482nd Fighter Wing
482nd Fighter Wing | |
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F-16C and F-16D Fighting Falcon |
The 482nd Fighter Wing (482 FW) is an Air Reserve Component (ARC) unit of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the Tenth Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC), stationed at Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida. If mobilized to active duty, the 482 FW is operationally gained by the Air Combat Command (ACC).
The 482 FW is the "host wing" for Homestead Air Reserve Base, maintaining and operating the installation located near the southern end of the Florida peninsula, about 25 miles south of Miami. It is a combat coded unit which provides F-16C and F-16D (Block 30) Fighting Falcon multirole fighter aircraft, along with mission ready pilots and support personnel, for short-notice worldwide deployment. The 482 FW has more than 2,500 personnel, including more than 1,700 Traditional Reservists (TR). There are also more than 240 officers and airmen who are full-time reservists as Air Reserve Technicians (ART), further augmented by more than 250 full-time civilians.[2]
The 482 FW is also home to the 367th Fighter Squadron (367 FS), an active duty Regular Air Force F-16 unit assigned to ACC, but integrating with the 482 FW under the Total Force Integration (TFI) concept. The 367 FS has more than 170 active duty members assigned, to include pilots, operational support personnel, and aircraft maintenance personnel.[2]
In addition to its flying mission, the 482 FW also provides the United States Department of Defense with a fully functional air base with ready access to a strategic staging location on the rim of the Caribbean Basin. Contingency and training operations for both the United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) and United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) can be mounted from Homestead ARB.
Units
- F-16 Fighting Falcon)
- 93rd Fighter Squadron
- 482d Operations Support Squadron
- 482nd Mission Support Group
- 482d Civil Engineer Squadron
- 482d Communications Squadron
- 70th Aerial Port Squadron
- 482d Logistics Readiness Squadron
- 482d Force Support Squadron
- 482d Security Forces Squadron
- 482d Maintenance Group
- 482d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
- 482d Maintenance Operations Squadron
- 482d Maintenance Squadron
- 482d Medical Squadron
History
- For related history and lineage, see 482nd Operations Group
Troop carrier operations
During the
Fighter operations in the 1950s
In the early 1950s, the Air Force determined that all its reserve units should be designed to augment the regular forces in the event of a national emergency. Six Air Force Reserve pilot training wings had no mobilization mission. On 18 May 1955, they were discontinued and replaced by three troop carrier wings and two fighter-bomber wings.
The wing began training for the fighter mission, initially using
In 1957, the wing began to replace its F-84s with
Fighter operations resume
The wing was reactivated as the 482nd Tactical Fighter Wing (482 TFW) in April 1981 and replaced the
In 1989, the 482 TFW began retiring its F-4D aircraft and commenced conversion to the F-16A and F-16B (Block 15) Fighting Falcon.
Following a USAF reorganization in the summer of 1992 in response to the end of the Cold War, TAC was inactivated and the new operational gaining command for the 482 TFW became the newly-established Air Combat Command (ACC). In keeping with similar redesignations across USAF, the 482 TFW was redesignated the 482nd Fighter Wing (482 FW).
Hurricane Andrew
Prior to the arrival of Hurricane Andrew in August 1992, the 482 FW, like all other Regular Air Force, Air Force Reserve, and Florida Air National Guard units at Homestead AFB, evacuated all its flyable aircraft to alternate locations. In the case of the 482 FW, the wing evacuated to Wright-Patterson AFB. Due to the massive damage to Homestead AFB and the surrounding community caused by Hurricane Andrew, the 482 FW remained at and conducted flight operations from Wright-Patterson AFB until December 1992, when it relocated to MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. The 482 FW remained a tenant at MacDill AFB, conducting flight operations from that installation until March 1994, when it finally returned to Homestead AFB.[1]
Due to the catastrophic damage to Homestead AFB, the installation was placed on the 1993 Base Realignment and Closure Commission's initial BRAC base closings list, potentially dooming the base to closure. Such action would have also consigned the 482 FW to either relocation or inactivation. However, the BRAC Commission recommended retaining Homestead AFB, relocating the active duty host wing, the 31st Fighter Wing (31 FW), to Italy and rebuilding and realigning the installation as a smaller AFRES installation controlled by the 482 FW.[13]
482 FW as Host Wing
The 482 FW became host wing of the now renamed Homestead Air Reserve Station on 1 April 1994 and provided weapons training support for Air Force units beginning in October 1994. In February 1995, the 1995 Base Realignment and Closure Commission again proposed closure of what was now Homestead ARS and either relocating or inactivating the 482 FW. This BRAC Commission subsequently withdrew Homestead ARS and the 482 FW from further consideration in June 1995.[13]
From 1997, the 482 FW periodically deployed personnel and aircraft to
21st Century operations
Following the Al Qaeda attacks on the U.S. homeland on 11 September 2001, the ‘Global War On Terror’ put the 482 FW on the front line of
In early March 2003, as they prepared for yet another rotation to Operation Southern Watch at Al Jaber AB, members of the wing's 93 FS advance party found themselves on the front lines for the launch of
In December 2003, Homestead ARS was renamed Homestead Air Reserve Base. However, for a third time, Homestead ARB again faced potential closure and, despite its recent combat experience in Afghanistan and Iraq, the 482 FW also faced potential inactivation, this time from the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission. The wing received numerous visits throughout the year from government decision makers and the BRAC Commission eventually decided to keep Homestead ARB open, to include redistributing nine additional F-16 aircraft from other Air Reserve Component F-16 bases that were changing to aircraft other than the F-16 or losing flying missions outright.[13]
From 15 July 2010 to 1 October 2012, the 482 FW also functioned as the parent wing for a new geographically separated unit (GSU), the
In 2015, ACC activated an Active Associate unit at Homestead ARB, the 367th Fighter Squadron (367 FS), under the Total Force Integration (TFI) initiative, embedding the squadron in the 482 FW. The establishment of the 367 FS, with over 170 active duty F-16 pilots, operational support personnel, and aircraft maintenance personnel, marked the return of a permanently based Regular Air Force flying unit to Homestead ARB for the first time since the 1994 departure of the 31 FW.[16]
In addition to its past deployments in support of the since concluded Operations Northern Watch, Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom, the 482 FW has also participated in
As host wing for Homestead ARB, the 482 FW also provides base support for several tenant commands and units, to include:
- Detachment 1, F-15C Eaglefighter aircraft on 24/7/365 alert in support of NORAD's Continental NORAD Region (CONR) air defense mission for the southeastern United States under Operation Noble Eagle.
