56th Fighter Wing

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56th Fighter Wing
Philip Breedlove
Carrol Chandler
Joseph Ralston
Perry J. Dahl
Insignia
56th Fighter Wing emblem (approved 19 April 1967)[1]
Tail code at Luke AFBLF

The 56th Fighter Wing is a fighter wing in the United States Air Force. It is the world's largest Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II wing and one of two Air Force F-35 training locations. Additionally, it is one of two active-duty F-16 training bases. The 56th graduates dozens of F-35 and General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots and 300 air control professionals annually.[2]

Additionally, the 56th Fighter Wing oversees the

Barry M. Goldwater Range, a military training range spanning more than 1.7 million acres of Sonoran Desert.[2]

History

Initial activation

Lockheed F-80

The 56th Fighter Wing was activated 15 August 1947 at

56th Fighter Group, flying Lockheed P-80 Shooting Stars, became its operational component. The wing base organization was made permanent in 1948.[4]

In July and August 1948, the wing pioneered the first west-to-east jet fighter transatlantic crossing along the northern air route from the United States to Europe,[1] flying 16 of its F-80's from Selfridge to Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base, Germany, by way of Maine Labrador, Greenland, Iceland and Scotland.[citation needed]

Air Defense Command

North American F-86F Sabre jet

The wing's mission included the

4708th Defense Wing.[6]

Almost nine years later the wing was reactivated at

alert status. In February 1962, in addition to these two interceptors, one third of the wing's aircraft were placed on fifteen minute alert.[8]

62d FIS F-101B[note 1]

On 22 October 1962, at the beginning of the

Phelps Collins Field, Michigan became the wing's "interim" dispersal base. The wing sent one third of its aircraft there. All wing aircraft, including those at home and those at Phelps Collins were armed and placed on fifteen minute alert status. The increased alert posture was maintained through mid-November, when CONAD returned the wing to its normal alert status.[9][10]

The wing was assigned to the

410th Bombardment Wing, which became the base's new host.[14]

Vietnam War

Douglas Skyraiders of the 1st and 602nd Squadrons at Nakhon Phanom
B-26K of the 609th Squadron
Helio U-10
NC-123K

The wing was renamed the 56th Air Commando Wing and activated at

Saigon for operational control.[1]

The wing entered combat in Southeast Asia as soon as it was activated. It employed a wide variety of aircraft to meet specialized missions. Those missions included interdiction, psychological warfare, close air support, search and rescue, forward air control, training Royal Thai Air Force and Royal Lao Air Force personnel, and helicopter escort for clandestine insertion and extraction of personnel in Laos and North Vietnam.[1]

The

22d Special Operations Squadron, was activated in October 1968.[1]

By late 1969, attrition had reduced the number of A-26 Invaders in the 609th Special Operations Squadron. The squadron was inactivated in December and the remaining planes were returned to the United States.[19]

Wing elements participated in the Operation Ivory Coast, the Son Tay Prison raid on 21 November 1970. The wing continued combat operations until 1973, ending operations in Vietnam in mid-January 1973, in Laos on 22, and in Cambodia on 15 1973. However, after combat operations ended, the wing continued to provide support services at Nakorn Phanom.[1]

Although no longer assigned combat units, the 56th assisted in

1st Tactical Fighter Wing, assuming its mission, personnel and equipment.[20]

Tactical fighter operations

63d Tactical Fighter Squadron F-4D[note 3]
UH-1P used for range support at Avon Park

At MacDill, the wing became the 56th Tactical Fighter Wing and operated

McDonnell F-4 Phantom IIs. In addition to acting as host for MacDill, the wing operated nearby Avon Park Air Force Range, Florida.[1]

The wing conducted F-4D/E replacement training for pilots, weapon systems officers, and maintenance personnel until July 1982. It was equipped with UH-1P helicopters from 1976 to 1987, to support Avon Range logistics needs, search and rescue efforts, and humanitarian missions.[1]

Starting in 1980 the wing began to convert to F-16A and F-16B aircraft, completing the transition in 1982. The 56th became the unit for transitioning USAF and select allied nation pilots into the new fighter, while continuing to augment

