| 123d Fighter Squadron | |
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Emblem of the 123d Fighter Squadron |
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| Active | 1940--present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Type | Squadron |
| Role | Fighter |
| Part of | Air National Guard/Air Combat Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Portland International Airport |
| Nickname | Redhawks |
The 123d Fighter Squadron is an active unit of the Oregon Air National Guard which flies the F-15 Eagle. Its parent unit is the 142d Fighter Wing.
The 142d Fighter Wing has 15 PAI and 3 BAI/AR F-15A and F-15B Eagles. Two of its aircraft sit alert in support of NORAD 24 hours a day. The squadron converted to the F-15 aircraft in 1989/90, with most of those planes coming from the 318th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at McChord AFB, which was being disbanded.
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A pre-World War II National Guard organization, the squadron was called to active service in late 1941 and initially flew antisubmarine patrols along the Pacific Northwest coastline as part of Second Air Force. Redesignated and re-equipped as a combat aerial reconnaissance unit, then deployed overseas to Fourteenth Air Force in China.
In China, the squadron deployed detached flights of unarmed aircraft (mostly specially equipped P-38s and P-51s), which flew combat aerial reconnaissance missions over Japanese-held territory from numerous forward airstrips. After the war, the squadron returned to Air National Guard service.
In August 2010, two F-15 Eagles from this wing were dispatched in response to an airspace violation while the President visited Seattle, Washington. The jets produced two sonic booms over the Seattle skyline, the civilian Cessna 182 left restricted airspace before the jets arrived.
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This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
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