1.
United States
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Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east, the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U. S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean, the geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the worlds third- or fourth-largest country by area, third-largest by land area. It is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago. European colonization began in the 16th century, the United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the following the Seven Years War led to the American Revolution. On July 4,1776, during the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain, representing the first successful war of independence against a European power. The current constitution was adopted in 1788, after the Articles of Confederation, the first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties. During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the country. By the end of century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the status as a global military power. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. The U. S. is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States. The United States is a developed country, with the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks highly in several measures of performance, including average wage, human development, per capita GDP. While the U. S. economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy, the United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci
2.
Ohio
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Ohio /oʊˈhaɪ. oʊ/ is a Midwestern state in the Great Lakes region of the United States. Ohio is the 34th largest by area, the 7th most populous, the states capital and largest city is Columbus. The state takes its name from the Ohio River, the name originated from the Iroquois word ohi-yo’, meaning great river or large creek. Partitioned from the Northwest Territory, the state was admitted to the Union as the 17th state on March 1,1803, Ohio is historically known as the Buckeye State after its Ohio buckeye trees, and Ohioans are also known as Buckeyes. Ohio occupies 16 seats in the United States House of Representatives, Ohio is known for its status as both a swing state and a bellwether in national elections. Six Presidents of the United States have been elected who had Ohio as their home state, Ohios geographic location has proven to be an asset for economic growth and expansion. Because Ohio links the Northeast to the Midwest, much cargo, Ohio has the nations 10th largest highway network, and is within a one-day drive of 50% of North Americas population and 70% of North Americas manufacturing capacity. To the north, Lake Erie gives Ohio 312 miles of coastline, Ohios southern border is defined by the Ohio River, and much of the northern border is defined by Lake Erie. Ohios neighbors are Pennsylvania to the east, Michigan to the northwest, Ontario Canada, to the north, Indiana to the west, Kentucky on the south, Ohio is bounded by the Ohio River, but nearly all of the river itself belongs to Kentucky and West Virginia. Ohio has only that portion of the river between the rivers 1792 low-water mark and the present high-water mark, the border with Michigan has also changed, as a result of the Toledo War, to angle slightly northeast to the north shore of the mouth of the Maumee River. Much of Ohio features glaciated plains, with a flat area in the northwest being known as the Great Black Swamp. Most of Ohio is of low relief, but the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau features rugged hills, in 1965 the United States Congress passed the Appalachian Regional Development Act, at attempt to address the persistent poverty and growing economic despair of the Appalachian Region. This act defines 29 Ohio counties as part of Appalachia, the worst weather disaster in Ohio history occurred along the Great Miami River in 1913. Known as the Great Dayton Flood, the entire Miami River watershed flooded, as a result, the Miami Conservancy District was created as the first major flood plain engineering project in Ohio and the United States. Grand Lake St. Marys in the west central part of the state was constructed as a supply of water for canals in the era of 1820–1850. For many years this body of water, over 20 square miles, was the largest artificial lake in the world and it should be noted that Ohios canal-building projects were not the economic fiasco that similar efforts were in other states. Some cities, such as Dayton, owe their emergence to location on canals. Summers are typically hot and humid throughout the state, while winters generally range from cool to cold, precipitation in Ohio is moderate year-round
3.
Air National Guard
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When Air National Guard units are used under the jurisdiction of the state governor they are fulfilling their militia role. However, if federalized by order of the President of the United States and they are jointly administered by the states and the National Guard Bureau, a joint bureau of the Army and Air Force that oversees the National Guard of the United States. The ANG of the territories of Guam and the Virgin Islands have no aircraft assigned, ANG units typically operate under Title 32 USC. However, when operating under Title 10 USC all ANG units are operationally-gained by an active duty USAF major command. ANG units of the Combat Air Forces based in the Continental United States, conversely, CONUS-based ANG units in the Mobility Air Forces, plus the Puerto Rico ANGs airlift wing and the Virgin Islands ANGs civil engineering squadron are gained by the Air Mobility Command. The vast majority of ANG units fall under either ACC or AMC, established under Title 10 and Title 32 of the U. S. S. When not in a status, the Air National Guard operates under their respective state. The exception to rule is the District of Columbia Air National Guard. Because both state Air National Guard and the Air National Guard of the United States relatively go hand-in-hand, Air National Guard of the United States units or members may be called up for federal active duty in times of Congressionally sanctioned war or national emergency. The United States Air National Guard has about 110,000 men and women in service, even traditional part-time air guardsmen, especially pilots, navigators/combat systems officers, air battle managers and enlisted aircrew, often serve 100 or more man-days annually. As such, the concept of Air National Guard service as representing only one weekend a month, the Georgia Air National Guard and the Kansas Air National Guard previously flew the B-1B Lancer prior to converting to the E-8 Joint STARS and KC-135R Stratotanker, respectively. In addition, the 131st Fighter Wing of the Missouri Air National Guard transitioned from flying the F-15C/D Eagle at St and these proposals were eventually overruled and cancelled by the U. S. Congress. As state militia units, the units in the Air National Guard are not in the normal United States Air Force chain of command and they are under the jurisdiction of the United States National Guard Bureau unless they are federalized by order of the President of the United States. Air National Guard units are trained and equipped by the United States Air Force, the state ANG units, depending on their mission, are operationally gained by a major command of the USAF if federalized. Air National Guard personnel are expected to adhere to the moral and physical standards as their full-time active duty Air Force. The same ranks and insignia of the U. S. Air Force are used by the Air National Guard, the Air National Guard also bestows a number of state awards for local services rendered in a service members home state or equivalent. The creation of the regiments was caused by the perceived need to defend the Bay Colony against American Indians. This organization formed the basis of subsequent colonial and, post-independence, state and this distinction accounts for why there are no National Guard components in the U. S. Navy, U. S. Marine Corps or U. S. Coast Guard
4.
Ohio Air National Guard
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The Ohio Air National Guard is the air force militia of the State of Ohio, United States of America. It is, along with the Ohio Army National Guard, an element of the Ohio National Guard, as state militia units, the units in the Ohio Air National Guard are not in the normal United States Air Force chain of command. They are under the jurisdiction of the Governor of Ohio through the office of the Ohio Adjutant General unless they are federalized by order of the President of the United States. The Ohio Air National Guard is headquartered at Beightler Armory, Columbus, under the Total Force concept, Ohio Air National Guard units are considered to be Air Reserve Components of the United States Air Force. Ohio ANG units are trained and equipped by the Air Force and are gained by a Major Command of the USAF if federalized. State missions include disaster relief in times of earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and forest fires, search and rescue, protection of public services. Air Force and the Air National Guard and it also provides aerial refueling support to Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and allied nation aircraft. The state of Ohio received its first aerial unit after World War I, when the 112th Observation Squadron was constituted in 1921 and assigned to the 37th Division, the 112th O. S. was organized and federally recognized on June 20,1927, at Cleveland Airport. In 1933 the unit was assigned to the 45th Observation Group, the unit was inducted into federal service on November 25,1940, and assigned to Pope Field, North Carolina, in support of the I Corps. The 112th Observation Squadron continues today as the 112th Fighter Squadron, the official site of the Ohio Air National Guard notes that it is descended from the 357th Fighter Group. The 357th Fighter Group was re-designated the 121st Fighter Group on August 21,1946, in 1947, with the passage of the National Security Act of 1947 creating a separate Air Force, the Ohio Air National Guard came into being as a federally recognized reserve component. The 121st FG received its federal recognition on June 26,1948, the three fighter squadrons of the 357th were also re-designated as squadrons of the Ohio Air National Guard. Initially fighter squadrons flying F-84 and later F-100 and A-7 jets, federally recognized on November 2,1947. 164th Airlift Squadron, now a C-130 squadron, federally recognized on June 20,1948. 166th Air Refueling Squadron, now a KC-135 tanker squadron, federally recognized on March 2,1948. In November 1950 it was redesignated as the 121st Fighter Wing, the 121st FW was called to federal service during the Korean War, although neither it nor its squadrons saw combat. Other units saw service during the Berlin Airlift, the Vietnam War, the 160th Air Refueling Wing was assigned to the Strategic Air Command on July 1,1976. It was initially equipped with Boeing KC-97L Stratofreighters, the 160th ARG was inactivated but its 145th ARS continues as a unit of the 121st ARW today
5.
Springfield, Ohio
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Springfield is a city in the U. S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Clark County. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio and is situated on the Mad River, Buck Creek and Beaver Creek, Springfield is home to Wittenberg University, a liberal arts college. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 60,608. The Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 138,333 residents, and the Dayton-Springfield-Greenville, OH Combined Statistical Area had 1,072,891 residents. In 1983, Newsweek featured Springfield in its 50th anniversary issue, entitled and it chronicled the impact of the past 50 years on five local families. In 2004, Springfield was chosen as an All-America City, in 2010, Springfield ranked third worst in a national wellbeing survey conducted by The Gallup Organization. In 2011, Springfield was named the unhappiest city in America by another Gallup survey. In 2015, Springfield was founded by James Demint, a former teamster from Kentucky, in 1801. Dayton and Eaton wanted the road to veer south after Springfield, during the mid-and-late 19th century, Springfield was dominated by industrialists including Oliver S. Kelly, Asa S. Bushnell, James Leffel, P. P. Asa S. Bushnell built the Springfield, Ohio Bushnell Building where the patent attorney to the Wright Brothers, Harry Aubrey Toulmin, to promote the products of his agricultural equipment company, P. P. Mast started the Farm and Fireside magazine, mast’s publishing company – Mast, Crowell, and Kirkpatrick – grew to become Crowell-Collier Publishing Company best known for Colliers Weekly. In 1894, The Kelly Springfield Tire Company was founded, at the turn of the 20th century Springfield became known as the Home City. Several lodges including the Masonic Lodge, Knights of Pythias and Odd Fellows built homes for orphans, Springfield also became known as The Champion City. A reference to the Champion Farm Equipment brand manufactured by the Warder, Bushnell & Glessner Company, International remains in Springfield as Navistar International, a producer of medium to large trucks. In 1902 A. B. Graham, then the superintendent of schools for Springfield Township in Clark County, established a Boys and Girls Agricultural Club. Approximately 85 children from 10 to 15 years of age attended the first meeting on January 15,1902 in Springfield, Ohio and this was the start of what would be called the 4-H Club within a few years, quickly growing to a nationwide organization. The first projects included food preservation, gardening and elementary agriculture, today, the Courthouse still bears a large 4H symbol under the flag pole at the front of the building to commemorate its part in founding the organization. The Clark County Fair is the second largest fair in the state in part to 4H still remaining very popular in the area. On March 7,1904, over a thousand residents formed a mob, stormed the jail and removed prisoner Richard Dixon
6.
United States Air Force
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The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a branch of the military on 18 September 1947 under the National Security Act of 1947. It is the most recent branch of the U. S. military to be formed, the U. S. Air Force is a military service organized within the Department of the Air Force, one of the three military departments of the Department of Defense. The Air Force is headed by the civilian Secretary of the Air Force, who reports to the Secretary of Defense, the U. S. Air Force provides air support for surface forces and aids in the recovery of troops in the field. As of 2015, the service more than 5,137 military aircraft,406 ICBMs and 63 military satellites. It has a $161 billion budget with 313,242 active duty personnel,141,197 civilian employees,69,200 Air Force Reserve personnel, and 105,500 Air National Guard personnel. According to the National Security Act of 1947, which created the USAF and it shall be organized, trained, and equipped primarily for prompt and sustained offensive and defensive air operations. The stated mission of the USAF today is to fly, fight, and win in air, space and we will provide compelling air, space, and cyber capabilities for use by the combatant commanders. We will excel as stewards of all Air Force resources in service to the American people, while providing precise and reliable Global Vigilance, Reach and it should be emphasized that the core functions, by themselves, are not doctrinal constructs. The purpose of Nuclear Deterrence Operations is to operate, maintain, in the event deterrence fails, the US should be able to appropriately respond with nuclear options. Dissuading others from acquiring or proliferating WMD, and the means to deliver them, moreover, different deterrence strategies are required to deter various adversaries, whether they are a nation state, or non-state/transnational actor. Nuclear strike is the ability of forces to rapidly and accurately strike targets which the enemy holds dear in a devastating manner. Should deterrence fail, the President may authorize a precise, tailored response to terminate the conflict at the lowest possible level, post-conflict, regeneration of a credible nuclear deterrent capability will deter further aggression. Finally, the Air Force regularly exercises and evaluates all aspects of operations to ensure high levels of performance. Nuclear surety ensures the safety, security and effectiveness of nuclear operations, the Air Force, in conjunction with other entities within the Departments of Defense or Energy, achieves a high standard of protection through a stringent nuclear surety program. The Air Force continues to pursue safe, secure and effective nuclear weapons consistent with operational requirements, adversaries, allies, and the American people must be highly confident of the Air Forces ability to secure nuclear weapons from accidents, theft, loss, and accidental or unauthorized use. This day-to-day commitment to precise and reliable nuclear operations is the cornerstone of the credibility of the NDO mission, positive nuclear command, control, communications, effective nuclear weapons security, and robust combat support are essential to the overall NDO function. OCA is the method of countering air and missile threats, since it attempts to defeat the enemy closer to its source
7.
