31st Operations Group
Encyclopedia
31st Fighter Wing
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....
, 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...
. 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.
Overview
The 31st Operations Group ensures the combat readiness of two F-16CG Falcon squadrons, one air control squadron, and one operational support squadron conducting and supporting worldwide air operations. The group prepares fighter pilots, controllers, and support personnel to execute U.S. and NATO war plans and contingency operations.It trains, equips, plans, and provides weather, intelligence, standardization/evaluation, and command and control sustaining global flying operations.
Components
The 31st Operations Group was reactivated in late October 1991 at Homestead AFB, Florida. The 31st Tactical Fighter Wing received new equipment the previous March in the form of Block 40 F-16C/D Fighting Falcons and in October of that year the wing resumed it's original title (one month short of 44 years since the unit had formed) of 31st Fighter Wing, with the 31 OG as its flying component.On 24 August 1992 the effects of 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...
severely damaged Homestead AFB. The 31 FW's three F-16 squadrons were relocated to Moody AFB, Georgia (and eventually reassigned to other units) and the base declared non-operational because of the damage caused by the hurricane. The result of this was the reassignment of the 31st from 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 ....
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....
to United States Air Forces Europe's Sixteenth Air Force
Sixteenth Air Force
The 16th Air Expeditionary Task Force is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe...
on 31 March 1994 without personnel or equipment. The 31st replaced the 401st TFW at Aviano AB, Italy, and the wing received two new fighter Squadrons, the 526th and 512th (from the 86th Fighter Wing at Ramstein AB, Germany, which converted to an Airlift Wing) which were equipped with F-16CG/DG Block-40's.
These squadrons were then re-designated as:
- 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...
"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:...
"Triple Nickel"
Both use the tail code "AV" for AViano. Each F-16 has a tailband in the squadron colours – Green with the words "Triple Nickel" in white for the 555th FS and Purple with white edges for the 510th FS.
The Block 40's (as well as the Block 42 F-16's) are equipped with the Martin–Marietta Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infra-Red for Night (LANTIRN) system. This consists of two pods, a AAQ-13 navigation pod carried on the left-hand chin pylon and an AAQ-14 targeting pod on the right-hand chin pylon. To differentiate this version the USAF has applied the designation F-16CG/DG.
Non-flying squadrons of the 31st OG are:
- 603rd Air Control Squadron "Scorpions"
- 31st Operations Support Squadron
History
The group's origins begin just before World War II, when the The 31st Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 22 December 1939 and was activated on 1 February 1940 with the 39th, 40th and 41st Pursuit squadrons. The group fought in North Africa and Italy during the war, returning to Drew Field Florida in August 1945 where it was Inactivated.A SAC Fighter-Escort group during the early years of the Cold War, the group was inactivated again in 1952. It was reactivated as the 31st Operations Group in 1991.
World War II
Selfridge Field
Selfridge Air National Guard Base or Selfridge ANGB is an Air National Guard installation located in Harrison Township, Michigan, near Mount Clemens.-Units and organizations:...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, with the 39th
39th Flying Training Squadron
The 39th Flying Training Squadron is currently part of the 340th Flying Training Group and is the reserve associate to the 12th Flying Training Wing based at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas.-Mission:...
, 40th and 41st Pursuit squadron
41st Flying Training Squadron
The 41st Flying Training Squadron is part of the 14th Flying Training Wing based at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi. It operates T-6 Texan II aircraft conducting flight training.-Mission:...
s. Its first commander was Lt. Col. Harold H. George, previously commander of the 94th Pursuit Squadron
94th Fighter Squadron
The 94th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 1st Operations Group and stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia....
, also at Selfridge. The group trained and participated in Army maneuvers
Military exercise
A military exercise is the employment of military resources in training for military operations, either exploring the effects of warfare or testing strategies without actual combat...
. The unit was redesignated the 31st Fighter Group on 15 May 1942 and was deployed to the European Theater
Theater (warfare)
In warfare, a theater, is defined as an area or place within which important military events occur or are progressing. The entirety of the air, land, and sea area that is or that may potentially become involved in war operations....
. Most of the group moved to RAF Atcham
RAF Atcham
RAF Atcham is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 5 miles E of Shrewsbury in Shropshire on the north eastern boundary of Attingham Park...
