Welcome to the 13th vFS Panther Pack! The original Wild Weasels

[Quincy]

Welcome aboard and thanks for your interest in becoming a Panther. Heraldry is an important part of military tradition, and the Panther Pack certainly has a great lineage.

Our (historic) roots trace back to the 313th Bombardment Squadron in 1942. While there were several periods of inactivation, we were reactivated when the call came.

1966 was such a year when the 13th TFS (Tactical Fighter Squadron) was reactivated for service in Vietnam. The Panther Pack flew the F-105 Thunderchief as the first specialized Wild Weasel unit, engaged in SEAD (suppression of enemy air defenses). 13th was tasked with attacking surface to air missile (SAM) sites that took a terrible toll on all branches’ aircraft throughout the Vietnam War. During Vietnam, the 13th transitioned to the venerable McDonnell Douglas F-4D and E model Phantom II, until deactivation in 1975. In 1976, the 13th was called again to become a training squadron based at MacDill AFB in Tampa, FL from 1976-1982.

As F-16s began to replace the aging F-4s, the 13th TFS was once again reactivated in Misawa, Japan in 1985 as part of PACAF (Pacific Air Forces). The 13th was redesignated the 13th FS (Fighter Squadron) in 1991. The Panther Pack continues to fly missions from Misawa to this day. The tail code of “WW” is in honor of this unit’s proud lineage as Wild Weasels. YGBSM.

[Author]

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