50th Space Wing
50th Wing | |
---|---|
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award[3] |
The 50th Wing is an inactive United States Air Force wing.
It was activated in 1949 as the 50th Fighter Wing, serving as a reserve air defense unit, and was redesignated as the 50th Fighter-Interceptor Wing in 1950, before being inactivated in 1951. It was reactivated in 1953 as the 50th Fighter-Bomber Wing, deploying to Europe to join
Operations
The 50th Space Wing was the
The 50th Space Wing was also the host unit for
Structure in 2020
50th Operations Group (50 OG)[6]
- 2d Space Operations Squadron(2 SOPS)
4th Space Operations Squadron (4 SOPS)
50th Operations Support Squadron (50 OSS)
- Detachment 1, 50th Operations Group, Suitland, Maryland
50th Network Operations Group (50 NOG)
- Vandenberg Air Force Base
- Detachment 1, 21st Space Operations Squadron, Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia
- Detachment 2, 21st Space Operations Squadron, Andersen Air Force Base
- Detachment 3, 21st Space Operations Squadron, Kaena Point Satellite Tracking Station
22nd Space Operations Squadron (22 SOPS)
- New Boston Air Force Station
- Detachment 1, 23rd Space Operations Squadron, Thule Air Base
- OL-A, 23rd Space Operations Squadron, RAF Oakhanger
- Detachment 1, 23rd Space Operations Squadron,
- 50th Space Communications Squadron(50 SCS)
50th Mission Support Group (50 MSG) - the 50th Support Group was formerly the 1002nd Space Support Group which was activated October 1, 1989.
- 50th Civil Engineer Squadron
- 50th Contracting Squadron
- 50th Force Support Squadron
- 50th Security Forces Squadron - formerly the 1002nd Special Security Squadron which was activated on October 1, 1985. The squadron was renamed the 1002d Security Police Squadron on October 1, 1989, as part of Air Force Space Command's support structure reorganization. 50th SFS activated 30 January 1992.[7]
- 50th Logistics Readiness Flight (50 LRF)
1st Space Operations Squadron (1 SOPS)
- 3d Space Experimentation Squadron(3 SES)
- 750th Operations Support Squadron(750 OSS)
50th Comptroller Squadron (50 CPTS)
Shield

The 50th Space Wing shield was first approved for use on 15 July 1953, before being modified in 1956 and on 9 July 1992, and being approved in its final form on 27 July 2012.[8] The blue background alludes to the vastness of space and the principal theater of the wing, while the yellow represents the sun and excellence required of its space professionals. The opinicus, with the strength of a lion and the bold flight of the eagle, symbolizes the functions of the 50th Space Wing. The motto of the 50th Space Wing, "Master of Space," was derived from the 50th Pursuit Group's motto "Master of Air" and approved in September 1992.[9]
History
50th Fighter Wing (1949–1950) and 50th Fighter-Interceptor Wing (1950–1951)

On 1 June 1950, the 50th Fighter Wing (50 FW) was activated in the
The 50th Fighter Wing was responsible for air defense on the eastern seaboard, flying the
The advent of the Korean War resulted in a reevaluation of the posture of the American air forces. On 2 June 1951 the 50th Fighter-Interceptor Wing was inactivated, as part of an American realignment to support NATO forces in Europe to more directly counter the Soviet Union and Soviet Air Forces.[12]
50th Fighter-Bomber Wing (1953–1958) and 50th Tactical Fighter Wing (1958–1991)

On 1 January 1953, the 50th Fighter-Bomber Wing (50 FBW) was activated and assigned to
In summer 1953, the 50th Fighter-Bomber Wing was transferred to Europe, with much of the wing's personnel and equipment sailing across the Atlantic Ocean on the

Almost immediately after arriving in Germany, the 50th Fighter-Bomber Wing participated in Exercise Monte Carlo, which was designed to demonstrate NATO air defense force capabilities. In 1954, elements of the 50th Fighter-Bomber Wing spent six weeks at
For brief period in 1955 and 1956, the 50th Fighter-Bomber Wing also flew the ET-33 trainer. On 14 March 1955, the 50th Fighter-Bomber Wing gained the
On 15 April 1956, the 50th Fighter-Bomber Wing began to move to
The 50th Fighter-Bomber Wing also had a number of Tactical Air Command squadrons temporarily attached to it, including the

