60th Fighter Squadron The 60th Fighter Squadron ( 60 FS ) is an inactive United States Air Force squadron . It was last assigned to the 33d Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base , Florida . It was inactivated on 1 January 2009 . History . World War II . Activated in 1940 at Mitchel Field , New York as the 60th Pursuit Squadron , the unit was attached to the 33d Pursuit Group on 15 January 1941 . Re - designated as the 60th Fighter Squadron " Fighting Crows " on 15 May 1942 , the unit was responsible for the continual mission of air defense of the United States until October 1942 . In late 1942 , the 60th joined the United States ' effort in World War II by participating in combat operations in the Mediterranean Theater and the China - Burma - India Theater . As a result of superior performance in central Tunisia , the 60th earned the Distinguished Unit Citation for combat operations on 15 January 1944 . Following its service in World War II , the 60th was assigned to the 33d Fighter Group at Neubiberg Air Base , Germany in August 1946 and flew the P - 51 Mustang . Air Defense Command . In 1947 , the 60th transferred to Roswell , New Mexico and soon afterward , in June 1948 , converted to the F - 84 Thunderjet . In November 1948 , the 60th transferred to Otis Air Force Base , Massachusetts and by June of the following year had completed a conversion to the new F - 86 Sabre . On 9 August 1950 , the 60th moved to Westover Air Force Base , Massachusetts and on 1 January 1951 became part of the Air Defense Command . From 1952 - 1959 , the 60th , flying the F - 86 Sabre and the F - 94 Starfire was assigned to various organizations including , the 4707th Defense Wing , 4735th Air Defense Group and the Boston Air Defense Sector all located at Otis Air Force Base . On 5 January 1959 , the 60th was the first Air Defense squadron to receive the new McDonnell F - 101B Voodoo interceptor . The unit was additionally tasked as part of the joint test force ( teamed with members at Eglin Air Force Base , Florida ) to test the F - 101 ' s operational capabilities prior to its entrance into active service . The F - 101B proved to be a quite successful interceptor . assigned alongside the F - 101B interceptor was the F - 101F operational and conversion trainer . The two - seat trainer version was equipped with dual controls , but carried the same armament as the F - 101B and were fully combat - capable . During the 1960s the 60th participated in various tests , exercises , and operations in the Air Defense Command . In October and November 1962 , the unit was placed on alert during the Cuban Missile Crisis , but was never deployed . Although it has been stated that F - 101B Voodoo s from the 60th were used in the production of the 1966 comedy " The Russians Are Coming , the Russians Are Coming " , the film , although set in New England , was shot on the West Coast for financial reasons and the fighters were from the 84th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron , based at Hamilton AFB , California . The 60th inactivated on 30 April 1971 . Tactical Air Command . In September 1971 the squadron was reactivated at Eglin Air Force Base as the 60th Tactical Fighter Squadron . In 1979 the unit participated in the " Kadena Ready Eagle " program in which the members of the 60th trained new F - 15 pilots stationed at Kadena Air Base , Japan . The 60th made its first combat deployment since World War II when it sent ten F - 15s to Grenada in support of Operation Urgent Fury , the rescue of American medical students held in Grenada in the mid - 1980s . The unit continued to train and until it was called upon to fly support missions for Operation Just Cause ( the removal of Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega from Panama in the early 1990s ) . Modern era . The 60th Fighter Squadron flew the F - 15 Eagle and supported the various combatant commander s by providing air superiority on call . It flew its last F - 15 mission on 5 December 2008 . The squadron was inactivated on 1 January 2009 .