44th Fighter Squadron emblem (approved 18 February 1942)[1]
Military unit
The 44th Fighter Squadron is a unit of the United States Air Force, part of the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan.[2] The 44th Pursuit Squadron was activated on 1 January 1941 and assigned to the 18th Pursuit Group.[2] The 44th Fighter Squadron is equipped with the F-15C/D Eagle.
The 44 FS operated the F-15C Eagle aircraft conducting air superiority missions.[2]
History
World War II
The 44th Flew patrols over the Pacific from Hawaii from 7 December 1941 – October 1942. It went on to fly combat missions in the South and Southwest Pacific from 21 December 1942 – 15 August 1945.[1]
Vietnam War
It again flew combat missions in Southeast Asia from 18 December 1964 – 25 February 1965, 21 April – 22 June 1965, 19 – 29 October 1965, and 25 April 1967 – 6 October 1970.[1]
The squadron was unmanned from 31 December 1966 – 24 April 1967 and November 1970–15 May 1971.
Japan
It has flown air defense over Okinawa and Japan since 1971.[1]
On 17 January 2006 an F-15C of the squadron crashed into the Pacific Ocean near Okinawa. The pilot ejected and was rescued by an HH-60 of the 33d Rescue Squadron.[3][4][5]
The 44th Fighter Squadron was named as the winner of the Raytheon Trophy for 2012.[6]
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.[7]
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.[7] This affected the 44th Fighter Squadron with a reduction of its flying hours, placing it into a basic mission capable status from 5 April-30 September 2013.[7]
On 11 June 2018 the pilot of another F-15C from the squadron ejected over the sea off Okinawa. This pilot was also rescued by the Air Rescue Wing Naha Detachment of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.[11][12]
Lineage
Constituted as the 44th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 22 November 1940
Activated on 1 January 1941
Redesignated 44th Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942
Redesignated 44th Fighter Squadron, Two Engine on 26 January 1944
Redesignated 44th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 6 May 1946
Redesignated 44th Fighter Squadron, Jet on 23 December 1949
Redesignated 44th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 20 January 1950
Redesignated 44th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 July 1958
Redesignated 44th Fighter Squadron on 1 October 1991[1]
18th Fighter Group (later 18th Fighter-Bomber Group), 30 March 1943
Attached to 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing 25 July – 30 November 1950, 6200th Air Base Wing until 30 January 1953, Thirteenth Air Force until 10 November 1954
Attached to Thirteenth Air Force 11 December 1954 – 4 January 1955, 6200th Air Base Wing until January 1955, Air Task Group Fifth, Provisional until 16 February 1955, 6200th Air Base Wing until 14 July 1955
Attached to Air Task Force 13, Provisional 3–30 September 1955
Attached to 327th Air Division, 6 November 1972 – 5 August 1973, 26 August – 16 September 1973, 7–28 October 1973, 18 November – 9 December 1973, 30 December 1973 – 20 January 1974, 10 February – 2 March 1974, 23 March – 13 April 1974, 4–25 May 1974, 15 June – 6 July 1974, 27 July – 16 August 1974, 5 September – 17 October 1974, 30 November 1974 – 9 January 1975, and 20 February – 10 April 1975
Deployed to Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, 18 December 1964 – 25 February 1965, 21 April – 22 June 1965, 10–29 October 1965 28 January 1966–8 April 1966
Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, 25 April 1967
Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, 10 October 1969 – 15 March 1971
Kadena Air Base, Okinawa (later Japan), 15 March 1971–present
Deployed to Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, 2 April – 2 June 1972 and 28 July – 8 September 1972
Deployed to: Ching Chuan Kang Air Base, Taiwan, 6 November 1972 – 5 August 1973, 26 August – 16 September 1973, 7–28 October 1973, 18 November – 9 December 1973, 30 December 1973 – 20 January 1974, 10 February – 2 March 1974, 23 March – 13 April 1974, 4–25 May 1974, 15 June – 6 July 1974, 27 July – 16 August 1974, 5 September – 17 October 1974, 30 November 1974 – 9 January 1975, and 20 February – 10 April 1975[1]
Deployed to Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, May 1998[citation needed]
Deployed to Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, March 2000[citation needed]
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