47th Fighter Squadron

The 47th Fighter Squadron (47 FS) is part of the 917th Fighter Group at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, and falls under the operational control of the 442nd Fighter Wing, Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri.

Mission
The 47 FS conducts advanced A-10 Thunderbolt II training.

World War II
The 47th Fighter Squadron was activated on 1 December 1940, as the 47th Pursuit Squadron, one of three squadrons assigned to the 15th Pursuit Group, Wheeler Field, territory of Hawaii. The squadron also flew missions from Hawaiian stations of Bellows, Haleiwa and Mokuleia Fields, as well as Barking Sands.

The 47th Pursuit Squadron participated in numerous campaigns from 1940 to 1945, flying P-10, P-26, P-36, P-47, and P-51 aircraft. The squadron was credited with shooting down eight Japanese aircraft on 7 December 1941, before being inactivated on 15 October 1946, at Wheeler Field.

Air Defense Command
On 1 December 1952, the 47th was re-designated the 47th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron and was activated at Niagara Falls Municipal Airport, New York. Assigned to the 4708th Defense Wing under Air Defense Command, the squadron flew F-47 aircraft. In February 1953 the 47th was reassigned to the 518th Air Defense Group, flying F-84F Thunderstreak jet aircraft; upgraded to the F-86D Sabre Interceptor in September 1953. In 1957 began re-equipping with the North American F-86L Sabre, an improved version of the F-86D which incorporated the Semi Automatic Ground Environment, or SAGE computer-controlled direction system for intercepts. The service of the F-86L destined to be quite brief, since by the time the last F-86L conversion was delivered, the type was already being phased out in favor of supersonic interceptors. In May 1958 the Sabres were replaced by F-102 Delta Daggers. On 1 July 1960, the 47th was again inactivated.

Tactical Air Command
The summer of 1962 brought two significant changes to the 47th: The squadron was reactivated as the 47th Tactical Fighter Squadron and was returned to Tactical Air Command. Assigned to the 15th Tactical Fighter Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, the 47th flew F-84 and F-4 Phantom II aircraft.

In July 1965, the 47th deployed to Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, and compiled 1,743 combat missions over Southeast Asia. The squadron returned to MacDill on 27 November 1965, and converted from a training mission to a combat training mission before being inactivated on 2 July 1971.

On 1 October 1973 the squadron was reactivated as the 47th Tactical Fighter Squadron, under the 917th Tactical Fighter Group at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The 47th flew A-37 Dragonfly aircraft until 1 October 1980, when A-37s were phased out and replaced with the A-10 Thunderbolt II.

Air Combat Command
In December 1993, August 1994, and May 1995, the squadron deployed to Aviano Air Base, Italy, to support the United Nations’ no-fly zone over Bosnia and Herzegovina. In May 1996 the squadron deployed for the fourth time to Aviano, this time under the auspices of Operation Decisive Edge. The end result was a total of 501 sorties flown by the 47th from 1993 to 1996 as part of the NATO peacekeeping effort.

On 7 October 1996, the 47th's mission officially changed from combat to A-10 pilot training. Since that time they have participated in Operation Century Eagle 1999 & 2001, Saguaro Patriot 2001, Patriot Claw 2001 and Patriot Buccaneer 2002. During the first tactical and conventional gunnery competition open to A-10s, Hawgsmoke 2000, and the 47th took First Place for Top Hawgsmoke Tactical Unit, Top Overall Pilot and Top Overall Tactical Pilot. Then during the next Hawgsmoke competition in 2002, they won Top A-10 Squadron in the world.

Modern era
In June 2003, the 47 FS deployed to Combat Readiness Training Center, Gulfport, Mississippi, for Operation Patriot Pursuit.

In April 2004, the 47 FS hosted Hawgsmoke 2004 at the England Air Park, Alexandria, Louisiana. There were 18 A-10 teams from all over the world deployed to participate in the biennial A-10 bombing and tactical gunnery competition. The 47 FS deployed to MacDill Air Force Base, Florida for Operation Patriot Gator the end of July through the first of August 2004.

