Lineage. Constituted as 62 Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 20 Nov 1940. Activated on 15 Jan 1941. Redesignated: 62 Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) (Twin Engine) on 31 Jan 1942; 62 Fighter Squadron (Twin Engine) on 15 May 1942; 62 Fighter Squadron on 1 Jun 1942; 62 Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 28 Feb 1944. Inactivated on 18 Oct 1945. Activated on 1 May 1946. Redesignated: 62 Fighter Squadron, Jet Propelled, on 24 Apr 1947; 62 Fighter Squadron, Jet, on 14 Jun 1948; 62 Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 20 Jan 1950. Inactivated on 30 Apr 1971. Redesignated as 62 Fighter-Interceptor Training Squadron on 15 Aug 1974. Activated on 1 Sep 1974. Redesignated as: 62 Tactical Fighter Squadron on 30 Jun 1975; 62 Tactical Fighter Training Squadron on 1 Jan 1981; 62 Fighter Squadron on 1 Nov 1991. Inactivated on 14 May 1993. Activated on 18 Mar 1994.
Assignments. 56 Pursuit (later, 56 Fighter) Group, 15 Jan 1941-18 Oct 1945. 56 Fighter (later, 56 Fighter-Interceptor) Group, 1 May 1946 (attached to Alaskan Provisional Wing, c. 28 Dec 1946-c. 10 Apr 1947; 30 Air Division, c. 28 Jul 1950-30 Apr 1951; 142 Fighter-Interceptor Group, 1 May 1951-5 Feb 1952); 4706 Defense Wing, 6 Feb 1952; 501 Air Defense Group, 16 Feb 1953; 56 Fighter Group, 18 Aug 1955 (attached to 473 Fighter Group, 1 Aug-30 Sep 1959); 56 Fighter Wing, 1 Feb 1961; Duluth Air Defense Sector, 16 Dec 1963; 29 Air Division, 1 Apr 1966; 34 Air Division, 15 Sep 1969; 29 Air Division, 14 Nov 1969; 23 Air Division, 19 Nov 1969-30 Apr 1971. Air Defense Weapons Center, 1 Sep 1974; 56 Tactical Fighter (later, 56 Tactical Training; 56 Fighter) Wing, 30 Jun 1975; 56 Operations Group, 1 Nov 1991-14 May 1993. 58 Operations Group, 18 Mar 1994; 56 Operations Group, 1 Apr 1994-.
Stations. Savannah AB, GA, 15 Jan 1941; Charlotte AAB, NC, 26 May 1941 (deployed at Myrtle Beach, SC, Oct-Nov 1941); Wilmington Muni Aprt, NC, 10 Dec 1941; Bendix Aprt, NJ, 17 Jan 1942; Newark Muni Aprt, NJ, 31 May 1942; Bradley Field, CT, 23 Jul-27 Dec 1942; Kings Cliffe, England, 12 Jan 1943; Horsham St Faith, England, 5 Apr 1943; Halesworth, England, 9 Jul 1943; Boxted, England, 19 Apr 1944; Debden, England, 15 Sep-11 Oct 1945; Camp Kilmer, NJ, 16-18 Oct 1945. Selfridge Field (later, AFB), MI, 1 May 1946 (deployed at Ladd Field, AK, 28 Dec 1946-10 Apr 1947; Oscoda AFB, MI, 1 Apr-6 Jun 1949); O'Hare Field-Chicago Intl Aprt (later, O'Hare Intl Aprt), IL, 4 Aug 1950 (deployed at K. I. Sawyer AFB, MI, 1 Aug-30 Sep 1959); K. I. Sawyer AFB, MI, 1 Oct 1959-30 Apr 1971. Tyndall AFB, FL, 1 Sep 1974; MacDill AFB, FL, 30 Jun 1975-14 May 1993. Luke AFB, AZ, 18 Mar 1994-.
