23 Fighter Squadron (USAFE)

Lineage. Constituted as 23 Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 22 Dec 1939. Activated on 1 Feb 1940. Redesignated: 23 Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942; 23 Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 20 Aug 1943. Inactivated on 31 Mar 1946. Activated on 15 Oct 1946. Redesignated: 23 Fighter Squadron, Jet Propelled, on 27 Oct 1947; 23 Fighter Squadron, Jet, on 17 Jun 1948; 23 Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 20 Jan 1950; 23 Fighter-Day Squadron on 9 Aug 1954; 23 Tactical Fighter Squadron on 8 Jul 1958; 23 Fighter Squadron on 1 Oct 1991. 

Assignments. 36 Pursuit (later, 36 Fighter) Group, 1 Feb 1940-31 Mar 1946. 36 Fighter (later, 36 Fighter-Bomber; 36 Fighter-Day) Group, 15 Oct 1946; 36 Fighter-Day (later, 36 Tactical Fighter) Wing, 8 Dec 1957; 52 Tactical Fighter (later, 52 Fighter) Wing, 31 Dec 1971 (attached to 7440 Composite Wing, 17 Jan-15 Mar 1991); 52 Operations Group, 31 Mar 1992-. 

Stations. Kelly Field, TX, 1 Feb 1940; Brooks Field, TX, 1 Feb 1940; Langley Field, VA, 17 Nov 1940; Losey Field, Puerto Rico, 6 Jan 1941; St Croix, Virgin Islands, 31 May 1941; Losey Field, Puerto Rico, 15 Nov 1941; Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, 13 Dec 1941 (detachments operated from St Thomas, c. Mar 1941-c. 6 May 1943; and Arecibo, Puerto Rico, 11 Mar-c. 16 May 1943); Morrison Field, FL, c. 21 May 1943; Mitchel Field, NY, 16 Jun 1943; Charleston, SC, 22 Jun 1943; Galveston AAFld, TX, 18 Sep 1943; Dalhart AAFld, TX, 27 Oct 1943; Bruning AAFld, NE, 24 Dec 1943-11 Mar 1944; Kingsnorth, England, 6 Apr 1944, Brucheville, France, 3 Aug 1944; Le Mans, France, 6 Sep 1944; Athis, France, 26 Sep 1944; Juvincourt, France, 3 Oct 1944; Le Culot, Belgium, 28 Oct 1944; Aachen, Germany, 28 Mar 1945; Niedermennig, Germany, 8 Apr 1945; Kassel/Rothwesten, Germany, 21 Apr 1945-15 Feb 1946; Bolling Field, DC, 15 Feb-31 Mar 1946. Howard Field, CZ, 15 Oct 1946-22 Jul 1948; Furstenfeldbruck AB, Germany, c. 17 Aug 1948; Bitburg AB, Germany, 17 Nov 1952; Spangdahlem AB, Germany, 31 Dec 1971-(deployed at Incirlik AB, Turkey, 17 Jan-15 Mar 1991). 

