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The 14th Fighter Squadron is part of the
35th Fighter Wing The 35th Fighter Wing is an air combat unit of the United States Air Force and the host unit at Misawa Air Base, Japan. The wing (military aviation unit), wing is part of Pacific Air Forces (PACAF)'s Fifth Air Force. The wing was first activat ...
at
Misawa Air Base is an air base of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), List of United States Air Force installations, the United States Air Force, and the United States Navy located in Misawa, Aomori, Misawa, Aomori Prefecture, Aomori, in the northern p ...
, Japan. It operates the
F-16 Fighting Falcon The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American single-engine supersonic Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superio ...
aircraft conducting Wild Weasel missions. The squadron has been stationed at Misawa since 1987. The squadron was first activated during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
as the 14th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron. After training in the United States, the squadron moved to the
European Theater of Operations The European Theater of Operations, United States Army (ETOUSA) was a Theater (warfare), theater of Operations responsible for directing United States Army operations throughout the European theatre of World War II, from 1942 to 1945. It command ...
. where it flew combat
reconnaissance In military operations, military reconnaissance () or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, the terrain, and civil activities in the area of operations. In military jargon, reconnai ...
missions. It earned a
Distinguished Unit Citation The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed e ...
for missions flown over France between 31 May 1944 and the end of June. The squadron flew sorties to support
Operation Overlord Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The ope ...
, the invasion of Normandy and Operation Market Garden, the airborne attack in the Netherlands. It conducted bomb damage assessment of Germany after
VE 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; it marked the official surrender of all German military operations ...
. The squadron returned to the United States and was inactivated at the port of embarkation in December 1945. The squadron served in the reserves as a reconnaissance unit from November 1947 to June 1947 at Binghamton, New York, and as a troop carrier unit at
Mitchel Air Force Base Mitchel Air Force Base, also known as Mitchel Field, was a United States Air Force base located on the Hempstead Plains of Long Island, New York, United States. Established in 1918 as Hazelhurst Aviation Field #2, the facility was renamed lat ...
, New York, from 1952 until it was replaced in 1953 by a squadron that had been called to active duty for the
Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
. The squadron returned to the reconnaissance mission in April 1967 and after training in Texas moved to
Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base (Udorn RTAFB) is a Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) base, the home of 23rd Wing Air Command. It is in the city of Udon Thani in northeastern Thailand and is the main airport serving the city and province. The RTAF 23 ...
and flew combat missions in Southeast Asia from November 1967 until August 1973, earning two Presidential Unit Citations. For a period in 1971, it was the only reconnaissance squadron in Southeast Asia. The squadron was inactivated in June 1975 with the United States withdrawal from Southeast Asia.


Mission

The squadron operates General Dynamics F-16CJ Wild Weasel aircraft. It conducts Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses air operations.


History


World War II

The squadron was first activated at
Colorado Springs Colorado Springs is the most populous city in El Paso County, Colorado, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 478,961 at the 2020 census, a 15.02% increase since 2010. Colorado Springs is the second-most populous c ...
, Colorado in June 1942 as the 14th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, although it was more than a month before it moved to nearby
Peterson Field Peterson Space Force Base, previously Peterson Air Force Base, Peterson Field, and Army Air Base, Colorado Springs, is a United States Space Force base that shares an airfield with the adjacent Colorado Springs Municipal Airport and is home t ...
and began training with Lockheed F-4 Lightnings under the 3d Photographic Group. In August 1942, the 3d Group moved to England. The squadron remained assigned to the 3d, but remained in Colorado, where it was attached to
Second Air Force The Second Air Force (2 AF; ''2d Air Force'' in 1942) is a USAF numbered air force responsible for conducting basic military and technical training for Air Force enlisted members and non-flying officers. In World War II the CONUS unit defended ...
. In July 1943, the squadron was assigned to the 7th Photographic Reconnaissance and Mapping Group and moved on paper with the 7th Group to England. The 7th Group drew on the 13th Photographic Squadron, which was already flying Lightnings in England for its cadre. The 14th Squadron began to train with
Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allies of World War II, Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced conti ...
Mk. V fighters in July 1943 before equipping with the photographic reconnaissance Mk. XI version of the Spitfire in late summer.Freeman, p. 239 The 14th flew combat
reconnaissance In military operations, military reconnaissance () or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, the terrain, and civil activities in the area of operations. In military jargon, reconnai ...
missions in the
European Theater of Operations The European Theater of Operations, United States Army (ETOUSA) was a Theater (warfare), theater of Operations responsible for directing United States Army operations throughout the European theatre of World War II, from 1942 to 1945. It command ...
from 12 August 1943 until 25 April 1945. The squadron's Spitfires flew the majority of the target photography missions (including the first Spitfire reconnaissance mission over
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
in March 1944), while the other squadrons of the 7th, equipped with Lightnings, concentrated on photographic mapping. Squadron deep penetration missions included reconnaissance of
oil refineries An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where petroleum (crude oil) is transformed and refined into products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, asphalt base, fuel oils, heating oil, kerosene, liquefied pet ...
to determine when repairs had been performed that could justify returning them to
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 Forces S ...
's target list.Freeman, pp. 199–200 It earned a
Distinguished Unit Citation The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed e ...
for reconnaissance missions flown over France between 31 May 1944 and the end of June. The squadron flew over 300 successful sorties to support
Operation Overlord Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The ope ...
, the invasion of Normandy. It flew missions over the Netherlands to support Operation Market Garden in October 1944 and conducted damage assessment of Germany until 23 July 1945. In late 1944, the squadron's unarmed aircraft, flying by themselves, began to prove vulnerable to the jet powered
Messerschmitt Me 262 The Messerschmitt Me 262, nicknamed (German for "Swallow") in fighter versions, or ("Storm Bird") in fighter-bomber versions, is a fighter aircraft and fighter-bomber that was designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Messers ...
s entering service with the
Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
. A squadron aircraft lost on 5 September 1944 was probably the first Army Air Forces loss to a German jet fighter. The unit turned its aircraft in to depots during the late summer and early fall of 1945. Squadron personnel returned to the United States and the unit was inactivated at the port of embarkation in December 1945


