USAF Patch Fighter b 69 TFTS Tactical Fighter Training Squadron F 104

USAF Patch 69 TFTS Tactical Fighter Training Squadron Patch F 104 Starfighter European Air Forces Training 1970 embroidered on twill cut edge 98mm by 87mm three and seven eighth inches by three and three eighth inches.

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Squadron History

69 Squadron reactivated as 69 Fighter Bomber Squadron at Tageu AB South Korea on 25 June 1952 absorbing Federalized Texas Air National Guard personnel and F 84D Thunderjets. The Squadron provided close air support for United Nations ground forces and attacked enemy
airfields and installations. 69 FBS attacked the major enemy supply port of Sinuiju in September 1952 inflicting heavy damage without loss of personnel or aircraft and combining with other fighter bomber units attacked the Kumgang Political School at Odong ni in October 1952 and upgraded to higher speed and longer range F 84Gs in late 1952. The North Korean tank and infantry school at Kangso was targeted in February 1953. In May 1953 the Squadron bombed North Korean dams flooding enemy lines of communication and rice fields and on 27 July 1953 attacked the runway at Kanggye and with 49 FBG bombed Sunan Airfield for the final action of fighter bombers in the Korean War. Following the 1953 armistice the Squadron reequipped with F 86 Sabre fighter bombers and remained in South Korea to enforce the cease fire with North Korea with squadron elements rotating frequently to Taiwan. 69 FBS was inactivated on 1 July 1958.

The Squadron reactivated at Luke AFB Arizona on 15 October 1969 as 69 Tactical Fighter Training Squadron TFTS equipped with F 104  Starfighters replacing the provisional 4512 CCTS and 4518 CCTS to support Foreign Military Sales of the F 104. The Squadron was assigned to 58 Tactical Fighter Training Wing TFTW which had replaced the provisional 4510 CCTW as the host unit at Luke AFB. Pilots from Germany Greece Norway Turkey Denmark and Spain were trained at Luke and many West German Luftwaffe owned F 104Gs operated with 58 TFTW and sported USAF insignia and carried USAF serial numbers. Training of West German Air Force F 104 pilots continued until late 1982. 69 TFTS was inactivated on 16 March 1983.

The Squadron reactivated as 69 Tactical Fighter Squadron TFS on 1 July 1983 at Moody AFB Georgia with F 4E Phantom II on the renaming of 339 Tactical Fighter Squadron for air to ground strike attack using precision guided weapons conducted frequent exercise deployments in the US and overseas.  The Squadron transitioned to F 16A B Fighting Falcons in 1988 and oriented mission planning toward NATO requirements by
conducting squadron strength deployments to Europe. 69 TFS upgraded to F 16C D Fighting Falcons in January 1990 and in August 1990 became the first operational TAC unit to employ the LANTIRN all weather night navigation and bombing system. 69 TFS deployed to Southwest Asia in January 1991 engaging in combat operations during Operation Desert Storm flying more than 1500 combat sorties. Following the ceasefire the Squadron continued to support peace keeping operations with periodic aircraft deployments from Moody to Saudi Arabia and was renamed 69
Fighter Squadron FS on 1 November 1991. 69 Fighter Squadron was inactivated on 2 February 2001.

69 Fighter Squadron was reactivated on 1 February 2010 at Luke AFB with F 16 Fighting Falcon aircraft in the Air Force Reserve to train Air Force Reserve Command pilots in combat tactics.

This patch dates from 1970.