Nickname(s) The Gunners | ||
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Active 1957-1970; 1970-1971; 1978-1983; 1985-1986 Colors Green (1957-1959), Red (1959-early 1960s), Gold 1970-1971, Yellow (1978-1983) | ||
The 306th Tactical Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 31st Tactical Fighter Wing. stationed at Homestead Air Force Base, Florida, where it was inactivated on 1 October 1986.
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The squadron was first activated as the 306th Fighter-Bomber Squadron in 1957 when the 31st Wing expanded from three to four squadrons and was equipped with the North American F-100 Super Sabre. In 1965 it deployed with its "Huns" to Vietnam, where it engaged in combat until returning to the United States in 1970. It was inactivated in 1971l but was active at Homestead Air Force Base, Florida for two brief periods in the 1970s with the McDonnell F-4 Phantom II and 1980s with the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon.
History
The squadron was first activated at Turner Air Force Base, Georgia in September 1957 when the 31st Fighter-Bomber Wing expanded from three to four squadrons flying North American F-100 Super Sabres. In the spring of 1959, Turner was transferred from Tactical Air Command to Strategic Air Command and the 31st Wing and its components became non operational and transferred on paper to George Air Force Base, California. Most of the squadron's Super Sabres were transferred to the 356th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, South Carolina. At George the squadron assumed the personnel and F-100s of the 1st Tactical Fighter Squadron, which was simultaneously inactivated. Between 1960 and 1963 the squadron deployed four times to Aviano Air Base, Italy to augment United States Air Forces Europe strike forces in the Mediterranean.
The squadron moved to Homestead Air Force Base, Florida in June 1962. During the Cuban Missile Crisis the squadron assumed an air defense alert posture from October until tensions eased in November 1962. It continued training and participation in exercises with deployments to both Europe and the Pacific. In 1965, the squadron deployed to Bien Hoa Air Base, Vietnam and in March 1966, when the 31st Wing moved from Homestead to Tuy Hoa Air Base, the squadron moved to ioin it.
The 306th engaged in combat operations in South Vietnam from 1965 until 1970, earning a Presidential Unit Citation, an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat V and Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, as well as a Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm from the Republic of Viet Nam. In 1970, the Air Force began implementing Operation Keystone, which was the withdrawal of units from Vietnam in the process of "Vietnamization." However, withdrawal was primarily governed by budgetary reasons and troop ceilings imposed by Congress. In the fall of 1970, under Project Keystone Robin Alfa, the 31st Wing and its squadrons returned to the United States.
The 306th was briefly a paper unit at England Air Force Base, Louisiana, but in October the 31st Wing was re-established at Homestead Air Force Base, where it replaced the 4531st Tactical Fighter Wing, which was discontinued. At Homestead, the squadron took over F-4E Phantom IIs formerly flown by the 4531st. The squadron was inactivated in July 1971.
The 306th was reactivated in July 1978 and served as a F-4E replacement training unit, as the 31st again added a fourth squadron. It replaced its F-4Es with F-4Ds in 1980. The squadron was inactive from 1983 until 1985, when it activated with mixture of F-16A/B Block 15 Fighting Falcons for combat readiness operations. It was inactivated after about a year and its aircraft and personnel transferred to the 308th Tactical Fighter Squadron.