History
On 23 September 1942 the 4 FG moved to its initial airfield at RAF Debden; however, the 336 FS moved to a satellite field at RAF Great Sampford. They conducted operations from there until rejoining the group at Debden on 30 October 1942.
Fighter aircraft escorted first bombing raid over Berlin, March 1944. On 21 June 1944, escorted bombers in the first shuttle bombing mission from England to Russia. Received Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for destroying enemy aircraft and attacking air bases in France, 5 March – 24 April 1944.
In 1946 trained in jet aircraft; participated in air shows around the US; began night flying in late 1947. Combat in Korea, December 1950-July 1953. Received second and third DUCs for combat in Korean War, 22 April – 8 July 1951 and 9 July – 27 November 1951.
Deployed to Florida in October 1962 during Cuban missile crisis.
From January–June 1968, deployed to Korea; tasked with operations associated with USS Pueblo incident. Combat in Southeast Asia, April–September 1972 and March 1973.
During the 1980s, trained in combat readiness in order to maintain worldwide commitment and air-to-air mission capability. Deployed to Europe under dual-based mission concept in support of NATO objectives, 1978-1985.
Participated in initial attack on Iraq, 17 January 1991. During the action, 335th squadron F-15E Strike Eagle tail # 89-0487 destroyed an airborne Iraqi MI-24 helicopter by dropping a laser-guided GBU-10 bomb on it. http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123286330 During 1990-1994, shared quarterly rotation duties to Southwest Asia with 334 and 335 FS.
Since 1991, trained as combat ready fighter squadron prepared for rapid world wide deployment of fighter aircraft to accomplish air-to-ground, air-to-air, strategic attack and deep interdiction missions.
Deployed to combat areas in Middle East as part of Global War on Terrorism, 2001–present
On 18 July 2009, F-15E tail #90-0231 from the 336th Fighter Squadron crashed in eastern Afghanistan, killing the two-man crew, Captain Mark R. McDowell and Thomas J. Gramith. The US military reported that the jet was not downed by enemy action.
Read more about this topic: 336th Fighter Squadron
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“If man is reduced to being nothing but a character in history, he has no other choice but to subside into the sound and fury of a completely irrational history or to endow history with the form of human reason.”
—Albert Camus (1913–1960)
“It is my conviction that women are the natural orators of the race.”
—Eliza Archard Connor, U.S. suffragist. As quoted in History of Woman Suffrage, vol. 4, ch. 9, by Susan B. Anthony and Ida Husted Harper (1902)
“Man watches his history on the screen with apathy and an occasional passing flicker of horror or indignation.”
—Conor Cruise O’Brien (b. 1917)