310th Fighter Squadron

310th Fighter Squadron
310th Fighter Squadron Patch
Active	9 February 1942 – 20 February 1946 10 July 1952 – 25 March 1962 15 December 1969 – present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Fighter Training
Part of	Air Education and Training Command 19th Air Force 56th Fighter Wing 56th Operations Group
Garrison/HQ	Luke Air Force Base
Nickname(s)	Top Hats
Decorations	DUC AFOUA PPUC ROK PUC

The 310th Fighter Squadron (310 FS) is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training.

The unit, which adopted its original "Tophat" name in September 1987, has earned two Distinguished Unit Citations, Philippine Presidential Unit Citation, Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, and nine Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards.

The 310th Fighter Squadron ("Top Hats", Tailband: Green & Yellow), fly Block 42 F-16C and D models conducting training in night operations, forward Air Control-Airborne in the F-16, and "Medium Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night" (MANTIRN) training.

The 310th Fighter Squadron was constituted on 21 January 1942, as the 310th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) and was activated on 9 February at Harding Field, Louisiana, where it flew the P-39 and P-40 aircraft. During 1942 and early 1943 the squadron was both an Operational and a Replacement Training Unit initially under III Fighter Command, being reassigned to I Fighter Command in October 1942. Also was part of the air defense of the Northeast United States, being a component of several Air Defense fighter wings (Philadelphia, New York, Boston), under First Air Force.

Was converted into an operational squadron in March 1943 at Bradley Field, Connecticut, being re-equipped with P-47 Thunderbolts. Was deployed to the Southwest Pacific Theater, being assigned to Fifth Air Force in Australia in November 1943. Began combat operations in February 1944, providing protection for U.S. bases and escorting transports initially, then escorting bombers over New Guinea and sea convoys to Admiralty Islands. From Noemfoor, bombed and strafed Japanese airfields and installations on Ceram, Halmahera, and the Kai Islands.