Commanders. Unkn, 15-20 Jan 1941; Capt Dixon M. Allison, 21 Jan 1941; 1 Lt Norton H. Van Sicklen III, 13 Feb 1941; 2 Lt James L. Orr, 10 May 1941; 2 Lt Albert O. Waldon, 26 May 1941; 2 Lt John M. Davis, 28 May 1941; 1 Lt Raymond W. Worsham Jr., 2 Jun 1941; Capt David D. Terry Jr., 6 Jun 1941; Maj David C. Schilling, c. Jul 1942; Maj Horace C. Craig, 21 Aug 1943; Maj Leroy A. Schreiber, 9 Feb 1944; Lt Col Lucian A. Dade Jr., 16 Apr 1944; Capt Michael J. Quirk, 13 Aug 1944; Maj Leslie C. Smith, 11 Sep 1944; Maj Felix D. Williamson, 26 Jan-c. 18 Oct 1945. Unkn, 1-4 May 1946; Maj Paul A. Conger, 5 May 1946; Lt Col Gerald W. Johnson, 23 Jul 1946; Lt Col William D. Dunham, c. 3 May 1947-unkn; unkn (but possibly Maj John C. McClure), Aug 1947-unkn; Maj Edward S. Popek, by Dec 1948; Capt Franklyn E. Moffitt, c. Jun 1949; Maj Ralph A. Johnson, Jul 1949; Maj Henry H. Kirby Jr., 15 Sep 1949; Maj George L. Abel, c. 10 Oct 1949; Maj Henry H. Kirby Jr., c. Dec 1949; Maj Edwin L. Heller, Jan 1950; Lt Col Charles E. Parsons Jr., 3 Apr 1950; Maj Harold M. Wilson, c. Sep 1951; Maj Carl A. Rymer, 1 Oct 1951; Lt Col Frank Q. O'Conner, by 17 Mar 1952; Maj Richard C. Garrett, 24 Dec 1952-unkn; Maj Edward J. Mason, 8 Sep 1953; Maj Charles W. Jackson, 28 Oct 1953; Lt Col Lloyd H. Stinson, 24 Oct 1955; Maj Kenneth E. Daniels, c. 8 Nov 1957; Maj Roy W. King, 21 Sep 1958; Lt Col Edward P. McNeff, 1 Aug 1959; Maj Joe H. Joiner, c. 1 Apr 1961; Capt Cecil P. Roberts, by 30 Apr 1961; Lt Col Samuel D. Berman, Jun 1961; Col Amos W. Waage, 1 May 1964; Lt Col Austin O. Davis, 30 Nov 1965; Lt Col Arby J. Thompson, 29 Aug 1967; Col Carl D. Peterson, 5 May 1969; Lt Col Cecil G. Foster, by Jun 1970-30 Apr 1971. Col William J. Breckner Jr., 1 Sep 1974; Maj Charles E. Masuga, 29 Jun 1975; Lt Col Henry M. Yochum III, 30 Jun 1975; Lt Col Lawrence P. Farrell, 7 Mar 1977; Lt Col Michael P. Blaisdell, 28 Jun 1978; Lt Col Robert W. Undorf, 4 May 1979; Lt Col James V. Williford, 14 Aug 1981; Lt Col George A. Suro, 25 Mar 1983; Lt Col Royce G. W. Woodell, 1 Mar 1985; Lt Col William R. Stroud, Feb 1987; Lt Col Billy S. Clack, 10 Feb 1989; Lt Col Robert F. Umbarger, 10 Feb 1991; Lt Col Stephen E. Bozarth, 10 Jul 1992-14 May 1993. Lt Col Michael E. Roznovsky, 18 Mar 1994; Lt Col William A. Hewitt, 9 Nov 1995; Lt Col Arthur W. May, 4 Jun 1996; Lt Col Robin M. Kesterson, 19 Jun 1998; Lt Col Michael E. B. France, 24 Jun 2000; Lt Col Marcel P. Schmidt, 17 Aug 2001; Lt Col Mark M. Lankford, 7 Jul 2003; Lt Col Gerald F. Lanagan, 21 Jan 2005; Lt Col Pablo A. Sanchez, 23 May 2007-.
Aircraft. P-35, 1941; P-36, 1941; P-39, 1941-1942; P-40, 1941-1942; P-47, 1942-1945. P-47, 1946; P-51, 1946-1947, 1947; P (later, F)-80, 1947-1950; F-86, 1950-1959; F-101, 1959-1971. F-106, 1974-1975; F-4, 1974-1980; F-16, 1980-1993. F-16, 1994-.
Operations. Air defense and operational training unit, 1942. Combat in European Theater of Operations (ETO), 13 Apr 1943-21 Apr 1945. Replacement training unit with a combat-ready commitment, 1975-1993. Conducted qualification training for USAF student pilots and proficiency training for instructor pilots and rated pilots qualified in F-16 aircraft, 1994-.
Service Streamers. World War II American Theater.
Campaign Streamers. World War II: Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe; Air Combat, EAME Theater.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: ETO, 20 Feb-9 Mar 1944; Holland, 18 Sep 1944. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jun 1967-31 Dec 1968; 1 Jul 1977-1 Jan 1979; 1 Jul 1980-30 Jun 1982; 1 Jun 1984-31 May 1986; 1 May 1987-30 Apr 1989; 1 May 1989-30 Apr 1990; 1 May 1990-30 Apr 1991; 18-31 Mar 1994; 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.
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 18 Jun 1943; newest rendition approved on 18 Jul 1995.
Prepared by Patsy Robertson.
Reviewed by Daniel Haulman.