94th Fighter Squadron

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94th Fighter Squadron
SPAD XIII USAF.jpg
SPAD XIII at the United States Air Force Museum shown in 94th Aero Squadron (Pursuit) markings. Aircraft is marked as Eddie Rickenbacker's aircraft.


94th Fighter Squadron - F-22A Rapor Formation.jpg


94th Fighter Squadron F-22 Raptor formation flown on the squadron's 90th Anniversary, 17 August 2007
Active 20 August 1917-Present
Country  United States
Branch  United States Air Force
Type Squadron
Role Fighter
Part of Air Combat Command
Garrison/HQ Joint Base Langley–Eustis, Virginia
Nickname(s) "Hat in the Ring"
Tail Code "FF"
Engagements
  • World War I War Service Streamer without inscription.png
    World War I
  • WW II American Campaign (Antisubmarine) Streamer.jpg
    World War II - Antisubmarine
  • European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Streamer.jpg
    World War II - EAME Theater
  • Southwest Asia Service Streamer.png
    1991 Gulf War (Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation of Kuwait)
  • Streamer AFE.PNG
    Operation Northern Watch
    Operation Southern Watch
  • Streamer gwotS.PNG
    Global War on Terrorism - Operation Noble Eagle
Decorations
  • Streamer PUC Army.PNG
    Distinguished Unit Citation (3x)
  • US Air Force Outstanding Unit Award - Stremer.jpg
    Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (7x)
  • French Croix De Guerre Streamer (World War I).jpg
    French Croix De Guerre (World War I) (2x)
Battle honours
  • French Fourragere (World War I)
Commanders
Notable
commanders		 Paul V. Hester
Earle E. Partridge
Eddie Rickenbacker
Ennis Whitehead
Insignia
94th Fighter Squadron emblem 94th Fighter Squadron.png

The 94th Fighter Squadron (94 FS) is a unit of the United States Air Force 1st Operations Group located at Joint Base Langley–Eustis, Virginia. The 94th is equipped with the F-22 Raptor.[1]

The 94 FS is one of the oldest units in the United States Air Force, first being organized on 20 August 1917 as the 94th Aero Squadron at Kelly Field, Texas. The squadron deployed to France and fought on the Western Front during World War I as a pursuit squadron. It took part in the Champagne-Marne defensive; Aisne-Marne offensive; St. Mihiel offensive, and Meuse-Argonne offensive.[2]

In 1924, it was consolidated with the 103d Aero Squadron (Pursuit). The 103d was largely composed of former members of the French Air Service Lafayette Escadrille (from the French Escadrille de Lafayette). This was a squadron of American volunteer pilots who had joined the French Air Service prior to the United States entry into the war on 6 April 1917.[3]

During World War II the unit served in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) as part of Twelfth Air Force as a P-38 Lightning fighter squadron, participating in the North African and Italian campaigns. During the Cold War it was both an Air Defense Command fighter-interceptor squadron as later as part of Tactical Air Command. It was one of the first USAF operational squadrons equipped with the F-15A Eagle in January 1976.[3][4]

Overview

The 94 Fighter Squadron is tasked to provide air superiority for the United States and allied forces by engaging and destroying enemy forces, equipment, defenses or installations for global deployment as part of the 1st Fighter Wing.

The squadron flies one of today's most advanced air dominance fighters, the F-22A Raptor, being the USAF's second operational F-22 squadron in 2006. 94 FS aircraft, like other aircraft from the 1st Fighter Wing, have the tail code "FF".

History

The 94th Fighter Squadron has a long history and traditions that date back to World War I. The squadron was officially activated at Kelly Field, Texas, on 20 August 1917, as the 94th Aero Squadron. On 8 April 1924, the unit was officially consolidated with the 103d Aero Squadron which was organized on 31 August 1917.

World War I

see 94th Aero Squadron for an expanded World War I history
Air Service Pilots of the 94th Aero (Pursuit) Squadron in France, June 1918. Of this group, two were killed in action and Captain Edward V. "Eddie" Rickenbacker (center row, 6th from the left) became America's leading ace with 26 aerial victories.

On 30 September 1917, two officers and 150 enlisted men left Texas for France and were sent to seven different aircraft factories for maintenance and repair training. In April 1918, the 94th was reunited and stationed at the Gengault Aerodrome near Toul, France, where it began operations as the first American squadron at the front. It was placed under the command of Major Raoul Lufbery, an ace pilot and veteran of the Lafayette Escadrille.