Air Combat Command
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Air Combat Command is one of ten Major Commands in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force at the Pentagon. ACC is headquartered at Langley Field, Joint Base Langley–Eustis, Virginia and its commander is General Herbert Hawk Carlisle, with Major General Jerry D. Harris Jr. as Vice Commander, and Chief Master Sergeant Steve K. McDonald as the Command Chief Master Sergeant, in addition, ACC augments the forces of the United States European Command, United States Pacific Command and United States Central Command when needed. Air Combat Command consists of approximately 98,000 active duty members, in 2015, responsibility for the B-1 Lancer bomber fleet was also transferred from ACC to AFGSC. Air Combat Command was created 1 June 1992 after the inactivation of the Tactical Air Command, Strategic Air Command, furthermore, ACC had some KC-135 and KC-10 aerial refueling tankers and C-130 tactical airlift aircraft in its composite, reconnaissance, and certain other combat wings. In 1993, control of the ICBM force was transferred to the Air Force Space Command until transferred again to Air Force Global Strike Command on 1 Dec 2009. S, Air Force and the U. S. Navy. Historically, combat command was an air unit designation. During 1941 and early 1942, the air units of the War Department, formerly known as the GHQ Air Force. The AFCC was dissolved in the reorganization of the United States Army, effective 9 March 1942, not long after activation, ACC underwent organizational and mission changes. The first such change was the transfer of the combat search. With the realigning of search and rescue units, ACC gained additional resources, the formal transfer took place on 1 February 1993, when the Air Rescue Service was assigned to ACC. On 2 July of the year, the ARS was disestablished. The USAF Combat Rescue School was subsequently assigned to the 57th Wing at Nellis AFB, one of the most significant changes for Air Combat Command resulted from an overhaul of flying training responsibilities. Following its activation, ACC was responsible for aircrew training, including initial weapon system. On 1 July 1993, the 58th and 325th Fighter Wings—F-16 and F-15 training units transferred from ACC to Air Education and Training Command. Concurrently, Luke AFB, Arizona, and Tyndall AFB, Florida, for which those respective wings were the host units, however, on 1 October 2012, both Tyndall AFB and the 325th Fighter Wing returned to the control of ACC. The next major change resulted from a fine-tuning of aerial refueling. From its activation, Air Combat Command had assumed ownership of some C-130 Hercules theater airlift assets and KC-10 Extender, there was historical precedent for the reassignment of C-130s to Air Combat Command
8.
National Air and Space Intelligence Center
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The National Air and Space Intelligence Center is the United States Air Force unit for analyzing intelligence on foreign air and space forces, weapons, and systems. In July 1944, Wright Field analysts fired a V-1 engine reconstructed from Robot Blitz wreckage, to accomplish this task, then Col Harold E. Watson was sent from Wright Field to Europe in 1944, to locate German aircraft of advanced design. Watson would become an part of forming the intelligence unit that would eventually become NASIC. ATIC analyzed engine parts and the section of a Korean War Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 and in July. ATIC awarded a contract to Battelle Memorial Institute for translation and analysis of materiel, aTIC/Battelle analysis allowed FEAF to develop engagement tactics for F-86 fighters. In 1958 ATIC had a Readix Computer in Building 828,1 of 6 WPAFB buildings used by the prior to the center built in 1976. FTDs additional location at the Tonopah Test Range Airport conducted test, FTD detachments were located in Virginia, California, Germany, Japan, and Det 5--first in Massachusetts and later Colorado. By 1968 FTD had an Aerial Phenomenon Office and in 1983, FTD/OLAI at the Cheyenne Mountain Complex published the Analysis of Cosmos 1220, nASICs Defense Intelligence Space Threat Committee coordinates a wide variety of complex space/counterspace analytical activities. The Center includes a library with interlibrary loan to Air University, etc. S. Christian, July 2002 - September 2004 Col Joseph J. Pridotkas, September 2004 - July 2006 Col Karen A. Cleary, July 2006 - June 2008 Col D. Scott George, June 2008 - June 2010 Col Kathleen C. Sakura, June 2010 - May 2012 Col Aaron M. Prupas, May 2012 - June 2014 Col Leah G. Lauderback, June 2014 - May 2016 Col Sean Larkin, May 2016 - Pres. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio,1 July 1961 – present This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http, //www. afhra. af. mil/
9.
251st Cyberspace Engineering Installation Group
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The United States Air Forces 251st Cyberspace Engineering Installation Group is an Air National Guard engineering installation unit located at Springfield ANGB, Ohio. Headquarters, 251st Combat Communications Group was constituted at Springfield, Ohio, commanded by Major Charles R. Stahl, the Headquarters had an initial strength of five people. At its inception, the group had twelve subordinate units in Ohio, North Carolina, Missouri, Illinois, Texas, Alabama, the mission of the 251st initially was a composite of the missions of todays Engineering – Installation Squadrons and Combat Communications Squadrons. Beginning in 1953, the planned and directed Group-Wide Exercises at locations across the country, beginning with Annual Training at Stewart AFB, New York. In 1954, the organization was authorized with its first full-time officer Air Technician, in that year, the headquarters strength increased to nine officers and nine enlisted personnel. The 251st started remissioning into a Cyberspace Engineering Installation Group in 2010, to train for its wartime mission, the 251CEIG has been deploying to Exercises since 1976, with its first overseas exercise involvement occurring in 1978. During Operation DESERT SHIELD and Operation DESERT STORM, the 251st provided over 1,500 workdays in voluntary direct support, both in the Area Of Responsibility and in back-fill roles stateside. Rupper Colonel Norman A. Poklar Col Robert A. Meyer Col William R. Reilly Col Henry S. Youd Col David F. Howard Col Richard E. Bennett < Col Pasquale A. Gicale Col Charles R
10.
Cincinnati
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Cincinnati is a city in the U. S. state of Ohio that serves as county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the side of the confluence of the Licking with the Ohio River. With a population of 298,550, Cincinnati is the third-largest city in Ohio and its metropolitan statistical area is the 28th-largest in the United States and the largest centered in Ohio. The city is part of the larger Cincinnati–Middletown–Wilmington combined statistical area. In the 19th century, Cincinnati was an American boomtown in the heart of the country, it rivaled the larger cities in size. Throughout much of the 19th century, it was listed among the top 10 U. S and it was by far the largest city in the west. By the end of the 19th century, with the shift from steamboats to railroads drawing off freight shipping, trade patterns had altered and Cincinnatis growth slowed considerably. Cincinnati is home to two sports teams, the Cincinnati Reds, the oldest franchise in Major League Baseball. The University of Cincinnati, founded in 1819, is one of the 50 largest in the United States, Cincinnati is known for its historic architecture. In the late 1800s, Cincinnati was commonly referred to as Paris of America, due mainly to such ambitious projects as the Music Hall, Cincinnatian Hotel. The original surveyor, John Filson, named it Losantiville, in 1790, Arthur St. Ethnic Germans were among the early settlers, migrating from Pennsylvania and the backcountry of Virginia and Tennessee. General David Ziegler succeeded General St. Clair in command at Fort Washington, after the conclusion of the Northwest Indian Wars and removal of Native Americans to the west, he was elected as the mayor of Cincinnati in 1802. Cincinnati was incorporated as a city in 1819, exporting pork products and hay, it became a center of pork processing in the region. From 1810 to 1830 its population tripled, from 9,642 to 24,831. Completion of the Miami and Erie Canal in 1827 to Middletown, Ohio further stimulated businesses, the city had a labor shortage until large waves of immigration by Irish and Germans in the late 1840s. The city grew rapidly over the two decades, reaching 115,000 persons by 1850. Construction on the Miami and Erie Canal began on July 21,1825, the first section of the canal was opened for business in 1827. In 1827, the canal connected Cincinnati to nearby Middletown, by 1840, during this period of rapid expansion and prominence, residents of Cincinnati began referring to the city as the Queen City
11.
162d Reconnaissance Squadron
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The 162d Reconnaissance Squadron is a unit of the Ohio Air National Guard 178th Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing located at Springfield Air National Guard Base, Springfield, Ohio. The 162d is equipped with the General Atomics MQ-1 Predator UAV, the 362d Fighter Squadron was established at Hamilton Field, California in December 1942. Became part of the United States Air Forces in Europe army of occupation in Germany during 1945, Inactivated in Germany during August 1946. The wartime 362d Fighter Squadron was re-designated as the 162d Fighter Squadron and it was organized at Cox-Dayton Municipal Airport, Ohio, and was extended federal recognition on 22 November 1947 by the National Guard Bureau. The 162d Fighter Squadron was bestowed the lineage, history, honors, the squadron was equipped with F-51D Mustangs and was assigned initially to the Illinois ANG 66th Fighter Wing, operationally gained by Continental Air Command. On 7 December 1947 the Ohio ANG 55th Fighter Wing, was federally recognized, with the formation and federal recognition of the Ohio ANG 121st Fighter Group at Lockbourne Field, near Columbus, the squadron was reassigned. The mission of the 162d Fighter Squadron was the air defense of Ohio, parts were no problem and many of the maintenance personnel were World War II veterans so readiness was quite high and the planes were often much better maintained than their USAF counterparts. In some ways, the postwar Air National Guard was almost like a country club. With the surprise invasion of South Korea on 25 June 1950, however, the 162d was not federalized and remained at Cox-Dayton Municipal Airport and continued its air defense mission. With new facilities under construction at Springfield, the 162d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron conducted their training from temporary facilities at Wright-Patterson AFB. The F-84E Thunderjets were Korean War veteran aircraft and the squadron received training in the equipment from the Ohio ANG 164th and 166th Tactical Fighter Squadrons, in November 1957 the squadron received new F-84F Thunderstreak jet interceptors and the squadron was re-designated as the 162d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron. This designation reflected a dual mission which the squadron was tasked, the day interceptor mission of Air Defense Command, and a tactical nuclear weapon delivery mission by Tactical Air Command. On 10 November 1958, the squadron was re-designated as the 162th Tactical Fighter Squadron, in 1959 and 1960 the squadron participated in exercises Dark Cloud and Pine Cone III, the latter taking place at Congaree AFB, South Carolina. In the exercises, the squadron practiced delivery of nuclear weapons in the fictitious country of North Saladia. During the 1961 Berlin Crisis, the 162th was federalized as part of the 121st Tactical Fighter Wing and Group for a period of twelve months beginning on 1 October. However, due to funding shortages, only 26 F-84Fs of 166th TFS were deployed to Étain-Rouvres Air Base, France, although several ground support units from the 162d and 164th were also deployed. The squadron, however, remained under Federal USAF control until the crisis ended, after the Berlin Federalization ended, the 15 October 1962, the 162d was authorized to expand to a group level, and the 178th Tactical Fighter Group was established by the National Guard Bureau. The 162d TFS becoming the flying squadron
12.
