The 22nd Fighter Squadron, sometimes written as 22d Fighter Squadron, (22 FS) is an inactive
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
unit. It was last assigned to the
52nd Operations Group
The 52d Operations Group is the flying component of the 52d Fighter Wing, assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). The group is stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.
Overview
The 52d Operat ...
and stationed at
Spangdahlem Air Base
Spangdahlem Air Base (IATA: SPM, ICAO: ETAD, former code EDAD) is a NATO air base with the USAF as a tenant constructed between 1951 and 1953 and located near the small German town of Spangdahlem, approximately 30 km NNE of the city of Trier ...
, Germany.
Originally constituted as the ''22nd Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor)'' in 1939, it first deployed to the Caribbean before deploying to England and Europe from 1944. After
WWII
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the unit returned to its prewar mission defending the
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal ( es, Canal de Panamá, link=no) is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a conduit ...
, before once again deploying to Europe in 1948. It remained there until 1991, at which time some parts of the squadron redeployed to Saudi Arabia and Turkey. The squadron was inactivated in 2010 to combine with the
23rd Fighter Squadron
The 23d Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 52d Operations Group and stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. It was inactivated on 13 August 2010.
History World War II
The 23d Fighter ...
and was redesignated the
480th Fighter Squadron
The 480th Fighter Squadron (480th FS), nicknamed the "Warhawks", is an active United States Air Force unit operating the General Dynamics F-16CJ Fighting Falcon. The 480 FS assigned to the 52nd Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany is the ...
. At various times during its existence, the squadron has gone by the colloquial names "Stingers", "Adlers", "Bees", "Bumblebees" and "The BIG 22: Last of the Red Hot Fighter Squadrons".
History
World War II
Antilles Air Command
The 22d Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) was constituted on 22 December 1939, and activated in February 1940 at
Langley Field Langley may refer to:
People
* Langley (surname), a common English surname, including a list of notable people with the name
* Dawn Langley Simmons (1922–2000), English author and biographer
* Elizabeth Langley (born 1933), Canadian perform ...
, Virginia. Flying the
Curtiss P-36 Hawk
The Curtiss P-36 Hawk, also known as the Curtiss Hawk Model 75, is an American-designed and built fighter aircraft of the 1930s and 40s. A contemporary of the Hawker Hurricane and Messerschmitt Bf 109, it was one of the first of a new generation ...
, the squadron was one of several deployed to the Caribbean (later
Antilles Air Command
The Antilles Air Command is a disbanded United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Sixth Air Force, based at Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico, where it was inactivated on 25 August 1946.
Engaged in antisubmarine operations, 1941 ...
) and being stationed on bases established as part of the 1940
Destroyers for Bases Agreement
The destroyers-for-bases deal was an agreement between the United States and the United Kingdom on September 2, 1940, according to which 50 , , and US Navy destroyers were transferred to the Royal Navy from the US Navy in exchange for land rights ...
with Great Britain. The squadron left from
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...
on 1 February 1940 with several others bound for
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
aboard the
USAT Chateau Thierry from Norfolk for what turned into 29 months of overseas service, taking station at Ponce (later
Losey Field
Fort Allen, officially Fort Allen Training Center, is a Puerto Rico National Guard military installation located on a 921-acre facility in Juana Díaz, Puerto Rico.
History
Losey Field was established by the Army Air Corps in 1941 and was used ...
) on 6 January 1941.
After its arrival at Ponce, the Squadron converted from the P-36A to
Curtiss P-40 Warhawk
The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground-attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time an ...
. After the
Pearl Harbor Attack
The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, j ...
on 7 December 1941, the Squadron was placed on 24-hour alert status and, the Squadron's P-40E's were flown to
Howard Field
Howard is an English-language given name originating from Old French Huard (or Houard) from a Germanic source similar to Old High German ''*Hugihard'' "heart-brave", or ''*Hoh-ward'', literally "high defender; chief guardian". It is also probabl ...
, in the
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone ( es, Zona del Canal de Panamá), also simply known as the Canal Zone, was an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the Isthmus of Panama, that existed from 1903 to 1979. It was located within the terr ...
to reinforce the defense units of the
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal ( es, Canal de Panamá, link=no) is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a conduit ...
