Lineage

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

Assignments

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

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 ETO, 8 May 1944?8 May 1945. Occupational force, Germany, May 1945?Feb 1946. Combat in Southwest Asia, Jan?Feb 1991.

Honors

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.

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. Cited in the Order of the Day, Belgian Army: 1 Oct?17 Dec 1944; 18 Dec 1944?15 Jan 1945. Belgian Fourragere.

Emblem

On a Grayed Yellow Orange disc, a caricatured Red, White, and Blue hawk, wearing Tan flight jacket and aviator?s helmet, Blue goggles, and Brown boxing gloves, diving toward sinister base, and emitting White speed lines to rear. COPYRIGHT?Walt Disney. Approved on 23 Sep 1943 (44687 A.C.).