As the first American squadron in operation, its aviators were allowed to create their squadron insignia. They used the opportunity to commemorate the United States' entry into World War I by taking the phrase of tossing one's "hat in the ring" (a boxing phrase to signify one's willingness to become a challenger) and symbolizing it with the literal image of Uncle Sam's red, white and blue top hat going through a ring.

On 14 April, Lt. Douglas Campbell and Lt. Alan Winslow downed two German aircraft. These were the first victories ever scored by an American unit. No 94th pilot achieved more aerial victories than 1st Lt. Edward V. "Eddie" Rickenbacker, who was named America's "Ace of Aces" during the war. In his Nieuport 28 and later his SPAD S.XIII, Rickenbacker was credited with 26 of the squadron's 70 kills during World War I. By the end of hostilities, the 94th had won battle honors for participation in 11 major engagements and was awarded the Croix de Guerre with Palm.

The squadron was assigned to the 1st Pursuit Group based at Toul (5 May 1918), and subsequently at Touquin (28 June 1918), Saints (9 July 1918) and Rembercourt (1 September 1918). Rickenbacker took command of the squadron on 25 September, at the start of the Meuse Argonne Offensive, and retained it through the end of the war.

Another flying ace of this squadron was Harvey Weir Cook.

The 103d Aero Squadron constructed facilities, December 1917 – 1 February 1918; with flight echelon originally composed of former members of the Lafayette Escadrille, participated in combat as a pursuit unit with the French Fourth Army, French Sixth Army, Detachment of the Armies of the North (French), French Eighth Army, and the American First Army, 18 February – 10 November 1918.

On 8 April 1924, the 103rd's history, honors and lineage were consolidated by the Air Service into that of the 94th Pursuit Squadron.

Between the wars: 1920s and 1930s

The squadron returned home in the spring of 1919, and after several moves, the 94th settled with the 1st Pursuit Group at Selfridge Field, Michigan, in July 1922. In 1923, the unit was re-designated the 94th Pursuit Squadron. The squadron stayed in Michigan for the remainder of the inter-war years, training in its pursuit role. The squadron flew 17 different aircraft during this period, culminating with the P-38 Lightning. One week after Pearl Harbor, the 94th moved to San Diego Naval Air Station. Expecting to see action in the Pacific, the squadron instead received orders for Europe. In the summer of 1942, the 94th and its parent group deployed under its own power to England, the U.K., via Canada, Labrador, Greenland, and Iceland as part of Operation Bolero. This marked the first time that a fighter squadron flew its own aircraft from the United States to Europe.

World War II

In May 1942, all pursuit groups and squadrons were re-designated "fighter". In November the 94th Fighter Squadron entered combat in North Africa during Operation Torch. Based in Algeria, Tunisia, and Italy, the 94th again distinguished itself in combat by winning two Presidential Distinguished Unit Citations as part of the 1st Group. In addition, the squadron earned 14 Campaign honors, participating in almost every campaign in North Africa and Europe. 64 pilots of the 94th Fighter Squadron were credited with 124 Axis aircraft destroyed. The 94th produced a total of six aces in World War II. In April 1945 the 1st Fighter Group received two YP-80 jets for operational testing. The 94th Squadron's Major Edward LaClare flew two operational sorties in the YP-80 although without encountering combat.

Cold War

North American F-86A-5-NA Sabre 49-1278, March AFB, California, 1950
94th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron F-106 (58-0786), Selfridge AFB, Michigan
94th Fighter Squadron F-15 launches an AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM)

After the war, the 94th trained in the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star, America's first operational jet fighter, and was stationed at March AFB, California. In July 1950, the group became the 94th Fighter Intercept Squadron (FIS) and was eventually assigned to Air Defense Command (ADC). After the P-80, the squadron flew several aircraft in the interceptor role, including the F-86, F-102 and F-106. In 1956, the 94th won the Worldwide Rocket Firing Meet held at Vincent AFB, Arizona. In the 1960s, the unit was among the first ready units sent to Florida during the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962. The squadron carried out combat patrol missions off the coast of Florida, setting a record for F-106 hours and sorties. During the 1960s, the 94th, along with other ADC units, maintained an alert force in Alaska.

With its supersonic F-106s, the squadron intercepted Russian bombers on missions over the Bering Sea. Then, in June 1969, with tensions mounting following the Pueblo Incident and the downing of an EC-121 electronic observation plane by North Korea, the squadron deployed to Osan AB, South Korea, for six months. On 1 July 1971, the 94th moved back to the USA, to MacDill AFB, Florida, as part of a realignment of the original First Pursuit Group. The squadron was designated the 94th Tactical Fighter Squadron, reassigned to Tactical Air Command, and reunited with the 27th and 71st Squadrons under the 1st Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW), flying the F-4E. The 94th assumed the duties of a Replacement Training Unit (RTU), providing F-4 aircrews for operational combat squadrons.

