(Need Patch)

Constituted 17th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 22 Dec 1939. Activated on 1 Feb 1940. Redesignated: 523d Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 23 Aug 1943; 523d Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 30 May 1944. Inactivated on 7 Nov 1945. Activated on 20 Aug 1946. Redesignated: 523d Fighter Squadron, Two Engine, on 22 Jul 1947; 523d Fighter Squadron, Jet, on 1 Dec 1949; 523d Fighter-Escort Squadron on 1 Feb 1950; 523d Strategic Fighter Squadron on 20 Jan 1953; 523d Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 1 Jul 1957; 523d Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 Jul 1958; 523d Fighter Squadron on 1 Nov 1991.

Assignments

27th Bombardment (later, 27th Fighter-Bomber; 27th Fighter) Group, 1 Feb 1940-7 Nov 1945. 27th Fighter (later, 27th Fighter-Escort) Group, 20 Aug 1946 (attached to 27th Fighter-Escort Wing, 6 Aug 1951-15 Jun 1952); 27th Fighter-Escort (later, 27th Strategic Fighter; 27th Fighter-Bomber; 27th Tactical Fighter) Wing, 16 Jun 1952 (attached to TUSLOG, 11 Feb-20 Jun 1960; USAFE, 1 Sep-20 Nov 1961; 4135th Strategic Wing, 12 Apr-6 Jun 1962; TUSLOG, 12 Oct 1962-c. 12 Jan 1963; 39th Air Division, 9 Jun-6 Sep 1964 and 22 Mar-30 Jun 1965); 405th Fighter Wing, 20 Nov 1965 (attached to 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 9 Apr-24 Oct 1972); 27th Tactical Fighter (later, 27th Fighter) Wing, 31 Aug 1973; 27th Operations Group, 1 Nov 1991-.

Stations

Barksdale Field, LA, 1 Feb 1940; Hunter Field, GA, 7 Oct 1940-19 Oct 1941; Ft William McKinley, Luzon, 20 Nov 1941; San Fernando, Luzon, 22 Dec 1941; Cabcaben, Luzon, 24 Dec 1941 (air echelon operated from Brisbane, Australia, 24 Dec 1941-c. 20 Feb 1942); Limay, Luzon, 28 Dec 1941; Bataan, Luzon, 5 Jan 1942 (air echelon operated from Batchelor, Australia, 22 Feb-c. 8 Mar 1942, and from Brisbane, Australia, 10-c. 25 Mar 1942); Charters Towers, Australia, Apr-4 May 1942; Hunter Field, GA, 4 May 1942; Key Field, MS, 14 Jul 1942; Hattiesburg, MS, 11 Aug 1942; Harding Field, LA, 23 Oct-17 Nov 1942; Ste-Barbe-du-Tlelat, Algeria, 26 Dec 1942; Nouvion, Algeria, 9 Jan 1943; Ras el Ma, French Morocco, 1 Apr 1943; Korba, Tunisia, 4 Jun 1943; Gela, Sicily, 18 Jul 1943; Barcelona, Sicily, 5 Sep 1943; Capaccio, Italy, 18 Sep 1943; Gaudo Airfield, Italy, 5 Nov 1943; Pomigliano, Italy, 19 Jan 1944; Castel Volturno, Italy, 10 Apr 1944; Santa Maria, Italy, 9 May 1944; Le Banca, Italy, 6 Jun 1944; Ciampino, Italy, 12 Jun 1944; Voltone, Italy, 4 Jul 1944; Serragia, Corsica, 10 Jul 1944; Le Luc, France, 25 Aug 1944; Salon, France, 30 Aug 1944; Loyettes, France, 12 Sep 1944; Tarquinia, Italy, 2 Oct 1944; Pontedera, Italy, 3 Dec 1944; St Dizier, France, 21 Feb 1945; Toul/Ochey, France, 19 Mar 1945; Biblis, Germany, 6 Apr 1945; Sandhofen, Germany, 24 Jun 1945; Echterdingen, Germany, 15 Sep-20 Oct 1945; Camp Shanks, NY, 6-7 Nov 1945. Fritzlar, Germany, 20 Aug 1946; Bad Kissingen, Germany, 25 Jun 1947; Andrews Field, MD, 25 Jun 1947; Kearney AAFld (later, AFB), NE, 16 Jul 1947 (deployed at McChord AFB, WA, 28 Mar-26 Apr and 28 Apr-18 May 1948); Bergstrom AFB, TX, 16 Mar 1949 (deployed at Taegu AB, South Korea, 5 Dec 1950-30 Jan 1951; Itazuke AB, Japan, 31 Jan-3 Jul 1951; Misawa AB, Japan, 13 Oct 1952-c. 13 Feb 1953; Sturgate RAF Station, England, 7 May-17 Aug 1955); Cannon AFB, NM, 18 Feb 1959-Nov 1965 (deployed at Incirlik AB, Turkey, c. 24 Feb-17 Jun 1960; England AFB, LA, 29 Mar-21 Apr 1961; Chamblay AB, France, c. 5 Sep-20 Nov 1961; Incirlik AB, Turkey, c. 12 Oct 1962-c. 15 Jan 1963; Dhahran AB, Saudi Arabia, c. 17 Sep-20 Nov 1963; Misawa AB, Japan, 12 Jun-4 Sep 1964 [with detachment at Kunsan AB, South Korea, 17 Jun-c. 3 Sep 1964]; Misawa AB, Japan, 22 Mar-2 May 1965 [with detachment at Kunsan AB, South Korea, c. 22 Mar-2 May 1965]; Kunsan AB, South Korea, 2 May-11 Jun 1965; Misawa AB, Japan, 11-30 Jun 1965 [with detachment at Kunsan AB, South Korea, 11-22 Jun 1965]); Clark AB, Philippines, 23 Nov 1965-31 Aug 1973 (deployed at Tainan AB, Taiwan, 12 May-27 Jul 1966; Udorn RTAFB, Thailand, 9 Apr-24 Oct 1972); Cannon AFB, NM, 31 Aug 1973-.

