Lineage. Constituted as 309 Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 21 Jan 1942. Activated on 30 Jan 1942. Redesignated: 309 Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942; 309 Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 20 Aug 1943. Inactivated on 7 Nov 1945. Activated on 20 Aug 1946. Redesignated: 309 Fighter Squadron, Jet, on 15 Jun 1948; 309 Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 20 Jan 1950; 309 Fighter-Escort Squadron on 16 Jul 1950; 309 Strategic Fighter Squadron on 20 Jan 1953; 309 Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 1 Apr 1957; 309 Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 Jul 1958; 309 Tactical Fighter Training Squadron on 1 Jul 1982; 309 Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 Oct 1986; 309 Fighter Squadron on 1 Nov 1991. Inactivated on 31 Dec 1993. Activated on 1 Apr 1994.
Assignments. 31 Pursuit (later, 31 Fighter) Group, 30 Jan 1942-7 Nov 1945. 31 Fighter (later, 31 Fighter-Bomber; 31 Fighter-Escort) Group, 20 Aug 1946 (attached to 31 Fighter-Escort Wing, 27 Jul 1951-15 Jun 1952); 31 Fighter-Escort (later, 31 Strategic Fighter; 31 Fighter-Bomber; 31 Tactical Fighter) Wing, 16 Jun 1952 (attached to Alaskan Air Command, 5 Jan-9 Feb 1957; Unkn, 9 Jul-15 Nov 1960 and 9 Oct-26 Nov 1961; 18 Tactical Fighter Wing, 17 Jul-22 Dec 1962 and 26 Sep-30 Dec 1963; 7231 Combat Support Group, 5 Aug-27 Nov 1964 and 18 Jan-31 Mar 1966; 41 Combat Support Group, 1-24 Apr 1966); 4403 Tactical Fighter Wing, 9 Oct 1970; 31 Tactical Fighter (later, 31 Tactical Training; 31 Tactical Fighter; 31 Fighter) Wing, 30 Oct 1970; 31 Operations Group, 1 Nov 1991 (attached to 363 Operations Group, 28 Aug-19 Nov 1992); 363 Operations Group, 20 Nov 1992-31 Dec 1993. 56 Operations Group, 1 Apr 1994-.
Stations. Baer Field, IN, 30 Jan 1942; New Orleans AB, LA, 6 Feb-19 May 1942; High Ercall, England, c. 12 Jun 1942; Westhampnett, England, 1 Aug-23 Oct 1942; Tafaraoui, Algeria, 8 Nov 1942; La Senia, Algeria, 14 Nov 1942; Thelepte, Tunisia, 6 Feb 1943; Tebessa, Algeria, 17 Feb 1943; Youks-les-Bain, Algeria, 22 Feb 1943; Kalaa Djerda, Tunisia, 26 Feb 1943; Thelepte, Tunisia, 11 Mar 1943; Djilma, Tunisia, 7 Apr 1943; Le Sers, Tunisia, 12 Apr 1943; Korba, Tunisia, 17 May 1943; Gozo, 3 Jul 1943; Ponte Olivo, Sicily, 13 Jul 1943; Agrigento, Sicily, 21 Jul 1943; Termini, Sicily, 5 Aug 1943; Milazzo, Sicily, 5 Sep 1943; Montecorvino, Italy, 21 Sep 1943; Pomigliano, Italy, 14 Oct 1943; Castel Volturno, Italy, c. 19 Jan 1944; San Severo, Italy, 4 Apr 1944; Mondolfo, Italy, 4 Mar 1945; Triolo, Italy, 15 Jul-5 Aug 1945; Drew Field, FL, Aug-7 Nov 1945. Giebelstadt, Germany, 20 Aug 1946; Kitzingen, Germany, c. 30 Sep 1946-25 Jun 1947; Langley Field, VA, 25 Jun 1947; Turner Field (later AFB), GA, 4 Sep 1947 (deployed at Manston RAF Stn, England, 26 Dec 1950-25 Jul 1951; Misawa AB, Japan, 20 Jul-16 Oct 1952 and 7 Nov 1953-9 Feb 1954; Eielson AFB, AK, 5 Jan-9 Feb 1957); George AFB, CA, 15 Mar 1959 (deployed at Aviano AB, Italy, 9 Jul-15 Nov 1960; Spangdahlem AB, Germany, 9 Oct-26 Nov 1961); Homestead AFB, FL, 1 Jun 1962-13 Dec 1966; (deployed at Kadena AB, Japan, 7 Jul-22 Dec 1962; Itazuke AB, Japan, 26 Sep-31 Dec 1963; Cigli AB, Turkey, 5 Aug-27 Nov 1964 and 18 Jan-24 Apr 1966); Tuy Hoa AB, South Vietnam, 16 Dec 1966-Oct 1970; England AFB, LA, c. 9 Oct 1970; Homestead AFB, FL, 30 Oct 1970 (operated from Shaw AFB, SC, 23 Aug-30 Sep 1992); Shaw AFB, SC, 1 Oct 1992-31 Dec 1993. Luke AFB, AZ, 1 Apr 1994-.