National Guard Bureau
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It was created by the Militia Act of 1903. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, elevated the National Guard to a joint function of the Department of Defense. This act also elevated the Chief of the National Guard Bureau from Lieutenant General to General with the appointment of General Craig R. McKinley, the National Guard Bureau holds a unique status as both a staff and operation agency. United States Secretary of War Elihu Root militated for reform of the guard, in annual reports of 1901 of 1903. The Militia Act of 1792 was obsolete, the resulting Militia Act of 1903 became law. It gave federal status to the militia and required the militia of the States to conform to Regular Army organization. It dramatically increased funding of the militia, between 1903 and 1916, the federal government spent $53 million on the Guard, more than the total of the previous hundred years. The 1903 act authorized the creation of a section responsible for National Guard affairs. The Division remained a part of the Office of the Secretary of War until July 25,1910 when the Chief was directed to report directly to the Army Chief of Staff. The Division continued to perform under the jurisdiction of the Chief of Staff until the passage of the National Defense Act of June 3,1916. Then the Division of Militia Affairs became the Militia Bureau of the War Department, the National Defense Act of 1916 is the most important piece of legislation in the history of the National Guard. It transformed the militia from individual state forces into a Reserve Component of the U. S. Army—and made the term National Guard mandatory. The act stated that all units would have to be recognized. It increased the number of training days to 15, increased the number of yearly drills to 48. The 1916 act transformed the Division of Militia Affairs into a separate Militia Bureau, increasing its autonomy, eight new civilian positions were authorized, something which the various Chiefs had been requesting for years, the number of military assigned to the Bureau had grown to 13. The National Defense Act also authorized the President to assign two National Guard officers to duty with the Militia Bureau, the inclusion of National Guard officers in the Militia Bureau was an important step towards creating a centralized planning organization for the National Guard headed by its own officers. The first National Guard officer assigned to the Bureau was Major Louis C. Wilson of Texas in 1916, thus the National Guard Bureau was charged with the responsibility of maintaining high standards in the National Guard. Prior to 1910 the Chief of the Militia Bureau was a Regular Army officer and this situation changed on June 4,1920, when Congress passed an amendment to the National Defense Act of 1916
13.
Republic F-84F Thunderstreak
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The Republic F-84F Thunderstreak was an American-built swept-wing turbojet fighter-bomber. While an evolutionary development of the straight-wing F-84 Thunderjet, the F-84F was a new design, the RF-84F Thunderflash was a photo reconnaissance version. In 1949, a swept wing version of the F-84 was created with the hope of bringing performance to the level of the F-86. The last production F-84E was fitted with a tail, a new wing with 38.5 degrees of leading edge sweep and 3.5 degrees of anhedral. It flew on 3 June 1950 with Otto P. Haas at the controls, although the airplane was capable of 602 knots, the performance gain over the F-84E was considered minor. Nonetheless, it was ordered into production in July 1950 as the F-84F Thunderstreak, the F-84 designation was retained because the fighter was expected to be a low-cost improvement of the straight-wing Thunderjet with over 55 percent commonality in tooling. Production delays with the F-84F forced the USAF to order a number of straight-wing F-84Gs as an interim measure, although tooling commonality with the Thunderjet was supposed to be 55 percent, in reality only fifteen percent of tools could be reused. To make matters worse, the F-84F utilized press-forged wing spars, at the time, only three presses in the United States could manufacture these, and priority was given to the Boeing B-47 Stratojet bomber over the F-84. The YJ65-W-1 engine was considered obsolete and the improved J65-W-3 did not become available until 1954, when the first production F-84F finally flew on 22 November 1952, it differed from the service test aircraft. It had a different canopy which opened up and back instead of sliding to the rear, the aircraft was considered not ready for operational deployment due to control and stability problems. The first 275 aircraft, equipped with conventional stabilizer-elevator tailplanes, suffered from accelerated stall pitch-up, beginning with Block 25, the problem was ameliorated by the introduction of a hydraulically powered one-piece stabilator. A number of aircraft were retrofitted with spoilers for improved high-speed control. As a result, the F-84F was not declared operational until 12 May 1954, the second YF-84F prototype was completed with wing-root air intakes. These were not adopted for the due to loss of thrust. However, this arrangement permitted placement of cameras in the nose, the first YRF-84F was completed in February 1952. The aircraft retained an armament of four guns and could carry up to fifteen cameras. Being largely identical to the F-84F, the Thunderflash suffered from the production delays and engine problems. The aircraft was retired from duty in 1957, only to be reactivated in 1961
14.
121st Air Refueling Wing
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The 121st Air Refueling Wing is a unit of the Ohio Air National Guard, stationed at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Columbus, Ohio. If activated to service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command. The 121st Air Refueling Wings KC-135 Stratotanker mission is to provide the core aerial refueling capability for the U. S. Air Force and this unique aircraft enhances the Air Forces capability to accomplish its primary missions of Global Reach and Global Power. It also provides aerial refueling support to Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, the KC-135 is capable of transporting litter and ambulatory patients using patient support pallets during aeromedical evacuations. Moved to England in November 1943 and became part of VIII Fighter Command, trained with P-51 Mustangs and began combat operations on 11 February 1944 by making a fighter sweep over Rouen. Served primarily as an escort organization, providing penetration and withdrawal support for bombers that attacked strategic objectives on the Continent. Participated in the assault against the German Air Force and aircraft industry during Big Week, 20–25 February 1944. Participated in the invasion of Normandy in Jun 1944, the breakthrough at St Lo in July, the Battle of the Bulge, Dec 1944 – Jan 1945, flew its last mission, an escort operation, on 25 April 1945. Moved to Germany in Jul and assigned to United States Air Forces in Europe for duty with the army of occupation, inactivated in Germany on 20 August 1946. The wartime 357th Fighter Group was re-designated as the 121st Fighter Group and it was organized at Lockbourne Army Airfield, Columbus, Ohio, and was extended federal recognition on 20 June 1948 by the National Guard Bureau. The 121st Fighter Group was bestowed the lineage, history, honors, on 31 October 1950 the 121st Fighter Wing was established, and the 55th Fighter Wing was disbanded, its personnel and mission assumed by the new 121st Fighter Wing. The 121st Fighter Groups and its squadrons were assigned to the new 121st FW. The 112th flew the RB-26C Invader, with the surprise invasion of South Korea on 25 June 1950, and the regular militarys complete lack of readiness, most of the Air National Guard was federalized placed on active duty. The 112th Bombardment Squadron was federalized on 10 October 1950 and it was re-designated as the 112th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron and assigned to the federalized Alabama ANG 117th Tactical Reconnaissance Group. It deployed to West Germany and later France to reinforce the United States Air Forces in Europe and it was released from active duty on 9 July 1952 and returned to Ohio without aircraft or equipment, which was transferred to USAFE. The 162d Fighter Squadron was not federalized and remained at Cox-Dayton Municipal Airport, the 164th Fighter Squadron was federalized on 10 February 1951. The 164th however was selected to remain at Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport and continue the air defense mission, being gained by the Eastern Air Defense Force. The squadron was released from service and returned to Ohio State control
15.
Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base
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Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base is an Air National Guard facility of the Ohio Air National Guard. The base was named for the early aviator and Columbus native Eddie Rickenbacker. It is the home of the United States Air Forces 121st Air Refueling Wing, Rickenbacker ANGB is also a joint military facility, with tenant activities of the Ohio Army National Guard, as well as Navy Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve units and associated facilities. Rickenbacker ANGB is a former Strategic Air Command base previously named Lockbourne AFB from 1948 to 1974, the facility was transferred from SAC and the active duty Air Force on 1 April 1980 and turned over to the Air National Guard. This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http and this article incorporates public domain material from the United States Government document Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base. Air Force Combat Units of World War II, Washington, DC, U. S. Government Printing Office 1961. Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977, maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, Office of Air Force History 1984. A Cold War Legacy, A Tribute to Strategic Air Command, 1946–1992, Pictorial Histories Publications ISBN 1-57510-052-5 Rogers, United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. Turner Publishing Company, Strategic Air Command, The Story of the Strategic Air Command, turner Publishing Company ISBN 1-56311-265-5 Shaw, Frederick J. Locating Air Force Base Sites History’s Legacy, Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington DC,2004. History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002
16.
Tactical Air Command
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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 and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base and it was inactivated on 1 June 1992 and its personnel and equipment absorbed by Air Combat Command. Tactical Air Command was established to provide a balance between strategic, air defense, and tactical forces of the post–World War II U. S. Army Air Forces followed by, in 1947, the U. S. Air Force. In 1948, the Continental Air Command assumed control over air defense, tactical air, after two years in a subordinate role, Tactical Air Command was established as a major command. World War II showed the effectiveness of air power in supporting army ground forces. However, the demobilization in late 1945 meant that the huge air armada that had brought Germany to her knees. Following the end of World War II, Headquarters United States Army Air Forces had little funding and most wartime personnel had been released from active duty and returned to civilian life. Many USAAF aircraft were being sent to storage or scrapyards, although the tension with the Soviet Union meant that combat military air forces were still needed. The big questions were how large and what kind of forces, a major realignment of the USAAF was undertaken in early 1946. As part of the realignment, three major divisions within the Continental United States were formed, Strategic Air Command, Tactical Air Command. Each was given a specific responsibility, using assets prescribed to accomplish the assigned mission, Tactical Air Command was formed to command, organize, equip, train and administer assigned or attached forces. It was to plan for and participate in tactics for fighter, light bombardment and these included tactical fighters, tactical bombers, tactical missiles, troop carrier aircraft, assault, reconnaissance, and support units. TAC also planned for and developed the capability to deploy tactical striking forces anywhere in the world, during its existence, Tactical Air Command deployed personnel, material and/or aircraft to Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe and Australia in support of its prescribed mission. TACs original authorization was 25,500 officers and enlisted men, aircraft assets available consisted of propeller-driven North American P-51 Mustangs, Republic P-47 Thunderbolts and a handful of the new jet-powered Lockheed P-80 Shooting Stars. TAC was also given control of the Third Air Force, Ninth Air Force, on 18 September 1947, the United States Air Force was established as a separate military force, with TAC as one of its major commands. At the time, there was only one U. S. Air Forces in Europe tactical air unit available in Europe, TAC was called upon to send additional units and aircraft to Europe to reinforce the 86 FG. The 36th Fighter Group, flying Lockheed F-80B Shooting Stars, was transferred from Howard AFB in the Panama Canal Zone to Furstenfeldbruck Air Base near Munich. In addition to fighter aircraft, TAC also deployed available C-47 Skytrain transports to Europe, transferring them to USAFE
17.
Hickam Air Force Base
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Hickam Field is a United States Air Force installation, named in honor of aviation pioneer Lieutenant Colonel Horace Meek Hickam. The base merged with the Naval Base Pearl Harbor to become part of the Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam, the base neighbors Honolulu International Airport and currently shares runways with the airport for its activities and purposes. Hickam is home to the 15th Wing and 67 partner units including Headquarters of Pacific Air Forces, Hawaii Air National Guard, the Air Mobility Commands 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing provides tactical and strategic airlift within the Pacific region. In addition, Hickam supports 140 tenant and associate units, the 15th Wing is composed of four groups each with specific functions. The 15th Operations Group controls all flying and airfield operations, the 15th Maintenance Group performs aircraft and aircraft ground equipment maintenance. The 15th Medical Group provides medical and dental care and these units are structured according to the Total Force Integration concept, and as such have both an active duty Commander and a Guard Commander. They share missions as well as equipment.78 and it was the largest peacetime military construction project in the United States to that date and continued through 1941. The Quartermaster Corps was assigned the job of constructing a modern airdrome from tangled algaroba brush, planning, design, and supervision of construction were all conducted by Capt. Howard B. Construction was still in progress when the first contingent of 12 men, Hickam Field was completed and officially activated on September 15,1938. In early 1939 construction began on the barracks, a single three-story nine-winged structure to house 3,200 men at a cost of $1,039,000. Personnel began moving into the barracks in January 1940, and by its completion on 30 September 1940, it was fully occupied, Hickam was the principal army airfield in Hawaii and the only one large enough to accommodate the B-17 Flying Fortress bomber. In connection with plans for the Pacific, aircraft were brought to Hawaii throughout 1941 to prepare for potential hostilities. The first mass flight of bombers from Hamilton Field, California arrived at Hickam on 14 May 1941, Hickam suffered extensive damage and aircraft losses, with 189 people killed and 303 wounded. During World War II, the became a major center for training pilots. Hickam is home to the 65th Airlift Squadron which transports theater senior military leaders throughout the world in the C-37B and C-40 Clipper aircraft. In mid-2003, the 15th Air Base Wing was converted to the 15th Airlift Wing as it prepared to beddown and fly the Air Forces newest transport aircraft, the first Hickam-based C-17 arrived in February 2006, with seven more to follow during the year. The C-17s will be flown by the 535th Airlift Squadron, on September 16,1985, the Secretary of the Interior designated Hickam Field a National Historic Landmark, recognizing its key role in the World War II Pacific campaign. A bronze plaque reflecting Hickams national significance in commemorating the history of the United States of America took its place among other memorials surrounding the base flagpole, dominating the area is a large bronze tablet engraved with the names of those who died as a result of the 1941 attack
18.
