336th Fighter Squadron
Encyclopedia
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit. It is assigned to the 4th Operations Group
4th Operations Group
The 4th Operations Group is the flying component of the 4th Fighter Wing, assigned to the United States Air Force Air Combat Command. The group is stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina...
and stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located to the southeast of Goldsboro, North Carolina. The base is named for Navy test pilot Seymour Johnson, a native of Goldsboro...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
.
The 336th was constituted on 22 August 1942 as an incorporation of the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
133 Squadron
No. 133 Squadron RAF
133 Squadron RAF was one of the famous Eagle squadrons formed from American volunteers serving with the RAF during World War II.-History:133 Squadron was first formed in 1918 at RAF Ternhill. It was a training unit for the Handley Page O/400, flying the Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2, that was...
into the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
' VIII Fighter Command
VIII Fighter Command
The VIII Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe, being stationed at RAF Honington, England. It was inactivated on 20 March 1946....
. 133 Squadron was one of the RAF Eagle Squadrons
Eagle squadron
The Eagle Squadrons were 3 fighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force formed during World War II with volunteer pilots from the United States...
composed of American volunteer pilots who enlisted in the RAF and fought in 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...
prior to the United States entry into the war.
Overview
The "Rocketeers" fly the McDonnell-Douglas (now Boeing) F-15E Strike EagleF-15E Strike Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle is an all-weather multirole fighter, derived from the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle. The F-15E was designed in the 1980s for long-range, high speed interdiction without relying on escort or electronic warfare aircraft. United States Air Force F-15E Strike...
. It was the first operational F-15E squadron in the Air Force. Its aircraft are identified by the "SJ" tail code and yellow fin flash.
Currently the squadron provides worldwide deployable aircraft and personnel capable of executing combat missions in support of worldwide Aerospace Expeditionary Force deployments to combat areas as part of the Global War on Terrorism.
History
On 23 September 1942 the 4 FG moved to its initial airfield at RAF DebdenRAF Debden
RAF Debden is a former RAF airfield in England. The field is located 3 miles SE of Saffron Walden and approximately 1 mile north of the village of Debden in North Essex.-RAF Fighter Command:...
; however, the 336 FS moved to a satellite field at RAF Great Sampford
RAF Great Sampford
RAF Great Sampford was an RAF base situated in Essex, England....
. They conducted operations from there until rejoining the group at Debden on 30 October 1942.
Fighter aircraft escorted first bombing raid over Berlin, March 1944. On 21 June 1944, escorted bombers in the first shuttle bombing mission from England to Russia. Received Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for destroying enemy aircraft and attacking air bases in France, 5 March-24 April 1944.
In 1946 trained in jet aircraft; participated in air shows around the US; began night flying in late 1947. Combat in Korea, December 1950-July 1953. Received second and third DUCs for combat in Korean War, 22 April-8 July 1951 and 9 July-27 November 1951.
Deployed to Florida in October 1962 during Cuban missile crisis.
From January-June 1968, deployed to Korea; tasked with operations associated with USS Pueblo incident. Combat in Southeast Asia, April-September 1972 and March 1973.
During the 1980s, trained in combat readiness in order to maintain worldwide commitment and air-to-air mission capability. Deployed to Europe under dual-based mission concept in support of NATO objectives, 1978-1985.
Participated in initial attack on Iraq, 17 January 1991. During the action, squadron F-15E Strike Eagle tail # 89-0487 destroyed an airborne Iraqi MI-8 helicopter by dropping a laser-guided bomb on it. During 1990-1994, shared quarterly rotation duties to Southwest Asia with 334 and 335 FS.
Since 1991, trained as combat ready fighter squadron prepared for rapid world wide deployment of fighter aircraft to accomplish air-to-ground, air-to-air, strategic attack and deep interdiction missions.
Deployed to combat areas in Middle East as part of Global War on Terrorism, 2001–present
On the 18th of July 2009, F-15E tail #90-0231 from the 336th Fighter Squadron crashed in eastern Afghanistan, killing the two-man crew,
Captain Mark R. McDowell and Thomas J. Gramith. The US military reported that the jet was not downed by enemy action.
