555th Fighter Squadron
Encyclopedia
31st Operations Group
The 31st Operations Group is the flying component of the 31st Fighter Wing, assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe. It is stationed at Aviano Air Base, Italy.-Overview:...
at Aviano Air Base
Aviano Air Base
Aviano Air Base is a NATO Air Base under U.S. Air Force administration in northeastern Italy, in Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. It is located in Aviano municipality, at the foot of the Carnic Pre-Alps, or Southern Carnic Alps, about 15 kilometers from Pordenone.-Units:Aviano is hosted by the...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It operates F-16 Fighting Falcon
F-16 Fighting Falcon
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since...
aircraft conducting an air superiority mission.
Mission
The 555th Fighter Squadron provides combat airpower on demand to U.S. and NATO Combatant Commanders as well as the National Command Authority in order to meet National Security objectives.It also performs air and space control and force application roles of counterair, strategic attack and counterland, including interdiction and close-air support ,with 21 F-16CMs employing state of the art munitions in support of the joint, NATO, and combined operations.
World War II
The squadron's heritage began on 25 November 1942 when the 555th Bombardment Squadron, Medium, was constituted flying the B-26 MarauderB-26 Marauder
The Martin B-26 Marauder was a World War II twin-engine medium bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, it was also used in the Mediterranean Theater and in Western Europe....
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the 555th led offensive actions against Axis
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
forces from bases in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. For gallantry in action, the squadron was awarded the first of its four Presidential Unit Citations.
The squadron was deactivated shortly after WWII ended.
Vietnam Era
On 8 January 1964, the 555th re-emerged at MacDill Air Force BaseMacDill Air Force Base
MacDill Air Force Base is an active United States Air Force base located approximately south-southwest of downtown Tampa, Florida...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, operating the F-4 Phantom II
F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
. The squadron was organized from elements of the 557th, 558th and 559th TFS at MacDill, when the parent 12th Tactical Fighter Wing reduced the number of aircraft from three squadrons of 25 aircraft each to four squadrons of 18 aircraft each.
The conflict in Southeast Asia was escalating and throughout 1965 the wing supported Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) Contingency Operations by rotating combat squadrons quarterly to Naha AB in the Ryuku Islands. The 555th TFS began its permanent deployment to the first Air Force expeditionary airfield at Cam Ranh Bay Air Base, South Vietnam on 6 November 1965. Ultimately, the 559th TFS took the place of the 555th when the squadron was diverted to a second TDY in February 1966 with the 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing at Naha Air Base, Okinawa, followed by a re-assignment to the 8th TFW at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. At Ubon, the squadron scored their first two MiG victories on 23 April 1966, and became the first "Ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
" Squadron in Southeast Asia with six kills one week later.
In June 1966, the 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron moved to Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base
Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base
Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base is a Royal Thai Air Force facility and is the home of Wing 21 of the RTAF 2nd Air Division. It is located in East-Central Thailand, near the city of Ubon Ratchathani, in the Ubon Ratchathani Province. It is approximately 305 miles North-East of Bangkok...
and joined the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing "Wolfpack." There, the squadron led the first strike against MiG
Mig
-Industry:*MiG, now Mikoyan, a Russian aircraft corporation, formerly the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau*Metal inert gas welding or MIG welding, a type of welding using an electric arc and a shielding gas-Business and finance:...
airfields in North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
. The 555 TFS launched the first night bombing attacks against North Vietnam on 29 September 1967. While at Ubon, the 555th downed an additional 14 aircraft, including four MiG-21s on 2 January 1967. The unit thus became the only "Quad Ace" Fighter Squadron to that point, with 20 MiGs to its credit.
In 1968, the Nickel participated in the campaign against the Ho Chi Minh Trail
Ho Chi Minh trail
The Ho Chi Minh trail was a logistical system that ran from the Democratic Republic of Vietnam to the Republic of Vietnam through the neighboring kingdoms of Laos and Cambodia...
and the Linebacker
Operation Linebacker
Operation Linebacker was the title of a U.S. Seventh Air Force and U.S. Navy Task Force 77 aerial interdiction campaign conducted against the Democratic Republic of Vietnam from 9 May to 23 October 1972, during the Vietnam War....
campaigns against the North Vietnam heartland in 1972. During Linebacker I and Linebacker II, the 555th returned to its air superiority role and brought its MiG tally to 39 confirmed victories—10 MiG-17s, 3 MiG-19s, and 26 MiG-21s, producing the first and second USAF aces, and earning the motto, "World's Largest Distributor of MiG Parts." From 1966 to 1973, the 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron earned three more Presidential Unit Citations, five Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards with combat "V" device, the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with palm, and the 1973 Hughes achievement award.
After nine years of combat operations, the 555th returned to the United States. In 1974, the squadron moved to Luke Air Force Base
Luke Air Force Base
Luke Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located seven miles west of the central business district of Glendale, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is also about west of Phoenix, Arizona....
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, where it transitioned to the F-15 Eagle
F-15 Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
. As part of the 405th Tactical Training Wing the squadron was a LIFT organization for pilot transition to the F-15.
Modern era
On 1 April 1994 was reassigned to NATO and stationed at Aviano Air BaseAviano Air Base
Aviano Air Base is a NATO Air Base under U.S. Air Force administration in northeastern Italy, in Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. It is located in Aviano municipality, at the foot of the Carnic Pre-Alps, or Southern Carnic Alps, about 15 kilometers from Pordenone.-Units:Aviano is hosted by the...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, absorbing the F-16 Fighting Falcon
F-16 Fighting Falcon
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since...
aircraft and equipment of the inactivated 526th Fighter Squadron, which had been inactivated at Ramstein AB, Germany when the 86th FW became an airlift wing (86th AW). At Aviano, the squadron returned to its previous mission as an operational combat fighter squadron.
