4 inch 22D FIGHTER SQUADRON RED HOT FIGHTERS Patch- Sew On The 22nd Fighter Squadron, sometimes written as 22d Fighter Squadron, (22 FS) is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 52nd Operations Group and stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. Originally constituted as the 22nd Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) in 1939, it first deployed to the Caribbean before deploying to England and Europe from 1944. After WWII, the unit returned to its prewar mission defending the Panama Canal, before once again deploying to Europe in 1948. It remained there until 1991, at which time some parts of the squadron redeployed to Saudi Arabia and Turkey. The squadron was inactivated in 2010 to combine with the 23rd Fighter Squadron and was redesignated the 480th Fighter Squadron. At various times during its existence, the squadron has gone by the colloquial names "Stingers", "Adlers", "Bees", "Bumblebees" and "The BIG 22: Last of the Red Hot Fighter Squadrons". Constituted as the 22nd Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 22 December 1939 Activated on 1 February 1940 Redesignated 22nd Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942 Redesignated 22nd Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 20 August 1943 Inactivated on 31 March 1946 Activated on 15 October 1946 Redesignated 22nd Fighter Squadron, Jet Propelled on 27 October 1947 Redesignated 22nd Fighter Squadron, Jet on 17 June 1948 Redesignated 22nd Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 20 January 1950 Redesignated 22nd Fighter-Day Squadron on 9 August 1954 Redesignated 22nd Tactical Fighter Squadron on 8 July 1958 Redesignated 22nd Fighter Squadron on 1 October 1991 Inactivated on 13 August 2010[1]
