44th Fighter Squadron

The 44th Fighter Squadron is a unit of the United States Air Force, part of the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. The 44th Pursuit Squadron was activated on 1 January 1941 and assigned to the 18th Pursuit Group. The 44th Fighter Squadron is equipped with the F-15C/D Eagle.

Mission
The 44 FS operated the F-15C Eagle aircraft conducting air superiority missions.

World War II
The 44th Flew patrols over the Pacific from Hawaii from 7 December 1941 – October 1942. It went on to fly combat missions in the South and Southwest Pacific from 21 December 1942 – 15 August 1945.

Vietnam War
It again flew combat missions in Southeast Asia from 18 December 1964 – 25 February 1965, 21 April – 22 June 1965, 19 – 29 October 1965, and 25 April 1967 – 6 October 1970.

The squadron was unmanned from 31 December 1966 – 24 April 1967 and November 1970–15 May 1971.

Japan
It has flown air defense over Okinawa and Japan since 1971.

On 17 January 2006 an F-15C of the squadron crashed into the Pacific Ocean near Okinawa. The pilot ejected and was rescued by an HH-60 of the 33d Rescue Squadron.

The 44th Fighter Squadron was named as the winner of the Raytheon Trophy for 2012.

Taiwan
From 3–30 September 1955, 44th Fighter-Bomber Squadron Deployed to Taoyuan Air Base, Taiwan with F-86 Sabre, returning again in 1962-1963 in support of “BLUE SKY” military exercise in Kung Kuan Air Base, Taiwan, equipped F-100 Super Sabre.

The 44th Tactical Fighter Squadron was deployed to Ching Chuan Kang Air Base in Taichung from 6 November 1972 to 10 April 1975, using F-4 Phantom II to assist Taiwan’s air defense.

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.

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. This affected the 44th Fighter Squadron with a reduction of its flying hours, placing it into a basic mission capable status from 5 April-30 September 2013.

Recent events
On 28 May 2013 an F-15C of the squadron crashed into the ocean off Okinawa. The pilot ejected and was rescued by the Air Rescue Wing Naha Detachment of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.

On 11 June 2018 the pilot of another F-15C from the squadron ejected over the sea off Okinawa. This pilot was also rescued by the Air Rescue Wing Naha Detachment of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.

Lineage

 * Constituted as the 44th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 22 November 1940
 * Activated on 1 January 1941
 * Redesignated 44th Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942
 * Redesignated 44th Fighter Squadron, Two Engine on 26 January 1944
 * Redesignated 44th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 6 May 1946
 * Redesignated 44th Fighter Squadron, Jet on 23 December 1949
 * Redesignated 44th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 20 January 1950
 * Redesignated 44th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 July 1958
 * Redesignated 44th Fighter Squadron on 1 October 1991

Assignments

 * 18th Pursuit Group (later 18th Fighter Group), 1 January 1941
 * 318th Fighter Group, 20 October 1942
 * South Pacific Area, 1 December 1942
 * Thirteenth Air Force, 4 January 1943
 * 18th Fighter Group (later 18th Fighter-Bomber Group), 30 March 1943
 * Attached to 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing 25 July – 30 November 1950, 6200th Air Base Wing until 30 January 1953, Thirteenth Air Force until 10 November 1954
 * Attached to Thirteenth Air Force 11 December 1954 – 4 January 1955, 6200th Air Base Wing until January 1955, Air Task Group Fifth, Provisional until 16 February 1955, 6200th Air Base Wing until 14 July 1955
 * Attached to Air Task Force 13, Provisional 3–30 September 1955
 * Attached to 314th Air Division 15–18 April 1956
 * Attached to 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing after 1 February 1957


 * 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing (later 18 Tactical Fighter Wing), 1 October 1957
 * Attached to 2d Air Division 18 December 1964 – 25 February 1965, 21 April–23 June 1965, and 19–29 October 1965


 * 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, 25 April 1967 (attached to 355th Tactical Fighter Wing after 10 October 1969)
 * 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, 15 October 1969
 * Thirteenth Air Force, 10 December 1970
 * 18th Tactical Fighter Wing, 15 March 1971
 * Attached to 3d Tactical Fighter Wing, 2 April – 2 June 1972 and 28 July – 8 September 1972
 * Attached to 327th Air Division, 6 November 1972 – 5 August 1973, 26 August – 16 September 1973, 7–28 October 1973, 18 November – 9 December 1973, 30 December 1973 – 20 January 1974, 10 February – 2 March 1974, 23 March – 13 April 1974, 4–25 May 1974, 15 June – 6 July 1974, 27 July – 16 August 1974, 5 September – 17 October 1974, 30 November 1974 – 9 January 1975, and 20 February – 10 April 1975


