Lineage. Constituted as 71 Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 14 Dec 1940. Activated on 1 Jan 1941. Redesignated 71 Pursuit Squadron (Fighter) on 12 Mar 1941; 71 Fighter Squadron (Twin Engine) on 15 May 1942; 71 Fighter Squadron, Two Engine, on 28 Feb 1944. Inactivated on 16 Oct 1945. Redesignated as 71 Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 5 Apr 1946; 71 Fighter Squadron, Jet Propelled, on 20 Jun 1946. Activated on 3 Jul 1946. Redesignated: 71 Fighter Squadron, Jet, on 15 Jun 1948; 71 Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 16 Apr 1950; 71 Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 Jul 1971; 71 Fighter Squadron on 1 Nov 1991. Inactivated on 30 Sep 2010. Redesignated as 71 Fighter Training Squadron on 17 Jun 2015. Activated on 14 Aug 2015.
Assignments. 1 Pursuit (later, 1 Fighter) Group, 1 Jan 1941–16 Oct 1945. 1 Fighter (later, 1 Fighter-Interceptor) Group, 3 Jul 1946 (attached to Eastern Air Defense Force, 15 Aug–24 Oct 1950; 30 Air Division, 25 Oct 1950–3 Jun 1951; 103 Fighter-Interceptor Group, 4 Jun 1951–6 Feb 1952); 4708 Defense (later, 4708 Air Defense) Wing, 6 Feb 1952; 500 Air Defense Group, 16 Feb 1953; 1 Fighter Group (Air Defense), 18 Aug 1955; 1 Fighter Wing (Air Defense), 1 Feb 1961; 328 Fighter Wing (Air Defense), 16 Jan 1967; 28 Air Division, 18 Jul 1968 (attached to 314 Air Division, c. 22 Dec 1968–c. 9 Jun 1969); 24 Air Division, 19 Nov 1969; 1 Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 Jul 1971 (attached to 1 Tactical Fighter Wing [Provisional], 7 Aug 1990–8 Mar 1991); 1 Operations Group, 1 Oct 1991–30 Sep 2010; 1 Operations Group, 14 Aug 2015-.
Stations. Selfridge Field, MI, 1 Jan 1940; San Diego NAS, CA, 9 Dec 1941; Los Angeles, CA, 12 Feb–20 May 1942; Goxhill, England, 10 Jun 1942; Ibsley, England, 24 Aug–23 Oct 1942; St Leu, Algeria, 8 Nov 1942; Tafaraoui, Algeria, 14 Nov 1942; Nouvion, Algeria, 21 Nov 1942; Maison Blanche, Algeria, 17 Dec 1942; Biskra, Algeria, 22 Dec 1942; Chateaudun-du-Rhumel, Algeria, 16 Feb 1943; Mateur, Tunisia, 28 Jun 1943 (detachments operated from Gerbini, Sicily, 5–18 Sep 1943, and Gambut, Libya, 5–15 Oct 1943); Djedeida, Tunisia, 31 Oct 1943; Monserrato, Sardinia, 29 Nov 1943; Gioia
del Colle, Italy, 8 Dec 1943; Salsola, Italy, 9 Jan 1944 (detachments operated from Aghione, Corsica, 11–21 Aug 1944, and Vincenzo, Italy, 10 Jan–18 Feb 1945); Lesina, Italy, 14 Mar 1945; Marcianise, Italy, 26 Sep–16 Oct 1945. March Field, CA, 3 Jul 1946; George AFB, CA, 18 Jul 1950; Griffiss AFB, NY, 15 Aug 1950; Greater Pittsburgh Aprt, PA, 21 Oct 1950; Selfridge AFB, MI, 18 Aug 1955; Richards-Gebaur AFB, MO, 16 Jan 1967; Malmstrom AFB, MT, 18 Jul 1968 (deployed at Osan AB, South Korea, c. 22 Dec 1968–c. 9 Jun 1969); MacDill AFB, FL, 1 Jul 1971; Langley AFB, VA, 30 Jun 1975–
(operated from King Abdul Aziz AB, Saudi Arabia, 7 Aug 1990–8 Mar 1991) 30 Sep 2010; Joint Base Langley-Eustis ABS, VA, 14 Aug 2015-.