On 8 July 1958, the 50th Fighter-Bomber Wing was redesignated as the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing (50 TFW). The redesignation from fighter-bomber to tactical fighter also affected its subordinate units, including the
On 1 September 1959, the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing began to transition back to
On 8 April 1952, the 50th Air Base Wing was redesignated as the 50th Combat Support Wing. In a reorganization of the wing's maintenance squadrons, the 50th Armament and Electronics Maintenance Squadron was briefly inactivated on 8 April 1962, but reactivated on 1 July 1964. Several new maintenance squadrons were activated on 1 July 1964, including the 50th Flightline Maintenance Squadron, although it was detached until 1 October 1965 and was inactivated shortly after on 25 December 1965, 50th Organizational Maintenance Squadron, although it was inactivated on 1 January 1966, and 350th Munitions Maintenance Squadron. On 1 October 1967, the 7236th Ammunition Supply Squadron was activated, augmenting the maintenance and operational fighter-bomber squadrons.[21][22]
Following the resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing resumed normal operations with its own three tactical fighter squadrons, participating in exercises with other NATO air forces. On 8 October 1966 the 10th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 81st Tactical Fighter Squadron, and 417th Tactical Fighter Squadron began converting from the F-100D Super Sabre to the

On 1 July 1968, the 417th Tactical Fighter Squadron was removed from the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing, reassigned to Tactical Air Command's
In 1972 another round of reorganization to the wing's maintenance squadrons occurred. On 1 January 1972, the 50th Organizational Maintenance Squadron, later redesignated the 50th Aircraft Generation Squadron, was reactivated. On 1 April 1972, the 7501st Munitions Support Squadron, 7502d Munitions Support Squadron, 7503d Munitions Support Squadron, and 7504th Munitions Support Squadron were all activated. On 7 October 1972, the 350th Munitions Maintenance Squadron and 7236th Ammunition Supply Squadron inactivated, with the 50th Munitions Maintenance Squadron, later redesignated as the 50th Munitions Maintenance Squadron (Theater), and 50th Ammunition Supply Squadron activated on 8 October 1972 to replace them. the 7504th Munitions Support Squadron was inactivated on 1 September 1972, with the 7503d Munitions Support Squadron inactivating on 1 October 1972.[25]
In 1975, the 10th Tactical Fighter Squadron began to utilize
In 1976, the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing began to fully convert its remaining squadrons to the F-4E Phantom II fighter and on 15 November 1976 it gained the newly activated
In 1978, United States Air Forces in Europe announced that the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing would be the first to test and field the

The 50th Tactical Fighter Wing also participated in a NATO gala on 9 July 1982, marking NATO's adoption of the F-16, where it participated along with F-16s from the


A number of changes to the 50th Combat Support Group and wing staff occurred in the 1980s and early 1990, with the 7150th Comptroller Squadron activating on 15 November 1983, before being inactivated and replaced by the newly established 50th Comptroller Squadron on 1 July 1985, the 50th Security Police Group activating on 21 October 1988, and 50th Support Squadron activating on 1 June 1989, and 2184th Communications Squadron activating on 1 October 1990. Maintenance squadrons also experienced structural changes, with the 7501st Munitions Support Squadron and 7502d Munitions Support Squadron inactivating on 15 November 1985, 7362d Munitions Support Squadron being inactivated on 1 January 1986, 50th Ammunition Supply Squadron being inactivated on 15 May 1986, being replaced by the reactivated 50th Munitions Maintenance Squadron, the 7015th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight being inactivated on 1 November 1986. The 50th Tactical Hospital was also inactivated on 1 July 1986.[30]
In March 1984, the 50 TFW participated in the Green Flag exercise at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, engaging in realistic combat training and participated in NATO exercises, with two F-16As conducting landings and takeoffs on the German Autobahn highways. Between April and June 1984, 50 TFW units forward deployed to Ramstein Air Base, Spangdahlem Air Base, and Pferdsfeld Air Base due to repairs at Hahn Air Base. In 1986, the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing began replacing its F-16As and F-16Bs with the more advanced F-16Cs and F-16Ds, fully phasing out the first generation F-16s in less than a year. The 50th Tactical Fighter Wing also won the Daledalin Maintenance trophy in 1986 for both the numbered air force, major command, and air force level. It also won the Secretary of Defense's Phoenix Award for the best maintenance organization in the entire United States Department of Defense.[31]
When Iraq executed its
Due to the fall of the Soviet Union, the United States and NATO began to draw down its high posture in Europe, resulting in the inactivation of the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing and closure of Hahn Air Base on 30 September 1991.[33]
50th Space Wing (1992–2020)

