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356th Fighter Squadron
 | |
|---|---|
 F-35 Lightning II of the 356th Fighter Squadron at Eielson Air Force Base | |
| Active | 1942–1946; 1956–1992; 2019–present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Role | Fighter |
| Part of | 354th Operations Group |
| Garrison/HQ | Eielson Air Force Base |
| Nickname(s) | Green Demons |
| Motto(s) | Give'm Hell! |
| Colors | Black, Green, Red |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Lt Col Joseph Curran |
| Notable commanders | Lt Col James Christensen and Lt Col Ryan Worrell |
| Insignia | |
| 356th Fighter Squadron emblem |  |
| World War II squadron emblem |  |
The 356th Fighter Squadron is an active United States Air Force fighter squadron. It is assigned to the 354th Fighter Wing, being stationed at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. It was reactivated in 2019 to operate the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II.
The squadron was first activated during World War II and flew the North American P-51 Mustang on escort missions for Eighth Air Force bombers over western Europe from mid-1943. With IX Fighter Command, it was re-equipped with the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt in early 1944 and flew ground attack missions until the end of the war.
It was reactivated in 1956 and became the 356th Tactical Fighter Squadron, flying the North American F-100 Super Sabre. It was deployed to Misawa Air Base in Japan between 1965 and 1971, and after a brief inactivation was reactivated at Myrtle Beach Air Force Base. The squadron fought in the Gulf War, equipped with the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, and was inactivated in 1992 after briefly returning to its original designation. The 356th is the first fighter squadron in Pacific Air Forces to fly the F-35 Lightning II.