Lineage. Constituted 17 Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 22 Dec 1939. Activated on 1 Feb 1940. Redesignated: 523 Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 23 Aug 1943; 523 Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 30 May 1944. Inactivated on 7 Nov 1945. Activated on 20 Aug 1946. Redesignated: 523 Fighter Squadron, Two Engine, on 22 Jul 1947; 523 Fighter Squadron, Jet, on 1 Dec 1949; 523 Fighter-Escort Squadron on 1 Feb 1950; 523 Strategic Fighter Squadron on 20 Jan 1953; 523 Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 1 Jul 1957; 523 Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 Jul 1958; 523 Fighter Squadron on 1 Nov 1991. Inactivated on 23 May 2007.
Assignments. 27 Bombardment (later, 27 Fighter-Bomber; 27 Fighter) Group, 1 Feb 1940-7 Nov 1945. 27 Fighter (later, 27 Fighter-Escort) Group, 20 Aug 1946 (attached to 27 Fighter-Escort Wing, 6 Aug 1951-15 Jun 1952); 27 Fighter-Escort (later, 27 Strategic Fighter; 27 Fighter-Bomber; 27 Tactical Fighter) Wing, 16 Jun 1952 (attached to TUSLOG, 11 Feb-20 Jun 1960; USAFE, 1 Sep-20 Nov 1961; TUSLOG, 12 Oct 1962-c. 12 Jan 1963; 39 Air Division, 9 Jun-6 Sep 1964 and 22 Mar-30 Jun 1965); 405 Fighter Wing, 20 Nov 1965 (attached to 432 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 9 Apr-24 Oct 1972); 27 Tactical Fighter (later, 27 Fighter) Wing, 31 Aug 1973; 27 Operations Group, 1 Nov 1991-23 May 2007.
Stations. Barksdale Field, LA, 1 Feb 1940; Hunter Field, GA, 7 Oct 1940-19 Oct 1941; Ft William McKinley, Luzon, 20 Nov 1941; San Fernando, Luzon, 22 Dec 1941; Cabcaben, Luzon, 24 Dec 1941 (air echelon operated from Brisbane, Australia, 24 Dec 1941-c. 20 Feb 1942); Limay, Luzon, 28 Dec 1941; Bataan, Luzon, 5 Jan 1942 (air echelon operated from Batchelor, Australia, 22 Feb-c. 8 Mar 1942, and from Brisbane, Australia, 10-c. 25 Mar 1942); Charters Towers, Australia, Apr-4 May 1942; Hunter Field, GA, 4 May 1942; Key Field, MS, 14 Jul 1942; Hattiesburg, MS, 11 Aug 1942; Harding Field, LA, 23 Oct-17 Nov 1942; Ste-Barbe-du-Tlelat, Algeria, 26 Dec 1942; Nouvion, Algeria, 9 Jan 1943; Ras el Ma, French Morocco, 1 Apr 1943; Korba, Tunisia, 4 Jun 1943; Gela, Sicily, 18 Jul 1943; Barcelona, Sicily, 5 Sep 1943; Capaccio, Italy, 18 Sep 1943; Gaudo Airfield, Italy, 5 Nov 1943; Pomigliano, Italy, 19 Jan 1944; Castel Volturno, Italy, 10 Apr 1944; Santa Maria, Italy, 9 May 1944; Le Banca, Italy, 6 Jun 1944; Ciampino, Italy, 12 Jun 1944; Voltone, Italy, 4 Jul 1944; Serragia, Corsica, 10 Jul 1944; Le Luc, France, 25 Aug 1944; Salon, France, 30 Aug 1944; Loyettes, France, 12 Sep 1944; Tarquinia, Italy, 2 Oct 1944; Pontedera, Italy, 3 Dec 1944; St Dizier, France, 21 Feb 1945; Toul/Ochey, France, 19 Mar 1945; Biblis, Germany, 6 Apr 1945; Sandhofen, Germany, 24 Jun 1945; Echterdingen, Germany, 15 Sep-20 Oct 1945; Camp Shanks, NY, 6-7 Nov 1945. Fritzlar, Germany, 20 Aug 1946; Bad Kissingen, Germany, 25 Jun 1947; Andrews Field, MD, 25 Jun 1947; Kearney AAFld (later, AFB), NE, 16 Jul 1947 (deployed at McChord AFB, WA, 28 Mar-26 Apr and 28 Apr-18 May 1948); Bergstrom AFB, TX, 16 Mar 1949 (deployed at Taegu AB, South Korea, 5 Dec 1950-30 Jan 1951; Itazuke AB, Japan, 31 Jan-3 Jul 1951; Misawa AB, Japan, 13 Oct 1952-c. 13 Feb 1953; Sturgate RAF Station, England, 7 May-17 Aug 1955); Cannon AFB, NM, 18 Feb 1959-Nov 1965 (deployed at Incirlik AB, Turkey, c. 24 Feb-17 Jun 1960; England AFB, LA, 29 Mar-21 Apr 1961; Chamblay AB, France, c. 5 Sep-20 Nov 1961; Incirlik AB, Turkey, c. 12 Oct 1962-c. 15 Jan 1963; Dhahran AB, Saudi Arabia, c. 17 Sep-20 Nov 1963; Misawa AB, Japan, 12 Jun-4 Sep 1964 [with detachment at Kunsan AB, South Korea, 17 Jun-c. 3 Sep 1964]; Misawa AB, Japan, 22 Mar-2 May 1965 [with detachment at Kunsan AB, South Korea, c. 22 Mar-2 May 1965]; Kunsan AB, South Korea, 2 May-11 Jun 1965; Misawa AB, Japan, 11-30 Jun 1965 [with detachment at Kunsan AB, South Korea, 11-22 Jun 1965]); Clark AB, Philippines, 23 Nov 1965-31 Aug 1973 (deployed at Tainan AB, Taiwan, 12 May-27 Jul 1966; Udorn RTAFB, Thailand, 9 Apr-24 Oct 1972); Cannon AFB, NM, 31 Aug 1973-23 May 2007.
Commanders. Unkn, 1 Feb 1940; Capt Render D. Denson, by Jul 1940; 1 Lt Herman F. Lowery, Oct 1941; 2 Lt James H. Mangen, c. 11 Dec 1941; 1 Lt Herman F. Lowery, 16 Dec 1941; 2 Lt Warren G. Stirling (commanded ground echelon, 18 Dec 1941-c. 9 Apr 1942); Capt Herman F. Lowery (commanded air echelon, 18 Dec 1941-c. 31 Mar 1942); none (not manned), c. 1 Apr-13 Jul 1942; Capt Charles R. Renick, 14 Jul 1942; Maj Charles F. Wilson, 11 Apr 1943; Maj Richard C. Banbury, 16 Jul 1943; Maj George W. Holmquist, 25 Aug 1943; Lt Col William R. Nevitt, 14 May 1944; Capt Cecil A. Thomas, 1 Aug 1944; Capt Leslie W. Sokay, 6 Sep 1944; Maj Robert C. Brown, 9 Sep 1944; Capt Eloy H. Trujillo, 3 Jan 1945; Maj Robert C. Brown, 4 Feb 1945; Capt George A. Olson, 19 Apr 1945; Lt Col Robert C. Brown, 6 May 1945; Capt George A. Olson, 1 Jul 1945; Lt Col Robert C. Brown, 8 Jul 1945; Maj Roy L. Bowlin Jr., 23 Sep-7 Nov 1945. Maj Paul J. Hurley, 20 Aug 1946; Maj Ralph G. Taylor Jr., 28 Nov 1946-25 Jun 1947; none (not manned), 26 Jun-15 Jul1947; Maj Grover J. Gardner, c. 16 Jul 1947-unkn; Lt Col Donald J. M. Blakeslee, by Mar 1948; unkn, Aug-c. Oct 1948; Lt Col Donald J. M. Blakeslee, c. Oct 1948-unkn 1950; Lt Col William E. Bertram, by Nov 1950; Lt Col Albert W. Fell, 3 Mar 1951; Maj William R. Eichelberger, 2 Dec 1954-c. Jan 1959; none (not manned), c. Jan-17 Feb 1959; Maj Woodfin M. Sullivan, 18 Feb 1959; Lt Col Ray A. Robinson Jr., c. Aug 1959; Maj Herbert M. Carr, 24 Apr 1960; Maj Durwood B. Russell, by Jul 1960; Col Clifford H. Meier, by Feb 1961; Maj David O. Williams Jr., Mar 1963; Lt Col Rufus Woody Jr., 1 Aug 1963; Lt Col Ralph E. Craycraft, c. Sep 1965; Col William M. Gates, Oct 1965; Maj John E. Downey, 19 Nov 1966; Lt Col Albert P. Winkleman, 4 Dec 1967; Lt Col Charles E. Goodwin, 1 Jul 1969; Lt Col William D. Baggett, 30 Nov 1970; Lt Col Gene E. Taft, 1 May 1971; Lt Col George P. Kickliter, 1 Oct 1971; Lt Col Farrell J. Sullivan, 27 Nov 1971; Lt Col Richard B. Corbin Jr., 27 Jun 1972; Lt Col Harvey J. Stewart, 31 Aug 1973; Lt Col Richard A. Jones, 11 Mar 1974; Lt Col Henry K. Mills, 16 Jun 1975; Lt Col