Commanders. Maj Harrison R. Thyng, 30 Jan 1942; Maj Frank A. Hill, 12 May 1943; Maj Carl W. Payne, 13 Jul 1943; Capt Robert E. McCarthy Jr., 14 Oct 1943; Maj Garth B. Jared, 9 Nov 1943; Maj John M. Meader, 18 Apr 1944; Lt Col Victor E. Warford, 22 May 1944; Maj George T. Buck Jr., 12 Oct 1944; Maj Simon H. Johnson Jr., 16 Feb 1945; Maj Julius D. Shivers, 9 May 1945-unkn. Unkn, 20 Aug 1946-Oct 1947; Lt Col Robert W. Stevens, Oct 1947; Maj Arthur D. Thomas, Nov 1948; Maj William R. Young, c. 1950; Maj Don V. Booty, Apr 1951; Lt Col Charles W. Lenfest, Jan 1952; Lt Col Hayden C. Curry, Jun 1953; Maj Adrian E. Drew, Jan 1955; Capt David W. Williams, Oct 1955; Maj Donald W. Maggert, Apr 1956; Maj James E. Bean, 11 Oct 1957; Maj Arthur H. Johnson Jr., 25 Apr 1958; Lt Col Louis R. Vogt, 15 Mar 1959; Maj John B. Butler, 1959; Maj Herbert L. Prevost, 1960; Lt Col Garth L. Reynolds, 13 Dec 1961; Maj Aubrey C. Edinburgh, 1 Apr 1963; Lt Col Garth L. Reynolds, 9 Sep 1963; Lt Col Tom L. DeGraffenried, 8 Jun 1964-5 Nov 1965; Lt Col Carlos O. Beasley, 1965; Lt Col Freddie L. Poston, c. 7 Jan 1966; Lt Col Daniel J. Sheehan Jr., 1 Nov 1967; Lt Col David S. Renshaw, 1968; Lt Col Lawrence W. Whitford Jr., 6 Feb 1969; Lt Col Ronald A. Berdoy, 26 Sep 1969; Lt Col Clarence D. Glenn, 24 Aug-c. 15 Oct 1970; Lt Col Charles W. Hetherington, 30 Oct 1970; Lt Col Donald V. MacKellar, 10 May 1972; Lt Col Steve Braswell, 10 Mar 1973; Lt Col Donald A. Elliott, 24 May 1974; Lt Col Edward S. Joiner, 9 Sep 1975; Lt Col Ralph E. Beekman, 31 Dec 1977; Lt Col Michael G. Major, 26 Nov 1979; Lt Col Travis E. Harrell, 3 Apr 1981; Lt Col Thomas R. Lanum, 13 Jul 1982; Lt Col William D. Ray, 24 Jul 1984; Lt Col David L. Haas, 12 Jun 1986; Lt Col Robert D. O'Dell, 7 Jun 1988; Lt Col Thomas B. Poole, 29 Dec 1989; Lt Col Thomas A. Gilkey, Jul 1992-31 Dec 1993. Lt Col Charles B. Oltman, 1 Apr 1994; Lt Col Randy S. Wenzel, 13 Jul 1995; Lt Col William D. McConnell, 31 Jan 1997; Lt Col Philip A. Oppenheimer, 1 Feb 1999; Lt Col Christopher P. Biscrove, 25 Feb 2000; Lt Col Neal R. Carbaugh, 1 Oct 2001; Lt Col Roy D. McMickel, 19 Mar 2003; Lt Col Keith S. Miller, 23 Mar 2004; Lt Col Peter F. Davey, 12 May 2006; Lt Col Peter Bilodeau, 23 May 2008-.
Aircraft. P-40, 1942; P-39, 1942; Spitfire, 1942-1943; P-51, 1943-1945. P-80, 1946-1947; P-51, 1947-1948; F-84, 1948-1957; F-100, 1957-1970; F-4, 1970-1986; F-16, 1986-1993. F-16, 1994-.
Operations. Combat in European Theater of Operations (ETO) and Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO), c. 17 Aug 1942-3 May 1945. Combat in Southeast Asia, 20 Dec 1966-c. 10 Sep 1970. Replacement training for undergraduate and navigator graduates in F-4 tactical fighter aircraft, 1970-1986; and F-16 aircraft, 1986-1993. Assigned to Shaw AFB, SC after Hurricane Hugo devastated Homestead AFB, FL on 24 Aug 1992. Conducted qualification training for USAF student pilots and proficiency training for instructor pilots, 1994-.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaign Streamers. World War II: Air Offensive, Europe; Algeria-French Morocco with Arrowhead; Tunisia; Sicily with Arrowhead; Naples-Foggia; Anzio; Rome-Arno; Normandy; Northern France; Southern France; North Apennines; Rhineland; Central Europe; Po Valley; Air Combat, EAME Theater. Vietnam: Vietnam Air Offensive; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase II; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase III; Vietnam Air/Ground; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase IV; TET 69/Counteroffensive; Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969; Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970; Sanctuary Counteroffensive; Southwest Monsoon.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Rumania, 21 Apr 1944; Poland, 25 Jul 1945. Presidential Unit Citation: Vietnam, 1 May-31 Dec 1968. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards with Combat "V" Device: 1 Jun-16 Dec 1966; 17 Dec 1966-30 Apr 1968. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 4-16 Jul 1952; 1 Mar-30 Nov 1962; 1 Jul 1994-30 Jun 1996; 1 Jul 1996-30 Jun 1998; 1 Jul 1998-30 Jun 2000; 1 Jul 2001-30 Jun 2003; 1 Jun 2003-30 Jun 2005; 1 Jul 2005-30 Jun 2006; 1 Jul 2006-30 Jun 2007; 1 Jul 2007-30 Jun 2008. Republic of Vietnam Gallantry. Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: [16 Dec] 1966-Oct 1970.
Lineage, Assignments, Stations, and Honors through 7 May 2009.
Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through 30 Sep 2008.
Supersedes published information contained in: Judy G. Endicott (ed.), USAF Active Flying, Space, and Missile Squadrons as of 1 October 1995 (Washington: USGPO, 1999).
Emblem. Originally approved on 27 Nov 1944; newest rendition approved on 18 Jul 1995.
Prepared by Patsy Robertson.
Reviewed by Daniel Haulman.