USAF Patch Fighter c 429 TFS Tactical Fighter Squadron F 4 Phantom II

USAF Patch 429 TFS Tactical Fighter Squadron Patch F 4 Phantom II Nellis AFB 1975 Fully embroidered cut edge 101mm by 77mm four inches by three inches.

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Following P 38 Lightning fighter combat operations over Northwest Europe 429 Fighter Squadron was inactivated on 7 December 1945. The Squadron was reactivated at Misawa AB Japan on 10 July 1952 as 429 Fighter Bomber Squadron assigned to 474 Fighter Bomber Group replacing Federalized Georgia Air National Guard personnel and taking over their F 84G Thunderjets. 429 FBS relocated to Kusan AB K 8 South Korea in August 1952 undertaking combat operations bombing and strafing enemy ground targets including bridges bunkers troop concentrations and artillery positions. The Squadron moved to Taegu AB K 2 in April 1953 attached to 58 Fighter Bomber Wing continuing interdiction and close air support missions and began attacking special strategic targets including military schools dams and port facilities in North Korea until the June 1953 Armistice.

The Squadron remained in South Korea to ensure Communist compliance with the cease fire until retuning to Clovis AFB NM in November 1954 and reequipped with F 86H Sabre fighter bombers and maintained proficiency in tactical fighter operations with worldwide deployments in support of NATO USAFE PACAF AAC and other organizations. 429 FBS was redesignated 429 Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 July 1958 and deployed with the rest of 474 FBG Squadrons to the southeastern US in 1962 in response to the Cuban Missile Crisis. The Squadron deployed TDY to Bien Hoa AB South Vietnam on 13 July 1965 for close air support combat operations returning in December 1965 before being inactivated on 15 November 1966.

429 Tactical Fighter Squadron was reactivated with 474 Tactical Fighter Wing at Nellis AFB Nevada on 15 September 1968 as part of the first Wing to receive the new F 111A Aardvark fighter bombers. The F 111As continued development following its combat deployment to Veitnam with the Wings 428 TFS under the Combat Lancer programme during 1968 and the Squadron continued training reaching operational status in 1971.

The Squadron deployed with the rest of 474 TFW to Takhli RTAFB Thailand in September 1972 as a result of the North Vietnamese Easter Offensive. 429 TFS participated in the Linebacker II aerial offensive against targets in North Vietnam and Laos operating during the monsoon season without electronic countermeasures escort aircraft or air refuelling support and being able to deliver five times the bomb load of an F 4 Phantom II. The Squadron carried out twenty strikes over North Vietnam on 8 November 1972 in weather which grounded most other aircraft and with the Wings other Squadrons 428 and 430 TFSs flew 4000 combat missions with excellent success rates in hitting targets even when visibility was near zero with only six aircraft lost in action. The Squadron returned to the US in March 1973 leaving its assigned aircraft at Takhli AB.

At Nellis AFB the Squadron with 428 and 430 TFSs were reassigned to 347 Fighter Wing on 30 July 1973and were deployed back to Takhli RTAFB on permanent status reequipped with the aircraft it had left behind in March 1973. Combat operations began immediately with missions in Cambodia until 15 August 1973 when the last Constant Guard mission was completed. Following the cease fire 347 TFW remained maintained in a combat ready status in case of resumption of hostilities.

With the closure of Taklhi AB 429 TFS moved with the Wing to Korat RTAFB Thailand on 12 July 1974 to maintain readiness for strike missions in the event of hostilities numerous exercises and firepower demonstrations and undertook sea surveillance patrol operations between January and May 1975. The Squadron participated in the recovery of the SS Mayaguez from Cambodian Communist forces in May 1975.

The Squadron returned to Nellis AFB on 21 June 1975 reassigned back to 474 TFW transferring its F 111A Aardvarks to 366 TFW at Mountain Home AFB and reequipping with F 4D Phantom II tasked with strike interdiction. 429 TFS reequipped with Block 1 to 5 F 16 A and B Fighting Falcon fighters and conducted routine Tactical Air Command training and deployments from Nellis AFB. The Squadron upgraded to Block 10 to15 Model F 16s in the early 1980s before being inactivated on 30 September 1989 when their aircraft were considered no longer front line combat capable.

The Squadron reactivated at Mountain Home AFB Idaho as 429 Electronic Combat Squadron ECS on 11 September 1992 assigned to 366 Operations Group equipped with the EF 111A Raven Electronic Warfare SIP System Improvement Program aircraft tasked with electronic warfare jamming and monitoring. The Squadron relocated to Cannon AFB NM reassigned to 27 Operations Group on 22 June 1993 taking over the EF 111 A Raven and EC 130 Hercules electronic warfare aircraft of the newly inactivated 430 Electronic Combat Squadron leaving 429 ECS as the USAFs only Raven Squadron. 429 ECS deployed its EF 111A Ravens and its EC 130 Hercules to Italy for combat Electronic Warfare jamming missions over the Balkans and to the Gulf for combat operations over Iraq with 2780 days and 32 rotations of continuous support to Operation Southern Watch. 429 Electronic Combat Squadron was inactivated on 19 June 1998 on the retirement of the EF 111A Raven.

This patch dates from 1975.