7th Fighter Squadron The 7th Fighter Squadron ( 7 FS ) is a United States Air Force unit , assigned to the 49th Operations Group . It is stationed at Holloman Air Force Base , New Mexico . The 7th flies the F - 22 Raptor air supremacy fighter . Overview . The 7th Fighter Squadron " Screamin ' Demons " maintain combat readiness to deploy worldwide in accordance with Secretary of Defense taskings . Operating the F - 22A Raptor , the squadron provides unsurpassed air dominance in the world ' s most dangerous threat arenas . The squadron ' s emblem is described as a " Bunyap , an Australian aboriginal death demon " . The usual spelling is Bunyip . History . World War II . The 7th Fighter Squadron origins date to 16 January 1941 , when it was activated as Selfridge Field , Michigan as the 7th Pursuit Squadron . It was equipped with Seversky P - 35 s that were transferred from the 1st Pursuit Group that departed to Rockwell Field , California . In May 1941 , the squadron proceeded to Morrison Field , West Palm Beach , Florida , to train in the the Curtiss P - 40 fighter . After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor , training was greatly accelerated to prepare the Squadron for combat duty . By 16 February 1942 , the 7th found themselves at Bankstown Airfield , Sydney , Australia , as one of the first American aviation units in the Southwest Pacific , flying the Curtiss P - 40 Warhawk . The first combat action with the Japanese happened on 14 March over Horn Island , Queensland off the Cape York Peninsula , Australia , with the 7th downing 5 Japanese Zeroes , taking no losses themselves . Until September 1942 , the 7th would remain in Australia , engaged primarily in air defense . The 7th moved to join the other 2 squadrons of the 49th PG , in the defense of Darwin , Northern Territory , in April 1942 . It then moved North to Schwimmer Airfield , Port Moresby , New Guinea , where its P - 40s flew attack and air defense missions against Japanese fortifications . During this period , the squadron originally known as the " Screamin ’ Demons , " adopted their mascot and emblem , the Bunyap , an Australian aboriginal death demon . Even to this day , the Bunyap remains the squadron emblem . During World War II , the 7th had 10 of its members earn Ace status , as each of them destroyed 5 or more enemy aircraft in aerial combat . The squadron continued to function effectively during WW II scoring 36 " Kills " in December 1944 . By the end of the war , the Screamin ’ Demons had achieved 178 " Kills . " The squadron participated in the Allied offensive that pushed the Japanese back along the Kokoda Track , took part in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea in March 1943 , fought for control of the approaches to Huon Gulf , and supported ground forces during the campaign in which the Allies eventually recovered New Guinea . It covered the landings on Noemfoor and had a part in . the conquest of Biak . After having used Lockheed P - 38 Lightnings , Curtiss P - 40 Warhawks and Republic P - 47 Thunderbolts , the squadron was equipped completely in September 1944 with P - 38 ' s , which were used to fly long - range escort and attack missions to Mindanao , Halmahera , Seram , and Borneo . The unit arrived in the Philippines in October 1944 , shortly after the assault landings on Leyte and engaged enemy fighters , attacked shipping in Ormoc Bay , supported ground forces , and covered the Allied invasion of Luzon . For or intensive operations against the Japanese on Leyte , the group was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation . Other missions from the Philippines included strikes against industry and transportation on Formosa and against shipping along the China coast . The end of the war in August 1945 found the 7th Fighter Squadron on Okinawa , preparing for the planned invasion of Japan in November . After the Japanese Capitulation , the squadron moved to the Japanese Home Islands , initially being stationed at the former Imperial Japanese Navy Atsugi Airfield , near Tokyo on 15 September 1945 . It ' s war - weary P - 38 Lightnings were sent back to the United States and the squadron was re - equipped with P - 51D Mustang s with a mission of both occupation duty and show - of - force flights . In February 1946 , the squadron was moved to Chitose AB , on northern Honshu and assumed an air defense mission over Honshu and also Hokkaido Island . The pilots of the squadron were briefed not to allow any Soviet Air Force aircraft over Japanese airspace , as there was tension between the