1.
Okinawa Prefecture
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The larger are mostly high islands and the smaller ones are mostly coral islands. The largest of the islands is Okinawa, the climate of the islands ranges from humid subtropical climate in the north to tropical rainforest climate in the south. Precipitation is very high, and is affected by the rainy season, the islands beyond the Tokara Strait are characterized by their coral reefs. The Amami, Okinawa, Miyako, and Yaeyama Islands have a native population collectively called the Ryukyuan people, the varied Ryukyuan languages are traditionally spoken on these islands, and the major islands have their own distinct languages. In modern times, the Japanese language is the language of the islands. The northern islands are called the Satsunan Islands, while the southern part of the chain are called the Ryukyu Islands in Japanese. Following are the grouping and names used by the Hydrographic and Oceanographic Department of the Japan Coast Guard, the islands are listed from north to south where possible. Nansei Islands Satsunan Islands Ōsumi Islands with, Tanegashima, Yaku, Kuchinoerabu, Mageshima in the North-Eastern Group and they agreed on February 15,2010, to use Amami-guntō for the Amami Islands, prior to that, Amami-shotō had also been used. The English and Japanese uses of the term Ryukyu differ, in English, the term Ryukyu may apply to the entire chain of islands, while in Japanese Ryukyu usually refers only to the islands that were previously part of the Ryūkyū Kingdom after 1624. Nansei-shotō is the name for the whole island chain in Japanese. Japan has used the name on nautical charts since 1907, based on the Japanese charts, the international chart series uses Nansei Shoto. Nansei literally means southwest, the direction of the chain from mainland Japan. Some humanities scholars prefer the uncommon term Ryūkyū-ko for the island chain. In geology, however, the Ryukyu Arc includes subsurface structures such as the Okinawa Trough, the name of Ryūkyū is strongly associated with the Ryūkyū Kingdom, a kingdom that originated from the Okinawa Islands and subjected the Sakishima and Amami Islands. The name is considered outdated in Japanese although some entities of Okinawa still bear the name. In Japanese, the Ryukyu Islands cover only the Okinawa, Miyako, the northern half of the island chain is referred to as the Satsunan Islands in Japanese, as opposed to Northern Ryukyu Islands in English. Humanities scholars generally agree that the Amami, Okinawa, Miyako, there is, however, no good name for the group. The native population do not have their own name, since they do not recognize themselves as a group this size, Ryukyu is the principal candidate because it roughly corresponds to the maximum extent of the Ryūkyū Kingdom
2.
McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle
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The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an American twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter aircraft designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air supremacy in aerial combat. Following reviews of proposals, the United States Air Force selected McDonnell Douglas design in 1967 to meet the services need for an air superiority fighter. The Eagle first flew in July 1972, and entered service in 1976 and it is among the most successful modern fighters, with over 100 victories and no losses in aerial combat, with the majority of the kills scored by the Israel Air Force. The Eagle has been exported to Israel, Japan, and Saudi Arabia, the F-15 was originally envisioned as a pure air superiority aircraft. Its design included a secondary ground-attack capability that was largely unused, the aircraft design proved flexible enough that an all-weather strike derivative, the F-15E Strike Eagle, was later developed and entered service in 1989. The F-15 Eagle is expected to be in service with the U. S. Air Force past 2025, newer models are still being produced for foreign users. The F-15 production line is set to end in 2019,47 years after the types first flight. The F-15 can ultimately trace its origins to the Vietnam War, when the U. S. Air Force, at the time, Defense Secretary Robert McNamara was pressing for both services to use as many common aircraft as possible, even if there were performance sacrifices involved. The former were capable in the tactical role, while the latter might be less so. If the Air Force did choose a design, maintaining air superiority would be a top priority. The next month, a report on light tactical aircraft suggested the Air Force purchase the F-5 or A-7 and this point was reinforced after the loss of two Republic F-105 Thunderchief aircraft to obsolete MiG-15s or MiG-17s on 4 April 1965. In April 1965, Harold Brown, at that time director of the DDR&E, stated the position was to consider the F-5. On 1 August, Gabriel Disosway took command of Tactical Air Command and reiterated calls for the F-X, an official requirements document was finalized in October, and sent out as a request for proposals to 13 companies on 8 December 1965. Following a downselect, four companies were asked to further developments. In total, they developed some 500 design concepts, typical designs featured variable-sweep wings, weighed over 60,000 pounds, included a top speed of Mach 2.7 and a thrust-to-weight ratio of 0.75. When the proposals were studied in July 1966, the aircraft were roughly the size and weight of the TFX, and like that aircraft, through this period, studies of combat over Vietnam were producing worrying results. Previous doctrine had stressed long-range combat using missiles, and optimized aircraft for this role, the result was highly loaded aircraft with large radars and excellent speed, but limited maneuverability and often lacking a gun. In early 1967, they proposed that the design had a thrust-to-weight ratio of near 1,1, a maximum speed further reduced to Mach 2.3, a weight of 40,000 pounds
3.