. The squadron returned to Ponce without aircraft, and upon their return, the squadron received some
Bell P-39D Airacobra
The Bell P-39 Airacobra is a fighter produced by Bell Aircraft for the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. It was one of the principal American fighters in service when the United States entered combat. The P-39 was used by the ...
s which were flown to
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
from the United States which joined the single example which had been on hand since at least June 1941. On 13 December, the unit Headquarters moved from Ponce to
Vega Baja
Vega Baja (, ) is a town and municipality located on the coast of north central Puerto Rico. It is north of Morovis, east of Manatí, and west of Vega Alta. Vega Baja is spread over 13 barrios. The population of the municipality was 54,414 at t ...
Airfield, an auxiliary aerodrome in Puerto Rico, to provide better interception coverage for the island.
Operations during most of the remainder of 1942 are vague, but involved very extensive over-water flying and many scrambles in response to reported
U-boat
U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare role ...
sightings, the vast majority of which turned up negative. A detachment of three P-39Ds was operating at
Beane Field,
St. Lucia
Saint Lucia ( acf, Sent Lisi, french: Sainte-Lucie) is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean. The island was previously called Iouanalao and later Hewanorra, names given by the native Arawaks and Caribs, two Amerin ...
by 28 February 1942 while the detachment at
Waller Field
Waller Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force World War II air base located in northeastern Trinidad. It is located about 5 miles (8 km) southwest of Valencia south of the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway and roughly 32 km from t ...
. The unit was redesignated as the 22d Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942. On 2 September 1942, a detachment of the
32d Fighter Squadron
The ROMP is a reduced instruction set computer (RISC) microprocessor designed by IBM in the late 1970s. It is also known as the Research OPD Miniprocessor (after the two IBM divisions that collaborated on its inception, IBM Research and the Off ...
which had been stationed at
Curacao and
Aruba
Aruba ( , , ), officially the Country of Aruba ( nl, Land Aruba; pap, Pais Aruba) is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands physically located in the mid-south of the Caribbean Sea, about north of the Venezuela peninsula of ...
was transferred outright to the 22d Fighter Squadron, but continued on at their stations on detached assignment. The detachment at Aruba was further attached to the
12th Bombardment Squadron
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
and the detachment at Curacao was attached to the
59th Bombardment Squadron
The 59th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was first activated in Panama in 1941 during the expansion of the United States Army Air Corps before World War II. Following the Attack on Pearl Harbor the squadron ...
. The larger 22d Fighter Squadron detachment in
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...
engaged in extensive
antisubmarine
An anti-submarine weapon (ASW) is any one of a number of devices that are intended to act against a submarine and its crew, to destroy (sink) the vessel or reduce its capability as a weapon of war. In its simplest sense, an anti-submarine weapo ...
activities.
With the Navy taking over the antisubmarine mission, the squadron was redeployed back to the United States, moving to Morrison Field, Florida by 27 May 1943.
Ninth Air Force
![36fg-p47-uk-1944](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/36fg-p47-uk-1944.jpg)
Transferred to
III Fighter Command
The III Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was at MacDill Field, Florida. It was inactivated on 8 April 1946.
History Background
GHQ Air Force (GHQ,AF) had been established with two major combat ...
in June 1943, began training for deployment to the
European Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army (ETOUSA) was a Theater of Operations responsible for directing United States Army operations throughout the European theatre of World War II, from 1942 to 1945. It commanded Army Ground For ...
as a
Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bombe ...
fighter-bomber squadron. Deployed to England in April 1944 as part of
IX Fighter Command
The IX Fighter Command was a United States Army Air Forces formation. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Erlangen, Germany, wheret was inactivated on 16 November 1945.
IX Fighter Command was the primary tactical fighter ...
. Initial missions included strafing and dive-bombing armored vehicles, trains, bridges, buildings, factories, troop concentrations, gun emplacements, airfields, and other targets in preparation for the
invasion of Normandy
Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the Norm ...
. The squadron also flew some escort missions with
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Force ...
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Theater ...
and
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models des ...
strategic bombers.
On
D-Day
The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...
the squadron patrolled the air over the landing zones and by flying close-support and interdiction missions. Moved to its
Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) were temporary advance airfields constructed by the Allies during World War II during the liberation of Europe. They were built in the UK prior to the invasion and thereafter in northwest Europe from 6 June 19 ...
at
Brucheville Airfield
Brucheville Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the Communes of France, commune of Brucheville in the Normandy Regions of France, region of northern France.
Located in the vicinity of Brucheville, the ...
