The 354th Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force. It was last stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, where it was part of the 355th Fighter Wing, Arizona. It operated

A-10 Thunderbolt II The Fairchild Republic A-10 , also infamously known under the nickname , is a single-seat, twinjet, twin-turbofan, straight wing, straight-wing, Subsonic aircraft, subsonic attack aircraft developed by Fairchild Aircraft, Fairchild Republic ...

aircraft conducting

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 ...

missions. The squadron conducted close air support,

air Interdiction Air interdiction (AI), also known as deep air support (DAS), is the use of preventive tactical bombing and strafing by combat aircraft against enemy targets that are not an immediate threat, to delay, disrupt or hinder later enemy engagement o ...

forward air control Forward air control is the provision of guidance to close air support (CAS) aircraft intended to ensure that their attack hits the intended target and does not injure friendly troops. This task is carried out by a forward air controller (FAC). ...

– airborne, and combat

search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...

for theater commanders worldwide.

History

World War II

The 354th flew combat 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 14 September 1943 to 25 April 1945.

Vietnam War

The squadron flew combat missions in

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...

from 13 March to 12 June 1965, 28 November 1965 – 7 October 1970, and c. 14 January–3 July 1973.

Training

It conducted combat crew training from, 1971–1982 and forward air control training since 1991. In February 2015, the squadron was deployed to

Spangdahlem Air Base Spangdahlem Air Base (International Air Transport Association airport code, IATA: SPM, International Civil Aviation Organization airport code, ICAO: ETAD, former code EDAD) is a NATO air base with the United States Air Force as a tenant constru ...

, Germany, in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve. Twelve A-10s and approximately 300 airmen were deployed. The unit will train alongside NATO allies and deploy to locations in Eastern European NATO nations to further enhance interoperability. The A-10s were the first of several theater security package deployments to Europe, U.S. Air Force officials said, adding that rotations generally will last six months, depending on mission and

United States European Command The United States European Command (EUCOM) is one of the eleven Unified Combatant Command, unified combatant commands of the United States military, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Its area of focus covers and 51 countries and territori ...

requirements. In mid-October 2023, the A-10 aircraft of the 354th Fighter Squadron were deployed to the US Central Command to enhance air operations throughout the Middle East in response to the

Gaza war The Gaza war is an armed conflict in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel fought since 7 October 2023. A part of the unresolved Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Israeli–Palestinian and Gaza–Israel conflict, Gaza–Israel conflicts dating ...

Lineage

* Constituted as the 354th Fighter Squadron and activated on 12 November 1942 : Redesignated 354th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 21 August 1944 : Inactivated on 20 November 1946 * Redesignated 354th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 11 September 1952 : Activated on 1 November 1952 : Inactivated on 8 January 1958 * Redesignated 354th Tactical Fighter Squadron and activated on 13 April 1962 (not organized) : Organized on 25 April 1962 : Redesignated 354th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron on 1 April 1979 : Inactivated on 30 April 1982 * Redesignated 354th Fighter Squadron and activated on 1 November 1991. : Inactivated c. 20 September 2024

Assignments

* 355th Fighter Group: 12 November 1942 – 20 November 1946 *

27th Air Division The 27th Air Division was a United States Air Force numbered air division and the geographic Air Defense Command region controlled by the 27th AD. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command (ADC)'s Tenth Air Force, at Luke Air Force Bas ...

: 1 November 1952 * 533d Air Defense Group: 16 February 1953 * 355th Fighter Group: 18 August 1955 – 8 January 1958 *

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 ...

: 13 April 1962 (not organized) * 831st Air Division: 25 April 1962 * 355th Tactical Fighter Wing: 8 July 1962 *

Thirteenth Air Force The Thirteenth Expeditionary Air Force (13 EAF) is a provisional numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Hickam Air Force Base, Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam on the island of Oahu, ...

: 10 December 1970 * 4453d Combat Crew Training Wing: 1 April 1971 * 355th Tactical Fighter Wing (later 355th Tactical Training Wing): 1 July 1971 – 30 April 1982 * 602d Air Control Wing: 1 November 1991 * 355th Operations Group: 1 May 1992 – c. 20 September 2024

Stations

* Orlando Army Air Base, Florida, 12 November 1942 * Zephyr Hills Army Air Field, Florida< 30 January 1943 * Norfolk Municipal Airport, Virginia, 18 February 1943 * Philadelphia Municipal Airport, Pennsylvania, 4 March 1943 * Millville Army Air Field, New Jersey, 5 May - 16 June 1943 * RAF Steeple Morden, England, 6 July 1943 * Gablingen, Germany, 17 July 1945 *

Schweinfurt Schweinfurt ( , ; ) is a town#Germany, city in the district of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the surrounding Schweinfurt (district), district (''Landkreis'') of Schweinfurt and a major industrial, cultur ...

