44th Fighter Squadron

The 44 FS operated the F-15C Eagle aircraft conducting air superiority missions. ==History==

World War II The 44th Flew patrols over the Pacific from Hawaii from 7 December 1941 – October 1942. It went on to fly combat missions in the South and Southwest Pacific from 21 December 1942 – 15 August 1945. The 44th Fighter Squadron was named as the winner of the Raytheon Trophy for 2012. Taiwan From 3–30 September 1955, 44th Fighter-Bomber Squadron Deployed to Taoyuan Air Base, Taiwan with F-86 Sabre, returning again in 1962-1963 in support of “BLUE SKY” military exercise in Kung Kuan Air Base, Taiwan, equipped F-100 Super Sabre. The 44th Tactical Fighter Squadron was deployed to Ching Chuan Kang Air Base in Taichung from 6 November 1972 to 10 April 1975, using F-4 Phantom II to assist Taiwan’s air defense. 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. On 11 June 2018 the pilot of another F-15C from the squadron ejected over the sea off Okinawa. This pilot was also rescued by the Air Rescue Wing Naha Detachment of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. ==Lineage==

• Constituted as the 44th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 22 November 1940 : Activated on 1 January 1941 : Redesignated 44th Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942 : Redesignated 44th Fighter Squadron, Two Engine on 26 January 1944 : Redesignated 44th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 6 May 1946 : Redesignated 44th Fighter Squadron, Jet on 23 December 1949 : Redesignated 44th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 20 January 1950 : Redesignated 44th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 July 1958 : Redesignated 44th Fighter Squadron on 1 October 1991 Assignments • 18th Pursuit Group (later 18th Fighter Group), 1 January 1941 • 318th Fighter Group, 20 October 1942 • South Pacific Area, 1 December 1942 • Thirteenth Air Force, 4 January 1943 • 18th Fighter Group (later 18th Fighter-Bomber Group), 30 March 1943 : Attached to 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing 25 July – 30 November 1950, 6200th Air Base Wing until 30 January 1953, Thirteenth Air Force until 10 November 1954 : Attached to Thirteenth Air Force 11 December 1954 – 4 January 1955, 6200th Air Base Wing until January 1955, Air Task Group Fifth, Provisional until 16 February 1955, 6200th Air Base Wing until 14 July 1955 : Attached to Air Task Force 13, Provisional 3–30 September 1955 : Attached to 314th Air Division 15–18 April 1956 : Attached to 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing after 1 February 1957 • 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing (later 18 Tactical Fighter Wing), 1 October 1957 : Attached to 2d Air Division 18 December 1964 – 25 February 1965, 21 April–23 June 1965, and 19–29 October 1965 • 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, 25 April 1967 (attached to 355th Tactical Fighter Wing after 10 October 1969) • 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, 15 October 1969 • Thirteenth Air Force, 10 December 1970 • 18th Tactical Fighter Wing, 15 March 1971 : Attached to 3d Tactical Fighter Wing, 2 April – 2 June 1972 and 28 July – 8 September 1972 : Attached to 327th Air Division, 6 November 1972 – 5 August 1973, 26 August – 16 September 1973, 7–28 October 1973, 18 November – 9 December 1973, 30 December 1973 – 20 January 1974, 10 February – 2 March 1974, 23 March – 13 April 1974, 4–25 May 1974, 15 June – 6 July 1974, 27 July – 16 August 1974, 5 September – 17 October 1974, 30 November 1974 – 9 January 1975, and 20 February – 10 April 1975 • 18th Tactical Fighter Group, 1 May 1978 • 18th Tactical Fighter Wing, 11 February 1981 • 18th Operations Group, 1 October 1991–2023 Stations • Wheeler Field, Hawaii, 1 January 1941 • Bellows Field, Hawaii, 7 November 1941 • Wheeler Field, Hawaii, 12 December 1941 • Kaneohe Field, Hawaii, 27 December 1941 • Wheeler Field], Hawaii, 25 January 1942 • Bellows Field, Hawaii, 23 June – 23 October 1942 • Efate Airfield, New Hebrides 7 November 1942 : Air echelon operated from Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, 20 December 1942 – 20 March 1944 • Luganville Airfield, Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, 25 October 1943 : Air echelon operated from Mono Airfield, Stirling Island, Solomon Islands, 20 March – 25 April 1944 : Air echelon operated from Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, 11 May – 16 July 1944 • Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, 17 July 1944 • Cape Opmarai Airfield, Netherlands East Indies, 23 August 1944 : Air echelon operated from Wama Airfield, Morotai, Netherlands East Indies, 7 November 1944 – 16 January 1945 • Lingayen Airfield, Luzon, Philippines, 13 January 1945 • McGuire Field, San Jose, Mindoro, Philippines, 26 February 1945 : Air echelon operated from Puerto Princesa Airfield, Palawan, Philippines, 26 April – 13 May 1945 • San Roque Airfield (Moret Field), Mindanao, Philippines, 4 May–November 1945 • Puerto Princesa Airfield, Palawan, Philippines, 10 November 1945 • Floridablanca Airfield, Luzon, Philippines, 17 July 1946 • Clark Field (later Clark Air Force Base), Luzon, Philippines, 3 October 1947 : Deployed to Yontan Auxiliary Air Base, Okinawa 11 November – 11 December 1954, Taoyuan Air Base Formosa, 27 January – 17 February 1955) • Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, 15 July 1955 : Deployed to Taoyuan Air Base, Formosa, 3–30 September 1955 : Deployed to Pyongtaek Air Base, South Korea, 15–18 April 1956 : Deployed to Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, 18 December 1964 – 25 February 1965, 21 April – 22 June 1965, 10–29 October 1965 28 January 1966–8 April 1966 • Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, 25 April 1967 : Deployed to Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, 1–27 February 1969 • Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, 10 October 1969 – 15 March 1971 • Kadena Air Base, Okinawa (later Japan), 15 March 1971–present : Deployed to Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, 2 April – 2 June 1972 and 28 July – 8 September 1972 : Deployed to: Ching Chuan Kang Air Base, Taiwan, 6 November 1972 – 5 August 1973, 26 August – 16 September 1973, 7–28 October 1973, 18 November – 9 December 1973, 30 December 1973 – 20 January 1974, 10 February – 2 March 1974, 23 March – 13 April 1974, 4–25 May 1974, 15 June – 6 July 1974, 27 July – 16 August 1974, 5 September – 17 October 1974, 30 November 1974 – 9 January 1975, and 20 February – 10 April 1975 : Deployed to Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, May 1998 : Deployed to Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, March 2000 : Deployed to Incirlik AB, Turkey, June 2001 : Deployed to Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, September 2002, Operation Southern Watch : Deployed to: SW Asia , October 2011 – April 2012 : Deployed to: Elmendorf Air Force Base, Anchorage, July 2012 – January 2013 : Deployed to: Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, April 2020 - October 2020 Aircraft • Curtiss P-40 Warhawk (1940–1942, 1943) • Lockheed P-38 Lightning (1943–1946) • North American P-51 Mustang (1946–1947, 1948–1950) • Republic P-47 Thunderbolt (1946–1948) • Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star (1946–1947, 1949–1954) • North American F-86 Sabre (1954–1957) • North American F-100 Super Sabre (1957–1964) • Republic F-105 Thunderchief (1963–1970) • McDonnell F-4 Phantom II (1971–1980) • McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle (1979–2023) • Boeing F-15EX Eagle II (2026, planned) ==References==