Description

Valor in Combat 354th Fighter Wing Patch – Plastic Backing

A 4″W x 4″H Valor in Combat 354th Fighter Wing Patch – Plastic Backing

The 354th Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force wing that is part of Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is the host wing at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, and is assigned to the Eleventh Air Force (11 AF).

The wing replaced the 343d Fighter Wing on 20 August 1993 as part of a service-wide effort to preserve the lineage of the Air Force’s most honored wings. Prior to its inactivation, the 343d was the oldest surviving air combat unit in Alaska, with a lineage dating back to the Aleutian Campaign.

The 18th Fighter Squadron (18 FS), whose history also dated back to World War II, remained active, but the 355th Fighter Squadron (355 FS) replaced the 11 TASS.

Also changing names were the 3d Fighter Training Squadron, which became the 353d Fighter Squadron (later Combat Training Squadron). The 353 FS and 355 FS had long associations with the new host unit.

All 354th Fighter Wing Aircraft carry the tail code “AK”. The 355 FS was inactivated in August 2007 as a result of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) 2005 action and all A-10 aircraft were reassigned to other USAF units. The 18 FS was redesignated as the 18th Aggressor Squadron (18 AGRS) and remains at Eielson, operating the F-16 in an adversary role.

Prior to its move to Alaska, the 354 FW was based for more than 35 years at the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, South Carolina.