, France in July, then eastward as ground forces advanced on the continent. Operations supported the breakthrough at
Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô (, ; br, Sant Lo) is a commune in northwest France, the capital of the Manche department in the region of Normandy.[United States Third Army
The United States Army Central, formerly the Third United States Army, commonly referred to as the Third Army and as ARCENT, is a military formation of the United States Army which saw service in World War I and World War II, in the 1991 Gulf Wa ...]
toward Germany in August and September as part of the 303d Fighter Wing, XIX Tactical Air Command. In October, the squadron moved into Belgium to support
Ninth United States Army
The Ninth Army is a field army of the United States Army, garrisoned at Caserma Ederle, Vicenza, Italy. It is the United States Army Service Component Command of United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM or AFRICOM).
Activated just eight weeks bef ...
.
Participated in the
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive (military), offensive military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted fr ...
during December 1944 and January 1945 by flying armed reconnaissance and close-support missions. Aided
First United States Army
First Army is the oldest and longest-established field army of the United States Army. It served as a theater army, having seen service in both World War I and World War II, and supplied the US army with soldiers and equipment during the Korea ...
's push across the
Roer River
The Rur or Roer (german: Rur ; Dutch and li, Roer, , ; french: Rour) is a major river that flows through portions of Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. It is a right (eastern) tributary to the Meuse ( nl, links=no, Maas). About 90 perce ...
in February 1945. Supported
operations at the Remagen bridgehead and during the
airborne assault across the Rhine in March. Also, during 1945, the 22nd received its squadron emblem, designed by
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
(known as Walt Disney Productions at the time).
By
V-E Day
Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easter ...
, the squadron was based at
Kassel-Rothwestern Airfield
Kassel-Rothwesten Airfield is a former military airfield located in Rothwesten, a part of Fuldatal in Germany about north-northeast of Kassel (Hessen); approximately southwest of Berlin.
Then known as ''Fliegerhorst Kassel'', the facility w ...
, Germany, where it remained until February 1946 as part of the
United States Air Forces in Europe
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...
Army of Occupation. In February, the unit was transferred, without personnel or equipment to
Bolling Field The origins of the surname Bolling:
English: from a nickname for someone with close-cropped hair or a large head, Middle English bolling "pollard", or for a heavy drinker, from Middle English bolling "excessive drinking".
German (Bölling): from a ...
, Washington, D.C where it was inactivated as a paper unit.
![22d Fighter Squadron - Lockheed P-80B-1-LO Shooting Star - 45-8634](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/22d_Fighter_Squadron_-_Lockheed_P-80B-1-LO_Shooting_Star_-_45-8634.jpg)
Reactivated in October 1946 under
Caribbean Air Command
The United States Air Forces Southern Command is an inactive Major Command of the United States Air Force. It was headquartered at Albrook Air Force Base, Canal Zone, being inactivated on 1 January 1976.
Initially designated Panama Canal Air Forc ...
in the Canal Zone, returning to its prewar mission of the defense of the Panama Canal. The squadron conducted air defense training missions for the next two years initially with P-47's. The squadron upgraded to jet aircraft in December 1947 with the arrival of the
Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star
The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star was the first jet fighter used operationally by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) during World War II. Designed and built by Lockheed in 1943 and delivered just 143 days from the start of design, prod ...
.
As a result of the
Berlin Blockade
The Berlin Blockade (24 June 1948 – 12 May 1949) was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War. During the multinational occupation of post–World War II Germany, the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway, road ...
and other
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
tensions in Europe, the squadron was deployed to Germany and was reassigned to
United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) during August 1948, becoming part of the third F-80 jet group assigned to USAFE. At
Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base
Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base (German: "Fliegerhorst Fürstenfeldbruck" or "Flugplatz Fürstenfeldbruck") is a former German Air Force airfield near the town of Fürstenfeldbruck in Bavaria, near Munich, Germany.
Fürstenfeldbruck became famous firs ...
tactical operations included air defense, tactical exercises, maneuvers, and photographic reconnaissance. Upgraded to new
Republic F-84E Thunderjet
The Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 first flew in 1946. Although it entered service in 1947, the Thun ...
s in 1950. Note, blue diagonal stripes were the markings of the 36th FBG, the red nose and tip tanks being colored red were the squadron markings. The squadron remained at Fürstenfeldbruck until 1952 when it was reassigned to the new
Bitburg Air Base
Bitburg (; french: Bitbourg; lb, Béibreg) is a city in Germany, in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate approximately 25 km (16 mi.) northwest of Trier and 50 km (31 mi.) northeast of Luxembourg city. The American Spangdahlem A ...
