55th Fighter Squadron

The 55th Fighter Squadron began as the 55th Aero Squadron on 25 August 1917. Shortly after activation, it was redesignated as Aero Construction. During World War I, the squadron served in France as part of the American Expeditionary Forces, where it constructed bases used to train pilots. The squadron was inactivated in 1919 following the war.

With the expansion of the Air Corps, the squadron was reactivated in November 1930 as part of the newly created 20th Pursuit Group. After serving at numerous bases and operating several aircraft types, the squadron moved to March Field, California, and converted to the P-38 in 1943. It later deployed to RAF Wittering and King’s Cliffe, England, conducting combat operations over Europe in the P-38 and P-51.

Briefly inactivated after World War II, the squadron returned to service in 1946 at Biggs Field, Texas. It subsequently moved to Shaw Field, South Carolina, and became part of the reactivated 20th Fighter Group and the newly created 20th Fighter Wing.

The squadron operated various versions of the F-84 at Shaw Air Force Base, Langley Air Force Base, and RAF Wethersfield. At Wethersfield, it assumed a nuclear mission with the F-84G—a mission that continued through its service with the F-100 and, later, the F-111E at RAF Upper Heyford.

After providing aircrew for combat operations during Operation Desert Storm, the squadron was inactivated in December 1993. It was reactivated on 1 January 1994 and assigned to the 20th Operations Group, 20th Fighter Wing, which transferred to Shaw Air Force Base that same day. At Shaw, the 55th briefly operated the A-10 before transitioning to the Wild Weasel mission in the F-16.