England where it was assigned to Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
. The stationing of the group personnel and aircraft was very haphazard, being assigned to various RAF stations in Kent and the East Midlands throughout its tenure in England.
The group consisted of the following squadrons and fuselage codes:
- 39th Pursuit Squadron (1939 - 1942)
- 40th Pursuit Squadron (1939 - 1942)
- 41st Pursuit Squadron (1939 - 1942)
- 307th Fighter Squadron307th Fighter SquadronThe 307th Fighter Squadron is part of the 414th Fighter Group and stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina.-Mission:...
(MX) (1942 - 1945) - 308th Fighter Squadron308th 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...
(HL) (1942 - 1945) - 309th Fighter Squadron309th 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:...
(WZ) (1942 - 1945)
The group arrived in the UK without its assigned aircraft as the Bell P-39 Airacobras they trained with in the United States were found unsuitable for long-distance formation ferry flights. The ground echelon sailed on the RMS Queen Elizabeth
RMS Queen Elizabeth
RMS Queen Elizabeth was an ocean liner operated by the Cunard Line. Plying with her running mate Queen Mary as a luxury liner between Southampton, UK and New York City, USA via Cherbourg, France, she was also contracted for over twenty years to carry the Royal Mail as the second half of the two...
on 4 June 1942 arriving Clyde 10 June 1942. Pilots followed later in month. In England, the group was provided with British Supermarine Spitfire VBs
Supermarine Spitfire variants
The British Supermarine Spitfire was facing several challenges by mid-1942. The debut of the formidable Focke-Wulf Fw 190 in late 1941 had caused problems for RAF fighter squadrons flying the latest Spitfire Mk Vb...
by the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
.
The 31st Fighter Group was the first group to commence operations with VIII Fighter Command
VIII Fighter Command
The VIII Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe, being stationed at RAF Honington, England. It was inactivated on 20 March 1946....
.
It flew its first sorties with the RAF on 26 July, and its first squadron operation on 5 August. The 31st's first combat operation was on 19 August 1942, when it supported the Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
raid
Dieppe Raid
The Dieppe Raid, also known as the Battle of Dieppe, Operation Rutter or later on Operation Jubilee, during the Second World War, was an Allied attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe on the northern coast of France on 19 August 1942. The assault began at 5:00 AM and by 10:50 AM the Allied...
at Dieppe
Dieppe, Seine-Maritime
Dieppe is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in France. In 1999, the population of the whole Dieppe urban area was 81,419.A port on the English Channel, famous for its scallops, and with a regular ferry service from the Gare Maritime to Newhaven in England, Dieppe also has a popular pebbled...
, France.
In August 1942, the 31st moved to RAF Westhampnett
RAF Tangmere
RAF Tangmere was a Royal Air Force station famous for its role in the Battle of Britain, located at Tangmere village about 3 miles east of Chichester in West Sussex, England. American RAF pilot Billy Fiske died at Tangmere and was the first American aviator to die during World War II...
in Sussex until October before moving into Tafaraoui, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
on 8 November 1942 as part of Twelfth Air Force to take part in Operation Torch
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
, the invasion of North Africa.
Once in North Africa, the group attacked motor transports, gun positions, and troop concentrations during the campaign for Algeria and French Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. It supported ground troops in Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
and provided cover for bomber and fighter aircraft
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
. During May and June 1943, after being re-equipped with Spitfire Mk VIIIs, it escorted naval convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
s in the Mediterranean and bombers on raids to Pantelleria
Pantelleria
Pantelleria , the ancient Cossyra, is an Italian island in the Strait of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea, southwest of Sicily and just east of the Tunisian coast. Administratively Pantelleria is a comune belonging to the Sicilian province of Trapani...
. It supported landings on Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
in July, at Salerno
Salerno
Salerno is a city and comune in Campania and is the capital of the province of the same name. It is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea....
in September, and at Anzio
Anzio
Anzio is a city and comune on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome.Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands of Ponza, Palmarola and Ventotene...
in January 1944. The group provided 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...
of Allied ground forces in Italy and flew patrol and escort missions.
