23d Fighter Group

The 23d Fighter Group (23 FG) is a United States Air Force

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

unit. It is assigned to the 23d Wing

23d Wing

The 23d Wing is a front-line United States Air Force Air Combat Command wing currently assigned to Moody Air Force Base, Georgia.-Mission:The mission of the 23d Wing is to organize, train and employ combat-ready A-10, HC-130 and HH-60, as well as pararescuemen and force protection assets...

and stationed at Moody Air Force Base

Moody Air Force Base

Moody Air Force Base is a United States Air Force installation located in Lowndes County and Lanier County, about northeast of Valdosta, Georgia, United States.Moody Air Force Base is home to the 23d Wing...

, Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

.

The 23d Fighter Group was established in World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

as the 23d Pursuit Group of the United States Army Air Forces

United States Army Air Forces

The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....

. Redesignated the 23d Fighter Group before its activation, the group was formed in China on 4 July 1942, as a component of the China Air Task Force

China Air Task Force

The China Air Task Force was created in July 1942 under the command of Brig. Gen. Claire Chennault, whose Flying Tigers of the 1st American Volunteer Group were disbanded on 4 July of that month. It consisted of the 23rd Fighter Group with four squadrons, the 74th, 75th, 76th, and 16th Fighter...

and received a small cadre of volunteer personnel from the simultaneously-disbanded 1st American Volunteer Group

Flying Tigers

The 1st American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force in 1941–1942, famously nicknamed the Flying Tigers, was composed of pilots from the United States Army , Navy , and Marine Corps , recruited under presidential sanction and commanded by Claire Lee Chennault. The ground crew and headquarters...

(AVG) – the "Flying Tigers" – of the Chinese Air Force

Republic of China Air Force

The Republic of China Air Force is the aviation branch of the Republic of China Armed Forces. The ROCAF's primary mission is the defense of the airspace over and around Taiwan...

.

To carry on the traditions and commemorate the history of the AVG, aircraft of the USAF 23d Fighter Group carry the same "Shark Teeth" nose art

Nose art

Nose art is a decorative painting or design on the fuselage of a military aircraft, usually located near the nose, and is a form of aircraft graffiti....

of the AVG's Curtiss P-40 Warhawks, along with the "FT" (Flying Tiger) tail code. The 23d Fighter Group's aircraft are the only United States Air Force aircraft currently authorized to carry this distinctive and historical aircraft marking.

Overview

Currently based at Moody Air Force Base

Moody Air Force Base

, Georgia, the group is assigned as a second operations group of the 23d Wing

23d Wing

at Moody. Both organizations serve as part of the Ninth Air Force

Ninth Air Force

The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....

and Air Combat Command

Air Combat Command

Air Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....

. The 23d Fighter Group's primary missions are forward air control

Forward air control

Forward air control is the provision of guidance to Close Air Support aircraft intended to ensure that their attack hits the intended target and does not injure friendly troops. This task is carried out by a forward air controller . For NATO forces the qualifications and experience required to be...

, close air support

Close air support

In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...

, air interdiction

Air interdiction

Air interdiction is the use of aircraft to attack tactical ground targets that are not in close proximity to friendly ground forces. It differs from close air support because it does not directly support ground operations and is not closely coordinated with ground units...

and combat search and rescue operations

Search and rescue

Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...

.

The group has two operational squadrons assigned: the 74th

74th Fighter Squadron

The 74th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 23d Fighter Group and stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia....

and the 75th Fighter Squadron

75th Fighter Squadron

The 75th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 23d Fighter Group and stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia....

s both flying A-10

A-10 Thunderbolt II

The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is an American single-seat, twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic in the early 1970s. The A-10 was designed for a United States Air Force requirement to provide close air support for ground forces by attacking tanks,...

light attack aircraft.

World War II

By 15 June 1942, under orders from Tenth Air Force

Tenth Air Force

The Tenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve Command . It is headquartered at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas....

