th Night Fighter Squadron. Performed air defense role over Okinawa during Chinese Civil War on the mainland during 1947–1950. Re-equipped with new F-82G Twin Mustangs in 1949, retiring war-weary F-61s in early 1950. Deployed flight of F-82s to Japan in June 1950 as part of Far East Air Force mobility upon breakout of Korean War.

A flight of 8 aircraft assigned to 347th Provisional Fighter Group (All-Weather), 27 June – 5 July 1950 for combat missions in Korea Engaged in combat operations over South Korea during 1950, until F-51D Mustangs and Republic F-84 Thunderjets arrived in +the Korean theater. Then few combat missions from Japan, rotating flights of North American F-82 Twin Mustangs from Okinawa during 1950–1951, largely performing long-range weather reconnaissance flights over North Korea. Began receiving Lockheed F-94C Starfire jet interceptors to replace F-82s in 1951, retiring the last of its Twin Mustangs in late 1951. Continued air defense mission of Okinawa until 1954; moving to Japan and taking over interceptor mission until 1954 flying first North American F-86D Sabres then Convair F-102A Delta Daggers. Also train pilots of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, the Republic of Korea Air Force and the Royal Thai Air Force, and flew combat missions over Korea and Vietnam.[4]

In June 1965, the 4th moved to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, and was renamed the 4th Tactical Fighter Squadron, under the aegis of the 33d Tactical Fighter Wing, becoming the fourth Air Force fighter squadron trained in the McDonnell F-4C Phantom IIs. Deployed in July 1967, to Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, where they were designated as the 435th Tactical Fighter Squadron and immediately began combat operations. It moved in 1969 to Da Nang Air Base, Republic of Vietnam; flying tactical bombing missions over North Vietnam as part of the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing. Remained in Vietnam until United States redeployment from Da Nang in mid-1972. The squadron attained the U.S. Air Force's last Southeast Asia aerial victory, downing a MiG-21 on 8 January 1973. In all the 4th downed four enemy aircraft in combat over Vietnam.[4]

For the next two years, the squadron remained at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base, flying cover for evacuations of Phnom Penh, Cambodia and Saigon, Republic of Vietnam. The 4th performed strike missions in support of a recovery operation for the SS Mayaguez, a merchant freighter captured by Cambodian Khmer Rouge guerillas in May 1975.[4]

In December 1975, the 4th moved to Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and formed the initial cadre of the relocation of the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing flying the F-4D Phantom IIs.[4]

Squadron McDonnell F-4 Phantom II[note 3]

In March 1980, the squadron began conversion to the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon as the Air Force's first operational F-16 tactical fighter squadron. The squadron upgraded to the F-16C Block 40 in January 1990.[4]

When Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990, the 4th found deployed to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Desert Shield. Their deployment took 16 hours non-stop with 10 air refuelings (five at night). This set a record as the longest distance flown non-stop in the F-16.[4] The squadron dropped more than 2,000 tons of conventional munitions on strategic and tactical targets in Iraq and Kuwait during more than 1,000 daytime combat sorties while only two of their aircraft were damaged by enemy fire and none lost in combat.[4]

Air Combat Command officials announced a stand down and reallocation of flying hours for the rest of the fiscal year 2013 due to mandatory budget cuts. The across-the board spending cuts, called sequestration, took effect 1 March when Congress failed to agree on a deficit-reduction plan.[5]

Squadrons either stood down on a rotating basis or kept combat ready or at a reduced readiness level called "basic mission capable" for part or all of the remaining months in fiscal 2013.[5] This affected the 4th Fighter Squadron with a reduction of its flying hours, grounding all assigned pilots from 5 April-30 September 2013.[5]

During late 2017 the unit changed to the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II.

Explanatory notes

Citations

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947–1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• Watkins, Robert A. (2009). Insignia and Aircraft Markings of the U.S. Army Air Force in World War II. Volume IV, European-African-Middle Eastern Theater of Operations. Atglen,PA: Shiffer Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7643-3401-6.