Lineage. Constituted as 8 Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 20 Nov 1940. Activated on 15 Jan 1941. Redesignated: 8 Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942; 8 Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 20 Aug 1943; 8 Fighter Squadron, Two Engine, on 6 Nov 1944; 8 Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 8 Jan 1946; 8 Fighter Squadron, Jet Propelled, on 1 May 1948; 8 Fighter Squadron, Jet, on 10 Aug 1948; 8 Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 1 Feb
1950; 8 Tactical Fighter Squadron on 8 Jul 1958; 8 Fighter Squadron on 1 Nov 1991.
Assignments. 49 Pursuit (later 49 Fighter; 49 Fighter-Bomber) Group, 15 Jan 1941 (attached to 49 Fighter-Bomber Wing, 15 Apr-15 Oct 1957); 49 Fighter-Bomber (later, 49 Tactical Fighter; 49 Fighter) Wing, 10 Dec 1957 (attached to 26 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, c. 15 Sep-8 Oct 1970 and 24 Aug-1 Oct 1971; 50 Tactical Fighter Wing, 8 Mar-2 Apr 1973 and 6 Sep-6 Oct 1975; 49 Operations Group, 15 Nov 1991-.
Stations. Selfridge Field, MI, 15 Jan 1941; Morrison Field, FL, c. 23 May 1941-4 Jan 1942; Melbourne, Australia, 2 Feb 1942; Canberra, Australia, 16 Feb 1942; Darwin, Australia, 17 Apr 1942; Port Moresby, New Guinea, 25 Sep 1942; Dobodura, New Guinea, 15 Apr 1943; Tsili Tsili, New Guinea, 30 Aug 1943; Gusap, New Guinea, c. 29 Oct 1943; Hollandia, New Guinea, 3 May 1944; Biak, 23 Jun 1944; Tacloban, Leyte, 25 Oct 1944; San Jose, Mindoro, 2 Jan 1945; Lingayen, Luzon, 27 Feb 1945; Okinawa, 17 Aug 1945; Atsugi, Japan, 15 Sep 1945; Chitose AB, Japan, c. 20 Feb 1946; Misawa AB, Japan, 2 Apr 1948; Ashiya AB, Japan, 30 Jun 1950; Itazuke AB, Japan, 8 Jul 1950; Taegu AB, South Korea, 29 Sep 1950; Kunsan AB, South Korea, 1 Apr 1953; Misawa AB, Japan, 4 Nov 1953-10 Dec 1957; Etain/Rouvres AB, France, 10 Dec 1957; Spangdahlem AB, Germany, 25 Aug 1959-15 Jul 1968; Holloman AFB, NM, 15 Jul 1968- (deployed at Ramstein AB, Germany, c. 12 Sep-c. 11 Oct 1970 and 10 Sep-6 Oct 1971; Takhli RTAFB, Thailand, 12 May-4 Oct 1972; Hahn AB, Germany, 3 Mar-5 Apr 1973 and 5 Sep-6 Oct 1975; Ramstein AB, Germany, 21 Sep-20 Oct 1976 and 22 Aug-22 Sep 1977).
Commanders. Capt Robert D. Van Auken, unkn-1 Apr 1942; Capt Allison W. Strauss, 1 Apr 1942; Maj Mitchell E. Sims, 27 Apr 1942- c. Nov 1942; Maj Robert V. McHale, unkn; Capt Charles E. Petersen, c. 22 May 1944; Maj William C. Drier, by 30 Aug 1944; Maj Mark H. Vinzant Jr., 22 May 1945; Capt James A. Chandler, by 27 Oct 1945; Capt Bedford R. Underwood, by 1 Jan 1948; Maj Verne E. Bivin, by 1 Feb 1948; Maj John A. Duganne, by 30 Apr 1948; Capt John D. Mattie, by 31 Oct 1948; Lt Col John A. Duganne, by 1 Feb 1949; Lt Col Benjamin H. King, c. 11 Nov 1950; Maj Irving W. Boswell, Apr 1951; Lt Col James B. Fishburn, Jul 1951; Lt Col Erwin B. Elrod, 30 Nov 1951-c Jul 1952; Lt Col William F. Georgi, unkn-Jan 1953; Maj Frank D. Henderson Jr., Jan 1953; Maj Lucius G. Lacroix, 1 Apr 1953; Maj Robert E. Carey, 10 Jun 1953; Lt Col John L Gregory Jr., by Dec 1953; Lt Col Paul J. Imig, Mar 1955-unkn; Lt Col Charles H. Duncan, by Jun 1957; Maj James O. Cowee, 10 Dec 1957; Maj Stephen L. Bettinger, 15 Nov 1958; Maj John L. Peters, 9 Sep 1960; Lt Col Francis