Lineage. Constituted 59 Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 20 Nov 1940. Activated on 15 Jan 1941. Redesignated: 59 Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942; 59 Fighter Squadron, Two Engine, on 8 Feb 1945. Inactivated on 8 Dec 1945. Redesignated 59 Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 17 Jul 1946. Activated on 20 Aug 1946. Redesignated: 59 Fighter Squadron, Jet, on 14 Jun 1948; 59 Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 20 Jan 1950. Discontinued, and inactivated, on 2 Jan 1967. Activated on 30 Sep 1968. Inactivated on 17 Dec 1969. Redesignated 59 Tactical Fighter Squadron on 16 Mar 1970. Activated on 1 Sep 1970. Redesignated 59 Fighter Squadron on 1 Nov 1991. Inactivated on 15 Apr 1999. Redesignated 59 Test and Evaluation Squadron on 28 Oct 2004. Activated on 3 Dec 2004.
Assignments. 33 Pursuit (later, 33 Fighter) Group, 15 Jan 1941-8 Dec 1945. 33 Fighter (later, 33 Fighter-Interceptor) Group, 20 Aug 1946; 4707 Defense (later, 4707 Air Defense) Wing, 6 Feb 1952 (attached to Northeast Air Command, 28-31 Oct 1952; 64 Air Division, 1 Nov 1952-31 Jan 1953); 64 Air Division, 1 Feb 1953; 4732 Air Defense Group, 1 Apr 1957; Goose Air Defense Sector, 1 Apr 1960; 37 Air Division, 1 Apr 1966-2 Jan 1967. 408 Fighter Group, 30 Sep 1968-17 Dec 1969. 33 Tactical Fighter (later, 33 Fighter) Wing, 1 Sep 1970; 33 Operations Group, 1 Dec 1991-15 Apr 1999. 53 Test Management Group, 3 Dec 2004-.
Stations. Mitchel Field, NY, 15 Jan 1941 (operated from Groton, CT, 7-14 Dec 1941); G. L. Martin Aprt, MD, 15 Dec 1941; Philadelphia, PA, 10 May-12 Oct 1942 (operated from Paine Field, WA, May-Jun 1942); Port Lyautey, French Morocco, 10 Nov 1942; Casablanca, French Morocco, 17 Nov 1942; Thelepte, Tunisia, c. 8 Jan 1943; Youks-les-Bains, Algeria, 10 Feb 1943; Telergma, Algeria, 13 Feb 1943; Berteaux, Algeria, 2 Mar 1943 (operated from Thelepte, Tunisia, 20 Mar-12 Apr 1943); Ebba Ksour, Tunisia, 12 Apr 1943; Menzel Temime, Tunisia, 20 May 1943; Sousse, Tunisia, 9 Jun 1943; Pantelleria, 18 Jun 1943; Licata, Sicily, 16 Jul 1943; Paestum, Italy, 13 Sep 1943; Santa Maria, Italy, 18 Nov 1943 (operated from Paestum, Italy, 1-31 Dec 1943); Cercola, Italy, c. 1 Jan-c. 5 Feb 1944; Karachi, India, 12 Feb 1944; Fungwanshan, China, 19 Mar 1944; Moran, India, 5 Sep 1944; Nagaghuli, India, 21 Nov 1944; Piardoba, India, 2 May 1945; Dudhkundi, India, 15 May-15 Nov 1945; Camp Shanks, NY, 7-8 Dec 1945. Neubiberg, Germany, 20 Aug 1946; Bad Kissingen, Germany, Jul-25 Aug 1947; Andrews Field, MD, 25 Aug 1947; Roswell AAFld (later Walker AFB), NM, 16 Sep 1947; Otis AFB, MA, 16 Nov 1948; Goose Bay Aprt, Labrador, 28 Oct 1952; Bergstrom AFB, TX, 1-2 Jan 1967. Kingsley Field, OR, 30 Sep 1968-17 Dec 1969. Eglin AFB, FL, 1 Sep 1970-15 Apr 1999. Nellis AFB, NV, 3 Dec 2004-.
