The 60th Fighter Squadron is a United States Air Force unit that is part of the 33d Fighter Wing at

Eglin Air Force Base Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in the western Florida panhandle, located about southwest of Valparaiso, Florida, Valparaiso in Okaloosa County, Florida, Okaloosa County. The host unit at Eglin is the 96th Test ...

, Florida; It is tasked with training pilots on the

Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, supersonic stealth strike fighters. A multirole combat aircraft designed for both air superiority and strike missions, it also has electronic warfa ...

History

World War II

Activated in 1940 at

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 as the 60th Pursuit Squadron, the unit was assigned to the 33d Pursuit Group on 15 January 1941. Redesignated as the 60th Fighter Squadron "Fighting Crows" on 15 May 1942, the unit was responsible for the continual mission of air defense of the United States until October 1942. In late 1942, the 60th joined the United States' effort in World War II by participating in combat operations in the Mediterranean Theater and the

China-Burma-India Theater China Burma India Theater (CBI) was the United States military designation during World War II for the China and Southeast Asian or India–Burma (IBT) theaters. Operational command of Allied forces (including U.S. forces) in the CBI was ...

. As a result of superior performance in central Tunisia, the 60th earned the

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 combat operations on 15 January 1944. Following its service in World War II, the 60th was assigned to the 33d Fighter Group at

Neubiberg Air Base Neubiberg Air Base is a former German Air Force and United States Air Force airfield which was closed in 1991. It is located 9 km south of the city of Munich, Germany. Today the former base area holds the campus of Bundeswehr University of ...

, Germany in August 1946 and flew the

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 ...

Air Defense Command

60th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron North American F-86A-5-NA Sabre 49-1143

In 1947, the 60th transferred to

Roswell Army Air Field Roswell may refer to: * Roswell incident * Roswell, New Mexico, known for the purported 1947 UFO incident (see other uses below) Places in the United States * Roswell, Colorado, a former settlement now part of Colorado Springs * Roswell, Georgia ...

, New Mexico and soon afterward, in June 1948, converted to the

Republic F-84 Thunderjet The Republic F-84 Thunderjet is an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 first flew in 1946. Although it entered service in 1947, the Thunde ...

. In November 1948, the 60th transferred to

Otis Air Force Base Otis may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Otis'' (film), a direct-to-DVD 2008 American comedy horror film * "Otis" (''The Jeffersons''), a television episode * "Otis" (''Prison Break''), a television episode Music * ...

, Massachusetts and by June of the following year had completed a conversion to the new

North American F-86 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 ...

. On 9 August 1950, the 60th moved to

Westover Air Force Base Westover may refer to: People *Al Westover (born 1954), American professional basketball player in Australia *Arthur Westover (1864–1935), Canadian sport shooter and 1908 Olympian *Charles Westover (1934–1990), better known as Del Shannon, Amer ...

, Massachusetts and on 1 January 1951 became part of the

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 ...

. From 1952 to 1959, the 60th, flying the F-86 Sabre and the

Lockheed F-94 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 ...

, was assigned to various organizations including the

4707th Defense Wing The 4707th Air Defense Wing is a discontinued United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 26th Air Division of Air Defense Command (ADC) at Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts where it was discontinued in 1956. The wing ...

, 4735th Air Defense Group and the Boston Air Defense Sector. 60th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron McDonnell F-101B 57-0376 1960

On 5 January 1959, the 60th was the first Air Defense Command squadron to receive the new

McDonnell F-101B Voodoo The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo is a supersonic jet fighter designed and produced by the American McDonnell Aircraft Corporation. Development of the F-101 began in the late 1940s as a long-range bomber escort (then known as a penetration fighter) ...

interceptor. The unit was additionally tasked as part of the joint test force (teamed with members at

, Florida) to test the F-101's operational capabilities prior to its entrance into active service. The F-101B proved to be a quite successful interceptor. assigned alongside the F-101B interceptor was the F-101F operational and conversion trainer. The two-seat trainer version was equipped with dual controls, but carried the same armament as the F-101B and were fully combat-capable. During the 1960s, the 60th participated in various tests, exercises, and operations in the Air Defense Command. In October and November 1962, the unit was placed on alert during 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 ...

