{"id":39556,"date":"2019-11-13T21:44:26","date_gmt":"2019-11-13T21:44:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/11\/13\/storied-triple-nickel-fighter-squadron-deploys-to-middle-east\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:13:09","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:13:09","slug":"storied-triple-nickel-fighter-squadron-deploys-to-middle-east","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2019\/11\/13\/storied-triple-nickel-fighter-squadron-deploys-to-middle-east\/","title":{"rendered":"Storied \u2018Triple Nickel\u2019 fighter squadron deploys to Middle East"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

UPDATE: This story was updated on Nov. 15 with additional information from AFCENT clarifying this is the 555th\u2019s first deployment to Al Udeid Air Base since 2004.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the Air Force\u2019s most legendary fighter squadrons has returned to the Middle East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 555th Fighter Squadron from Aviano Air Base in Italy<\/a> is now deployed to the U.S. Air Forces Central Command area of responsibility, which includes Middle Eastern nations such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Qatar, AFCENT said in a Nov. 10 release. The squadron\u2019s F-16 Flying Falcons are flying out of Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar \u201cto provide war-winning airpower and deterrence<\/a> to the region,\u201d the release said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a follow-up email the morning of Nov. 15 in response to an Air Force Times inquiry, AFCENT said it is the first time the 555th \u2014 which is part of the 31st Fighter Wing and is popularly known as the \u201cTriple Nickel\u201d \u2014 has deployed to Al Udeid in 15 years. AFCENT\u2019s original release said it was the first time the squadron had deployed to the AOR in 15 years, although the 555th had previously deployed to Afghanistan<\/a> several times, most recently in 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AFCENT Commander Lt. Gen. Joseph Guastella, who commanded the 555th from 2003 to 2005, visited the squadron at Al Udeid Nov. 4, and took one of its F-16s for a flight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA lot has changed since I was the commander of the Triple Nickel,\u201d Guastella said on the flightline, according to the release. \u201cThe level that they\u2019re at now far exceeds anything that we were at back then, which makes me proud to be an American and thrilled to have them here today. From our pilots as well as our maintainers, continuing to generate world-class combat airpower after all this time makes me really proud.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t