| 421st Fighter Squadron | |
|---|---|
 421st Squadron F-16C releases a GBU-31 during a Combat Hammer mission[note 1] | |
| Active | 1943-1947; 1962-present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Type | Squadron |
| Role | Fighter |
| Part of | 388th Operations Group |
| Garrison/HQ | Hill Air Force Base, Utah |
| Nickname(s) | Black Widows[1] |
| Motto(s) | Kiss of Death, Widows Kill |
| Colors | Red, Black, White, Grey |
| Mascot(s) | Black Widow |
| Engagements |
|
| Decorations |
|
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Lt. Col. Heguy "Mace” |
| Insignia | |
| Emblem of the 421st Fighter Squadron (approved 27 October 1977)[1] |  |
| Patch with 421st Tactical Fighter Squadron emblem (approved 30 October 1964)[2] |  |
| 421st Night Fighter Squadron emblem (approved 13 December 1943)[3][note 2] |  |
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The 421st Fighter Squadron is part of the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. It operates the Lockheed Martin F-35A aircraft conducting air superiority missions. The squadron is one of the most decorated fighter squadrons in the United States Air Force, being awarded three Presidential Unit Citations and seven Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards for Valor in Combat.
The unit was originally formed as the 421st Night Fighter Squadron in 1943. After training, it was deployed to Fifth Air Force and ordered to New Guinea to provide air defense interceptor protection against Japanese night air raids on USAAF airfields. It later served in the Philippines Campaign where in addition to night interceptor missions it also flew day and night interdiction missions against enemy troop movements, bridges and other targets of opportunity. It later served on Okinawa and in Occupied Japan where it was inactivated in 1947.
It was reactivated by Tactical Air Command in 1962 as the 421st Tactical Fighter Squadron. Equipped with Republic F-105 Thunderchiefs, it deployed to Southeast Asia and engaged in combat operations over North Vietnam. It returned to the United States and was re-equipped with the McDonnell F-4D Phantom II and returned to Southeast Asia for a second and later third tour of duty in the Vietnam War. It was one of the first USAF squadrons equipped with the F-16A Fighting Falcon in 1980; and went on to serve in the 1991 Gulf War. In recent years, the squadron has deployed to the United States Air Forces Central Command, engaging in combat during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
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