The 27th Fighter Squadron is a unit of the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

1st Operations Group The 1st Operations Group (1 OG) is the flying component of the 1st Fighter Wing, assigned to the USAF Air Combat Command. The group is stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. The 1st Operations Group is the oldest major air combat unit i ...

located at

Joint Base Langley–Eustis Joint Base Langley–Eustis is a United States military facility located adjacent to Hampton and Newport News, Virginia. The base is an amalgamation of the United States Air Force's Langley Air Force Base and the United States Army's Fort E ...

, Virginia. The 27th is equipped with 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 ...

. The 27th Fighter Squadron is the oldest active fighter squadron in the United States Air Force, with over 100 years of service to the nation. It was organized as the 21st (later 27th) Aero Squadron on 8 May 1917 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. The squadron deployed to France and fought on the Western Front 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 ...

as a pursuit squadron. It took part in the

Champagne-Marne defensive The United States campaigns in World War I began after American entry in the war in early April 1917. The American Expeditionary Force (AEF) served on the Western Front, under General John J. Pershing, and engaged in 13 official military camp ...

; Aisne-Marne offensive;

St. Mihiel offensive The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a major World War I battle fought from 12 to 15 September 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) and 110,000 French troops under the command of General John J. Pershing of the United States agains ...

, and Meuse-Argonne offensive.Gorrell 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 ...

the unit served in the

Mediterranean Theater of Operations The Mediterranean Theater of Operations, United States Army (MTOUSA), originally called the North African Theater of Operations, United States Army (NATOUSA), was a military formation of the United States Army that supervised all U.S. Army for ...

(MTO) as part of

Twelfth Air Force The Twelfth Air Force (12 AF; Air Forces Southern, (AFSOUTH)) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. The command is the air component to U ...

as a

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 ...

fighter squadron, participating in the

North African North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...

and

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

campaigns. 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 ...

it was both an

Air Defense Command Aerospace Defense Command was a major command (military formation), command of the United States Air Force, responsible for air defense of the continental United States. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air De ...

fighter-interceptor squadron as later as part of

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 ...

. It was the first USAF operational squadron equipped with the

F-15A Eagle The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an American twin-engine, all-weather fighter aircraft designed by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing). Following reviews of proposals, the United States Air Force (USAF) selected McDonnell Douglas's desi ...

in January 1976.Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 138–139

Overview

Known as the "Fightin' Eagles" or "Black Falcons", the squadron is equipped with the

, having transitioned from the

McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an American twin-engine, all-weather fighter aircraft designed by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing). Following reviews of proposals, the United States Air Force (USAF) selected McDonnell Douglas's desi ...

in 2005 to become the world's first operational F-22 squadron. As one of three fighter squadrons of the

1st Fighter Wing The 1st Fighter Wing (1 FW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Fifteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Langley Air Force Base, VA. where it is a tenant unit, being supported by the 633d Air Base Wing. Its ...

, the 27th is tasked to provide air superiority for United States or allied forces by engaging and destroying enemy forces, equipment, defenses or installations for global deployment.

History

World War I

: ''see:

27th Aero Squadron The 27th Aero Squadron was a United States Army Air Service unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I. The squadron was assigned as a Day Pursuit (Fighter) Squadron as part of the 1st Pursuit Group, First United States Army. It ...

for a complete World War I history'' P-36C 27th PS 1939 National Air Races

27th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron two F-102s 1958

27th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron North American F-86A-5-NA Sabre 49-1306

27th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron F-106 59-0031 Griffiss AFB

During World War I, the squadron was based at

Toul Toul () is a Communes of France, commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle Departments of France, department in north-eastern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the department. Geography Toul is between Commercy and Nancy, Fra ...

(5 May 1918),

Touquin Touquin () is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Demographics Inhabitants of Touquin are called ''Touquinois''. See also *Communes of the Seine-et-Marne department The following ...

(28 June 1918),

Saints In Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Anglican, Oriental Orth ...

(9 July 1918) and Rembercourt (1 September 1918). Lieutenant

Frank Luke Frank Luke Jr. (May 19, 1897 – September 29, 1918) was an American fighter ace credited with 19 aerial victories, ranking him second among United States Army Air Service (USAAS) pilots during World War I, after Eddie Rickenbacker. Luke was ...

