355th Fighter Squadron The 355th Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit . Its last assignment was that of a subordinate unit of the 354th Fighter Wing based at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska , flying the Republic A / OA - 10 Thunderbolt II aircraft . The squadron was inactivated on 15 August 2007 as a result of Base Realignment and Closure ( BRAC ) 2005 . History . World War II . Activated on 15 November 1942 at Hamilton Field , California , initially equipped with P - 39 Aircobra s and assigned to IV Fighter Command for training . Moved to several bases in California and Nevada then to Portland Army Air Base , Oregon in June 1943 and re - equipped with new P - 51B Mustang s . Transitioned to the Mustang throughout the summer of 1943 the deployed to the European Theater of Operations ( ETO ) , being assigned to IX Fighter Command in England . In late 1943 , the strategic bombardment campaign over Occupied Europe and Nazi Germany being conducted by VIII Bomber Command was taking heavy losses in aircraft and flight crews as the VIII Fighter Command ' s P - 38 Lightning s and P - 47 Thunderbolt s lacked the range to escort the heavy B - 17 Flying Fortress and B - 24 Liberator bombers deep into Germany to attack industrial and military targets . The P - 51 had the range to perform the escort duties and the unit ' s operational control was transferred to Headquarters , Eighth Air Force to perform escort missions . From its base at RAF Boxted , the unit flew long - range strategic escort missions with VIII Bomber Command groups , escorting the heavy bombers to targets such as Frankfurt , Leipzig , Augsburg , and Schweinfurt , engaging Luftwaffe day interceptors frequently , with the P - 51s outperforming the German Me - 109 and Fw - 190 interceptors , causing heavy losses to the Luftwaffe . Remained under operational control of Eighth Air Force until April 1944 , when sufficient numbers of P - 51D Mustangs and arrived from the United States and were assigned to VIII Fighter Command units for escort duty . Was relieved from escort duty and was re - equipped with P - 47D Thunderbolt s , and reassigned to RAF Lashenden on the southern coast of England . Mission was redefined to provide tactical air support for the forthcoming invasion of France , to support the Third , and later Ninth United States Armies . Flew fighter sweeps over Normandy and along the English Channel coast of France and the Low Countries , April – June 1944 , then engaged in heavy tactical bombing of enemy military targets as well as roads , railroads and bridges in the Normandy area to support ground forces in the immediate aftermath of D - Day . Moved to Advanced Landing Ground s in France beginning at the end of June 1944 , moving eastwards to combat airfields and liberated French airports supporting Allied Ground forces as the advanced across Northern France . Later , in 1944 , the squadron became involved in dive - bombing and strafing missions , striking railroad yards , bridges , troop concentrations , and airfields . Participated in attacks on German forces in Belgium in the aftermath of the Battle of the Bulge , then moved eastward as part of the Western Allied invasion of Germany . The squadron flew its last mission of the war on 7 May 1945 from the captured Luftwaffe airfield at Ansbach ( R - 45 ) . Remained in Occupied Germany as part of the United States Air Forces in Europe XII Tactical Air Command occupying force after the German Capitulation , being stationed at AAF Station Herzogenaurach . Was inactivated on 31 March 1946 . Cold War . Reactivated by Tactical Air Command , United States Air Force on 19 November 1956 , being assigned to the reactivated 354th Fighter - Day Group at the new Myrtle Beach Air Force Base , South Carolina . Equipped with North American F - 100 Super Sabre fighters , the squadron participated in exercises , operations , tests , and firepower demonstrations conducted by the Tactical Air Command within the US and abroad . The unit frequently deployed to Aviano Air Base , Italy and Wheelus Air Base , Libya . Was deployed to Europe during the 1958 Lebanon crisis and was moved to McCoy AFB , Florida in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis . Vietnam War . On 3 February 1968 the 355th Tactical Fighter Squadron was deployed to support the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing at Phu Cat Air Base , South Vietnam for five months ' Temporary Duty ( TDY ) . At the end of the TDY on 5 July , the 355 TFS was permanently assigned to the 37th , with activated New Jersey and District of Columbia Air National Guard personnel from the 113 TFW at Myrtle Beach replacing them and manning the unit . On 15 May 1969 with the reassignment of the 612th and 174 TFS , it was decided to convert the 37th to an F - 4 wing . The F - 100 equipped 355th , along with the 416 TFS were reassigned to the 31st Tactical Fighter Wing at Tuy Hoa