31st Fighter Wing
Encyclopedia
The 31st Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force
unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe
Third Air Force
. It is stationed at Aviano Air Base
, Italy
where it is also the host unit.
The 31 FW is the only United States Air Force fighter wing assigned south of the Alps in Europe. It maintains two F-16 fighter squadrons to conduct regional and expeditionary operations under NATO, SACEUR or national tasking.
The unit traces its lineage from the 31st Pursuit Group that activated at Selfridge Field, Michigan, on 1 February 1940, the 31st Fighter Group of World War II
, and the 31st Tactical Fighter Wing from the Vietnam War
. The 31st Fighter Group fought in North Africa and Italy during the war as part of Twelfth Air Force, returning to Drew Field, Florida
in August 1945 where it was inactivated.
A Strategic Air Command
Fighter-Escort wing during the early years of the Cold War
, the 31st TFW stood air defense alert during the Cuban Missile Crisis
, October-November 1962. Moved to Southeast Asia in December 1966 and conducted combat operations, 16 December 1966-September 1970. Controlled interdiction strikes, conducted visual and photo reconnaissance, rescue combat air patrols, and suppressed enemy antiaircraft artillery. The 31st moved to Italy in April 1994 without personnel and equipment, replacing the 401st Fighter Wing as host wing at Aviano AB. In the early 1990s, it participated in major Balkan operations and has deployed elements to Air Expeditionary units as part of the Global War on Terrorism after the September 11 attacks in 2001.
The commander of the 31st Fighter Wing is Brig. Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. The Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Laten D. Williams.
, Italy. This, and its strategic location, makes the wing critical to operations in NATO's southern region.
In peacetime, the 31st Fighter Wing prepares for its combat role by maintaining its aircraft and personnel in a high state of readiness.
The mission of the 31st Fighter Wing is:
Beginning July 1994, the wing provided combat support for NATO's first-ever operational mission, Deny Flight. In August and September 1995, 31st FW F-16s flew more than 400 combat sorties during Operation Deliberate Force. With the formal signing of the Dayton Peace Accord, Operation Deny Flight ended and the wing's emphasis shifted to support what is now Operation Deliberate Forge. And in March 1999, in support of Operation Allied Force, U.S. and allied forces assembled at Aviano Air Base, Italy, to react if called upon by NATO leadership.
The 31st FW also includes the 603rd Air Control Squadron, capable of providing air surveillance, control and communications. Additionally, the 31st Comptroller Squadron (31 CPTS) reports directly to the wing staff.
The 31st Fighter Wing was established on 6 November 1947 and organized on 20 November 1947 at Turner Field (later, AFB)
, Georgia
as a result of the Hobson Base-Wing Plan which created a Wing to command the functions of both the support groups as well as flying combat air groups. The 31st Fighter Wing was assigned to Ninth Air Force
under Continental Air Command
's Tactical Air Command
. The 31st Fighter Group was its operational component, consisting of the 307th, 308th and 309th Fighter Squadrons.
Under TAC, the 31st FW was initially equipped assigned F-51D Mustangs, the wing began converting to F-84D Thunderjets in August 1948, and trained to achieve tactical proficiency from 1947 to 1950.
Second Air Force
. With the transfer, the wing was redesignated as the 31st Fighter-Escort Wing on 16 July 1950, reflecting the Wing's new mission to escort SAC's intercontinental Boeing B-29 and Boeing B-50 Stratofortress
bomber fleet. The older F-84Ds were replaced by brand-new F-84E aircraft which more suitable for the escort role, and the 31st was charged with performing accelerated service tests on them.
Beginning in December 1950 through July 1951, all tactical and most support components deployed to RAF Manston
, England
. The remaining components of the 31st at Turner were backfilled by the Federalized New Jersey Air National Guard
108th Strategic Fighter Wing
with 141st, 149th and 153d Strategic Fighter Squadrons. Once in England, the wing participated in goodwill missions to Norway and flew escort missions with deployed SAC bomber units at other English bases.
The 31st FEW was replaced at Marston on 21 July by the arrival of the 12th Fighter-Escort Wing from Bergstrom AFB, Texas
, the deployment of the 12th FEW to England being titled Fox Able 12. The 31st returned to Turner on the same aircraft that had brought the 12th FEW to England, being titled Fox Abld 11, although neither operation involved any trans-Atlantic movement of tactical aircraft. All of the 31st FEW F-84Es were transferred to the 12th at Marston.
Upon their return to Turner AFB, the 31st FEW obtained ten F-84Es from the 27th FEW to begin an anticipated transition to that model. Through the fall of 1951, the 31st FEW practiced air refueling techniques, and in November the 108th FBW was reassigned to Godman AFB, Kentucky
. However many of the 108th's personnel were reassigned to either Lockbourne AFB, Ohio or Hunter AFB, Georgia to staff new SAC wings that those bases.
The wing pioneered the development of in-flight refueling tactics. On 4 July 1952 the wing executed Operation Fox Peter One, the mass movement of the entire wing from Turner Field, Georgia, to Misawa Air Base
, Japan
, using aerial refueling to fly non-stop from Turner to Travis AFB, California
, and from Travis to Hickam AFB, Hawaii
. The unit then island-hopped across the rest of the Pacific with stops at Midway and Wake Island
; Eniwetok Atoll; Guam
; Iwo Jima
, and Yokota AB, Japan
. The sheer magnitude of the accomplishment was sufficient to name the 31st Fighter-Escort Wing as the recipient of the first-ever Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. This movement included the longest over-water flight attempted to that date, and was the first trans-Pacific mass flight of jet aircraft.
As an encore, on 20 August 1953 the 31st FEW deployed eight F-84s on a 10½-hour non-stop flight from Turner Field to Nouasseur Air Base
, French Morocco
during "Operation Longstride". This exercise included three air refuelings by the newly operational SAC KC-97 Stratotanker
operating from Kindley AFB, Bermuda
and Lajes Air Base, Azores
. This successful flight culminated in the 40th Air Division
of the Strategic Air Command receiving the Mackay Trophy for 1953. The wing received yet another designation change on 20 January 1953 when it became known as the 31st Strategic Fighter Wing. During this time the wing deployed (on temporary 30-day assignments) to Japan
and Alaska
to provide air defense in the northern Pacific. The wing also assumed the role of in-flight refueling with the assignment of the 58th Air Refueling Squadron on 11 May 1956.
at Turner and was redesignated as the 31st Fighter-Bomber Wing when re-equipped with the new North American F-100C Super Sabres
. In September 1957 a fourth fighter squadron, the 306th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, was activated and assigned to the wing.
The wing rotated tactical components to Alaska
in 1956 and 1957 and to Europe
in 1958 and 1959. It became non-operational at Turner on 15 March 1959 and was transferred to George Air Force Base
, California
, and absorbed the personnel and equipment of the 413th Fighter-Day Wing that date.
At George, the 31st was redesignated the 31st Tactical Fighter Wing on 1 July 1958 as part of an Air Force wide naming reorganization. The wing deployed units for four-month alert rotations to Moron AB, Spain
and Aviano AB, Italy
. During the Berlin Crisis in October and November 1961, the 309th Fighter Squadron deployed to Spangdahlem AB, West Germany
to bolster the US military forces in Europe.
The wing was reassigned to Homestead Air Force Base, Florida
, in May 1962 when Homestead gained a Tactical Air Command mission, and subsequently stood air defense alert during the Cuban Missile Crisis
from October-November 1962. The wing also maintained tactical proficiency by participating in exercises, firepower demonstrations, and by rotating tactical components overseas. In 1963 the wing earned a second Outstanding Unit Award in for achievements attained in 1962.
On 8 February 1964 the 308th Fighter Squadron flew a non-stop mission from Homestead AFB, Florida, to Cigli Air Base, Turkey
. The 6,600 mile trip required eight in-flight refuelings and set a new record for the longest mass flight of jet aircraft to cross the Atlantic. The flight also led to the wing receiving the Tactical Air Command Outstanding Fighter Wing Award for 1964, the second consecutive year it won that prestigious award.
During the mid-1960s demands from both NATO and the Vietnam War
led to the division of the 31st TFW into several segments.
In June 1965 the 307 TFS deployed to Bien Hoa Air Base
, South Vietnam
; the 308 TFS replaced them in December, having moved there as a permanent change of station.