, Jr., known as the "Arizona Balloon Buster," for his daring feats against German

observation balloon An observation balloon is a type of balloon that is employed as an aerial platform for gathering intelligence and spotting artillery. The use of observation balloons began during the French Revolutionary Wars, reaching their zenith during World ...

s, was the squadron's most colorful ace. His 18 victories cost him his life, and he was awarded the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

. Aircraft flown by the 27th during World War I include the

Nieuport 28 The Nieuport 28 C.1, a French biplane fighter aircraft flown during World War I, was built by Nieuport and designed by Gustave Delage. Owing its lineage to the successful line of sesquiplane fighters that included the Nieuport 17, the Nieupor ...

Spad XIII The SPAD S.XIII is a French biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War, developed by ''Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés'' (SPAD) from the earlier and highly successful SPAD S.VII. During early 1917, the French designer Louis Bé ...

and Sopwith F-1 Camel.

Between the wars

In the period between the world wars, the 27th Pursuit Squadron, re-designated 25 January 1923, was stationed primarily at

Selfridge Field Selfridge Air National Guard Base or Selfridge ANGB is an Air National Guard installation located in Harrison Township, Michigan, near Mount Clemens. Selfridge Field was one of thirty-two Air Service training camps established after the Un ...

, Michigan, with the

1st Fighter Group 001, O01, or OO1 may refer to: Arts and entertainment *001, fictional British agent, see 00 Agent *''001'', also known as the ''Princess of Klaxosaurs'', is a character and the central antagonist from ''DARLING in the FRANXX'' *Player number of b ...

. 27th Pursuit Squadron pilots participated in air races. In 1922, Lt. Donald Stace of the 27th AS won the first Mitchell Trophy Race. Under extreme and austere conditions in the 1920s they tested the effects of cold weather on their aircraft. At times it was so cold, the engines of their

P-1 Hawk The P-1 Hawk (Curtiss Model 34) is a 1920s open-cockpit biplane fighter aircraft of the United States Army Air Corps. An earlier variant of the same aircraft had been designated PW-8 prior to 1925."US Military Aircraft Designations & Serials 190 ...

aircraft would not start until steam was forced into the engines to thaw them. While they were stationed at Selfridge Field, Mich., pilots from the 27th AS put on aerial demonstrations all over the country throughout the 1920s. One of those was at Langley Field in March 1925. A large silhouette of a battleship on the grass landing strip served as a target, which was successfully strafed and bombed for several duly impressed congressmen. The 1930s saw more training, additional cold weather tests and more modern aircraft. They participated in several air shows throughout the country, and even though they were in the military, the 27th Pursuit Squadron delivered the mail for a while. One of the pilots in this failed experiment went onto lead Strategic Air Command, then Lt. Curtis E. LeMay.

World War II

At the beginning of the United States' involvement in World War II, the 27th Fighter Squadron, redesignated 15 May 1942, briefly served in anti-submarine duty at

San Diego Naval Air Station Naval Air Station North Island or NAS North Island , at the north end of the Coronado peninsula on San Diego Bay in San Diego, California, is part of the largest aerospace-industrial complex in the United States Navy – Naval Base Coronado (N ...

and in air defense duty at Reykjavík, Iceland. From October 1942 until May 1945, the 27th participated in the European and Mediterranean theaters of operation, flying Lockheed P-38 Lightnings. The squadron won three Distinguished Unit Citations in Italy 25 August 1943, and 30 August 1943; and at Ploesti, Romania, 18 May 1944. The 27th Fighter Squadron was the top-scoring unit of the 1st Fighter Group in World War II, with 83 of its pilots credited with 176.5 victories.

Cold War

Following World War II, the 27th was stationed at

March Field March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March. The March equinox on the 20 or 21 m ...

, California, flying

P-80 Shooting Star The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star is the first jet fighter used operationally by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) during World War II. Designed and built by Lockheed in 1943 and delivered just 143 days from the start of design, two p ...

s, the United States' first operational jet aircraft. Upon the unit's redesignation as the 27th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, it moved to

Niagara Falls Air Force Station Niagara may refer to: Geography Niagara Falls and nearby places In both the United States and Canada *Niagara Falls, the famous waterfalls in the Niagara River *Niagara River, part of the U.S.–Canada border * Niagara Escarpment, the cliff ...