In September 2009, F-15 tail # 89-0487 shot down a rogue MQ-9 Reaper
MQ-9 Reaper
The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper is an unmanned aerial vehicle , capable of remote controlled or autonomous flight operations, developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems for use by the United States Air Force, the United States Navy, the CIA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Royal...
in Afghanistan after the drone's controllers lost control of the robot.
Lineage
- Constituted 336th Fighter Squadron on 22 August 1942
- Activated on 12 September 1942
- Redesignated 336th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 20 August 1943
- Inactivated on 10 November 1945
- Activated on 9 September 1946
- Redesignated: 336th Fighter Squadron, Jet Propelledon 23 April 1947
- Redesignated: 336th Fighter Squadron, Jet, on 14 June 1948
- Redesignated: 336th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 20 January 1950
- Redesignated: 336th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 8 March 1955
- Redesignated: 336th Fighter-Day Squadron on 25 April 1956
- Redesignated: 336th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 July 1958
- Redesignated: 336th Fighter Squadron on 1 November 1991
- Designated as: 336th 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
- 4th Fighter Group, 12 September 1942-10 November 1945
- 4th Fighter (later, 4th Fighter-Interceptor; 4th Fighter-Bomber; 4th Fighter-Day) Group, 9 September 1946
- Attached to: 49th Fighter-Bomber Wing, 19 November 1954
- Attached to: 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing, 7 August 1956
- Attached to: 313th Air Division313th Air DivisionThe 313th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Pacific Air Forces, based at Kadena AB, Okinawa. It was deactivated on 1 October 1991.-History:...
, 1 February-8 December 1957- 4th Fighter-Day (later, 4th Tactical Fighter; 4th) Wing4th Fighter WingThe 4th Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Ninth Air Force. It is stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, where it is also the host unit....
, 8 December 1957
- 4th Fighter-Day (later, 4th Tactical Fighter; 4th) Wing
- Attached to: 65th Air Division, 12 August 1963-7 January 1964
- Attached to: Seventeenth Air ForceSeventeenth Air ForceSeventeenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force located at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The command served the United States Air Forces in Europe during its years of active service...
, 25 May-30 August 1965 - Attached to: 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, 12 April-30 September 1972 and 9 March-7 September 1973
- Attached to: 314th Air Division314th Air DivisionThe 314th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Pacific Air Forces, based at Osan AB, South Korea. It was inactivated in September 1986....
, 22 March-17 April 1977 - Attached to: 86th Tactical Fighter Wing, 11 September-13 October 1978, 31 August-1 October 1979, 26 August-26 September 1980, 5 September-3 October 1983, and 26 August-26 September 1985
- Attached to: 4th Tactical Fighter Wing [Deployed], 9 August-20 December 1990
- Attached to: 4th Tactical Fighter Wing Provisional, 20 December 1990-c. 13 March 1991
- 4th Operations Group, 22 April 1991–present
Stations
- RAF Bushey HallRAF Bushey HallRAF Bushey Hall is a former World War II non-flying facility in England. It was established at a private golf club and was used as a headquarters facility for the United States Army Air Forces Eighth Air Force in the United Kingdom. It was situated close to its Royal Air Force counterpart at RAF...
(AAF-341), England, 12 September 1942 - RAF DebdenRAF DebdenRAF Debden is a former RAF airfield in England. The field is located 3 miles SE of Saffron Walden and approximately 1 mile north of the village of Debden in North Essex.-RAF Fighter Command:...
(AAF-356), England, 29 September 1942 - RAF Steeple MordenRAF Steeple MordenRAF Steeple Morden is a former World War II airfield in England. The field was located 3½ miles W of Royston in Cambridgeshire, near the village of Steeple Morden.-RAF Bomber Command use:...
(AAF-122), England, c. 23 July-4 November 1945 - Camp KilmerCamp KilmerCamp Kilmer, New Jersey is a former United States Army camp that was activated in June 1942 as a staging area and part of an installation of the New York Port of Embarkation. The camp was organized as part of the Army Service Forces Transportation Corps. Troops were quartered at Camp Kilmer in...
, New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, 9–10 November 1945 - Selfridge FieldSelfridge FieldSelfridge Air National Guard Base or Selfridge ANGB is an Air National Guard installation located in Harrison Township, Michigan, near Mount Clemens.-Units and organizations:...
, MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, 9 September 1946 - Andrews Field (later, AFB), MarylandMarylandMaryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, 26 March 1947 - Langley AFB, VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, 2 May 1949 - Dover AFB, DelawareDelawareDelaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
, 13 August-11 November 1950 - Johnson AB, Japan, 13 December 1950
- Taegu AB, (K-2) South Korea, 15 March 1951
- Suwon AB, (K-13) South Korea, c. 6 April 1951
- Johnson AB, Japan, 27 June 1951
- Kimpo AB, (K-14) South Korea, 20 September 1951
- Misawa AB, Japan, 19 November 1954
- Kadena AB, Okinawa, 7 August 1956
- Seymour Johnson AFB, North CarolinaNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, 8 December 1957–present
- Deployed to: McCoy AFB, FloridaFloridaFlorida 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...
, 21 October-29 November 1962 - Deployed to: Moron AB, Spain, 12 August 1963-7 January 1964
- Deployed to: Incirlik AB, TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, 25 May-30 August 1965 - Deployed to: Ubon RTAFB, ThailandThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, 12 April-30 September 1972 and 9 March-7 September 1973 - Deployed to: Suwon AB, South Korea, 25 March-17 April 1977
- Deployed to: Ramstein AB, West Germany, 11 September-13 October 1978, 31 August-1 October 1979, 26 August-26 September 1980, 5 September-3 October 1983, and 26 August-26 September 1985
- Deployed to: Seeb International AirportSeeb International AirportMuscat International Airport is the main airport in Muscat, Oman. It is the hub for the national carrier Oman Air. The distance from Old Muscat is 30 km and it is 15 km from the main residential localities. At the moment the airport is being expanded and modernized...
, OmanOmanOman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
, 9 August-18 December 1990 - Deployed to: Al Karj AB, Saudi ArabiaSaudi ArabiaThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, 18 December 1990-c. 13 March 1991 - Deployed to: Undisclosed locations in CentralCentral AsiaCentral Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
and Southwest AsiaSouthwest AsiaWestern Asia, West Asia, Southwest Asia or Southwestern Asia are terms that describe the westernmost portion of Asia. The terms are partly coterminous with the Middle East, which describes a geographical position in relation to Western Europe rather than its location within Asia...
, 2001--present
Aircraft
- Spitfire VbSupermarine SpitfireThe Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
(Sep 42 - 1 April 1943) - P-47 ThunderboltP-47 ThunderboltRepublic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
- P-47C (10 March 1943 - February 44)
- P-47D (Jun 43 - February 44)
- P-51 MustangP-51 MustangThe North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
- P-51B (25 February 1944 - war's end)
- P-51D (Jun 44 - war's end)
- P-51K (Dec 44 - war's end)
- F-80 Shooting Star
- F-86 SaberF-86 SabreThe North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...
- F-100 Super SaberF-100 Super SabreThe North American F-100 Super Sabre was a supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard until 1979. The first of the Century Series collection of USAF jet fighters, it was the first USAF fighter capable of...
- F-105 ThunderchiefF-105 ThunderchiefThe Republic F-105 Thunderchief, was a supersonic fighter-bomber used by the United States Air Force. The Mach 2 capable F-105 conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Vietnam War; it has the dubious distinction of being the only US aircraft to have been...
- F-4D PhantomF-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,...
- F-4E PhantomF-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,...
- F-15E Strike EagleF-15E Strike EagleThe McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle is an all-weather multirole fighter, derived from the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle. The F-15E was designed in the 1980s for long-range, high speed interdiction without relying on escort or electronic warfare aircraft. United States Air Force F-15E Strike...
Notable squadron members
- Vermont GarrisonVermont GarrisonVermont Garrison was a career officer in the United States Air Force, and an ace with 17.33 credited victories in aerial combat. He was one of only seven Americans to achieve ace status during World War II, then again against jet fighter opposition during the Korean War.Dubbed "the inner seven."...
- Don Gentile
- John GodfreyJohn Trevor GodfreyJohn Trevor Godfrey was a Captain and an American fighter pilot in the 336th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group, Eighth Air Force during World War II....
External links
- 336th Fighter Squadron Official Unit Website Referenced 29 January 2006
- 336th Fighter Squadron GlobalSecurity.org Referenced 29 January 2006