, west of the
Rhine River
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, sourc ...
near the French border in the
Eifel mountains
The Eifel (; lb, Äifel, ) is a low mountain range in western Germany and eastern Belgium. It occupies parts of southwestern North Rhine-Westphalia, northwestern Rhineland-Palatinate and the southern area of the German-speaking Community of ...
, near the town of
Birtburg, Germany.
Bitburg Air Base
In August 1953, the
North American F-86F Sabre
The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing Sov ...
was introduced to the squadron, replacing the F-84s. In 1956, the squadron received the
North American F-100 Super Sabre
The North American F-100 Super Sabre is an American supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force (USAF) from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard (ANG) until 1979. The first of the Century Series of ...
, marking the first time a wing in USAFE flew supersonic jets. On 15 May 1958, the squadron was re-designated as the 22nd Tactical Fighter Squadron and was part of the
36th Tactical Fighter Wing along with the
23rd Tactical Fighter Squadron (until 1972),
53rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, and
525th Tactical Fighter Squadron. Two notable 22nd pilots during this period were
Buzz Aldrin
Buzz Aldrin (; born Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr.; January 20, 1930) is an American former astronaut, engineer and fighter pilot. He made three spacewalks as pilot of the 1966 Gemini 12 mission. As the Lunar Module ''Eagle'' pilot on the 1969 A ...
and
Ed White, who later became
Project Gemini
Project Gemini () was NASA's second human spaceflight program. Conducted between projects Mercury and Apollo, Gemini started in 1961 and concluded in 1966. The Gemini spacecraft carried a two-astronaut crew. Ten Gemini crews and 16 individual ...
and
Apollo Project astronauts.
In May 1961, received the
Republic F-105 Thunderchief
The Republic F-105 Thunderchief is an American supersonic fighter-bomber that served with the United States Air Force from 1958 to 1984. Capable of Mach 2, it conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Vie ...
and continued to carry on its
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
mission of tactical nuclear weapons delivery. Twice in the early 1960s when Cold War tensions were elevated due to the
1961 Berlin Wall crisis and 1962
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis, also known as the October Crisis (of 1962) ( es, Crisis de Octubre) in Cuba, the Caribbean Crisis () in Russia, or the Missile Scare, was a 35-day (16 October – 20 November 1962) confrontation between the United S ...
the squadron rose to a high level of alert. The squadron was upgraded to the
McDonnell F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and Bowe ...
in 1966.
The squadron was upgraded to the
McDonnell Douglas F-15A Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an American twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter aircraft designed by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing). Following reviews of proposals, the United States Air Force selected McDonnell Douglas' ...
in April 1976. In 1980 more advanced F-15Cs and F-15Ds replaced the original F-15As. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the squadron conducted routine training missions and contributed aircraft and pilots to the
36th Tactical Fighter Wing'
Zulu Alertfacility during the
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
. When the F-15s first arrived at Bitburg AB, a German "wild park" (zoo) came to the squadron and "adopted" it. The squadron designed an alternative emblem along with full-color aircrew patches with an eagle (animal) and US Flag on it and were dubbed the "Adlers" (which is German for eagle). For a time in the late seventies and early eighties the "Adler" name and emblem were used exclusively within the "ops" portion of the squadron, while the attached maintenance unit retained the "Stingers" name and emblem. In 1982, a new squadron commander made the unpopular decision that the "Adler" patch would no longer be used, and reinstate the Walt Disney "Bumblebee" patch, which was the official patch.
Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm
After the
Invasion of Kuwait
The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait was an operation conducted by Iraq on 2 August 1990, whereby it invaded the neighboring State of Kuwait, consequently resulting in a seven-month-long Iraqi military occupation of the country. The invasion and Ira ...
by
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
in August 1990, the squadron was put on heightened readiness status awaiting possible deployment to the
Gulf Region
The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The body ...
