Organizational History Branch |
Lineage
Constituted 44th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 22 Nov 1940. Activated on 1 Jan 1941. Redesignated: 44th Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942; 44th Fighter Squadron, Two Engine, on 26 Jan 1944; 44th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 6 May 1946; 44th Fighter Squadron, Jet, on 23 Dec 1949; 44th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 20 Jan 1950; 44th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 Jul 1958; 44th Fighter Squadron on 1 Oct 1991.
Assignments
18th Pursuit (later, 18th Fighter) Group, 1 Jan 1941; 318th Fighter Group, 20 Oct 1942; South Pacific Area, 1 Dec 1942; Thirteenth Air Force, 4 Jan 1943; 18th Fighter (later, 18th Fighter-Bomber) Group, 30 Mar 1943 (attached to 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing, 25 Jul30 Nov 1950; 6200th Air Base Wing, 1 Dec 195030 Jan 1953; Thirteenth Air Force, 31 Jan 195310 Nov 1954 and 11 Dec 19544 Jan 1955; 6200th Air Base Wing, 527 Jan 1955; Air Task Group Fifth, Provisional, 27 Jan16 Feb 1955; 6200th Air Base Wing, 17 Feb14 Jul 1955; Air Task Force 13, Provisional, 330 Sep 1955; 314th Air Division, 1518 Apr 1956; 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing, 1 Feb30 Sep 1957); 18th Fighter-Bomber (later, 18th Tactical Fighter) Wing, 1 Oct 1957 (attached to 2d Air Division, 18 Dec 196425 Feb 1965, 21 Apr23 Jun 1965, and 1929 Oct 1965); 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, 25 Apr 1967 (attached to 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, 1014 Oct 1969); 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, 15 Oct 1969; Thirteenth Air Force, 10 Dec 1970; 18th Tactical Fighter Wing, 15 Mar 1971 (attached to 3d Tactical Fighter Wing, 2 Apr2 Jun 1972 and 28 Jul8 Sep 1972; 327th Air Division, 6 Nov 19725 Aug 1973, 26 Aug16 Sep 1973, 728 Oct 1973, 18 Nov9 Dec 1973, 30 Dec 197320 Jan 1974, 10 Feb2 Mar 1974, 23 Mar13 Apr 1974, 425 May 1974, 15 Jun6 Jul 1974, 27 Jul16 Aug 1974, 5 Sep17 Oct 1974,30 Nov 19749 Jan 1975, and 20 Feb10 Apr 1975); 18th Tactical Fighter Group, 1 May 1978; 18th Tactical Fighter Wing, 11 Feb 1981; 18th Operations Group, 1 Oct 1991.
Stations
Wheeler Field, TH, 1 Jan 1941; Bellows Field, TH, 7 Nov 1941; Wheeler Field, TH, 12 Dec 1941; Kaneohe, TH, 27 Dec 1941; Wheeler Field, TH, 25 Jan 1942; Bellows Field, TH, 23 Jun23 Oct 1942; Efate, New Hebrides, 7 Nov 1942 (air echelon operated from Guadalcanal, 20 Dec 194220 Mar 1944); Espiritu Santo, 25 Oct 1943 (air echelon operated from Treasury Island, Solomon Islands, 20 Mar25 Apr 1944, and from Guadalcanal, 11 May16 Jul 1944); Guadalcanal, 17 Jul 1944; Cape Opmarai, New Guinea, 23 Aug 1944 (air echelon operated from Morotai, 7 Nov 194416 Jan 1945); Lingayen, Luzon, 13 Jan 1945; San Jose, Mindoro, 26 Feb 1945 (air echelon operated from Palawan, 26 Apr13 May 1945); Zamboanga, Mindanao, 4 MayNov 1945; Puerto Princesa, Palawan, 10 Nov 1945; Florida Blanca, Luzon, 17 Jul 1946; Clark Field (later, AFB), Luzon, 