In April 1944, after being assigned to Fifteenth Air Force
Fifteenth Air Force
The Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
, the group was equipped with North American P-51B, C and D "Mustangs"
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
and engaged primarily in missions to escort heavy bombers to enemy targets in Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Yugoslavia, and Greece. The 31st earned a Distinguished Unit Citation for an 21 April 1944 mission to cover a raid on production centers in Romania. It escorted 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....
and cargo aircraft participating in the airborne
Airborne forces
Airborne forces are military units, usually light infantry, set up to be moved by aircraft and 'dropped' into battle. Thus they can be placed behind enemy lines, and have an ability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning...
invasion of southern France. The unit strafed
Strafing
Strafing is the practice of attacking ground targets from low-flying aircraft using aircraft-mounted automatic weapons. This means, that although ground attack using automatic weapons fire is very often accompanied with bombing or rocket fire, the term "strafing" does not specifically include the...
airdromes
Aerodrome
An aerodrome, airdrome or airfield is a term for any location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve cargo, passengers or neither...
and communications targets. As part of a Fifteenth Air Force task force
Task force
A task force is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology...
, it attacked targets in Romania while flying to Russia on 22 July 1944. After escorting P-38 Lightning
P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
aircraft from a Russian base for a raid on an airdrome in Poland on 25 July, it attacked a German fighter-bomber force and a truck convoy, earning a second Distinguished Unit Citation. In April 1945, when Allied forces pursued their final offensive in northern Italy, the group strafed enemy rail and highway traffic.
The 31st Fighter Group returned to Drew Field Florida in August 1945 where it was inactivated on 7 November.
Cold War
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...
XII Tactical Air Command
XII Tactical Air Command
The XII Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe, based at Bad Kissingen, Germany...
for duty with the occupation force. The group was activated at AAF Station Giebelstadt, and flew the former 55th's P-51D Mustangs from the airfield, as well as early-model P-80B Shooting Star jet aircraft which had been deployed to the 55th. The unit was reassigned to AAF Station Kitzingen on 30 September where it continued to operate both P-51Ds and P-80Bs.
After a year, the group's personnel and equipment were stood down in place, and the group was transferred without personnel or equipment, to Turner Field (later, AFB)
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...
on 20 November 1947. At Turner the 31st Fighter Group became the operational component of the newly-established 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...
31st Fighter Wing on 20 November under 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...
, and was equipped with surplus P-51D Mustangs. The group consisted of the 307th, 308th and 309th Fighter Squadrons.
At Turner AFB, the 31st FG trained to achieve tactical proficiency from 1947–1950. In the summer of 1948, the 31st Fighter Group became the second Tactical Air Command unit to receive the Republic P-84C Thunderjet. The designation was changed to F-84C on 11 June 1948.
Effective 20 June 1950, Turner AFB was transferred to 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...
and effective 1 July 1950 control of the 31st Fighter Group was turned over to SAC and the group was redesignated as the 31st Fighter Escort Group. Upon the transfer to SAC, the group was assigned to SAC's 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....
on 16 July with a 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.
Along with the reassignment to SAC, the 31st was upgraded to the new F-84E model, which was designed for bomber escort duties. As the F-84E model was still a brand-new aircraft, the 31st FEW was charged with performing accelerated service test on them. For these evaluations, the group utilized the air-to-ground gunnery range at Fort Stewart
Fort Stewart
Fort Stewart is a census-designated place and U.S. Army post primarily in Liberty County and Bryan County, but also extending into smaller portions of Evans, Long, and Tattnall Counties in Georgia, USA. The population was 11,205 at the 2000 census...
, Georgia and an air-to-air range over the Atlantic Ocean between Savannah
Savannah
Savannah or savanna is a type of grassland.It can also mean:-People:* Savannah King, a Canadian freestyle swimmer* Savannah Outen, a singer who gained popularity on You Tube...
and Brunswick
Brunswick, Georgia
Brunswick is the major urban and economic center in southeastern Georgia in the United States. The municipality is located on a harbor near the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 30 miles north of Florida and 70 miles south of South Carolina. Brunswick is bordered on the east by the Atlantic...
. In addition, bomber escort missions were flown with B-29s from the 2d Bombardment Group at Hunter AFB near Savannah
Savannah
Savannah or savanna is a type of grassland.It can also mean:-People:* Savannah King, a Canadian freestyle swimmer* Savannah Outen, a singer who gained popularity on You Tube...
.
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. 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.