In 1975, the 1st TFW moved to Langley AFB, Virginia, and began flying the F-15 Eagle. The squadron became combat-ready in early 1977. In September 1992, the squadron was renamed the 94th Fighter Squadron.

The 94th Fighter Squadron did not deploy to Southwest Asia for the first Persian Gulf War, although many of its pilots and maintenance personnel did as augmenters to both the 71st and 27th Fighter Squadrons from the 1st Fighter Wing. The 94th successfully supported the UN-sanctioned Operation Southern Watch and Operation Northern Watch in Iraq with many deployments to Saudi Arabia and Turkey in the period leading up to the Iraq War. The 94th Fighter Squadron pilots repeatedly defeated Iraqi surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) and anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) attacks while enforcing UN sanctions, without loss or damage to a single aircraft.

Since the September 11 attacks on the United States, the aircraft of the 94th have patrolled the skies of the East Coast of the United States.

Modern era

In 2006, the 94th became only the second operational squadron to fly the F-22 Raptor, receiving its first F-22 in June 2006, and receiving its full complement of F-22s, with tail number 05-094, in June 2007. This was due to the 94th FS trading tail number 086 for 094 with the 90th Fighter Squadron, which is part of the 3rd Wing based at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska. [1]

Additionally, the 1st FW traded tail 05-084 to the 90th Fighter Squadron for tail 05-101. Tail 05-101 is the current 1st Fighter Wing flagship and flies as part of the 94th Fighter Squadron.

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.[5]

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.[5] This affected the 94th Fighter Squadron with a stand-down grounding from 9 April-30 September 2013.[5]

Lineage

Emblem of the 103d Aero Squadron (World War I)
94th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (Air Defense Command) emblem
  • Organized as 103d Aero Squadron on 31 August 1917
Re-designated as: 103d Aero Squadron (Pursuit), 13 February 1918
Absorbed American pilots of Escadrille de Lafayette (Aéronautique Militaire), 18 February 1918
Re-designated as: 103d Aero Squadron, 4 March 1919
Demobilized on 18 August 1919[2]
  • Organized as 94th Aero Squadron on 20 August 1917
Re-designated as: 94th Aero Squadron (Pursuit), on 30 March 1918
Re-designated as: 94th Aero Squadron, 1 June 1919
Re-designated as: 94th Squadron (Pursuit), on 14 March 1921[2]
Re-designated: 94th Pursuit Squadron on 25 January 1923
  • Reconstituted and consolidated with: 103d Aero Squadron, 8 April 1924
Consolidated unit designated 94th Pursuit Squadron
Re-designated: 94th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 6 December 1939
Re-designated: 94th Pursuit Squadron (Fighter) on 12 March 1941
Re-designated: 94th Fighter Squadron (Twin Engine) on 15 May 1942
Re-designated: 94th Fighter Squadron, Two Engine, on 28 February 1944
Inactivated on 16 October 1945
  • Re-designated: 94th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 5 April 1946
Re-designated: 94th Fighter Squadron, Jet Propelled, on 20 June 1946
Activated on 3 July 1946
Re-designated: 94th Fighter Squadron, Jet, on 15 June 1948
Re-designated: 94th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 16 April 1950
Re-designated: 94th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 July 1971
Re-designated: 94th Fighter Squadron on 1 November 1991.

Assignments

103d Aero Squadron
94th Aero (later, 94th Pursuit) Squadron
Consolidated Squadron

Stations

103d Aero Squadron
94th Aero (later, 94th Pursuit) Squadron
Consolidated Squadron

Aircraft

See also

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

  1. ↑ 94 Fighter Squadron (ACC)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Series "E", Volume 9, History of the 94th Aero Squadron. Gorrell's History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917–1919, National Archives, Washington, D.C. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "Gorrell" defined multiple times with different content
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Rogers, Brian. United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. Hinkley, England: Midland Publications, 2005. ISBN 1-85780-197-0.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Reduced flying hours forces grounding of 17 USAF combat air squadrons
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  • 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

Bibliography

  • Franks, Norman, et al. American Aces of World War I. Osprey Publishing, 2001. ISBN 1-84176-375-6, ISBN 978-1-84176-375-0.
  • Guttman, Jon. USAS 1st Pursuit Group. Botley, Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2008. ISBN 1-84603-309-8.
  • Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  • Woolley, Charles. The Hat in the Ring Gang: The Combat History of the 94th Aero Squadron in World War I. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing, . ISBN 0-7643-1427-0.

External links

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