157th Fighter Squadron

157th Fighter Squadron
File:157th Fighter Squadron emblem.png 157th Fighter Squadron Squadron Emblem
Active	1942 – present
Country	United States
Branch	Air National Guard
Type	Squadron
Role	Fighter
Part of	South Carolina Air National Guard
Garrison/HQ	McEntire Joint National Guard Base, Columbia, South Carolina
Engagements	Desert Storm

The 157th Fighter Squadron (157 FS) is a unit of the South Carolina Air National Guard 169th Fighter Wing located at McEntire Joint National Guard Base, Columbia, South Carolina. The 157th FS is one of the few Air National Guard squadrons to operate the HARM Targeting System (HTS)-equipped F-16C Block 52 Fighting Falcon, also known as the F-16CJ.

History

World War II

see: 353d Fighter Group for full World War II history

Activated in late 1942. Trained under First Air Force in northeastern United States with P-40 Warhawks, also performing Air Defense as part of Norfolk and Philadelphia Fighter Wings. Deployed to European Theater of Operations, June 1943, being equipped with P-47 Thunderbolts in England. Assigned as a heavy bomber escort squadron under VIII Fighter Command. Re-equipped with long-range P-51D Mustangs, July 1944, Thunderbolts being transferred to IX Fighter Command as tactical fighter-bombers supporting ground forces in France. Performed bomber escort missions until the end of the war in Europe, April 1945.

Squadron demobilized in England during the summer of 1945, inactivated in United States as a paper unit, October 1945. Became part of postwar Georgia Air National Guard in May 1946.

Lineage

• Constituted 350th Fighter Squadron on 29 September 1942

Activated on 1 October 1942

Inactivated on 18 October 1945.

• Re-designated: 158th Fighter Squadron, and allotted to South Carolina ANG, on 24 May 1946

Extended federal recognition on 9 December 1946

Federalized and ordered to active service on: 1 April 1951

Re-designated: 157th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 10 Oct 1951

Relieved from active duty and returned to South Carolina State Control: 15 November 1952

Re-designated: 157th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 15 November 1952

Re-designated: 157th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 1 Dec 1952

Re-designated: 157th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 5 Sep 1957

Federalized and ordered to active service on: 1 November 1961

Relieved from active duty and returned to South Carolina State Control: 15 August 1962

Re-designated: 157th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 Apr 1975

Re-designated: 157th Fighter Squadron on 15 Mar 1992-Present

Assignments

• 353d Fighter Group, 1 October 1942-18 October 1945
• 54th Fighter Wing, 9 December 1946
• South Carolina Air National Guard, 1 November 1950

Gained by: Tactical Air Command

• 117th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 1 April 1951
• South Carolina Air National Guard, 1 November 1950

Gained by: Eastern Air Defense Force, Air Defense Command

• 169th Fighter-Interceptor Group, 5 Sep 1957
• 169th Tactical Fighter Group, 1 Apr 1975
• 169th Fighter Group, 15 Mar 1992
• 169th Operations Group, 11 Oct 1995-Present

Stations

• Mitchel Field, New York, 1 October 1942
• Richmond Army Air Base, Virginia, c. 7 October 1942
• Norfolk Army Airfield, Virginia, 23 October 1942
• Millville Army Airfield, New Jersey, 16 February-27 May 1943
• RAF Goxhill (AAF-345), England, 8 June 1943

• RAF Metfield (AAF-366), England, 5 August 1943
• RAF Raydon (AAF-157), England, 14 April 1944-11 October 1945
• Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, 16–18 October 1945
• Congaree Air Base (later McEntire Air National Guard Base), Columbia, South Carolina, 3 December 1946

Designated: McEntire Joint National Guard Base, 1991

South Carolina Air National Guard deployments

• Korean War federalization

Operated from: Lawson Air Force Base, Georgia, 1 April 1951-27 January 1952

Operated from: Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base, West Germany, 27 January-9 July 1952

• 1961 Berlin Crisis federalization

Operated from: Morón Air Base, Spain, 1 November 1961-15 August 1962

• 1990/1991 Gulf War federalization

Operated from: Al Kharj AB, Saudi Arabia, 29 December 1990-22 July 1991

• Operation Southern Watch

Operated from: Doha AB, Qatar, 26 February-March 1997

• Operation Northern Watch

Operated from: Incirlik AB, Turkey, January-April 2000

• Operation Southern Watch

Operated from: Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia, March-July 2001

• Operation Enduring Freedom

Operated from: Al Udeid AB, Qatar, 8 January-3 April 2002

• Operation Operation Iraqi Freedom

Operated from: Al Udied AB, Qatar, Feburary-August 2003

Operated from: Balad AB, Iraq, 14 May-27 August 2010

• Operation Enduring Freedom

Operated from: Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, 8 April-27 August 2012

Assignments

• P-40 Warhawk, 1942–1943
• P-47 Thunderbolt, 1943–1944
• P-51 Mustang, 1944–1945
• F-51D Mustang, 1946-1950
• RF-51D, 1950-1951
• RF-80A, 1951-1952
• F-51H, 1952-1954
• F-86A, 1953-1955

• F-80C, 1954-1958
• F-86L, 1958-1960
• F-104A/B, 1960-1963
• F-102A, 1963-1975
• A-7D, 1974-1983
• F-16A/B, 1983-1994
• F-16C/D, 1994-Present

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

External links

• Official site of the 169th Fighter Wing