Operations
- World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
- Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
- Operation Deny FlightOperation Deny FlightOperation Deny Flight was a North Atlantic Treaty Organization operation that began on April 12, 1993 as the enforcement of a United Nations no-fly zone over Bosnia and Herzegovina...
- Operation Deliberate Force
- Operation Deliberate GuardSFORThe Stabilisation Force was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina which was tasked with upholding the Dayton Agreement. It replaced the previous force IFOR...
- Operation Allied ForceOperation Allied ForceThe NATO bombing of Yugoslavia was NATO's military operation against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The strikes lasted from March 24, 1999 to June 10, 1999...
Lineage
- Constituted 555th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 25 Nov 1942
- Activated on 1 Dec 1942
- Re-designated: 555th Bombardment Squadron, Medium, on 9 Oct 1944
- Re-designated: 555th Bombardment Squadron, Light, on 23 Jun 1945
- Inactivated on 7 Nov 1945
- Re-designated: 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron, activated, and organized, on 8 Jan 1964
- Re-designated: 555th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron on 5 Jul 1974
- Re-designated: 555th Fighter Squadron on 1 Nov 1991
- Inactivated on 25 Mar 1994
- Activated on 1 Apr 1994.
- Designated as: 555th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron and placed in provisional status when deployed to United States Air Forces Central as part of the Global War on Terrorism after 11 September 2001.
Assignments
- 386th Bombardment Group, 1 Dec 1942-7 Nov 1945
- 12th Tactical Fighter Wing, 8 Jan 1964
- Attached to 51st Fighter Interceptor Wing, 12 Dec 1964-9 Mar 1965, 11 Dec 1965-21 Feb 1966
- Attached to 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, c. 22 Feb-4 Mar 1966
- Thirteenth Air ForceThirteenth Air ForceThe Thirteenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Hickam Air Force Base on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. 13 AF has never been stationed in the continental United States...
, 4 Mar 1966
- Thirteenth Air Force
- Attached to 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, 4-24 Mar 1966)
- 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, 25 Mar 1966
- 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 1 Jun 1968
- 58th Tactical Fighter (later, 58 Tactical) Training Wing, 5 Jul 1974
- 405th Tactical Training Wing, 29 Aug 1979
- 56th Operations Group56th Operations GroupThe 56th Operations Group is a unit of the United States Air Force, and the flying component of the 56th Fighter Wing.The group is the direct descendant of the World War II 56th Fighter Group of the United States Army Air Forces...
, 1 Oct 1991-25 Mar 1994 - 31st Operations Group31st Operations GroupThe 31st Operations Group is the flying component of the 31st Fighter Wing, assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe. It is stationed at Aviano Air Base, Italy.-Overview:...
, 1 Apr 1994-Present
Stations
- MacDill Field, FL, 1 Dec 1942
- Lake Charles Army Airfield, LA, 9 Feb-8 May 1943
- RAF Snetterton HeathRAF Snetterton HeathRAF Snetterton Heath is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located on the A11, 6 miles SW of Attleborough in Norfolk.-Overview:...
(AAF-138), England, 4 Jun 1943 - RAF BoxtedRAF BoxtedRAF Boxted is a former World War II airfield in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately north-northeast of Colchester; about northeast of London...
(AAF-150), England, 10 Jun 1943 - RAF Great DunmowRAF Great DunmowRAF Station Great Dunmow is a former World War II airfield in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately mi west of Great Dunmow, north of the A 120; about miles northeast of London...
(AAF-164), England, 24 Sep 1943 - Beaumont-sur-Oise Airfield (A-60), France, 2 Oct 1944
- Sint-Truiden Airfield (A-92), Belgium, 9 Apr-27 Jul 1945
- Seymour Johnson Field, NC, 11 Aug 1945
- Westover Field, MA, 29 Sep-7 Nov 1945
- MacDill AFB, FL, 8 Jan 1964
- Deployed to Naha AB, Okinawa, 12 Dec 1964-9 Mar 1965 and 11 Dec 1965-c. 21 Feb 1966
- Udorn RTAFB, Thailand, c. 25 Feb 1966
- Ubon RTAFB, Thailand, 20 Jul 1966
- Udorn RTAFB, Thailand, 28 May 1968-5 Jul 1974
- Luke AFB, AZ, 5 Jul 1974-25 Mar 1994
- Aviano AB, Italy, 1 Apr 1994-Present
Aircraft Operated
- B-26 MarauderB-26 MarauderThe Martin B-26 Marauder was a World War II twin-engine medium bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, it was also used in the Mediterranean Theater and in Western Europe....
(1943–1945) - A-26 InvaderA-26 InvaderThe Douglas A-26 Invader was a United States twin-engined light attack bomber built by the Douglas Aircraft Co. during World War II that also saw service during several of the Cold War's major conflicts...
(1945) - F-4 Phantom IIF-4 Phantom IIThe McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
(1964–1974) - F-15 EagleF-15 EagleThe McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
(1974–1994) - F-16C/D block 40 Fighting FalconF-16 Fighting FalconThe General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since...
(1994–Present)