, and several planes with weapons and support crews were deployed to support potential combat needs. Planes remaining at Otis continued to perform the Air Defense Command continental air defense mission. Although it has been stated that

F-101B Voodoo The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo is a supersonic jet fighter designed and produced by the American McDonnell Aircraft Corporation. Development of the F-101 began in the late 1940s as a long-range bomber escort (then known as a penetration figh ...

s from the 60th were used in the production of the 1966 comedy ''

The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming ''The Russians Are Coming the Russians Are Coming'' is a 1966 American comedy film directed and produced by Norman Jewison for United Artists. The satirical story depicts the chaos following the grounding of the Soviet submarine ''СпруT'' ...

'', the film, although set in New England, was actually shot on the West Coast for financial reasons and the fighters were from the 84th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, based at

Hamilton Air Force Base Hamilton may refer to: * Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States * ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda ** ''Hamilton'' (al ...

, California."Overview for ''The Russians are Coming, the Russians are coming''"
Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved: 1 January 2009 The 60th inactivated on 30 April 1971.

Tactical Air Command

In September 1971, the squadron was reactivated at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida as the 60th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the 33d Tactical Fighter Wing, flying the McDonnell F-4E Phantom II until transitioning to the McDonnell Douglas F-15A Eagle in the late 1970s. In 1979, the unit participated in the "Kadena Ready Eagle" program in which the members of the 60th trained new F-15 pilots stationed at

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 ...

, Japan. The 60th made its first combat deployment since World War II when it sent ten F-15s to

Grenada Grenada is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean Sea. The southernmost of the Windward Islands, Grenada is directly south of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and about north of Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidad and the So ...

in support of

Operation Urgent Fury The United States and a coalition of Caribbean countries invaded the small island nation of Grenada, north of Venezuela, at dawn on 25 October 1983. Codenamed Operation Urgent Fury by the U.S. military, it resulted in military occupation with ...

, the rescue of American medical students held in Grenada in the mid-1980s. The unit continued to train and until it was called upon to fly support missions for

Operation Just Cause 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 ...

(the removal of Panamanian dictator

Manuel Noriega Manuel Antonio Noriega Moreno ( , ; February 11, 1934 – May 29, 2017) was a Panamanian dictator and military officer who was the ''de facto'' List of heads of state of Panama, ruler of Panama from 1983 to 1989. He never officially serv ...

from Panama in the early 1990s).

Air Combat Command

The 60th Fighter Squadron flew the F-15 Eagle and supported the various combatant commanders by providing air superiority on call. In September 1990, members, both maintainers and pilots, of the 60th were deployed in support of Operation Desert Storm as augmentees to its sister squadron the 58th. This led to the most aerial victories by any single unit since Viet Nam. The squadron also participated in

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.. ...

following 9/11. It flew its last F-15 mission on 5 December 2008. The squadron was inactivated on 1 January 2009.

Air Education and Training Command

The squadron was reactivated on 20 August 2021 as the second formal training unit of the 33d Operations Group, 33d Fighter Wing. The 33d is assigned to the Nineteenth Air Force of AETC.

Lineage

* Constituted as the 60th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 20 November 1940 : Activated on 15 January 1941 : Redesignated 60th Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942 : Redesignated 60th Fighter Squadron, Two Engine on 8 February 1945 : Inactivated on 8 December 1945 * Redesignated 60th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 17 July 1946 : Activated on 20 August 1946 : Redesignated 60th Fighter Squadron, Jet on 14 June 1948 : Redesignated 60th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 20 January 1950 : Inactivated on 30 April 1971 * Redesignated 60th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 18 May 1971 : Activated on 1 September 1971 : Redesignated 60th Fighter Squadron on 1 November 1991 : Inactivated on 1 January 2009 : Activated on 20 August 2021

Assignments

* 33d Pursuit Group (later 33d Fighter Group), 15 January 1941 – 8 December 1945 * 33d Fighter Group (later 33d Fighter-Interceptor Group), 20 August 1946 * 4707th Defense Wing (later 4707th Air Defense Wing), 6 February 1952 * 33d Fighter Group, 18 August 1955 * 4735th Air Defense Group, 18 August 1957 * Boston Air Defense Sector, 1 August 1959 *

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 ...

