View source for 72nd Fighter Squadron

{{Use American English|date=July 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2015}}
{{no footnotes|date=December 2012}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name                     = 72nd Tactical Fighter Squadron
| image                         = 72d Tactical Fighter Training Squadron - Emblem.png
| image_size                    = 250
| caption                       = Emblem of the Tactical Fighter Training Squadron
| dates                         = 1941-1992
| country                       = [[United States]]
| allegiance                    =
| branch                        = [[United States Army Air Forces]]
| type                          =
| role                          = Fighter
| size                          =
| command_structure             =
| current_commander             =
| garrison                      =
| ceremonial_chief              =
| colonel_of_the_regiment       =
| nickname                      = Falcons
| patron                        =
| motto                         = PAX PER AUXILIA PARATA "Peace through Readiness"
| colors                        =
| march                         =
| mascot                        =
| battles                       = WWII
| notable_commanders            =
| anniversaries                 =
}}
[[File:72d Tactical Fighter Training Squadron - General Dynamics F-16B Block 10B Fighting Falcon 80-0623.jpg|thumb|72nd TFTS F-16B Block 10B Fighting Falcon 80-0623]]
[[File:72d Tactical Fighter Squadron - F-100D-25-NA 55-3610.jpg|thumb|72nd TFS F-100D 55-3610 at Clark AB, 1958]]
[[File:72d Fighter Squadron P-51 Mustang North Field Iwo Jima 1945.jpg|thumb|72nd Fighter Squadron P-51D Mustang, North Field, Iwo Jima, 1945.]]
The '''72nd Fighter Squadron''' is an inactive [[United States Air Force]] unit. Its last assignment was with the [[56th Operations Group]], based at [[MacDill Air Force Base]], [[Florida]]. It was inactivated on  19 June 1992.
==History==
===World War II===
Established as a defensive interceptor squadron for [[Hawaii]] in late 1941.    Suffered tremendous casualties and aircraft losses at [[Wheeler Field]] during the [[Pearl Harbor Attack]].   Re-equipped and used as [[Seventh Air Force]] training unit; also flew reconnaissance patrols over Hawaii until late 1943.
Deployed to [[Central Pacific Area|Central Pacific]] as part of [[Thirteenth Air Force|Seventh Air Force]] island hopping campaign against Japanese in late 1943.   Flew combat missions from Makin Island using P-39 Airacobra fighters until April 1944, returning to Hawaii and being re-equipped and trained with long-range [[P-51 Mustangs]].  Re-deployed to [[Western Pacific Ocean|Western Pacific]], being stationed on [[Iwo Jima]] while battle for the island was still ongoing and engaged in long-range [[B-29 Superfortress]] escort missions over Japan; continuing that mission until the end of hostilities in August 1945.  Reassigned to [[Mariana Islands]], as a [[Far East Air Force (United States)|Far East Air Force]] fighter squadron, inactivated 1946.
===Cold War===
Reactivated as [[Tactical Air Command]] [[F-86]] jet tactical fighter squadron, 1952  Deployed to France in 1954 as part of NATO; re-equipped with the [[F-100 Super Sabre]] 1957.  Ordered out of France by host government as part of France's rejection of NATO's nuclear weapons policy.    Reassigned to [[Philippines]] in 1958 for air defense of [[Luzon]].   Inactivated 1959 as a result of budget reductions.   Equipment reassigned to [[510th Tactical Fighter Squadron]].
===Pilot training===
Reactivated 1 July 1982 at [[MacDill AFB]], Florida as an [[F-16|F-16A/B Block 10 Fighting Falcon]] Replacement Training Unit Squadron, replacing the 13th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron when the 58th TFTS transitioned from [[F-4 Phantom II]]s. Tail coded "MC", black tail stripe outlined in white.  Upgraded to the Block 25 and 30 F-16C/D in March 1990 and continued as a Replacement Training Unit.   Inactivated in 1992 as part of the [[Base Realignment and Closure|BRAC]] realignment of MacDill AFB.
