In March 1918, the squadron moved to England, where it trained until reassigned to France where it landed on 25 October, reaching on the same day the Air Service Replacement Concentration Barracks at St. Maixent.

The 43d became known as the "Hornets" as depicted by their emblem, a poised Vespa Maculata, or American "Yellow Jacket," the most formidable of the wasp family, surrounded by an ovate cloud.

The emblem was approved in 1924 and the Hornet signifies the speed, agility and hard-hitting capabilities of the squadron while the cloud represents their domain - the skies.

In July 1941, the squadron began to convert from P-36As to new Curtiss P-40 Warhawks and, upon completion of this conversion, "A" Flight was transferred to the Top Secret "Project X" on 18 August.

After the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor, the unit moved to La Joya #1 (Pacora) Airfield in Panama in January 1942.

active with P-40Cs On 1 September the detachments aircraft were reassigned to the XXXVI Fighter Command, Antilles Air Task Force, although its personnel returned home to the main body of the squadron.

[2] In November 1965, the Hornets became the first fighter squadron assigned to Cam Ranh Air Base, South Vietnam, with an advance party arriving on 28 October.

During its time in Southeast Asia, the squadron flew 1,207 combat missions and earned the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for its service.

Without help from a combat ready unit, the squadron developed its own F-15 training program and completed the first ever F-15 low runway condition reading tests.

[2] The squadron transitioned to Air Combat Command when the 325th Fighter Wing assumed an operational mission, however the 43 FS continued to train Raptor pilots.