The “Fighting Cocks” Have a Half Dozen Raytheon Awards in Their Trophy Case
The United States Air Force USAF) 18th Operations Group is based at Kadena Air Base on Okinawa in Japan. One of the commands in the Group is the 67th Fighter Squadron (FS) Fighting Cocks. The Fighting Cocks fly the McDonnell Douglas (Boeing) F-15C and F-15D Eagle air superiority fighter. The 67th FS won the Raytheon Trophy for air-to-air excellence for the sixth time in their storied history in 2013, making them the only squadron in the Air Force to be so awarded six times. Thanks go to YouTuber Snizzler for uploading this awesomely entertaining HD video of the Fighting Cocks in action while winning their sixth Raytheon Trophy.
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Warfighters All
The 67th has been an active squadron since January of 1941. They first flew Seversky P-35A fighters. When in 1941 war broke out in the Pacific the 67th flew Curtiss P-36 Hawks and then Bell P-400 and P-39 Airacobras before becoming a Lockheed P-38 Lightning outfit. When the war ended they flew North American P-51D Mustangs and Republic P-47N Thunderbolts until equipping with Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star jets. The 67th traded their P-80s for P-51Ds when the Korean War began and flew them until they received their North American F-86 Sabre Jets in early 1953.
Went to WestPac and Liked It So Much They Stayed
The Fighting Cocks began flying the North American F-100 Super Sabre in 1957, followed by the Republic F-105 Thunderchief in 1962 and the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II in 1968. After flying Phabulous Phantoms for 11 years, they were one of the first squadrons to fly the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle in 1979. The 67th has been based out of Kadena for 35 years. One of their most influential commanders was Brigadier General Robinson “Robbie” Risner, who was an ace during the Korean War and commanded them when flying F-105s during Operation Rolling Thunder in Vietnam. Risner retired in 1976 and passed away in October of 2013. There is a tribute to Risner in the video.
