The 19th Fighter Squadron is a United States Air Force fighter squadron and is a part of the

Pacific Air Forces The Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) is a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force and is also the air component command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). PAC ...

' ( PACAF) 15th Wing based at

Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam (JBPHH) is a United States military base on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. It is Joint Base, an amalgamation of the United States Air Force's Hickam Air Force Base and the United States Navy's Naval Station Pearl ...

, Hawaii. The squadron is one of the oldest in the United States Air Force, its origins dating to 14 June 1917, being organized at

Kelly Field Kelly Field (formerly Kelly Air Force Base) is a Joint-use airport, Joint-Use facility located in San Antonio, Texas. It was originally named after George E. M. Kelly, the first member of the U.S. military killed in the crash of an airplane he ...

, Texas. It served overseas in France as part of the

American Expeditionary Force The American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) was a formation of the United States Armed Forces on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front during World War I, composed mostly of units from the United States Army, U.S. Army. The AEF was establis ...

during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. The squadron saw combat 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 ...

, and became part of the

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 ...

during the

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

. Today the 19th FS operates the

F-22 Raptor The Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is an American twin-engine, jet-powered, all-weather, supersonic stealth fighter aircraft. As a product of the United States Air Force's Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program, the aircraft was de ...

aircraft conducting offensive and defensive counterair (air-to-air) missions, as well as strategic attack, interdiction, and suppression of enemy air defenses. The 19th FS is an active associate total force integration (TFI) unit augmenting the 199th FS in support of

Operation Noble Eagle Operation Noble Eagle (ONE) is the United States and Canadian military operation related to homeland security and support to federal, state, and local agencies. The operation began 11 September 2001, in response to the September 11 attacks.. ...

and taskings in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility.

History

World War I

Originally established as an

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

Flying School Squadron, the 19th was based in Texas, Ohio, and New York for short periods. After a few weeks at the Air Service Replacement Concentration Barracks in St. Maixent, from 1 January 1918, the squadron moved for Seventh Aviation Instruction Center (repair) at Aulnat Aerodrome, east of

Clermont-Ferrand Clermont-Ferrand (, , ; or simply ; ) is a city and Communes of France, commune of France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions of France, region, with a population of 147,284 (2020). Its metropolitan area () had 504,157 inhabitants at the 2018 ...

, France, to train and observe the French company Michelin's airplane manufacture and assembly procedures. Till the end of 1918, it remained with the 7th AIC. The squadron left France on March 18, 1919, after departing for Cenac, close to Bordeaux, on December 29.

Inter-war years

Renamed the 19th Pursuit Squadron, the squadron flew from various locations in the

Hawaiian Islands The Hawaiian Islands () are an archipelago of eight major volcanic islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the Pacific Ocean, North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the Hawaii (island), island of Hawaii in the south to nort ...

beginning in 1923. Peashooter

World War II

19th Fighter Squadron F-47N Thunderbolt 1945

The squadron suffered six casualties as a result of the

attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Empire of Japan on the United States Pacific Fleet at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, its naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Territory of ...

by the Japanese on 7 December 1941, but no fatalities. The squadron was then stationed aboard the , off

Saipan Saipan () is the largest island and capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, an unincorporated Territories of the United States, territory of the United States in the western Pacific Ocean. According to 2020 estimates by the United States Cens ...

. Upon arriving, the 19th flew night and day missions, strafing and using general purpose

bomb A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechan ...

s and

rocket A rocket (from , and so named for its shape) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using any surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entirely ...

s in support of advancing U.S. ground troops. Using homemade

napalm Napalm is an incendiary mixture of a gelling agent and a volatile petrochemical (usually gasoline or diesel fuel). The name is a portmanteau of two of the constituents of the original thickening and gelling agents: coprecipitated aluminium ...

bombs made out of napalm, gasoline, and oil placed inside fuel tanks, the 19th helped U.S. forces successfully invade and capture Saipan,

Tinian Tinian () is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Together with uninhabited neighboring Aguiguan, it forms Tinian Municipality, one of the four constituent municipalities of the Northern ...

, and

Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...

islands in only three months. The squadron's mission then changed to long-range

bomber A bomber is a military combat aircraft that utilizes air-to-ground weaponry to drop bombs, launch aerial torpedo, torpedoes, or deploy air-launched cruise missiles. There are two major classifications of bomber: strategic and tactical. Strateg ...

escort missions with occasional strike missions to nearby Pagan Island and

Iwo Jima is one of the Japanese Volcano Islands, which lie south of the Bonin Islands and together with them make up the Ogasawara Subprefecture, Ogasawara Archipelago. Together with the Izu Islands, they make up Japan's Nanpō Islands. Although sout ...

