| 94th Fighter Squadron |
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History The 94th fighter Squadron is rich in history and tradition with origins tracing back to World War I . The squadron was officially activated at Kelly Field, Texas , on August 20 1917 as the 94th Aero Squadron. World War I On September 30 1917, two officers and 150 enlisted men left Texas for France and were sent to seven different aircraft factories for maintenance and repair training. In April 1918, the 94th was reunited and stationed at the Gencoult Aerodrome in Toul, France , where it began operations as the first American squadron at the front. On April 14 , Lt. Campbell, who later became America's first Ace Pilot , and Lt. Alan Winslow downed two German aircraft. These were the first victories ever scored by an American unit. Through to the end of the war in November 1918, the "Hat in the Ring" insignia remained synonymous with unparalleled success. No 94th pilot typified this success more than First Lt. Edward V. Rickenbacker , the "Ace of Aces." In the Nieuport 28 and later in the Spad XIII , was credited with 26 of the squadron's 70 kills, an accomplishment unparalleled by any other American airman. By the end of hostilities, the 94th had won battle honors for participation in 11 major engagements and was awarded the Croix-de-Guerre with Palm. An ace of this squadron was The squadron returned home in the spring of 1919, and after several moves, the 94th settled at Selfridge Field, Michigan in July 1922. In 1923, the Spads were re-designated the 94th Pursuit Squadron. The squadron stayed in Michigan for the remainder of the inter-war years, training in its pursuit role. The Spads flew 17 different aircraft during this period culminating with the P-38 Lightning . One week after Pearl Harbor , the 94th moved to San Diego Naval Air Station . Expecting to see action in the Pacific, the squadron instead received orders for Europe. In the summer of 1942, the 94th self-deployed to England via Labrador , Greenland and Iceland . This marked the first time that a fighter unit flew its own aircraft to Europe from the United States. World War II In November 1942, the newly re-designated 94th Fighter Squadron went back to war. Based in Africa for two years, the 94th again distinguished itself in combat by winning two Presidential Distinguished Unit Citations, most notably as part of the raids on the oil fields at Ploesti, Romania in August 1943. In addition, the squadron won 12 Battle Participation credits, in almost every major offensive campaign in North Africa and Europe. It was credited with 124 official kills. In one raid alone, the 94th, while working with the other two squadrons of the 1st Pursuit Group , destroyed 88 aircraft in a battle over Italy . The 94th produced a total of six aces in World War II . The Cold War After the war, the 94th trained in the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star , America's first operational jet fighter and was stationed at March AFB, California. In July 1950, the group became the 94th Fighter Intercept Squadron (FIS) and was eventually assigned to Air Defense Command (ADC). After the P-80, the squadron flew several aircraft in the interceptor role, including the F-86 , F-102 and F-106 . In 1956, the 94th won the Worldwide Rocket Firing Meet held at Vincent AFB, Arizona. In the 1960s, the unit proved its readiness when it was among the first units sent to Florida during the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962. The squadron carried out combat patrol missions off the coast of Florida, setting a record for F-106 hours and Sortie s. During the 1960s, the 94th, along with other ADC units, maintained an alert force in Alaska. With its supersonic F-106s, the squadron intercepted Russian bombers on missions over the Bering Sea . Then, in June 1969, with tensions mounting following the Pueblo Incident and the downing of an EC-121 by North Korea , the squadron deployed to Osan AB, South Korea for six months. On 1 July 1971, the 94th moved to MacDill AFB, Florida, as part of a realignment of the original First Pursuit Group. The squadron was designated the 94th Tactical Fighter Squadron, reassigned to Tactical Air Command, and reunited with the 27th and 71st squadrons under the 1st Tactical Fighter Wing flying the F-4E . The 94th assumed the duties of a Replacement Training Unit (RTU), providing F-4 aircrews for operational combat squadrons. In 1975, the 1 TFW moved to Langley AFB, Virginia and began flying the F-15 Eagle. The squadron became combat-ready in early 1977. In September 1992, the squadron was renamed the 94th Fighter Squadron. The 94th did not deploy to southwest Asia for first Gulf War , although many of its pilots and maintainers did as augmentees to both the 71st and 27th fighter squadrons from the 1st Fighter Wing. The 94th successfully supported the UN-sanctioned Operations SOUTHERN WATCH and NORTHERN WATCH in Iraq with many deployments to Saudi Arabia and Turkey in the period leading up to the second Gulf War. The 94 FS pilots repeatedly defeated Iraqi surface to air (SAM) and anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) attacks while enforcing UN sanctions, without loss or damage to a single aircraft. Since the September 11 Attacks on the United States, the aircraft of the 94th have patrolled the skies of the U.S. east coast. TRIVIA A popular restaurant chain, the 94th Aero Squadron, is named after the 94th from the First World War. |
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