2d Fighter Squadron

The 2d Fighter Squadron (2 FS) is an inactive United States Air Force Unit. It was last part of the 325th Fighter Wing at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. It was inactivated on 11 May 2010.

Mission
It operated the F-15C/D Eagle aircraft conducting advanced fighter training for reserve pilots in air dominance missions for worldwide application including training with night vision goggles and the Fighter Data Link.

History
Originally constituted the 2d Pursuit Squadron on 20 November 1940, the squadron was activated on 15 January 1941. It served in World War II with the 52d Pursuit Group, and during that period flew the Curtis P-40 Warhawk and Bell P-39 Airacobra. The 2d also flew combat missions in the Supermarine Spitfire and P-51 Mustang in the European and Mediterranean Theaters, serving specifically in air campaigns in Europe, Algeria-French Morocco, Tunisia, Sicily, Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arno, Normandy, Northern France, Southern France, north Appennines, Rhineland, Central Europe, Po Valley, and performed air combat in the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater. The unit received two Distinguished Unit Citations for operations in Germany and Romania in 1944.

Following World War II, the squadron was dinactivated on 7 November 1945 at Drew Field, Florida. It was activated again on 9 November 1946 and was assigned to the 52d Fighter Group under which it served tours in Schweinfurt and Bad Kissingen, Germany. Returning to Mitchell Field, New York, the squadron was designated the 2d Fighter Squadron and flew the Northrop P-61 Black Widow. In 1949, the 2d was moved to McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey, where it began flying the North American F-82 Twin Mustang.

In 1950, the 2 FS became the 2d Fighter All Weather Squadron and was outfitted with the Lockheed F-94 Starfire. One year later the unit was redesignated the 2d Fighter Interceptor Squadron and began flying the Republic F-84 Thunderjet.

Realignment in 1952 saw the 2nd assigned first to the 4709th Defense Wing, one year later to the 568th Air Defense Group. In 1953, the squadron was equipped with F-86A Sabre day fighters. Re-equipped in 1954 with F-86D Sabre Interceptors. Reassignment back to the 52d Fighter Group took place in August 1955, and the squadron moved its operations to Suffolk County Air Force Base, New York in 1957, the first delta wing fighter, the Convair F-102 Delta Dagger, was assigned to the unit to be replaced in 1959 with the McDonnell F-101 Voodoo. The squadron flew the F-101 for 10 years before being inactivated in 1969.

In 1971, the squadron was reactivated under the 23d Air Division at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan, flying the supersonic all weather Convair F-106 Delta Dart. The unit received the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for its activities during 1971-1972 at Wurtsmith, but was inactivated 31 March 1973. In August 1974, the squadron was reactivated and designated the 2d Fighter Interceptor Training Squadron and was activated at the Air Defense Weapons Center located at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, where it continued to fly the F-106. On 1 February 1982, the unit was redesignated the 2d Fighter Weapons Squadron, and it had the privilege of training the last active duty F-106 pilots. The unit received another Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for its activities during 1981-1982 at Tyndall. In May 1984 the squadron was re-designated as the 2d Tactical Fighter Training Squadron, and transitioned to the F-15 Eagle where it continued to train pilots for integration into Combat Air Forces worldwide, and maintained the capability to provide augmentation to air defense forces until its inactivation in May 2010.

The name was changed to the 2d Fighter Squadron on 1 November 1991. It received another Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for its activities between 1999 and 2000.

