World War II Established as a defensive interceptor squadron for
Hawaii in late 1941. Suffered tremendous casualties and aircraft losses at
Wheeler Field during the
Pearl Harbor Attack. Re-equipped and used as
Seventh Air Force training unit; also flew reconnaissance patrols over Hawaii until late 1943. Deployed to
Central Pacific as part of
Seventh Air Force island hopping campaign against Japanese in late 1943. Flew combat missions from Makin Island using P-39 Airacobra fighters until April 1944, returning to Hawaii and being re-equipped and trained with long-range
P-51 Mustangs. Re-deployed to
Western Pacific, being stationed on
Iwo Jima while battle for the island was still ongoing and engaged in long-range
B-29 Superfortress escort missions over Japan; continuing that mission until the end of hostilities in August 1945. Reassigned to
Mariana Islands, as a
Far East Air Force fighter squadron, inactivated 1946.
Cold War Reactivated as
Tactical Air Command F-86 jet tactical fighter squadron, 1952 Deployed to France in 1954 as part of NATO; re-equipped with the
F-100 Super Sabre 1957. Ordered out of France by host government as part of France's rejection of NATO's nuclear weapons policy. Reassigned to
Philippines in 1958 for air defense of
Luzon. Inactivated 1959 as a result of budget reductions. Equipment reassigned to
510th Tactical Fighter Squadron.
Pilot training Reactivated 1 July 1982 at
MacDill AFB, Florida as an
F-16A/B Block 10 Fighting Falcon Replacement Training Unit Squadron, replacing the 13th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron when the 58th TFTS transitioned from
F-4 Phantom IIs. Tail coded "MC", black tail stripe outlined in white. Upgraded to the Block 25 and 30 F-16C/D in March 1990 and continued as a Replacement Training Unit. Inactivated in 1992 as part of the
BRAC realignment of MacDill AFB.
Lineage • Constituted
72nd Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 4 October 1941 : Activated on 5 October 1941 : Re-designated
72nd Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942 : Inactivated on 10 October 1946 • Redesignated
72nd Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 15 November 1952 : Activated on 1 January 1953 : Inactivated on 8 February 1958 • Re-designated
72nd Tactical Fighter Squadron on 19 May 1958 : Activated on 1 July 1958 : Inactivated on 9 April 1959 • Re-designated
72nd Tactical Fighter Training Squadron, and activated on 1 July 1982 : Re-designated
72nd Fighter Squadron on 1 November 1991 : Inactivated on 19 June 1992
Assignments •
15th Pursuit (later Fighter) Group, 5 October 1941 •
318th Fighter Group, 15 October 1942 •
21st Fighter Group, 15 June 1944 – 10 October 1946 •
21st Fighter-Bomber Group, 1 January 1953 – 8 February 1958 • 6200th Air Base Wing, 1 July 1958 – 9 April 1959. •
56th Tactical Training Wing, 1 July 1992 •
56th Operations Group, 1 November 1991 – 19 June 1992
Stations •
Wheeler Field,
Hawaii Territory, 5 October 1941 •
Hilo Field,
Hawaii Territory, 25 July 1943 •
Wheeler Field,
Hawaii Territory, 21 October 1943 •
Makin Airfield,
Gilbert Islands, 18 December 1943 •
Haleiwa Fighter Strip,
Hawaii Territory, 23 April 1944 •
Mokuleia Field,
Hawaii Territory, 8 June 1944 •
Central Field,
Iwo Jima, 26 March 1945 •
South Field,
Iwo Jima, 15 July 1945 •
Isley Airfield,
Saipan, 5 December 1945 •
Northwest Field,
Guam, 17 April-10 October 1946 •
George AFB,
California, 1 January 1953 – 26 November 1954 •
Châteauroux-Déols Air Base,
France, 14 December 1954 •
Chambley-Bussières Air Base,
France, 9 July 1955 – 8 February 1958 •
Clark AB,
Luzon,
Philippines, 1 July 1958 – 9 April 1959. •
MacDill AFB,
Florida, 1 July 1982 – 19 June 1992
Aircraft •
P-40 Warhawk, 1941–1943 •
P-39 Airacobra, 1943–1944 •
P-38 Lightning, 1944–1945 •
P-51 Mustang, 1944–1946 •
P-47 Thunderbolt, 1946 •
F-51 Mustang, 1953 •
F-86 Sabre, 1953–1957 •
F-100 Super Sabre, 1958–1959 •
F-16 Fighting Falcon, 1982-1992
Emblems File:72d Fighter Squadron.png|World War II squadron emblem File:72d Fighter-Bomber Squadron - Emblem.png|72nd Fighter-Bomber Squadron emblem File:72d Tactical Fighter Squadron - Emblem.png|72nd Tactical Fighter Squadron emblem ==References==