417th Tactical Fighter Squadron

Lineage. Constituted 417 Night Fighter Squadron on 17 Feb 1943. Activated on 20 Feb 1943. Inactivated on 9 Nov 1946. Redesignated 417 Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 15 Nov 1952. Activated on 1 Jan 1953. Redesignated 417 Tactical Fighter Squadron on 8 Jul 1958. Inactivated on 30 Apr 1977. Activated on 1 Oct 1978. Inactivated on 15 Sep 1987. Redesignated 417 Tactical Fighter Training Squadron on 15 Sep 1989. Activated on 5 Oct 1989. Redesignated 417 Fighter Squadron on 1 Nov 1991. Inactivated on 1 Dec 1993.

Assignments. Air Defense Department, AAF School of Applied Tactics, 20 Feb 1943; VIII Fighter Command (attached to the RAF), 11 May 1943; Twelfth Air Force, 8 Aug 1943 (attached to 2689 Air Defense Region [Prov.], Northwest African Coastal Air Force, 9 Aug 1943; 337 Wing, RAF, 3 Jan 1944); 63 Fighter Wing, 27 Apr 1944; XII Fighter Command, 27 Sep 1944; Twelfth Air Force, 1 Oct 1944 (attached to Mediterranean Allied Coastal Air Force, 3 Oct 1944-24 Mar 1945; air echelon attached to 422 Night Fighter Squadron, 6-22 Jan 1945); 64 Fighter Wing (attached to First Tactical Air Force [Prov.]), 24 Mar 1945; XII Tactical Air Command, 17 May 1945; 64 Fighter Wing, 26 Jun 1945-9 Nov 1946 (attached to All Weather Group [Prov.], 64 Fighter Wing, 15 Aug-9 Nov 1946). 50 Fighter-Bomber Group, 1 Jan 1953; 50 Fighter-Bomber (later, 50 Tactical Fighter) Wing, 8 Dec 1957; Tactical Air Command, 1 Mar 1968; 67 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 1 Jul 1968 (attached to 50 Tactical Fighter Wing, 15 Jan-3 Apr 1969 and 11 Sep-9 Oct 1970); 49 Tactical Fighter Wing, 15 Nov 1970-30 Apr 1977. 26 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 1 Oct 1978; 86 Tactical Fighter Wing, 15 Nov 1981-15 Sep 1987. 37 Tactical Fighter Wing, 5 Oct 1989; 37 Operations Group, 1 Nov 1991; 49 Operations Group, 8 Jul 1992-1 Dec 1993.

Stations. Orlando AB, FL, 20 Feb 1943; Kissimmee AAFld, FL, 5 Mar-26 Apr 1943; Ayr, Scotland, 12 May 1943; Cranfield, England, 14 May 1943 (detachments at Ayr, Scotland, 14 May-10 Jun 1943; Uxbridge, England, 14 May-10 Jun 1943;Coltishall, England, 14 May-10 Jun 1943; Bristol, England, 14 May-10 Jun 1943; and Scorton, England, 23 May-10 Jun 1943); Scorton, England, 10 Jun 1943; Tafaraoui, Algeria, 8 Aug 1943 (ground echelon at Ghisonaccia, Corsica, 7 Jan-Feb 1944); La Senia, Algeria, 10 Jan 1944 (ground echelon at Borgo, Corsica, Feb-Apr 1944); Borgo, Corsica, c. 25 Apr-7 Sep 1944; La Vallon, France, 12 Sep 1944 (air echelon at Florennes, Belgium, 6-22 Jan 1945); St Dizier, France, 5 Apr 1945; Giebelstadt, Germany, 24 Apr 1945; Biblis, Germany, 21 May 1945; Braunschardt, Germany, 26 Jun 1945; Kassel/Rothwesten, Germany, 9 Aug 1945; Fritzlar, Germany, 10 Apr 1946; Schweinfurt, Germany, 20 Aug-9 Nov 1946. Clovis AFB, NM, 1 Jan 1953; Hahn AB, Germany, 9 Aug 1953; Toul/Rosieres AB, France, 15 Apr 1956; Ramstein AB, Germany, 1 Dec 1959-15 Jul 1968; Mountain Home AFB, ID, 15 Jul 1968 (deployed at Hahn AB, Germany, 15 Jan-3 Apr 1969 and 11 Sep-9 Oct 1970); Holloman AFB, NM, 9 Oct 1970-30 Apr 1977 (deployed at Takhli RTAFB, Thailand, 10 May-30 Sep 1972; Hahn AB, Germany, 3 Feb-14 Mar 1973, 6 Mar-5 Apr 1974, 3 Oct-5 Nov 1975, and 24 Aug-26 Sep 1976; Nellis AFB, NV, 29 Nov-19 Dec 1975). Zweibrucken AB, Germany, 1 Oct 1978; Ramstein AB, Germany, 1 Nov 1978-15 Sep 1987. Tonopah Test Range, NV, 5 Oct 1989; Holloman AFB, NM, Jul 1992-1 Dec 1993.

Aircraft. P-70, 1943; Beaufighter, 1943-1945; P-61, 1945-1946. F-51, 1953; F-86, 1953-1958; F-100, 1958-1966; F-4, 1967-1977. F-4, 1978. F-117, 1989-1993; T-38, 1989-c. 1992.

Operations. Combat in MTO, c. 8 Aug 1943-28 Mar 1945, and in ETO, 25 Apr-9 May 1945. Combat in SEA, May-Sep 1972. Not manned, c. Nov 1978-15 Sep 1987. Trained newly assigned F-117 pilots, Oct 1989-Nov 1993; deployed aircraft and instructor pilots to Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War, Jan-Feb 1991.

Service Streamers. None.

Campaign Streamers. World War II: Rome-Arno; Southern France; North Apennines; Rhineland; Central Europe; Air Combat, EAME Theater. Vietnam: Vietnam Ceasefire.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.

Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citation: Southern France, 28 Dec 1944. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with the Combat “V” Device: 5 May-6 Oct 1972. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jan 1971-15 Apr 1972; 16 Mar 1990-15 Mar 1992. Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: 7 May-24 Aug

Emblem. Approved on 24 May 1990.