46th Fighter Training Squadron


The 46th Fighter Training Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 917th Operations Group stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. It was inactivated on 1 October 1993.

History

The 46th, who was initially assigned to the 15th Fighter/Pursuit Group, its history goes back to World War II, when the 15th Pursuit Group was largely destroyed during the 7 December 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor at Hickam Field.

World War II

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the squadron was assigned to the VII Fighter Command. Re-equipped initially with P-39 Airacobras and P-40 Warhawks, ts primary mission was the air defense of the Hawaiian Islands. In 1943, the squadron deployed to the Central Pacific Area, engaging in combat from Makin Island in December 1943. Returned to Hawaii and was again re-equipped with very long-range P-38 Lightnings and P-51D Mustangs. In early March 1945 deployed to Iwo Jima, being attached to the Twentieth Air Force. From Iwo Jima, the squadron performed escort missions with B-29 Superfortress bombers bombing the Japanese Home Islands. After the Japanese Surrender in September 1945, the squadron moved to Guam, where it operated until demobilizing and inactivating in October 1946.

United States Air Force

The squadron was redesignated the 46th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron and reactivated in November 1952 at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware and assigned to the 4710th Defense Wing of Air Defense Command. The squadron assumed the mission, personnel, and Lockheed F-94 Starfire interceptors of the 148th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, which had been called to active service in the expansion of the United States Air Force for the Korean War which was returned to the control of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard. the squadron's mission was the air defense of southeastern Pennsylvania, south New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. In 1956, as ADC prepared for the implementation of the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment system, the 4710th wing moved to Illinois and the squadron was briefly assigned to the 4709th Air Defense Wing before being transferred to what would become the automated New York Air Defense Sector. The unit was inactivated in 1958.
Was reactivated in 1962 at MacDill AFB, Florida, equipped with swept-wing F-84F Thunderflash tactical fighters. Received new F-4C Phantom II in 1964, one of the first squadrons in the Air Force to fly the new fighter. Conducted tactical fighter combat crew training for the 12th Tactical Fighter Wing. The squadron participated in a variety of exercises, operations and readiness tests of Tactical Air Command, becoming a replacement training unit for F-4 aircrews prior to their deployment to Southeast Asia beginning in 1965. During the 1968 Pueblo Crisis, the squadron deployed fighters to Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina, backfilling fighters deployed to South Korea by the 4th Tactical Fighter Squadron. Transferred to the incoming 1st Tactical Fighter Wing in 1970 when the wing was moved from ADC to TAC. Inactivated in 1971, personnel and aircraft being transferred to the 71st Tactical Fighter Squadron when the former 15th TFW units were inactivated.
Reactivated in the Air Force Reserve in 1975 at Grissom AFB, Indiana, receiving A-37B Dragonfly counter-insurgency aircraft returned from the Vietnam War. Provided combat crew training in close air support tactics for USAF and friendly foreign nations until inactivated in 1978, transferring the A-37s to the 706th Tactical Fighter Squadron.
Equipped with A-10A Thunderbolt II ground attack aircraft in 1983 at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, mission was to be an A-10 Replacement Training Unit for Air Force Reserve pilots. Operated the A-10 at Barksdale until inactivated in 1993 as part of the post-Cold War drawdown, aircraft transferred to Davis–Monthan AFB, Arizona where A-10 training was consolidating with the active-duty 355th Wing.

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