61st Fighter Squadron [61st FS]
The 61st Fighter Squadron was originally constituted as the 61st Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 20 November 1940. It activated on 15 January 1941 at Savannah AB, GA, and was assigned to the 56th Pursuit (later, 56th Fighter) Group, flying the P-35, p-36, P-39 (1941-1942), and P-40 (1941-1942) aircraft.
Transitioning to the P-47 in 1942, the squadron was redesignated as the 61st Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) (Twin Engine) on 31 January 1942; as the 61st Fighter Squadron (Twin Engine) on 15 May 1942; and the 61st Fighter Squadron on 1 June 1942. That year, the squadron served as an air defense and operational training unit. Relocating to England, the squadron saw combat in ETO, from 13 April 1943-21 April 1945. During that period, it was redesignated as the 61st Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 28 February 1944. The squadron inactivated on 18 October 1945 at Camp Kilmer, NJ.
The 61st reactivated on 1 May 1946 at Selfridge Field (later, AFB), MI, and was assigned to the 56th Fighter (later, 56th Fighter-Interceptor) Group. It was redesignated at the 61st Fighter Squadron, Jet Propelled, on 24 April 1947; as the 61st Fighter Squadron, Jet, on 14 June 1948; and as the 61st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 20 January 1950.
At that point, the squadron became tasked with serving as an air defense and operational training unit, from 1950-1960. While doing this, the squadron was reassigned to the 4708th Defense Wing, on 6 February 1952; the 575th Air Defense Group, on 16 February 1953; the 64th Air Division, on 6 August 1953; the 4731st Air Defense Group, on 1 April 1957; and the 327th Fighter Group, on 15 October 1957. The squadron was discontinued, and inactivated, on 25 July 1960 at Truax Field, WI. Aircraft operated by the squadron had been the P-47 (1946-1947); the P-51 (1946-1947); the P (later, F)-80 (1947-1950); the F-86 (1950-1951); the F-94 (1951-1954); the F-89 (1954-1957); and the F-102 (1957-1960).
Redesignated as the 61st Tactical Fighter Squadron on 12 May 1975, the 61st activated on 30 June 1975 at MacDill AFB, FL. Assigned to the 56th Tactical Fighter (later, 56th Tactical Training; 56th Fighter) Wing, the squadron flew the F-4, becoming a replacement training unit with a combat-ready commitment (1975-1993). It was redesignated as the 61st Tactical Fighter Training Squadron on 1 January 1980. That same year, the squadron transitioned to the F-16 fighter aircraft. It was redesignated as the 61st Fighter Squadron on 1 November 1991. On that same date, the squadron was reassigned to the 56th Operations Group. The 61st inactivated on 12 August 1993.
The 61st FS reactivated on 1 April 1994 at Luke AFB, AZ, and was assigned to the 56th Operations Group.
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