. The squadron then relocated to

Okinawa most commonly refers to: * Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture * Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself * Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...

, where the first 19 FS pilots were awarded their ' ace' rating. Later, in August 1945, after numerous aerial victories and assorted bombing missions, it participated in the Japanese surrender.

Cold War

19th Fighter Squadron - General Dynamics F-16C Block 42F Fighting Falcon 89-2098

From 1982–1993, it 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 ...

, air-to-air superiority, and maintained a state of readiness to deploy worldwide. In June 1987, the 19th set a new world record for the number of F-16

sortie A sortie (from the French word meaning ''exit'' or from Latin root ''surgere'' meaning to "rise up") is a deployment or dispatch of one military unit, be it an aircraft, ship, or troops, from a strongpoint. The term originated in siege warf ...

s flown in one day with 160, besting the previous record of 144. In September 1992 the 19th deployed to Southwest Asia to fly

combat air patrol Combat air patrol (CAP) is a type of flying mission for fighter aircraft. A combat air patrol is an aircraft patrol provided over an objective area, over the force protected, over the critical area of a combat zone, or over an air defense area, ...

missions to enforce terms of United Nations

cease fire A ceasefire (also known as a truce), also spelled cease-fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions often due to mediation by a third party. Ceasefires may be ...

agreement following

Operation Desert Storm Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...

Modern era

On 1 January 1994, the 19th took over personnel, facilities and equipment of 43d Fighter Squadron at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. It won the Hughes Trophy in recognition as the top air superiority squadron in the USAF for 2001. Since 1994, it has mobilized, deployed, and employed fighter aircraft worldwide to accomplish air superiority in support of warfighting commanders. In 2010 the 19th became part of the 15th Wing at

. The 19th is an associate unit with the Hawaii Air National Guard's 199th Fighter Squadron.

Lineage

; 19th Aero Squadron * Organized as the 14th Aero Squadron (I) on 14 June 1917A later 14th Aero Squadron (which can be designated (II) to avoid confusion) was activated at

Rockwell Field Rockwell Field is a former United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) military airfield, located northwest of the city of Coronado, California, on the northern part of the Coronado Peninsula across the bay from San Diego, California. This airfield ...

, California on 14 August 1917. It was redesignated Squadron A, Rockwell Field, California, on 23 July 1918. The 14th Bombardment Squadron, which was wiped out in the 1941/42 Battle of the Philippines, was the heir to that unit's lineage and honors. : Redesignated 19th Aero Squadron on 26 June 1917 : Demobilized on 14 April 1919 * Reconstituted and consolidated with the 19th Pursuit Squadron on 20 December 1923 ; 19th Fighter Squadron * Constituted as the 19th Squadron (Pursuit) on 30 August 1921 : Organized on 1 October 1921 : Inactivated on 29 June 1922 * Redesignated 19th Pursuit Squadron on 25 January 1923 : Activated on 1 May 1923 : Redesignated: 19th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 6 December 1939 : Redesignated: 19th Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942 : Redesignated: 19th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 20 August 1943 : Inactivated on 12 January 1946 * Redesignated 19th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 11 December 1981 : Activated on 1 April 1982 : Redesignated: 19th Fighter Squadron on 1 November 1991 : Inactivated on 31 December 1993 * Activated on 1 January 1994

Assignments

* Unknown, 14 June 1917 – February 1918 * Seventh Aviation Instruction Center, February–December 1918 * Unknown, January–April 1919 * Ninth Corps Area, 1 October 1921 – 29 June 1922 * 17th Composite Group, 1 May 1923 * 5th Composite Group, 15 January 1924 * 18th Pursuit (later, 18th Fighter) Group, January 1927 * 318th Fighter Group, 16 March 1943 – 12 January 1946 * 363d Tactical Fighter (later, 363d Fighter) Wing, 1 April 1982 * 363d Operations Group, 1 May 1992 – 31 December 1993 * 3d Operations Group, 1 January 1994 – 2010 * 15th Operations Group, 2010–Present

Stations

Camp Kelly Kelly Field (formerly Kelly Air Force Base) is a Joint-Use facility located in San Antonio, Texas. It was originally named after George E. M. Kelly, the first member of the U.S. military killed in the crash of an airplane he was piloting. I ...