In April 1966, the 307th TFS was permanently reassigned to the 401st TFW at Torrejon Air Base
, Spain
to accommodate USAFE requirements. The 31st TFW and its remaining three fighter squadrons were deployed to Tuy Hoa Air Base
South Vietnam
on 16 December 1966 and was reassigned to Pacific Air Forces (PACAF).
The 31 TFW arrived at Tuy Hoa AB, and was assigned to the Seventh Air Force
, on Christmas Day 1966. In South Vietnam the 31st TFW commanded five F-100 squadrons and was the most important F-100 wing in South Vietnam. From Tuy Hoa, the wing conducted combat operations, 16 December 1966-September 1970. It controlled interdiction strikes, conducted visual and photo reconnaissance
, rescue combat air patrols, and suppressed enemy antiaircraft artillery
. The wing also conducted air operations against enemy forces during the Tet Offensive and the Siege of Khe Sanh from February-April 1968. It flew close air support missions during the extraction of friendly troops from Kham Duc
on 12 May 1968. The wing gained forward air control mission in May 1968.
They reached 100,000 combat sortie milestone in September 1969. The wing earned two Outstanding Unit Awards, one with Combat “V” Device, a Presidential Unit Citation, two Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Crosses with Palm, and ten Campaign Streamers for action in Vietnam.
The 31st TFW was deactivated in Southeast Asia on 15 October 1970 as part of the general US withdrawal from South Vietnam
. On 16 October it was reactivated without personnel or equipment at Homestead Air Force Base, Florida
.
In July 1971, the 306 TFS inactivated and the 307 TFS moved without personnel or equipment to Homestead AFB, returning the wing to its original squadrons. With its return to Homestead, the 31st TFW was re-equipped with the F-4E Phantom II.
The wing assumed a dual-role function with the primary mission of air defense of the southern Florida and the secondary as a replacement training unit. The 307 TFS and 309 TFS were designated to perform the pilot replacement training. From April to August 1972 the 308 TFS deployed to Udorn Royal Thai Air Base, Thailand to augment tactical air forces already deployed to that country, followed in July by the 307 TFS. The 308 TFS completed the wing’s final deployment to Southeast Asia from December 1972 to June 1973.
The wing assumed primary responsibility for air defense in southern Florida on 1 April 1976 and advised Air National Guard
fighter units on operational matters.
In September 1979-September 1980 it transferred nearly half of its F-4E aircraft to Egypt
under Project PEACE PHARAOH, the F-4E's being replaced by F-4Ds and in 1981, the 31st TFW and Homestead AFB again took on a new task: the training of F-4 aircrews. On 31 March 1981 the 31st TFW became the 31st Tactical Training Wing. The wing continued to operate as an F-4 combat crew training unit but relinquished its Florida air defense commitment in October 1983.
Training was to remain the wing's primary mission until 1 October 1985 the wing converted to the General Dynamics Block 15 F-16A/B Fighting Falcon and returned to an operational tactical fighter wing status. F-4 training operations continued for several more years until last F-4 training class graduated in May 1988. Subsequently, the wing became a fully operational F-16 wing and maintained readiness for worldwide deployment carrying either conventional or nuclear weapons. However, with the arrival of the F-16s, the 306th TFS was again activated. Also the tail code of the 31st changed to "HS" on 1 December 1986.
On 28 October 1991 the designation of the wing was changed to the 31st Fighter Wing with the implementation of the Objective Organization. Also the 31st Operations Group was established to control the wings operational components and fighter squadrons. Also, the fighter squadrons of the 31 OG were upgraded to the Block 40 F-16C/D. On 1 June 1992 the wing was assigned to the new Air Combat Command
.
was destroyed or severely damaged by Hurricane Andrew
. Just prior to the storm's landfall in Southeast Florida, the 31st TFW dispersed its fighter squadrons to safe areas away from the storm's path. These locations were:
The effects of Hurricane Andrew caused the almost total destruction of Homestead Air Force Base. Every building received some damage, many buildings were destroyed.
In the aftermath, although both President George H. W. Bush
and President Bill Clinton
promised to rebuild Homestead, the Secretary of Defense recommended complete closure of the base. In June 1993, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommended to realign the base under the Air Force Reserve, with the 31st Fighter Wing's squadrons being permanently reassigned to their dispersal bases, Moody AFB and Shaw AFB on 1 October 1992, and the subsequent inactivation of the 31st Fighter Wing. The remaining wing elements worked to clean up and salvage government property at Homestead.
Air Force leadership had been looking at the whole realignment process following the end of the Cold War
and they discovered that the Air Force was losing its heritage. When a base closed, the unit assigned to the base typically inactivated. With so many base closures taking place, many of the most significant wings were being inactivated, along with their history and heritage. In order to stop the trend, Air Force Chief of Staff, General
Merrill McPeak, initiated a program whereby units in danger of being inactivated would be compared to another unit to determine which was the most significant, and move the most significant unit to keep its history active. Such was the case of the 31st Fighter Wing.
As the highest scoring Army Air Force unit in the Mediterranean Theater in World War II, added to their combat record in Vietnam and the number of significant firsts they produced in the early years of the Air Force, the 31 FW was chosen to move rather than fade into obscurity. So on 1 April 1994, the 31st Fighter Wing inactivated at Homestead AFB, Florida, and subsequently activated at Aviano AB, Italy, in place of the 401st Fighter Wing.
In Europe, the 31st FW is the only U.S. fighter wing south of the Alps
. During a NATO crisis, the wing's operational forces become part of the 5th Allied Tactical Air Force, located at Vicenza
, Italy. This, and its strategic location, makes the wing critical to operations in NATO's southern region. The 31st FW also supports three geographically-separated units: The 712th Munitions Squadron and 704th Munitions Support Squadron, Ghedi Air Base, Italy and the 496th Air Base Squadron, Morón Air Base
, Spain.
The 31 FW received two new squadrons at that time, the 510th and 555th Fighter Squadrons, along with their Block-40 F-16s.
On 31 March 1993, the United Nations (UN) Security Council passed Resolution 816
, authorizing UN and NATO military action in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The wing's role in this peacekeeping mission consisted
of a series of air operations: DENY FLIGHT, DELIBERATE FORCE, DECISIVE EDGE, DELIBERATE GUARD, and DELIBERATE FORGE.
One month after arriving at Aviano AB, the wing began flying contingency operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina. In May 1994, the 31 FW’s 555 FS started operations in support of Operation DENY FLIGHT
, and by September of the same year, the 510th joined her sister squadron. Both squadrons conducted daily sorties with other NATO forces, enforcing the no fly zone (NFZ) over the region. By 28 August 1995, the wing had flown 1,644 sorties in support of Operation DENY FLIGHT.
On 2 June 1995, Bosnian Serb Forces shot down Captain Scott O'Grady
, a 555th Fighter Squadron F-16 pilot, behind enemy lines. Captain O’Grady spent the next six days evading Bosnian Serb Forces by moving during the night and hiding during the day. Finally, on 8 June, the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit rescued Captain O’Grady and he returned unharmed to Aviano and a hero’s welcome.
On 30 August 1995, in response to the Bosnian Serb’s shelling of Sarajevo’s central market that killed 37 people, NATO initiated Operation DELIBERATE FORCE. This military action resulted in the largest air assault in NATO’s history. The 31 FW increased its involvement and support to NATO forces during this 22-day operation, flying an average of 18 sorties a day for a total of 418 sorties. After reducing the threat to Sarajevo
and other UN "safe havens"
, NATO and the UN ended Operation DELIBERATE FORCE on 20 September 1995.
On 20 September 1995, with the completion of Operation DELIBERATE FORCE, Operation DENY FLIGHT resumed. The wing continued daily missions to enforce the NFZ over Bosnia-Herzegovina, and by 20 December 1995, had flown a total of 303 sorties. On 15 December 1995, UN Security Council Resolution 816 expired and with it authority for Operation DENY FLIGHT. The UN agreed to terminate the operation and officially turned over authority for the security of Bosnia-Herzegovina to the NATO's Implementation Force (IFOR) on 20 December 1995.
On 20 December 1995, NATO’s IFOR began Operation JOINT ENDEAVOR. The air portion of this mission, called Operation DECISIVE EDGE, ensured Aviano-based aircraft continued to maintain the security of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The 31 FW continued daily flights over the area and, as of 20 December 1996, had flown a total of 1,088 sorties for this operation.