, an advance cadre of pilots and aircraft had proceeded over the infamous "Hump" route

The Hump

The Hump was the name given by Allied pilots in the Second World War to the eastern end of the Himalayan Mountains over which they flew military transport aircraft from India to China to resupply the Chinese war effort of Chiang Kai-shek and the units of the United States Army Air Forces based in...

to Kunming

Kunming

' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...

, China, for combat familiarization. Without ceremony, the 23d Fighter Group was activated 4 July 1942, marking the first such activation of a fighter group on a field of battle.

Claire L. Chennault, meanwhile, had been recalled to active duty with the rank of Brigadier General

Brigadier General

Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...

and placed at the head of the China Air Task Force

China Air Task Force

(later to become Fourteenth Air Force

Fourteenth Air Force

The Fourteenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Space Command . It is headquartered at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California....

). The 23d Fighter Group, a component of the CATF, was assigned three squadrons – the 74th

74th Fighter Squadron

The 74th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 23d Fighter Group and stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia....

, 75th

75th Fighter Squadron

The 75th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 23d Fighter Group and stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia....

and 76th Fighter Squadron

76th Fighter Squadron

The 76th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force Reserve unit. It is assigned to the 476th Fighter Group and stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia....

s.

The group inherited the mission of the 1st American Volunteer Group

American Volunteer Group

The American Volunteer Groups were volunteer air units organized by the United States government to aid the Nationalist government of China against Japan in the Second Sino-Japanese War...

"Flying Tigers

Flying Tigers

". Five of Chennault’s staff officers, five pilots and 19 ground crewmen entered the U.S. Army Air Forces and became members of the 23d Fighter Group. Approximately 25 AVG pilots, still in civilian status, volunteered to extend their contracts for two weeks to train the new group following the disbanding of their organization. The original aircraft of the group were a mixture of P-40s from a batch of 50 sent to China for the AVG between January and June 1942, and a followup shipment of 68 P-40Es sent to India and then flown over the Hump by the squadrons to be assigned to the 23d.

Others from the ranks of the original Flying Tigers left China when their contracts expired, although some returned to duty later with the Army Air Forces in the China-Burma-India Theater. In addition to inheriting operational responsibilities from the AVG, the 23d Fighter Group also benefited from the knowledge and experience of the AVG pilots, and took on the nickname of the disbanded unit.

Col. Robert L. Scott Jr., already in India as a commander of the Hump operation, became the first commander of the 23d Fighter Group. He would later author the military classic, "God Is My Co-Pilot

God is My Co-Pilot

God Is My Co-Pilot may refer to:*God is My Co-Pilot a book by Gen. Robert Lee Scott Jr., USAF *God is My Co-Pilot a 1945 film based on the above book*God Is My Co-Pilot a band from New York City...

."

On the very first day of its activation, the 23d Fighter Group engaged three successive waves of enemy aircraft and promptly recorded the destruction of five enemy aircraft with no losses to itself.

The next three years saw the 23d Fighter Group involved in much of the action over southeast and southwest Asia. The unit helped pioneer a number of innovative fighter and fighter-bomber tactics. The Group used its so-called "B-40" (P-40's carrying 1,000-pound bombs) to destroy Japanese bridges and kill bridge repair crews, sometimes demolishing their target with a single bomb.. The unit gained another increase in capability with its conversion to the North American P-51 "Mustang" aircraft in November 1943.

Representative of the encounters undertaken by this small and often ill-equipped group was the defense against a major Japanese push down the Hsiang Valley in Hunan Province 17–25 June 1944. Ignoring inhibiting weather conditions and heavy ground fire, the 23d Fighter Group provided air support for Chinese land forces and repeatedly struck at enemy troops and transportation. Its efforts in this instance earned it the Distinguished Unit Citation for "outstanding performance of duty in action against the enemy."

Before the 23d Fighter Group returned to the United States in December 1945, it was credited with destroying 621 enemy planes in air combat, plus 320 more on the ground; with sinking more than 131,000 tons of enemy shipping and damaging another 250,000 tons; and with causing an estimated enemy troop loss of more than 20,000. These statistics were compiled through a total of more than 24,000 combat sorties, requiring more than 53,000 flying hours, and at a cost of 110 aircraft lost in aerial combat, 90 shot down by surface defenses, and 28 bombed while on the ground.