, Texas, 14 June 1917 *

Wilbur Wright Field Wilbur Wright Field was a military installation and an airfield used as a World War I List of Training Section Air Service airfields, pilot, mechanic, and armorer training facility and, under different designations, conducted United States Army ...

, Ohio, 1 August 1917 *

Garden City, New York Garden City is a village located in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 23,272 at the time of the 2020 census. The Incorporated Village of Garden City is primarily located within the Town of Hempstead ...

, 31 October–3 December 1917 * St Maxient, France, 1 January 1918 * Aulnat aerodrome, France, 6 February 1918 * Cénac, Bordeaux, France, c. 29 December 1918-c. 18 March 1919 * Mitchel Field, New York, c. 5–14 April 1919 * March Field, California, 1 October 1921 – 29 June 1922 *

Wheeler Field Wheeler Army Airfield , also known as Wheeler Field and formerly as Wheeler Air Force Base, is a United States Army post located in the City & County of Honolulu and in the Wahiawa District of the Island of O'ahu, Hawaii. It is a National H ...

, Hawaii, 1 May 1923 * Luke Field, Hawaii, 15 January 1924 * Wheeler Field, Hawaii, 11 January 1927 * Bellows Field, Hawaii, 20 February 1942 * Kualoa Airfield, Hawaii, 22 May 1942 * Bellows Field, Hawaii, 20 October 1942 * Barbers Point Naval Air Station, Hawaii, 9 February 1943 * Kipapa Airfield, Hawaii, 30 May 1943 * Stanley Field, Hawaii Territory, 4 September 1943 * Kualoa Airfield, Hawaii, 26 December 1943 * Bellows Field, Hawaii Territory, 18 April 1944 * East Field,

, Mariana Islands, 29 June 1944 * Ie Shima Airfield,

Ryukyu Islands The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Geography of Taiwan, Taiwan: the Ryukyu Islands are divided into the Satsunan Islands (Ōsumi Islands, Ōsumi, Tokara Islands, Tokara and A ...

, 30 April 1945 * Naha Airfield,

, November–December 1945 * Fort Lewis, Washington, 11–12 January 1946 * Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, 1 April 1982 – 31 December 1993 * Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, 1 January 1994 – 2010 * Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam, Hawaii, 2010–present

Aircraft

* Curtiss JN-6H (1921–1922, 1923–1926) * Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 (1921–1922, 1923–1926) * Thomas-Morse MB-3 (1923–1926) *

Airco DH.4 The Airco DH.4 is a British two-seat biplane day bomber of the First World War. It was designed by Geoffrey de Havilland (hence "DH") for Airco, and was the first British two-seat light day-bomber capable of defending itself. It was desig ...

(1923–1926) * Boeing PW-9 (1927–1930) * Boeing P-12 (1931–1937, 1938–1941) *

Boeing P-26 Peashooter The Boeing P-26 "Peashooter" is the first American production all-metal fighter aircraft and the first pursuit monoplane to enter squadron service with the United States Army Air Corps. Designed and built by Boeing, the prototype first flew in 1 ...

(1938–1941) *

Curtiss P-36 Hawk The Curtiss P-36 Hawk, also known as the Curtiss Hawk Model 75, is an American-designed and built fighter aircraft of the 1930s and 40s. A contemporary of the Hawker Hurricane and Messerschmitt Bf 109, it was one of the first of a new generation ...

(1938–1941) * A-12 Shrike (1938–1941) * North American BT-9 (1938–1941) * Douglas OA-3 Dolphin (1938–1941) *

Curtiss P-40 Warhawk The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter-bomber that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry ...

(1941–1943) *

Republic P-47 Thunderbolt The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter, and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bombe ...

(1943–1945) *

Lockheed P-38 Lightning The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinc ...

(1944–1945) *

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 ...

(1982–1993) * McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle (1994–2010) *

Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor The Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is an American Twinjet, twin-engine, Jet engine, jet-powered, Night fighter, all-weather, supersonic Stealth aircraft, stealth fighter aircraft. As a product of the United States Air Force's Advanced Ta ...

(2010–present)

References

; Notes ; Citations

Bibliography

* * * *

External links

{{US Air Force navbox 019 Military units and formations in Hawaii 019