Commanders. Capt Jack W. Hickman, 1 Jan 1941; 1 Lt Frederick C. Grambo, Jul 1941; Capt Raymond F. Rudell, 1 Feb 1942; Capt John D. Eiland Jr., 9 Mar 1943-unkn; Lt Col Horace A. Hanes, 27 Sep 1943; Maj Lee V. Wiseman, 9 Dec 1943; Lt Col Frank G. Jones, 20 Sep 1944; Lt Col Robert P. Baldwin, 10 May 1945-unkn. Lt Col Ralph J. Watson, c. 1946; Lt Col Walter C. Beckman, 14 May 1947; Lt Col Gerald J. Dix, 17 Jun 1947; Lt Col Robert L. Petit, c. Nov 1947; Capt George A. Davis Jr., 28 Aug 1948; Maj Bruce L. Morrison, 30 Aug 1948; Lt Col Robert L. Petit, Dec 1948; Maj Bruce L. Morrison, Feb 1949; Lt Col Robert L. Petit, c. Mar 1949; Maj Donald S. Glover, 12 Apr 1949; Lt Col Jack W. Hayes Jr., 6 Jun 1949; Lt Col Robin Olds, Jun 1950; Maj Raymond Janeczak, 5 Feb 1952-unkn; Maj James N. Brink, 1953; Maj Edward L. Faison, 1953; Maj Walter B. Waclawski, 18 Aug 1955-unkn; Lt Col Robert Miller, 1957; Lt Col Montie A. Davis, 17 Jul 1959; Maj Louis R. Kupersmith, c. Aug 1959; Lt Col Robert D. Wallace, 1 Nov 1959; Maj Lewis Whargro, 15 May 1960; Lt Col Robert D. Wallace, c. 15 Jul 1960; Lt Col Paul E. McGill, 9 Jul 1961; Lt Col Glendon K. Dunaway, 10 Jul 1964; Lt Col Billy M. Minter, 1 Nov 1966; Lt Col Ellis E. Stanley, by Mar 1967; Maj John Cary, by Dec 1967; Lt Col Ellis E. Stanley, by Mar 1968; Lt Col Francis D. Leonard Jr., 4 Aug 1969; Col Albert J. Lenski, 26 Jun 1970; Lt Col David C. Smith, 1 Jul 1971; Lt Col Samuel H. Martin III, 10 Jul 1972; Lt Col Frederick H. Smith III, 21 Dec 1973; Lt Col Lawrence R. Brehm, 22 Dec 1974-29 Jun 1975; none (not manned), 30 Jun 1975; Lt Col William B. Fanelli, 1 Apr 1976; Lt Col Jon E. Lucas, 18 Mar 1978; Lt Col Ralph F. Wetterhahn, 16 Feb 1979; Lt Col Hiram H. Burr, Jr., 30 Jan 1981; Lt Col Ross L. Smith, 25 May 1982; Lt Col Ronald E. Keyes, 30 Mar 1984; Lt Col Jonathan Goldenbaum, 30 Sep 1985; Lt Col David J. Morrow, 2 Oct 1987; Lt Col Richard C. Tuseth, 21 Jul 1989; Lt Col Howard L. Pope, 9 Nov 1989; Lt Col Gilmary M. Hostage III, 20 Jan 1991; Lt Col Franklin D. Bjoring, 18 Jun 1992; Lt Col Blake W. Thomas, 18 Jan 1993; Lt Col Kent Traylor, 24 Nov 1993; Lt Col Jeffrey S. Brown, 19 Jun 1995; Lt Col David M. Rhodes, 12 Mar 1997; Lt Col Jimmy R. Clark, 8 Jan 1999; Lt Col Robert Bledsoe, 2 Jan 2000; Lt Col Thomas Bergeson, 8 Jun 2001; Lt Col Mark T. McKenzie, 10 Jan 2003; Lt Col Matthew R. Fenton, 27 May 2004-.
Aircraft. P–35, 1941; YP–43, 1941; P–38, 1941–1945. P–80, 1946–1949; F–86, 1949–1958; F–102, 1958–1960; F–106, 1960–1971; F–4, 1971–1975; F–15, 1976–2010. T-38, 2015-.
Operations. Antisubmarine patrols, 15–30 Dec 1941; combat in ETO and MTO, 1 Sep 1942–3 May 1945. Air defense, Jul 1950–Jun 1971. F–4 replacement training, 1 Jul 1971–29 Jun 1975. Combat in Southwest Asia, Jan–Feb 1991. During 1993-2005, shared rotation duties with 27 and 94 FS in support of UN peacekeeping efforts in SWA; 1994-2000, rotated to Iceland to monitor the Iceland Military Identification Zone. After 11 Sep 2001, performed homeland security operations in support of war against terrorism. In June 2015, mission changed using regenerated T-38s to conduct adversarial air training for the F-22 pilots.
Service Streamers. Global War on Terrorism-Service (GWOT-S).
Campaign Streamers. World War II: Antisubmarine, American Theater; Egypt-Libya; Air Offensive, Europe; Algeria-French Morocco; Tunisia; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Anzio; Rome-Arno; Normandy; Northern France; Southern France; North Apennines; Rhineland; Central Europe; Po Valley; Air Combat, EAME Theater. Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait; Southwest Asia Ceasefire. Global War on Terrorism: GWOT-E. Iraq: Liberation of Iraq.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Italy, 25 Aug 1943; Italy, 30 Aug 1943; Ploesti, Rumania, 18 May 1944. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jun 1967–1 Apr 1968; 15 Jun 1982–15 Jun 1984; 16 June 1984–15 Jun 1986; 1 May 1989–30 Apr 1991; 1 May 1992–30 Apr 1994; 1 Jun 1995-31 May 1997; 1 Jun 1998-31 May 2000; 1 Jun 2000-31 May 2001; 1 Jun 2004-31 May 2006; 1 Jun 2006-31 May 2008; 1 Jun 2008-31 May 2010; [14 Aug 2015]-31 May 2016.
Lineage, Assignments, Stations, Aircraft, Operation, and Honors through 28 Jun 2019.
Commanders through May 2004.
Supersedes statement prepared on 25 Aug 2016.
Emblem. Approved on 10 Oct 1947; latest rendition approved, 25 Sep 2015.
Prepared by James M. Musser
Reviewed by Daniel L. Haulman.