On 30 January 1992, the 50th Space Wing (50 SW) was reactivated at
The 50th Operations Group served as the primary operations arm of the 50th Space Wing and operational units from the 2nd Space Wing were transferred to it, along with being redesignated from satellite control squadrons to space operations squadrons. Operations units included the

The
The
The 50th Maintenance Group was activated to support the operations groups, consisting of the 50th Maintenance Squadron, 50th Logistics Support Squadron, and 50th Space Systems Squadron. The 50th Combat Support Squadron, responsible for installation support, consisted of the 50th Security Police Squadron, redesignated as the 50th Security Forces Squadron in 1997, 50th Civil Engineer Squadron, and 50th Support Squadron.[38]

The 50th Space Wing conducted several significant orbital operations in support of terrestrial forces. In February 1992, the 3rd Space Operations Squadron won Air Force Space Command's Space Support Trophy and in November 1992 flew a
On 1 October 1994, the 50th Crew Training Squadron was inactivated, with its space training functions transferred to
The wing began a series of reorganizations beginning in 1997, inactivating the 50th Maintenance Group, 50th Maintenance Squadron, and 50th Logistics Support Squadron on 1 December 1997. On the same day, the
In On 5 June 1998, the 50th Space Wing renamed Falcon Air Force Base to Schriever Air Force Base, and began building a new satellite control facility, intending to transfer all functions from Onizuka AFS and shut down the base . It also closed the Defense Meteorological Support Program satellite operations centers at Fairchild AFB and Offutt AFB and transferred it to Suitland, Maryland, where the

On 21 October 1998, the 5th Space Operations Squadron placed the last Defense Satellite Communications System II spacecraft in a super synchronous orbit, retiring the system. In December 1998, the 1st Space Operations Squadron began to support the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization's Midcourse Space Experiment, which it assumed full control of on 1 October 2000.[43]
On 25 June 1999, the 750th Space Group was inactivated, following the inactivation of the 750th Mission Support Squadron on 3 May 1999 and 750th Medical Squadron on 28 May 1999 due to the 1995 Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission's recommendations to reduce presence at Onizuka AFS, leaving the 21st Space Operations Squadron as the host squadron for the base. The 50th Operations Group assumed responsibility for the 5th Space Operations Squadron, which was inactivated on 13 June 2000, the 21st Space Operations Squadron, the 22nd Space Operations Squadron, and the 23rd Space Operations Squadron.[44]
On 10 February 2000, the 3rd Space Operations Squadron turned over operational control of the
In response to the
On 1 October 2002, the 50th Communications Group was inactivated, being briefly replaced by the 50th Maintenance Group, until the maintenance group was inactivated and communications group reactivated on 1 June 2003. On 1 October 2002, the 50th Communications Squadron was redesignated as the 50th Space Communications Squadron and 850th Communications Squadron redesignated as 850th Space Communications Squadron. On 10 March 2004, the 50th Communications Group was redesignated as the 50th Network Operations Group and given responsibility for the Air Force Satellite Control Network from the 50th Operations Group, with the
On 1 October 2002, the 50th Combat Support Group was redesignated the 50th Mission Support Group and the 50th Support Squadron was redesignated the 50th Mission Support Squadron. On 1 October 2003, the 50th Comptroller Squadron was activated, reporting directly to 50th Space Wing headquarters. On 1 June 2003, the 50th Logistics Readiness Flight, formerly the 50th Supply Squadron, was reactivated and assigned to the 50th Mission Support Group. On 20 June 2008, the 50th Mission Support Squadron was redesignated as the 50th Force Support Squadron.[48]
On 3 September 2004, the 3rd Space Operations Squadron ceased operating the NATO III, NATO IV, and Skynet satellite systems and on 31 August 2006, the 1st Space Operations Squadron turned over operations of the Defense Support Program constellation to the 460th Space Wing's 2nd Space Warning Squadron. On 11 April 2008, the 3rd Space Operations Squadron accepted the first Wideband Global SATCOM spacecraft.[49]
On 15 September 2011, the 21st Space Operations Squadron transitioned to