Air Force Reserves

The squadron was activated in November 1947 at Binghamton, New York as a reserve reconnaissance unit and assigned to the 65th Reconnaissance Group, which was located at nearby Rome Army Air Field.Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 131–132 The squadron did not possess any tactical aircraft, but was assigned
North American T-6 Texan The North American Aviation T-6 Texan is an American single-engined advanced trainer aircraft, which was used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), United States Air Force (USAF), United States Navy, Royal Air Force, Ro ...
s and Beechcraft AT-11 Kansans for proficiency flying. Binghamton's airport had not been completed at this time, so it seems probable that the aircraft operated from Tri-Cities Airport in nearby Endicott. President Truman’s reduced 1949 defense budget required reductions in the number of units in the Air Force, and the 14th was inactivated and not replaced as reserve flying operations at Binghamton ceased. In June 1952, the squadron was redesignated the 14th Troop Carrier Squadron and again activated as part of the 65th Troop Carrier Wing, which replaced the 914th Reserve Training Wing at
Mitchel Air Force Base Mitchel Air Force Base, also known as Mitchel Field, was a United States Air Force base located on the Hempstead Plains of Long Island, New York, United States. Established in 1918 as Hazelhurst Aviation Field #2, the facility was renamed lat ...
, New York. The squadron began to train with the
Curtiss C-46 Commando The Curtiss C-46 Commando is a low-wing, twin-engine aircraft derived from the Curtiss CW-20 pressurized high-altitude airliner design. Early press reports used the name "Condor III" but the Commando name was in use by early 1942 in company p ...
with the assistance of the regular Air Force 2233d Air Force Reserve Flying Training Center. On 1 April 1953, the 514th Troop Carrier Wing, which had been mobilized for the
Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
, was returned to the reserves and replaced the 65th Wing. As part of this reorganization, the 14th Troop Carrier Squadron was inactivated in April 1953 and its personnel, equipment and mission was assumed by the 337th Troop Carrier Squadron, which was simultaneously transferred to the reserves at Mitchel.


Vietnam War

The squadron returned to the reconnaissance mission when it was organized at
Bergstrom Air Force Base Bergstrom Air Force Base was located seven miles southeast of Austin, Texas. In its later years, it was a major base for the United States Air Force (USAF) RF-4C Phantom reconnaissance fighter fleet. History Bergstrom was originally act ...
, Texas in April 1967 as the 14th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron. After equipping with the McDonnell RF-4 Phantom II, the squadron trained in reconnaissance with the 75th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing until October. The squadron took three days to move to
Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base (Udorn RTAFB) is a Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) base, the home of 23rd Wing Air Command. It is in the city of Udon Thani in northeastern Thailand and is the main airport serving the city and province. The RTAF 23 ...
and flew its first combat missions in Southeast Asia on 2 November 1967. The Phantoms of the squadron replaced the McDonnell RF-101 Voodoos of the 20th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, which was inactivated on 1 November 1967. It continued to fly combat until August 1973. For a period in 1971, it was the only reconnaissance squadron in Southeast Asia. It documented by
aerial photography Aerial photography (or airborne imagery) is the taking of photographs from an aircraft or other flight, airborne platforms. When taking motion pictures, it is also known as aerial videography. Platforms for aerial photography include fixed-wi ...
the communist takeover of
Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...
and the
Republic of Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the French Union, with it ...
in 1975.