Aircraft

B-18, 1940-1941; A-24, 1941-1942; A-20, 1941, 1942-1943; A-36, 1943-1944; P-40, 1944; P-47, 1944-1945. P-47, 1946-1947; P (later F)-51, 1947-1948; F-82, 1948-1950; F-84, 1950-1957; F-101, 1957-1958; F-100, 1959-1968; F-4, 1967-1973; F-111, 1973-.

Operations

Combat in Southwest Pacific, 8 Dec 1941-4 May 1942; ground echelon fought with infantry units in Philippine Islands, Jan-Apr 1942. Combat in MTO and ETO, 6 Jun 1943-8 May 1945. Combat in Korea, c. 8 Dec 1950-c. 27 Jun 1951. Maintained detachments on alert on Taiwan, Nov 1965-15 Feb 1972 and 15 Jul-31 Aug 1973. Combat in Southeast Asia, c. 9 Apr-23 Oct 1972. F-111 replacement training, 1 Nov 1976-c. Oct 1983.

Honors

Service Streamers. None.

Campaign Streamers. World War II: Philippine Islands; East Indies; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Anzio; Rome-Arno; Northern France; Southern France; North Apennines; Rhineland; Central Europe; Air Combat, EAME Theater. Korea: CCF Intervention; First UN Counteroffensive; CCF Spring Offensive. Vietnam: Vietnam Ceasefire.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.

Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Philippine Islands, 7 Dec 1941-[Apr] 1942; Philippine Islands, 8-22 Dec 1941; Philippine Islands, 6 Jan-8 Mar 1942; Italy, 10 Sep 1943; France, 4 Sep 1944; Korea, 26 Jan-21 Apr 1951. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 May 1975-31 Dec 1976; 1 Jan 1981-30 Jun 1982; 1 Jan 1988-31 Dec 1989; 1 Jul 1992-15 Jul 1993. Philippine Presidential Unit Citation (WWII). Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation: 9 Nov 1950-31 May 1951. Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation: 21 Jul-15 Aug 1972.

On a Red disc edged with narrow Blue border between a White sword bendwise with blade to base in dexter and a White Crusader Cross in sinister, a Blue band bendwise fimbriated White, on which are three Yellow mullets of four points, one above and two below a White helmet affronte overall, garnished Gray. MOTTO: CRUSADERS. Approved on 5 Feb 1974 (KE 54040); replaced emblems approved on 5 Jan 1951 (40710 A.C.) and 4 Nov 1941 (25888 A.C.).