South Vietnam
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South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam, was a state governing the southern half of Vietnam from 1955 to 1975. It received international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam, the term South Vietnam became common usage in 1954, when the Geneva Conference provisionally partitioned Vietnam into communist and non-communist parts. The Republic of Vietnam was proclaimed on 26 October 1955, with Ngô Đình Diệm as its first president and its sovereignty was recognized by the United States and eighty-seven other nations. It had membership in several committees of the United Nations. After the Second World War, the Viet Minh, led by Ho Chi Minh, in 1949, anti-communist Vietnamese politicians formed a rival government in Saigon led by former emperor Bảo Đại. Bảo Đại was deposed by Prime Minister Ngô Đình Diệm in 1955, after Diệm was killed in a military coup led by general Dương Văn Minh in 1963, there was a series of short-lived military governments. General Nguyễn Văn Thiệu led the country from 1967 until 1975, the Vietnam War began in 1959 with an uprising by Viet Cong forces armed and controlled by Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Fighting reached a climax during the Tet Offensive of 1968, when there were over 1.5 million South Vietnamese soldiers and 500,000 U. S. soldiers in South Vietnam. Despite a peace treaty concluded in January 1973, fighting continued until the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong armies overran Saigon on 30 April 1975, the creation of this republic, during the Indochina War, allowed France to evade a promise to recognise Vietnam as independent. This pre-Vietnam government prepared for a unified Vietnamese state, but the countrys full reunification was delayed for a year because of the problems posed by Cochinchinas legal status, Nguyễn Văn Xuân 1949–55 State of Vietnam. Roughly 60% of Vietnamese territory was controlled by the communist Việt Minh. Vietnam was partitioned at the 17th parallel in 1954, once highly lauded by America, he was ousted and assassinated in a U. S. -backed coup. In 1963–65, there were numerous coups and short-lived governments, several of which were headed by Dương Văn Minh or Nguyễn Khánh, Prime Minister Nguyễn Cao Kỳ was the top leader in 1965–67. Surrendered to Communists when others abandoned their posts, 1975–76 Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam. Huỳnh Tấn Phát Before World War II, the third of Vietnam was the concession of Cochinchina. Between Tonkin in the north and Cochinchina in the south was the protectorate of Annam, Cochinchina had been annexed by France in 1862 and even elected a deputy to the French National Assembly. It was more evolved, and French interests were stronger than in parts of Indochina. During World War II, Indochina was administered by Vichy France, japanese troops overthrew the French administration on 9 March 1945, Emperor Bảo Đại proclaimed Vietnam independent
19.
NATO
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The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on 4 April 1949. The organization constitutes a system of collective defence whereby its member states agree to mutual defence in response to an attack by any external party, three NATO members are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council with the power to veto and are officially nuclear-weapon states. NATOs headquarters are located in Haren, Brussels, Belgium, while the headquarters of Allied Command Operations is near Mons. NATO is an Alliance that consists of 28 independent member countries across North America and Europe, an additional 22 countries participate in NATOs Partnership for Peace program, with 15 other countries involved in institutionalized dialogue programmes. The combined military spending of all NATO members constitutes over 70% of the global total, Members defence spending is supposed to amount to 2% of GDP. The course of the Cold War led to a rivalry with nations of the Warsaw Pact, politically, the organization sought better relations with former Warsaw Pact countries, several of which joined the alliance in 1999 and 2004. N. The Treaty of Brussels, signed on 17 March 1948 by Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, the treaty and the Soviet Berlin Blockade led to the creation of the Western European Unions Defence Organization in September 1948. However, participation of the United States was thought necessary both to counter the power of the USSR and to prevent the revival of nationalist militarism. He got a hearing, especially considering American anxiety over Italy. In 1948 European leaders met with U. S. defense, military and diplomatic officials at the Pentagon, marshalls orders, exploring a framework for a new and unprecedented association. Talks for a new military alliance resulted in the North Atlantic Treaty and it included the five Treaty of Brussels states plus the United States, Canada, Portugal, Italy, Norway, Denmark and Iceland. The first NATO Secretary General, Lord Ismay, stated in 1949 that the goal was to keep the Russians out, the Americans in. Popular support for the Treaty was not unanimous, and some Icelanders participated in a pro-neutrality, the creation of NATO can be seen as the primary institutional consequence of a school of thought called Atlanticism which stressed the importance of trans-Atlantic cooperation. The members agreed that an attack against any one of them in Europe or North America would be considered an attack against them all. The treaty does not require members to respond with military action against an aggressor, although obliged to respond, they maintain the freedom to choose the method by which they do so. This differs from Article IV of the Treaty of Brussels, which states that the response will be military in nature. It is nonetheless assumed that NATO members will aid the attacked member militarily, the treaty was later clarified to include both the members territory and their vessels, forces or aircraft above the Tropic of Cancer, including some Overseas departments of France. The creation of NATO brought about some standardization of allied military terminology, procedures, and technology, the roughly 1300 Standardization Agreements codified many of the common practices that NATO has achieved
20.
Lajes Field
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Lajes Field or Lajes Air Base, officially designated Air Base No. Located about 3,680 km east of New York City and about 1,600 km west of Lisbon, Portugal, however, the location of Achada on the island of São Miguel was chosen instead at the time for the construction of the field. The military activities in the Azores grew in 1942, as the Gladiators began to be used to support allied convoys, in reconnaissance missions, in addition, the first Portuguese Junkers Ju 52 arrived in July 1942 to fly cargo missions. By 1943, the British and American armed forces were allowed basing rights in Portugal, the Azores permitted British and American airplanes to protect Allied shipping in the mid-Atlantic. The agreement established guidelines and limitations for the ferrying of aircraft, in return, the US agreed to assist the British in improving and extending existing facilities at Lajes. Air Transport Command transport planes began landing at Lajes Field immediately after the agreement was signed, by the end of June 1944, more than 1,900 American airplanes had passed through this Azorean base. Using Lajes Field, the flying time relative to the transatlantic route between Brazil and West Africa was nearly cut in half from 70 to 40 hours. Lajes Field was one of the two stopover and refueling bases for the first transatlantic crossing of non-rigid airships in 1944, in 1945, two ZP-14 replacement blimps were sent from Weeksville, North Carolina to the Bermudas and Lajes before going on to Craw Field at Port Lyautey. The United States and the United Kingdom transferred control of Lajes to Portugal in 1946, the Portuguese redesignated Lajes as Air Base No.4 and assigned it to the air branch of the Portuguese Army. However, talks between the U. S. and Portugal began about extending the American stay in the Azores, Lajes Field remains Portuguese Air Base 4 under the direction of Headquarters Azores Air Zone commanded by Portuguese Air Force brigadeiro. In 1947, the Portuguese Esquadra 41 started to operate from Lajes, equipped with Boeing SB-17, Grumman HU-16 Albatross, Douglas C-54 Skymaster and and this unit was responsible for the search and rescue operations in the Atlantic between Europe and North America. In 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization military alliance was established, Portugal, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and various western European countries were charter members of NATO. By reason of the NATO alliance, Lajes was available for use by countries. In 1953, Lynde D. McCormick, the Commander-in-Chief of United States Atlantic Command organized a unified command in the Azores called U. S. In the late 1950s, USAF air refueling/tanker aircraft were stationed at Lajes to provide refueling for U. S. aircraft transiting the Atlantic Ocean. Some of the units left Lajes by 1965, but others returned later. This transfer, coupled with the introduction of newer long-range aircraft, Lajes Field also played a crucial role in Cold War politics. From 1932 to 1968, Portugal was under the dictatorship of António de Oliveira Salazar, yet the U. S. Government maintained friendly relations with the Estado Novo regime, especially after 1943
21.
Vietnam War
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It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam and the government of South Vietnam. The war is considered a Cold War-era proxy war. As the war continued, the actions of the Viet Cong decreased as the role. U. S. and South Vietnamese forces relied on air superiority and overwhelming firepower to conduct search and destroy operations, involving ground forces, artillery, in the course of the war, the U. S. conducted a large-scale strategic bombing campaign against North Vietnam. The North Vietnamese government and the Viet Cong were fighting to reunify Vietnam and they viewed the conflict as a colonial war and a continuation of the First Indochina War against forces from France and later on the United States. The U. S. government viewed its involvement in the war as a way to prevent a communist takeover of South Vietnam and this was part the domino theory of a wider containment policy, with the stated aim of stopping the spread of communism. Beginning in 1950, American military advisors arrived in what was then French Indochina, U. S. involvement escalated in the early 1960s, with troop levels tripling in 1961 and again in 1962. Regular U. S. combat units were deployed beginning in 1965, despite the Paris Peace Accord, which was signed by all parties in January 1973, the fighting continued. In the U. S. and the Western world, a large anti-Vietnam War movement developed as part of a larger counterculture, the war changed the dynamics between the Eastern and Western Blocs, and altered North–South relations. Direct U. S. military involvement ended on 15 August 1973, the capture of Saigon by the North Vietnamese Army in April 1975 marked the end of the war, and North and South Vietnam were reunified the following year. The war exacted a huge human cost in terms of fatalities, estimates of the number of Vietnamese soldiers and civilians killed vary from 966,000 to 3.8 million. Some 240, 000–300,000 Cambodians,20, 000–62,000 Laotians, and 58,220 U. S. service members died in the conflict. Various names have applied to the conflict. Vietnam War is the most commonly used name in English and it has also been called the Second Indochina War and the Vietnam Conflict. As there have been several conflicts in Indochina, this conflict is known by the names of its primary protagonists to distinguish it from others. In Vietnamese, the war is known as Kháng chiến chống Mỹ. It is also called Chiến tranh Việt Nam, France began its conquest of Indochina in the late 1850s, and completed pacification by 1893. The 1884 Treaty of Huế formed the basis for French colonial rule in Vietnam for the seven decades
22.
North American F-100 Super Sabre
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The North American F-100 Super Sabre was an American 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 of USAF jet fighters, it was the first USAF fighter capable of speed in level flight. The F-100 was designed by North American Aviation as a higher performance follow-on to the F-86 Sabre air superiority fighter, adapted as a fighter bomber, the F-100 was supplanted by the Mach two class F-105 Thunderchief for strike missions over North Vietnam. The F-100 flew extensively over South Vietnam as the air forces primary close air support jet until being replaced by the more efficient subsonic LTV A-7 Corsair II, the F-100 also served in other NATO air forces and with other U. S. allies. In its later life, it was referred to as the Hun. In January 1951, North American Aviation delivered an unsolicited proposal for a day fighter to the United States Air Force. Named Sabre 45 because of its 45° wing sweep, it represented an evolution of the F-86 Sabre, the mockup was inspected on 7 July 1951, and after over a hundred modifications, the new aircraft was accepted as the F-100 on 30 November 1951. Extensive use of titanium throughout the aircraft was notable, on 3 January 1952, the USAF ordered two prototypes followed by 23 F-100As in February and an additional 250 F-100As in August. The YF-100A first flew on 25 May 1953, seven ahead of schedule. It reached Mach 1.04 in spite of being fitted with a de-rated XJ57-P-7 engine, the second prototype flew on 14 October 1953, followed by the first production F-100A on 9 October 1953. These findings were confirmed during Project Hot Rod operational suitability tests. Particularly troubling was the yaw instability in certain regimes of flight which produced inertia coupling, the aircraft could develop a sudden yaw and roll which would happen too fast for the pilot to correct and would quickly over-stress the aircraft structure to disintegration. It was under conditions that North Americans chief test pilot. Another control problem stemmed from handling characteristics of the wing at high angles of attack. As the aircraft approached stall speeds, loss of lift on the tips of the caused an violent pitch-up. This particular phenomenon became known as the Sabre dance, nevertheless, delays in the Republic F-84F Thunderstreak program pushed the Tactical Air Command to order the raw F-100A into service. Tactical Air Command also requested that future F-100s be fighter-bombers, with the capability of delivering nuclear bombs, the North American F-107 was a follow-on Mach 2 development of the F-100 with the air intake moved above and behind the cockpit. It was not produced in quantity in favor of the Republic F-105 Thunderchief, the F-100A officially entered USAF service on 27 September 1954, with the 479th Fighter Wing at George AFB, California
23.
9th Air Force
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The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces Air Combat Command. It has been headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, from 1990, units were deployed to the Middle East against Iraq, and from 2001 against threats emanating from Afghanistan. In this role, the organization was known as United States Air Forces Central, until August 2009, the Ninth Air Force shared its commander with USAFCENT. S. This article deals with the current organization, as the lineage of the organization currently belongs to USAFCENT. This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http, archives of the Ninth Air Force Association Digital Collection at The University of Akron Archival Services Ninth Air Force Association
24.