The 23d Fighter Group was inactivated 5 January 1946, in Fort Lewis

Fort Lewis

Joint Base Lewis-McChord is a United States military facility located south-southwest of Tacoma, Washington. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Army Joint Base Garrison, Joint Base Lewis-McChord....

, Washington.

The 23d Fighter Group was reactivated 10 October 1946, in Guam

Guam

Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...

and assigned to the Twentieth Air Force

Twentieth Air Force

The Twentieth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming.20 AF's primary mission is Intercontinental Ballistic Missile operations...

, equipped with the long-range Republic P-47N Thunderbolt. While stationed in Guam, the 23 FG became a part of the United States Air Force

United States Air Force

when it became a separate military service on 18 September 1947.

23d Operations Group

On 1 June 1992, the 23d Operations Group was activated at Pope AFB, North Carolina under the re-designated 23d Wing. The 23d OG was bequeathed the lineage and history of the 23d Fighter Group under the new USAF Objective Organization plan. It was given the mission of controlling the flying components of the parent 23d Wing.

In December 1992, C-130s from the 2d Airlift Squadron

2d Airlift Squadron

The 2nd Airlift Squadron of the United States Air Force is an airlift squadron operating from Pope Air Force Base, Fayetteville, North Carolina. They operate C-130 Hercules aircraft...

deployed to Mombasa

Mombasa

Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....

, Kenya

Kenya

Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...

, to participate in Operation Provide Relief

Operation Provide Relief

Operation Provide Relief was part of United Nations endorsed effort called The Unified Task Force to secure and facilitate humanitarian relief for the people of Somalia, an effort that was assisted by the UN UNOSOM I mission beginning in 1991 in light of a severe famine, initiated and exacerbated...

. The aircraft and crews delivered tons of food and other relief supplies to small airstrips throughout Somalia

Somalia

Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...

. 23d Wing C-130s have also been tasked to assist in other humanitarian relief efforts, to include Hurricane Andrew

Hurricane Andrew

Hurricane Andrew was the third Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the United States, after the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and Hurricane Camille in 1969. Andrew was the first named storm and only major hurricane of the otherwise inactive 1992 Atlantic hurricane season...

in Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

. They also airdropped relief supplies into Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...

and flew relief missions into Sarajevo

Sarajevo

Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....

for more than 28 months.

In September 1994, its C-130s participated in what was to be the largest combat personnel drop since World War II, Operation Uphold Democracy

Operation Uphold Democracy

Operation Uphold Democracy was an intervention designed to remove the military regime installed by the 1991 Haitian coup d'état that overthrew the elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide...

. They were to assist in dropping more than 3,000 paratroopers from the 82d Airborne Division onto Port au Prince Airport, Haiti

Haiti

Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...

. The invasion force was recalled at the last minute after word that the Haitian president had resigned upon hearing that the aircraft were on their way. The 75th Fighter Squadron's A-10s were deployed their aircraft to Shaw AFB, South Carolina

South Carolina

South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...

, where they were scheduled to launch close air support operations for the invasion force before recovering in Puerto Rico.

The first operational deployment of a composite wing happened in October 1994, when Iraqi troops began massing near the Kuwaiti Border. Within 72 hours, 56 aircraft and 1,500 personnel deployed to the Persian Gulf region for Operation Vigilant Warrior

Operation Vigilant Warrior

Operation Vigilant Warrior was a military operation from 8 October 1994 to 15 December 1994 by the United States in response to two divisions of Iraqi Republican Guard troops moving toward the Kuwaiti border...

. Eventually, the 75th Fighter Squadron redeployed to Al Jaber AB, Kuwait

Kuwait

The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...

, becoming the first U.S. fixed-wing aircraft to be stationed in that country since the end of the Gulf War.