Southwest Asia from August 1990 – March 1991.[1]

The 1991 Base Realignment and Closure Commission evaluated the Air Force's need for fighter bases it was decided to close MacDill AFB except for a small communications element and transfer it to another service or agency.[21]

This recommendation was later altered and MacDill AFB remained open, being transferred to the

6th Air Mobility Wing
and its KC-135R and C-37A aircraft, while the 347th Wing, and later the 23rd Wing, at Moody AFB, Georgia would assume responsibility for the Avon Park Air Force Range and the Deployed Unit Complex (DUC) at MacDill AFB.

The 56th Fighter Wing moved on paper to Luke Air Force Base, Arizona on 1 April 1994,

58th Fighter Wing
.

Flying training

At Luke, the 56th took over the 58th Wing F-16 training mission, but its McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle training mission was transferred to Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida.[citation needed]

After

Homestead Air Force Base, Florida, the fighter squadrons at Homestead transferred to Luke and expanded the 56th to become the largest fighter wing in the Air Force. The wing reached its peak in 1997, when a squadron was added to train pilots for the Republic of China Air Force and the wing had eight flying squadrons and over 200 aircraft. This number was reduced by two flying squadrons and approximately 70 aircraft following the recommendations of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission.[citation needed
]

In March 2014, The 54th Fighter Group was activated under the wing[22] to conduct F-16 Fighting Falcon training as the 56th Operations Group transitions to F-35 Lighting II training. The group was established with a single flying squadron, but added a second squadron in 2015.[23] The group consists of approximately 800 personnel, maintains $2.2 billion in F-16 assets and executes a $144 million operations and maintenance budget to carry out F-16 training.[24]

Units in 2016

The 56th Operations Group is the flying element of the wing. It trains and produce F-35 pilots and crew chiefs for the United States and allied forces. It also maintains resources to meet potential contingency and wartime tasking. Finally it trains all operators for air control squadrons which provide ground tactical command and control operations for the United States.[24]
  • 54th Fighter Group
The 54th Fighter Group is located at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. The
group trains an average of 180 students per year on the F-16, averaging more than 10,800 sorties and 14,600 hours per fiscal year.[24]
  • 56th Maintenance Group
The 56th Maintenance Group provides aircraft maintenance and generates more than 25,000 sorties compiling 32,000 flight hours per year. It is the largest maintenance group in the Air Force, with 2,200 members. The group also trains more than 3,000 maintenance technicians and 1,000 F-16 crew chiefs each year[24]
  • 56th Mission Support Group
The 56th Mission Support Group has 1,965 members and performs the installation management. The base has approximately $396 million in land, building and real property including 4,200 acres at Luke and 1.7 million acres at the Barry M. Goldwater range complex.[24]
  • 56th Medical Group
The 56th Medical Group is an outpatient only medical treatment facility, which serves more than 90,000 beneficiaries (active duty military members, retirees and their families) in the Phoenix, Arizona area. The Medical Group is accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care. It has more than 600 assigned personnel.[25]
  • 56th Comptroller Squadron
The 56th Comptroller Squadron provides financial services, financial analysis, non-appropriated fund oversight and quality assurance for the wing.[26]

Lineage

  • Established as the 56th Fighter Wing on 28 July 1947
Organized on 15 August 1947[note 4]
Redesignated 56th Fighter-Interceptor Wing on 20 January 1950
Inactivated on 6 February 1952
  • Redesignated 56th Fighter Wing (Air Defense) and activated on 28 December 1960 (not organized)
Organized on 1 February 1961
Discontinued and inactivated on 1 January 1964
  • Redesignated 56th Air Commando Wing and activated on 16 March 1967 (not organized)
Organized on 8 April 1967
Redesignated 56th Special Operations Wing on 1 August 1968
Redesignated 56th Tactical Fighter Wing on 30 June 1975
Redesignated 56th Tactical Training Wing on 1 October 1981
Redesignated 56th Fighter Wing on 1 October 1991[1]