. At the time of the invasion, the 22nd Fighter Squadron was involved in the
MSIP (Multi-Stage Improvement Program) upgrade of their F-15s and could not be deployed as a coherent unit. During December 1990, those aircraft that had completed upgrades, along with pilots and maintainers from the 22nd AMU (Aircraft Maintenance Unit), augmented their sister squadron, the
53rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, for deployment to
Al Kharj AB,
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
in support of
Operations Desert Shield
The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
and later
Desert Storm
The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
. In January 1991, many of the remaining aircraft, pilots and maintainers from the squadron deployed to
Incirlik AB
Incirlik Air Base ( tr, İncirlik Hava Üssü) is a Turkish air base of slightly more than 3320 ac (1335 ha), located in the İncirlik quarter of the city of Adana, Turkey. The base is within an urban area of 1.7 million people, east of t ...
,
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
along with their other sister squadron, the
525th Tactical Fighter Squadron, and the F-15s of the
32nd Tactical Fighter Squadron from
Soesterberg AB
Soesterberg Air Base was a Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) military air base located in Soesterberg, east-northeast of Utrecht. It was first established as an airfield in 1911, and in 1913, the Dutch Army bought the field and established t ...
,
The Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
. Despite their reduced numbers, the 22nd's remaining pilots and maintainers at Bitburg continued to provide aircraft for the Zulu Alert facility, as well as provided support for non-squadron F-15s en route to the war zone. In all locations, the aircraft and personnel of the 22nd Tactical Fighter Squadron performed amazing feats under demanding conditions. Not a single F-15 aircraft was lost in combat during the war and several returned with credited kills. Aircraft tail number 79-0078, one of the squadron's Al Kharj deployed aircraft, was credited with two
Mig-21
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-21; NATO reporting name: Fishbed) is a supersonic jet fighter and interceptor aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. Its nickna ...
kills on 6 February 1991. Aircraft tail number 79-0022, one of the squadron's aircraft deployed to Incirlik, was credited with a
Mig-23
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-23; NATO reporting name: Flogger) is a variable-geometry fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau in the Soviet Union. It is a third-generatio ...
kill on 28 January 1991 and is currently on display, along with other squadron memorabilia, at the
Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum in
Pueblo
In the Southwestern United States, Pueblo (capitalized) refers to the Native tribes of Puebloans having fixed-location communities with permanent buildings which also are called pueblos (lowercased). The Spanish explorers of northern New Spain ...
,
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
. In March 1991, the Incirlik-deployed squadron returned to Bitburg AB.
They were followed by the last members of the Al Kharj deployment in July 1991.
Operation Provide Comfort
The end of Operation Desert Storm marked the beginning of
Operation Provide Comfort
Operation Provide Comfort and Provide Comfort II were military operations initiated by the United States and other Coalition nations of the Persian Gulf War, starting in April 1991, to defend Kurdish refugees fleeing their homes in northern ...
and once again the 36th Tactical Fighter Wing, including the 22nd, was tasked with providing aircraft and personnel in support of Operation Provide Comfort and later Operation
Provide Comfort II. This included enforcement of the northern and southern Iraqi no-fly zones and protection of
Kurds ug:كۇردلار
Kurds ( ku, کورد ,Kurd, italic=yes, rtl=yes) or Kurdish people are an Iranian ethnic group native to the mountainous region of Kurdistan in Western Asia, which spans southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Ir ...
in the northern region. While still deployed to Al Kharj, F-15C tail number 84-0014, an aircraft belonging to the 53rd TFS, but flown by 22nd pilot John "Nigel" Doneski, downed an
Su-22
The Sukhoi Su-17 (''izdeliye'' S-32) is a variable-sweep wing fighter-bomber developed for the Soviet military. Its NATO reporting name is "Fitter". Developed from the Sukhoi Su-7, the Su-17 was the first variable-sweep wing aircraft to enter ...
in violation of the southern no-fly zone. In 1993, long after the squadron had been re-united in the middle of 1991, the 22nd returned to Incirlick as part of its ongoing commitment to Operation Provide Comfort II.
Spangdahlem Air Base
In the spring of 1994, as a result of the military post-Cold War draw down worldwide, the decision was made to close the operations portion of Bitburg Air Base and to send the squadron's F-15C/Ds and some of its personnel to
RAF Lakenheath
Royal Air Force Lakenheath or RAF Lakenheath is a Royal Air Force station near the village of Lakenheath in Suffolk, England, UK, north-east of Mildenhall and west of Thetford. The base also sits close to Brandon.