Air Base , replacing the ANG 136th and 188th TFSs which were returning to New York and New Mexico , respectively . At Tuy Hoa , the tail code of the 355th F - 100s was changed to " SP " , and deployed Air National Guard personnel from New York and New Mexico manned the 355th until its inactivation on 30 September 1970 . During its time in Vietnam , the 355th flew more than 17 , 000 combat sorties flying close air support , interdiction , search and rescue , and helicopter support missions . The squadron was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation . the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award , and the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm for its service . On 1 November 1970 , the 355 TFS was reactivated at Myrtle Beach AFB , SC as part of the 354 TFW . Upon its return , the unit transitioned to the new A - 7D Corsair II aircraft before redeploying to Southeast Asia in the fall of 1972 as the first A - 7 unit to fight there . In 10 weeks of combat before the end of that conflict , the squadron participated in the Linebacker II campaign , generated more than 4 , 000 sorties , and was credited with 22 rescues of downed airmen . The unit returned to Myrtle Beach in April 1974 . Post - Vietnam era . In February 1978 , the 355 FS transitioned to the new A - 10 Thunderbolt II , a close air support aircraft , becoming the second operational squadron in the nation ' s first A - 10 wing . Duty called again in August 1990 when the unit deployed to King Fahd International Airport , Saudi Arabia in support of Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM . There , the squadron ' s pilots inflicted heavy damage to Iraqi armor and artillery emplacements , helped cut off enemy supply lines , and conducted search and rescue missions . The squadron contributed greatly to the 4 , 200 artillery , tank and other vehicle kills credited to A - 10s during the war . Modern era . Inactivated at Myrtle Beach AFB on 31 March 1992 , the 355 FS was reactivated on 20 August 1993 , replacing the inactivating 11th Tactical Air Support Squadron at Eleison AFB , Alaska . The unit ' s primary missions included air strike control , close air support , interdiction , joint air attack team , escort , and combat search and rescue . With a dual role A / OA - 10 squadron commitment and night vision goggles , the squadron had the ability to deploy forward air controllers with attack aircraft for a complete day and night employment capability . The 355th FS also provided air liaison officers for the 172d Stryker Brigade Combat Team ( SBCT ) , providing advice , as ground forward air controllers , on the use of fighters and the tactical employment of close air support assets . In October 1998 , the 355 FS deployed to support Operation SOUTHERN WATCH . Only two months later , the Warthogs saw their second tour of combat duty over Iraq while participating in the 16 – 19 December 1998 , Operation DESERT FOX strike missions . In 2 . 5 months , the 355 FS flew 597 combat and combat support sorties leading up to , then conducting , National Command Authority directed strikes on Iraqi military facilities and suspected weapons of mass destruction storage areas . They achieved 100 percent target hit rate . The unit deployed to Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base , Kuwait , in support of Operation SOUTHERN WATCH , January – March 2001 . The 355 FS also exercised at Hurlburt Field , Florida , to train with Special Forces units , October 2003 . In Spring 2004 the unit deployed to Bagram Air Base , Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom . The unit redeployed there again early 2006 . During both deployments the unit was responsible to provide close air support to Army ground forces and convoys in Afghanistan . Base realignment and closure . On 13 May 2005 , The Department of Defense proposed a major realignment of the base as part of the Base Realignment and Closure program . The A - 10 aircraft will be distributed to the 917th Wing Barksdale Air Force Base , Louisiana ( three aircraft ) ; to a new active - duty unit at Moody Air Force Base , Georgia ( 12 aircraft ) ; and to backup inventory ( three aircraft ) . Lt Col Quentin “ Q - Tip ” Rideout , 355th Fighter Squadron Commander , flew the last operational A - 10 sortie at Eielson AFB on 31 July 2007 . The last three A - 10 aircraft departed Eielson AFB on 15 August 2007 . Lt Col Kevin " Crotch " Blanchard flew 81 - 0944 , Capt Sean " Shark " Hall flew 79 - 0172 , and Capt Dale " Porkchop " Stark flew 80 - 0259 . Although the aircraft were originally scheduled to depart at 0700 , they were delayed until 0830 because of foggy conditions . Lt Col Blanchard was the first to lift off , followed closely by Capt Hall . When Capt Stark took off , and shortly before disappearing into the clouds , he tipped the wings of his jet , a final farewell salute to Eielson AFB and the 355th Fighter Squadron .