United States and the Soviet Union about Soviet occupation forces landing on Hokkaido . In April 1948 , the squadron moved to the newly - rebuilt Misawa AB when the host 49th Fighter Group took up home station responsibilities . At Misawa , the squadron moved into the jet age when it was re - equipped with the F - 80C Shooting Star . Korean War . With the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950 , the 7th was one of the first USAF squadrons dispatched to Korea from Japan , initially operating propeller - driven F - 51Ds to cover the evacuation of civilians from Kimpo and Suwon . Next , it flew close air support missions to help slow the advancing North Korean armies . Later , it turned to the interdiction of enemy troops , supplies and communications from Misawa . However its short - range F - 80Cs meant that the 49th had to move to South Korea in order for them to be effective . The squadron moved to Taegu AB ( K - 2 ) on 1 October 1950 , becoming the first jet fighter outfit to operate from bases in South Korea . During the autumn of 1950 and spring of 1951 , the squadron flew combat missions on a daily basis from Tageu , flying escort missions for B - 29 Superfortress es over North Korea and engaging Communist MiG - 15 fighters in air - to - air combat . When the Chinese Communist Forces ( CCF ) Intervention Campaign gained momentum in 1950 – 1951 , the squadron again concentrated on the ground support mission , attacking Communist Chinese ground units in North Korea , moving south until the line was stabilized and held just south of Seoul . The 49th changed equipment to the F - 84G Thunderjet in mid - 1951 , It engaged Communist forces on the ground in support of the 1st UN Counteroffensive Campaign ( 1951 ) . Afterwards , it engaged primarily in air interdiction operations against the main enemy channel of transportation , the roads and railroads between Pyongyang and Sinuiju . Also , it flew close air support missions for the ground forces and attacked high value targets , including the Sui - ho hydroelectric plants in June 1952 and the Kumgang Political School in October 1952 . On 27 July 1953 , the squadron joined with the 58th FBG to bomb Sunan Airfield for the final action of F - 84 fighter - bombers during the Korean War . The wing remained in Korea for a time after the armistice . It was reassigned to Japan in November 1953 and returned to its air defense mission . The squadron upgraded to the F - 86F Sabre in 1956 . By late 1957 , however , Worldwide DOD Budget restrictions during FY 1958 meant that the 49th FBW would be inactivated as part of a reduction of the USAF units based in Japan . United States Air Forces in Europe . Due to seniority , after the 49th ' s inactivation in Japan , the designation replaced the 388th Fighter - Bomber Wing at Etain - Rouvres Air Base , France on 10 December 1957 in a same - day , name - only transfer . The 7th FBS assumed the aircraft , personnel and equipment of the 561st Fighter - Bomber Squadron which was inactivated . As the 49th had been a part of American forces in the Pacific since it was sent to Australia in January 1942 , the assignment to Europe after fifteen years in the Pacific was a major change for the organization . Taking over the seven F - 100D Super Sabre s and three dual - seat F - 100F trainers of the 561st , the squadron continued its normal peacetime training . The squadron began keeping four of its planes on 15 - minute alert ( Victor Alert ) on 1 February 1958 so a portion of the squadron could react quickly in an emergency . During the fall of 1958 , most of the squadron operated from Chalon - Vatry Air Base while the runway at Etan was being repaired and resurfaced . However , the nuclear - capable F - 100 was troublesome to the host French Government , the French decreed that all United States nuclear weapons and delivery aircraft had to be removed from French soil by July 1958 . As a result , the F - 100 ' s of the 49th FBW had to be removed from France . After negotiations with the French , the 49th ' s Wing commander was informed that the wing would be departing from France on 1 July 1959 and be moved to Spangdahlem AB , West Germany . During the relocation to West Germany , the squadron deployed to Wheelus Air Base , Libya , for gunnery training . However , not all squadron personnel moved to Spangdahlem , as many of the 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing personnel there were almost at the end of their tours and did not want to move to RAF Alconbury , where the 10th was being relocated to in order