, Germany, 15 April 1946 *

Mitchel Field Mitchell may refer to: People and fictional characters *Mitchell (surname), including lists of both people and fictional characters *Mitchell (given name), lists of people and fictional characters Places Australia * Mitchell, Australian Ca ...

, New York, 1 August – 20 November 1946 * Long Beach Municipal Airport, California, 1 November 1952 * Oxnard Air Force Base, California, 16 December 1952 (operated From:

Moody Air Force Base Moody Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force installation near Valdosta, Georgia. Geography The base is mostly in northeastern Lowndes County, Georgia, with a portion in Lanier County. Georgia State Route 125 runs through the west ...

, Georgia, 8 May – 10 June 1955 *

McGhee Tyson Airport McGhee Tyson Airport is a public/military airport south of Knoxville, Tennessee, Knoxville,. Federal Aviation Administration. effective April 17, 2025. in Alcoa, Tennessee. It is named for United States Navy pilot Charles McGhee Tyson, who wa ...

, Tennessee, 18 August 1955 – 8 January 1958 *

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, 25 April 1962 (operated from

Eielson Air Force Base Eielson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located approximately southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska, and just southeast of Moose Creek, Alaska. It was established in 1943 as Mile 26 Satellite Field and redesignated Eielson Ai ...

, Alaska 24 January – 14 February 1964,

Incirlik Air Base Incirlik Air Base () is a Republic of Turkey, Turkish air base of slightly more than 3320 ac (1335 ha), located in the İncirlik quarter of the city of Adana, Turkey. The base is within an urban area of 1.7 million people, east of the city ...

, Turkey 5 May – 18 September 1964) *

McConnell Air Force Base McConnell Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located four miles (6 km) southeast of the central business district of Wichita, a city in Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States., effective 2007-12-20 The airbase was named in ...

, Kansas, 15 October 1964 – 27 November 1965 (deployed to

Kadena Air Base (International Air Transport Association airport code, IATA: DNA, International Civil Aviation Organization airport code, ICAO: RODN) is a United States Air Force base in the towns of Kadena, Okinawa, Kadena and Chatan, Okinawa, Chatan and the ...

, Okinawa, then Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand (6 March – 18 June 1965) * Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, 28 November 1965 *

Davis–Monthan Air Force Base Davis–Monthan Air Force Base (DM AFB) is a United States Air Force base southeast of downtown Tucson, Arizona. It was established in 1925 as Davis–Monthan Landing Field. The host unit for Davis–Monthan AFB is the 355th Wing (355 WG) ass ...

, Arizona, 15 April 1970 – 30 April 1982 (deployed to Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand 14 January – 4 July 1973) * Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, 1 November 1991 * McChord Air Force Base, Washington, 5 January 1993 * Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, 1 October 1994 – c. 20 September 2024

Aircraft

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 ...

(1943–1944) *

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 ...

(1944–1946, 1952–1953) *

Lockheed F-94C Starfire The Lockheed F-94 Starfire is a first-generation jet powered all-weather day/night interceptor aircraft designed and produced by Lockheed Corporation. It was the first operational United States Air Force (USAF) fighter equipped with an afterbu ...

(1953–1955) *

North American F-86D Sabre The North American F-86D/K/L Sabre (initially known as the YF-95 and widely known informally as the "Sabre Dog") is an American transonic jet interceptor aircraft, interceptor. Developed for the United States Air Force in the late 1940s, it was ...

(1955–1957) *

Republic F-105 Thunderchief The Republic F-105 Thunderchief is an American fighter-bomber that served with the United States Air Force from 1958 to 1984. Capable of Mach 2, it conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Vietnam War. It ...

(1962–1970) * LTV A-7D Corsair II (1971–1979) *

Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II The Fairchild Republic A-10 , also infamously known under the nickname , is a single-seat, twin-turbofan, straight-wing, subsonic attack aircraft developed by Fairchild Republic for the United States Air Force (USAF). In service since 19 ...

(1979–1982, 1991–2024)

Awards and campaigns

References

Notes

; Explanatory notes : Citations

Bibliography

* * * *
355th Operations Group Fact Sheet

External links

* * (Distinguished Service Cross) * (Medal of Honor) {{Aerospace Defense Command

354 __NOTOC__ Year 354 ( CCCLIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Constantius and Constantius (or, less frequently, year 1107 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomin ...

Fighter squadrons of the United States Army Air Forces Military units and formations established in 1942