Fighter operations in Japan

The squadron was again activated in 1987 as the 14th Tactical Fighter Squadron at
Misawa Air Base is an air base of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), List of United States Air Force installations, the United States Air Force, and the United States Navy located in Misawa, Aomori, Misawa, Aomori Prefecture, Aomori, in the northern p ...
, Japan. It initially trained for
close air support Close air support (CAS) is defined as aerial warfare actions—often air-to-ground actions such as strafes or airstrikes—by military aircraft against hostile targets in close proximity to friendly forces. A form of fire support, CAS requires ...
using conventional weapons. It also provided for the
air defense Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) is the counter to aerial warfare and includes "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It encompasses surface-based, subsurface (Submarine#Armament, submarine-lau ...
of northern Japan. The squadron has provided personnel and aircraft to support operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.


Lineage

* Constituted as the 14th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 9 June 1942 * Activated on 20 June 1942 * Redesignated 14th Photographic Squadron (Light) on 5 February 1943 * Redesignated 14th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 13 November 1943 * Inactivated on 27 December 1945 * Redesignated 14th Reconnaissance Squadron, Photographic on 8 October 1947 * Activated on 6 November 1947 * Inactivated on 27 June 1949 * Redesignated 14th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 26 May 1952 * Activated on 14 June 1952 * Inactivated on 1 April 1953 * Redesignated 14th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron and activated on 25 October 1966 * Organized on 3 April 1967 * Inactivated on 30 June 1975 * Redesignated 14th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 5 June 1984 * Activated on 1 January 1987 * Redesignated 14th Fighter Squadron on 31 May 1991


Assignments

* 3d Photographic Group (later 3d Reconnaissance and Mapping Group): 20 June 1942 (attached to Second Air Force 31 August 1942,
Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
6 October 1942,
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 Forces S ...
after 5 May 1943) * 7th Photographic Reconnaissance and Mapping Group (later 7th Photographic Group, 7th Reconnaissance Group): 7 July 1943 * United States Air Forces in Europe: 21 November 1945 – 27 December 1945 * 65th Reconnaissance Group: 6 November 1947 – 27 June 1949 * 65th Troop Carrier Group: 14 June 1952 – 1 April 1953 *
Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Lang ...
: 25 October 1966 (not organized) * 75th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing: 3 April 1967 * 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing (later 432d Tactical Fighter Wing): 28 October 1967 – 30 June 1975 * 432d Tactical Fighter Wing: 1 January 1987 * 432d Operations Group, 31 May 1991 * 35th Operations Group: 1 October 1994 – present


Stations

* Colorado Springs, Colorado, 20 June 1942 * Army Air Base, Colorado Springs (later Peterson Field), Colorado, 1 August 1942 – 24 April 1943 * RAF Mount Farm (Station 234),Station number in Anderson England, 12 May 1943 * RAF Chalgrove (Station 465), England, 2 April 1945 * Villacoublay Airfield (Station 180, A-42),Station number in Anderson and Johnson France, c. 13 October – 12 December 1945 * Camp Shanks, New York, 24–27 December 1945 * Binghamton, New York, 6 November 1947 – 27 June 1949 * Mitchel Air Force Base, New York, 14 June 1952 – 1 April 1953 * Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas, 3 April – 25 October 1967 * Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, 28 October 1967 – 30 June 1975 * Misawa Air Base, Japan, 1 January 1987 – present


Aircraft

* Lockheed F-4 Lightning (1942) * Lockheed F-5 Lightning (1942–1944, 1944–1945) *
Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allies of World War II, Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced conti ...
Mk. V (1943) *
Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allies of World War II, Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced conti ...
Mk. XI (1943–1945) *
North American P-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in 1940 by a team headed by James H. Kin ...
(1945) * Noorduyn C-64 Norseman (1945) * Douglas C-53 Skytrooper (1945) * North American T-6 Texan (1947–1949) * Beechcraft AT-11 Kansan (1947–1949) * Curtiss C-46 Commando (1952–1953) * McDonnell RF-4 Phantom II (1967–1975) *
General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American single-engine supersonic Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superio ...
(1987 – present)


Awards and campaigns

; Decorations ; Campaigns


References


Notes

; Explanatory notes ; Citations


Bibliography

* * * * * * *
14th Fighter Squadron Fact Sheet


External links


Spitfire 944: a short documentary
(Honorable mention for short filmmaking
Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. The festival has acted ...
2007. The film focuses on World War II footage taken by the squadron's Flight Surgeon during World War II, and an interview with a squadron pilot filmed making a gear up landing following a mission to
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
.) {{US Air Force navbox
014 014 may refer to: * Argus As 014 The Argus As 014 (designated 109-014 by the Ministry of Aviation (Germany), RLM) was a pulsejet engine used on the German V-1 flying bomb of World War II, and the first model of pulsejet engine placed in mass pr ...
1942 establishments in Colorado