to accommodate the 49th . As a result , some squadron ground support personnel instead moved to RAF Lakenheath , England to backfill vacancies there , while the 10th TRW personnel at Spandahlem were allowed to finish out their assignments . At Spangdahlem , the squadron flew F - 100s until 1961 when it converted to the Republic F - 105D / F Thunderchief , commonly known as the " Thud " . The 49th TFW was only the third USAF unit to operate the F - 105 . As part of USAFE , the 7th participated in many NATO exercises . In February 1967 , the 7th opened the 49th Weapons Training Detachment at Wheelus Air Base , Libya , to begin transition to the McDonnell Douglas F - 4D Phantom II , and received it ' s first F - 4D on 9 March 1967 . In the late 1960s , the Defense Budget began to be squeezed by the costs of the ongoing Vietnam War . Secretary of Defense Robert MacNamara decided to reduce costs in Europe by " Dual Basing " United States military units in Europe by returning them permanently to the United States , and conducting annual deployment exercises in Europe , giving the units a NATO commitment for deployment to bases in Europe if tensions with the Soviet Union warranted an immediate military buildup . The 49th Tactical Fighter Wing was returned to the United States under this policy , being reassigned on 1 July 1968 to Holloman Air Force Base , New Mexico , to serve as the US Air Force ’ s first dual - based , NATO - committed wing . Holloman Air Force Base . At Holloman , the squadron participated in Tactical Air Command tactical exercises and firepower demonstrations to maintain combat readiness . Also , the first " Tail Codes " to identify squadron aircraft were applied , rather than the traditional blue colors of the 7th which had been used since the Korean War . Initially " HB " was the tail code identifier for the 7th , however , in 1972 , the Air Force issued AFM 66 - 1 which specified wing tail codes and the squadron ' s planes were standardized on the 49th ' s " HO " tail code . However , a blue tail stripe was applied to identify squadron aircraft . The 7th also retained its NATO commitment to return once a year to its " dual base " home in West Germany . These deployments were known as " Crested Cap " , and were as follows : With the end of the Cold War and subsequent force drawdowns by USAFE , these annual exercises ended in 1991 . Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base . On 4 May 1972 , after North Vietnam invaded South Vietnam , the entire wing , except for a rear echelon that remained to run Holloman , deployed at Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base , Thailand . Operation Constant Guard III , ordered in response to the North Vietnamese invasion , was the largest movement that the Tactical Air Command ( TAC ) had ever performed . In nine days , the squadron deployed its F - 4D Phantom IIs from Holloman to Takhli . Airmen arriving reported that Takhli was a mess , with missing or broken plumbing fixtures , no hot water , and no drinking water - that had to be trucked in from Korat every day . Bed frames had been thrown out of the hootches into the high snake - infested grass , and mattresses or bedding consisted of sleeping bags at best . The 7th TFS flew combat sorties in South Vietnam , Cambodia , and Laos from 1 July – 24 September 1972 during Operation Linebacker , the bombardment campaign in North Vietnam . During this deployment , Operation Constant Guard , the squadron flew over just about every battle zone from An Loc to vital installations in the Hanoi vicinity . During five months of combat , the squadron did not lose any aircraft or personnel . The unit officially closed out its Southwest Asia duty 6 October 1972 . F - 15A Eagle era . In October 1977 , the 49th TFW ended its " dual - base " commitment to NATO and changed to an air superiority mission with the wing beginning a conversion from the F - 4D Phantom II to the F - 15A Eagle ; the 49th being the second USAF operational wing to receive the F - 15A . The transition was completed 4 June 1978 . Due to the change in equipment , the annual NATO deployments were taken over by the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing , Seymour Johnson AFB , in 1978 , however they resumed ( although not on an annual basis ) in 1981 . In the United States , training missions was refocused on dissimilar air combat tactics for multi - theater operations , partipating in numerous Red Flags , Joint Training exercises , and deployments in the Air Defense / Superiority Mission . Frequent deployments