198th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron

198th Airlift Squadron
Lockheed C-130E-LM Hercules 64-0515 from the 198th Airlift Squadron, 156th Airlift Wing, Puerto Rico Air National Guard
Active	1944 – present
Country	United States
Branch	Air National Guard
Type	Squadron
Role	Airlift
Part of	Puerto Rico Air National Guard
Garrison/HQ	Muñiz Air National Guard Base, Carolina, Puerto Rico
Nickname(s)	Bucaneros
Tail Code	"PR"
Insignia
198th Airlift Squadron emblem

The 198th Airlift Squadron (198 AS) is a unit of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard 156th Airlift Wing located at Muñiz Air National Guard Base, in Carolina, Puerto Rico. The 115th is equipped with the C-130E Hercules.

Established in late 1944 at Peterson Field, Colorado as the 463d Fighter Squadron. Trained under XXII Bomber Command as a Very Long Range P-47N Thunderbolt bomber escort squadron, programmed for B-29 Superfortress escort duty from Okinawa. For four months they received combat training for long-range escort, strafing, and dive-bombing. Training delayed due to P-47N aircraft non-availability, finally equipped in the late spring of 1945 with the long-distance fighters.

Deployed to Okinawa in June 1945 as part of the 507th Fighter Group and prepared for the invasion of Japan along with the 413th and 414th Fighter Groups, all equipped with P-47N. On 1 July 1945 it began flying airstrikes from Ie Shima, targeting enemy ships, railroad bridges, airfields, factories, and barracks in Japan, Korea, and China. On 8 August 1945 the group escorted B-29 bombers on a raid, shooting down several Japanese fighters.

The squadron flew some long distance fighter-bomber sweeps over Japanese Home Islands 1 July 1945 – 14 August 1945 but never performed operational B-29 escort missions due to the end of the war in August.

Remained in Okinawa until inactivated in May 1946.

The wartime 463d Fighter Squadron was re-designated as the 198th Fighter Squadron, and was allotted to the Puerto Rico Air National Guard, on 24 May 1946. It was organized at Isla Grande Airport, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and was extended federal recognition on 23 November 1947 by the National Guard Bureau. The 164th Fighter Squadron was bestowed the lineage, history, honors, and colors of the 463d Fighter Squadron. The squadron was equipped with F-47N Thunderbolts and was assigned to the Puerto Rico Air National Guard, operationally gained by Fourteenth Air Force, Air Defense Command.