USAF Patch Fighter USAFE b 55 TFS Tactical Fighter Squadron F 111 4a

USAF Patch USAFE 55 TFS Tactical Fighter Squadron RAF Upper Heyford UK F 111 Ardvaark 1970s Asian made Fully embroidered merrowed edge 100mm three and seven eighth inches diameter.

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Squadron History

55 Fighter Squadron assigned to 20 Fighter Group at Shaw AFB received F 84G Thunderjet fighter bombers in February 1948 and was redesignated 55 Fighter Bomber Squadron in January 1950. The Squadron with 20 Fighter Bomber Wing relocated to RAF Wethersfield England on 31 May 1952 tasked with maintaining proficiency for tactical operations with conventional and nuclear weapons in support of NATO operations.

55 FBS reequipped with F 100 Super Sabre aircraft in 1957 and in May 1958 was redesignated 55 Tactical Fighter Squadron with the Wing
becoming 20 Tactical Fighter Wing. The Squadron undertook rotational deployments to Wheelus AB Morocco for hot weather training and Norway for cold weather operations as well as UK us and worldwide exercises and competitions.

The Squadron relocated with 20 Tactical Fighter Wing to RAF Upper Heyford in June 1970 and reequipped with F 111 E Aardvark fighter bombers
in April 1971 becoming fully operational in November 1971. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s the Squadron participated in many North Atlantic Treaty Organization and US exercises and operations which directly contributed to containment of Soviet threats to Europe.

In January 1991 55 TFS deployed to Incirlik AB Turkey for Operation Desert Storm carrying out more than 144 combat sorties with 415 hours without a loss. These missions neutralized key facilities throughout northern Iraq and helped to liberate Kuwait and stabilize the region. The Squadron was redesignated 55 Fighter Squadron on 1 October 1991 with the Wing becoming 20 Fighter Wing. 55 FS was inactivated in December 1993.

On 1 January 1994 55 Fighter Squadron under 20 Fighter Wing was re-established at Shaw AFB US with A 10 Thunderbolt II Warthogs and inactivated in July 1996 when the A 10s were transferred to Pope AFB North Carolina.

In July 1997 55 Fighter Squadron was reactivated at Shaw AFB and became combat ready with F 16 Fighting Falcons in only 60 days. The
Squadron carried out deployments to Southwest Asia to contain the Iraqi threat under Operation Northern Watch in the summer of 2000 and 2002 and Operation Southern Watch, in 2001 Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2008. 

This patch dates from the 1970s.