309th Fighter Squadron The 309th Fighter Squadron ( 309 FS ) is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base , Arizona . It operates the F - 16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training . Mission . The 309th FS ( " Wild Ducks " , Tailband : Blue & White ) , flies F - 16C and F - 16D aircraft drawn from production Blocks 25 and 42 conducting F - 16 crew training for active duty USAF pilots . History . World War II . Initially established under Third Air Force in early 1942 as a fighter squadron at Baer Field , Indiana , flying some antisubmarine patrols in the Gulf of Mexico . Deployed to the European Theater of Operations ( ETO ) in June 1942 without aircraft as its P - 40s and P - 39s were deemed unsuitable for use against German aircraft in long range bomber escort duties . Was re - equipped with RAF Spitfire Vs and its pilots and technicians spent a two - month period undergoing intensive training in flying and fighting with RAF pilots in the British aircraft from airfields in southeast England . The squadron flew its first combat mission on 18 August 1942 , when it attacked enemy positions in occupied France . Assigned to the new Twelfth Air Force and deployed to Gibraltar in November 1942 as part of the Operation Torch invasion forces , initially operating from former Vichy French airfields in Algeria . Advanced east across Algeria and Tunisia during the North African Campaign , supporting the Fifth United States Army which halted Field Marshal Rommel ' s advance on allied positions . Spitfires from the squadron provided support for Allied Forces as the Invasion of Italy began with the capture of Sicily , and later the landings by Allied forces in Fascist Italy , moving north supporting the Fifth Army during the Italian Campaign . As Allied bomber forces operating from Italy began the strategic bombing of Axis petroleum and communications facilities in central Europe and the Balkans , the squadron was re - equipped with the North American P - 51 Mustang to replace the shorter - ranged Spitfire . In August 1944 , the P - 51 ' s were involved in the invasion of Southern France . In December 1944 , the first destruction of a German jet fighter by a 308th P - 51 occurred , eventually operating from the Po Valley in Northern Italy at the end of the European War in May 1945 . By war ' s end , the squadron had earned two Distinguished Unit Citation s and was involved in eight campaigns The squadron was largely demobilized during the summer of 1945 in Europe , a skeleton force returned to Drew Field , Florida in August , inactivating largely as an administrative unit in November . Reactivated from elements of several inactivating organizations in Germany in August 1946 , Performed occupation duty and operating early - model P - 80A Shooting Star jets from former Luftwaffe jet - capable airfields at Giebelstadt and Kitzingen . Returned to the United States in June 1947 without personnel or equipment which remained in Germany . Cold War . Assigned to Strategic Air Command at Langley AFB , Virginia as a fighter - escort squadron , equipped with straight - winged F - 84E Thunderjet s . Assigned to Turner AFB , Georgia with mission of long - range escort of B - 29 Superfortress bombers , later B - 50 and B - 36 Peacemaker s as newer aircraft came into operation by SAC . Relieved from assignment to SAC and made non - operational in 1957 with phaseout of B - 36 and end of SAC escort fighter concept . On 1 April 1957 the parent 31 SFW was transferred back to Tactical Air Command and moved to George AFB , California . Trained in tactical air support of ground forces , deploying to NATO bases for operational exercises . Reassigned to Homestead AFB , Florida after the Cuban Missile Crisis , late 1962 to provide air defense of South Florida . On 8 February 1964 the 308th Fighter Squadron flew a non - stop mission from Homestead AFB , Florida , to Cigli Air Base , Turkey . The 6 , 600 - mile trip required eight in - flight refuelings and set a new record for the longest mass flight of jet aircraft to cross the Atlantic . The flight also led to the wing receiving the Tactical Air Command Outstanding Fighter Wing Award for 1964 , the second consecutive year it won that award . Was deployed to Southeast Asia , 1964 as part of advisory forces operating against North Vietnamese and National Liberation Front forces in South Vietnam . For its efforts in Southeast Asia from 16 December 1966 to 15 October 1970 , the 308th was awarded the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm . The 308th Fighter Squadron also won the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with combat " V " device . Reassigned back to TAC at Homestead AFB in 1970 , as part of re - establishment of 31st TFW upon its return from duty in Southeast Asia . Equipped with F - 4Es . Was deployed to Thailand , July 1972 , engaging North Vietnamese forces in northern South Vietnam in response to the communist spring offensive . Returned to the United States in the late fall 1972 . For the next 20 years , performed routine training and tactical deployments from Homestead AFB . At the end of 1986 the squadron and wing changed tail codes from ZF to HS , which better matched the squadrons location in Homestead . Upgraded to the F - 16A Fighting Falcon in 1988 , upgrading to receive Shaw AFB block 25s in August 1990 . The Gulf War build - up and the 363rd TFW at Shaw AFB deploying to Saudi Arabia meant no more block 25s were available . With some F - 16A / B block 15s still in service for the 309th TFS , it continued to operate both types . When Desert Storm ended it was decided to convert the 31st TFW to block 40 F - 16s instead . Up to that point about ten block 25s had reached the 309th FS . They were all sent to other units . Neither of the 31st TFW ' s other sister squadrons flew the block 25 . In March 1991 the 309th began conversion to the block 40 version of the F - 16 . On 1 October 1991 the word ' Tactical ' was dropped and the unit became the 309th Fighter Squadron . By early 1992 the conversion to block 40 F - 16s with the general purpose role was complete . Modern era . The squadron evacuated to Shaw Air Force Base , South Carolina , in August 1992 , narrowly escaping the devastation of Hurricane Andrew . It was to be a temporary move to Moody , but Homestead was so heavily damaged it was never re - opened for any of the 31st FW squadrons After destruction of Homestead AFB , was reassigned permanently to the 363d Operations Group at Shaw . At this point the ' HS ' tail code began to be replaced with a ' SW ' tail code . When Shaw AFB began converting to the block 50 in 1993 , even the 309th FS was involved receiving many examples . Although the squadron began converting to the block 50 , it was short lived . The 20th FW at RAF Upper Heyford , England inactivated and moved its Wing and associate squadrons to Shaw AFB . On 31 December 1993 the 363d FW disbanded and the same day the 309th FS inactivated . Plans were already in the works which involved moving the 309th Fighter Squadron to Luke Air Force Base , Arizona , where it would continue its heritage , this time as a training squadron under the 56th Fighter Wing . The Air Force reactivated the squadron on 1 April 1994 , as with the block 25 version of the Viper . The 309th produced 14 aces over the years , totaling 161 kills among them . The 309th also received numerous awards , including two Distinguished Unit Citation s , one Presidential Unit Citation , two Air Force Outstanding Unit Award s with Combat " V " Device , two Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards , and one Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm . In addition , the squadron earned 25 campaign streamers from World War II through Southeast Asia . The squadron emblem is a 1944 Walt Disney production copyrighted design . It symbolizes the fighter mission celestial navigation pioneered by this squadron , its around - the - clock mission readiness , and its striking power .