Lineage

 * Constituted 2d Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 20 November 1940
 * Activated on 15 January 1941
 * Redesignated: 2d Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942
 * Redesignated: 2d Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 20 August 1944
 * Inactivated on 7 November 1945


 * Redesignated 2d Fighter Squadron (All Weather) on 18 October 1946
 * Activated on 9 November 1946
 * Redesignated: 2d Fighter Squadron, All Weather, on 10 May 1948
 * Redesignated: 2d Fighter-All Weather Squadron on 20 January 1950
 * Redesignated: 2d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 1 May 1951
 * Inactivated on 31 December 1969


 * Activated on 1 July 1971, assuming personnel and equipment of the 94th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
 * Inactivated on 31 March 1973


 * Redesignated 2d Fighter-Interceptor Training Squadron on 15 August 1974
 * Activated on 1 September 1974
 * Redesignated: 2d Fighter Weapons Squadron on 1 February 1982
 * Redesignated: 2d Tactical Fighter Training Squadron on 1 May 1984
 * Redesignated: 2d Fighter Squadron on 1 November 1991.
 * Inactivated on 11 May 2010.

Assignments

 * 52d Fighter Group (1941–1945, 1946–1952)
 * 4709th Air Defense Wing (1952–1953)
 * 568th Air Defense Group (1953–1954)
 * 4709th Air Defense Wing (1954–1955)
 * 52d Fighter Wing (1955–1969)
 * 23d Air Division (1971–1973)
 * USAF Air Defense Weapons Center (1974–1981)
 * 325th Fighter Wing (1981–2010)

Stations

 * Selfridge Field, Michigan (1941, 1942)
 * Norfolk, Virginia (1941–1942)
 * Florence, South Carolina (1942)
 * Wilmington, North Carolina (1942)
 * Grenier Army Air Field, New Hampshire (1942)
 * RAF Eglinton, Northern Ireland (1942)
 * RAF Goxhill, England (1942)
 * La Senia Airfield, Oran, Algeria (1942)
 * Orleansville Airfield, Algeria (1942–1943)
 * Relizane Airfield, Algeria (1943)
 * Biskra Airfield, Algeria (1943)
 * Chateau-dun-du-Rhumel Airfield, Algeria (1943)
 * Ain M'lila Airfield, Algeria (1943)
 * Youks-les-Bains Airfield, Algeria (1943)
 * Le Sers Airfield, Tunisia (1943)
 * La Sebala Airfield, Tunisia (1943)
 * Bocca di Falco, Sicily (1943)
 * Borgo Airfield, Corsica (1943–1944)
 * Aghione Airfield, Corsica (1944)
 * Madna Airfield, Italy (1944–1945)
 * Piagiolino Airfield, Italy (1945)
 * Lesina Airfield Airfield, Italy (1945)
 * Drew Field, Florida (1945)
 * Schweinfurt, Germany (1946–1947)
 * Bad Kissingen, Germany (1947)
 * Mitchel Air Force Base, New York (1947–1949)
 * McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey (1949–1955)
 * Suffolk County Air Force Base, New York (1955–1969)
 * Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan (1971–1973)
 * Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida (1974–2010)

Aircraft

 * P-40 Warhawk (1941–1942)
 * P-39 Airacobra (1942)
 * Supermarine Spitfire (1942–1944)
 * P-51 Mustang (1944–1945)
 * A-26 Invader (1946–1947)
 * P-61 Black Widow (1947–1948)
 * F-82 Twin Mustang (1948–1949)
 * F-86A Sabre (1949–1950)


 * F-94A Starfire (1950–1953)
 * F-84G Thunderjet (1953)
 * F-86D Sabre Interceptor (1953–1957)
 * F-102A Delta Dagger (1957–1959)
 * F-101B Voodoo (1959–1969, 1974–1981)
 * F-106 Delta Dart (1971–1973, 1974–1984)
 * F-15 Eagle (1984–2010)

Operations

 * World War II
 * Combat in ETO and MTO, August 1942-30 April 1945:
 * Air Offensive, Europe
 * Algeria-French Morocco
 * Tunisia
 * Sicily
 * Naples-Foggia
 * Rome-Arno
 * Normandy
 * Northern France
 * Southern France
 * North Apennines
 * Rhineland
 * Central Europe
 * Po Valley
 * Air Combat, EAME Theater.