612th Tactical Fighter Squadron
Emblem of the 612th Tactical Fighter Squadron
Active	1943-1991
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Tactical Fighter

The 612th Tactical Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 401st Tactical Fighter Wing, stationed at Torrejon Air Base, Spain. It was inactivated on 1 October 1991.

Activated in early 1943 as a B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomb squadron, trained under Second Air Force. Deployed to England in November 1943, assigned to VIII Bomber Command as a strategic bombardment squadron. Participated in the air offensive over Nazi Germany and Occupied Europe until German capitulation in May 1945. Personnel demobilized in England and returned to the United States; squadron reassigned to Second Air Force for re-equipping with B-29 Superfortresses. Japanese capitulation led to inactivation in August 1945.

Assigned to Air Force Reserve January 1947. Never equipped or manned, inactivated 1949

Allocated to Tactical Air command, 1953 and reactivated as a Fighter-Bomber, later Tactical Fighter squadron. Performed routine deployments and exercises 1954-1965. Reassigned to Japan in 1965 as part of air defense mission over Japan and South Korea, performed rotational deployments to South Korean air bases. Deployed to South Vietnam in 1971 for close air support and interdiction combat missions in support of South Vietnamese operations in Laos and Cambodia AORs, Mar-Jul 1971.

Redeployed to NATO in mid-1971 as part of USAF drawdown of forces in Indochina. Assigned to USAFE in Spain, performed routine deployments and exercises. Inactivated in 1992 as part of USAF drawdown of forces in Europe after the end of the Cold War.

• Constituted 612th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 20 Mar 1943

Activated on 1 Apr 1943

Inactivated on 28 Aug 1945

• Redesignated 612th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) on 27 May 1947

Activated in the reserve on 26 Jun 1947

Redesignated 612th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 27 Jun 1949

Ordered to active service on 1 May 1951

Inactivated on 25 Jun 1951

• Redesignated 612th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 24 Nov 1953

Activated on 8 Feb 1954

Redesignated 612th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 Jul 1958

Inactivated on 1 October 1991.

• 401st Bombardment Group, 1 Apr 1943-28 Aug 1945
• 401st Bombardment Group, 26 Jun 1947-25 Jun 1951
• 401st Fighter-Bomber Group, 8 Feb 1954
• 401st Fighter-Bomber (later Tactical Fighter) Wing, 25 Sep 1957
• 475th Tactical Fighter Wing, 3 Nov 1965
• 35th Fighter Wing, 15 Mar 1971
• 401st Tactical Fighter Wing, 15 Jul 1971-1 Oct 1991

• B-17 Flying Fortress, 1943-1945
• F-86 Sabre, 1954-1955
• F-84 Thunderjet, 1954-1957
• F-100 Super Sabre, 1957-1971
• F-4 Phantom II, 1971-1983
• F-16 Falcon, 1983-1991

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Mauer, Mauer (1969), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, Air Force Historical Studies Office, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. ISBN: 0892010975