Fort Hood
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Fort Hood is a U. S. military post located in Killeen, Texas. The post is named after Confederate General John Bell Hood and it is located halfway between Austin and Waco, about 60 miles from each, within the U. S. state of Texas. Fort Hood is an installation of the United States Army and is the largest military base in the world more than 215,000 acres. Its origin was the need for space to test and train with World War II tank destroyers. The War Department announced the location in January 1942, and the completion was set for that August. As originally constructed, Fort Hood had an area of 158,706 acres, the main cantonment of Fort Hood had a total population of 53,416 as of the 2010 U. S. Census. Fort Hood is the most populous U. S. military installation in the world, the main business area is in Bell County, with the training countryside area of the post in Coryell County. In April 2014, the Fort Hood website lists 45,414 assigned soldiers and 8,900 civilian employees with Fort Hood covering 214,000 acres, during World War II, tank destroyers were developed to counter German mobile armored units. These were mobile anti-tank guns on armored halftracks or specially developed tanks, wide-open space was needed for the tank destroyer testing and training, which Texas had in abundance. Andrew Davis Bruce was assigned to organize a new Tank Destroyer Tactical and Firing Center, the War Department announced the selection on 15 January 1942. An initial acquisition of 108,000 acres was made, and it was estimated that the camp would cost $22,800,000 for the land, facilities, the date of completion was set for 15 August 1942. About 300 families had to move from their homes to make room for the area and the communities of Clear Creek, Elijah. The old Sugar Loaf community, historically called the Cradle of Killeen, all that remains of the community is the mountain from which it took its name, located in the Fort Hood area. To lessen the burden of moving, the Army agreed to land to be used for grazing for a nominal grazing fee. This grazing arrangement still continues today, in mid-August the camp was occupied and the official opening took place on 18 September 1942. Camp Hood was named for the Confederate General John Bell Hood, the original facilities provided housing and training sites for nearly 38,000 troops. In January 1943, an additional 16,000 acres in Bell County and 34,943 acres in Coryell County near Gatesville, the site near Gatesville was known as the sub-camp and later as North Camp Hood. During the war years, North Camp Hood housed nearly 40,000 troops and 4,000 prisoners of war, and was the site for the southern branch of the United States Disciplinary Barracks
25.
Eielson AFB
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Eielson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 26 miles southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska and just southeast of Moose Creek, Alaska. It was established in 1943 as Mile 26 Satellite Field and taken off deployment in 2007 and it has been a Superfund site since 1989. Its host unit is the 354th Fighter Wing assigned to the Eleventh Air Force of the Pacific Air Forces, Eielson AFB was named in honor of polar pilot Carl Ben Eielson. The 354 FW is currently commanded by Colonel David A. Mineau, until 2007, Eielson was a front line base, deploying fighter and bomber units around the world and providing for the defense of Alaska. Because of BRAC2005 the base went off deployment status in 2007 and these exercises are conducted on the Joint Pacific Alaskan Range complex with air operations flown out of the two bases. Alaskas size enables the military to have the largest air-ground training complex in America, Eielson is home to the 354th Fighter Wing which is part of the Eleventh Air Force of Pacific Air Forces. The 354th Fighter Wing mission is To train, deliver, maintain and support combat power across the globe while taking care of our people, their families and our infrastructure. To accomplish that mission, the wing implements flying operations, mission support, maintenance,460, Air Force Technical Applications Center Arctic Survival School, Det. 632, Air Force Office of Special Investigations Det,1, 210th Rescue Squadron On 7 June 1943, the Western Defense Command ordered construction of a new airfield near present-day Fort Wainwright, then an Army airfield named after Major Arthur K. Ladd. The field became known as Mile 26 because of its proximity to a US Army Signal Corps telegraph station, a month later, contractors and civilian crews from Ladd Field started laying out the new airfield. Actual construction began on 25 August 1943, crews built two parallel runways,165 feet across and 6,625 feet long. Other facilities included a building, housing for 108 officer and 330 enlisted personnel. The garrison and airfield totaled about 600 acres, completed on 17 October 1944, the 14-month project cost about eight-million dollars. Operational uses of Mile 26 were few, Ladd Field served as the debarkation point for the Alaska-Siberia Ferry Route of the lend-lease program and was the hub of activity. Lend-lease aircraft would land at Mile 26, but there are no records to indicate any lend-lease aircraft ever used the airfield to take off for Russia. Mile 26 closed when the war ended, the base reopened in September 1946, once again as a satellite of Ladd Field. The first USAAF operational unit assigned to Eielson was the 57th Fighter Group, equipped successively with P-38 Lightnings, P/F-51 Mustangs, F-80 Shooting Stars, the 57th FG was inactivated on 13 April 1953. On 1 December 1947 Strategic Air Command B-29 Superfortress bombers arrived at Mile 26 Field with the deployment of the 97th Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy, from Smoky Hill AFB, Kansas
26.
Volk Field Air National Guard Base
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Volk Field Air National Guard Base is a military airport located near the village of Camp Douglas, in Juneau County, Wisconsin, United States. It is also known as the Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center, the base also houses Camp Williams, which is supported by the Wisconsin Army National Guard. By 1903 the camp had expanded to more than 800 acres and was used for training by the then reorganized National Guard. The site was named Camp Williams in 1927 in honor of Lieutenant Colonel Charles R. Williams, Camp Williams grew slowly following the First World War, but with the development of the airplane, the first hard-surface runways were constructed in 1935 and 1936. In 1954 the federal government leased the field from the state of Wisconsin for use as a permanent field training site and that same year work began on the air-to-ground gunnery range near Finley, Wisconsin. It also contains a marker for Lt. Jerome Volk, for whom the installation was named. At around midnight on 25 October 1962, a guard at the Duluth Sector Direction Center saw a figure climbing the security fence and he shot at it, and activated the sabotage alarm. This automatically set off sabotage alarms at all bases in the area, at Volk Field, the alarm was incorrectly wired, and the Klaxon sounded, which ordered nuclear armed F-106A interceptors to take off. Immediate communication with Duluth showed there was an error, by this time aircraft were starting down the runway and Volk was too small for a control tower. A truck raced from the center and successfully signaled the aircraft to stop. The intruder was identified as a black bear, not the Soviet saboteurs in advance of a nuclear attack the sentry was expecting. In 1989 the site was re-designated a Combat Readiness Training Center, during the 1990 Persian Gulf War, Volk Field was the primary point of embarkation for soldiers and equipment from nearby Fort McCoy, Wisconsin. The 128th Air Control Squadron, Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation system, Air Base Operability and Ability to Survive, since 2006 Volk Field, along with Fort McCoy, has served as the primary location for Patriot Warrior the largest annual training exercise for Air Force Reserve Command. Volk Field has one asphalt and concrete paved runway measuring 9,000 x 150 ft, the Runways Edge is the installations all ranks club and provides hot food and drinks. The Wisconsin National Guard Museum is located at Volk Field and it contains aircraft, helicopters, artillery, and armored vehicles used by the Wisconsin National Guard over its existence. Camp Williams is the home of the United States Property & Fiscal Office for the State of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin National Guard Museum is located at Volk. It is housed in one of the former Officers Quarters built in the late 19th-Century, the museum has limited hours and with the heightened security after 9/11 is not accessible to the general public. It also hosts an air park with many former Air National Guard aircraft from several states, as well as artillery, helicopters
27.
Ramstein Air Base
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Ramstein Air Base is a United States Air Force base in Rhineland-Palatinate, a state in southwestern Germany. It serves as headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa, Ramstein is located near the town of Ramstein-Miesenbach, in the rural district of Kaiserslautern. The Air Base is used to coordinate and execute most of the United States global drone program, the east gate of Ramstein Air Base is about 10 miles from Kaiserslautern. Other nearby civilian communities include Ramstein-Miesenbach, just outside the bases west gate, the host unit is the 86th Airlift Wing, commanded by Brigadier General Patrick X. Mordente. The 86th Airlift Wing is composed of six groups,27 squadrons and its mission is the operation and maintenance of airlift assets consisting of C-130Js, C-20s, C-21s, C-40B and C-37A Gulfstream aircraft throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Also at Ramstein is the 435th Air Ground Operations Wing, which focuses on base-support responsibilities within the KMC and it is composed of five groups and 20 squadrons. The wing provides rapid mobility and agile combat support for military operations, the commander of the 435th AGOW is Colonel Andra V. P. The new 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing stood up on 4 September 2008, the current commander of the 521st AMOW is Colonel Thomas Cooper. Ramsteins wings are assigned to the headquarters 3rd Air Force also based at Ramstein AB, Ramstein AB is part of the Kaiserslautern Military Community, where more than 54,000 American service members and more than 5,400 US civilian employees live and work. U. S. organizations in the KMC also employ the services of more than 6,200 German workers, Air Force units in the KMC alone employ almost 9,800 military members, bringing with them nearly 11,100 family members. There are more than 16,200 military, U. S. civilian, while the KMC remains the largest U. S. community overseas at 53,000 people, the defense drawdown continues to shape its future. Due to the departure of other main operating installations, more than 100 geographically separated units receive support from Ramstein, Ramstein Air Base also served as temporary housing for the United States mens national soccer team during the 2006 World Cup. There is often a Summer Camp to Ramstein from British CCF, the construction of the air base was a project designed and undertaken by the French Army and the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers from 1949 to 1952. The area was a swamp that had to be built up by two meters, trainloads of earth were moved over the line and spread over the bases current area to raise it to its current level. Once the ground was level, building construction began, Landstuhl Air Base on the south side and Ramstein Air Station on the north. From 1948 to the opening of the bases in 1953 it was the largest one spot construction site in Europe employing over 270,000 Europeans at one time. A part of the autobahn to the west of Mannheim. The airstrip was used by the advancing U. S. Army Air Forces during the final months of World War II
28.
LTV A-7 Corsair II
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The LTV A-7 Corsair II was an American carrier-capable subsonic light attack aircraft designed by Ling-Temco-Vought to replace the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. Its airframe design was a smaller version of the supersonic Vought F-8 Crusader. The Corsair II initially entered service with the United States Navy during the Vietnam War and it was later adopted by the United States Air Force, including the Air National Guard, to replace the Douglas A-1 Skyraider, and North American F-100 Super Sabre. The aircraft was exported to Greece in the 1970s. In 1962, the United States Navy began preliminary work on the VAX, particular emphasis was placed on accurate delivery of weapons to reduce the cost per target. The requirements were finalized in 1963, announcing the VAL competition, to minimize costs, all proposals had to be based on existing designs. Vought, Douglas Aircraft, Grumman and North American Aviation responded, the Vought proposal was based on the successful Vought F-8 Crusader fighter, having a similar configuration, but shorter and more stubby, with a rounded nose. It was selected as the winner on 11 February 1964, and on 19 March the company received a contract for the batch of aircraft. In 1965, the received the popular name Corsair II. Compared to the F-8 fighter, the A-7 had a shorter, broader fuselage, the wing had a longer span, and the unique, variable incidence feature of the F-8 wing was omitted. The aircraft was fitted with an AN/APQ-116 radar, later followed by the AN/APQ-126 and it was the first U. S. aircraft to have a modern head-up display, now a standard instrument which displayed information such as dive angle, airspeed, altitude, drift and aiming reticle. The integrated navigation system allowed for another innovation – the projected map display system which accurately showed aircraft position on two different map scales, the A-7 had a fast and smooth development. The YA-7A made its first flight on 27 September 1965, the first Navy A-7 squadrons reached operational status on 1 February 1967, and began combat operations over Vietnam in December of that year. The A-7 offered a plethora of cutting-edge avionics compared to contemporary aircraft and this included data link capabilities that, among other features, provided fully hands-off carrier landing capability when used in conjunction with its approach power compensator or auto throttle. Other notable and highly advanced equipment was a map display located just below the radar scope. The map display was slaved to the navigation system and provided a high-resolution map image of the aircrafts position superimposed over TPC/JNC charts. Moreover, when slaved to the auto pilot, the inertial navigation system could fly the aircraft hands off to up to nine individual waypoints. Typical inertial drift was minimal for newly manufactured models and the measurement system accepted fly over, radar
29.
