14th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron

14th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
F-86L 53-692 of the 14th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, about 1958 landing at Sioux City
Active	1942–1944; 1947-1949; 1953-1960
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Fighter-Interceptor
Insignia
14th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron emblem (approved 6 October 1954)

The 14th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 53d Fighter Group at Sioux City Municipal Airport, Iowa, where it was inactivated on 1 April 1960.

The squadron was first activated in 1941 as the 14th Fighter Squadron. It served in the air defense of the Panama Canal from 1942 until 1943, when it returned to the United States and was a training unit until it was disbanded in a general reorganization of Army Air Forces training units in the spring of 1944. From 1947 through 1949 the 14th served as an Air Reserve unit.

Activated in early 1941 as part of the Southeast Air District, was equipped with a series of pursuit aircraft, stationed at Tallahassee Airport with a mission of air defense of Florida. After the Pearl Harbor Attack, The squadron was one of several hastily deployed to the Panama Canal Zone for the defense of the canal with the United States entry into World War II.

Deployed on 2 January 1942, stationed at Chame Airfield, Panama operating Bell P-39D Airacobras. By 16 February, the Squadron had 12 P-39D's (of which nine were airworthy) and not fewer than 26 pilots, but of these, only four had more than 12 months experience. Following its initial encampment at Chame #1, the Squadron moved to the nearby Chame #2 on 1 April 1942. The unit was redesignated as the 14th Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942 in keeping with the USAAF scheme at the time.

Following the perceived end of the emergency need for the unit, it returned to the United States in early 1943 where it became a P-47 Thunderbolt, later P-51 Mustang replacement training unit (RTU) for III Fighter Command. Inactivated on 1 May 1944 as part of a reorganization of training units.