Commanders. Capt Holmes, 1 Feb 1940; Maj James B. League, 6 Dec 1940; Maj Dunham, 20 Jul 1942; Capt Joseph Kirkup, Dec 1942; Maj Joe Giltner, 6 May 1943; Maj Hallock P. K. Walmsley, 16 Jun 1943; Maj H. C. Junkerman, Mar 1944; Maj Richard T. Deabler, 13 Apr 1944; Maj Alexander W. Cortner, 10 May 1944; Maj Albert E. Miles, Jul 1944; Maj Alfred A. Weegar, 22 Jan 1945; Capt Walter B. Walker Jr., Jul 1945; Maj Louis Yeager, Oct 1945; Maj Louis H. Norley, 10 Nov 1945-unkn. Lt Col Hallock P. K. Walmsley, 15 Oct 1946; Lt Col Rodney E. Gunther, 14 Apr 1947; Maj Wallace B. Frank, 19 Nov 1948; Lt Col Rodney E. Gunther, 14 Dec 1948; Lt Col Charles W. Boedeker, 3 Feb 1949; Maj George H. Crist, Oct 1949; Maj Harold H. Broach, 10 Feb 1950; Lt Col George F. Ceuleers, 28 Aug 1950; Lt Col Lawrence J. Pickett, 26 Dec 1950; Maj Charles V. Garino, by Dec 1951; Lt Col Marvin E. Childs, by Dec 1952; Maj Riegel W. Davis, by Oct 1953; Lt Col Sylvester V. Burke, 9 Dec 1953; Maj Carl J. Luksic, 1954; Maj Robert D. Brown, 1 Jul 1955; Lt Col Edward C. Fletcher, 1 Sep 1957; Maj Erwin A. Hesse, by Jul 1958; Lt Col Elmer E. Springer Jr., by Dec 1960; Lt Col Robert E. Wayne, 1 Sep 1963; Maj William W. Pinner, by Jun 1965; Lt Col Parks M. Rea, 1 Jul 1966; Lt Col Robert L. Larsh Jr., 1 Sep 1966; Lt Col Charles P. Busick, by Dec 1968; Lt Col Paul S. Cleland, by Jun 1969; Lt Col John J. Gaudion, 24 Aug 1970; Lt Col Delbert M. Corum, 1 Jan 1972; Maj Thomas A. Baker, 26 Feb 1973; Lt Col Thomas E. Rowney, 1 Mar 1975; Lt Col Henry V. Hall, 16 Jul 1976; Lt Col Charles P. Winters, 1 Jul 1977; Lt Col Richard C. Fairlamb, 19 Dec 1978; Lt Col Ronald E. Henry, 3 Aug 1979; Lt Col Robert W. Thompson, 30 Jul 1981; Lt Col Douglas M. Nix, 4 Apr 1983; Lt Col Lesley L. Kersey, 15 Jun 1984; Lt Col Curtis H. Emery II, 12 Jul 1985; Lt Col Dale E. Hollrah, 20 Oct 1986; Lt Col Anthony W. Groves, 30 Dec 1987; Lt Col David L. Moody, 3 Oct 1989; Lt Col Jeffrey G. Blanchette, 12 Jun 1991; Lt Col William F. Rake, 26 Mar 1993; Lt Col Leslie D. Fielder, 10 Nov 1994; Lt Col Robert P. Steel, 10 Jun 1996; Lt Col Michael R. Boera, 5 Jun 1997; Lt Col Richard A. Reynolds, 3 Jun 1999; Lt Col Steven S. Kempf, 12 Jun 2001; Lt Col John W. Specht, 19 Jun 2003; Lt Col William A. Woodcock, 26 Aug 2005; Lt Col Steven A. Vlasak, 6 Apr 2007; Lt Col Michael D. Lay, 30 Oct 2008-. 

Aircraft. YP-37, 1940; P-36, 1940-1942; P-39, 1941-1943; P-40, 1941-1943; P-47, 1943-1946. P-47, 1946-1947; P-80, 1947-1950; F-84, 1950-1953; F-86, 1953-1956; F-100, 1956-1961; F-105, 1961-1966; F-4, 1966-1991; F-16, 1987-. 

Operations. Antisubmarine patrols, 12 Dec 1941-c. Apr 1943. Combat in European Theater of Operations (ETO), 8 May 1944-8 May 1945. Occupational force, Germany, May 1945-Feb 1946. Provided tactical fighter support for ground forces training, 1948-1954. Trained to maintain combat capability, 1955-1958. Special weapons operations, 1958-1961. Conducted nuclear and conventional tactical air operations, 1962-1975. Combat in Southwest Asia, Jan-Feb 1991. Supported no fly zones over the Balkans and Iraq during the 1990s. Took part in combat operations over Serbia in 1999. After terrorist attacks on the United States in 2001, supported Operations Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Iraqi Freedom in Iraq. 

Service Streamers. None. 

Campaign Streamers. World War II: Antisubmarine, American Theater; Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe; Air Combat, EAME Theater. Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait; Cease Fire Campaign. Kosovo: Air Campaign. 

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None. 

Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: France, 1 Sep 1944; Germany, 12 Apr 1945. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device: 1 Sep 1990-26 Feb 1991. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: May 1956-May 1958; 1 Jan-31 Dec 1968; 1 Jul 1978-30 Jun 1980; 1 Jul 1991-30 Jun 1993; 1 Jul 1993-30 Jun 1995; 1 Aug 1995-31 Jul 1997; 1 Jul 1997-30 Jun 1999; 24 Mar-10 Jun 1999; 1 Jul 1999-30 Jun 2001; 1 Jul 2001-30 Jun 2003; 1 Jul 2003-30 Jun 2005. Cited in the Order of the Day, Belgian Army: 1 Oct-17 Dec 1944; 18 Dec 1944-15 Jan 1945. Belgian Fourragere. 

Lineage, Assignments, Stations, and Honors through 21 Jan 2009. 

Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through 21 Jan 2009.
 
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. Newest rendition approved on 19 Mar 1997; originally approved on 23 Sep 1943.
 
Prepared by Patsy Robertson. 

Reviewed by Daniel Haulman.