Boeing E-3 Sentry
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The Boeing E-3 Sentry, commonly known as AWACS, is an American airborne early warning and control aircraft developed by Boeing as the prime contractor. The E-3 is distinguished by the rotating radar dome above the fuselage. Production ended in 1992 after 68 aircraft had been built, in the mid-1960s, the US Air Force was seeking an aircraft to replace its piston-engined Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star, which had been in service for over a decade. After issuing preliminary development contracts to three companies, the USAF picked Boeing to construct two airframes to test Westinghouse Electric and Hughess competing radars, both radars used pulse-Doppler technology, with Westinghouses design emerging as the contract winner. Testing on the first production E-3 began in October 1975, the first USAF E-3 was delivered in March 1977, and during the next seven years, a total of 34 aircraft were manufactured. NATO, as an identity, also had 18 aircraft manufactured. The E-3 was also sold to the United Kingdom and France, in 1991, when the last aircraft had been delivered, E-3s participated in Operation Desert Storm, playing a crucial role of directing coalition aircraft against the enemy. Throughout the aircrafts service life, numerous upgrades were performed to enhance its capabilities, in 1963, the USAF asked for proposals for an Airborne Warning and Control System to replace its EC-121 Warning Stars, which had served in the airborne early warning role for over a decade. The new aircraft would take advantage of improvements in technology and in computer aided radar data analysis. Contracts were issued to Boeing, Douglas, and Lockheed, the latter being eliminated in July 1966, in 1967, a parallel program was put into place to develop the radar, with Westinghouse Electric and the Hughes Aircraft being asked to compete in producing the radar system. In 1968, it was referred to as Overland Radar Technology during development tests on the modified EC-121Q, the Westinghouse radar antenna was going to be used by whichever company won the radar competition, since Westinghouse had pioneered in the design of high-power RF phase-shifters. Boeing initially proposed an aircraft, but tests indicated it would not outperform the already-operational 707. To increase endurance, this design was to be powered by eight General Electric TF34s and it would carry its radar in a rotating dome mounted at the top of a forward-swept tail, above the fuselage. Boeing was selected ahead of McDonnell Douglass DC-8-based proposal in July 1970, initial orders were placed for two aircraft, designated EC-137D as test beds to evaluate the two competing radars. The first EC-137 made its flight on 9 February 1972. Favorable test results led to the selection of Westinghouses radar for the production aircraft, Hughess radar was initially thought to be a certain winner, simply because much of its design was also going into the new F-15 Eagles radar program. The Westinghouse radar used a pipelined fast fourier transform to digitally resolve 128 Doppler frequencies, Westinghouses engineering team won this competition by using a programmable 18-bit computer whose software could be modified before each mission. This computer was the AN/AYK-8 design from the B-57G program, and this radar also multiplexed a beyond-the-horizon pulse mode that could complement the pulse-Doppler radar mode
4.
Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker
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The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is a military aerial refueling aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype and it is the predominant variant of the C-135 Stratolifter family of transport aircraft. The KC-135 was the US Air Forces first jet-powered refueling tanker, the KC-135 entered service with the United States Air Force in 1957, it is one of six military fixed-wing aircraft with over 50 years of continuous service with its original operator. The KC-135 is supplemented by the larger KC-10, studies have concluded that many of the aircraft could be flown until 2040, although maintenance costs have greatly increased. The aircraft will eventually be replaced by the Boeing KC-46 Pegasus, like its sibling, the commercial Boeing 707 jet airliner, the KC-135 was derived from the Boeing 367-80 jet transport proof of concept demonstrator, which was commonly called the Dash-80. The KC-135 is similar in appearance to the 707, but has a fuselage and is shorter than the 707. The KC-135 predates the 707, and is quite different from the civilian airliner. Boeing gave the future KC-135 tanker the initial designation Model 717, in 1954 USAFs Strategic Air Command held a competition for a jet-powered aerial refueling tanker. Lockheeds tanker version of the proposed Lockheed L-193 airliner with rear fuselage-mounted engines was declared the winner in 1955, in the end, orders for the Lockheed tanker were dropped rather than supporting two tanker designs. Lockheed never produced its jet airliner, while Boeing would eventually dominate the market with a family of airliners based on the 707. In 1954, the Air Force placed an order for 29 KC-135As. The first aircraft flew in August 1956 and the initial production Stratotanker was delivered to Castle Air Force Base, California, the last KC-135 was delivered to the Air Force in 1965. These basic features make it resemble the commercial Boeing 707 and 720 aircraft. The USAF EC-135 Looking Glass was subsequently replaced in its role by the U. S. Navy E-6 Mercury aircraft, the KC-135Q variant was modified to carry JP-7 fuel necessary for the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, segregating the JP-7 from the KC-135s own fuel supply. The tanker also had special fuel systems for moving the different fuels between different tanks, the only external difference between a KC-135R and a KC-135T is the presence of a clear window on the underside of the empennage of the KC-135T where a remote controlled searchlight is mounted. It also has two ground refueling ports, located in rear wheel well so ground crews can fuel both the body tanks and wing tanks separately. Eight KC-135R aircraft are receiver-capable tankers, commonly referred to as KC-135R, All eight aircraft were with the 22d Air Refueling Wing at McConnell AFB, Kansas, in 1994. They are primarily used for extension and Special Operations missions
5.
