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US Air Force unit From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 389th Fighter Squadron is part of the 366th Fighter Wing at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. It operates McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft conducting close air support.
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389th Fighter Squadron
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389th Squadron F-15E | |
| Active | 1943–1946; 1953–1959; 1962–1991; 1992–present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Fighter |
| Part of | Air Combat Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Mountain Home Air Force Base |
| Nickname(s) | Thunderbolts |
| Engagements | European Theater of Operations of World War II Vietnam War War in Afghanistan (2001-2021)[1] |
| Decorations | Distinguished Unit Citation Presidential Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Belgian Fourragère Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm[1] |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Lt Col Randy Webb |
| Insignia | |
| 389th Fighter Squadron emblem (approved 15 September 1993)[1] |  |
| Original 389th Fighter Squadron emblem (approved 13 February 1945)[2] |  |
The 389th flew combat in the European Theater of Operations from 14 March 1943 to 3 May 1945.[1]
Lt. Col. John B. England, who was commander of the 389th Fighter-Bomber Squadron from Alexandria AFB, was killed when his F-86 crashed into the woods near Toul-Rosières Air Base. He was returning from gunnery practice near Tripoli, Libya. The fog was very thick and visibility was near zero. After several attempts to locate the runway his plane suffered fuel starvation. At this moment he sighted a portion of the runway and was in a glide with a high probability of a successful landing. But his glide path took him over the barracks where his men were housed. He calmly stated on the radio that this was not an acceptable risk. He turned and crashed into a wooded area outside the base perimeter. In his honor, Alexandria AFB was renamed England Air Force Base, and retained that name until its closure in 1993.
The squadron flew combat operations in Southeast Asia from 14 March 1966 to 8 October 1971.[1]
The squadron trained F-111 Aardvark aircrews from 30 September 1979 to 26 June 1991. It rotated aircraft and personnel to Southwest Asia throughout the 1990s in support of Operation Southern Watch. It furnished resources for units participating in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Noble Eagle following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. Pilots and aircraft deployed from unit conducted close air support mission after 2005, although the unit itself remained in the United States.[1]
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