- United States Special Operations Command South (SOCSOUTH), an active duty tenant command of approximately 300 personnel commanded by either a major general or a rear admiral. SOCSOUTH is a subordinate component command of United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) and a theater special operations command (TSOC) of United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).
- U.S. Coast GuardMaritime Safety and Security Team Miami
- 50th Regional Support Group (50th RSG), Florida Army National Guard
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Maritime Branch air interdiction mission
- Several other U.S government satellite offices located on Homestead ARB[2]
Lineage
- Established as 482nd Troop Carrier Wing, Medium on 26 May 1952
- Activated in the reserve on 14 June 1952
- Inactivated on 1 December 1952
- Redesignated 482nd Fighter-Bomber Wing on 12 April 1955
- Activated in the reserve on 18 May 1955
- Inactivated on 16 November 1957
- Redesignated 482nd Tactical Fighter Wing on 25 February 1981
- Activated in the reserve on 1 April 1981
- Redesignated 482nd Fighter Wing on 1 February 1992[1]
Assignments
- Fourteenth Air Force, 14 June – 1 December 1952
- Fourteenth Air Force, 18 May 1955 – 16 November 1957
- Tenth Air Force, 1 April 1981 – present[1]
Components
Groups
- 414th Fighter Group: 15 July 2010 – 1 October 2012[17]
- 482d Troop Carrier Group (later 482d Fighter-Bomber Group, 482d Operations Group): 14 June – 1 December 1952; 18 May 1955 – 16 November 1957; 1 August 1992 – present[1]
- 906th Tactical Fighter Group: 1 July 1982 – 30 September 1994[1]
- Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
- 924th Tactical Fighter Group: 1 July 1981 – 1 October 1982[1]
- Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas
- 482nd Maintenance Group
- 482nd Mission Support Group
Squadrons
- 93rd Fighter Squadron: 1 April 1981 – 1 August 1992[1]
- Shifted as subordinate to 482nd Operations Group, 1 August 1992
- 482nd Medical Squadron
Stations
- Miami International Airport, Florida, 14 June – 1 December 1952
- Dobbins Air Force Base, Georgia, 18 May 1955 – November 1957
- Homestead Air Force Base (later Homestead Air Reserve Base), Florida, 1 April 1981 – present[1]
Aircraft
- Curtiss C-46 Commando, 1952
- Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star, 1955
- Republic F-84 Thunderjet, 1955–1957
- North American T-28 Trojan 1955–1957
- Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star, 1955–1957
- North American F-86 Sabre, 1957
- Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar, 1957
- McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, 1981–1989
- General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) F-16 Fighting Falcon, 1989–present[1]
See also
- List of F-86 Sabre units
- McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II non-U.S. operators
- General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon operators
References
Notes
- Explanatory notes
- ^ Aircraft is General Dynamics F-16C Block 30H Fighting Falcon serial 87–290.
- 456th Troop Carrier Wing(456 TCW), while it took over those of the 482 TCW. Ravenstein, pp. 231, 251, 268.
- Citations
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Endicott, Judy G. (28 December 2007). "Factsheet 482 Fighter Wing (AFRC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on 27 September 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
- ^ a b c "482nd Fighter Wing".
- ^ Cantwell, p. 87
- ^ Cantwell, p. 139
- ^ Ravenstein, pp. 230–231, 267–268
- ^ Cantwell, p. 146
- ^ a b Robertson, Patsy (9 August 2010). "Factsheet 94 Airlift Wing (AFRC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
- ^ Mueller, p. 518
- ^ a b Ravenstein, pp. 267–268
- ^ Cantwell, p. 148
- ^ Cantwell, p. 168
- ^ Ravenstein, pp. 241–242
- ^ a b c d e "History of Homestead Air Reserve Base" (PDF). homestead.afrc.af.mil. 4 April 2018.
- ^ "482nd FW commemorates its history".
- ^ "Factsheets : 414 Fighter Group (AFRC)". www.afhra.af.mil. Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
- ^ "Homestead Air Reserve Base > About Us > 367th Fighter Squadron".
- ^ Robertson, Patsy (9 May 2013). "Factsheet 414 Fighter Group (AFRC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
Bibliography
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Cantwell, Gerald T. (1997). Citizen Airmen: a History of the Air Force Reserve, 1946–1994. Washington, D.C.: Air Force History and Museums Program. ISBN 0-16049-269-6. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
- Mueller, Robert (1989). Air Force Bases, Vol. I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-53-6.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947–1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
External links
- "Homestead Air Reserve Base Home Page". 482d Fighter Wing Public Affairs. Retrieved 28 July 2016.