421st Fighter Squadron The 421st Fighter Squadron ( 421 FS ) is part of the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base , Utah . It operates the F - 16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting air superiority missions . Mission . The 421 FS prepares to deploy worldwide to conduct Day / Night air superiority and precision strike sorties employing laser - guided and inertia lly aided munitions during contingencies and combat . they are now one of only two f - 16 squadrons still flying in the US . History . World War II . The squadron was activated on 1 May 1943 , as the 421st Night Fighter Squadron , in Orlando , Florida . Following 6 months of flight training , the squadron arrived at Milne Bay , New Guinea , and assumed duty with the 5th Fighter Command , 5th Air Force , in the Southwest Pacific . For the next 14 months , the squadron and its detachments moved several times throughout New Guinea providing cover for U . S . Army assault landings and shipping reconnaissance . Flying patrols , the 421st engaged in bombing and strafing while protecting the various new air bases . By the end of November 1944 , squadron pilots scored victories flying the Lockheed P - 38 Lightning , P - 70 Havoc , and Northrop P - 61 Black Widow . The squadron received P - 61s , the first fighter designated for night fighting , in June 1944 . In October 1944 , squadron personnel moved to the Philippines , and after bitter fighting , established a camp at San Marcelino in February 1945 . During the next 6 months , the squadron ' s activity was intense aerial combat and bombing missions became an everyday occurrence . Following the Japanese surrender , the squadron became part of the occupation forces at Itazuke Air Base , Japan . On 20 February 1947 , the squadron was inactivated , with 16 victories to its credit . Vietnam War . Fifteen years later , on 8 July 1962 , the 421st Tactical Fighter Squadron was activated and named a tactical fighter squadron with the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing , George Air Force Base , California . For two years the squadron flew the Republic F - 105 Thunderchief . While deployed to Kadena Air Base , Okinawa , from April to August 1965 , flight crews rotated to a sister squadron in Southeast Asia enabling squadron members to gain combat experience . From April 1966 to April 1967 the 421 TFS was stationed at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base , Thailand , with the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing . For the next two years , the squadron was stationed with three different stateside wings , though in name only . On 23 April 1969 , the 421 TFS transferred to Kunsan Air Base , Korea , furnishing McDonnell Douglas F - 4 Phantom II ' s for defense alert . On 21 June 1969 , the squadron was transferred to Da Nang Air Base , Republic of Vietnam , and remained there through October 1972 , flying 15 , 420 combat missions . On 31 October 1972 , the unit moved to Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base , Thailand , with the 432d Reconnaissance Wing . Combat missions continued in Vietnam until the cease - fire on 28 January 1973 , in Laos until February 1973 , and in Cambodia until 15 August 1973 . The squadron then changed to a training environment and participated in countless tactical air exercises . During April 1975 , squadron pilots participated in the evacuation of Phnom Penh , Cambodia and Saigon , Republic of Vietnam . In May 1975 , the squadron flew in tactical missions associated with the recovery of the SS Mayagüez and its crew . For its tremendous efforts in Southeast Asia , the 421 TFS earned three Presidential Unit Citations , six Air Force Outstanding Unit Award s with " V " devices , the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm , and flies 12 campaign streamers for Southeast Asian duty . Cold War . In December 1975 , the 366 TFW transferred from Thailand to Hill Air Force Base , and by 30 June 1977 , the 421 TFS unit was combat ready . On 29 December 1978 , the squadron was reduced to zero aircraft , yet remained with the 366th until June 1980 when they received their first F - 16 Fighting Falcon . The 421st was the second squadron to achieve combat ready status in the F - 16 . After attaining combat readiness in the F - 16 , the 421 TFS was tasked to provide formal training for pilots transitioning to the F - 16 . In November 1981 , the squadron deployed to Egypt where it trained Egyptian pilots in exercise Bright Star . From 1 July 1982 , until 1 January 1983 , the 421 TFS had trained pilots from Britain , Egypt , and Pakistan , as well as U . S . pilots . Squadron deployment locations in the 1980s included Egypt , Oman , Norway , Italy , Ecuador , Denmark , Saudi Arabia , and Kuwait . Modern era . The 421 FS completed conversion to the new F - 16CG Block 40 aircraft in February 1990 , the second squadron to do so . On 30 August 1990 , the squadron deployed to the Persian Gulf in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm . On 20 March 1991 , the 421st redeployed to its home at Hill Air Force Base after distinguishing itself by flying 1 , 300 combat sorties ( 1 , 200 at night ) without any losses or battle damage . Since then , the 421st FS has deployed around the world in support of various operations , including Operations Southern Watch , Northern Watch , and Noble Eagle . In August 2002 , the 421st transferred all its maintenance personnel to the 388th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron as part of the wing reorganization . The 421st FS deployed with the 421st Aircraft Maintenance Unit ( AMU ) to Al Udeid Air Base , Qatar , to support Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom from May to September 2003 . The 421 FS and AMU became the first - ever active duty F - 16 squadron to deploy to Balad Air Base , Iraq , however the 107th Fighter Squadron of the Michigan Air National Guard from Selfridge ANG Base Michigan was the first F - 16 squadron to fly out Iraq In 2003 . The 412st was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom from August 2004 to January 2005 . The squadron flew over 1 , 300 sorties during its first deployment to Iraq . The squadron then returned to Balad Air Base from May to September 2006 flying 1 , 400 sorties and 6 , 400 hours . On 22 June 2009 a single - seat F - 16 from the squadron on a training mission , a nighttime high - angle strafing run , crashed in the Utah Test and Training Range . The pilot , Captain George Bryan Houghton , 28 , was killed . A USAF mishap investigation concluded that the cause of the crash was pilot error , finding that Houghton ' s inexperience and apparent disorientation during the strafing run caused him to fly the aircraft into the ground . 2013 Sequestration . Air Combat Command officials announced a stand down and reallocation of flying hours for the rest of the fiscal year 2013 due to mandatory budget cuts . The across - the board spending cuts , called sequestration , took effect 1 March when Congress failed to agree on a deficit - reduction plan . Squadrons either stood down on a rotating basis or kept combat ready or at a reduced readiness level called “ basic mission capable ” for part or all of the remaining months in fiscal 2013 . This affected the 421st Fighter Squadron with a reduction of its flying hours , placing it into a basic mission capable status from 5 April - 30 September 2013 .