457th Fighter Squadron
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(December 2012) |
| 457th Fighter Squadron | |
|---|---|
 457th Fighter SquadronF-16 Fighting Falcon[note 1] | |
| Active | 1944–1945 1953–1959 1972–present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Fighter |
| Part of | Air Force Reserve Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth |
| Nickname(s) | Spads[1] |
| Motto(s) | Spad to the Bone[1] |
| Engagements | Pacific Ocean Theater Global War on Terrorism[2] |
| Decorations | Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award[2] |
| Insignia | |
| 457th Fighter Squadron emblem(approved 27 April 2000)[2] |  |
| 457th Fighter Squadron emblem(approved 20 January 1945)[3] |  |
The457th Fighter Squadronis a United StatesAir Force Reserve Commandunit, assigned to the301st Operations Group,301st Fighter WingatNaval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth,Texas. The squadron flies theLockheed F-16 Fighting Falcon.If mobilized, the Wing is gained by theAir Combat Command.
Thesquadronwas first activated in 1944 as a long rangefighterunit. It deployed toIwo Jimain the spring of 1945 and engaged in combat untilV-J Day,earning aDistinguished Unit Citation.It returned to the United States in December 1945 and was inactivated.
The squadron was again activated in 1953 as the457th Strategic Fighter Squadron.In 1957, it was transferred fromStrategic Air CommandtoTactical Air Commandas the457th Fighter-Day Squadron.The squadron was inactivated in April 1959.
It began its current active period in July 1972, when the regular Air Force transferred three squadrons ofRepublic F-105 Thunderchiefsto thereserves.
Mission
[edit]The 457th Fighter Squadron is the only flying squadron attached to the 301st Fighter Wing. The current Block 30 F-16Cs of the 457th FS carry the base tail codeTXon their F-16s. The earlier Block 25 F-16Cs flown by the unit during 1990-1996 carriedTFtail codes. The F-4Ds and F-4Es operated by the 457th from 1981 to 1991 carriedTHcodes, as did the F-105s operated from 1972 to 1981.
History
[edit]World War II
[edit]Constituted as 457 Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 5 October 1944. Activated on 21 October 1944 atLakeland Army Air Field,FloridawithNorth American P-51 Mustangs.Assigned to the506th Fighter Group.MajorMalcolm C. Watters was the unit's first commanding officer.[2]
February 1945, the 457th moved to the western Pacific Ocean in spring of 1945. Operated from North Field,Iwo Jima,25 April - 3 December 1945 (air echelon operated from Tinian, 23 March - 11 May 1945).[2]
Escorted B-29 bombers in raids against Japan, and attacked targets such as enemy airfields, May – August 1945.
Between 1953 and 1959, and again since July 1972, trained for a variety of tactical air missions. Frequently deployed for training exercises, some of them overseas.
Reserve fighter operations
[edit]The 457th Tactical Fighter Squadron was reconstituted at Carswell AFB in 1972. It was initially equipped with 30 F-105D Thunderstick II aircraft. F-105 Operations continued until the winter of 1981/1982, when the F-105s were retired and F-4D Phantom IIs arrived. 27 F-4Ds served at Carswell, until being replaced in 1988 by F-4Es. 26 of the gun nosed Phantoms served for three years. Block 25 F-16Cs arrived early in 1991, and served until 1996. Block 30 F-16Cs then arrived and have continued to serve until the end of 2023. The unit will convert to the F-35A Lightning II in 2024.
Took part inOperation Deny Flight,enforcing a no-fly zone over Bosnia, in 1993 while flying out of Aviano AB in Italy. Participated in training exercises and deployments. Provided resources forOperation Northern Watch(1999–2000),Operation Southern Watch(2001),Operation Noble Eagle(2001–), andOperation Iraqi Freedom(2003–2011).