Between 1 June 1951 and 15 June 1942, the 31st Fighter-Escort Group was reduced to a "paper" status when the operational squadrons were assigned directly to the 31st FEW. In June 1952 the group was inactivated when the Wing completed implementation of the tri-deputate organization.
Modern era
On 24 August 1992, much of Homestead Air Force Base's physical plant
Physical 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 31 OG dispersed its fighter squadrons to safe areas away from the storm's path. These locations were:
- 307th FS -> to 347th OG, 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 OG, 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 OG, 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. Although both President George H. W. Bush and President Clinton promised to rebuild Homestead, the BRAC designated the installation for realignment to the Air Force Reserve, with the 31st Operations Group's squadrons being permanently reassigned to their dispersal bases, Moody AFB and Shaw AFB on 1 October 1992. The remaining wing elements worked to clean up and salvage government property at Homestead.
The 31st OG was reassigned to Italy in April 1994 without personnel and equipment, replacing the 401st Operations Group, to control flying operations for the 31st Fighter Wing.
From May 1994 – December 2004, the group participated in the major Balkan operations. Its squadrons also deployed personnel and equipment to support operations in Southwest Asia April 1991 – November 1995. In 2000 the group gained a Combat Search and Rescue
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...
Mission (CSAR), along with additional F-16s. The 31st also supported Operation Northern Watch
Operation Northern Watch
Operation Northern Watch, the successor to Operation Provide Comfort, was a US European Command Combined Task Force charged with enforcing its own no-fly zone above the 36th parallel in Iraq...
, March–May 2002 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...
, August–December 2002. Most recently the 31 OG has deployed personnel and equipment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Lineage
- Established as 31st Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 22 December 1939
- Activated on 1 February 1940
- Redesignated 31st Fighter Group on 15 May 1942
- Inactivated on 7 November 1945
- Activated on 20 August 1946 by redesignation of 55th Fighter Group
- Redesignated: 31st Fighter-Bomber Group on 20 January 1950
- Redesignated: 31st Fighter-Escort Group on 16 July 1950
- Inactivated on 16 June 1952
- Redesignated: 31st Tactical Training Group on 31 July 1985 (Unit remained inactive)
- Redesignated: 31st Operations Group on 28 October 1991
- Activated on 1 November 1991
- Inactivated on 1 April 1994
- Activated on 1 April 1994.
Assignments
- 2 Wing, 1 February 1940
- 6th Pursuit Wing, 18 December 1940
- I Interceptor Command, 1 October 1941
- III Interceptor (later, III Fighter) CommandIII Fighter CommandThe III Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Third Air Force stationed at MacDill Field, Florida. It was inactivated on 8 April 1946.-Lineage:...
, 18 April 1942 - VIII Fighter CommandVIII Fighter CommandThe VIII Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe, being stationed at RAF Honington, England. It was inactivated on 20 March 1946....
, 10 June 1942 - 6th Fighter Wing, 16 August 1942
- Twelfth Air Force, 14 September 1942
- XII Fighter Command, 27 September 1942
- XII Air Support Command, November 1942
- 64th Fighter Wing, 24 July 1943
- 306th Bombardment Wing (later, 306 Fighter Wing)306th Fighter Wing (World War II)The 306th Fighter Wing was a World War II United States Army Air Force organization assigned to Fifteenth Air Force as an intermediate-level command and control organization...
, 1 April 1944 - 305th Bombardment Wing, c. 13 June 1945
- Third Air ForceThird Air ForceThe Third Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe . It is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany....
, August-7 November 1945 - XII Tactical Air Command, 20 August 1946
- 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....
, 25 June 1947 - 31 Fighter (later, 31 Fighter-Bomber; 31 Fighter-Escort) Wing31st Fighter WingThe 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....
, 20 November 1947 – 16 June 1952 - 31st Fighter Wing31st Fighter WingThe 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....
, 1 November 1991 – 1 April 1994 - 31st Fighter Wing31st Fighter WingThe 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....
, 1 April 1994–present
Components
- 39th Pursuit Squadron: 1 February 1940 – 15 January 1942
- 40th Pursuit Squadron: 1 February 1940 – 15 January 1942
- 41st Pursuit Squadron: 1 February 1940 – 15 January 1942
- 307th Pursuit (later, Fighter; Fighter-Bomber; Fighter-Escort; Fighter) Squadron307th Fighter SquadronThe 307th Fighter Squadron is part of the 414th Fighter Group and stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina.-Mission:...