, New York, flying the

F-86 The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing Sov ...

, F-89 and F-94C aircraft while stationed at Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome N.Y. until receiving the

F-102 Delta Dagger The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger is an interceptor aircraft designed and produced by the American aircraft manufacturer Convair. A member of the Century Series, the F-102 was the first operational supersonic interceptor and delta-wing fighter op ...

in 1957. In October 1959, the 27th was transferred to

Loring Air Force Base Loring Air Force Base was a United States Air Force installation in northeastern Maine, near Limestone and Caribou in Aroostook County. It was one of the largest bases of the U.S. Air Force's Strategic Air Command during its existence, and was ...

, Maine, where it assumed an air defense role flying

F-106 The Convair F-106 Delta Dart is an all-weather interceptor aircraft designed and produced by the American aircraft manufacturer Convair. The F-106 was designed in response to the 1954 interceptor program. Envisioned as an imagined "Ultimate Int ...

Delta Darts in the Bangor Air Defense Sector. On 22 October 1962, before President

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...

told Americans that missiles were in place in Cuba, the squadron dispersed one third of its force, equipped with nuclear tipped missiles to

Olmsted Air Force Base Harrisburg Air National Guard Base is a United States Air Force base, located at Harrisburg International Airport, Pennsylvania. It is located west-southwest of Middletown, Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Air National Guard facility is sit ...

at the start of the

Cuban Missile Crisis The Cuban Missile Crisis, also known as the October Crisis () in Cuba, or the Caribbean Crisis (), was a 13-day confrontation between the governments of the United States and the Soviet Union, when American deployments of Nuclear weapons d ...

. These planes returned to Loring after the crisis. The squadron continued its

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 ...

mission until 1 July 1971 when it transferred its mission, personnel and equipment to the 83d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron The squadron moved the same day on paper to

MacDill Air Force Base MacDill Air Force Base (MacDill AFB) is an active United States Air Force installation located 4 miles (6.4 km) south-southwest of downtown Tampa, Florida. The "host wing" for MacDill AFB is the 6th Air Refueling Wing (6 ARW), assig ...

, Florida and was redesignated the 27th Tactical Fighter Squadron as part of the reorganized 1st Tactical Fighter Wing, later the

. While at MacDill, the 27th trained aircrews in the F-4E Phantom II. In June 1975, the 27th Tactical Fighter Squadron was moved to

Langley Air Force Base Langley Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Hampton, Virginia, adjacent to Newport News. It was one of thirty-two Air Service training camps established after the entry of the United States into World War I in April 1 ...

, Virginia, becoming the first operational squadron to fly the

F-15 Eagle The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an American twin-engine, all-weather fighter aircraft designed by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing). Following reviews of proposals, the United States Air Force (USAF) selected McDonnell Douglas's des ...

air superiority fighter in 1976. The unit was redesignated the 27th Fighter Squadron on 1 September 1991. The 27th TFS deployed in support of

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 ...

as part of the first U.S. Air Force contingent in Saudi Arabia. The squadron was integral in establishing allied air superiority during the operation.

Modern era

The 27th FS has deployed worldwide to support the 1st FW. The 27th Fighter Squadron deployed to Turkey in support of

Operation Northern Watch Operation Northern Watch (ONW), the successor to Operation Provide Comfort, was a Combined Task Force (CTF) charged with enforcing its own no-fly zone above the 36th parallel in Iraq. Its mission began on 1 January 1997. The coalition partn ...

, and to Saudi Arabia in support of

Operation Southern Watch Operation Southern Watch was an air-centric military operation conducted by the United States Department of Defense from August 1992 to March 2003. United States Central Command's Joint Task Force Southwest Asia (JTF-SWA) had the mission of moni ...

, flying F-15Cs in both operations enforcing UN sanctions against Iraq until 2003. In 2003, the 27th Fighter Squadron was announced as the first operational squadron to fly the Raptor—a continuation of the squadron's historical legacy. The first F-22A arrived in late 2003 the squadron continues to grow as more Raptors arrive each month. The 27th Fighter Squadron today stands as a cohesive combat experienced team ready for any call to support the United States' security requirements.

2013 sequestration

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 when Congress failed to agree on a deficit-reduction plan. 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. This affected the 27th Fighter Squadron with a reduction of its flying hours, placing it into a basic mission capable status from 5 April – 30 September 2013.

