311th Fighter Squadron
Military unit / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 311th Fighter Squadron (Sidewinders) is part of the 54th Fighter Group at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico which is a geographically separated unit under the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training. The squadron previously operated the Fighting Falcon conducting advanced fighter training at Luke and was inactivated due to budget constraints after the end of the Cold War. It was recently reactivated at Holloman and the aircraft were received from the 309th Fighter Squadron.
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (August 2017) |
311th Fighter Squadron | |
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Active | 1942–1946; 1952–1958; 1970–1994; 1995; 2014–present |
Country | United States |
Branch | United States Air Force |
Type | Fighter Training |
Part of | Air Education and Training Command |
Nickname(s) | Sidewinders[citation needed] |
Engagements | |
Decorations |
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Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Clarence L. Tinker |
Insignia | |
311th Fighter Squadron emblem (approved 18 July 1995)[1] | |
311th Fighter Squadron emblem (approved 9 October 1943)[2] |
The squadron was first activated during World War II to replace the 67th Fighter Squadron, which had been withdrawn from the 58th Fighter Group. After training in the United States, it moved to the Southwest Pacific Theater, earning a Distinguished Unit Citation and a Republic of the Philippines Presidential Unit Citation before inactivating in the Philippines in 1946. It was activated again in July 1952, when it replaced an Air National Guard unit that had been federalized for the Korean War. It earned a Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation before the armistice ended combat and remained in Korea until inactivating in 1958.