311th Fighter Squadron The 311th Fighter Squadron ( 311 FS ) is an inactive United States Air Force unit . It was last assigned to the 56th Operations Group , being stationed at Luke Air Force Base , Arizona . It was inactivated on 26 September 1995 . The squadron operated the F - 16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training at Luke . Was inactivated due to budget constraints after the end of the Cold War . History . World War II . The 311th Fighter Squadron was constituted on 21 January 1942 , as the 310th Pursuit Squadron ( Interceptor ) and was activated on 9 February at Harding Field , Louisiana , where it flew the P - 39 and P - 40 aircraft . During 1942 and early 1943 the squadron was both an Operational and a Replacement Training Unit initially under III Fighter Command , being reassigned to I Fighter Command in October 1942 . Also was part of the air defense of the Northeast United States , being a component of several Air Defense fighter wings ( Philadelphia , New York , Boston ) , under First Air Force . Was converted into an operational squadron in March 1943 at Bradley Field , Connecticut , being re - equipped with P - 47 Thunderbolt s . Was deployed to the Southwest Pacific Theater , being assigned to Fifth Air Force in Australia in November 1943 . Began combat operations in February 1944 , providing protection for U . S . bases and escorting transports initially , then escorting bombers over New Guinea and sea convoys to Admiralty Islands . From Noemfoor , bombed and strafed Japanese airfields and installations on Ceram , Halmahera , and the Kai Islands . Moved to the Philippines in Nov , flew fighter sweeps against enemy airfields , supported U . S . ground forces , and protected sea convoys and transport routes . Beginning in July 1945 , attacked railways , airfields , and enemy installations in Korea and Kyushu , Japan from Okinawa . After V - J Day , flew reconnaissance missions over Japan . Moved without personnel or equipment to the Philippines in Dec to be inactivated in January 1946 at Fort William McKinley , Luzon . Cold War . Reactivated during the Korean War at Taegu Air Base , South Korea , being re - designated the 311th Fighter - Bomber Squadron . First equipped with the Republic F - 84G Thunderjet , the squadron adopted the North American F - 86 Sabre jet in 1954 and kept it through 1958 . During the Korean War , the squadron flew primarily air - to - ground missions supporting ground operations . The 311th FBS participated in the Korea Summer - Fall 1952 , Third Korean Winter , and Korean Summer - Fall 1953 campaigns , the squadron again distinguished itself , earning the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation . After the armistice in 1953 , the squadron was moved to Osan Air Base on 19 March 1955 . Remained in South Korea to provide deterrence against any armistice violations by North Korea . Inactivated 1 July 1958 due to budget restraints . Pilot training . Reactivated in January 1970 as the 310th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron , assuming personnel and equipment of the provisional 4515th Combat Crew Training Squadron , carried tail code " LA " with yellow fin cap . Initially operated the F - 100D Super Sabre s of the 4515th CCTS , re - equipped with the McDonnell F - 4C Phantom II in August 1971 , performing F - 4 pilot training role previously performed by Davis - Monthan AFB units . Re - equipped with Block 1 , 5 and 10 F - 16A / B Fighting Falcon aircraft in late 1982 . F - 16s carried tail code " LF " . In 1988 the squadron began receiving brand new block 42 F - 16C / Ds to replace the F - 16A / B . Inactivated 1 April 1994 with the phase down of combat training at Luke after the end of the Cold War . Reactivated in January 1995 with F - 16C / D block 42s to train Foreign Military Sales customers , mission and aircraft reassigned to the 152d Fighter Squadron , Arizona Air National Guard at Tucson Air National Guard Base and inactivated late September 1995