Assignments

Components

Groups
  • 56th Fighter Group (later 56th Fighter-Interceptor, 56th Operations) Group: 15 August 1947 – 6 February 1952; 1 November 1991 – 4 January 1994; 1 April 1994 – present[1][27]
  • 54th Fighter Group, 1 March 2014 – 1 October 2018[22]
Squadrons
  • 1st Air Commando Squadron (later 1st Special Operations Squadron): 20 December 1967 – 15 December 1972
  • 13th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron
    : 15 January 1976 – 1 July 1982
  • 18th Special Operations Squadron
    : 25 August 1971 – 31 December 1972 (AC–119)
  • 21st Helicopter Squadron (later 21st Special Operations Squadron): 27 November 1967 – 30 June 1975
  • 22d Special Operations Squadron
    : 25 October 1968 – 30 September 1970
  • 23d Tactical Air Support Squadron
    : 15 March 1972 – 30 June 1975 (O-2A, OV-10)
  • 61st Tactical Fighter Squadron
    (later 61st Tactical Fighter Training Squadron): 30 June 1975 – 1 November 1991
  • 62d Tactical Fighter Squadron
    (later 62d Tactical Fighter Training Squadron): 1 February 1961 – 16 December 1963; 30 June 1975 – 1 November 1991
  • 63d Tactical Fighter Squadron
    (later 63d Tactical Fighter Training Squadron): 30 June 1975 – 1 November 1991
  • 72d Tactical Fighter Training Squadron
    : 1 July 1982 – 1 November 1991
  • 97th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
    : attached 1 December 1950 – 20 May 1951
  • 361st Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron
    : 1 September 1972 – 30 June 1974 (EC-47N/P)
  • 554th Reconnaissance Squadron
    : 15 December 1970 – 30 September 1972 (QU-22B)
  • 602d Fighter Squadron (later 602d Special Operations Squadron): 8 April 1967 – 31 December 1970
Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base until October 1968[15]
  • 606th Air Commando Squadron (later 606th Special Operations Squadron): 8 April 1967 – 15 June 1971
  • 609th Air Commando Squadron (later 609th Special Operations Squadron): 15 September 1967 – 1 December 1969
  • 4501st Tactical Fighter Replacement Squadron: 30 June 1975 – 15 January 1976[1]

Stations

  • Selfridge Field (later Selfridge Air Force Base), Michigan, 15 August 1947 – 6 February 1952
  • K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base, Michigan, 1 February 1961 – 1 January 1964
  • Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, 8 April 1967 – 30 June 1975
  • MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, 30 June 1975 – 31 March 1994
  • Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, 1 April 1994 – present[1]

Aircraft

  • Lockheed P-80 (later F-80) Shooting Star, 1947–1950
  • North American F-86 Sabre, 1950–1952
  • Republic F-47 Thunderbolt
    , 1951–1952
  • North American F-51 Mustang
    , 1951–1952
  • Lockheed F-94 Starfire, 1951–1952
  • McDonnel F-101 VooDoo, 1961–1963
  • Douglas A-1 Skyraider, 1967–1972
  • Douglas A-26 Invader, 1967–1969
  • Sikorsky CH-3, 1967–1972
  • Fairchild C-123 Provider, 1967–1971
  • Fairchild UC-123 Provider, 1968–1971
  • North American T-28 Trojan 1967–1973
  • North American RT-28 Trojan 1967–1972
  • de Havilland Canada U-6 Beaver
    , 1967
  • Helio U-10 Courier, 1967–1969
  • Douglas C-47 Skytrain, 1969–1972
  • Douglas EC-47 Skytrain, 1972–1974
  • Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion, 1970–1975
  • Beechcraft QU-22 Pave Eagle
    , 1970–1972
  • Fairchild AC-119, 1971–1972
  • Sikorsky H-34, 1972
  • North American OV-10 Bronco
    , 1972–1975
  • Cessna O-1 Bird Dog, 1973
  • McDonnell F-4 Phantom II
    , 1975–1982
  • Bell UH-1P Huey
    , 1976–1987
  • General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, 1980–present [1]
  • Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II, 2014–present

