480th Fighter Squadron (480th FS)
The 480th Fighter Squadron was constituted as 480th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 9 July 1942 and activated on 15 July 1942 at MacDill Field, Florida. From September 1942 until April 1944, the Squadron served as a replacement training unit for medium bomber crews at various locations in Florida before moving to Lake Charles Army Airfield, Louisiana on 7 November 1943. The unit was disbanded entirely on 1 May 1944.
It remained disbanded until 19 September 1985 when it was reconstituted and consolidated with the 480 Air Resupply Squadron and the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with the new unit being designated as the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron. The unit absorbed the lineage and honors of the 2 additional units, which had been formed in the 1950s.
The 480th Air Resupply Squadron had been constituted as the 580th Aerial Resupply Squadron on 15 March 1951 and activated on 16 April 1951 at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. It was redesignated as the 580th Air Resupply Squadron on 5 November 1951 before being inactivated on 18 October 1956. The Squadron had flown a mix of B-29, C-119, and SA-16 aircraft during its existence. While inactive, it was redesignated as the 480th Air Resupply Squadron on 31 July 1985 before its lineage and honors were consolidated with that of the 480th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) and the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron.
The 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron had been constituted on 30 August 1957 as the 480th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, a Tactical Air Command squadron assigned the F-100 aircraft and based at England Air Force Base, Louisiana as part of the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing. The Squadron was formally activated on 25 September 1957 and was redesignated as the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 July 1958. The 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron was inactivated on 1 April 1959 due to budget constraints, but the arrival of the Kennedy Administration brought increased budget support for tactical forces. This resulted in the reactivation of the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 30 April 1962, with the Squadron being organized on 8 May 1962 under United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) flying the F-84F aircraft and based first at Chaumont Air Base, France and then at Phalsbourg-Bourscheid Air Base, France. In 1963, the 480th Fighter Squadron was re-equipped with F-100s and forced to relocate as the French government, under the leadership of General Charles De Gaulle, ordered all US military forces withdrawn from France.
As a result, the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron was reassigned to Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico and re-equipped with the F-4C aircraft. On 1 February 1966, the Squadron deployed to Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam as part of USAF buildup in Southeast Asia. In Southeast Asia, the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron was deeply involved in Operation Rolling Thunder, a bombing campaign of North Vietnam, as well as flying combat mission into South Vietnam and Laos. During Rolling Thunder, the 480th Tactical Fighter downed 9 North Vietnamese MiG fighters, and scored the first MiG-21 kill of the war. In addition, on 9 November 1967 a member of the Squadron, Captain Lance P. Sijan, was downed over North Vietnam. Though badly wounded, he was able to elude capture for a long period then, when captured, he was able to briefly escape. He died of wounds and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor on 4 March 1976. On the 15 April 1969, with the end of Rolling Thunder Operations, the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron relocated to Phu Cat Air Base, South Vietnam, where it operated until 17 November 1971, when it was inactivated.
The 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron was reactivated as a USAFE squadron flying the F-4D aircraft on 15 November 1976, being assigned to the 52nd Tactical Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base, West Germany. It was re-equipped with F-4E Phantoms and later F-4Gs as part of the "Wild Weasel" defense suppression mission, flying in F-4E/F-4G "Hunter Killer" teams. In 1983 it was equipped with F-16A/B Falcons and in 1985, its lineage and honors were consolidated with that of the 480th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) and the 480th Air Resupply Squadron, with the new unit remaining designated as the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron.
Elements of the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron deployed to Southwest Asia during 1990-1991 in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. On 1 October 1991, the Squadron was redesignated as the 480th Fighter Squadron. The Squadron began to receive upgraded to F-16C/D aircraft in 1993. The 480th was inactivated on 1 April 1994 as part of consolidation of USAF forces in Germany.
In late 2010, as part of the Combat Air Forces Restructuring Plan, the 22nd and 23rd Fighter Squadrons were inactivated and had 21 of their aircraft reassigned to the 148th Fighter Wing, Minnesota Air National Guard. The remaining aircraft and squadron personnel were consolidated into the 480th Fighter Squadron, which was activated on 13 August 2010 in their place, assigned to the 52nd Operations Group. The 480th Fighter Squadron became USAFE's only F-16 Block 50 squadron, providing the Supreme Headquarters Allied Forces Europe and USAFE commanders with dedicated suppression of enemy air defense, air interdiction, counter-air, and close air support capability.
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