Active 1942–1944; 1953-1967 Role Fighter-Interceptor | Country United States Nickname(s) Skywolves | |
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Branch United States Air Force | ||
The 326th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 328th Fighter Wing at Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base, Missouri, where it was inactivated on 2 January 1967.
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World War II
It was first activated as the 326th Fighter Squadron and served as an air defense and operational training unit until 1 March 1944, and then a replacement training unit until 31 March 1944.
Air Defense Command
The squadron was redesignated the 326th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron and activated in 1953 to provide air defense of the midwest United States from 1953 to 1967. The 326th flew radar equipped and Mighty Mouse rocket armed North American F-86D Sabre aircraft. The 326th Squadron upgraded to Convair F-102 Delta Dagger aircraft, armed with AIM-4 Falcon Air-to-air missiles by June 1957.
From 18 December 1953 – 1 March 1954, the 326th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron was assigned to Fairfax Field, Kansas, and a F-84 crashed near the city's business district killing the pilot and three residents.
On 22 October 1962, before President John F. Kennedy told Americans that missiles were in place in Cuba, the squadron dispersed one third of its force, equipped with nuclear tipped missiles to Central Nebraska Regional Airport at the start of the Cuban Missile Crisis. These planes returned to Richards-Gebaur after the crisis.
However, Starting on 19 December 1962, the squadron established a detachment of fighters at Homestead Air Force Base, Florida. This operation ended on 15 February 1963. For one year, a similar detachment was established at Naval Air Station Key West, Florida, from 1 August 1965 until 1 July 1966. From 1966 until inactivation, the 326th maintained a detachment at Grand Island Municipal Airport, Nebraska.