524th Fighter Squadron ( USAF ACC)

The 524th FS was the third and last squadron of the Canon based 27th Wing to receive F-16s. It was equipped with the F-16 together with its sister squadrons – the 522nd and 523rd. In the first place these were block 40 airframes received from various other units. The 524th was the first of the squadrons to receive the block 40 airframes which are optimised for close air support missions. These F-16s were the first to replace A-10 units in theatre. The first F-16s were received in May of 1995 with the final delivery taking place during 1996. In a ceremony held at Canon AFB on July 26th, 1996 the 524th FS officially converted from the F-111 to the F-16.

It was not long before the squadron was tasked to take up the demanding rotations in South East Asia. The first deployment already happened in 1998 for an Operation Southern Watch deployment.

USAF F-16C block 40 #90-0776 of the 524th FS visiting Tulsa, Oklahoma on February 24th, 2005. [Photo by Ralph Duenas]

The mission of the squadron remained fairly the same during its operational career. Because of the block 40 airframes the squadron was regularly tasked with missions in South East Asia. In BRAC 2005 it was decided to close down Canon AFB completely. Although this decision was reversed in the course of 2006, the decision to disband all the bases flying squadrons was kept and so the unit was disbanded in 2007. On August 31st, 2007 the last F-16departed the 524th FS and an inactivation ceremony was held ending 11 years of operations within the unit.

• 1940: Activation of the squadron in Hunter, Georgia (as 11 RS)
• 1940: A-24 'Banshee' (part of 27 BG)
• 1941: A-24 'Banshee' (as 91 BS, Fort McKinley [Phil.])
• 1941: A-24 'Banshee' (San Marceleno [Phil.])
• 1941: A-24 'Banshee' (Limay [Phil.])
• 1941: A-24 'Banshee' (Bataan [Phil.])
• 1942: A-20 'Havoc' (Charter Towers Field [Aus.])
• 1942: A-20 'Havoc' (Hunter Field, Georgia)
• 1942: A-20 'Havoc' (Key Field, Mississippi)
• 1942: A-20 'Havoc' (Hattiesburg, Mississippi)
• 1942: A-20 'Havoc' (Harding Field, Louisiana)
• 1942: A-20 'Havoc' (Sainte-Barbe du Tlélat [Alg.])
• 1943: A-20 'Havoc' (Nouvion [Alg.])
• 1943: A-36 'Apache' (Ras el Ma [Mor.])
• 1943: A-36 'Apache' (Korba [Tun.])
• 1943: A-36 'Apache' (as 524 FBS, part of 27 FBG, Ponte Olivo [It.])
• 1943: A-36 'Apache' (San Antonio [It.])
• 1943: A-36 'Apache' (Ciampino [It.])
• 1943: A-36 'Apache' (Guado [It.])
• 1944: A-36 'Apache' (Pomigliano [It.])
• 1944: A-36 'Apache' (Castel Volturno [It.])
• 1944: A-36 'Apache' (Santa Maria [It.])
• 1944: P-40 'Warhawk' (part of 27 FG, La Banca [It.])
• 1944: P-40 'Warhawk' (Ciampino [It.])
• 1944: P-40 'Warhawk' (Voltone [It.])
• 1944: P-40 'Warhawk' (Serragia [Fr.])
• 1944: P-40 'Warhawk' (Le Luc [Fr.])
• 1944: P-40 'Warhawk' (Salon-de-Provence [Fr.])
• 1944: P-40 'Warhawk' (Loyettes [Fr.])
• 1944: P-47 'Thunderbolt' (Tarquina [It.])
• 1944: P-47 'Thunderbolt' (Pontedera [It.])
• 1945: P-47 'Thunderbolt' (St. Dizier [Fr.])
• 1945: P-47 'Thunderbolt' (Nancy [Fr.])
• 1945: P-47 'Thunderbolt' (Biblis [Germ.])
• 1945: P-47 'Thunderbolt' (Mannheim [Germ.])
• 1945: P-47 'Thunderbolt' (Echterdingen [Germ.])
• 1945: P-47 'Thunderbolt' (Camp Shanks, New York)
• 1945: Deactivated
• 1946: Activation of the squadron in Fritzlar [Germ.]
• 1946: P-47 'Thunderbolt' (part of 27 FG)
• 1947: P-47 'Thunderbolt' (Bad Kissingen [Germ.])
• 1947: P-51 'Mustang' (Andrews Field, Maryland)
• 1947: P-51 'Mustang' (part of 27 FEG, Kearney AFB, Nebraska)
• 1948: F-82E 'Twin Mustang'
• 1949: F-82E 'Twin Mustang' (Bergstrom AFB, Texas)
• 1950: F-84G 'Thunderjet'
• 1952: F-84G 'Thunderjet' (part of 27 FEW)
• 1953: F-84F 'Thunderstreak' (part of 27 SFW)
• 1957: F-101B 'Voodoo' (part of 27 FBW)
• 1958: F-101B 'Voodoo' (part of 27 TFW)
• 1959: F-100F 'Super Sabre' (Canon AFB, New Mexico)
• 1972: F-111E 'Aardvark'
• 1973: F-111D 'Aardvark'
• 1991: F-111D 'Aardvark' (part of 27 FW)
• 1992: F-111F 'Aardvark'
• 1993: F-111F 'Aardvark' (part of 27 OG)
• 1995: F-16C/D 'Fighting Falcon'
• 2007: Disbanded

Deployments

	' Southern Watch'
	Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia [18 F-16s] (January 16th, 1998 to March 3rd, 1998)
	The squadron ventured to the desert for their first overseas deployment since transitioning to the F-16 for a 45-day deployment. They flew missions enforcing United Nations Security Council resolutions of a no-fly zone over Southern Iraq.
	' Southern Watch'
	Al Jaber AB, Kuwait [12 F-16s] (August 30th, 2000 to November 22nd, 2000)
	Second deployment for Southern Watch. The length of the deployment was a little reduced and also performed with only 12 airframes instead of the normal 18.
	' Southern Watch/Iraqi Freedom'
	Al Jaber AB, Kuwait [12 F-16s] (December 10th, 2002 to May 9th, 2003)
	The only block 40 squadron in theater during the war, only a couple miles from Iraq. The were there until the war ended in May of 2003. At the time the unit counted for the most poundage and amount of bombs ever dropped by an F-16 squadron - 1 million pounds of ordinance. They flew everything from GBU-12’s - which eventually ran out - to Mavericks, GBU-10’s and of course three varieties of JDAM’s.
	' Iraqi Freedom'
	Balad AB, Iraq (September 6th, 2006 to January 18th, 2007)
	Second and last time to participate in Operation Iraqi Freedom and first time in Balad AB, Iraq. The squadron was set to be disbanded later in 2007.

• All 524 FS F-16s in our F-16 Aircraft Database (past and current aircraft)
• Current 524 FS F-16s in our F-16 Aircraft Database