On 20 December 1996, Operation JOINT ENDEAVOR concluded and NATO forces began operating under Operation JOINT GUARD. This new NATO operation also affected the air mission, which changed from Operation DECISIVE EDGE to Operation DELIBERATE GUARD. This new operation implemented by NATO’s Stabilisation Forces (SFOR), previously IFOR), became one of stabilization to give civilian agencies the opportunity and time to become functional and operational. The 31 FW continued to fly sorties in support of SFOR requirements, and by the end of Operation DELIBERATE GUARD, 20 June 1998, had flown a total of 1,632 sorties in these ongoing peacekeeping efforts. On 20 June 1998, peacekeeping efforts in Bosnia-Herzegovina continued under Operation DELIBERATE FORGE.
In the midst of DELIBERATE GUARD operations, the wing also supported generated sorties in support of Operation SILVER WAKE
, the emergency evacuation of U.S. citizens and designated third country nationals from Tirana, Albania. From 14–26 March 1997, the 510th
flew in support of the evacuations. The sortie totals for SILVER WAKE are included in the wing’s DELIBERATE GUARD sortie figures.
In 1999 USAFE activated the 31st Air Expeditionary Wing-NOBLE ANVIL at Aviano AB, Italy, for Operation ALLIED FORCE
, the NATO operation to stop Serbian atrocities against ethic Albanians in the Province of Kosovo. Assigned under a joint task force, the 31 AEW flew from Aviano and joined NATO allies in a 78-day air campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia). From 24 March – 10 June 1999, the 31 AEW, the largest expeditionary wing in Air Force history, flew nearly 9,000 combat sorties and accumulated almost 40,000 hours of combat service over the skies of Kosovo, Serbia, and the rest of the Balkans in support of NATO operations. The wing accomplished much during OAF as the two permanently assigned flying squadrons, the 510 FS and 555 FS, combined for over 2,400 sorties and over 10,000 combat hours. Additionally, as the first Aviano OAF squadrons to fly 1,000 combat sorties, 555 FS reached the 1,000 combat sortie mark on 27 May 1999 and the 510 FS followed suit two days later. Simply, the 31 FW operators, maintainers, and supporters proudly accomplished the NATO mission.
Following the end of Operation ALLIED FORCE (OAF) in June 1999, the 31st Fighter Wing became fully entrenched in the Expeditionary Air Force. With the exception of a deployment to Operation NORTHERN WATCH (ONW) in 1998, the wing had not deployed to support a contingency operation since before it activated at Aviano. Instead, the wing fought “in place,” supporting operations in the Balkans.
The wing accomplished much during OAF as the two permanently assigned flying squadrons, the 510 FS and 555 FS, combined for over 2,400 sorties and over 10,000 combat hours. Additionally, as the first Aviano OAF squadrons to fly 1,000 combat sorties, 555FS
reached the 1,000 combat sortie mark on 27 May 1999 and the 510 FS followed suit two days later. Simply, the 31 FW operators, maintainers, and supporters proudly accomplished the NATO mission.
Following the end of Operation ALLIED FORCE (OAF) in June 1999, the 31st Fighter Wing became fully entrenched in the Expeditionary Air Force. With the exception of a deployment to Operation NORTHERN WATCH (ONW) in 1998, the wing had not deployed to support a contingency operation since before it activated at Aviano. Instead, the wing fought “in place,” supporting operations in the Balkans.
In addition to the contingency deployments discussed below, the “Buzzards” of the 510th Fighter Squadron and 555th Fighter Squadron “Triple Nickel” continued to fly sorties over the Balkans in support of Operations DELIBERATE FORGE.1 DELIBERATE FORGE operations over Bosnia began on 20 June 1998. These sorties supported NATO’s Stabilization Forces (SFOR) by supporting ground operations and enforcing the no-fly zone (NFZ). The wing suspended DELIBERATE FORGE sorties with the start of Operation ALLIED FORCE in March 1999.
Sortie reporting for DELIBERATE FORGE ended in advance of ALLIED FORCE. On 11 June 1999, the day after ALLIED FORCE sorties ceased, Operation JOINT GUARDIAN began. JOINT GUARDIAN involved enforcement of the NFZ over Kosovo and support of NATO’s Kosovo Forces (KFOR). Following the end of ALLIED FORCE, all Balkan sorties were reported as JOINT GUARDIAN sorties. Though the historical record is not clear on this point, the end of ALLIED FORCE most likely saw the resumption of JOINT FORGE sorties
over Bosnia and the initiation of JOINT GUARDIAN sorties over Kosovo; all the sorties were logged as JOINT GUARDIAN sorties. Reporting for JOINT GUARDIAN ended in March 2002 and all subsequent sorties fell under DELIBERATE FORGE. To this day pilots from the 31 FW continue to fly sorties in support of DELIBERATE FORGE.
From February to June 2001, the Scorpions of the 603d Air Control Squadron (603 ACS) deployed to another forward location. As the core of the 386th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron, the 121 personnel of the 603d served as the primary air control squadron for OSW. Significantly, the deployment marked the first-ever deployment of the 603d outside of Europe. Later in the 2001, the Buzzards and Triple Nickel flew in support of ONW. From June through December, the squadrons provided Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) while enforcing the northern NFZ. Significantly, the next AEF deployment for the fighter squadrons saw the 555th return to
Incirlik. From late March to early May, the Nickel deployed 88 personnel and five aircraft in support of ONW, again providing CSAR support.
The fall and winter of 2002 saw the wing’s largest ever deployment effort since arriving at Aviano. From August to December 2002, the 510th and 603d returned to Southwest Asia. The 603d again supported OSW while the 510th supported OSW and missions over Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM (OEF). Additionally, the 555th deployed its personnel and aircraft, including those personnel and aircraft not deployed with the 510th, to Decimomannu AB, Sardinia. Runway construction motivated the temporary relocation. The squadrons returned to Aviano by year’s end.
In late November 2002, the 555 FS deployed to Caslav AB, Czech Republic, to provide combat air patrols over the site of the NATO Summit. The deployment included the real world diversion of an unidentified airliner.
Forces from the wing engaged in Iraqi operations in late 2003. From mid-November 2003 through early June 2004, the Scorpions deployed to Iraq to provide air control over Iraq. In an air control squadron first, the squadron relocated their entire operation from Baghdad International Airport to Balad AB. Under combat conditions, the squadron transferred $73 million in equipment and over 100 personnel via 20 convoys. Significantly, the squadron accomplished the move with no loss of command and control services. Unfortunately, the squadron also sustained a loss during its time in Iraq. On 10 April 2004, insurgents launched a mortar rocket attack on Balad, killing A1C Antoine Holt and injuring two other Scorpions. Airman Holt’s death constituted the 31 FW’s first combat fatality since the Vietnam War.
From December 2003 to early March 2004, the Buzzards deployed to Southwest Asia in support of OEF and OIF. Flying almost 900 sorties, including 750 combat sorties, the squadron flew close air support (CAS) and airborne forward air control (FAC-A) missions. Of note, squadron pilots were overhead during and participated in the capture of Saddam Hussein on 13 December 2003. Further, the 510th’s overhead presence contributed to a 50% reduction in improvised explosive device and infrastructure attacks against Coalition forces.
The Triple Nickel replaced the Buzzards in late February 2004 and returned to Aviano in early June. Like the Buzzards, the Nickel supported OEF and OIF. The squadron was active in OEF’s “MOUNTAIN STORM” in Afghanistan. In Iraq, the squadron performed the first true urban close air support (CAS) missions in recent history, a first in the F-16. Additionally, the 555th spearheaded development of CENTAF’s tactics, techniques, and procedures to support and defend convoys. Finally, the squadron pioneered the Air Force’s first operational F-16 employment of Advance Targeting Pods.
Squadrons
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 assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe
United States Air Forces in Europe
The United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...
Third Air Force
Third Air Force
The Third Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe . It is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany....
. It is stationed at Aviano Air Base
Aviano Air Base
Aviano Air Base is a NATO Air Base under U.S. Air Force administration in northeastern Italy, in Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. It is located in Aviano municipality, at the foot of the Carnic Pre-Alps, or Southern Carnic Alps, about 15 kilometers from Pordenone.-Units:Aviano is hosted by the...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
where it is also the host unit.
The 31 FW is the only United States Air Force fighter wing assigned south of the Alps in Europe. It maintains two F-16 fighter squadrons to conduct regional and expeditionary operations under NATO, SACEUR or national tasking.