were made to Nellis AFB , Nevada to exercise with the F - 5E Tiger II " Agressor " aircraft of the 57th Fighter Weapons Wing , and other aircraft types ( including clandestine exercises with Soviet aircraft flown by the 4477th Test and Evaluation Squadron at Tonopah Test Range Airport , Nevada ) . Also , after TAC absorbed the interceptor mission of Aerospace Defense Command ( ADTAC ) in 1979 , the Squadron maintained the TAC NORAD Air Defense Alert commitment in the Eagle , with the best scramble times in NORAD . On 12 October 1989 , the squadron was called into action once again . Several F - 15A aircraft deployed to Howard AFB , Panama in support of Operation Just Cause . The purpose of this deployment was to support President Bush ’ s national drug control strategy . During this operation , General Manuel Noriega surrendered and was transported back to Homestead AFB , Florida where he was arraigned on federal drug trafficking charges . No combat sorties however , were flown in support of the removal of Noriega and the squadron returned to Holloman by the end of October . With the introduction of the F - 15C Eagle in the mid - 1980s , the upgraded Eagle began replacing the F - 15A / Bs in service with all of the USAF units that had previously been operating the Eagle with the exception of the 49th TFW . By the time of Operation Desert Storm in 1991 , the F - 15A Eagles at Holloman had been relegated to a training role ; combat deployments of the Eagle were the purview of F - 15C units . F - 117 Nighthawk era . In 1992 , the 49th FW underwent a number of transitions . As a result of the end of the Cold War , reduced defense budgets were the order of the day . As a result , the 7th Fighter Squadron retired its F - 15A Eagles and received the F - 117A Nighthawk Stealth Fighters of the 37th Fighter Wing 415th Fighter Squadron , which was subsequently inactivated . After conversion to the F - 117A in May 1992 , The 7th deployed fighters and their crews to Southwest Asia during the 1990s as part of Operation Southern Watch to support United Nations weapons inspectors in Iraq , to enforce the no - fly zone over the southern part of that country to deprive Saddam Hussein of his Weapons of Mass Destruction ( WMD ) programs and to force his compliance with the UN monitoring regime . 7th F - 117s fighters deployed to the Gulf in 1998 during Operation Desert Fox to upgrade the strike force ' s capability to attack high - value targets . But the 18 hour flight from Holloman AFB to Kuwait meant that the operation was over before the F - 117 aircraft arrived in the Gulf . In June 1999 the 7th took over the pilot transition training mission ( LIFT ) to the F - 117A and the T - 38 Talon trainers , being re - designated as the 7th Combat Training Squadron . The 7th became the mainstay of developing combat capability for the F - 117 , with its T - 38s providing both transition training as well as dissimilar air combat training as " aggressors " against the Nighthawk . The training mission with the stealth fighters continued until 2005 when it was announced by the Air Force that the Nighthawk would be retired in favor of the F - 22A Raptor stealth superiority fighter . The 7th was inactivated on 15 December 2006 after 65 continuous years of active duty . F - 22A Raptor era . The inactivation of the 7th , however , was brief as it was re - activated on 15 May 2008 as the 7th Fighter Squadron , and equipped with the F - 22A Raptor . The 7th , was the first of two F - 22 squadrons to be activated at Holloman . The squadron was equipped with 18 F - 22s transferred from the 3d Wing at Elmendorf AFB , Alaska , the last aircraft being received in late 2009 . Since its re - activation , the 7th Fighter Squadron has deployed frequently to overseas locations in support of United States objectives . In 2012 , it was announced that the 7th Fighter Squadron was to move its hundreds of F - 22 support personnel and aircraft to Tyndall Air Force Base , Florida , in the spring of 2013 to comply with the Air Force ' s F - 22 fleet consolidation plan . In return , the squadron was to receive F - 16 Fighting Falcon aircraft from Luke Air Force Base , Arizona as part of a training restructuring plan to move the F - 16 Training School from Luke to Holloman . Luke AFB is scheduled to begin the F - 35A Lightning II training mission in October 2005 . In August 2013 , it was announced however , that the United States Congress enacted a freeze on U . S . Air Force structure changes , including aircraft transfers . These moves are currently under review .