page_title: 557th Flying Training Squadron
section_title: Vietnam War
hierarchical_section_title: 557th Flying Training Squadron / History / Vietnam War
caption_attribution_description: English: F-4C Serial 63-7542 557th Tactical Fighter Squadron/12th Tactical Fighter Wing at Cam Ranh Air Base, South Vietnam.
context_page_description: The 557th Flying Training Squadron is part of the 306th Flying Training Group based at United States Air Force Academy, Colorado, where it has conducted flight training for Academy cadets since 1974.
  The first predecessor of the squadron was the 557th Bombardment Squadron, a Martin B-26 Marauder unit, which flew combat in the European Theater of Operations, earning a Distinguished Unit Citation in December 1944. It was inactivated after the end of World War II.
  The squadron's second predecessor is the 557th Tactical Fighter Squadron, which was organized in 1962, and flew in combat in the Vietnam War from 1965 to 1970, earning five Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards with Combat "V" Device. The two squadrons were consolidated into a single unit in September 1985.
context_section_description: The second predecessor of the squadron was the 557th Tactical Fighter Squadron, which was activated at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida in April 1962 as part of the 12th Tactical Fighter Wing, the initial McDonnell F-4 Phantom II fighter unit in the Air Force.  The F-4Cs designed for the Air Force were not yet in production at that time. In order to get the squadron operational, second-line Republic F-84F Thunderstreaks were transferred from the Air National Guard.  The squadron received Navy F-4Bs for training and then F-4Cs in January 1964.  
  The 12th Wing deployed to Vietnam in November 1965, and the squadron was briefly assigned to the 836th Air Division, until it rejoined its parent wing at Cam Ranh Bay Air Base, South Vietnam in December.   The squadron flew close air support, interdiction, rescue combat patrol, MiG Cap, and other missions.  In March 1970, fighter operations at Cam Rahn Bay ended and the 12th Wing turned the base over to the 483d Tactical Airlift Wing.  Wing headquarters moved to Phu Cat Air Base on 31 March, replacing the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing, while the 557th and the wing's other fighter squadrons were inactivated.
caption: F-4C Phantom of the 557th Tactical Fighter Squadron[note 2]
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