| 107th Fighter Squadron | |
|---|---|
107th FS emblem |
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| Active | 1925; activated 25 October 1940– |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Role | Fighter |
| Part of | Air Combat Command Michigan Air National Guard 8th Air Force 127th Fighter Wing |
| Garrison/HQ | Selfridge Air National Guard Base |
| Nickname | "Red Devils" |
| Motto | "Mors Hostibus" |
| Equipment | A-10 |
| Engagements | World War II Korean War Operation Desert Storm Operation Northern Watch Operation Southern Watch Operation Iraqi Freedom |
| Decorations | DUC AFOUA |
The 107th Fighter Squadron is a Michigan National Guard Squadron based at Selfridge Air National Guard Base. It is a part of the 127th Wing. Organized in 1925 as the Michigan National Guard's first flying unit, the squadron consisted of 20 officers and 90 enlisted men meeting weekly in a Detroit garage. It received Federal recognition in May 1926 as the "Air Section" of the Michigan National Guard's 32nd Division. Its primary mission was artillery spotting and observation of troop movements.
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Initially organized as the 107th Aero Squadron, the 107th assembled, serviced, and repaired aircraft during World War I. After the war, the squadron was deactivated. In 1936, it was consolidated with the 107th OS, which had been activated in the Michigan National Guard Unit in May 1926.[1]
Called to active duty with Douglas O-38 and North American O-47 observation planes on 15 October 1940, the 107th was sent to the airfield at Camp Beauregard, Louisiana for unit training on 28 October 1940. For many years this airfield was simply called the Artillery Range Airport Camp.
On 11 April 1941, Lieutenant Wilmer Esler was killed in the crash of his O-47 when it experienced an engine failure on take off.[2] The War Department announced on 19 June 1941 that the Air Corps field at Camp Beauregard would be named Esler Field in honor of his sacrifice.[3]
In 1941, the 107th was joined by two other National Guard observation units to form the 67th Observation Group. The 67th Group did anti-submarine patrolling off the East Coast of the US from mid-December 1941 to March 1942, when it returned to Louisiana for training in fighter aircraft.
The 67th Group was sent to Membury, England, in August 1942 and flew Mk V Spitfires and Tiger Moths for a year until equipped with F-6A's. Pre-invasion missions began in December 1943. For successful photo missions of the French invasion coastline without loss of a single aircraft, the 107th was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation on 7 April 1945. The 67th Group advance detachments landed in Normandy 13 days after D-Day. The Belgian Fourragere was awarded for conspicuous action during the Battle of the Bulge.
On 29 September 1946 the unit passed a Federal Recognition Inspection at the Wayne Airport, and in 1948 became part of the newly organized Michigan Air National Guard's 127th Fighter Group. In 1950, the unit was converted to F-84B & C jets and on 1 February 1951, the unit was activated as part of the 127th Pilot Training Group stationed at Luke AFB. The 107th returned to Michigan in November 1952.
F-16s from the 107th Fighter Squadron deployed to Kirkuk in February 2004 to replace the 354th Fighter Squadron. The 107th became the first F-16 unit to be based in Iraq. It was stationed at Kirkuk Air Base. The unit returned home in early June 2004.
As a result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure decision, the 107th will be converting from the F-16 to the A-10 Thunderbolt II.[4] The 107th flew its last sortie with F-16s on 16 December 2008. The three remaining F-16s on the base are scheduled to be transferred to Fort Wayne Air National Guard Base in Indiana, and twenty-four A-10s are scheduled to arrive at Selfridge in May 2009.[5]
Among the distinguished former members of the 107th Fighter Squadron is former WWII 361st Fighter Group ace Urban "Ben" Drew, who was a F-51 instructor pilot assigned to the 107th Fighter Squadron in Detroit from 1947 to 1950. During WWII, while flying a P-51 named "Detroit Miss" Lt. Drew was credited with being the only pilot to shoot down two German Me 262 jet fighters on a single mission. He was also credited with destroying the sole German BV 238 seaplane, the largest aircraft to see service during WWII.
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