E. O. Westback, 12 Jan 1976; Lt Col Ray D. Leach, 8 Sep 1976; Lt Col Needham B. Jones, 29 Sep 1978; Lt Col Edward L. Chase, 23 Jun 1980; Lt Col David O. Scheiding, 30 Jun 1982; Lt Col Robert S. Pahl, 29 Jun 1984; Lt Col Dean Radueg, 23 Jul 1986; Lt Col William J. Corbett III, 16 Nov 1987; Lt Col Ronald C. Casey, 4 Dec 1989; Lt Col Robert J. Rausch, 12 Apr 1991; Lt Col Marc H. Lindsley, 26 Jun 1992; Lt Col Robert B. Brewster, 21 Jun 1994; Lt Col Thomas K. Kemp, 5 May 1996; Lt Col Thomas Breen, 15 May 1998; Lt Col Robert G. Wright Jr., 12 May 2000; Lt Col John Pearson, 31 May 2002-.
Aircraft. B-18, 1940-1941; A-24, 1941-1942; A-20, 1941, 1942-1943; A-36, 1943-1944; P-40, 1944; P-47, 1944-1945. P-47, 1946-1947; P (later F)-51, 1947-1948; F-82, 1948-1950; F-84, 1950-1957; F-101, 1957-1958; F-100, 1959-1968; F-4, 1967-1973; F-111, 1973-1998; F-16, 1998-2007.
Operations. Combat in Southwest Pacific, 8 Dec 1941-4 May 1942; ground echelon fought with infantry units in Philippine Islands, Jan-Apr 1942. Combat in Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) and European Theater of Operations (ETO), 6 Jun 1943-8 May 1945. Combat in Korea, c. 8 Dec 1950-c. 27 Jun 1951. Maintained detachments on alert on Taiwan, Nov 1965-15 Feb 1972 and 15 Jul-31 Aug 1973. Combat in Southeast Asia, c. 9 Apr-23 Oct 1972. F-111 replacement training, 1 Nov 1976-c. Oct 1983. Conducted overseas deployments to maintain combat readiness of personnel and aircraft, 1984-1989. Rotated personnel and aircraft to Incirlik AB, Turkey in support of operations in Southwest Asia, Sep 1992-Jul 1993. Transitioned to F-16 aircraft in 1998 and trained for day and night, all weather precision attack and electronic combat operations. Maintained capability to deploy and support unified commanders worldwide with day and night combat operations, 2000-2007.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaign Streamers. World War II: Philippine Islands; East Indies; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Anzio; Rome-Arno; Northern France; Southern France; North Apennines; Rhineland; Central Europe; Air Combat, EAME Theater. Korea: CCF Intervention; First UN Counteroffensive; CCF Spring Offensive. Vietnam: Vietnam Ceasefire.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Philippine Islands, 7 Dec 1941-[Apr] 1942; Philippine Islands, 8-22 Dec 1941; Philippine Islands, 6 Jan-8 Mar 1942; Italy, 10 Sep 1943; France, 4 Sep 1944; Korea, 26 Jan-21 Apr 1951. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 May 1975-31 Dec 1976; 1 Jan 1981-30 Jun 1982; 1 Jan 1988-31 Dec 1989; 1 Jul 1992-15 Jul 1993; 1 Jun 1996-31 May 1998; 1 Jun 2002-31 May 2004. Philippine Presidential Unit Citation (WWII). Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation: 9 Nov 1950-31 May 1951. Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation: 21 Jul-15 Aug 1972.
Lineage, Assignments, Stations, and Honors through 4 Jan 2008.
Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through 31 Dec 2002.
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 5 Feb 1974.
Prepared by Patsy Robertson.
Reviewed by Daniel Haulman.