81st Fighter Squadron The 81st Fighter Squadron ( 81 FS ) is an aviation unit of the United States Air Force . It is part of the 52d Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base , Germany , and operates the A - 10 Thunderbolt II aircraft conducting close air support missions . Mission . Provide the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe and United States Air Forces in Europe commanders with dedicated close air support , air strike control , and combat search and rescue capability . History . The 81st was activated on 15 January 1942 , at Key Field , Mississippi , flying the P - 40 Warhawk . The squadron was assigned to the 50th Fighter Group and in October 1942 the 81st moved to Orlando Army Air Field Florida , forming part of the Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics . The 81st helped test procedures and equipment , seeking better ways to manage the huge efforts required to supply troops and maintain aircraft fighting overseas . In 1943 the 81st moved to Cross City Army Air Field , Florida , while the 50th Fighter Group remained headquartered at Orlando AAF . Each of the 50th Fighter Group ' s detached squadrons ( including the 81st ) returned to Orlando AAF in January 1944 . The squadron continued to train and teach at Orlando AAF while preparing to ship out to England . In March 1944 , the 81st was re - equipped the P - 47 Thunderbolt and shipped to England with the 9th Air Force . Between April 1944 and the V - E Day in May 1945 , the unit flew hundreds of fighter escort , close air support , and interdiction missions , taking part in the D - Day invasion and operating from numerous advanced landing bases in Europe while covering the US Army ' s advance . The squadron received two Distinguished Unit Citation s for combat , was credited with 30 aerial victories , and produced the 50th Fighter Group ' s only ace , Major Robert D . Johnston . The unit was inactivated on 7 November 1945 at La Junta Army Air Field , Colorado . It was reactivated at McChord Field , Washington in July 1947 , where the 81st tested a number of different aircraft . On 1 January 1953 the 81st was established at Clovis Air Force Base , New Mexico where it briefly flew the F - 51 Mustang before transitioning to the F - 86 Sabre in the spring of 1953 . In August 1953 , the squadron relocated to Hahn Air Base , Germany . In July 1956 , the 81st moved to Toul - Rosières Air Base , France , converting to the F - 100 Super Sabre in July 1958 . One year later , it returned to Hahn Air Base and in December 1966 , re - equipped with the F - 4 Phantom II . The squadron took their Phantoms to Zweibrücken Air Base , Germany , in June 1971 to fill the vacancy left by the departure of the Canadian Forces . In 1973 , the 81st moved to the 52d Tactical Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base , Germany , where it took on the Wild Weasel mission of defense suppression . As NATO ' s only defense suppression squadron , the 81st received the first 24 F - 4G advanced Wild Weasels equipped with the APR - 38 Radar Attack and Warning System . In 1984 , the 81st FS transitioned to a mixed F - 4G and F - 4E hunter / killer team , using the AGM - 88 HARM and AGM - 45 Shrike , as the 52d TFW became the only defense suppression wing in NATO . The 81st converted its F - 4E aircraft to the F - 16 Fighting Falcon in January 1988 , becoming a member of the only wing in the U . S . Air Force to fly two different aircraft in the same combat element . In June 1988 the squadron upgraded its F - 4G with the APR - 47 . The 81st FS crews flew the F - 4G and F - 16C in the hunter / killer role until December 1993 , when the unit again became an all - F - 4G squadron . It served until 31 December 1993 , where they racked up 113 radar kills , flew more than 12 , 000 combat sorties and 25 , 000 hours over Iraq . The last F - 4G left Spangdahlem Air Base 18 February 1994 . The 81st then became an A / OA - 10 squadron and replaced the 510th Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base . During this period , the squadron continuously deployed to Aviano Air Base , Italy in support of Operation Deny Flight , enforcing a no - fly zone over Bosnia and Herzegovina . In September 1997 , it became the first U . S . Air Forces Europe squadron to participate in Operation Southern Watch , enforcing the United Nations imposed no - fly zone in southern Iraq . Members of the 81st again deployed to Aviano Air Base in October 1998 , supporting NATO air presence during the crisis in Kosovo , Yugoslavia . The 81st FS returned to Aviano Air Base in January 1999 for a regular contingency rotation , but then stayed to support Operation Allied Force . The squadron supported air operations from Aviano Air Base until 11 April 1999 , when it moved to Gioia del Colle , Italy . From there , the unit flew more than 1 , 400 combat missions throughout Operation Allied Force and led the first large force packages in A - 10 history . The 81st also led the first two successful combat search and rescue task force missions , which involved coordinating all rescue assets resulting in the rescue of downed F - 117 and F - 16 pilots . In September 2000 , the 81st deployed 12 aircraft to Southwest Asia for Operation Southern Watch , accumulating more than 700 combat and training sorties . Immediately following the deployment , the 81st FS was additionally tasked to participate in Croatian Phiblex 2000 . The squadron generated and deployed their remaining 6 A / OA - 10s and 183 people to Split , Croatia , to aid U . S . Marine and U . S . Navy forces in a joint amphibious landing exercise with Croatian military forces and support another real - world contingency . The squadron deployed several times to Bagram Air Base , Afghanistan to provide close air support to coalition ground forces during Operation Enduring Freedom in June 2003 , September 2004 , and most recently May 2006 . During the 2006 deployment the squadron performed an intensive regimen of combat patrols to find , fix and destroy elusive , guerrilla - type enemy combatants in support of ground forces , flying in excess of 2 , 000 combat sorties and 7 , 600 combat hours . The 81st employed over 109 , 000 rounds of 30mm , dropped 350 guided and conventional bombs , and fired over 325 rockets in support of 260 Coalition force operations . As a direct result of the combat action in the 2006 deployment two pilots in the 81st won the prestigious Mackay Trophy and the Daedalian Exceptional Pilot Awards . The first A - 10C arrived in May 2009 , after receiving the Precision Engagement upgrade , which significantly increased the Warthog ' s already impressive precision and lethality with a digital stores system , integration of advanced targeting pods , hands on throttle and stick ( HOTAS ) functionality and Situational Awareness Data - Link ( SADL ) . The Panthers returned to Afghanistan with the A - 10C in May 2010 , this time to Kandahar AB in the south . Despite the heat , wind and dust , the 81 FS flew over 9 , 500 hours on over 2 , 100 sorties and employed over 70 , 000 rounds of 30mm , 159 precision weapons and 141 rockets while again providing precision close air support to OEF and ISAF operations . The 81st has earned the 1991 , 1996 , and 2006 USAFE Commander ' s Trophy . On 16 February 2012 , Air Force officials announced the 81st Fighter Squadron would be inactivated .