Despite being an RAF stati ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. Other personnel were absorbed by the 53rd Fighter Squadron ("Tactical" had been removed in the new post-Cold War era), which was moving to Spangdahlem, or assigned to other F-15 squadrons worldwide. However, the squadron's colors were transferred to
Spangdahlem Air Base
Spangdahlem Air Base (IATA: SPM, ICAO: ETAD, former code EDAD) is a NATO air base with the USAF as a tenant constructed between 1951 and 1953 and located near the small German town of Spangdahlem, approximately 30 km NNE of the city of Trier ...
, Germany, on 1 April 1994. Once at Spandahlem, the
480th Fighter Squadron
The 480th Fighter Squadron (480th FS), nicknamed the "Warhawks", is an active United States Air Force unit operating the General Dynamics F-16CJ Fighting Falcon. The 480 FS assigned to the 52nd Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany is the ...
's colors were retired and the 22d's were assumed. The 22d then took on the mission, personnel and aircraft of the former 480th which flew the
Block 50 F-16CJ, the Air Force's latest version of the Fighting Falcon. In 1998, the 22d transitioned from a primary general-purpose air interdiction squadron to its new primary mission as a
Wild Weasel
Wild Weasel is a code name given by the United States Air Force (USAF) to an aircraft of any type equipped with anti-radiation missiles and tasked with the suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD): destroying the radar and surface-to-air mis ...
unit performing suppression of enemy air defenses. The squadron's most current version of the F-16 was outfitted with the
high-speed anti-radiation missiles (HARM), GPS guided-inertial aided munitions, and the HARM targeting system.
Peacekeeping operations
The 22d was quickly put into combat with its new capability when it deployed to
Operation Northern Watch
Operation Northern Watch (ONW), the successor to Operation Provide Comfort, was a Combined Task Force (CTF) charged with enforcing its own no-fly zone above the 36th parallel in Iraq. Its mission began on 1 January 1997.
The coalition partners ...
in January 1999, and engaged Iraqi radars with 12 HARMs while protecting coalition assets during heightened tensions with Iraq. After three months flying Operations Northern Watch missions, the squadron was retasked and returned to Spangdahlem Air Base where they flew combat missions into northern Yugoslavia protecting
Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk
The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk is a retired American single-seat, twin-engine stealth attack aircraft developed by Lockheed's secretive Skunk Works division and operated by the United States Air Force (USAF). It was the first operational air ...
s and
B-2 Spirit
The Northrop (later Northrop Grumman) B-2 Spirit, also known as the Stealth Bomber, is an American heavy strategic bomber, featuring low-observable stealth technology designed to penetrate dense anti-aircraft defenses. A subsonic flying ...
s striking key military targets in and around
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
, Yugoslavia, in support of
Operation Allied Force
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) carried out an aerial bombing campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The air strikes lasted from 24 March 1999 to 10 June 1999. The bombings continued until an a ...
. The pilots of the 22d flew combat missions over Yugoslavia and fired 202 HARMs at Serbian radars. In addition, the squadron performed its secondary and tertiary missions, employing 16 Mk-84s on key military targets while providing air superiority.
In December 2000 to March 2001, the squadron was assigned to Air Expeditionary Force 9. It regularly flew combat missions in support of Operations Northern and
Operation Southern Watch
Operation Southern Watch was an air-centric military operation conducted by the United States Department of Defense from Summer 1992 to Spring 2003.
United States Central Command's Joint Task Force Southwest Asia (JTF-SWA) had the mission of mon ...
.
Operation Enduring Freedom
In response to U.S. presidential directives, following the
11 September attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated Suicide attack, suicide List of terrorist incidents, terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, ...
22d provided fighter escort to
Boeing C-17 Globemaster III
The McDonnell Douglas/Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft that was developed for the United States Air Force (USAF) from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas. The C-17 carries forward the name of two ...
over Afghanistan during
humanitarian relief
Humanitarian aid is material and logistic assistance to people who need help. It is usually short-term help until the long-term help by the government and other institutions replaces it. Among the people in need are the homeless, refugees, and v ...
missions, within 100 hours of notification, as part of
Operation Enduring Freedom
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used synonymously by the U.S. government for both the War in Afghanistan (2001–2014) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response to the September 11 at ...
. This effort served as the template for USAFE's Euro Lightning operations concept.