Lineage

27th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron - Emblem

* Organized as the 21st Aero Squadron on 15 June 1917 : Redesignated 27th Aero Squadron on 23 June 1917 : Redesignated 27th Aero Squadron (Pursuit) on 20 March 1918 : Redesignated 27th Aero Squadron on 19 March 1919 : Redesignated 27th Squadron (Pursuit) on 14 March 1921 : Redesignated 27th Pursuit Squadron on 25 January 1923 : Redesignated 27th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 6 December 1939 : Redesignated 27th Pursuit Squadron (Fighter) on 12 March 1941 : Redesignated 27th Fighter Squadron (Twin Engine) on 15 May 1942 : Redesignated 27th Fighter Squadron, Two Engine on 28 February 1944 : Inactivated on 16 October 1945 * Redesignated 27th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 5 April 1946 : Redesignated 27th Fighter Squadron, Jet Propelled on 20 June 1946 : Activated on 3 July 1946 : Redesignated 27th Fighter Squadron, Jet on 15 June 1948 : Redesignated 27th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 16 April 1950 : Redesignated 27th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 July 1971 : Redesignated 27th Fighter Squadron on 1 November 1991 :

Assignments

* Post Headquarters, Kelly Field, 8 May 1917 * Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps : Attached to the

Royal Flying Corps The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the air arm of the British Army before and during the First World War until it merged with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force. During the early part of the war, the RFC sup ...

for training, 18 August 1917 – 26 January 1918 * Aviation Concentration Center, 26 January – 25 February 1918 * Air Service Headquarters, AEF, 20 March 1918 *

Third Aviation Instruction Center Issoudun Aerodrome was a complex of military airfields in the vicinity of Issoudun, Centre, France. They were used during World War I as part of the Third Air Instructional Center, American Expeditionary Forces for training United States airmen ...

, 29 March 1918 * Air Service Headquarters, AEF, 24 April 1918Robertson and Maurer both indicate the squadron's assignments until 1921 are unknown, except for the period it was assigned to the 1st Pursuit Group in 1918. Robertson; Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 138. *

1st Pursuit Group First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...

, May 1918 * 1st Air Depot, 12 December 1918 * Advanced Section Services of Supply, 5 February – 8 March 1919 * Eastern Department, 19 March 1919 * Central Department, 1 June 1919 * 1st Pursuit Group (later 1 Fighter Group), 22 August 1919 – 16 October 1945 * 1st Fighter Group, 3 July 1946 (attached to

Eastern Air Defense Force The Eastern Air Defense Force (EADF) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command being stationed at Stewart Air Force Base, New York. It was inactivated on 1 July 1960. History EADF wa ...

, 15 August 1950; 103d Fighter Interceptor Group, 4 June 1951 – 6 February 1952) * 4711th Defense Wing (later 4711 Air Defense Wing), 6 February 1952 *

32d Air Division The 32d Air Division (32d AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was last active with Air Defense Command, assigned to First Air Force at Gunter Air Force Base, Alabama, where it was inactivated on 31 December 1969. The d ...

, 1 March 1956 (attached to

14th Fighter Group 014 may refer to: * Argus As 014 * 014 Construction Unit * Divi Divi Air Flight 014 * Pirna 014 * Tyrrell 014 The Tyrrell 014 was a Formula One car, designed for Tyrrell Racing The Tyrrell Racing Organisation was an auto racing team and F ...

) * 4727 Air Defense Group, 8 February 1957 (attached to 14th Fighter Group until 17 February 1957) *

Bangor Air Defense Sector The Bangor Air Defense Sector is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with 26th Air Division at Topsham Air Force Station, Maine, where it was inactivated on 1 April 1966. From 1958 through 1966, the secto ...

, 1 October 1959 *

36th Air Division The 36th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with First Air Force at Topsham Air Force Station, Maine. It was inactivated on 30 September 1969. History Strategic Air Command "The 36th Air Di ...

, 1 April 1966 *

35th Air Division The 35th Air Division (35th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command, assigned to First Air Force, at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base, Hancock Field, New York. It was inac ...

, 15 September 1969 *

21st Air Division The 21st Air Division (21st AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Tactical Air Command, being stationed at Griffiss Air Force Base, New York. It was inactivated on 23 September 1983. History World ...