Patrick Air Force Base
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Patrick Air Force Base is a United States Air Force installation located between Satellite Beach and Cocoa Beach, in Brevard County, Florida, in the United States. It was named in honor of Major General Mason Patrick, USAAC, an Air Force Space Command base, it is home to the 45th Space Wing. In addition to its host wing responsibilities at Patrick AFB, the 45 SW controls and operates Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and it was originally opened and operated from 1940-1947 as Naval Air Station Banana River, a U. S. Navy airfield. It was then deactivated as an installation in 1947 and placed in caretaker status until it was transferred to the Air Force in late 1948. Additional tenant activities at Patrick AFB include the 920th Rescue Wing, the Air Force Technical Applications Center, there are 13,099 military, dependents, civilian employees and contractors on base. The base is a place and had a resident population of 1,222 at the 2010 census. The host wing for Patrick AFB is the 45th Space Wing, whose officers, previously an activity of the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency, AFTAC is now a subordinate unit of 25th Air Force and the Air Combat Command. AFTAC is the sole Department of Defense agency operating and maintaining a network of nuclear event detection sensors. The 920th Rescue Wing, part of Air Force Reserve Command, is another tenant command headquartered at Patrick AFB and is the only military flying unit. The 920 RQW is a participant in the Air Forces Air. Under this concept, the bulk of the deployed to Iraq in 2003 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Subsequent AETF deployments have included Djibouti and Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, the U. S. State Departments Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Air Wing helps foreign countries combat drugs and narcotics criminals. The Navy bought 1,900 acres of land south of Cocoa Beach. With the advent of war with Japan and Germany in December 1941, PBMs returned to training duty in March 1942 when replaced on patrol by OS2U Kingfisher seaplanes. Landing strips were constructed in 1943, thereby allowing for concurrent operation of shore based aircraft, Officers of the Free French Naval Air Service also trained in PBMs at NAS Banana River at this time. NAS Banana River hosted and an aircraft repair and maintenance facility. Later in the war, a detachment of German POWs from Camp Blanding worked at NAS Banana River on cleanup details. At its peak, the base complement included 278 aircraft,587 civilian employees, when the flight failed to return to home station, a search and rescue operation was undertaken by multiple air and naval units
30.
Marine Corps Air Station Yuma
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It is a designated Superfund site due to a number of soil and groundwater contaminants, including asbestos. The station is located 2 miles from the city of Yuma, a joint use civilian-military airport, MCAS Yuma shares airfield facilities with Yuma International Airport and occupies approximately 3,000 acres, most of which is flat desert. Temporary dirt runways were installed for usage by military and civilian planes, the outbreak of World War II transformed the civilian airport into the Yuma Army Airfield. Flying training began in January 1943 and its training unit was the 307th Single Engine Flying Training Group which operated AT-6 Texans, reporting to the 37th Flying Training Wing. The base operating unit was the 403d Army Air Force Base Unit, in 1944, the unit was upgraded to multi-engine flight training, operating B-26 Marauders. In addition to the training, a Flexible Gunnery School was established at the airfield in November 1943. Flight training was discontinued on 23 April 1945 and gunnery training on 31 May 1945, the base was closed on 1 November 1945. After the war, the airfield was turned over to the Department of the Interior as a headquarters for the Bureau of Land Reclamation, on 1 January 1954, Yuma County Airport was reactivated by the United States Air Force Air Defense Command as a training facility. In the mid-1950s, ADC was equipped almost solely with rocket-firing F-86D Sabre and F-89C Scorpion interceptors, Yuma Airport became the home of the 4750th Training Wing. The 4750th had two components, the 4750th Training Group and the 4750th Training Squadron. The first ADC squadron arrived at Yuma for the Rocketry Proficiency Program on 1 February 1954, ADC squadrons rotated through Yuma on a regular basis for a two-week proficiency program that included live-fire exercises over the Williams AFB and Luke AFB gunnery ranges. The two-week course included a course, many hours in the F-86D simulator. The targets, usually towed behind B-45A tow ships, were 9x45 target sleeves, most of the TDY personnel were quartered in tents near the flight line, at least until April 1954 when the first permanent barracks buildings were finished and air conditioned. By June, seven ADC units had rotated through the Yuma program, also Headquarters USAF decided to add a separate air-to-air rocketry competition to the annual USAF gunnery meet that was held at Las Vegas Air Force Base. The Interceptor Phase of the competition would be held at Yuma between 20 June and 27 June 1954, the competition would take place each year, with the last occurring in 1956. Several changes occurred during the last half of 1954, on 24 August, Yuma County Airport was redesignated Yuma Air Force Base. On 1 September, the 4750th Training Wing became the 4750th Air Defense Wing, the 4750th Group and squadrons were also redesignated. And on 8 January 1955, the 4750th Tow Target Squadron became the 17th TTS, between July 1954 and the end of the year, ADC rotated eleven more squadrons through the Yuma program - nine in F-86Ds, and one each in F-94Cs and F-89Ds
31.
Fort Drum
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Fort Drum is a U. S. Army military reservation and a census-designated place in Jefferson County, New York, United States. The population was 12,955 at the 2010 census and it is home to the 10th Mountain Division. Fort Drum consists of 107,265 acres and temperatures can reach as low as −30 °F and this section of the article incorporates text taken from a public-domain document prepared by the US military. A portion of the present Fort Drum was purchased for use as a training site since 1908. However, the presence in the North Country may be traced back to the early 19th century. In 1809 a company of soldiers was stationed at Sacketts Harbor to enforce the Embargo Act. Following the outbreak of the War of 1812, Sacketts Harbor became the center of United States naval and military activity for the Upper St. Lawrence River valley and Lake Ontario. During the 1830s and 1840s, the Lower Canada Rebellion in Canada prompted a new round of military preparations, in 1908, Major General Frederick Dent Grant was sent to the Pine Camp region to train with 2,000 regulars and 8,000 militia. Grant, the son of former United States president and Civil War general Ulysses S. Grant, in 1909 the military allocated funds to purchase land to form Pine Camp, and summer training continued here through the years. The camps first introduction to the spotlight came in 1935 when the largest peacetime maneuvers were held on Pine Plains. Approximately 36,500 soldiers came from throughout the Northeast to take part in the exercise, some soldiers traveled by trains which arrived in town every 15 minutes, coming from as far away as Buffalo, New York and New York City. For 36 hours, young men from offices, factories, the maneuvers were judged to be most successful and the War Department purchased an additional 9,000 acres of land. The LeRay Mansion, built in the early 19th century, was named after James LeRay de Chaumont, throughout the years the mansion served as a post commanders quarters, visiting dignitaries quarters and a location for formal military receptions. Today the mansion is used to high ranking visitors, which has encouraged the continued upkeep of the mansion. The LeRay Mansion is registered with the National Register of Historic Places, with the outbreak of World War II, Pine Camp was selected for a major expansion. An additional 75,000 acres of land was purchased, displacing 525 local families, five entire villages were eliminated, while others were reduced from one-third to one-half their size. By Labor Day,1941,100 tracts of land were taken over, three thousand buildings, including 24 schools, six churches and a post office, were abandoned. Contractors then went to work, and in a period of 10 months at a cost of $20 million, construction workers paid the price, as the winter of 1941-42 was one of the coldest in North Country history
32.
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
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The Air Force Outstanding Unit Award is one of the unit awards of the United States Air Force. It was established in 1954 and was the first independent Air Force decoration created, the Air Force Longevity Service Award would follow in 1957 with most of the standard Air Force awards established in the early to mid 1960s. The Outstanding Unit Award is awarded to any unit of the U. S, multiple awards of the Outstanding Unit Award are denoted by oak leaf clusters on the ribbon. Until 2004, the Outstanding Unit Award was the senior most unit award in the U. S. Air Force and it is awarded to personnel who were assigned or attached to the unit receiving the award during the period it was awarded for. Non-USAF personnel personnel assigned to USAF units awarded the Outstanding Unit Award are also eligible to wear the ribbon on their uniforms, however, the ribbon does not come in the larger size of unit awards common to the U. S. Army
33.
166th Tactical Fighter Squadron
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The 166th Air Refueling Squadron is a unit of the Ohio Air National Guard 121st Air Refueling Wing located at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Columbus, Ohio. The 166th is equipped with the KC-135R Stratotanker, the 364th Fighter Squadron was established at Hamilton Field, California in December 1942 and was part of the 357th Fighter Group. Became part of the United States Air Forces in Europe army of occupation in Germany during 1945, Inactivated in Germany during August 1946. The wartime 364th Fighter Squadron was re-designated as the 166th Fighter Squadron and it was organized at Lockbourne Army Airfield, Columbus, Ohio, and was extended federal recognition on 10 November 1947 by the National Guard Bureau. The 166th Fighter Squadron was bestowed the lineage, history, honors, the squadron was equipped with F-51D Mustangs and was assigned initially to the Illinois ANG 66th Fighter Wing, operationally gained by Continental Air Command. On 7 December 1947 the Ohio ANG 55th Fighter Wing, was federally recognized, with the formation and federal recognition of the Ohio ANG 121st Fighter Group at Lockbourne Field, near Columbus, the squadron was reassigned. The mission of the 166th Fighter Squadron was the air defense of Ohio, parts were no problem and many of the maintenance personnel were World War II veterans so readiness was quite high and the planes were often much better maintained than their USAF counterparts. In some ways, the postwar Air National Guard was almost like a country club. In March 1950, the squadron entered the jet age with the receipt of Republic F-84C Thunderjets, with the surprise invasion of South Korea on 25 June 1960, and the regular militarys complete lack of readiness, most of the Air National Guard was called to active duty. The squadron initially remained at Lockbourne and flew air defense training missions, on 20 September, the 166th was reassigned to the Federalized Oregon ANG 142d Fighter-Interceptor Group which was headquartered at OHare International Airport with no change of mission. However, ADC was experiencing difficulty under the wing base organizational structure in deploying its fighter squadrons to best advantage. Therefore, in February 1952 the squadron was reassigned to the 4706th Defense Wing, however, Strategic Air Command had taken over Lockbourne AFB on 1 April 1951 and it was decided to move the 166th to Youngstown Municipal Airport, Ohio, which was accomplished in August 1952. The move resulted in a reassignment to the 4708th Air Defense Wing, after the Korean War mobilization ended, the ADC 86th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron assumed the assets of the 166th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron F-84Cs and many of their personnel. The 166th was re-equipped with F-51H Mustangs which the squadron flew until 1954 when the 166th received refurbished F-80A Shooting Stars that had been modified and upgraded to F-80C standards. The squadron only operated the Shooting Star until January 1955 when the 166th received F-84E Thunderjets that had returned from duty in Korea. Upgraded with new F-84F Thunderstreaks in November 1957, the command of the squadron became Tactical Air Command, however. The Ohio Air National Guard moved the 121st FBG back to Lockbourne Air Force Base on 1 March 1960, the 121st Tactical Fighter Wing were called to active duty for a period of twelve months on 1 October. The mission of the activated 121st TFW was to reinforce the United States Air Forces in Europe, and deploy to Étain-Rouvres Air Base, France, a standby USAFE base
34.
Naval Air Station Barbers Point
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Naval Air Station Barbers Point, also called John Rodgers Field is a former United States Navy airfield closed in the 1990s. It was later reopened as Kalaeloa Airport in 1999, parts of the former air station serve as a film and television studio for the Hawaii State Film Office. On December 7,1941, Barbers Point was one of the targets attacked by the Japanese during the attack on Pearl Harbor. During the second wave, American pilots George Welch and Kenneth Taylor engaged Japanese aircraft, however, Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point, with its complement of HH-65 Dolphin helicopters and HC-130H Hercules aircraft, remained after the Navys departure. Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point is the only Coast Guard Air Station within the 14th United States Coast Guard District, ABC Studios and Marvel Televisions Inhumans was the first production to use the newly created production facility. afhra. af. mil/. Maurer, Maurer, ed. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, washington, DC, Office of Air Force History
35.
