{{No footnotes|date=December 2012}} {{Use American English|date=July 2015}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2026}} {{Infobox military unit | unit_name = 72nd Tactical Fighter Squadron | image = 72d Tactical Fighter Training Squadron - Emblem.png | image_size = 250 | caption = Emblem of the Tactical Fighter Training Squadron | dates = 1941-1992 | country = [[United States]] | allegiance = | branch = [[United States Army Air Forces]] | type = | role = Fighter | size = | command_structure = | current_commander = | garrison = | ceremonial_chief = | colonel_of_the_regiment = | nickname = Falcons | patron = | motto = PAX PER AUXILIA PARATA "Peace through Readiness" | colors = | march = | mascot = | battles = WWII | notable_commanders = | anniversaries = }}
[[File:72d Tactical Fighter Training Squadron - General Dynamics F-16B Block 10B Fighting Falcon 80-0623.jpg|thumb|72nd TFTS F-16B Block 10B Fighting Falcon 80-0623]] [[File:72d Tactical Fighter Squadron - F-100D-25-NA 55-3610.jpg|thumb|72nd TFS F-100D 55-3610 at Clark AB, 1958]] [[File:72d Tactical Fighter Squadron - F-100D-25-NA 55-3640.jpg|thumb|72nd TFS F-100D 55-3640 at Chiayi AB, Taiwan, 1958]] [[File:72d Fighter Squadron P-51 Mustang North Field Iwo Jima 1945.jpg|thumb|72nd Fighter Squadron P-51D Mustang, North Field, Iwo Jima, 1945.]] The '''72nd Fighter Squadron''' is an inactive [[United States Air Force]] unit. Its last assignment was with the [[56th Operations Group]], based at [[MacDill Air Force Base]], [[Florida]]. It was inactivated on 19 June 1992.
==History== ===World War II=== Established as a defensive interceptor squadron for [[Hawaii]] in late 1941. Suffered tremendous casualties and aircraft losses at [[Wheeler Field]] during the [[Pearl Harbor Attack]]. Re-equipped and used as [[Seventh Air Force]] training unit; also flew reconnaissance patrols over Hawaii until late 1943.
Deployed to [[Central Pacific Area|Central Pacific]] as part of [[Thirteenth Air Force|Seventh Air Force]] island hopping campaign against Japanese in late 1943. Flew combat missions from Makin Island using P-39 Airacobra fighters until April 1944, returning to Hawaii and being re-equipped and trained with long-range [[P-51 Mustangs]]. Re-deployed to [[Western Pacific Ocean|Western Pacific]], being stationed on [[Iwo Jima]] while battle for the island was still ongoing and engaged in long-range [[B-29 Superfortress]] escort missions over Japan; continuing that mission until the end of hostilities in August 1945. Reassigned to [[Mariana Islands]], as a [[Far East Air Force (United States)|Far East Air Force]] fighter squadron, inactivated 1946.
===Cold War=== Reactivated as [[Tactical Air Command]] [[F-86]] jet tactical fighter squadron, 1952 Deployed to France in 1954 as part of NATO; re-equipped with the [[F-100 Super Sabre]] 1957. Ordered out of France by host government as part of France's rejection of NATO's nuclear weapons policy. Reassigned to [[Philippines]] in 1958 for air defense of [[Luzon]]. Inactivated 1959 as a result of budget reductions. Equipment reassigned to [[510th Tactical Fighter Squadron]].
===Pilot training=== Reactivated 1 July 1982 at [[MacDill AFB]], Florida as an [[F-16|F-16A/B Block 10 Fighting Falcon]] Replacement Training Unit Squadron, replacing the 13th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron when the 58th TFTS transitioned from [[F-4 Phantom II]]s. Tail coded "MC", black tail stripe outlined in white. Upgraded to the Block 25 and 30 F-16C/D in March 1990 and continued as a Replacement Training Unit. Inactivated in 1992 as part of the [[Base Realignment and Closure|BRAC]] realignment of MacDill AFB.