On 1 July 1996, the 74th Fighter Squadron's F-16C/D Fighting Falcons were transferred to the 27FW / 524th FS at Cannon AFB, New Mexico

New Mexico

New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

, and the squadron transitioned to A/OA-10 Thunderbolt IIs

A-10 Thunderbolt II

received from the 20FW / 55th FS at Shaw AFB, South Carolina

South Carolina

. This gave the 23d Group a 2d A-10 squadron.

On 1 April 1997, the 23d Operations Group was inactivated and immediately re-activated as the 23d Fighter Group as a result of the parent 23d Wing's inactivation and being reduced to a group component. The 23d Fighter Group was assigned to the Air Combat Command 347th Wing at Moody AFB, Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

but physically remaining at Pope as a Geographically Separated Unit (GSU). Its C-130s and Pope Air Force Base were realigned to Air Mobility Command

Air Mobility Command

Air Mobility Command is a Major Command of the U.S. Air Force. AMC is headquartered at Scott AFB, Illinois, east of St. Louis....

under the designation 43d Airlift Wing.

On 27 June 2000, the 23d Fighter Group was reassigned to the 4th Fighter Wing at Seymour Johnson AFB North Carolina also as a GSU and continued to operate from Pope, after the 347th Wing was redesignated the 347th Rescue Wing. The group as it existed in 2006 consisted of the:

74th Fighter Squadron
74th Fighter Squadron
The 74th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 23d Fighter Group and stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia....
75th Fighter Squadron
75th Fighter Squadron
The 75th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 23d Fighter Group and stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia....
23d Operations Support Squadron
23d Maintenance Squadron

Operation Allied Force

In April 1999, the 74 FS deployed five aircraft and 60 personnel to Operation Allied Force

Operation Allied Force

The NATO bombing of Yugoslavia was NATO's military operation against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The strikes lasted from March 24, 1999 to June 10, 1999...

, the NATO air campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, nominally intended to stop ethnic cleansing of Albanians

Albanians

Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...

by Serbians

Serbs

The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...

. The US participation was known as Operation Noble Anvil and officially spanned 24 March 1999 – 10 June 1999. The 74th FS deployed initially to Spangdahlem Air Base

Spangdahlem Air Base

Spangdahlem Air Base is a United States Air Force base located near the small German town of Spangdahlem, approximately 30 km NNE of the city of Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate.-Units:...

and then forward deployed to Gioia Del Colle Air Base

Gioia del Colle Air Base

Gioia del Colle Air Base is an Italian Air Force base located in the province of Bari, Apulia, Italy, located approximately 4 km south-southeast of Gioia del Colle.-World War II:...

, Italy. Designated the 74th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, the unit co-located with the 81st EFS of the 51st Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem Air Base

Spangdahlem Air Base

Spangdahlem Air Base is a United States Air Force base located near the small German town of Spangdahlem, approximately 30 km NNE of the city of Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate.-Units:...

, Germany, to form an expeditionary fighter wing.

The A-10A aircraft provided close air support

Close air support

during missions over the region, provided short-notice alert for combat search and rescue

Search and rescue

missions and also provided Airborne Forward Air Control

Forward air control

for NATO fighters attacking Serbian targets found in the Kosovo area.

Operation Enduring Freedom

In March 2002, the 23d Fighter Group landed the first fighter aircraft inside Afghanistan

Afghanistan

Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...

. They deployed from Al Jaber AB, Kuwait, to Bagram Air Base

Bagram Air Base

Bagram Airfield, also referred to as Bagram Air Base, is a militarized airport and housing complex that is located next to the ancient city of Bagram, southeast of Charikar in Parwan province of Afghanistan. The base is run by a US Army division headed by a major general. A large part of the base,...

, Afghanistan. 23d Fighter Group personnel operated simultaneously in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Southern Watch

Operation Southern Watch

Operation Southern Watch was an operation conducted by Joint Task Force Southwest Asia with the mission of monitoring and controlling airspace south of the 32nd Parallel in Iraq, following the 1991 Gulf War until the 2003 invasion of Iraq.-Summary:Operation Southern Watch began on 27 August 1992...

for nearly seven months.