Holloman Air Force Base
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The base was named in honor of Col. George V. Holloman, a pioneer in guided missile research. It is the home of the 49th Wing of the Air Combat Command, Holloman is located in New Mexicos Tularosa Basin between the Sacramento and San Andres mountain ranges. The base is about 10 miles west of Alamogordo, New Mexico, on U. S. Route 70,90 miles north of El Paso, Texas, the base covers 59,639 acres and is located at an altitude of 4,093 feet. Holloman is home to the worlds longest, at 50,188 feet, the 49th Wing – host wing at Holloman Air Force Base – supports national security objectives by deploying worldwide to support peacetime and wartime contingencies. The wing provides combat-ready Airmen, and trains General Atomics MQ-1 Predator and General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper pilots, sensor operators, the wing has a proud history of service in World War II, Korea, Southeast Asia, Southwest Asia and NATO-led Operation Allied Force. The 49th Wing is the host unit at Holloman Air Force Base, supporting national security objectives with mission-ready F-22 Raptors, Air Transportable Medical Clinic, the wing deploys combat-ready and mission-support forces supporting Air Expeditionary Force operations, Overseas Contingency Operations, and peacetime contingencies. The 49th Operations Group supports national security objectives, as directed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the operational squadron is, 7th Fighter Squadron All F-22A carry the HO Tailcode. The Operations Group took over the activities of the inactivated 37th Fighter Wing at Tonopah Test Range Airport when the F-117As were transferred to Holloman in 1993, 49th Mission Support Group, Provides support to all base operations, personnel, and family members. In February 2006, the Bush Administration announced that Holloman would cease to be home to the F-117A Nighthawk and this move coincided with an announcement that the F-117 will be removed from service on or about 2008. On 1 March 2006, it was announced by the United States Air Force that Holloman would be the new home of two squadrons of F-22A Raptors. Along with the 49th FW, the 96th Test Group, part of the 96th Test Wing from Eglin Air Force Base, the 96th TG is an Air Force Materiel Command unit responsible for operational testing and evaluation of new equipment and systems proposed for use by these forces. The 54th Fighter Group ia a geographically separated unit of the 56th Fighter Wing, out of Luke AFB, the German Air Force Tactical Training Center activated at Holloman 1 May 1996. With the activation,300 German military personnel and 12 Panavia Tornado aircraft joined Team Holloman, German aircrews come to Holloman for approximately three weeks for advanced tactical training and then return to Germany. The German Air Force also conducts a Fighter Weapons Instructor Course for the Tornado, aircrews for this course come to Holloman for about six months. As of November 2006 there are 650 German military personnel and 25 Tornado aircraft assigned to Holloman AFB, there are numerous reasons the German Air Force trains at Holloman. The area offers great flying weather and has suitable air space, other reasons are the proximity of Holloman to the German Air Force Air Defense Center at Fort Bliss, Texas and the centralizing of German aircrew training at a single location. To facilitate this, there is a memorandum of understanding between the two governments, on 29 September 1999, two Luftwaffe Tornados crashed near Marathon Indian Basin, about 15 miles northwest of Carlsbad, New Mexico. The crash details were kept quiet from the American public, as the crash was investigated under Luftwaffe jurisdiction, in September 2004, Luftwaffe chief of staff, Klaus-Peter Stieglitz announced a reduction in its training program of roughly 20%
36.
Dissimilar air combat training
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Dissimilar air combat training was introduced as a formal part of US air combat training after disappointing aerial combat exchange rates in the Vietnam War. Traditionally, pilots would undertake air combat training against similar aircraft, for example, pilots of F-8s would seldom train against F-4 Phantom IIs, and almost never against A-4 Skyhawks and never as part of a formal syllabus. From 1965 to 1968, US pilots found themselves over the skies of North Vietnam pitted against the smaller, more nimble subsonic Soviet MiG-17, in fact, Air Combat Maneuvering was not practised by all fighter squadrons for a variety of reasons. The primary US fighter used against North Vietnamese MiGs, the F-4 Phantom, US pilots were finding themselves hard-pressed to prevail over the nimble VPAF MiGs which by late 1966 had grown to be a real threat to US aircraft operating over the North. Even more vexing were rules of engagement that did not even permit BVR firing of missiles, radar-guided AIM-7 Sparrows experienced high failure rates, and the short-range Sidewinder was ineffective in many dogfighting maneuvering situations. Phantom training against other Phantoms did not reflect the reality of a target that was smaller, smokeless, US pilots found themselves the victims of VPAF MiG-21s using Chennaults Flying Tigers hit and run tactics against them. In 1968, the Navy took a look at its air-to-air problems over North Vietnam. His report became known as the Ault Report and it resulted in the establishment of TOPGUN and incorporation of DACT into the syllabus. The United States Navy Fighter Weapons School adopted the nimble subsonic A-4 Skyhawk to simulate subsonic Soviet fighters, both the Skyhawk and Tiger were used in the 1986 film Top Gun. The Navys win/loss exchange ratio soared to over 20,1 before the loss of a Marine Phantom brought it back to 12.5,1 by 1973, the A-4 Skyhawk has since been replaced by the T-45 Goshawk, a navalized British Hawk trainer. F-16s have been used to later generation Soviet fighters such as the MiG-29. The now-retired F-14 Tomcat was also used in paint schemes to simulate Iranian F-14s. The Air Force has reportedly used captured or purchased Soviet fighters for DACT on occasions. Aggressor squadron Parsons, Dave and Nelson, Derek Bandits - History of American Adversarial Aircraft, rossi, J. R. AVG American Volunteer Group - Flying Tigers
37.
101st Airborne Division
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The 101st Airborne Division is an elite modular specialized light infantry division of the United States Army trained for air assault operations. It is the most potent and tactically mobile of the U. S. Armys divisions and these particular operations are conducted by highly mobile teams and they are quite often executed behind enemy lines. Its unique battlefield mobility and high level of training have kept the Division in the vanguard of Americas land combat forces in recent conflicts, more recently, the 101st Airborne has been performing foreign internal defense and counter-terrorism operations within Iraq and Afghanistan. The 101st Airborne Division has a nearly century-long history, during the Vietnam War, the 101st Airborne Division fought in several major campaigns and battles including the Battle of Hamburger Hill in May 1969. In mid-1968 it was reorganized and redesignated as an airmobile division and these titles reflect the divisions shift from airplanes as the primary method of delivering troops into combat, to the use of helicopters. Many current members of the 101st are graduates of the U. S. Army Air Assault School, Division headquarters is at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. In recent years, the division has served in Iraq and Afghanistan, the division is one of the most highly decorated units in the United States Army and has been featured prominently in military fiction. The 101st is currently the only air assault division, capable, in a single lift, of a 4. It is supported by more than 280 helicopters and this includes three battalions of Apache attack helicopters. At times, additional air assets are assigned to the 101st Airborne during deployment, the 101st Airborne also comprises intelligence support, maintenance and operations elements, support personnel, and artillery specialists. Assisting the 101st Airborne Division is an array of support elements, equipment. The 101st is considered a versatile, very flexible. The 101st has the capability to move long distances, the 101st can put soldiers down on top of mountains, ridge lines, and behind the enemy forces and can sling-load in artillery pieces for indirect fire. It is considered a unit of choice and it has the ability to secure sites, airfields. The 101st Division headquarters was organized 2 November 1918 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, World War I ended 9 days later, and was demobilized on 11 December 1918. In 1921, the headquarters was reconstituted in the Organized Reserves. It was at time that the Screaming Eagle became associated with the division. As part of the reorganization of the 101st as a division in the Army of the United States
38.
Fort Campbell
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Fort Campbell is a United States Army installation located astride the Kentucky-Tennessee border between Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Tennessee. Fort Campbell is home to the 101st Airborne Division and the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, the fort is named in honor of Union Army Brigadier General William Bowen Campbell, the last Whig Governor of Tennessee. Construction of Camp Campbell began on January 12,1942, due to its close proximity to Clarksville, Tennessee, the War Department on March 6,1942, designated Tennessee as the official address of the new camp. This caused a deal of confusion, since the Headquarters was in Tennessee. After many months of mail delivery problems, Colonel Guy W. Chipman requested that the address be changed to Camp Campbell, the War Department officially changed the address on September 23,1942. Early in the summer of 1942, the initial cadre, one officer and 19 enlisted men, arrived from Fort Knox. From that time until the end of World War II, Camp Campbell was the ground for the 12th, 14th and 20th Armored divisions, Headquarters IV Armored Corps. In the spring of 1949, the 11th Airborne Division arrived at Campbell following occupation duty in Japan, the 11th was in residence there until early 1956. By April 1950, the post had evolved from a training camp to a permanent installation and was renamed Fort Campbell. From 1950 to 1962 the post operated an Airborne Course which trained nearly 30,000 soldiers as paratroopers before its inactivation and this was the official ceremony reactivating the famed Screaming Eagles of World War II. On May 2,1966, Third Army General Order 161 directed the activation of a Basic Combat Training Center at Fort Campbell, on July 6, barely two months after its activation, Fort Campbells Army Training Center received its first 220 newly inducted soldiers. Basic Combat Training began on schedule July 11 with a complement of 1,100 trainees. The Training Center operated until April 15,1972, when it was deactivated, the 1st Brigade was sent for duty in Vietnam in July 1965. Soon thereafter, upon the escalation of hostilities in Southeast Asia, also in response to the military buildup, the 6th Infantry Division was reactivated at Fort Campbell on November 24,1966, and inactivated July 25,1968. In September 1971 the 173rd Airborne Brigade returned to Fort Campbell and conducted its official homecoming ceremonies, the 173rd was then inactivated on 14 January 1972 and its personnel and the equipment used to rebuild the 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division. The 3rd Brigade remained on jump status until April 1974, when its status was terminated. On April 6,1972, the 101st Airborne Division was officially welcomed back to its station after the cessation of hostilities in Vietnam. The ceremonies were attended by Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, on 12 December 1985,246 servicemembers died with eight aircrew shortly after takeoff from Gander, Newfoundland, Canada, during a return from peacekeeping duties in Egypt
39.
112th Tactical Fighter Squadron
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The 112th Fighter Squadron is a unit of the Ohio Air National Guard 180th Fighter Wing located at Toledo Air National Guard Base, Ohio. The 112th is equipped with the F-16C/D Fighting Falcon, the squadron is a descendant organization of the World War I, 112th Aero Squadron, established on 18 August 1917. The 112th Fighter Squadron dates its origins to the organization of the 112th Aero Squadron on 18 August 1917 at Kelly Field, the squadron served as a supply squadron at Kelly Field, being re-designated as the 633d Aero Supply Squadron on 1 February 1918. It remained at Kelly Field, being demobilized on 19 August 1919, although authorized in 1921, the 112th Observation Squadron was not organized and federally recognized until 20 June 1927 at Cleveland Hopkins Airport. Conducted summer training at Camp Perry, OH The unit flew a wide range of aircraft throughout the late 1920s and 1930s including the PT-1, BT-1, the O-2 and the O-11. On 25 November 1940 the 112th was federalized and ordered to service as part of the buildup of the Army Air Corps after the Fall of France. The unit was ordered to Pope Field, North Carolina where it was equipped with North American O-47 observation aircraft and it performed antisubmarine patrols over the North and South Carolina coasts, with a flight operating from Myrtle Beach Airport. In the spring of 1942, was returned to South Carolina where it continued patrolling the mid-Atlantic coastline shipping routes, in October 1942, the unit was moved to Birmingham Airport, Alabama where it was inactivated. Its personnel were reassigned to other Army Air Force Units, One of its members, Lt. Col. Addison Earl Baker attended 4-engine transition school and was eventually assigned to the 93d Bombardment Group as a B-24 Liberator bomber pilot. Piloting Hells Wench, a B-24 Liberator, Baker led the 93d as the formation in the five-group mission of 177 aircraft. Co-piloting the aircraft was a volunteer and former member of the 93rd, en route the aircraft carrying the mission navigator crashed at sea. As a result, when the reached the target area. Baker attempted to warn the mission commander of this error, although Hells Wench was in flames and had been seriously damaged by German anti-aircraft guns, Baker maintained formation and bombed his target. Subsequently, Baker broke formation to avoid a collision with bombers from the lead group. He attempted to gain altitude so that his crew could escape by parachute, but despite his efforts, Hells Wench crashed and exploded, killing Baker, on March 11,1944, Colonel Baker was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Although his body was never recovered he was given a site in Florence American Cemetery and Memorial Florence. Major Jerstad also received the Medal of Honor on October 28,1943, in April 1943, the unit was reactivated as the 112th Liaison Squadron at Salinas Army Air Base, California. The squadron was equipped with a series of light courier aircraft, the unit was reassigned to Ninth Air Force in England in June 1944 where it operated Cessna UC-78 light transport aircraft in England and in liberated areas of France
40.
