63d Fighter Squadron

63d Fighter Squadron
63d Fighter Squadron - F-16s on ramp, Luke AFB, Arizona, 2003
Active	1941–1945; 1946–1958; 1975–2009; 2016 – present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Fighter Training
Part of	Air Education and Training Command
Garrison/HQ	Luke Air Force Base
Nickname(s)	Panthers
Engagements	Battle of Normandy Battle of the Bulge
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Commanders
Notable commanders	Major (later Lt General) Gerald W. Johnson Lieutenant Colonel (later Colonel) John S. Loisel
Insignia
63d Fighter Squadron emblem (approved 2 March 1995)

The 63d Fighter Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit, assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-35A aircraft, conducting advanced fighter training since its reactivation in 2016.

The 63d Fighter Squadron was constituted as the 63d Pursuit Squadron as part of the 56th Pursuit Group at Savannah, Georgia, on 15 January 1941. The squadron immediately began training for its wartime missions under III Fighter Command, rapidly transitioning through the Seversky P-35, Curtiss P-36 Hawk, Bell P-39 Airacobra, and Curtisss P-40 Warhawk aircraft. On 7 December 1941, the 63d assumed the mission to defend the Northeastern United States from anticipated enemy air attack while it converted to the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt aircraft and prepared to deploy overseas, operating under the I Fighter Command, New York Fighter Wing in the early months of 1942.

It was re-designated 63d Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942, and deployed to RAF Kings Cliffe (AAF-367), England on 9 January 1943. It was declared operationally ready two months later and flew its first combat missions 13 April. The squadron was given fuselage code "LM" and operated from several RAF stations during the war, flying the P-47C Thunderbolt as an VIII Fighter Command bomber-escort unit initially for B-17 Flying Fortresses and beginning in 1944 for B-24 Liberators attacking enemy targets in Occupied Europe. Flying escort for fighter sweeps ahead of U.S. bomber fleets, the pilots destroyed 167.5 enemy aircraft in the air and 110 on the ground. After the end of the war in Europe, the squadron demobilized in England, and was inactivated as an administrative unit on 18 October 1945.