B. Clark, c. 17 Jul 1961; Lt Col Robert A. Evans, 13 Nov 1962; Lt Col James M. Morris, Sep 1964; Maj Walter S. Bruce, by 31 Dec 1965; Lt Col Lloyd C. Smith, 24 Jun 1968; Lt Col Lester W. Krushat, by Dec 1968; Lt Col James B. Ross, by 30 Jun 1969; Lt Col James R. Lawver, 4 Feb 1970; Lt Col Donald W. Hobart, 13 Nov 1970; Lt Col William L. Anderson, 27 Oct 1972; Lt Col Harry E. Vreeland, 3 May 1974; Lt Col James E. LaPine, 3 Mar 1976; Lt Col Donald W. Kilgus, 1 Dec 1977; Lt Col Patrick S. Dotson Jr., 18 Jan 1980; Lt Col Joseph M. Henderson Jr., 25 Sep 1981; Lt Col David E. Rickert, 18 Jul 1983; Lt Col Robert L. Summers, 1 Jul 1985; Lt Col Jerry D. Coy, 12 Nov 1986; Lt Col William G. Stinebaugh, 26 Aug 1988; Lt Col Gary B. Wood, 2 Oct 1989; Lt Col John D. W. Corley, 28 May 1991; Lt Col Edward T. Schantz, 14 Aug 1992; Lt Col James P. Hunt, 1 Jul 1993; Lt Col Michael P. Setnor, 10 Feb 1995; Lt Col Michael Roller, 14 Jun 1996; Lt Col Gary R. Woltering, 27 Jun 1997; Lt Col David A. Moore, 1 Jul 1999; Lt Col Matthew P. McKeon, 13 Jul 2001; Lt Col David F. Toomey, 2 Jun 2003-.
Aircraft. P-35, 1941; P-40, 1942-1944; P-47, 1943-1944; P-38, 1944-1946; P-51, 1946-1949, 1950; F-80, 1948-1951; F-84, 1951-1957; F-100, 1957-1962; F-105, 1962-1967; F-4, 1967-1978; F-15, 1978-1992; AT-38, 1992-1998; F-117, 1998-.
Operations. Combat in Southwest Pacific, c. 20 Apr 1942-4 Aug 1945. Combat in Korea, 2 Jul 1950-27 Jul 1953. Combat in Southeast Asia, c. 12 May-2 Oct 1972. Portions of the squadron deployed to Southwest Asia to fly combat air patrol, 19 Sep-19 Dec 1991.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaign Streamers. World War II: East Indies; Air Offensive, Japan; China Defensive; Papua; New Guinea; Western Pacific; Leyte; Luzon; Southern Philippines; China Offensive. Korea: UN Defensive; UN Offensive; CCF Intervention; First UN Counteroffensive; CCF Spring Offensive; UN Summer-Fall Offensive; Second Korean Winter; Korea Summer-Fall, 1952; Third Korean Winter; Korea, Summer 1953. Vietnam: Vietnam Ceasefire. Southwest Asia: Ceasefire. Kosovo: Kosovo Air.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Australia, [c. 20 Apr]-25 Aug 1942; Papua, [c. 30 Sep] 1942-23 Jan 1943; New Guinea, 14 May 1943; Philippine Islands, 27 Oct-7 Dec 1944; Korea, [2 Jul]-25 Nov 1950; Korea, 9 Jul-27 Nov 1951. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device: 5 May-6 Oct 1972. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Mar 1964-28 Feb 1966; 1 Mar 1966-30 Jun 1967; 1 Jan 1971-15 Apr 1972; 1 Jun 1995-31 May 1997; 1 Jun 1998-31 May 1999; 2 May 2004-31 May 2005. Philippine Presidential Unit Citation (WWII). Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citations: [2 Jul] 1950-7 Feb 1951; 8 Feb 1951-31 Mar 1953. Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: 9 May-4 Oct 1972.
Lineage, Assignments, Stations, and Honors through 15 Dec 2008.
Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through 31 Dec 2004.
Supersedes published information in Judy G. Endicott (ed.), USAF Active Flying, Space, and Missile Squadrons as of 1 October 1995 (Washington: USGPO, 1999).
Emblem. Approved on 7 Jan 1952; latest rendering, 27 Aug 2021.
Prepared by Carl E. Bailey.
Reviewed by Daniel L. Haulman.