1 SOPS assumed responsibility for TacSat-3, the Space Based Space Surveillance system, and the Operationally Responsive Space-1 spacecraft in 2010, retiring TACSAT-3 in 2012 and ORS-1 in 2017.
In 2010, the 50th Space Wing regained responsibility for the Defense Meteorological Support Program, standing up Detachment 1, 50th Operations Group at Suitland, Maryland. On 12 March 2012, 4 SOPS assumed satellite control authority for Advanced Extremely High Frequency-1. On 21 February 2011, the 50th Space Wing gained control authority for the Space Based Space Surveillance satellite.[51]
On 1 April 2013, the
On 20 December 2019, the 50th Space Wing, along with the rest of Air Force Space Command, was transferred to the United States Space Force and on 19 June 2020, the 750th Operations Group was activated, centralizing orbital warfare functions represented by the 1st Space Operations Squadron, 3rd Space Experimentation Squadron, and 750th Operations Support Squadron under a single group.[53][54] On 24 July 2020, the 50th Space Wing was inactivated for a final time, being replaced by the Peterson-Schriever Garrison. Its units were divided between Space Delta 6, which is responsible for cyberspace operations and replaced the 50th Network Operations Group, Space Delta 8, which is responsible for satellite communications and navigation warfare and replaced the 50th Operations Group, and Space Delta 9, which is responsible for orbital warfare and replaced the 750th Operations Group.[55]
List of commanders
No. | Commander[56][57] | Term | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Duration | |
1 | 30 January 1992 | 17 June 1993 | 1 year, 138 days | ||
2 | Colonel Gregory L. Gilles | 17 June 1993 | 4 November 1994 | 1 year, 140 days | |
3 | Colonel Simon P. Worden | 4 November 1994 | 22 March 1996 | 1 year, 139 days | |
4 | 22 March 1996 | 25 April 1997 | 1 year, 34 days | ||
5 | Colonel Elwood C. Tircuit | 25 April 1997 | 9 June 1999 | 2 years, 45 days | |
6 | Colonel Richard E. Webber | 9 June 1999 | 20 April 2001 | 1 year, 315 days | |
7 | Colonel Larry D. James | 20 April 2001 | 7 February 2003 | 1 year, 293 days | |
- | Colonel Michael D. Selva Acting | 7 February 2003 | 9 June 2003 | 122 days | |
8 | Colonel Suzanne M. Vautrinot | 9 June 2003 | 4 April 2005 | 1 year, 299 days | |
9 | Colonel John E. Hyten | 4 April 2005 | 15 May 2006 | 1 year, 41 days | |
- | Colonel James C. Hutto Jr. Acting | 15 May 2006 | 14 October 2006 | 152 days | |
9 | Colonel John E. Hyten | 14 October 2006 | 22 May 2007 | 220 days | |
10 | Colonel Teresa A.H. Djuric | 22 May 2007 | 12 June 2008 | 1 year, 21 days | |
11 | Colonel Cary C. Chun | 12 June 2008 | 20 August 2009 | 1 year, 69 days | |
12 | Colonel Wayne Monteith | 20 August 2009 | 5 August 2011 | 1 year, 350 days | |
13 | Colonel James P. Ross | 5 August 2011 | 11 July 2013 | 1 year, 340 days | |
14 | 11 July 2013 | 29 May 2015 | 1 year, 322 days | ||
15 | 29 May 2015 | 30 June 2017 | 2 years, 32 days | ||
16 | Colonel Jennifer L. Grant | 30 June 2017 | 24 June 2019 | 1 year, 359 days | |
17 | 24 June 2019 | 24 July 2020 | 1 year, 30 days |
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