On 26 April 2019, 16 fighters of the squadron were deployed to Romania as part ofOperation Atlantic Resolve.They were supported by twoKC-10A Extendertankers during the flight over the Atlantic to theSpangdahlem Air Base,and from there they flew to the Romanian71st Air Base.The F-16s participated in the Dacian Viper 2019 exercise and remained at the base until early August.[4]
Global War on Terror
[edit]Since9/11units and individual personnel in various career fields have supported a number of missions related toOperation Enduring Freedom,Operation Noble Eagle's homeland defense, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.[5]The 457th FS ended a two-month deployment toBalad Air Basein support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in December 2005.[6]
Lineage
[edit]
- Constituted as the457th Fighter Squadron,Single Engine, on 5 October 1944
- Activated on 21 October 1944
- Inactivated on 16 December 1945
- Redesignated457th Strategic Fighter Squadronon 20 November 1952
- Activated on 20 January 1953
- Redesignated457th Fighter-Day Squadronon 1 July 1957
- Redesignated457th Fighter-Bomber Squadronon 1 January 1958
- Redesignated457th Tactical Fighter Squadronon 1 July 1958
- Inactivated on 1 April 1959
- Activated in the reserve on 8 July 1972
- Redesignated457th Fighter Squadronon 1 February 1992[2]
Assignments
[edit]- 506th Fighter Group,21 October 1944 – 16 December 1945
- 506th Strategic Fighter Wing(later 506 Fighter-Day Wing, 506 Fighter-Bomber Wing, 506 Tactical Fighter Wing), 20 January 1953 – 1 April 1959
- 506th Tactical Fighter Group, 8 July 1972
- 301st Tactical Fighter Wing(later 301 Fighter Wing), 25 March 1973
- 301st Operations Group,1 August 1992 – present[2]
Stations
[edit]- Lakeland Army Air Field,Florida, 21 October 1944 – 16 February 1945
- North Field,Iwo Jima, 25 April–3 December 1945
- Air echelon operated fromWest Field,Tinian, 23 March–11 May 1945
- Camp Anza,California, 15–16 December 1945
- Dow Air Force Base,Maine, 20 January 1953
- Tinker Air Force Base,Oklahoma, 20 March 1955 – 1 April 1959
- Carswell Air Force Base(later Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth), Texas, 8 July 1972 – present[2]
Aircraft
[edit]- North American P-51 Mustang,1944–1945
- Republic F-84 Thunderjet,1953–1957
- North American F-100 Super Sabre,1957–1958
- Republic F-105 Thunderchief,1972–1982
- McDonnell F-4 Phantom II,1981–1991
- General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon,1990–present[2]
- Lockheed Martin F-35A,Est 2024
References
[edit]Notes
[edit]- Explanatory notes
- ^Aircraft is General Dynamics F-16C Block 30A, serial 85-1412, at NAS Fort Worth JRB
- Citations
- ^abThomas Newdick (5 November 2020)."Spad To The Bone: Texas F-16 Squadron Marks 75th Anniversary With Bold Paint Job".thedrive.com.
- ^abcdefghiRobertson, Patsy (13 October 2016)."Factsheet 456 Fighter Squadron (AFRC)".Air Force Historical Research Agency.Retrieved4 December2018.
- ^Maurer,Combat Squadrons,pp. 563–564
- ^"'Vipers' over Transylvania ".keymilitary.com.19 September 2019.
- ^Dermarderosian-Smith, Laura (27 April 2007)."Same fight – unrivaled wingman deploys".301st Fighter Wing Public Affairs. Archived fromthe originalon 22 July 2011.Retrieved4 December2018.
- ^No byline (12 December 2005)."301st Fighter Wing returns from Balad".Archived fromthe originalon 7 June 2011.Retrieved4 December2018.
Bibliography
[edit]
This article incorporatespublic domain materialfrom theAir Force Historical Research Agency
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961].Air Force Combat Units of World War II(PDF)(reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.ISBN0-912799-02-1.LCCN61060979.Retrieved17 December2016.
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969].Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II(PDF)(reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.ISBN0-405-12194-6.LCCN70605402.OCLC72556.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984).Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947–1977.Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.ISBN0-912799-12-9.Retrieved17 December2016.