===Lineage===
* Constituted '''72nd Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor)''' on 4 October 1941
: Activated on 5 October 1941
: Re-designated '''72nd Fighter Squadron''' on 15 May 1942
: Inactivated on 10 October 1946
* Redesignated '''72nd Fighter-Bomber Squadron''' on 15 November 1952
: Activated on 1 January 1953
: Inactivated on 8 February 1958
* Re-designated '''72nd Tactical Fighter Squadron''' on 19 May 1958
: Activated on 1 July 1958
: Inactivated on 9 April 1959
* Re-designated '''72nd Tactical Fighter Training Squadron''', and activated on 1 July 1982
: Re-designated '''72nd Fighter Squadron''' on 1 November 1991
: Inactivated on  19 June 1992
===Assignments===
* [[15th Operations Group|15th Pursuit (later Fighter) Group]], 5 October 1941
* [[318th Fighter Group]], 15 October 1942
* [[21st Fighter Group]], 15 June 1944 – 10 October 1946
* [[21st Fighter-Bomber Group]], 1 January 1953 – 8 February 1958
* 6200th Air Base Wing, 1 July 1958 – 9 April 1959.
* [[56th Tactical Training Wing]], 1 July 1992
* [[56th Operations Group]], 1 November 1991 – 19 June 1992
===Stations===
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-break|width=50%}}
* [[Wheeler Field]], [[Hawaii Territory]], 5 October 1941
* [[Hilo Field]], [[Hawaii Territory]], 25 July 1943
* [[Wheeler Field]], [[Hawaii Territory]], 21 October 1943
* [[Makin Airfield]], [[Gilbert Islands]], 18 December 1943
* [[Haleiwa Fighter Strip]], [[Hawaii Territory]], 23 April 1944
* [[Mokuleia Field]], [[Hawaii Territory]], 8 June 1944
* [[Central Field (Iwo Jima)|Central Field]], [[Iwo Jima]], 26 March 1945
* [[South Field (Iwo Jima)|South Field]], [[Iwo Jima]], 15 July 1945
{{Col-break|width=50%}}
* [[Isley Airfield (Saipan)|Isley Airfield]], [[Saipan]], 5 December 1945
* [[Northwest Field (Guam)|Northwest Field]], [[Guam]], 17 April-10 October 1946
* [[George AFB]], [[California]], 1 January 1953 – 26 November 1954
* [[Châteauroux-Déols Air Base]], [[France]], 14 December 1954
* [[Chambley-Bussières Air Base]], [[France]], 9 July 1955 – 8 February 1958
* [[Clark AB]], [[Luzon]], [[Philippines]], 1 July 1958 – 9 April 1959.
* [[MacDill AFB]], [[Florida]], 1 July 1982 – 19 June 1992
{{Col-end}}
===Aircraft===
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-break|width=50%}}
* [[P-40 Warhawk]], 1941–1943
* [[P-39 Airacobra]], 1943–1944
* [[P-38 Lightning]], 1944–1945
* [[P-51 Mustang]], 1944–1946
{{Col-break|width=50%}}
* [[P-47 Thunderbolt]], 1946
* [[F-51 Mustang]], 1953
* [[F-86 Sabre]], 1953–1957
* [[F-100 Super Sabre]], 1958–1959
* [[F-16 Fighting Falcon]], 1982-1992
{{Col-end}}
===Emblems===
<gallery>
File:72d Fighter Squadron.png|World War II squadron emblem
File:72d Fighter-Bomber Squadron - Emblem.png|72nd Fighter-Bomber Squadron emblem
File:72d Tactical Fighter Squadron - Emblem.png|72nd Tactical Fighter Squadron emblem
</gallery>
==References==
{{Air Force Historical Research Agency}}
* {{cite book|editor=Maurer, Maurer|title=Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II|orig-year=1969|url= http://media.defense.gov/2010/Dec/02/2001329899/-1/-1/0/AFD-101202-002.pdf |edition= reprint|year=1982|publisher=Office of Air Force History|location=Washington, DC|isbn=0-405-12194-6|oclc=72556|lccn=70605402}}
* Martin, Patrick. Tail Code: The Complete History of USAF Tactical Aircraft Tail Code Markings. Schiffer Publishing, 1994. {{ISBN|0-88740-513-4}}.
* Rogers, Brian. ''United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978''. Hinkley, England: Midland Publications, 2005. {{ISBN|1-85780-197-0}}.
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1942]]
[[Category:Fighter squadrons of the United States Air Force|072]]
[[Category:Fighter squadrons of the United States Army Air Forces|072]]