, 19 November 1969 *

1st Tactical Fighter Wing The 1st Fighter Wing (1 FW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Fifteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Langley Air Force Base, VA. where it is a tenant unit, being supported by the 633d Air Base Wing. Its 1s ...

, 1 July 1971 (attached to 1st Tactical Fighter Wing, Provisional 8 August 1990 – 8 March 1991) * 1st Operations Group, 1 October 1991 – present

Stations

;; World War I and interwar years *

, Texas, 15 June 1917 *

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, Ontario, Canada, 18 August 1917 : Detachments at various Canadian stations, 5 Sep – 22 Oct 1917 *

Hicks Field Hicks Field (Camp Taliaferro Field #1) is a former World War I military airfield, located north-northwest of Saginaw, Texas. It operated as a training field for the Air Service, United States Army, from 1917 until 1920. It was one of 32 ...

(

Camp Taliaferro Camp Taliaferro was a World War I flight-training center run under the direction of the Air Service, United States Army in the Fort Worth, Texas, area. Camp Taliaferro had an administration center near what is now the Will Rogers Memorial C ...

Field #1), Texas, 29 October 1917 *

Aviation Concentration Center Camp Albert L. Mills (Camp Mills) was a military installation on Long Island, New York. It was located about ten miles from the eastern boundary of New York City on the Hempstead Plains within what is now the village of Garden City. In September ...

, Garden City, New York, 26 Jan – 25 Feb 1918 *

Tours Aerodrome Tours Aerodrome was a complex of military airfields in the French department of Indre-et-Loire, 6 km (3.2 NM) north-northeast of the city of Tours. They were used during World War I as part of the Second Air Instructional Center (2d AIC), Am ...

, France, 20 March 1918 *

Issoudun Aerodrome Issoudun Aerodrome was a complex of military airfields in the vicinity of Issoudun, Centre, France. They were used during World War I as part of the Third Air Instructional Center, American Expeditionary Forces for training United States airmen ...

, France, 29 March 1918 * Epiez Aerodrome, France, 24 April 1918 * Gengault Aerodrome (Toul), France, 1 June 1918 *

Touquin Aerodrome Touquin Aerodrome was a temporary World War I airfield in France, used briefly in June–July 1918 by French escadrilles and units of the Air Service, United States Army, and again by the French from February to May 1919. It was located in the � ...

, France, 28 June 1918 *

Saints Aerodrome Saints Aerodrome, was a temporary World War I airfield in France, used by a significant number of units of the Air Service, United States Army. It was located North of Saints, in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Overview Th ...

, France, 9 July 1918 * Rembercourt Aerodrome, France, 3 September 1918 : Flight operated from Verdun Aerodrome, 25 Sep 1918 – unknown *

Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome : ''see also: Organization of the Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force'' When the United States entered World War I on 6 April 1917, the Air Service of the United States Army existed only as a branch of the Signal Corps, and was kno ...

, France, 12 December 1918 * Brest, France, 5 Feb – 8 Mar 1919 * Garden City, New York, 19 March 1919 *

, Michigan, 28 April 1919 * Kelly Field, Texas, 31 August 1919 *

Ellington Field Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base is a joint installation shared by various active component and reserve component military units, as well as aircraft flight operations of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) under the aegi ...

, Texas, 1 July 1921 * Selfridge Field, Michigan, 1 July 1922 ;; World War II *

NAS San Diego Naval Air Station North Island or NAS North Island , at the north end of the Coronado peninsula on San Diego Bay in San Diego, California, is part of the largest aerospace-industrial complex in the United States Navy – Naval Base Coronado (N ...

, California, c. 11 December 1941 *

Los Angeles Airport Los Angeles International Airport is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles and its surrounding metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of California. LAX is located in the Westchester neighborhood of the city of Los Angeles, s ...

, California, 29 December 1941 – 20 May 1942 *

RAF Goxhill Royal Air Force Goxhill or RAF Goxhill is a former Royal Air Force List of former Royal Air Force stations, station located east of Goxhill, on the south bank of the Humber, Humber Estuary in north Lincolnshire, England, opposite the city of Kin ...

, England, 9 June 1942 : Operated from

Reykjavík Reykjavík is the Capital city, capital and largest city in Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland on the southern shore of Faxaflói, the Faxaflói Bay. With a latitude of 64°08′ N, the city is List of northernmost items, the worl ...