The unit traces its lineage from the 31st Pursuit Group that activated at Selfridge Field, Michigan, on 1 February 1940, the 31st Fighter Group of 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...
, and the 31st Tactical Fighter Wing from the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. The 31st Fighter Group fought in North Africa and Italy during the war as part of Twelfth Air Force, returning to Drew Field, 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...
in August 1945 where it was inactivated.
A Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
Fighter-Escort wing during the early years of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, the 31st TFW stood air defense alert during the Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
, October-November 1962. Moved to Southeast Asia in December 1966 and conducted combat operations, 16 December 1966-September 1970. Controlled interdiction strikes, conducted visual and photo reconnaissance, rescue combat air patrols, and suppressed enemy antiaircraft artillery. The 31st moved to Italy in April 1994 without personnel and equipment, replacing the 401st Fighter Wing as host wing at Aviano AB. In the early 1990s, it participated in major Balkan operations and has deployed elements to Air Expeditionary units as part of the Global War on Terrorism after the September 11 attacks in 2001.
The commander of the 31st Fighter Wing is Brig. Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. The Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Laten D. Williams.
Overview
During a NATO crisis, the wing's operational forces become part of the 5th Allied Tactical Air Force, located at VicenzaVicenza
Vicenza , a city in north-eastern Italy, is the capital of the eponymous province in the Veneto region, at the northern base of the Monte Berico, straddling the Bacchiglione...
, Italy. This, and its strategic location, makes the wing critical to operations in NATO's southern region.
In peacetime, the 31st Fighter Wing prepares for its combat role by maintaining its aircraft and personnel in a high state of readiness.
The mission of the 31st Fighter Wing is:
- Conducting air and space combat support operations in Europe's Southern region
- Conducting regional and expeditionary operations under NATO, SACEUR or national tasking with conventional and non-conventional munitions
- Maintaining an air control squadron capable of air surveillance, control and communications
- Providing command, control and support functions
Beginning July 1994, the wing provided combat support for NATO's first-ever operational mission, Deny Flight. In August and September 1995, 31st FW F-16s flew more than 400 combat sorties during Operation Deliberate Force. With the formal signing of the Dayton Peace Accord, Operation Deny Flight ended and the wing's emphasis shifted to support what is now Operation Deliberate Forge. And in March 1999, in support of Operation Allied Force, U.S. and allied forces assembled at Aviano Air Base, Italy, to react if called upon by NATO leadership.
Global War on Terrorism
The 31 FW provides and supports dominant, expeditionary air combat in support of the Global War on Terrorism. Currently, the wing accomplishes this goal by deploying people and equipment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.Units
- 31st Operations Group31st Operations GroupThe 31st Operations Group is the flying component of the 31st Fighter Wing, assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe. It is stationed at Aviano Air Base, Italy.-Overview:...
(31 OG)- 510th Fighter Squadron510th Fighter SquadronThe 510th Fighter Squadron is part of the 31st Operations Group at Aviano Air Base, Italy. It is a combat-ready F-16CM fighter squadron prepared to deploy and fly combat sorties as tasked by NATO and US combatant commanders...
(510 FS) – Buzzards - 555th Fighter Squadron555th Fighter SquadronThe 555th Fighter Squadron is part of the 31st Operations Group at Aviano Air Base, Italy. It operates F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting an air superiority mission.-Mission:...
(555 FS) – Triple Nickel - 603rd Air Control Squadron603rd Air Control SquadronThe 603rd Air Control Squadron is part of the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base, Italy.-Mission:The specified mission of the 603rd ACS is to operate a mobile unit capable of providing radar control and surveillance within a designated area, to collect, display, and disseminate information of...
(603 ACS) – Scorpions - 31st Operations Support Squadron (31 OSS)
- 510th Fighter Squadron
- 31st Maintenance Group (31 MXG)
- 31st Maintenance Squadron (31 MXS)
- 31st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (31 AMXS)
- 31st Maintenance Operations Squadron (31 MOS)
- 31st Mission Support Group (31 MSG)
- 31st Contracting Squadron (31 CONS)
- 31st Security Forces Squadron (31 SFS)
- 31st Force Support Squadron (31 FSS)
- 31st Logistics Readiness Squadron (31 LRS)
- 31st Communications Squadron (31 CS)
- 31st Civil Engineering Squadron (31 CES)
- 31st Medical Group (31 MDG)
- 31st Aerospace Medicine Squadron (31 AMDS)
- 31st Dental Squadron (31 DS)
- 31st Medical Operations Squadron (31 MDOS)
- 31st Surgical Operations Squadron (31 SGS)
- 31st Medical Support Squadron (31 MDSS)
The 31st FW also includes the 603rd Air Control Squadron, capable of providing air surveillance, control and communications. Additionally, the 31st Comptroller Squadron (31 CPTS) reports directly to the wing staff.
Cold War
Turner Air Force Base
Turner Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base whose site is located within the current city limits of Albany, Georgia. Following its closure as a USAF installation in the late 1960s, it was transferred to the U.S. Navy and renamed Naval Air Station Albany...
, 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...
as a result of the Hobson Base-Wing Plan which created a Wing to command the functions of both the support groups as well as flying combat air groups. The 31st Fighter Wing was assigned to 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....
under Continental Air Command
Continental Air Command
Continental Air Command was a Major Command of the United States Air Force responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.-Lineage:...
's Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
. The 31st Fighter Group was its operational component, consisting of the 307th, 308th and 309th Fighter Squadrons.
Under TAC, the 31st FW was initially equipped assigned F-51D Mustangs, the wing began converting to F-84D Thunderjets in August 1948, and trained to achieve tactical proficiency from 1947 to 1950.
Strategic Air Command
On 20 January 1950 the wing redesignated as the 31st Fighter-Bomber Wing and was transferred from Tactical Air Command to the Strategic Air CommandStrategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
Second Air Force
Second Air Force
The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
. With the transfer, the wing was redesignated as the 31st Fighter-Escort Wing on 16 July 1950, reflecting the Wing's new mission to escort SAC's intercontinental Boeing B-29 and Boeing B-50 Stratofortress
B-50 Superfortress
The Boeing B-50 Superfortress strategic bomber was a post-World War II revision of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, fitted with more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-4360 radial engines, stronger structure, a taller fin, and other improvements. It was the last piston-engined bomber designed by Boeing for...
bomber fleet. The older F-84Ds were replaced by brand-new F-84E aircraft which more suitable for the escort role, and the 31st was charged with performing accelerated service tests on them.
Beginning in December 1950 through July 1951, all tactical and most support components deployed to RAF Manston
RAF Manston
RAF Manston was an RAF station in the north-east of Kent, at on the Isle of Thanet from 1916 until 1996. The site is now split between a commercial airport Kent International Airport and a continuing military use by the Defence Fire Training and Development Centre , following on from a long...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The remaining components of the 31st at Turner were backfilled by the Federalized New Jersey Air National Guard
New Jersey Air National Guard
The New Jersey Air National Guard consists of almost 2300 Guardsmen from New Jersey.The New Jersey Air National Guard is governed through the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs....
108th Strategic Fighter Wing
108th Air Refueling Wing
The 108th Air Refueling Wing is a unit of the New Jersey Air National Guard tasked with aerial refueling and other air mobility missions. It is based at McGuire Air Force Base and operationally gained by the Air Mobility Command . The current Commander of the 108th is...
with 141st, 149th and 153d Strategic Fighter Squadrons. Once in England, the wing participated in goodwill missions to Norway and flew escort missions with deployed SAC bomber units at other English bases.
The 31st FEW was replaced at Marston on 21 July by the arrival of the 12th Fighter-Escort Wing from Bergstrom AFB, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, the deployment of the 12th FEW to England being titled Fox Able 12. The 31st returned to Turner on the same aircraft that had brought the 12th FEW to England, being titled Fox Abld 11, although neither operation involved any trans-Atlantic movement of tactical aircraft. All of the 31st FEW F-84Es were transferred to the 12th at Marston.
Upon their return to Turner AFB, the 31st FEW obtained ten F-84Es from the 27th FEW to begin an anticipated transition to that model. Through the fall of 1951, the 31st FEW practiced air refueling techniques, and in November the 108th FBW was reassigned to Godman AFB, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. However many of the 108th's personnel were reassigned to either Lockbourne AFB, Ohio or Hunter AFB, Georgia to staff new SAC wings that those bases.
