79th Fighter Squadron

Callsign : TIGERS

Nato Tiger Association status : honorary member

The 79th Fighter Squadron "Tigers” is one of the oldest in the United States Air Force.  It was organized in February 1918, as the 79th Aero Service Squadron at Rich Field in Waco, Texas, with an aerial gunnery mission, equipped with Curtiss JN-4 and JN-6 “Jenny” and Thomas-Morse S-4 “Tommy”.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, the 79th began patrolling San Francisco Bay and vicinity for detection of hostile aircraft or ships.  The squadron was later assigned duties patrolling near Washington, D.C.  In January 1943, the squadron moved to March Field, California, and completed intensive training in the P-39 “Airacobra” aircraft.

In August 1943, the squadron moved to King's Cliffe, England, for the duration of the Second World War.  As part of the 20th Fighter Group, 67th Fighter Wing, 1st Bombardment (Air) Division, VIII Fighter Command, 8th Army Air Force, the 79th, and its newly acquired Lockheed P-38J “Lightning”, worked as bomber escorts over Germany.  In March 1944, as part of a new Allied tactic, 79th pilots started sweeping target areas after the bombers had departed.  The 20th Fighter Group then earned its nickname, "Loco Squadron," and, after a series of very successful raids against transportation targets, set an Army Air Forces record of 193 trains destroyed.  On D-Day, the 79th mass-launched 180 sorties for five consecutive days, protecting Allied ships involved with the invasion at Normandy, France.  In July 1944, the squadron was flying the much faster North-American P-51D “Mustang” while furnishing air support for the 3rd Army in the Battle of the Bulge and other strategic areas.

Back in the States the 79th was inactivated at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, on 19 October 1945.  The 79th Squadron, along with the 20th Group, was reactivated on 26 July 1946, at Biggs Field in El Paso, Texas.  Between 1946 and 1952, the squadron's history is filled with several moves and aircraft changes before the 79th moved to Shaw Field, South Carolina.

The squadron then moved to Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, transitioning to the jet age flying the swept wing Republic F-84F “Thunderstreak”.  In May 1952, the squadron began to train to support NATO's Allied Forces Central Europe ground forces in conventional and nuclear roles and on 1 June was again reassigned to England, at Royal Air Force Station Woodbridge.  Upon their arrival, the 79th joined the United States Air Forces in Europe, becoming an integral part of the NATO air arm.  In 1957, the 79th began transitioning to the North American F-100 “Super Sabre”.  One year later the squadron was re-designated a tactical fighter squadron  In 1970, the 79th rejoined the 20th Wing, which had moved to Royal Air Force Station Upper‑Heyford, England, and converted to the swing-wing fighter-bomber version of the General Dynamics F-111E “Aardvark”,  moved to Royal Air Force Station Upper‑Heyford, England, and converted to the swing-wing fighter-bomber version of the General Dynamics F-111E “Aardvark”, becoming the first to be operationally ready in the new aircraft in Europe and the first in the world in the "E" model.

From 1990 to 1991, the 79th deployed to Southwest Asia to support Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.  The squadron was re-designated the 79th Fighter Squadron on 1 October 1991, as part of the Air Force's restructuring.

The 79th was inactivated on 30 June 1993, and reactivated at its present home, Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, on 1 January 1994.  In December 1998, the 79 took an active part in Operation Desert Fox in conjunction with Operation Southern Watch.

The 79th Fighter Squadron "Tigers" are a combat ready F-16C/D squadron, currently tasked with air-to-air, air-to-surface and Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses in support of friendly forces in Southwest Asia.  The squadron is one of three F-16 units assigned to the 20th Operations Group, Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, the others being the 55th and 77th Fighter Squadrons, under the direction of Headquarters Ninth Air Force/U.S. Central Command Air Forces and Headquarters Air Combat Command.

(all aircraft are to scale, not all drawings show an aircraft in 79 markings)

Aircraft

Curtiss JN-4 Jenny (1918)

Curtiss JN-6 Jenny (1918)

Thomas-Morse S-4 Tommy (1918)

Boeing P-12 (1930–1935)

Boeing P-26 Peashooter (1934–1938)

Curtiss P-36A Hawk (1938–1940)

Curtiss P-40 Warhawk (1940–1942)

Bell P-39 Airacobra (1942–1943)

Lockheed P-38J Lightning (1943–1944)

North American P-51D Mustang (1944–1945, 1946–1948)  (Redesignated to F-51D in 1947 following establishment of the U.S. Air Force as a separate service)

Republic F-84F Thunderstreak (1948–1957)

North American F-100F Super Sabre (1957–1970)

General Dynamics F-111E Aardvark (1970–1993)

General Dynamics F-16C Fighting Falcon (1994–present)

20th Pursuit Group

79th Pursuit Squadron

8th Army Air Force

1st Bombardment (Air) Division

20th Fighter Group

79th Fighter Squadron

United States Air Forces in Europe

20th Fighter-Bomber Wing

79th Fighter-Bomber Squadron

20th Tactical Fighter Wing

79th Tactical Fighter Squadron (1st version)

79th Tactical Fighter Squadron (2nd version)

Ninth Air Force

U.S. Central Command Air Forces

Air Combat Command

20th Operations Group

55th Fighter Squadron

77th Fighter Squadron

79th Fighter Squadron

3rd Army

Unit awards

Distinguished Unit Citation

Air Force Outstanding Unit Award

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text & picture sources : own collection & library + the world wide web / No copyright infringement intended : drawings, photos, etc. belong to the rightful owners.