 * 18th Tactical Fighter Group, 1 May 1978
 * 18th Tactical Fighter Wing, 11 February 1981
 * 18th Operations Group, 1 October 1991–2023

Stations

 * Wheeler Field, Hawaii, 1 January 1941
 * Bellows Field, Hawaii, 7 November 1941
 * Wheeler Field, Hawaii, 12 December 1941
 * Kaneohe Field, Hawaii, 27 December 1941
 * Wheeler Field], Hawaii, 25 January 1942
 * Bellows Field, Hawaii, 23 June – 23 October 1942
 * Efate Airfield, New Hebrides 7 November 1942
 * Air echelon operated from Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, 20 December 1942 – 20 March 1944


 * Luganville Airfield, Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, 25 October 1943
 * Air echelon operated from Mono Airfield, Stirling Island, Solomon Islands, 20 March – 25 April 1944
 * Air echelon operated from Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, 11 May – 16 July 1944


 * Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, 17 July 1944
 * Cape Opmarai Airfield, Netherlands East Indies, 23 August 1944
 * Air echelon operated from Wama Airfield, Morotai, Netherlands East Indies, 7 November 1944 – 16 January 1945


 * Lingayen Airfield, Luzon, Philippines, 13 January 1945
 * McGuire Field, San Jose, Mindoro, Philippines, 26 February 1945
 * Air echelon operated from Puerto Princesa Airfield, Palawan, Philippines, 26 April – 13 May 1945


 * San Roque Airfield (Moret Field), Mindanao, Philippines, 4 May–November 1945
 * Puerto Princesa Airfield, Palawan, Philippines, 10 November 1945


 * Floridablanca Airfield, Luzon, Philippines, 17 July 1946
 * Clark Field (later Clark Air Force Base), Luzon, Philippines, 3 October 1947
 * Deployed to Yontan Auxiliary Air Base, Okinawa 11 November – 11 December 1954, Taoyuan Air Base Formosa, 27 January – 17 February 1955)


 * Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, 15 July 1955
 * Deployed to Taoyuan Air Base, Formosa, 3–30 September 1955
 * Deployed to Pyongtaek Air Base, South Korea, 15–18 April 1956
 * Deployed to Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, 18 December 1964 – 25 February 1965, 21 April – 22 June 1965, 10–29 October 1965 28 January 1966–8 April 1966


 * Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, 25 April 1967
 * Deployed to Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, 1–27 February 1969


 * Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, 10 October 1969 – 15 March 1971
 * Kadena Air Base, Okinawa (later Japan), 15 March 1971–present
 * Deployed to Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, 2 April – 2 June 1972 and 28 July – 8 September 1972
 * Deployed to: Ching Chuan Kang Air Base, Taiwan, 6 November 1972 – 5 August 1973, 26 August – 16 September 1973, 7–28 October 1973, 18 November – 9 December 1973, 30 December 1973 – 20 January 1974, 10 February – 2 March 1974, 23 March – 13 April 1974, 4–25 May 1974, 15 June – 6 July 1974, 27 July – 16 August 1974, 5 September – 17 October 1974, 30 November 1974 – 9 January 1975, and 20 February – 10 April 1975
 * Deployed to Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, May 1998
 * Deployed to Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, March 2000
 * Deployed to Incirlik AB, Turkey, June 2001
 * Deployed to Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, September 2002, Operation Southern Watch
 * Deployed to: SW Asia, October 2011 – April 2012
 * Deployed to: Elmendorf Air Force Base, Anchorage, July 2012 – January 2013
 * Deployed to: Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, April 2020 - October 2020

Aircraft

 * Curtiss P-40 Warhawk (1940–1942, 1943)
 * Lockheed P-38 Lightning (1943–1946)
 * North American P-51 Mustang (1946–1947, 1948–1950)
 * Republic P-47 Thunderbolt (1946–1948)
 * Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star (1946–1947, 1949–1954)


 * North American F-86 Sabre (1954–1957)
 * North American F-100 Super Sabre (1957–1964)
 * Republic F-105 Thunderchief (1963–1970)
 * McDonnell F-4 Phantom II (1971–1980)
 * McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle (1979–2023)