The wing pioneered the development of in-flight refueling tactics. On 4 July 1952 the wing executed Operation Fox Peter One, the mass movement of the entire wing from Turner Field, Georgia, to Misawa Air Base
Misawa Air Base
right|thumb|A US Navy C-2 at Misawa is a United States military facility located northeast of the railway station in Misawa, west of the Pacific Ocean, northeast of Towada, northwest of Hachinohe, and north of Tokyo, in Aomori Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region in the northern part of the...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, using aerial refueling to fly non-stop from Turner to Travis AFB, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and from Travis to Hickam AFB, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. The unit then island-hopped across the rest of the Pacific with stops at Midway and Wake Island
Wake Island
Wake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior...
; Eniwetok Atoll; 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...
; Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
, and Yokota AB, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The sheer magnitude of the accomplishment was sufficient to name the 31st Fighter-Escort Wing as the recipient of the first-ever Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. This movement included the longest over-water flight attempted to that date, and was the first trans-Pacific mass flight of jet aircraft.
As an encore, on 20 August 1953 the 31st FEW deployed eight F-84s on a 10½-hour non-stop flight from Turner Field to Nouasseur Air Base
Nouasseur Air Base
Nouasseur Air Base near Casablanca, French Morocco is a former United States Air Force Strategic Air Command base. It was designed for B-36 and B-47 bombers.Today, Nouasseur AB is known as Mohammed V International Airport.-Origins:...
, French Morocco
French Morocco
French Protectorate of Morocco was a French protectorate in Morocco, established by the Treaty of Fez. French Morocco did not include the north of the country, which was a Spanish protectorate...
during "Operation Longstride". This exercise included three air refuelings by the newly operational SAC KC-97 Stratotanker
KC-97 Stratotanker
The Boeing KC-97 Stratotanker was a United States strategic tanker aircraft based on the Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter. It was succeeded by the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker.-Design and development:...
operating from Kindley AFB, Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
and Lajes Air Base, Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
. This successful flight culminated in the 40th Air Division
40th Air Division
The 40th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Fifteenth Air Force, stationed at Malmstrom AFB, Montana...
of the Strategic Air Command receiving the Mackay Trophy for 1953. The wing received yet another designation change on 20 January 1953 when it became known as the 31st Strategic Fighter Wing. During this time the wing deployed (on temporary 30-day assignments) to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
to provide air defense in the northern Pacific. The wing also assumed the role of in-flight refueling with the assignment of the 58th Air Refueling Squadron on 11 May 1956.
Tactical Air Command
On 1 April 1957 the 31st except for the 58 ARS, was transferred back to Tactical Air CommandTactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
at Turner and was redesignated as the 31st Fighter-Bomber Wing when re-equipped with the new North American F-100C Super Sabres
F-100 Super Sabre
The North American F-100 Super Sabre was a supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard until 1979. The first of the Century Series collection of USAF jet fighters, it was the first USAF fighter capable of...
. In September 1957 a fourth fighter squadron, the 306th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, was activated and assigned to the wing.
The wing rotated tactical components to Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
in 1956 and 1957 and to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in 1958 and 1959. It became non-operational at Turner on 15 March 1959 and was transferred to George Air Force Base
George Air Force Base
George Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located within city limits, 8 miles northwest of central Victorville, California, about 75 miles northeast of Los Angeles, California. The facility was closed by the Base Realignment and Closure 1992 commission at the end of the Cold...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and absorbed the personnel and equipment of the 413th Fighter-Day Wing that date.
At George, the 31st was redesignated the 31st Tactical Fighter Wing on 1 July 1958 as part of an Air Force wide naming reorganization. The wing deployed units for four-month alert rotations to Moron AB, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Aviano AB, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. During the Berlin Crisis in October and November 1961, the 309th Fighter Squadron deployed to Spangdahlem AB, West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
to bolster the US military forces in Europe.
The wing was reassigned to Homestead Air Force Base, 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...
, in May 1962 when Homestead gained a Tactical Air Command mission, and subsequently stood air defense alert during the Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
from October-November 1962. The wing also maintained tactical proficiency by participating in exercises, firepower demonstrations, and by rotating tactical components overseas. In 1963 the wing earned a second Outstanding Unit Award in for achievements attained in 1962.
On 8 February 1964 the 308th Fighter Squadron flew a non-stop mission from Homestead AFB, Florida, to Cigli Air Base, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. The 6,600 mile trip required eight in-flight refuelings and set a new record for the longest mass flight of jet aircraft to cross the Atlantic. The flight also led to the wing receiving the Tactical Air Command Outstanding Fighter Wing Award for 1964, the second consecutive year it won that prestigious award.
Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
led to the division of the 31st TFW into several segments.
In June 1965 the 307 TFS deployed to Bien Hoa Air Base
Bien Hoa Air Base
Bien Hoa Air Base is a Vietnam People's Air Force military airfield located in South-Central southern Vietnam about 20 miles from Saigon near the city of Bien Hoa within Dong Nai Province....
, South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
; the 308 TFS replaced them in December, having moved there as a permanent change of station.
In April 1966, the 307th TFS was permanently reassigned to the 401st TFW at Torrejon Air Base
Torrejon Air Base
Madrid-Torrejón Airport is a commercial airport in Spain. It is a joint-use facility between the Spanish Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Public Works. The civil part is dedicated primarily to executive and private aviation. The airport is located northeast of Madrid, west of Alcalá de...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
to accommodate USAFE requirements. The 31st TFW and its remaining three fighter squadrons were deployed to Tuy Hoa Air Base
Tuy Hoa Air Base
Tuy Hoa Air Base is a former air force base in Vietnam, being closed in 1970. It was built by the United States between 1965-1966 and was used by the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War in the II Corps Tactical Zone of South Vietnam. It was seized by the Vietnam People's Army in April...
South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
on 16 December 1966 and was reassigned to Pacific Air Forces (PACAF).
The 31 TFW arrived at Tuy Hoa AB, and was assigned to the Seventh Air Force
Seventh Air Force
The Seventh Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea....
, on Christmas Day 1966. In South Vietnam the 31st TFW commanded five F-100 squadrons and was the most important F-100 wing in South Vietnam. From Tuy Hoa, the wing conducted combat operations, 16 December 1966-September 1970. It controlled interdiction strikes, conducted visual and photo reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
, rescue combat air patrols, and suppressed enemy antiaircraft artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
. The wing also conducted air operations against enemy forces during the Tet Offensive and the Siege of Khe Sanh from February-April 1968. It flew close air support missions during the extraction of friendly troops from Kham Duc
Battle of Kham Duc
The Battle of Kham Duc was a major battle of the Vietnam War, also known in Vietnam as the American War. The event occurred in Quang Tin Province , South Vietnam, between May 10 and May 12, 1968. During the Tet Offensive of 1968, the Vietnam People's Army 2nd Division tried to capture Da Nang but...
on 12 May 1968. The wing gained forward air control mission in May 1968.
They reached 100,000 combat sortie milestone in September 1969. The wing earned two Outstanding Unit Awards, one with Combat “V” Device, a Presidential Unit Citation, two Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Crosses with Palm, and ten Campaign Streamers for action in Vietnam.
The 31st TFW was deactivated in Southeast Asia on 15 October 1970 as part of the general US withdrawal from South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
. On 16 October it was reactivated without personnel or equipment at Homestead Air Force Base, 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...
.
Post Vietnam
The wing assumed a dual-role function with the primary mission of air defense of the southern Florida and the secondary as a replacement training unit. The 307 TFS and 309 TFS were designated to perform the pilot replacement training. From April to August 1972 the 308 TFS deployed to Udorn Royal Thai Air Base, Thailand to augment tactical air forces already deployed to that country, followed in July by the 307 TFS. The 308 TFS completed the wing’s final deployment to Southeast Asia from December 1972 to June 1973.
The wing assumed primary responsibility for air defense in southern Florida on 1 April 1976 and advised Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
fighter units on operational matters.
In September 1979-September 1980 it transferred nearly half of its F-4E aircraft to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
under Project PEACE PHARAOH, the F-4E's being replaced by F-4Ds and in 1981, the 31st TFW and Homestead AFB again took on a new task: the training of F-4 aircrews. On 31 March 1981 the 31st TFW became the 31st Tactical Training Wing. The wing continued to operate as an F-4 combat crew training unit but relinquished its Florida air defense commitment in October 1983.