Operation Iraqi Freedom
In January 2003, the squadron forward deployed as the 22d Expeditionary Fighter Squadron to
Southwest Asia
Western Asia, West Asia, or Southwest Asia, is the westernmost subregion of the larger geographical region of Asia, as defined by some academics, UN bodies and other institutions. It is almost entirely a part of the Middle East, and includes Anat ...
in support of
U.S. Central Command
The United States Central Command (USCENTCOM or CENTCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the U.S. Department of Defense. It was established in 1983, taking over the previous responsibilities of the Rapid Deployment Joint Tas ...
and flew combat missions during
Operation Iraqi Freedom
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish)
, partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...
. The squadron played a key role during the 27-day air war by fulfilling its "Wild Weasel" mission of suppressing enemy air defenses and destroying Iraqi radar sites.
![Nick Lachey at Ramstein1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Nick_Lachey_at_Ramstein1.jpg)
In April 2010 20 F-16Cs were flown from Spangdahlem to the
148th Fighter Wing
The 148th Fighter Wing is a unit of the Minnesota Air National Guard located at Duluth Air National Guard Base, Minnesota. The 148th is equipped with the General Dynamics F-16C Fighting Falcon. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained ...
of the
Minnesota Air National Guard
The Minnesota Air National Guard (MN ANG) is the aerial militia of the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is, along with the Minnesota Army National Guard, an element of the Minnesota National Guard.
As state militia units, the units in the Minnesota Ai ...
, one F-16 was transferred to
Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force installation in California. Most of the base sits in Kern County, but its eastern end is in San Bernardino County and a southern arm is in Los Angeles County. The hub of the base is E ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
. All aircraft were from the 22d Fighter Squadron. As a result of the drawdown of F-16s, the 22d and 23rd Fighter Squadrons were inactivated on 13 August 2010 and formed the a single "new" squadron, the
480th Fighter Squadron
The 480th Fighter Squadron (480th FS), nicknamed the "Warhawks", is an active United States Air Force unit operating the General Dynamics F-16CJ Fighting Falcon. The 480 FS assigned to the 52nd Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany is the ...
.
Lineage
* Constituted as the 22nd Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 22 December 1939
: Activated on 1 February 1940
: Redesignated 22nd Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942
: Redesignated 22nd Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 20 August 1943
: Inactivated on 31 March 1946
* Activated on 15 October 1946
: Redesignated 22nd Fighter Squadron, Jet Propelled on 27 October 1947
: Redesignated 22nd Fighter Squadron, Jet on 17 June 1948
: Redesignated 22nd Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 20 January 1950
: Redesignated 22nd Fighter-Day Squadron on 9 August 1954
: Redesignated 22nd Tactical Fighter Squadron on 8 July 1958
: Redesignated 22nd Fighter Squadron on 1 October 1991
: Inactivated on 13 August 2010
[
]
Assignments
* 36th Pursuit Group (later 36th Fighter Group), 1 February 1940 – 31 March 1946
* 36th Fighter Group (later 36th Fighter-Bomber Group 36th Fighter-Day Group), 15 October 1946 (attached to 36th Fighter-Day Wing after 1 October 1956)
* 36th Fighter-Day Wing (later 36th Tactical Fighter Wing, 36th Fighter Wing), 8 December 1957
* 36th Operations Group, 31 March 1992
* 52d Operations Group
The 52d Operations Group is the flying component of the 52d Fighter Wing, assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). The group is stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.
Overview
The 52d Operat ...
, 1 April 1994 – 13 August 2010[
]
Stations
* Langley Field, Virginia, 1 February 1940
* Losey Field, Puerto Rico, 6 January 1941
* Vega Baja Airfield, Puerto Rico, 13 December 1941 (detachment operated from Waller Field, Trinidad after 6 December 1941)
* Waller Field, Trinidad, Oct 1942
: Detachment operated from: Dakota Field
Queen Beatrix International Airport ( nl, Internationale luchthaven Koningin Beatrix; pap, Aeropuerto Internacional Reina Beatrix), colloquially known as Aruba Airport , is an international airport located in Oranjestad, Aruba. It has flight ...
, Aruba, 2 September 1942-Apr 1943
: Detachment operated from: Hato Field, Curacao, 2 September 1942-Apr 1943
: Detachment operated from: Zandery Field
Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport , also known as Paramaribo-Zanderij International Airport, and locally referred to simply as JAP, is an airport located in the town of Zanderij and hub for airline carrier Surinam Airways, south of Param ...