: 30 January 1942 – 7 November 1945; 20 August 1946-16 June 1952 (detached 27 July 1951 – 16 June 1952); 1 November 1991-20 November 1992 (detached c. 11 September – 20 November 1992) - 308th Pursuit (later, Fighter; Fighter-Bomber; Fighter-Escort; Fighter) Squadron308th 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...
: 30 January 1942 – 7 November 1945; 20 August 1946-16 June 1952 (detached 27 July 1951 – 16 June 1952); 1 November 1991-20 November 1992 (detached c. 11 September – 20 November 1992) - 309th Pursuit (later, Fighter; Fighter-Bomber; Fighter-Escort; Fighter) Squadron309th 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:...
: 30 January 1942 – 7 November 1945; 20 August 1946-16 June 1952 (detached 27 July 1951 – 16 June 1952); 1 November 1991-20 November 1992 (detached 28 August – 20 November 1992) - 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...
: 1 April 1994–present - 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:...
: 1 April 1994–present
Stations
- Selfridge FieldSelfridge FieldSelfridge Air National Guard Base or Selfridge ANGB is an Air National Guard installation located in Harrison Township, Michigan, near Mount Clemens.-Units and organizations:...
, MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, 1 February 1940 - Baer Field, IndianaIndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, 6 December 1941 - New Orleans Army Airbase, LouisianaLouisianaLouisiana 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...
, 6 February – 19 May 1942 - RAF AtchamRAF AtchamRAF Atcham is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 5 miles E of Shrewsbury in Shropshire on the north eastern boundary of Attingham Park...
(AAF-342), England, 11 June – 1 August 1942
-
- HQ; 307th and 380th Fighter Squadrons
- RAF High ErcallRAF High ErcallRAF High Ercall was an RAF air base situated to the east of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England....
(AAF-346), 11 June – 4 August 1942
- RAF High Ercall
- 309th Fighter Squadron
- RAF WarmwellRAF WarmwellRAF Warmwell was a Royal Air Force station near Warmwell in Dorset, England from 1937 to 1946, located about 5 miles east-southeast of Dorchester; 100 miles southwest of London....
(AAF-454), England, 19–27 July 1942
- RAF Warmwell
- 307th and 309th Fighter Squadrons
- RAF WesthampnettRAF WesthampnettRoyal Air Force Station Westhampnett, more commonly known as RAF Westhampnett, was a Royal Air Force station, located in the village of Westhampnett near Chichester, in the English County of West Sussex....
(AAF-352), England, 1 August – 21 October 1942
- RAF Westhampnett
- HQ (1 August); 308th FS (4 August); 308th FS (24 August)
- RAF Biggin Hill (AAF-343), England, 1–24 August 1942
- 307th Fighter Squadron
- RAF KenleyRAF KenleyThe former Royal Air Force Station Kenley, more commonly known as RAF Kenley was a station of the Royal Flying Corps in World War I and the RAF in World War II. It is located near Kenley, London, England.-History:...
(AAF-348), England,1–24 August 1942
- RAF Kenley
- 380th Fighter Squadron
- RAF ManstonRAF ManstonRAF 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...
(AAF-351), England, 24 August – 21 October
- RAF Manston
- 307th Fighter Squadron
- Tafaraoui Airfield, Algeria, 8 November 1942
- Oran Es Sénia AirportOran Es Sénia AirportOran Es Sénia Airport is an airport located 4.7 nm south of Oran, near Es Sénia, in Algeria.-History:During World War II, La Sénia Airport was first used by the French Air Force as a military airfield, first by the Armée de l'Air, and after June 1940, by the Armistice Air Force of the Vichy...
, Oran, Algeria, c. 13 November 1942 - Thelepte AirfieldThelepte AirfieldThelepte Airfield is an airfield in Tunisia, located about 20 km southwest of Kasserine. It currently is active and in use.It was used by the United States Army Air Force Twelfth Air Force in 1943 during the North African Campaign against the German Afrika Korps...
, Tunisia, c. 7 February 1943 - Tebessa Airfield, Algeria, 17 February 1943
- Youks-les-Bains AirfieldYouks-les-Bains AirfieldYouks-les-Bains Airfield is an abandoned military airfield in Algeria, located about 20 km northwest of Tebessa. The airfield today consists of several agricultural fields, with the faint remains of its main runway, parts of a taxiway and a few aircraft dispersal hardstands visible in aerial...