Training was to remain the wing's primary mission until 1 October 1985 the wing converted to the General Dynamics Block 15 F-16A/B Fighting Falcon and returned to an operational tactical fighter wing status. F-4 training operations continued for several more years until last F-4 training class graduated in May 1988. Subsequently, the wing became a fully operational F-16 wing and maintained readiness for worldwide deployment carrying either conventional or nuclear weapons. However, with the arrival of the F-16s, the 306th TFS was again activated. Also the tail code of the 31st changed to "HS" on 1 December 1986.
On 28 October 1991 the designation of the wing was changed to the 31st Fighter Wing with the implementation of the Objective Organization. Also the 31st Operations Group was established to control the wings operational components and fighter squadrons. Also, the fighter squadrons of the 31 OG were upgraded to the Block 40 F-16C/D. On 1 June 1992 the wing was assigned to the new 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 ....
.
Hurricane Andrew
On 24 August 1992, much of Homestead Air Force Base's physical plantPhysical plant
Physical plant or mechanical plant refers to the necessary infrastructure used in support and maintenance of a given facility. The operation of these facilities, or the department of an organization which does so, is called "plant operations" or facility management...
was destroyed or severely damaged by 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...
. Just prior to the storm's landfall in Southeast Florida, the 31st TFW dispersed its fighter squadrons to safe areas away from the storm's path. These locations were:
- 307th FS -> to 347th FW, Moody AFB, GeorgiaGeorgia (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...
- 308th FS -> to 347th FW, Moody AFB, GeorgiaGeorgia (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...
- 309th FS -> to 363d FW, Shaw AFB, South CarolinaSouth CarolinaSouth 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...
The effects of Hurricane Andrew caused the almost total destruction of Homestead Air Force Base. Every building received some damage, many buildings were destroyed.
In the aftermath, although both President George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
and President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
promised to rebuild Homestead, the Secretary of Defense recommended complete closure of the base. In June 1993, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommended to realign the base under the Air Force Reserve, with the 31st Fighter Wing's squadrons being permanently reassigned to their dispersal bases, Moody AFB and Shaw AFB on 1 October 1992, and the subsequent inactivation of the 31st Fighter Wing. The remaining wing elements worked to clean up and salvage government property at Homestead.
Air Force leadership had been looking at the whole realignment process following the end of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
and they discovered that the Air Force was losing its heritage. When a base closed, the unit assigned to the base typically inactivated. With so many base closures taking place, many of the most significant wings were being inactivated, along with their history and heritage. In order to stop the trend, Air Force Chief of Staff, General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Merrill McPeak, initiated a program whereby units in danger of being inactivated would be compared to another unit to determine which was the most significant, and move the most significant unit to keep its history active. Such was the case of the 31st Fighter Wing.
United States Air Forces in Europe
In Europe, the 31st FW is the only U.S. fighter wing south of the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
. During a NATO crisis, the wing's operational forces become part of the 5th Allied Tactical Air Force, located at Vicenza
Vicenza
Vicenza , a city in north-eastern Italy, is the capital of the eponymous province in the Veneto region, at the northern base of the Monte Berico, straddling the Bacchiglione...
, Italy. This, and its strategic location, makes the wing critical to operations in NATO's southern region. The 31st FW also supports three geographically-separated units: The 712th Munitions Squadron and 704th Munitions Support Squadron, Ghedi Air Base, Italy and the 496th Air Base Squadron, Morón Air Base
Morón Air Base
Morón Air Base is located at in southern Spain, approximately southeast of the city of Seville and northeast of Naval Station Rota. The base gets its name from the nearby town of Morón de la Frontera - although its is actually located in the municipality of Arahal.Morón's massive flight line,...
, Spain.
The 31 FW received two new squadrons at that time, the 510th and 555th Fighter Squadrons, along with their Block-40 F-16s.
Yugoslavian Civil War
Upon activation at Aviano on 1 April 1994, the 31st Fighter Wing’s (31 FW) new mission centered on efforts to contain the civil war in Yugoslavia.On 31 March 1993, the United Nations (UN) Security Council passed Resolution 816
United Nations Security Council Resolution 816
United Nations Security Council Resolution 816, adopted on March 31, 1993, after reaffirming resolutions 781 , 786 concerning a ban on military flights over Bosnia and Herzegovina and recognising the current situation in the region, the Council, acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations...
, authorizing UN and NATO military action in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The wing's role in this peacekeeping mission consisted
of a series of air operations: DENY FLIGHT, DELIBERATE FORCE, DECISIVE EDGE, DELIBERATE GUARD, and DELIBERATE FORGE.
One month after arriving at Aviano AB, the wing began flying contingency operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina. In May 1994, the 31 FW’s 555 FS started operations in support of Operation DENY FLIGHT
Operation Deny Flight
Operation Deny Flight was a North Atlantic Treaty Organization operation that began on April 12, 1993 as the enforcement of a United Nations no-fly zone over Bosnia and Herzegovina...
, and by September of the same year, the 510th joined her sister squadron. Both squadrons conducted daily sorties with other NATO forces, enforcing the no fly zone (NFZ) over the region. By 28 August 1995, the wing had flown 1,644 sorties in support of Operation DENY FLIGHT.
On 2 June 1995, Bosnian Serb Forces shot down Captain Scott O'Grady
Scott O'Grady
Scott Francis O'Grady is a former USAF Captain and former United States Air Force fighter pilot who gained prominence after the June 2, 1995 Mrkonjić Grad incident, in which he ejected over Bosnia when his F-16C was shot down by a Bosnian Serb SA-6 while he was patrolling the no-fly zone...
, a 555th Fighter Squadron F-16 pilot, behind enemy lines. Captain O’Grady spent the next six days evading Bosnian Serb Forces by moving during the night and hiding during the day. Finally, on 8 June, the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit rescued Captain O’Grady and he returned unharmed to Aviano and a hero’s welcome.
On 30 August 1995, in response to the Bosnian Serb’s shelling of Sarajevo’s central market that killed 37 people, NATO initiated Operation DELIBERATE FORCE. This military action resulted in the largest air assault in NATO’s history. The 31 FW increased its involvement and support to NATO forces during this 22-day operation, flying an average of 18 sorties a day for a total of 418 sorties. After reducing the threat to Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
and other UN "safe havens"
United Nations Safe Areas
United Nations Safe Areas were areas established in 1993 in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Bosnian War by a resolution of the United Nations Security Council....
, NATO and the UN ended Operation DELIBERATE FORCE on 20 September 1995.
On 20 September 1995, with the completion of Operation DELIBERATE FORCE, Operation DENY FLIGHT resumed. The wing continued daily missions to enforce the NFZ over Bosnia-Herzegovina, and by 20 December 1995, had flown a total of 303 sorties. On 15 December 1995, UN Security Council Resolution 816 expired and with it authority for Operation DENY FLIGHT. The UN agreed to terminate the operation and officially turned over authority for the security of Bosnia-Herzegovina to the NATO's Implementation Force (IFOR) on 20 December 1995.
On 20 December 1995, NATO’s IFOR began Operation JOINT ENDEAVOR. The air portion of this mission, called Operation DECISIVE EDGE, ensured Aviano-based aircraft continued to maintain the security of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The 31 FW continued daily flights over the area and, as of 20 December 1996, had flown a total of 1,088 sorties for this operation.
On 20 December 1996, Operation JOINT ENDEAVOR concluded and NATO forces began operating under Operation JOINT GUARD. This new NATO operation also affected the air mission, which changed from Operation DECISIVE EDGE to Operation DELIBERATE GUARD. This new operation implemented by NATO’s Stabilisation Forces (SFOR), previously IFOR), became one of stabilization to give civilian agencies the opportunity and time to become functional and operational. The 31 FW continued to fly sorties in support of SFOR requirements, and by the end of Operation DELIBERATE GUARD, 20 June 1998, had flown a total of 1,632 sorties in these ongoing peacekeeping efforts. On 20 June 1998, peacekeeping efforts in Bosnia-Herzegovina continued under Operation DELIBERATE FORGE.
In the midst of DELIBERATE GUARD operations, the wing also supported generated sorties in support of Operation SILVER WAKE
Operation Silver Wake
Operation Silver Wake was a non-combatant evacuation operation led by the United States to evacuate American citizens, noncombatants and designated third country nationals from Albania in March 1997. The operation was performed by U.S. Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit conducting...