, Iceland, 3 July – 26 August 1942 * RAF Atcham, England, 9 August 1942 * RAF High Ercall, England, 20 August 1942 *

RAF Colerne Royal Air Force Colerne or more simply RAF Colerne is a former Royal Air Force station which was on the outskirts of the village of Colerne in Wiltshire, England, and was in use from 1939 to 1976. The site is now known as Azimghur Barracks a ...

, England, 12 September – 23 October 1942 * Saint-Leu Airfield, Algeria, 9 November 1942 *

Tafaraoui Airfield Oran Tafaraoui Airport is a joint civil/military airport in Oran Province, Algeria . History During World War II, it was a primary mission objective of the United States Army 34th Infantry Division during the Allied Operation Torch landings on 8 ...

, Algeria, 13 November 1942 *

Nouvion Airfield Nouvion Airfield was a pre-war airport and World War II military airfield in Algeria, located about 5 km west of Camp Militaire d' El Ghomri in Mascara province; about 76 km east of Oran. History The facility was built in the 1930s as ...

, Algeria, 20 November 1942 : Detachment operated from:

Maison Blanche Airport Houari Boumediene International Airport () , also known as Algiers Airport or Algiers International Airport, is the main international airport serving Algiers, the capital of Algeria. It is located east southeast of the city. The airport is n ...

, Algeria, 7–21 December 1942 : Detachment operated from:

Biskra Airfield Mohamed Khider Airport or Biskra Ouakda Airport is an airport in Algeria, located approximately 12 km north-northeast of Oumache; about 200 km south-southwest of Constantine, Algeria, Constantine. History During World War II, the air ...

, Algeria, 21–30 December 1942 * Biskra Airfield, Algeria, 30 December 1942 *

Chateau-dun-du-Rhumel Airfield Chateaudun-du-Rhumel (Chateaudun Du Rhumel) Airfield is an abandoned military airfield in Algeria, located about 6 km north-northwest of Chelghoum el Aid, in Mila province, about 47 km southwest of Constantine. Overview During World ...

, Algeria, 18 February 1943 *

Mateur Airfield Mateur Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Tunisia, located approximately 4 km north-northwest of the town of Mateur, 52 km northwest of Tunis. It was used by the United States Army Air Force Twelfth Air Force d ...

, Tunisia, 28 June 1943 : Detachment operated from: Dittaino,

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

, Italy, 6–18 September 1943 : Detachment operated from: Gambut, Libya, 5–13 October 1943 * Djedeida Airfield, Tunisia, 1 November 1943 * Monserrato,

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; ; ) is the Mediterranean islands#By area, second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, and one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. It is located west of the Italian Peninsula, north of Tunisia an ...

, Italy, 29 November 1943 *

Gioia del Colle Airfield Gioia del Colle Air Base is an Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare) base located in the province of Bari, Apulia, Italy, located approximately south-southeast of Gioia del Colle. World War II During World War II the air base was captured by ...

, Italy, 9 December 1943 * Salsola Airfield, Italy, 8 January 1944 : Detachment operated from: Aghione,

Corsica Corsica ( , , ; ; ) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the Regions of France, 18 regions of France. It is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the Metro ...

, France, 11–21 August 1944 : Detachment operated from: Vincenzo Airfield, Italy, 10 January – 21 February 1945 *

Lesina Airfield The Foggia Airfield Complex was a series of World War II military airfields located within a radius of Foggia, in the Province of Foggia, Italy. The airfields were used by the United States Army Air Forces' Fifteenth Air Force as part of the s ...

, Italy, 16 March 1945 * Marcianise, Italy, 26 September – 16 October 1945 ;; United States Air Force *

(later March Air Force Base), California, 3 July 1946 *

George Air Force Base George Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base located within the city limits, 8 miles northwest, of central Victorville, California, about 75 miles northeast of Los Angeles, California. Established by the United States Army Air C ...

, California, 14 July 1950 *

Griffiss Air Force Base Griffiss International Airport is a public airport in the northeastern United States, located east of the central business district of Rome, a city in Oneida County, New York. Publicly-owned by the county, the airport is located on the form ...