In 2005, the 47 FS deployed to McChord Air Force Base, Washington, for Operation Patriot Lightning, a close air support training exercise in conjunction with the Army National Guard.

In 2006 under Base Realignment and Closure the 47 FS gained eight A-10 aircraft and a number of full-time and part-time positions. In March the 47 FS won third overall out of 17 teams in Hawgsmoke 2006 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. Also in March, they participated in Operation Atlantic Strike III, a joint training exercise held at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.

The school graduated about 45 active-duty, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve students per year.

1 October 2011, the 47th Fighter Squadron converted from a training unit to a combat coded unit. January 2012, the 917 WG split. The wing's B-52 squadron, the 93 BS, folded under a new 307 BW and the 47 FS organized under the new 917th Fighter Group. The 917 FG organized under the 442 FW at Whiteman AFB, MO.

Lineage

 * Constituted 47th Pursuit Squadron (Fighter) on 22 November 1940
 * Activated on 1 December 1940
 * Redesignated: 47th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 12 February 1942
 * Redesignated: 47th Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942
 * Redesignated: 47th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 20 August 1944
 * Inactivated on 15 October 1946


 * Redesignated 47th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 10 October 1952
 * Activated on 1 December 1952
 * Discontinued on 1 July 1960


 * Redesignated 47th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 17 April 1962
 * Organized on 1 July 1962
 * Inactivated on 1 July 1971


 * Activated in the Reserve on 1 October 1973
 * Redesignated 47th Fighter Squadron on 1 February 1992.

Assignments

 * 15th Pursuit (later, 15th Fighter) Group, 1 December 1940 – 15 October 1946
 * 4708th Defense Wing, 1 December 1952
 * 518th Air Defense Group, 16 February 1953
 * 15th Fighter Group, 18 August 1955 – 1 July 1960
 * Tactical Air Command, 17 April 1962
 * 15th Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 July 1962
 * Attached to 2d Air Division, 25 July – 22 November 1965


 * 1st Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 October 1970 – 1 July 1971
 * 917th Tactical Fighter Group (later, 917th Tactical Fighter Wing; 917th Fighter Wing), 1 October 1973
 * 917th Operations Group (later, 917th Fighter Group), 1 August 1992–present

Bases stationed

 * Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii Territory, (1940–1942)
 * Bellows Army Airfield, Hawaii Territory, (1942)
 * Haleiwa Fighter Strip, Hawaii Territory, (1942–1943)
 * Barking Sands Army Airfield, Hawaii Territory, (1943)
 * Mokuleia Army Airfield, Hawaii Territory, (1943–1944)
 * Bellows Army Airfield, Hawaii Territory, (1944–1945)
 * South Field, Iwo Jima (1945)


 * Bellows Army Airfield, Hawaii Territory, (1945–1946)
 * Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii Territory, (1946)
 * Niagara Falls Municipal Airport, New York (1952–1960)
 * MacDill Air Force Base, Florida (1962–1971)
 * Deployed to: Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand (25 July – 22 November 1965)


 * Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana (1973–present)

Aircraft Operated

 * P-26 Peashooter (1941)
 * P-40 Warhawk (1941–1943)
 * P-36 Hawk (1941–1943)
 * P-47D Thunderbolt (1943–1945)
 * P-51 Mustang (1944–1946)
 * F-47D Thunderbolt, (1952-1953)
 * F-86D Sabre Interceptor (1954–1957)


 * F-86L Sabre Interceptor (SAGE) (1957–1958)
 * F-102 Delta Dagger (1958–1960)
 * F-84 Thunderjet (1964 - 1964)
 * F-4 Phantom II (1964–1971)
 * A-37 Dragonfly (1973–1980)
 * A-10 Thunderbolt II (1980–present)

Operations

 * World War II
 * Vietnam War
 * Operation Deny Flight
 * Operation Decisive Edge
 * Operation Enduring Freedom