, the emergency evacuation of U.S. citizens and designated third country nationals from Tirana, Albania. From 14–26 March 1997, the 510th
flew in support of the evacuations. The sortie totals for SILVER WAKE are included in the wing’s DELIBERATE GUARD sortie figures.
In 1999 USAFE activated the 31st Air Expeditionary Wing-NOBLE ANVIL at Aviano AB, Italy, for 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 operation to stop Serbian atrocities against ethic Albanians in the Province of Kosovo. Assigned under a joint task force, the 31 AEW flew from Aviano and joined NATO allies in a 78-day air campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia). From 24 March – 10 June 1999, the 31 AEW, the largest expeditionary wing in Air Force history, flew nearly 9,000 combat sorties and accumulated almost 40,000 hours of combat service over the skies of Kosovo, Serbia, and the rest of the Balkans in support of NATO operations. The wing accomplished much during OAF as the two permanently assigned flying squadrons, the 510 FS and 555 FS, combined for over 2,400 sorties and over 10,000 combat hours. Additionally, as the first Aviano OAF squadrons to fly 1,000 combat sorties, 555 FS reached the 1,000 combat sortie mark on 27 May 1999 and the 510 FS followed suit two days later. Simply, the 31 FW operators, maintainers, and supporters proudly accomplished the NATO mission.
Following the end of Operation ALLIED FORCE (OAF) in June 1999, the 31st Fighter Wing became fully entrenched in the Expeditionary Air Force. With the exception of a deployment to Operation NORTHERN WATCH (ONW) in 1998, the wing had not deployed to support a contingency operation since before it activated at Aviano. Instead, the wing fought “in place,” supporting operations in the Balkans.
31st Air Expeditionary Wing
From 24 March – 10 June 1999, the 31 AEW flew in OAF. The AEW, the largest expeditionary wing in air force history, flew nearly 9,000 combat sorties and accumulated almost 40,000 hours of combat service over the skies of Kosovo, Serbia, and the rest of the Balkans in support of NATO operations.The wing accomplished much during OAF as the two permanently assigned flying squadrons, the 510 FS and 555 FS, combined for over 2,400 sorties and over 10,000 combat hours. Additionally, as the first Aviano OAF squadrons to fly 1,000 combat sorties, 555FS
reached the 1,000 combat sortie mark on 27 May 1999 and the 510 FS followed suit two days later. Simply, the 31 FW operators, maintainers, and supporters proudly accomplished the NATO mission.
Following the end of Operation ALLIED FORCE (OAF) in June 1999, the 31st Fighter Wing became fully entrenched in the Expeditionary Air Force. With the exception of a deployment to Operation NORTHERN WATCH (ONW) in 1998, the wing had not deployed to support a contingency operation since before it activated at Aviano. Instead, the wing fought “in place,” supporting operations in the Balkans.
In addition to the contingency deployments discussed below, the “Buzzards” of the 510th Fighter Squadron and 555th Fighter Squadron “Triple Nickel” continued to fly sorties over the Balkans in support of Operations DELIBERATE FORGE.1 DELIBERATE FORGE operations over Bosnia began on 20 June 1998. These sorties supported NATO’s Stabilization Forces (SFOR) by supporting ground operations and enforcing the no-fly zone (NFZ). The wing suspended DELIBERATE FORGE sorties with the start of Operation ALLIED FORCE in March 1999.
Sortie reporting for DELIBERATE FORGE ended in advance of ALLIED FORCE. On 11 June 1999, the day after ALLIED FORCE sorties ceased, Operation JOINT GUARDIAN began. JOINT GUARDIAN involved enforcement of the NFZ over Kosovo and support of NATO’s Kosovo Forces (KFOR). Following the end of ALLIED FORCE, all Balkan sorties were reported as JOINT GUARDIAN sorties. Though the historical record is not clear on this point, the end of ALLIED FORCE most likely saw the resumption of JOINT FORGE sorties
over Bosnia and the initiation of JOINT GUARDIAN sorties over Kosovo; all the sorties were logged as JOINT GUARDIAN sorties. Reporting for JOINT GUARDIAN ended in March 2002 and all subsequent sorties fell under DELIBERATE FORGE. To this day pilots from the 31 FW continue to fly sorties in support of DELIBERATE FORGE.
Modern era
In 2000, the wing began its full-fledged participation in the Expeditionary Air Force. From March to September 2000, the 510th and 555th Fighter Squadrons conducted back-to-back deployments to a forward Southwest Asia location, in support of Operation Southern WATCH(OSW). While at the forward location, the squadrons flew over 400 combat sorties providing precision-guided munitions (PGM) delivery while patrolling the southern NFZ.From February to June 2001, the Scorpions of the 603d Air Control Squadron (603 ACS) deployed to another forward location. As the core of the 386th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron, the 121 personnel of the 603d served as the primary air control squadron for OSW. Significantly, the deployment marked the first-ever deployment of the 603d outside of Europe. Later in the 2001, the Buzzards and Triple Nickel flew in support of ONW. From June through December, the squadrons provided Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) while enforcing the northern NFZ. Significantly, the next AEF deployment for the fighter squadrons saw the 555th return to
Incirlik. From late March to early May, the Nickel deployed 88 personnel and five aircraft in support of ONW, again providing CSAR support.
The fall and winter of 2002 saw the wing’s largest ever deployment effort since arriving at Aviano. From August to December 2002, the 510th and 603d returned to Southwest Asia. The 603d again supported OSW while the 510th supported OSW and missions over Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM (OEF). Additionally, the 555th deployed its personnel and aircraft, including those personnel and aircraft not deployed with the 510th, to Decimomannu AB, Sardinia. Runway construction motivated the temporary relocation. The squadrons returned to Aviano by year’s end.
In late November 2002, the 555 FS deployed to Caslav AB, Czech Republic, to provide combat air patrols over the site of the NATO Summit. The deployment included the real world diversion of an unidentified airliner.
Operation Iraqi Freedom
The wing’s support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM (OIF) began in late 2003. The wing’s first major support of OIF occurred during the deployment of the Southern European Task Force (SETAF) in late March 2003. Aviano AB served as the launch point for the airborne/air-land insertion of airborne forces opening a second front in northern Iraq. As the primary supporter, the wing secured, bedded, and fed over 2,300 personnel from the Army and USAF. The operation, the largest airborne operation since 1989’s Operation JUST CAUSE in Panama, constituted 62 missions transporting 2,146 passengers and 2,433.7 tons of cargo.Forces from the wing engaged in Iraqi operations in late 2003. From mid-November 2003 through early June 2004, the Scorpions deployed to Iraq to provide air control over Iraq. In an air control squadron first, the squadron relocated their entire operation from Baghdad International Airport to Balad AB. Under combat conditions, the squadron transferred $73 million in equipment and over 100 personnel via 20 convoys. Significantly, the squadron accomplished the move with no loss of command and control services. Unfortunately, the squadron also sustained a loss during its time in Iraq. On 10 April 2004, insurgents launched a mortar rocket attack on Balad, killing A1C Antoine Holt and injuring two other Scorpions. Airman Holt’s death constituted the 31 FW’s first combat fatality since the Vietnam War.
From December 2003 to early March 2004, the Buzzards deployed to Southwest Asia in support of OEF and OIF. Flying almost 900 sorties, including 750 combat sorties, the squadron flew close air support (CAS) and airborne forward air control (FAC-A) missions. Of note, squadron pilots were overhead during and participated in the capture of Saddam Hussein on 13 December 2003. Further, the 510th’s overhead presence contributed to a 50% reduction in improvised explosive device and infrastructure attacks against Coalition forces.
The Triple Nickel replaced the Buzzards in late February 2004 and returned to Aviano in early June. Like the Buzzards, the Nickel supported OEF and OIF. The squadron was active in OEF’s “MOUNTAIN STORM” in Afghanistan. In Iraq, the squadron performed the first true urban close air support (CAS) missions in recent history, a first in the F-16. Additionally, the 555th spearheaded development of CENTAF’s tactics, techniques, and procedures to support and defend convoys. Finally, the squadron pioneered the Air Force’s first operational F-16 employment of Advance Targeting Pods.