, Algeria, 21 February 1943
- HQ; 307th and 380th Fighter Squadrons
- Kalaa Djerda AirfieldKalaa Djerda AirfieldKalaa Djerda Airfield is an abandoned military airfield in Tunisia approximately 40 km south-southwest of El Kef and 190 km southwest of Tunis....
, Tunisia, c. 25 February 1943 - Thelepte AirfieldThelepte AirfieldThelepte Airfield is an airfield in Tunisia, located about 20 km southwest of Kasserine. It currently is active and in use.It was used by the United States Army Air Force Twelfth Air Force in 1943 during the North African Campaign against the German Afrika Korps...
, Tunisia, 11 March 1943 - Djilma AirfieldDjilma AirfieldDjilma Airfield is an abandoned military airfield in Tunisia, located about 2 km north of Jilma ; approximately 180 km west-southwest of Tunis....
, Tunisia, 7 April 1943 - Le Sers AirfieldLe Sers AirfieldLe Sers Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Tunisia, about 3 km of As Sars; 130 km southwest of Tunis. It was a temporary airfield constructed by Army Engineers using compacted earth for its runway, parking and dispersal areas, not designed for heavy aircraft or...
, Tunisia, 12 April 1943 - Korba AirfieldKorba AirfieldKorba Airfield is an abandoned military airfield in Tunisia, located about 3 km west of Hamadet Bir Messaouda in Nabul provience; 13 km north of Korbra, and 60 km east-southeast of Tunis....
, Tunisia, 15 May 1943 - GuyotvilleAïn Bénian, AlgiersAïn Benian, Algiers is a suburb of the city of Algiers in northern Algeria....
, Algeria, June 1943
- Air echelon operated from Gozo Island [near MaltaMaltaMalta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
], c. 28 June – 13 July 1943- Ponte Olivo AirfieldPonte Olivo AirfieldPonte Olivo Airfield is an abandoned pre-World War II airport and later wartime military airfield in Sicily, 3 km north of Gela. Its last known use was by the United States Army Air Force Twelfth Air Force in 1944 during the Italian Campaign.-History:...
, Sicily, c. 13 July 1943 - Agrigento AirfieldAgrigento AirfieldAgrigento Airfield was a military airfield in Sicily, just to the northwest of Agrigento; approximately 5 km northeast of Porto Empedocle....
, Sicily, 21 July 1943 - Termini AirfieldTermini AirfieldTermini Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield on Sicily, located approximately 4 km west-northwest of Termini Imerese....
, Sicily, 2 August 1943 - Milazzo AirfieldMilazzo AirfieldMilazzo Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield on Sicily, located in the southern suburbs of Milazzo, on the northern tip of the island....
, Sicily, 2 September 1943 - Montecorvino Airfield, Italy, 21 September 1943
- Pomigliano AirfieldPomigliano AirfieldPomigliano Airfield was a military airfield and base in Pomigliano d'Arco, southern Italy. It was attacked on several occasions by the United States Army Air Force...
, Italy, 14 October 1943 - Castel Volturno AirfieldCastel Volturno AirfieldCastel Volturno Airfield is an abandoned military airfield in Italy, located approximately 3 km east of Castel Volturno, in the Province of Caserta in the Italian region Campania, located about 35 km northwest of Naples and about 35 km west of Caserta on the Volturno river.It was an...
, Italy, 19 January 1944 - San Severo Airfield, Italy, 2 April 1944
- Mondolfo AirfieldMondolfo AirfieldMondolfo Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Italy, located about 6 km southeast of Fano and 4 km east of Mondolfo in the Marche region....
, Italy, 3 March 1945 - Triolo Airfield, Italy, 15 July–August 1945
- Drew Field, Florida, c. 25 August – 7 November 1945
- AAF Station Giebelstadt, Germany, 20 August 1946
- AAF Station Kitzingen, Germany, 30 September 1946 – 25 June 1947
- Langley Field, VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, 25 June 1947 - 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...
, 4 September 1947 – 16 June 1952 - Homestead AFB, Florida, 1 November 1991 – 1 April 1994
- Aviano AB, Italy, 1 April 1994–present
- Ponte Olivo Airfield