Commanders. Maj Mark E. Hubbard, by Nov 1942; Capt J. P. Crowder, 8 Feb 1943; Capt Donald A. Halliday, 10 Feb 1943; Maj Mark E. Hubbard, 28 Feb 1943; Capt J. P. Crowder, 8 Mar 1943; Maj Mark E. Hubbard, 12 Mar 1943; Lt (unkn) Holcombe, 9 Apr 1943; Maj Mark E. Hubbard, 10 Apr 1943; Lt (unkn) Holcombe, 19 Apr 1943; Maj Mark E. Hubbard, 25 Apr 1943; Maj Charles H. Duncan, 4 May 1943; Lt (unkn) Watts, 5 Aug 1943; Maj Charles H. Duncan, by 26 Aug 1943; Maj Blanchard K. Watts, c. 21 Jan 1944; Capt Walter L. Moore Jr., 2 Feb 1944; Capt Richard K. Turner, 2 Mar 1945; Capt Frank A. Duncan, c. 1 Apr 1945; Capt Charles R. Langdon, 20 Apr 1945; Capt John W. Sognier, c. 23 May 1945; Capt Edward R. Tyler, 12 Jun 1945; Capt Howard Schulte, 26 Aug-20 Sep 1945; unkn, 21 Sep-8 Dec 1945. Maj Chester L. Van Etten, 20 Aug 1946-31 Mar 1947; unkn, 1 Apr-5 Jul 1947; none (not manned), 5 Jul-6 Nov 1947; Maj Frank Q. O’Connor, 7 Nov 1947; Maj Jerold J. Quandt, 2 Jun 1948; Lt Col Woodrow W. Korges, 27 Jul 1948; Maj Jack C. West, 4 Mar 1949; Lt Col Oscar H. Coen, 17 Jan 1950; Lt Col Raymond S. Wetmore, 5 Jan 1951; Lt Col Robert Dow, c. Feb 1951; Maj Morris F. Wilson, c. Aug 1951; Lt Col Robert Dow, Dec 1951; Lt Col Fergus C. Fay, c. Oct 1953; Maj Voy A. Winders, 1954; Maj Francis R. Davison, c. Jul 1954; Maj Victor H. Prarat, 10 Jan 1955; Lt Col Victor E. Walton, 10 Feb 1955; Lt Col William A. Shomo, 4 May 1955; Lt Col Leonard F. Koehler, 1957; Lt Col Frank R. Jones, 1 Apr 1961; Col Edward R. Haydon, 8 Jun 1963; Col William J. Murphy Jr., 1 Jul 1965; Maj Robert J. Skinner, 15 Jun 1966; Col Dale L. Flowers, 29 Jun 1966-unkn. Lt Col William Savidge Jr., c. 30 Sep 1968; Lt Col Ronald J. Layton, by 30 Jun 1969-unkn. None (not manned), 1 Sep 1970; Lt Col Peter K. Nicolos, 1 Jul 1973; Lt Col Robert D. Rasmussen, c. 1 Jul 1975; Lt Col John P. Heffernan, 1 Apr 1977; Lt Col Jerry Cox, 23 Mar 1979; Lt Col John R. Lippolt, 13 Mar 1981; Lt Col Rudolph U. Zuberbuhler, 31 Jul 1981; Lt Col William K. Matthews, 1 Jun 1983; Lt Col James D. Woodall, 29 May 1985; Lt Col Steven G. Wilson, 29 May 1987; Lt Col Michael E. Fain, 20 Jan 1989; Lt Col James H. Davis, 19 Feb 1991; Lt Col James G. Boehm, 6 Jul 1992; Lt Col Michael J. Kosor Jr., 8 Jul 1994; Lt Col Mark A. Morris, 8 Jul 1995; Lt Col Thomas A. McCarthy, 2 May-14 Dec 1997; none (not manned), 15 Dec 1997-15 Apr 1999. Lt Col David J. Raggio, 3 Dec 2004; Lt Col Daniel F. Holmes, 11 Aug 2006; Lt Col William R. Tracy, 1 Aug 2008; Lt Col Michael E. Kensick, 30 Jul 2010; Lt Col Derek J. O’Malley, 29 Jun 2012; Lt Col Michael H. Morgan, 13 Jun 2014; Lt Col Coby B. Edwards, 10 Jun 2016-.
Aircraft. P-39, 1941; P-40, 1941-1944; P-47, 1944-1945; P-38, 1944-1945. P (later F)-51, 1946-1949; F-84, 1948-1950; F-86, 1950-1952; F-94, 1952-1956; F-89, 1955-1960, F-102, 1960-1966. F-101, 1968-1969. F-4, 1973-1979; F-15, 1979-1996, 1996-1997.
Operations. Air defense of US, Dec 1941-Oct 1942. Combat in MTO, 10 Nov 1942-2 Feb 1944, and CBI, 5 Jun 1944-18 Jun 1945. Part of US occupation forces in Germany, 1946-1947. Air defense of US and North America, 1947-1969. From 1973-1997, trained for offensive and defensive counter air missions; from Jan-Mar 1996, aircraft and personnel deployed to Saudi Arabia. Served at Nellis for test and evaluation since Dec 2004.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaign Streamers. World War II: Air Combat, EAME Theater; Algeria-French Morocco with Arrowhead; Tunisia; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Anzio; Rome-Arno; India-Burma; China Defensive; Central Burma. Southwest Asia: Ceasefire.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citation: Central Tunisia, 15 Jan 1943. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Dec 1960-1 Dec 1961; 30 Sep 1968-30 Jun 1969; 1 Jul-30 Nov 1969; 1 Oct 1978-30 Apr 1980; 1 May 1984-30 Apr 1986; 1 Apr 1990-31 Mar 1992; 1 Jun 1996-31 May 1998; 1 Jun 2004-31 May 2006; 1 Jun 2006-31 May 2008.
Lineage, Assignments, Stations, and Honors through 13 Dec 2017.
Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through 13 Dec 2017.
Supersedes statement prepared on 11 Jun 2015.
Emblem. Approved on 19 Dec 1942; modified on 6 Aug 1986.
Prepared by Daniel L. Haulman.