55th Fighter Squadron The 55th Fighter Squadron ( 55 FS ) is part of the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base , South Carolina . It operates the F - 16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting air superiority missions . The squadron is one of the oldest in the United States Air Force , its origins dating to 25 August 1917 , being organized at Kelly Field , Texas . It deployed overseas to France as part of the American Expeditionary Forces , becoming a pilot training squadron at the 3d Air Instructional Center , Issoudun Aerodrome , as a pilot training Squadron during World War I . The squadron saw combat during World War II , and became part of the United States Air Forces in Europe ( USAFE ) during the Cold War . History . World War I . The 55th Fighter Squadron ’ s roots trace back to 9 August 1917 . Originally organized as the 55th Aero Squadron at Kelly Field , Texas , by November the squadron was deployed to Issoudun , France . The squadron was demobilized on 6 March 1919 , following the war . The squadron was reactivated in November 1930 , at Mather Field , California , flying Boeing P - 12 aircraft , later joined by DH - 4 aircraft in 1931 . The squadron moved several times in the next decade , flying the P - 26 , P - 36 , and finally the P - 40 at Hamilton Field . World War II . At the beginning of World War II , the 55th sent its personnel to units fighting overseas and continued to train aviators for squadrons in Europe and the Pacific . In May 1942 , it was redesignated a fighter squadron and transitioned to the P - 39 Airacobra , operating from several locations in the United States before acquiring P - 38 Lightning s . The 55th was in the skies over Europe by August 1943 , operating from RAF Wittering , England . The squadron flew 175 combat missions with the Lightning before acquiring the P - 51 ( F - 6 ) Mustang in 1944 . With the rest of the 20th Fighter Group , the 55th flew daily strafing , long - range - patrol and bomber - escort missions . In June , they provided air cover during the massive allied invasion of Normandy . As the war progressed , the 55th performed escort and fighter - bomber missions supporting the Allied advance through Central Europe and the Rhineland . In December 1945 , they took part in the Battle of the Bulge , escorting bombers to the battle area . The squadron ’ s 175th and last combat mission in the P - 51 was flown in April 1945 , the day after American and Soviet forces met at the Elbe River . The 55th was demobilized on 18 October 1945 , after the war ’ s end , but was reactivated on 29 July 1946 , at Biggs Field , Texas , flying air power demonstrations and training operations in the P - 51 . Cold War . The 55th entered the jet age in February 1948 , with the F - 84G Thunderjet . In January 1950 , it was redesignated the 55th Fighter - Bomber Squadron . The squadron returned to England at RAF Wethersfield in June 1952 . The squadron transitioned to the F - 100 Super Sabre in 1957 and in 1958 was redesignated the 55th Tactical Fighter Squadron . The 55th moved with the 20th Tactical Fighter Wing to RAF Upper Heyford in June 1970 . The next April , the 55th received its first F - 111E Aardvark , becoming fully operational in November . Throughout the 1970s and 1980s , the 55th participated in countless North Atlantic Treaty Organization and U . S . exercises and operations , which directly contributed to containment of Soviet threats to Europe . In January 1991 , elements of the 55th deployed to Turkey during Operation Desert Storm . They flew more than 144 sorties , amassing 415 combat hours without a loss . These missions neutralized key facilities throughout northern Iraq and helped to liberate Kuwait and stabilize the region . The squadron was inactivated in December 1993 . Modern era . It was transferred and reactivated on 1 January 1994 , to its present home , Shaw Air Force Base , flying the A - 10 Thunderbolt II . In July 1996 , the squadron transferred its aircraft to Pope Air Force Base , North Carolina , and stood down . In July 1997 , the 55th made history when it stood up as a combat - ready F - 16CJ squadron in only 60 days . It has since made numerous deployments to Southwest Asia , continuing to contain the Iraqi threat . In the meantime , the squadron has earned awards and recognition , including the David C . Schilling Award in 1999 and 2000 , as well as the Air Force Association Citation of Honor . In the summer of 2000 , the 55th deployed to Southwest Asia for Operation Northern Watch . It followed that deployment with Operation Southern Watch in the fall of 2001 , and in the winter of 2002 , deployed again in support of Operation Northern Watch . Most recently the 55th deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in late 2008 .