3 Oct 1947 (deployed at Yonton Auxiliary AB, Okinawa, 11 Nov11 Dec 1954; Tao Yuan AB, Formosa, 27 Jan17 Feb 1955); Kadena AB, Okinawa, 15 Jul 1955 (deployed at Tao Yuan AB, Formosa, 330 Sep 1955; Pyongtaek AB, South Korea, 1518 Apr 1956; and Korat RTAFB, Thailand, 18 Dec 196425 Feb 1965, 21 Apr22 Jun 1965, and 1029 Oct 1965); Korat RTAFB, Thailand 25 Apr 1967 (deployed at Takhli RTAFB, Thailand, 127 Feb 1969); Takhli RTAFB, Thailand, 10 Oct 196915 Mar 1971; Kadena AB, Okinawa (later, Japan), 15 Mar 1971 (deployed at Kunsan AB, South Korea, 2 Apr2 Jun 1972 and 28 Jul8 Sep 1972; Ching Chaun Kang AB, Taiwan, 6 Nov 19725 Aug 1973, 26 Aug16 Sep 1973, 728 Oct 1973, 18 Nov9 Dec 1973, 30 Dec 197320 Jan 1974, 10 Feb2 Mar 1974, 23 Mar13 Apr 1974, 425 May 1974, 15 Jun6 Jul 1974, 27 Jul16 Aug 1974, 5 Sep17 Oct 1974, 30 Nov 19749 Jan 1975, and 20 Feb10 Apr 1975).
Aircraft
P40, 19411942, 1943; P38, 19431946; P (later, F)51, 19461947, 19481950; P47, 19461947, 19471948; P80,19461947, 19491954; F86, 19541957; F100, 19571964; F105, 19631966, 19671970; F4, 19711980; F15, 1979.
Operations
Flew patrols over the Pacific from Hawaii, 7 Dec 1941Oct 1942. Combat in the South and Southwest Pacific, 21 Dec 194215 Aug 1945. Combat in Southeast Asia, 18 Dec 196425 Feb 1965, 21 Apr22 Jun 1965, 1929 Oct 1965, and 25 Apr 19676 Oct 1970. Unmanned, 31 Dec 196624 Apr 1967 and Nov 197015 May 1971. Air defense of Okinawa and Japan, 1971.
Honors
Service Streamers. None.
Campaign Streamers. World War II: Guadalcanal; Northern Solomons; Bismarck Archipelago; New Guinea; Leyte; Luzon; Southern Philippines; Central Pacific; Western Pacific; China Defensive. Vietnam: Vietnam Advisory; Vietnam Defensive; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase II; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase III; Vietnam Air/Ground; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase IV; TET 69/ Counteroffensive; Vietnam Summer-Fall, 1969; Vietnam Winter-Spring, 1970; Sanctuary Counteroffensive; Southwest Monsoon; Commando Hunt V.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Award: Philippine Islands, 1011 Nov 1944. Presidential Unit Citations: Southeast Asia, 22 Apr23 Jun 1965 and 2228 Oct 1965; Southeast Asia, 25 Apr1 May 1967. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards with Combat "V" Device: 1 Aug 19645 Jun 1965; 25 Apr30 Jun 1967; 1 Jul 196730 Jun 1968; 1 Jul 196815 Sep 1969; 15 Oct 196924 Nov 1970. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Dec 195930 Nov 1960; 1 Sep 196231 Aug 1963; 6 Jun 196531 Dec 1966; 1 Sep 197830 Sep 1979; 1 Oct 197931 May 1980; 1 Jul 198131 May 1983; 1 Jun 198331 May 1984; 1 Jul 198431 May 1986; 1 Jun 198731 May 1989; 1 Jun 198931 May 1991. Philippine Presidential Unit Citation (WWII). Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: 7 Mar 196715 Mar 1971.
Emblem
A bats head affronte, with leering expression, Black, with Yellow and Red detail, between two wings, expanded and inverted, Red, with ribs Black. Approved on 18 Feb 1942 (49004 A.C.).