44th Fighter Squadron | |
|---|---|
.jpg) FourF-15C Eagles in formation off the coast of Japan | |
| Active | 1941–2023 (Inactive due to no aircraft) |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Fighter |
| Part of | Pacific Air Forces |
| Garrison/HQ | Kadena Air Base |
| Nickname | Vampires[citation needed] |
| Engagements | Southwest Pacific Theater Vietnam War Globalwar on terrorism |
| Decorations | Distinguished Unit Citation Presidential Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award withCombat "V" Device Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Philippine Presidential Unit Citation Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm[1] |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Robert Westbrook Carrol Chandler Ryan Corrigan |
| Insignia | |
| 44th Fighter Squadron emblem(approved 18 February 1942)[1] |  |
The44th Fighter Squadron is a unit of theUnited States Air Force, part of the18th Wing atKadena Air Base inOkinawa, Japan.[2] The 44th Pursuit Squadron was activated on 1 January 1941 and assigned to the 18th Pursuit Group.[2] The 44th Fighter Squadron was equipped with theF-15C/D Eagle, and is planned to transition to theF-15EX Eagle II in 2026.[3]
The 44 FS operated theF-15C Eagle aircraft conducting air superiority missions.[2]
The 44th Flew patrols over thePacific 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]
It again flew combat missions inSoutheast 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.
It has flown air defense overOkinawa 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 anHH-60 of the33d Rescue Squadron.[4][5][6]
The 44th Fighter Squadron was named as the winner of the Raytheon Trophy for 2012.[7]
From 3–30 September 1955, 44th Fighter-Bomber Squadron Deployed toTaoyuan Air Base, Taiwan withF-86 Sabre, returning again in 1962-1963 in support of “BLUE SKY” military exercise inKung Kuan Air Base, Taiwan, equippedF-100 Super Sabre.
The 44th Tactical Fighter Squadron was deployed toChing Chuan Kang Air Base inTaichung from 6 November 1972 to 10 April 1975, usingF-4 Phantom II to assistTaiwan’s air defense.
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 whenCongress failed to agree on a deficit-reduction plan.[8]
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.[8] 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.[8]
On 28 May 2013 an F-15C of the squadron crashed into the ocean off Okinawa. The pilot ejected and was rescued by theAir Rescue Wing Naha Detachment of theJapan Air Self-Defense Force.[9][10][11]
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.[12][13]
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This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
| Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) | ||
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