, Dutch Guyana, 16 September 1942 – 16 February 1943
* Morrison Field, Florida, 27 May 1943
* Mitchel Field
Mitchell may refer to:
People
*Mitchell (surname)
*Mitchell (given name)
Places Australia
* Mitchell, Australian Capital Territory, a light-industrial estate
* Mitchell, New South Wales, a suburb of Bathurst
* Mitchell, Northern Territory ...
, New York, 4 June 1943
* Charleston Army Air Field
Charleston Air Force Base is a United States military facility located in the City of North Charleston, South Carolina. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force's 628th Air Base Wing (628 ABW), a subordinate elemen ...
, South Carolina, 21 June 1943
* Alamogordo Army Air Field
Alamogordo () is the seat of Otero County, New Mexico, United States. A city in the Tularosa Basin of the Chihuahuan Desert, it is bordered on the east by the Sacramento Mountains and to the west by Holloman Air Force Base. The population was ...
, New Mexico, 17 September 1943
* Scribner Army Air Field, Nebraska, 26 November 1943-Mar 1944
* RAF Kingsnorth (AAF-418),[Station number in Anderson.] England, 5 April 1944
* Brucheville Airfield (A-16),[Station number in Johnson.] France, 3 August 1944
* Le Mans Airfield
Le Mans Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the City of Le Mans in the Pays de la Loire region of northern France.
History
Le Mans was an industrial target for the Allies due to the Renault manufacturi ...
(A-35),[ France, c. 5 September 1944
* ]Athis Airfield
Athis Airfield was a World War II military airfield located approximately 1 km northeast of Athis, Marne, Athis, approximately 130 km east-northeast of Paris.
It was used by the Luftwaffe, then by the United States Army Air Forces duri ...
(A-76),[ France, 23 September 1944
* ]Juvincourt Airfield
Juvincourt Airfield is an abandoned military airfield, which is located near the commune of Juvincourt-et-Damary in the Aisne department of northern France.
Built originally as a grass airfield by the French Air Force before World War II, Juvin ...
(A-68),[ France, 5 October 1944
* ]Le Culot Airfield
Beauvechain Air Base is a Belgian Air Component military airfield in Belgium, located south of Beauvechain in Wallonia (Walloon Brabant Province); east-southeast of Brussels.
It is home to the 1st Wing, operating A109BA helicopters, and the ...
(A-89),[ Belgium, c. 27 October 1944
* ]Aachen Airfield
Aachen ( ; ; Aachen dialect: ''Oche'' ; French and traditional English: Aix-la-Chapelle; or ''Aquisgranum''; nl, Aken ; Polish: Akwizgran) is, with around 249,000 inhabitants, the 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia, and the 28th ...
(Y-46),[ Germany, 28 March 1945
* ]Niedermendig Airfield
Mendig Air Base (German Language, German: "Heeresflugplatz Mendig") is a former military air base located southeast of the city of Mendig, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
It was home of German Army Medium Transport Helicopter Regiment 35, equipped ...
(Y-62),[ Germany, 8 April 1945
* Kassel-Rothwestern Airfield (R-12),][ Germany, 21 April 1945 – 15 February 1946
* Bolling Field, District of Columbia, 15 February – 31 March 1946
* Howard Field (later Howard Air Force Base), Panama Canal Zone, 15 October 1946-c. 25 July 1948
* Furstenfeldbruck Air Base, Germany, 13 August 1948
* Bitburg Air Base, Germany, 28 October 1952
* Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, 1 April 1994 – 13 August 2010][
]
Aircraft
* Curtiss XP-37 (1940)
* Curtiss P-36 Hawk (1940–1942)
* Curtiss P-40 Warhawk (1941, 1942–1943)
* Bell P-39 Airacobra (1941–1943)
* Republic P-47 Thunderbolt (1943–1945, 1946–1947)
* Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star (1947–1950)
* Republic F-84 Thunderjet (1950–1953)
* North American F-86 Sabre (1953–1956)
* North American F-100 Super Sabre (1956–1961)
* Republic F-105 Thunderchief (1961–1966)
* McDonnell F-4 Phantom II (1966–1977)
* McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle (1977–1994)
* General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon (1994–2010)[
]
References
; Notes
; Notes
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
External links
22d Fighter Squadron Fact Sheet
{{USAF Bases in Germany
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