, 1 April 1966 *

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 – 30 April 1971 * 33d Tactical Fighter Wing (later 33d Fighter) Wing), 1 September 1971 * 33d Operations Group, 1 December 1991 – 1 January 2009 * 33d Operations Group, 20 August 2021 – present

Stations

, New York, 15 January 1941 *

Bolling Field The origins of the surname Bolling: English language, English: from a nickname for someone with close-cropped hair or a large head, Middle English bolling "pollard", or for a heavy drinker, from Middle English bolling "excessive drinking". German ...

, District of Columbia, 8 December 1941 – 12 October 1942 * Port Lyautey Airfield, French Morocco, 10 November 1942 * Casablanca Airfield, French Morocco, 17 November 1942 * Oujda Airfield, French Morocco, 6 December 1942 * Telergma Airfield, Algeria, 26 December 1942 * Youks-les-Bains Airfield, Algeria, c. 6 January 1943 * Telergma Airfield, Algeria, 17 February 1943 * Berteaux Airfield, Algeria, 2 March 1943 * Ebba Ksour Airfield, Tunisia, 12 April 1943 * Menzel Temime Airfield, Tunisia, 22 May 1943 * Sousse Airfield, Tunisia, 10 June 1943 * Pantelleria Airfield, Italy, 21 June 1943 * Licata Airfield, Sicily, Italy, 17 July 1943 * Paestum Airfield, Italy, 13 September 1943 * Santa Maria Airfield, Italy, 18 November 1943 (operated from Paestum, Italy after 1 December 1943) * Cercola Airfield, Italy, c. 1 January–c. 5 February 1944 *

Karachi Airport Jinnah International Airport () , formerly Drigh Road Airport or Karachi International Airport, is Pakistan's busiest international and domestic airport, and handled 7,267,582 passengers in 2017–2018. Located in Karachi, the largest city an ...

, India (now Pakistan), c. 20 February 1944 * Shwangliu Airfield, China, c. 17 April 1944 * Nagaghuli Airfield, India, c. 1 September 1944 *

Sahmaw Airfield Sahmaw is a town in Kachin State, Myanmar. Second World War During the Burma Campaign 1944-1945 in the Second World War, Sahmaw was the site of a United States Army Air Forces airfield, now abandoned. The airfield was a temporary combat airfie ...

, Burma, 20 November 1944 * Myitkyina Airfield, Burma, 8 May 1945 *

Piardoba Airfield Piardoba Airfield is an abandoned airfield in India, located 6.6 miles (10.7 km) S of Bishnupur, West Bengal, Bankura District in the state of West Bengal, India. History During World War II, the airfield hosted the United States Army ...

, India, 1 October–15 November 1945 *

Camp Shanks Camp Shanks was a United States Army installation in the Orangeburg, New York area. Named after Major General David C. Shanks, it was situated near the juncture of the Erie Railroad and the Hudson River. The camp was the largest U.S. Army embark ...

, New York, 7–8 December 1945 * AAF Station Neubiberg, Germany, 20 August 1946 *

AAF Station Bad Kissingen Bad Kissingen Airfield is an airfield in Germany, located about 1 mile north of Bad Kissingen in Bavaria. It supports general aviation and light aircraft up to by planes of up to 3,000 kg. History Bad Kissingen had two different aerodromes. ...

, Germany, July–25 August 1947 * Andrews Field, Maryland, 25 August 1947 * Roswell Army Air Field (later Roswell Air Force Base, Walker Air Force Base), New Mexico, 16 September 1947 * Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts, 16 November 1948 * Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts, 10 August 1950 * Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts, 18 Aug 1955 – 30 April 1971 * Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, 1 September 1971 – 1 January 2009 * Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, 20 August 2021 – present

Aircraft

Bell P-39 Airacobra The Bell P-39 Airacobra is a fighter produced by Bell Aircraft for the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. It was one of the principal American fighters in service when the United States entered combat. The P-39 was used by th ...

(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 ...

(1941–1944) *

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 ...

(1944–1945) *

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 ...

(1945) * North American P-51 Mustang (1946–1949) * Republic F-84 Thunderjet (1948–1950) * North American F-86A Sabre, (1951) * North American F-86E Sabre, (1951–1953) * North American F-86D Sabre (1953–1955) * Lockheed F-94C Starfire (1955–1959) * McDonnell F-101B Voodoo (1959–1971) * McDonnell F-4E Phantom II (1971–1979) * McDonnell Douglas F-15A/B/C/D Eagle (1979–2009) * Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II