523d Fighter Squadron The 523d Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit . Its last assignment was with the 27th Operations Group stationed at Cannon Air Force Base , New Mexico . During World War II , its predecessor unit , the 17th Bombardment Squadron ( Light ) fought in the Philippines Campaign ( 1941 – 1942 ) . Its ground personnel fought as infantry in the 1941 - 1942 Battle of Bataan with the survivors being forced to march as prisoners in the Bataan Death March . The squadron reformed with its present numerical designation , and by the end of World War II , the Airmen of the 523d were among the most decorated USAAF units of the war , having fought in the North African , Sicilian , Italian and Southern France campaigns in the European Theater . Until its inactivation in 2007 , the 523d had been engaged in every major combat action the United States had engaged in since its activation in 1940 ( World War II , both Pacific and European Theaters ; Korean War ; Vietnam War ; Operation Desert Storm ; Global War on Terrorism ) . Operations . The 523d Fighter Squadron was known as the " Crusaders " . Its primary mission was to maintain a continuous ability to rapidly deploy and support American unified commanders worldwide with day or night F - 16C combat operations . They are committed to decisively employing the F - 16C throughout the entire spectrum of offensive and defensive missions , including air interdiction , close air support , forward air control , strategic attack and counter - air , through employing a wide variety of conventional , precision - guided and nuclear weapon s . It was inactivated in 2007 when Cannon ( and its host 27th wing ) realigned from an Air Combat Command fighter base to an Air Force Special Operations Command base with a new mission . History . Formed as a B - 18 Bolo bombardment squadron under Third Air Force in Louisiana during 1940 . Re - equipped with A - 24 Dauntless Dive Bombers , then in late 1941 , ordered to Seventh Air Force in the Philippines in response to the growing crisis in the Pacific . Ground echelon arrived in Philippines in late November 1941 , however outbreak of World War II in the Pacific caused A - 24 aircraft to be diverted to Australia . Portions of air echelon flew to Australia to pick up aircraft , however Japanese advance in the Philippines prevented their return . Personnel in the Philippines reassigned as ground infantry unit and engaged the enemy on Luzon during the ground Battle of Bataan . Some personnel were evacuated to Australia by submarine . After collapse of organized United States resistance in May 1942 , survivors endured Bataan Death March or continued as unorganized resistance forces in the Occupied Philippines . Air Echelon reorganized in Australian Northern Territory and fought in Dutch East Indies and New Guinea Campaigns until equipment depleted . Was inactivated in place and squadron administratively activated at Hunter Field , Georgia . Re - equipped first with A - 20 Havoc s then A - 36 Apache fighter - bombers in the United States , then deployed to North Africa , assigned to Twelfth Air Force . Re - designated as 523d Fighter - Bomber Squadron in August 1943 after Sicilian Campaign . Re - equipped with P - 40 Warhawk s , then P - 47 Thunderbolt s and engaged enemy forces as a tactical fighter squadron during the Italian Campaign . Supported ground forces in the Invasion of Southern France and drive northwards though Lyon until linking with Allied ground forces in eastern France . Returned to Italy and engaged enemy forces in the Po Valley , then returning to France in the spring of 1945 and supporting ground forces during the Western Allied invasion of Germany in March / April 1945 . Squadron demobilized in Germany summer 1945 , being inactivated as a paper unit in November 1945 . Reactivated as part of United States Air Forces in Europe occupation forces in Germany , 1946 . Inactivated 1947 as a paper unit , being assigned to Strategic Air Command . Assigned to Kearney AFB , Nebraska in 1947 as a strategic escort squadron for B - 29 / B - 50 Superfortresses . Equipped with very long - range F - 82E Twin Mustang s in 1948 , being replaced with F - 84E Thunderjets in 1950 . Deployed to Far East Air Forces , December 1950 and engaged in combat over Korea as escort squadron for B - 29 Bombers of Far East Air Force . Remained in combat until Armistice in 1953 . Escorted SAC B - 50 / B - 36 Peacemaker strategic bombers throughout the 1950s until SAC inactivated fighter - escort squadrons in 1957 with final phaseout of propeller - driven strategic bomber force . Reassigned to Tactical Air Command and re - equipped with F - 101B Voodoo , then F - 100 Super Sabre tactical fighter aircraft . Assigned to Cannon AFB , New Mexico , however performed rotational deployments to Sixteenth Air Force in southern Europe , deploying to Turkey , France , Saudi Arabia and other stations as part of United States Air Forces in theater . In 1964 , began rotational deployments to Japan and South Korea as part of air defense forces . Reassigned to PACAF in 1965 at Clark Air Base , Philippines . Became rotational deployment squadron to Taiwan in 1966 with F - 100 aircraft ; later provided forces to Thirteenth Air Force in Thailand , 1972 as an F - 4E Phantom II squadron during defense of South Vietnam as a result of North Vietnam ese Easter Invasion ( Operation Linebacker ) . After end of United States involvement in Indochina War , 1973 , returned to Cannon AFB as a tactical fighter squadron .