22nd Tactical Fighter Squadron

22d Fighter Squadron
22d FS F-16CJ Block 50B Fighting Falcon - 90-0829
Active	1940–1946; 1946–2010
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Fighter
Motto(s)	Red Hot Fighters
Engagements	World War II Antisubmarine, American Theater Air Offensive, Europe Battle of Normandy Northern France Campaign Rhineland Campaign Ardennes-Alsace Campaign Central Europe Campaign Operation Desert Storm Operation Northern Watch Operation Southern Watch Operation Allied Force Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Iraqi Freedom
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citations (2×) Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards (16×) Belgian Fourragere
Commanders
Notable commanders	William R. Looney III; James F. Knight
Insignia
22d Fighter Squadron emblem (approved 27 June 1945)

The 22d Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 52d Operations Group and stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. It was inactivated on 13 August 2010.

The 22d Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) was constituted on 22 December 1939, and activated in February 1940 at Langley Field, Virginia. Flying the Curtiss P-36 Hawk, the squadron was one of several deployed to the Caribbean (later Antilles Air Command) and being stationed on bases established as part of the 1940 Destroyers for Bases Agreement with Great Britain. The squadron left from Norfolk, Virginia on 1 February 1940 with several others bound for Puerto Rico aboard the USAT Chateau Thierry from Norfolk for what turned into 29 months of overseas service, taking station at Ponce (later Losey Field) on 6 January 1941.

After its arrival at Ponce, the Squadron converted from the P-36A to Curtiss P-40 Warhawk. After the Pearl Harbor Attack on 7 December 1941, the Squadron was placed on 24-hour alert status and, the Squadron's P-40E's were flown to Howard Field, in the Panama Canal Zone to reinforce the defense units of the Panama Canal. The squadron returned to Ponce without aircraft, and upon their return, the squadron received some Bell P-39D Airacobras which were flown to Puerto Rico from the United States which joined the single example which had been on hand since at least June 1941. On 13 December, the unit Headquarters moved from Ponce to Vega Baja Airfield, 18°28′58″N 066°25′58″W / 18.48278°N 66.43278°W / 18.48278; -66.43278 an auxiliary aerodrome in Puerto Rico, to provide better interception coverage for the island.