Awards and campaigns

  • Presidential Unit Citation:[1]
(Vietnam): 1 November 1968 – 1 May 1969
1 October 1969 – 30 April 1970
1 April 1972 – 22 February 1973
  • Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device:[1]
1 December 1970 – 30 November 1971
1 December 1971 – 29 February 1972
23 February 1973 – 28 February 1974
24 January-2 May 1975
  • Air Force Outstanding Unit Award[1]
1 January 1977 – 1 January 1979
1 July 1980 – 30 June 1982
1 June 1984 – 31 May 1986
1 May 1987 – 30 April 1989
1 May 1989 – 30 April 1990
1 May 1990 – 30 April 1991
1 July 1994 – 30 June 1996
1 July 1996 – 30 June 1998
1 July 1998 – 30 June 2000
1 July 2001 – 30 June 2003
1 July 2003 – 30 June 2005
1 July 2005 – 30 June 2006
1 July 2006 – 30 June 2007
1 July 2007 – 30 June 2008
  • Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm:[1]
8 April 1967 – 28 January 1973
Campaigns[1]
Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase II; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase III; Vietnam Air/Ground; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase IV; TET 69/ Counteroffensive; Vietnam Summer-Fall, 1969; Vietnam Winter-Spring, 1970; Sanctuary Counteroffensive; Southwest Monsoon; Commando Hunt V; Commando Hunt VI; Commando Hunt VII; Vietnam Ceasefire.

References

  1. ^ Aircraft is McDonnell F-101B-95-MC Voodoo serial 57-386 at K.I. Sawyer AFB.
  2. ^ The base was commonly referred to by its identifier, "NKP", or informally as "Naked Fanny."
  3. ^ Aircraft is McDonnell F-4D-28-MC Phantom serial 65-756 at Dyess Air Force Base in 1979.
  4. ^ The experimental (table of distribution) wing was discontinued on 1 August 1948. The permanent (table of organization) wing was established the same day. The Air Force later consolidated the two wings and considers this to have been a redesignation. Ravenstein, pp. 90–92.

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab Robertson, Patsy (13 July 2015). "Factsheet 56 Fighter Wing (AETC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on 11 August 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Luke Trifold" (PDF). 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs. December 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  3. ^ Ravenstein, p. xxi
  4. ^ Ravenstein, pp. 90–92.
  5. ^ Grant, p. 33
  6. ^ Cornett & Johnson, p. 66. An apparent typo in this reference gives the date the 4708th was organized as 1 February 1953, rather than 1952.
  7. ^ Ray, p. 27
  8. ^ Ray, p. 50
  9. ^ NORAD/CONAD Response to the Cuban Missile Crisis, pp. 16, 26
  10. ^ McMullen, pp. 10–12
  11. ^ McMullen, pp. 41, 43–45
  12. ^ Cornett & Johnson, p. 117
  13. ^ Cornett & Johnson, p. 62
  14. ^ Mueller, p. 295
  15. ^ a b c "Abstract, History 56 Air Commando Wing Apr–Jun 1967". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  16. ^ Anthony, p. 99
  17. ^ Unsigned (staff historian) (7 January 2008). "Factsheet 21 Special Operations Squadron". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  18. ^ Unsigned (staff historian) (2 January 2008). "Factsheet 1 Special Operations Squadron". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  19. ^ Anthony, p. 106
  20. ^ See Mueller, pp. 345, 354 (transfer of host responsibilities and dates units were at MacDill).
  21. ^ "Appendix F" (PDF). 1991 Base Realignment and Closure Commission. p. F-6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 May 2019. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  22. ^ a b Robertson, Patsy (21 April 2014). "Factsheet 54 Fighter Group (AETC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  23. ^ "314th FS activation". Air Combat Command Public Affairs. 14 July 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  24. ^ a b c d e "Luke Air Force Base Units: 54th Fighter Group". 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  25. ^ "Luke Air Force Base Units: 56th Medical Group". 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  26. ^ "Luke Air Force Base Units: 56th Fighter Wing Staff Agencies". 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  27. ^ Components stationed with wing headquarters, except as noted

Bibliography

Further reading
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