Operation Iraqi Freedom

In February 2003, the 23d Fighter Group deployed to Al Jaber Air Base in preparation of Operation Iraqi Freedom, there they launched aircraft to attack Baghdad

Baghdad

Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...

until the major fighting ceased. They then deployed forward to Tallil Air Base, near An-Nasiriyah

Nasiriyah

Nasiriyah is a city in Iraq. It is on the Euphrates about 225 miles southeast of Baghdad, near the ruins of the ancient city of Ur. It is the capital of the province of Dhi Qar...

Milestones

In 2002, an A-10 of the 75th Fighter Squadron passed the 9,000 flying-hour mark, becoming the most flown attack aircraft in Air Force history. This was exceeded in 2005 by another A-10 from the 75th FS that passed the 10,000 flying-hour mark.

Moody Air Force Base

On 29 September 2006, the 347th Rescue Wing at Moody AFB redesignated as the 347th Rescue Group, while the 23 FG was redesignated the 23d Wing. Along with the 347th Rescue Group, the original 23d Fighter Group was reactivated, this time at Moody Air Force Base, for only the second time in over fifty years. The 23d Fighter Group was then assigned as the 23d Wing's operations group, although retaining the designation of "Fighter Group".

Both the 23 WG and 23 FG are charged with carrying on the historic Flying Tiger's heritage.

Lineage

Established as 23d Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 17 Dec 1941

Redesignated 23d Fighter Group on 15 May 1942

Activated on 4 July 1942

Inactivated on 5 Jan 1946

Activated on 10 Oct 1946

Inactivated on 24 Sepy 1949

Redesignated 23d Fighter-Interceptor Group on 19 Dec 1950

Activated on 12 Jan 1951

Inactivated on 6 Feb 1952.

Redesignated 23d Fighter Group (Air Defense) on 20 Jun 1955

Activated on 18 Aug 1955 replacing the 528th Air Defense Group

Inactivated on 1 July 1959

Redesignated 23d Tactical Fighter Group on 31 July 1985

Redesignated 23d Operations Group, and activated, on 1 June 1992

Inactivated on 1 Apr 1997.

Redesignated: 23 Fighter Group, and activated on 1 Apr 1997

Inactivated on 26 Sept 2006

Reactivated on 26 Sept 2006

Activated on 1 Oct 2006.

Assignments

China Air Task Force
China Air Task Force
The China Air Task Force was created in July 1942 under the command of Brig. Gen. Claire Chennault, whose Flying Tigers of the 1st American Volunteer Group were disbanded on 4 July of that month. It consisted of the 23rd Fighter Group with four squadrons, the 74th, 75th, 76th, and 16th Fighter...

(Tenth Air Force
Tenth Air Force
The Tenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve Command . It is headquartered at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas....

), 4 July 1942
Fourteenth Air Force
Fourteenth Air Force
The Fourteenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Space Command . It is headquartered at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California....

, 10 Mar 1943 – 5 Jan 1946
20th Fighter Wing, 10 Oct 1946
23d Fighter Wing, 16 Aug 1948-24 Sept 1949
23d Fighter-Interceptor Wing, 12 Jan 1951 – 6 Feb 1952
4711th Air Defense Wing, 15 Feb 1953
32d Air Division (Defense), 1 Mar 1956
Bangor Air Defense Sector
Bangor Air Defense Sector
The Bangor Air Defense Sector is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Air Defense Command 26th Air Division, being stationed at Topsham Air Force Station, Maine...

, 1 Aug 1958 – 1 July 1959
23d Wing
23d Wing
The 23d Wing is a front-line United States Air Force Air Combat Command wing currently assigned to Moody Air Force Base, Georgia.-Mission:The mission of the 23d Wing is to organize, train and employ combat-ready A-10, HC-130 and HH-60, as well as pararescuemen and force protection assets...

, 1 June 1992
347th Wing, 1 Apr 1997
4th Fighter Wing
4th Fighter Wing
The 4th Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Ninth Air Force. It is stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, where it is also the host unit....

, 27 Jun 2000
347th Rescue Wing
347th Rescue Wing
The 347th Rescue Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Air Force Special Operations Command, stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. It was inactivated on 1 October 2006...