Howard Air Force Base
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Howard Air Force Base, is a former United States Air Force base located in Panama. After demilitarization, the facility reopened as Panamá Pacífico International Airport in 2014, the airport is located 6 miles southwest of Balboa, at the southern end of the Panama Canal. Most of the area around it was uninhabited and formed part of the Panama Canal Zone watershed, for over 50 years, Howard Air Force Base was the bastion of US air power in Central and South America. In its heyday, it was the center for operations, military and humanitarian airlift, contingencies, joint-nation exercises. It was the hub of Air Force operations in Latin America, boasting fighters, cargo planes, tankers, airborne warning and control system planes, executive jets and it was also home to a host of army and navy aircraft. Yet only some of the transports, several special-mission C-130s, and executive jets belonged to the host unit and it was named after Major Charles H. Howard, who flew in Panama in the late 1920s. The only five-star general in Air Force history, Henry H. Hap Arnold played a prominent role in the history of Howard AFB, as a captain, Arnold led the first air unit, the 7th Aero Squadron, to the Isthmus on March 29,1917. Within a week, he left for Washington, DC, when he returned to Panama in May 1939, he was a major general and chief of the Army Air Corps. The purpose of his visit was to select a site for a new air base, Major Howard died in an air crash on October 25,1936. On December 1,1939, the new air base officially became Howard Field, construction began shortly thereafter and the first troops arrived on May 15,1941. Howard Field hosted both fighter and bomber aircraft during the World War II era, the base was inactivated on January 1,1950 and its real estate turned over to the Army. The Air Force continued to use Howard as a deployment site for joint training exercises during the 1950s, control of the Panama Canal changed hands on 31 December 1999, from the United States to Panama. DoD elements began drawing more than a year earlier, in anticipation of the deadline established by the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977. The last of the fixed-wing US aircraft departed Howard Air Force Base on 1 May 1999, on 1 November 1999, the 24th Wing inactivated and Howard Air Force Base was turned over to the Panamanian government. afhra. af. mil/. Air Force Combat Units Of World War II, maxwell AFB, Alabama, Office of Air Force History. Maurer, Maurer, ed. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, Washington, DC, Office of Air Force History. Fletcher, Harry R. Air Force Bases Volume II, Active Air Force Bases outside the United States of America on 17 September 1982, maxwell AFB, Alabama, Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-53-6 Current weather for MPHO at NOAA/NWS Accident history for BLB at Aviation Safety Network
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Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center
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Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center is a Michigan Air National Guard training facility. It is located 7.1 miles west-northwest of Alpena, Michigan, the Alpena CRTC is a year-round training facility. It is one of four Combat Readiness Training Centers in the United States, the Alpena CRTC boasts the largest airspace east of the Mississippi River, has 147,000 acres available for ground maneuver units, and trains over 20,000 joint and coalition personnel annually. The Alpena CRTC is the organization in the Air National Guard to be certified as a Joint National Training Center. The base has three JTEs, offers JTAC Training, and operates a JTAC 4m dome simulator, Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, formerly named Phelps Collins Field and the Phelps Collins Air National Guard Base, has a long interesting history beginning in the early 20th century. Before that date, the area had a reputation for yielding blueberries in abundance to local Indians, in the early 20th century, the area was known as the Seven Mile Plains named because the flat open area stretching from the Seven Mile Dam to M-32. During the early part of the 20th Century, flying machines began to appear in the sky over most of the country including the Alpena area. It didnt take long for the early aeronautical risk takers to realize the flat area was just what they needed to land. The landing area was a bit rough going, but so was the practice of flying in general during those early years. Around the same time, local developers and land owners realized the potential of the flat area, thus the idea of an airport was born. Harry Fletcher and his brother Philip began negotiations along with Robert Scott and James McQuarrie and these individuals were fundamental in developing the plan and getting the state on board. The tract of 80 acres, previously surveyed by the Army Corps of Engineers, was donated by Harry, several other 40 acres plots donated by Alpena Power Company set the proposed plan into action. During that same time, Works Progress Administration crews were working on projects around the country, on January 7,1918, he transferred to the famed American 103d Aero Squadron, a successor to Lafayette Escadrille, and died while defending the airspace over Paris on 12 March 1918. Governor Wilber M. Brucker flew in to accept the Airport. Phelps had spent a lot of time in Alpena as a youth shortly before he became interested in flying, there is a monument in France honoring the escadrille and his name appears on it. Construction of the first hangar, a 40x90 foot structure built of cobblestone and it could accommodate four average size aircraft of the era. The 1st Pursuit Group out of Selfridge Field practiced flying maneuvers and gunnery training near Oscoda, when they became aware of the facility at Alpena, they were eager to try it out. By the late 1930s, they began to use the airfield and this marked the beginning of military personnel using the site for training maneuvers as they still do today
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Nellis Air Force Base
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Nellis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force installation in southern Nevada with military schools and more squadrons than any other USAF base. Nellis hosts air combat such as Exercise Red Flag and close air support exercises such as Green Flag-West flown in Military Operations Area airspace. Associated with the nearby Nevada Test and Training Range, the base also has the Combined Air and Space Operations Center-Nellis. The Nellis AFB mission of advanced training for composite strike forces is commonly conducted in conjunction with air and grounds units of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps. The base also supports operations at the nearby Creech Air Force Base, the Tonopah Test Range, since World War II, Nellis has had areas added, such as Area II in 1969, but still has about 7,000 acres of undeveloped space. One World War II runway has been removed, Nellis Area I has the airfield, recreation and shopping facilities, dormitories/temporary lodging, some family housing, and most of the command and support structures, e. g. Suter Hall for Red Flag. Nellis Area III is west of the base with family housing, administration and industrial areas. The Nellis Air Force Base CDP is a 3.1 sq mi region defined by the United States Census Bureau as of the 2010 United States Census, the CDP area includes military family housing, dormitories, and lodging as for aircrew temporary quarters during Red Flag exercises. The CDP residents include a portion of the Nellis work force of ~12,000 military, as of the census of 2000, there were 8,896 people,2,873 households, and 2,146 families residing in the CDP. Population density was 2,895.9 people per square mile, there were 3,040 housing units at an average density of 989. 6/sq mi. The gender ratio was 4813 males to 4083 females. The racial makeup of the base was 68. 5% White,14. 3% African American,1. 4% Native American,5. 0% Asian,0. 7% Pacific Islander,4. 9% from other races, and 5. 2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11. 7% of the population, of all households 17. 9% were made up of individuals and 1. 1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the family size was 3.36. 2000 census median incomes were $33,118, $34,307, $25,551, & $19,210, and per capita income was $13,601. About 10. 0% of families and 11. 1% of the population were below the poverty line, Nellis AFB also leases space at the former Las Vegas AFS, and environmental sites of the Tonopah Bombing Range are monitored by the EPA. Additional Formerly Used Defense Sites associated with the military operations are the Nye County Areas A, G, H, & I, the Delamar Dry Lake Test Annex. After World War I, Nevada and other western states were surveyed by Capt. Lowell H. Smith
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131st Tactical Fighter Wing
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The 131st Bomb Wing is a unit of the Missouri Air National Guard, stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base, Knob Noster, Missouri. If activated to service, the wing is gained by the United States Air Force Global Strike Command. It is a unit of the active-duty 509th Bomb Wing. The 131st Bomb Wing is the only Air National Guard wing to fly the B-2 Spirit, the 110th Bomb Squadron, which is assigned to the wings 131st Operations Group, is a descendant organization of the World War I 110th Aero Squadron, established on 14 August 1917. Demobilized in November 1918, it was re-established on 23 June 1923 as the 110th Observation Squadron, the unit is one of the 29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the United States Army National Guard formed before World War II. It is the oldest unit in the Missouri Air National Guard, with over 90 years of service to the state, Charles Lindbergh was a pilot of the 110th, Missouri National Guard, when he made his famous 1927 flight. The wing also organizes, trains, and prepares a community-based force of ready Citizen-Airmen to defend, the 364th FG flew escort, dive-bombing, strafing, and patrol missions in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. At first the group operated primarily as escort for B-17 and B-24 Liberator heavy bombers, the 364th also flew air-sea rescue missions, engaged in patrol activities, and continued to support ground forces as the battle line advanced through France and into Germany. Took part in the effort to invade the Netherlands by air, September 1944, the Battle of the Bulge, December 1944 – January 1945, and the assault across the Rhine in March 1945. It was organized at Lambert Field, St Louis, and was extended federal recognition on 15 July 1946 by the National Guard Bureau, the 131st Fighter Group was bestowed the history, honors, and colors of the wartime 364th Fighter Group. Assigned to the Missouri ANG 57th Fighter Wing, the 131st Fighter Group controlled the 110th Fighter Squadron in St. Louis and the 180th Bombardment Squadron at Rosecrans Memorial Airport, St Joseph. The status of the 131st was changed from a Group to a Wing on 31 Oct 1950 when the 71st Fighter Wing was inactivated, on 1 March 1951 the 110th was federalized and brought to active-duty due to the Korean War. It was initially assigned to Strategic Air Command and transferred to Bergstrom AFB, the 131st Fighter-Bomber Group was composed of the 110th Fighter Squadron, the 192d Fighter Squadron, the 178th Fighter Squadron, and the 170th Fighter Squadron. At Berstrom, its mission was a replacement for the 27th Fighter-Escort Group which was deployed to Japan as part of SACs commitment to the Korean War. The unit was at Bergstrom until November when it was transferred to Tactical Air Command and moved to George AFB, the 110th Fighter-Bomber Squadron was released from active duty and returned to Missouri state control on 1 December 1952. Returning to Lambert Field, the 131st was re-formed as a bombardment squadron in January 1953. It received B-26 Invaders that returned from the Korean War and trained primarily in bombardment missions. With the removal of the B-26 from bombing duties in 1957 as they neared the end of their service lives, the 110th entered the Jet Age
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RAF Sculthorpe
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RAF Sculthorpe is a military training facility for the United Kingdoms Ministry of Defence, situated about 3 mi west of Fakenham in Norfolk, England. The airfield has been home to many visiting airmen and support crews of the RAF, RAF Sculthorpe was built as the second satellite airfield of RAF West Raynham a few miles to the south, the first being RAF Great Massingham. Work was begun in the spring of 1942 and the airfield was laid out as a standard RAF heavy bomber airfield with runways, dispersals site, mess facilities. Much of the work was completed by Irish labour working for the construction company Bovis. As work was drawing to a close in May 1943 the first squadrons started to arrive and this squadron operated two flights of the Douglas Boston aircraft along with some Douglas Havoc aircraft for training,342 Squadron stayed until 19 July 1943 when they moved to RAF Great Massingham. On 20 September 194321 Squadron moved in from RAF Oulton, the wing stayed at Sculthorpe completing more than 100 missions before departing for RAF Hunsdon on 31 December 1943. In January 1944100 Group Royal Air Force No, in April 1944 the 803rd and 214 Squadron departed for RAF Oulton leaving Sculthorpe empty for its redevelopment as a Very Heavy Bomber Base with the work not being completed until the spring of 1946. The 49th Air Division maintained operational control of the 47th Bomb WG, later the 81st Fighter-Bomber Wing was provided a nuclear capability and assigned to the operational control of the 49th Air Division. To counter this Soviet threat to western Europe, NATO decided to expand their tactical nuclear force by introducing the North American B-45 Tornado to the UK, the US Tactical Air Command had about 100 of these four-engined jet bombers, each capable of dropping five tactical nuclear bombs. In the summer of 1952, the Pentagon decided to deploy the 47th Bomb Wing to Sculthorpe from Langley Air Force Base, the movement of the 49th AD,47 Bomb Wg and the 20th FB WG was the first unit deployment since World War II. From 1954 to 1958, the 19th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron also flew the reconnaissance version of the B-45 known as the RB-45, the 19th TRS was assigned to the 47th Bomb Wing from May 1954 to December 1958. When the 19th began to re-equip with RB-66s during 1957, its RB-45s were transferred to squadrons of the 47th Bomb Wing. By 1957, carrying 10,000 personnel it was the biggest USAFE base in Europe, in May 1958, the re-equipment of the 47th Bombardment Wing began and Douglas B-66 Destroyers began to replace the B-45s. With this equipment change, the 47ths squadrons was redesignated Bombardment Squadron, during 1960–1962 the 47th also performed air refueling missions assigning KB-50J tankers to the 420th Air Refueling Squadron from 15 March 1960 to 22 June 1962. The 420th ARS was inactivated on 25 March 1964, as a result, the 47th Bomb Wing was inactivated on 22 June 1962. A number of the aircraft were reassigned to the 42nd TRS, 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at RAF Chelveston and modified with the Electronic Counter-Measures tail system. With the inactivation of the 47th, Sculthorpe was put under the command of the 7375th Combat Support Group, during the summer of 1984 the F-4E and F-4G squadrons from Spangdahlem AB, West Germany operated from RAF Sculthorpe to allow runway re-surfacing at Spangdahlen to take place. In August 1989 the TR-1A squadron from RAF Alconbury operated from RAF Sculthorpe whilst Alconburys runway was re-surfaced, the airfield became inactive at the end of the Cold War
United States
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Air National Guard
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.
