It operates General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting multirole air and ground missions.

After training at MacDill and Lake Charles Army Air Field, Louisiana with the Martin B-26 Marauder, it departed for the European Theater of Operations in early May 1943.

In an effort to improve accuracy, the squadron participated in the 386th Group's first use of "drop on leader" tactics and revised formations in the European Theater on 2 September.

[11] The following month, the squadron flew its last mission with Eighth Air Force on 8 October when it attacked an airfield near Lille.

[6][12] Shortly after its transfer to Ninth Air Force, the squadron began participating in an extensive campaign against V-1 flying bomb and V-2 rocket sites in Operation Crossbow.

During Big Week, the squadron attacked airfields in Belgium and the Netherlands to weaken enemy air defenses against the heavy bombers striking the German aircraft industry in Operation Pointblank.

On D-Day it hit coastal defenses, and during the fighting in Normandy, struck fuel and supply depots, lines of communication and enemy positions.

For its efforts against enemy opposition since entering combat the previous summer, the squadron was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation.

[14] After V-E Day the squadron remained in Belgium until July, when it returned to the United States, inactivating at Westover Field, Massachusetts on 7 November 1945.

[5][6] On 8 January 1964, the 555th re-emerged at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida as the 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron (555 TFS), operating the McDonnell F-4C Phantom II.

Later, the 555th was chosen to return to Naha AB and left MacDill AFB on 6 November 1965 via Boeing C-135 Stratolifter transports.

The 12 TFW was slated to open Cam Ranh Bay Air Base, South Vietnam (RVN).

A Convair F-102 Delta Dagger fighter-interceptor squadron at Travis Air Force Base, California was picked to replace the 555th at Naha.

The decision to assign 555th at Udorn was validated in April 1966 when the 555th downed five North Vietnamese Air Force MiG fighters.

[citation needed] Air Combat Command (ACC) officials announced a stand down and reallocation of flying hours for the rest of the fiscal year 2013 due to mandatory budget cuts.

The across-the board spending cuts, called sequestration, took effect 1 March 2013 when Congress failed to agree on a deficit-reduction plan.