, 18 August 2006
23d Wing
23d Wing
The 23d Wing is a front-line United States Air Force Air Combat Command wing currently assigned to Moody Air Force Base, Georgia.-Mission:The mission of the 23d Wing is to organize, train and employ combat-ready A-10, HC-130 and HH-60, as well as pararescuemen and force protection assets...

, 1 Oct 2006 – present

Components

2d Airlift Squadron
2d Airlift Squadron
The 2nd Airlift Squadron of the United States Air Force is an airlift squadron operating from Pope Air Force Base, Fayetteville, North Carolina. They operate C-130 Hercules aircraft...

: 1 June 1992 – 1 Apr 1997
16th Fighter Squadron: attached, 4 Jul 1942 – 19 Oct 1943
41st Airlift Squadron
41st Airlift Squadron
The 41st Airlift Squadron is part of the 19th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. It operates C-130J Super Hercules aircraft.-History:...

: 16 Jul 1993 – 1 Apr 1997
74th Fighter Squadron
74th Fighter Squadron
The 74th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 23d Fighter Group and stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia....

: 4 Jul 1942 – 5 Jan 1946; 10 Oct 1946-24 Sept 1949; 12 Jan 1951 – 6 Feb 1952; 15 Jun 1993-1 Apr 1997; 1 Oct 2006 – present
75th Fighter (later, 75th Fighter-Interceptor; 75th Fighter) Squadron
75th Fighter Squadron
The 75th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 23d Fighter Group and stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia....

: 4 Jul 1942 – 5 Jan 1946; 10 Oct 1946-24 Sept 1949; 12 Jan 1951 – 6 Feb 1952; 18 Aug 1955-1 Jul 1959; 1 Jun 1992 – 1 Apr 1997; 1 Oct 2006 – present
76th Fighter (later, 76th Fighter-Interceptor) Squadron
76th Fighter Squadron
The 76th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force Reserve unit. It is assigned to the 476th Fighter Group and stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia....

: 4 Jul 1942 – 5 Jan 1946; 10 Oct 1946-24 Sept 1949; 18 Aug 1955 – 9 Nov 1957
118th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron: attached, May–Aug 1945
132d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: attached, 21 Jul – 2 Aug 1951
134th Fighter Interception Squadron: attached, Jan-2 Aug 1951
449th Fighter Squadron: attached, Jul-19 Oct 1943.

Stations

Kunming Airport, China, 4 Jul 1942
Kweilin Airfield, China, c. Sept 1943
Liuchow Airfield, China, 8 Sept 1944
Luliang Airfield, China, 14 Sept 1944
Liuchow Airfield, China, Aug 1945
Hanchow Airfield, China, c. 10 Oct – 12 Dec 1945
Fort Lewis
Fort Lewis
Joint Base Lewis-McChord is a United States military facility located south-southwest of Tacoma, Washington. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Army Joint Base Garrison, Joint Base Lewis-McChord....

, Washington, 3–5 Jan 1946
Northwest Field (later, Northwest Guam AFB)
Northwest Field (Guam)
Northwest Field is a former World War II airfield on Guam in the Mariana Islands. It was closed in 1949 and is unused.-History:Northwest Field was constructed in 1944–45 near Ritidian Point on the northwest end of the island of Guam as a base for Twentieth Air Force B-29 Superfortresses to carry...

, Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...

, 10 Oct 1946 – 3 Apr 1949
Howard AFB, Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...

, 25 Apr – 24 Sept 1949
Presque Isle AFB, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...

, 12 Jan 1951 – 6 Feb 1952; 18 Aug 1955-1 Jul 1959
England AFB, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...

, 1 Jul 1972 – 1 Jun 1992
Pope AFB, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

, 1 Jun 1992- 30 Jul 2007
Moody AFB, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

, 30 Jul 2007 – present

External links

Global Security site about the 23d Fighter Group
Annals of the Flying Tigers (American Volunteer Group)
Flying Tiger Association Website
Official Honors and Lineage of the 23d Wing

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.