357th Fighter Squadron The 357th Fighter Squadron ( 357 FS ) is part of the 355th Fighter Wing at Davis - Monthan Air Force Base , Arizona . It operates A - 10 Thunderbolt II aircraft conducting close air support missions . Mission . The 357th conducts all formal course directed aircraft transition , day and night weapons and tactics employment , day and night air refueling , and dissimilar air combat maneuvers . The squadron trains pilots to plan , coordinate , execute , and control day and night close air support , air interdiction and battlefield surveillance and reconnaissance . History . World War II . Established in late 1942 as a P - 47 Thunderbolt fighter squadron , trained under III Fighter Command in Florida and in the Middle Atlantic States , reassigned to I Fighter Command for final training in the Philadelphia area . Also performed Air Defense over the Philadelphia area in mid - 1943 . Deployed to the European Theater of Operations ( ETO ) , being assigned to the 65th Fighter Wing , VIII Fighter Command , Eighth Air Force . Engaged in low - level sweeps over the low countries and Occupied France , attacking enemy airfields and targets of opportunity such as locomotives , bridges , radio stations , and armoured cars . Later serving primarily as an escort for VIII Bomber Command B - 17 and B - 24 heavy bombers during missions into Germany . On 5 April 1944 , shortly after converting from P - 47 ' s to P - 51 Mustang s , the squadron successfully bombed and strafed German airfields during a snow squall . Provided fighter cover for Allied forces landing in Normandy on 6 June 1944 , and afterwards hit transportation facilities to cut enemy supply lines . Hit fuel dumps , locomotives , and other targets in support of ground forces during the breakthrough at Saint - Lô in July . Remained in combat until 25 April 1945 . Moved to Occupied Germany as part of the United States Air Forces in Europe for occupation duty at Gablingen , Germany , later moving to AAF Station Schweinfurt . Transferred , without personnel and equipment , to Mitchel Field New York on 1 August 1946 . It was inactivated on 20 November due to the Air Force ' s policy of retaining only low - numbered groups on active duty after the war . Cold War . Reactivated as the 357th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron under Air Defense Command at Portland International Airport , Oregon in November 1952 . The squadron took over the F - 86F Sabre s of the federalized 123d Fighter - Interceptor Squadron of the Oregon Air National Guard which was returned to state control . Deployed to Nouasseur AB , French Morocco and assigned to the Strategic Air Command Sixteenth Air Force in May 1953 , performing an air defense mission over the SAC REFLEX forward B - 47 Stratojet bases in North Africa . Received new F - 86D Sabre interceptors in early 1955 . Remained in North Africa until 1960 when inactivated as part of the SAC withdrawal from Morocco . Reactivated in July 1962 at George AFB , California under the TAC 355th Tactical Fighter Wing , equipped with F - 105 Thunderchief s . After a period of organization at George , moved to McConnell AFB , Kansas in mid - 1964 . Squadron was deployed to Pacific Air Forces , initially operating from Yokota AB , Japan in the fall of 1964 , then being forward deployed to Korat RTAFB , Thailand in early 1965 , flying combat missions over South Vietnam in support of the US Advisory forces and friendly South Vietnamese units , returning to McConnell in late 1965 . Almost immediately re - deployed to Thailand , this time to Takhli RTAFB in early 1966 as part of the deployment of its parent 355th TFW , becoming permanently assigned to PACAF Thirteenth Air Force . Remained in Thailand engaged in hazardous combat operations over Indochina until 1970 , flying frequent missions over enemy - held territory in South and North Vietnam . Inactivated Takhli on 10 December 1970 as part of the drawdown of US Forces in Southeast Asia in the early 1970s . Reactivated briefly at McConnell AFB in March 1971 , moved to Davis - Monthan AFB , Arizona later that month and reassigned to the reformed 355th Tactical Fighter Wing , equipped with the new A - 7D Corsair II ground support aircraft . It achieved operationally - ready status in 1972 . In late 1972 , deployed its Corsairs to Korat RTAFB , Thailand and was attached to the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing ( Forward Echelon ) , which had deployed to Korat from Myrtle Beach AFB , South Carolina . From Korat , the squadron ' s aircraft conducted combat operations first in South Vietnam , returning to Davis - Monthan in July 1973 . Modern era . Taken off operational status in 1976 , becoming an A - 7D Pilot training squadron . Received A - 10A Thunderbolt II s in 1979 , the replacement for the A - 7Ds , and becoming an A - 10 Thunderbolt II Operational Training Unit , the mission the squadron currently performs .