===Lineage=== * Constituted '''72nd Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor)''' on 4 October 1941 : Activated on 5 October 1941 : Re-designated '''72nd Fighter Squadron''' on 15 May 1942 : Inactivated on 10 October 1946 * Redesignated '''72nd Fighter-Bomber Squadron''' on 15 November 1952 : Activated on 1 January 1953 : Inactivated on 8 February 1958 * Re-designated '''72nd Tactical Fighter Squadron''' on 19 May 1958 : Activated on 1 July 1958 : Inactivated on 9 April 1959 * Re-designated '''72nd Tactical Fighter Training Squadron''', and activated on 1 July 1982 : Re-designated '''72nd Fighter Squadron''' on 1 November 1991 : Inactivated on 19 June 1992
===Assignments=== * [[15th Operations Group|15th Pursuit (later Fighter) Group]], 5 October 1941 * [[318th Fighter Group]], 15 October 1942 * [[21st Fighter Group]], 15 June 1944 – 10 October 1946 * [[21st Fighter-Bomber Group]], 1 January 1953 – 8 February 1958 * 6200th Air Base Wing, 1 July 1958 – 9 April 1959. * [[56th Tactical Training Wing]], 1 July 1992 * [[56th Operations Group]], 1 November 1991 – 19 June 1992
===Stations=== {{Col-begin}} {{Col-break|width=50%}} * [[Wheeler Field]], [[Hawaii Territory]], 5 October 1941 * [[Hilo Field]], [[Hawaii Territory]], 25 July 1943 * [[Wheeler Field]], [[Hawaii Territory]], 21 October 1943 * [[Makin Airfield]], [[Gilbert Islands]], 18 December 1943 * [[Haleiwa Fighter Strip]], [[Hawaii Territory]], 23 April 1944 * [[Mokuleia Field]], [[Hawaii Territory]], 8 June 1944 * [[Central Field (Iwo Jima)|Central Field]], [[Iwo Jima]], 26 March 1945 * [[South Field (Iwo Jima)|South Field]], [[Iwo Jima]], 15 July 1945 {{Col-break|width=50%}} * [[Isley Airfield (Saipan)|Isley Airfield]], [[Saipan]], 5 December 1945 * [[Northwest Field (Guam)|Northwest Field]], [[Guam]], 17 April-10 October 1946 * [[George AFB]], [[California]], 1 January 1953 – 26 November 1954 * [[Châteauroux-Déols Air Base]], [[France]], 14 December 1954 * [[Chambley-Bussières Air Base]], [[France]], 9 July 1955 – 8 February 1958 * [[Clark AB]], [[Luzon]], [[Philippines]], 1 July 1958 – 9 April 1959. * [[MacDill AFB]], [[Florida]], 1 July 1982 – 19 June 1992 {{Col-end}}
===Aircraft=== {{Col-begin}} {{Col-break|width=50%}} * [[P-40 Warhawk]], 1941–1943 * [[P-39 Airacobra]], 1943–1944 * [[P-38 Lightning]], 1944–1945 * [[P-51 Mustang]], 1944–1946 {{Col-break|width=50%}} * [[P-47 Thunderbolt]], 1946 * [[F-51 Mustang]], 1953 * [[F-86 Sabre]], 1953–1957 * [[F-100 Super Sabre]], 1958–1959 * [[F-16 Fighting Falcon]], 1982-1992 {{Col-end}}
===Emblems=== <gallery> File:72d Fighter Squadron.png|World War II squadron emblem File:72d Fighter-Bomber Squadron - Emblem.png|72nd Fighter-Bomber Squadron emblem File:72d Tactical Fighter Squadron - Emblem.png|72nd Tactical Fighter Squadron emblem </gallery>
==References==
{{Air Force Historical Research Agency}}
== Bibliography == * {{cite book|editor=Maurer, Maurer|title=Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II|orig-year=1969|url= http://media.defense.gov/2010/Dec/02/2001329899/-1/-1/0/AFD-101202-002.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161220180455/http://media.defense.gov/2010/Dec/02/2001329899/-1/-1/0/AFD-101202-002.pdf |url-status= dead |archive-date= 20 December 2016 |edition= reprint|year=1982|publisher=Office of Air Force History|location=Washington, DC|isbn=0-405-12194-6|oclc=72556|lccn=70605402}} * Martin, Patrick. Tail Code: The Complete History of USAF Tactical Aircraft Tail Code Markings. Schiffer Publishing, 1994. {{ISBN|0-88740-513-4}}. * Rogers, Brian. ''United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978''. Hinkley, England: Midland Publications, 2005. {{ISBN|1-85780-197-0}}.
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1942]] [[Category:Fighter squadrons of the United States Air Force|072]] [[Category:Fighter squadrons of the United States Army Air Forces|072]]