USAF Patch Fighter USAFE b 79 TFS Tactical Fighter Squadron F 111 c5b

USAF Patch USAFE 79 TFS Tactical Fighter Squadron Tiger 5b NATO Tiger Squadron RAF Upper Heyford F 111 Aardvarks 1980s By Bill Brookes Used fully embroidered cut edge large 120mm by 100mm four and three quarter inches by four inches.

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Squadron History

Following its war service 79 Fighter Squadron Single Engine was reactivated on 26 July 1946 with P 51 Mustangs at Biggs Field Texas assigned to 20 Fighter Group. The Squadron moved to Shaw Field SC in October 1946 and was redesignated 79 Fighter Squadron Jet on 15 Jun 1948 on its conversion to F 84 Thunderjets. The Squadron was renamed 79 Fighter Bomber Squadron on 20 January 1950 and moved to Langley Air Force Base Virginia in November 1951.

 20 Fighter Bomber Wing FBW relocated to RAF Wethersfield England on 31 May 1952 with F 84 Thunderjets tasked to support of NATO operations with tactical operations with conventional and nuclear weapons. Due to restricted space at RAF Wethersfield 79 Fighter Bomber Squadron located initially to RAF Bentwaters and then moved to RAF Woodbridge on 1 October 1954 while 20 Fighter Bomber Group set up headquarters at RAF Wethersfield with 55 and 77 Fighter Bomber Squadrons. On 5 June 1952 Tactical Air Command transferred control of 20 FBW to USAFE under Third Air Forces 49th Air Division. On 15 November 1952 20 FBW and 20 Fighter Bomber Group merged unofficially placing the flying squadrons directly under the Wings operational and administrative control with official realignment taking place on 8 February 1955.

79 FBS received F 1OO Super Sabres in 1957 with Squadron weapons training deployments to Wheelus AB Libya commencing in 1958.

79 FBS was redesignated 79 Tactical Fighter Squadron on 8 July 1958. With 20 TFWs establishment of its Blast Off Victor Alert capability and its first mobility plan on 1 January 1959 the Wing established a year round weapons training Detachment at Wheelus AB Libya providing monthly rotations for its Squadrons and cold weather survival and ski training began in Norway in February 1959.

79 TFS personel participated in 20 TFW Team which represented USAFE in the William Tell rocketry exercise held at Nellis AFB Nevada in October 1960. In June 1961 79 TFS sponsored and hosted the first NATO Tiger Meet at RAF Woodbridge. Command over 20 TFW changed to 16 Air Force from 1 July 1961 to 1 September 1963 reverting back to 3 Air Force. Additional rotational deployments to Cigli AB Turkey and to Aviano AB Italy were conducted between 1966 and 1970. The military coup in Libya forced the closure of Wheelus AB in September 1969 and the switching of weapons training to Torrejon AB Spain in November 1969 with 79 TFS carrying out rotational deployments to Zaragoza AB Spain for weapons training from January to March 1970.

79 TFS relocated to RAF Upper Heyford with the rest of 20 TFW on 1 June 1970 and in September 1970 began converting to F 111E Aardvarks being declared operational on 12 February 1971. 79 TFS carried out dispersal exercises at RAF Greenham Common where 20 TFW established Operating Location A OLA which was used as its operational base between 29 April 1976 and 17 August 1976. The Squadron deployed to Incirlik AB Turkey for Weapons Training from March to May 1989.

79 TFS participated in Cold Fire 90 events from 11 to 26 January 1990 and Mallet Blow exercise from 26 to 29 March 1990 to test the UKs air defences followed by exercise Elder Forest. Aircrews of the 79 TFS flew in a Baltic maritime exercise Brazen Deed on 12 June 1990 and the Squadron hosted the 1990 NATO Tiger meet from 12 to 17 September 1990.

As part of the response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 the Squadron deployed to Inkirlik AB Turkey and incorporated into 7440 Wing Provisional for Operation Proven Force and Desert Storm and became the first squadron to employ the F 111E in combat. The Squadron flew 293 combat sorties without sustaining a loss.

79 TFS took top honours at the International Air Tattoo held at RAF Fairford on 19 July 1991. On 1 October 1991 the Squadron was redesignated 79 Fighter Squadron during October won the 1991 Gunsmoke tactical gunnery competition in the F 111 category. The Squadron celebrated its 75 Anniversary in March 1992 and was reassigned to 20 Operations Group on 31 March 1992. 79 Fighter Squadron was inactivated on 23 April 1993.

79 Fighter Squadron reactivated on 3 January 1994 at Shaw AFB South Carolina with F 16C and F 16D Fighting Falcon aircraft with the mission of suppression of enemy air defenses Wild Weasel under 20 Operations Group. The Squadron has continuously supported Operations Northern and Southern Watch in Southwest Asia and in December 1998 took part in Operation Desert Fox in conjunction with Operation Southern Watch demands. The squadron flew more than 1000 successful combat sorties with these dual operational requirements. In June 1999 79 FS deployed F 16Cs in support of Operation Allied Force and have deployed for Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

This patch dates from the 1980s.