, New York, 15 August 1950 *

, Maine, 1 October 1959 – 1 July 1971 *

, Florida, 1 July 1971 *

, Virginia, 30 June 1975–present : Operated from

King Abdul Aziz Air Base King Abdulaziz Air Base () , also known as Dhahran Air Base and formerly Dhahran International Airport, Dhahran Airport and Dhahran Airfield, is a Royal Saudi Air Force base located in Dhahran in the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. Located we ...

, Saudi Arabia, 8 August 1990 – 8 March 1991

Aircraft

JN-4 The Curtiss JN "Jenny" is a series of biplanes built by the Glenn Curtiss Aeroplane Company of Hammondsport, New York, later the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. Although the Curtiss JN series was originally produced as a training aircraft f ...

, 1917–1918 *

, 1918 * Sopwith F-1 Camel, 1918 *

, 1918–1922 * SE-5, 1919–1922 *

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 designe ...

, 1919–1925 *

Fokker D.VII The Fokker D.VII is a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the '' Fokker-Flugzeugwerke''. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the second half of 1918. In service with the ''Luftstreitkräfte'', the D.VII ...

, 1921 * MB-3, 1922–1925 *

PW-8 The P-1 Hawk (Curtiss Model 34) is a 1920s open-cockpit biplane fighter aircraft of the United States Army Air Corps. An earlier variant of the same aircraft had been designated PW-8 prior to 1925."US Military Aircraft Designations & Serials 190 ...

, 1924–1926 *

, 1925–1931 *

P-6 Hawk The Curtiss P-6 Hawk is an American single-engine biplane fighter introduced into service in the late 1920s with the United States Army Air Corps and operated until the late 1930s prior to the outbreak of World War II. Design and development Th ...

, 1928–1929 *

Boeing P-12 The Boeing P-12 or Boeing F4B is an American pursuit aircraft that was operated by the United States Army Air Corps, United States Marine Corps, and United States Navy. It was the chief fighter aircraft in American service during the early 193 ...

, 1930–1934 * Berliner-Joyce P-16, 1932 *

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 ...

, 1934–1938 * PB-2, 1936–1937 *

Seversky P-35 The Seversky P-35 is an American fighter aircraft built by the Republic Aviation, Seversky Aircraft Company in the late 1930s. A contemporary of the Hawker Hurricane and Messerschmitt Bf 109, the P-35 was the first single-seat fighter in United ...

, 1938–1941 * P-36, 1939 * YP-43 Lancer, 1939–1941 * C-40 Electra, 1939–1941 *

P-38 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 ...

, 1941–1945 *

P-80 The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star is the first jet fighter used operationally by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) during World War II. Designed and built by Lockheed in 1943 and delivered just 143 days from the start of design, two p ...

, 1946–1949 *

F-86A Sabre The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing Sov ...

, 1949–1954 * F-94C Starfire, 1954–1957 *

, 1957–1959 *

F-106 Delta Dart The Convair F-106 Delta Dart is an all-weather interceptor aircraft designed and produced by the American aircraft manufacturer Convair. The F-106 was designed in response to the 1954 interceptor program. Envisioned as an imagined "Ultimate In ...

, 1959–1971 *

F-4 Phantom II The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber that was developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and Bower ...

, 1971–1975 *

, 1975–2005 *

, 2005–present

Explanatory notes

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * Franks, Norman & Dempsey, Harry . (2001) ''American Aces of World War I.'' Osprey Publishing, 2001. , . * * * * McMullen, Richard F. (1964) "The Fighter Interceptor Force 1962–1964" ADC Historical Study No. 27, Air Defense Command, Ent Air Force Base, CO (Confidential, declassified 22 March 2000) * * * ''NORAD/CONAD Participation in the Cuban Missile Crisis'', Historical Reference Paper No. 8, Directorate of Command History Continental Air Defense Command, Ent AFB, CO, 1 Feb 63 (Top Secret NOFORN declassified 9 March 1996) * United States War Department (1920), Battle Participation of Organizations of the American Expeditionary Forces in France, Belgium and Italy, 1917–1919, Washington, Government Printing Office, 1920

External links

{{Commons category
27th Fighter Squadron fact sheet

14 July 2008 – 90th anniversary Commemoration of 27th, 94th, 95th, 147th aero squadrons in France

14 July 2008 – 90th anniversary Commemoration of 27th, 94th, 95th, 147th aero squadrons in France
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