The 7th FTS assumed the adversary air mission, which utilizes T-38 Talons to help prepare F-22 Raptor pilots for real-world combat scenarios.

The 7th FTS has a long, rich tradition that dates back to World War II, when the squadron flew P-40 Warhawk, P-47 Thunderbolt, and P-38 Lightning air defense missions in Australia and New Guinea.

In May 1941, the squadron proceeded to Morrison Field, West Palm Beach, Florida, to train in the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk fighter.

By 16 February 1942, the 7th found itself at Bankstown Airfield, Sydney, Australia, as one of the first American aviation units in the Southwest Pacific, flying the Warhawk.

[7] It then moved North to Schwimmer Airfield, Port Moresby, New Guinea, where its P-40s flew attack and air defense missions against Japanese fortifications.

[5] During World War II, the 7th had 10 of its members earn ace status, as each of them destroyed 5 or more enemy aircraft in aerial combat.

[5] After having used Lockheed P-38 Lightnings, P-40 Warhawks and Republic P-47 Thunderbolts, the squadron was equipped completely in September 1944 with P-38's, which were used to fly long-range escort and attack missions to Mindanao, Halmahera, Seram, and Borneo.

The unit arrived in the Philippines in October 1944, shortly after the assault landings on Leyte and engaged enemy fighters, attacked shipping in Ormoc Bay, supported ground forces, and covered the Allied invasion of Luzon.

The end of the war in August 1945 found the 7th Fighter Squadron on Okinawa, preparing for Operation Downfall, the planned invasion of Japan, in November.

Its war-weary P-38 Lightnings were sent back to the United States and the squadron was re-equipped with North American P-51D Mustangs with a mission of both occupation duty and show of force flights.

In April 1948, the squadron moved to the newly rebuilt Misawa Air Base when the host 49th Fighter Group took up home station responsibilities.

[8] With the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950, the 7th was one of the first USAF squadrons dispatched to Korea from Japan, initially operating propeller-driven F-51Ds to cover the evacuation of civilians from Kimpo and Suwon.

Afterwards, it engaged primarily in air interdiction operations against the main enemy channel of transportation, the roads and railroads between Pyongyang and Sinuiju.

Also, it flew close air support missions for the ground forces and attacked high-value targets, including the Sui-ho hydroelectric plants in June 1952 and the Kumgang Political School in October 1952.

By late 1957, however, Worldwide DOD Budget restrictions during FY 1958 meant that the fighter wing atChitose would be eliminated as part of a reduction of the USAF units based in Japan.

[8] Taking over the seven North American F-100D Super Sabres and three dual-seat F-100F trainers of the 561st, the squadron continued its normal peacetime training.

In February 1967, the 7th opened the 49th weapons training detachment at Wheelus Air Base to begin transition to the McDonnell F-4D Phantom II, and received its first F-4D on 9 March 1967.

Operation Constant Guard III, ordered in response to the North Vietnamese invasion, was the largest movement that TAC had ever performed.

Due to the change in equipment, the annual NATO deployments were taken over by the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina in 1978.

During this operation, General Manuel Noriega surrendered and was transported back to Homestead Air Force Base, Florida where he was arraigned on federal drug trafficking charges.

[8] After conversion to the F-117A in May 1992, The 7th deployed fighters and their crews to Southwest Asia during the 1990s as part of Operation Southern Watch to support United Nations weapons inspectors in Iraq, to enforce the no-fly zone over the southern part of that country to deprive Saddam Hussein of his Weapons of Mass Destruction programs and to force his compliance with the UN monitoring regime.

7th F-117s fighters deployed to the Gulf in 1998 during Operation Desert Fox to upgrade the strike force's capability to attack high-value targets.

The squadron was equipped with 18 F-22s transferred from the 3rd Wing at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, the last aircraft being received in late 2009.

[8] The 7th Fighter Squadron, better known as the "Screamin' Demons", maintained combat readiness to deploy worldwide in accordance with Secretary of Defense taskings.

In August 2013, it was announced however, that the United States Congress enacted a freeze on U.S. Air Force structure changes, including aircraft transfers.