USAF Patch ANG 111 FIS Fighter Interceptor Squadron F 4 a

USAF Patch ANG 111 CCTS Combat Crew Training Squadron Fighter Interceptor Det 1 147 FIG F 4 Phantom II 1986 Texas Air National Guard Ellington AFB Fully embroidered merrowed edge 88mm three and one half inches diameter.

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Following active service in WWII 111 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron was redesignated 111 Fighter Squadron and allocated to the Texas Air National Guard on 24 May 1946 and organized at Houston Municipal Airport assigned to 136 Fighter Group with federal recognition on 27 January 1947. 111 FS was equipped with F 51D Mustang fighters to provide air defense for the southern and eastern parts of Texas.

In response to the commencement of the Korean War the Texas ANG was federalized and placed on active duty on 10 October 1950 assigned to Ninth Air Force Tactical Air Command. The Squadron relocated with 136 FG to Langley AFB Virginia where 136 FG was upgraded to Wing status and redesignated 136 Fighter Wing. 101 FS was retasked for close air support ground attack converting to F 84E Thunderjet fighter bomber jets in February 1951 and was redesignated 111 Fighter Bomber Squadron on 19 April 1951. The Squadron with the deployed to at Itazuke AFB Japan in May 1951 relieving 27 Fighter Bomber Wing and taking over its F 84E Thunderjets and commencing combat operations over South Korea from Japan. The Pacific crossing to and from Korea was challenging and aircraft were lost to non combat mishaps and the resulting limited combat time over Korea led to the Squadron and Wing relocating to Taegu AFB K 2 in South Korea on 16 November 1951. 111 FBS upgraded to F 84G Thunderjet fighter bomber for tactical close air support of ground forces. The Squadron flew over 6000 escort interdiction and close air support sorties for UN Forces and destroyed at least two MiG 15 fighter jets.

111 Fighter Bomber Squadron was released from active duty on 10 July 1952 and returned to Houston Municipal Airport without aircraft or personnel to rebuild and resume its mission of Texas air defense reequipping with Very Long Range VLR F 51H Mustang fighter aircraft to allow the Squadron to intercept unidentified aircraft over any part of Texas. 111 FBS reequipped with F 80B and F 80C Shooting Stars relocated to Ellington AFB and was redesignated 111 Fighter Interceptor Squadron on 1 July 1955 commencing active ADC runway alert program.

111 FIS transitioned to F 86D Sabre interceptor fighter aircraft in 1957 and was authorised to expand to Group level with the activation of 147 Fighter Interceptor Group on 1 July 1957 with 111 FIS assigned as its flying squadron. 111 FIS upgraded to F 86L Sabre Interceptor fighters in June 1959. 111 FIS became the first ANG unit to transition to F 102A Delta Dagger Mach 2 all weather fighters in August 1960 and began 24 hour alert to guard the Texas Gulf coast.

The Squadron was retasked to become the ANGs F 102 Replacement Training Unit RTU and was redesignated 111 Combat Crew Training Squadron on 1 January 1970 when the USAF active duty force ceased F 102 training at Perrin AFB. The Squadron received a number of TF 102A dual seat trainers and T 33A aircraft for instrument training from Perrin AFB for its new role training all Air Defense Command F 102 pilots.

111 CCTS added F 101B Voodoo and F 101F twin seat Voodoo training aircraft to its fleet  in May 1971 establishing the F 101 Voodoo Replacement Training Unit.  The Squadron continued the F 102 Delta Dagger RTU until January 1975 when the F 102s were retired and proceeded as F 101 Voodoo RTU. 111 CCTS established Detachment 1 147 Fighter Interceptor Group at New Orleans in 1979 with F 101 Voodoo fighters to maintain Air Defence QRA standing alert to intercept unidentified aircraft entering US airspace in the Gulf toward Cuba also assisting drug and law enforcement agencies in drug traffic and smuggling interdiction. Det 1 147 FIG was relocated to Holloman AFB NM in 1985.

111 CCTS was reequipped with F 4C Phantom II retasked to air defence and redesignated 111 Fighter Interceptor Squadron on 1 October 1982. The Squadrons Det 1 147 FIG with its F 4c Phantom fighters was relocated to Holloman AFB NM in 1985. 111 FIS and Det 1 147 FIG upgraded to F 4D Phantoms in November 1986.

111 FIS and Det 1 147 FIG transitioned to F 16A and F 16B Fighting Falcon fighters between December 1989 and April 1990. 111 FIS was redesignated 111 Fighter Squadron under 147 Fighter Group on 10 March 1992 and converted to the F 16 ADF variant while the Squadron celebrated their 75 anniversary. The 111 FS alert Detachment 1 147 FG at New Orleans was ended in September 1995 and 147 FG upgraded to Wing status as 147 Fighter Wing with 111 FS reassigned to 147 Operations Group.

Under the Expeditionary Air Force concept the Squadron and components were to be designated 111 Expeditionary Fighter Squadron when deployed after June 1996. 111 FS transitioned from F 16 ADF to F 16C and F 16D Fighting Falcon aircaft from September 1996 to February 1997 and retasked to ground strike attack. The Squadron deployed six F 16s as 111 EFS to Ahmed Al Jaber AB Kuwait in1998 for Operation Southern Watch to enforce the UN No Fly Zone over southern Iraq. A further Op Southern Watch deployment to Prince Sultan Air Base Saudi Arabia with two aircraft joining F 16s from 119 FS and 134 FS forming an expeditionary package operating Combat Air Partrols over Iraq in October and November 2000. The Squadron added Precision Guided Munitions to its arsenal in October 2000.

Following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks four 111 Fighter Squadron F 16s escorted President George Bush onboard Air Force 1 from Florida to Louisiana Nebraska and then to Washington DC the same day. The Squadron then deployed to Atlantic City NJ to undertake Air Defense Combat Air Patrol missions over New York Philadelphia and Washington DC for Operation Noble Eagle.

111 Fighter Squadron F 16s and support components from 147 Fighter Wing deployed to Balad AB Iraq in August 2005 as 111 EFS for combat operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom achieving 1900 combat hours 462 sorties and no planned sorties cancelled due to maintenance before retuning in October 2005. The Squadron and support units returned to Balad AB Iraq on 19 January 2007 for Op Iraqi Freedom undertaking 1537 combat hours in 348 tasked sorties six no-notice Close Air Support CAS alert scrambles and four short notice pre planned alert launches again with no flights cancelled due to maintenance prior to returning on 18 May 2007.

Following the Base Realignment and Closure Commission BRAC 111 Fighter Squadron was retasked for MQ 1 Predator UAV reconnaissance operations with F 16s replaced by Predators in June 2008 and was redesignated 111 Reconnaissance Squadron on 1 July 2008 at Ellington under newly renamed 147 Reconnaissance Wing.

This patch dates from 1986.