Lineage
- Established as 31st Fighter Wing on 6 November 1947
- Organized on 20 November 1947
- Redesignated: 31st Fighter-Bomber Wing on 20 January 1950
- Redesignated: 31st Fighter-Escort Wing on 16 July 1950
- Redesignated: 31st Strategic Fighter Wing on 20 January 1953
- Redesignated: 31st Fighter-Bomber Wing on 1 April 1957
- Redesignated: 31st Tactical Fighter Wing on 1 July 1958
- Redesignated: 31st Tactical Training Wing on 30 March 1981
- Redesignated: 31st Tactical Fighter Wing on 1 October 1985
- Redesignated: 31st Fighter Wing on 1 October 1991.
Assignments
- Ninth Air ForceNinth Air ForceThe 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....
, 20 November 1947 - Fourteenth Air ForceFourteenth Air ForceThe 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....
, 1 February 1949 - Second Air ForceSecond Air ForceThe Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
, 1 July 1950 - 40th Air Division40th Air DivisionThe 40th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Fifteenth Air Force, stationed at Malmstrom AFB, Montana...
, 14 March 1951
- Attached to 39th Air Division [Defense], 10 July – 11 October 1952 and 10 November 1953 – 12 February 1954
- Ninth Air ForceNinth Air ForceThe 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....
, 1 April 1957 - 831st Air Division831st Air DivisionThe 831st Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Tactical Air Command, assigned to Twelfth Air Force, being stationed at George Air Force Base, California...
, 15 March 1959 - Ninth Air ForceNinth Air ForceThe 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....
, 1 June 1962
- Ninth Air Force
- Attached to: Air Force Atlantic Command, 24 October – 9 November 1962
- Attached to: 1 Air Division Provisional, 10 November-c. 30 November 1962
- 836th Air Division836th Air DivisionThe 836th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Tactical Air Command, assigned to Twelfth Air Force, being stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona...
, 1 October 1964 - 834th Air Division, 1 January 1965
- 836th Air Division836th Air DivisionThe 836th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Tactical Air Command, assigned to Twelfth Air Force, being stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona...
, 1 August 1966
- Attached to Seventh Air ForceSeventh Air ForceThe Seventh Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea....
, 16–24 December 1966- Seventh Air ForceSeventh Air ForceThe Seventh Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea....
, 25 December 1966 - 836th Air Division836th Air DivisionThe 836th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Tactical Air Command, assigned to Twelfth Air Force, being stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona...
, 15 October 1970 - Ninth Air ForceNinth Air ForceThe 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....
, 30 June 1971 - Sixteenth Air ForceSixteenth Air ForceThe 16th Air Expeditionary Task Force is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe...
, 1 April 1994–present
- Seventh Air Force
Stations
- Turner Field (later, AFB), GeorgiaGeorgia (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...
, 20 November 1947 - George AFB, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, 15 March 1959 - Homestead AFB, FloridaFloridaFlorida 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...
, 31 May 1962 – 6 December 1966 - Tuy Hoa AB, South VietnamSouth VietnamSouth Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
, 16 December 1966 – 15 October 1970 - Homestead AFB, FloridaFloridaFlorida 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...
, 15 October 1970 – 1 April 1994 - Aviano AB, Italy, 1 April 1994–present
Components
Group- 31st Fighter (later, 31st Fighter-Bomber; 31st Fighter-Escort; 31st Operations)31st Operations GroupThe 31st Operations Group is the flying component of the 31st Fighter Wing, assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe. It is stationed at Aviano Air Base, Italy.-Overview:...
: 20 November 1947 – 16 June 1952 (detached 15 December 1950 – 10 February 1951); 1 November 1991 – 1 April 1994; 1 April 1994–present
Squadrons
- 68th Fighter-Escort Squadron: 15–30 October 1970
- 136th Tactical Fighter Squadron: 14 June 1968 – 25 May 1969
- 188th Tactical Fighter Squadron: 7 June 1968 – 18 May 1969
- 306th Fighter-Bomber (later, 306th Tactical Fighter Training; 306th Tactical Fighter) Squadron306th Tactical Fighter SquadronThe 306th Tactical Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 31st Tactical Fighter Wing. stationed at Homestead Air Force Base, Florida...
: 25 September 1957 – 28 September 1970 (detached 8 April – 16 July 1960, 15 February – 1 March 1961, 20 August – 1 September 1961, 24 April – 19 July 1962, 27 June – 30 September 1963, 1 May – 8 August 1964, 7 July 1965 – 27 January 1966); 30 October 1970 – 15 July 1971; 1 July 1978 – 1 September 1983; 1 October 1985 – 1 October 1986 - 307th Fighter-Escort (later, 307th Strategic Fighter; 307th Fighter-Bomber; 307th Tactical Fighter; 307th Tactical Fighter Training; 307th Tactical Fighter)307th Fighter SquadronThe 307th Fighter Squadron is part of the 414th Fighter Group and stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina.-Mission:...
: attached 27 July 1951 – 15 June 1952, assigned 16 June 1952 – 27 April 1966 (detached 7 November – 7 December 1956, 25 February – 17 August 1958, 15 March – 19 July 1959, 8 November 1960 – 9 March 1961, 18–28 February 1962, 17 December 1962 – 16 March 1963, 27 December 1963 – 5 March 1964, 23 November 1964 – 14 March 1965, 24 June – 7 December 1965); 15 July 1971 – 1 July 1989; (detached 29 July – 31 October 1972); 30 September – 1 November 1991 - 308th Fighter-Escort (later, 308th Strategic Fighter; 308th Fighter-Bomber; 308th Tactical Fighter; 308th Tactical Fighter Training; 308th Tactical Fighter)308th Fighter SquadronThe 308th Fighter Squadron is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona.-Mission:The 308th FS , fly Block 42 F-16C/Ds, wearing the dark green and white checkerboard fin band onducting F-16 Fighting Falcon crew training for active duty USAF pilots.-World War II:Initially...
: attached 27 July 1951 – 15 June 1952, assigned 16 June 1952 – 2 December 1965 (detached 5 December 1956 – 7 January 1957, 15 August 1958 – 19 January 1959, 11 July-c. December 1959, 7 March-c. 19 July 1961, 13 March – 3 July 1963, 9 February – 5 May 1964, 9 March – 8 July 1965); attached 16–24 December 1966, assigned 25 December 1966 – 5 October 1970; assigned 30 October 1970 – 1 November 1991 (detached 28 April – 29 July 1972, 11 December 1972 – 11 June 1973) - 309th Fighter (later, 309th Strategic Fighter; 309th Fighter-Bomber; 309th Tactical Fighter; 309th Tactical Fighter Training; 309th Tactical Fighter):309th Fighter SquadronThe 309th Fighter Squadron is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training.-Mission:...
attached 27 July 1951 – 15 June 1952, assigned 16 June 1952 – 5 October 1970 (detached 5 January – 9 February 1957, 9 July – 15 November 1960, 9 October – 26 November 1961, 17 July – 22 December 1962, 26 September – 31 December 1963, 5 August – 27 November 1964, 18 January – 24 April 1966); assigned 30 October 1970 – 1 November 1991 - 355th Tactical Fighter Squadron: 15 May 1969 – 30 September 1970
- 416th Tactical Fighter Squadron: 28 May 1969 – 28 September 1970
- 431st Air Refueling Squadron431st Air Refueling SquadronThe 431st Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 4440th Air Delivery Group, stationed at Biggs Air Force Base, Texas...
: attached 1 April – 24 November 1957, assigned 25 November 1957 – 1 July 1958 - 436th Tactical Fighter Squadron: 15–30 October 1970
- 478th Tactical Fighter Squadron: 15–31 October 1970
- 508th Air Refueling Squadron508th Air Refueling SquadronThe United States Air Force's 508th Air Refueling Squadron was an aerial refueling unit that operated the Boeing KB-29 at Turner AFB, Georgia....
: attached 10 February – 1 June 1954; assigned 11 May 1956 – 1 April 1957 - 560th Tactical Fighter Squadron: 15–31 October 1970
- 4431st Tactical Fighter Replacement Squadron: 1 October 1971 – 1 May 1973.
Aircraft operated
- F-84 ThunderjetF-84 ThunderjetThe Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 flew in 1946...
(1948–1957) - KB-29 (1954, 1956–1957)
- KB-50 (1957–1958)
- F-100 Super SabreF-100 Super SabreThe North American F-100 Super Sabre was a supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard until 1979. The first of the Century Series collection of USAF jet fighters, it was the first USAF fighter capable of...
(1957–1970) - F-4 Phantom (1970–1988)
- F-16 Falcon (1985–1993)