Sikorsky HH-60 Pave Hawk
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The Sikorsky MH-60G/HH-60G Pave Hawk is a twin-turboshaft engine helicopter in service with the United States Air Force. It is a derivative of the UH-60 Black Hawk and incorporates the US Air Force PAVE electronic systems program, the HH-60/MH-60 is a member of the Sikorsky S-70 family. Both versions conduct day or night operations into hostile environments, in 1981, the U. S. Air Force chose the UH-60A Black Hawk to replace its HH-3E Jolly Green Giant helicopters. After acquiring some UH-60s, the Air Force began upgrading each with an air refueling probe, the machine guns were changed from 0.308 in M60s to 0.50 in XM218s. These helicopters were referred to as Credible Hawks and entered service in 1987, afterwards, the Credible Hawks and new UH-60As were upgraded and designated MH-60G Pave Hawk. These upgrades were to be done in a two-step process, however, funding allowed only 16 Credible Hawks to receive the second step equipment. These helicopters were allocated to special operations use, the remaining 82 Credible Hawks received the first step upgrade equipment and were used for combat search and rescue. In 1991, these search and rescue Pave Hawks were redesignated HH-60G, the Pave Hawk is a highly modified version of the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk. The term PAVE stands for Precision Avionics Vectoring Equipment, all HH-60Gs have an automatic flight control system, night vision goggles lighting and forward looking infrared system that greatly enhances night low-level operations. Additionally, some Pave Hawks have color weather radar and an engine/rotor blade anti-ice system that gives the HH-60G an all-weather capability, to improve air transportability and shipboard operations, all HH-60Gs have folding rotor blades. Pave Hawk combat enhancements include a radar warning receiver, infrared jammer, HH-60G rescue equipment includes a hoist capable of lifting a 600-pound load from a hover height of 200 feet, and a personnel locating system. A number of Pave Hawks are equipped with a tactical data receiver that is capable of receiving near real-time mission update information. A number of HH-60Gs are also operated by the Air Force Material Command for flight test purposes, during Operation Desert Storm, Pave Hawks provided combat search and rescue coverage for coalition Air Forces in western Iraq, Saudi Arabia, coastal Kuwait and the Persian Gulf. They also provided emergency evacuation coverage for U. S. Navy sea, air, all MH-60Gs were subsequently divested by Air Force Special Operations Command in 1991. At that time, most MH-60Gs were redesignated as HH-60Gs and transferred to Air Combat Command and ACC-gained Air Force Reserve Command, in March 2000, three Pave Hawks deployed to Hoedspruit Air Force Base in South Africa, to support international flood relief operations in Mozambique. The HH-60Gs flew 240 missions in 17 days and delivered more than 160 tons of relief supplies. Air Force Pave Hawks from the Pacific theater also took part in a humanitarian relief effort in early 2005 in Sri Lanka to help victims of the tsunami. In 1999, the USAF identified a need for a helicopter with improved range, speed, an options analysis was completed in 2002 and funding for 141 aircraft under the personnel recovery vehicle program began in 2004
6.
67th Fighter Squadron
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The 67th Fighter Squadron Fighting Cocks is a fighter squadron of the United States Air Force, part of the 18th Operations Group at Kadena Air Base, Japan. Continually active since January 1941, the 67th was activated as a single-engine fighter operational and it was initially assigned to III Fighter Command, and reassigned to I Fighter Command in 1942. Used P-39 Airacobras and P-40 Warhawks for training, converted to an operational squadron,1943, re-eqipped with P-47 Thunderbolts. Deployed to South Pacific Area,1943, being assigned to the 347th Fighter Group, began combat operations in February 1944, providing protection for U. S. bases and escorting transports initially, then escorting bombers over New Guinea and sea convoys to Admiralty Islands. From Noemfoor, bombed and strafed Japanese airfields and installations on Ceram, Halmahera, moved to the Philippines in Nov, flew fighter sweeps against enemy airfields, supported U. S. ground forces, and protected sea convoys and transport routes. Beginning in July 1945, attacked railways, airfields, and enemy installations in Korea and Kyushu, after V-J Day, flew reconnaissance missions over Japan. Moved without personnel or equipment to the Philippines in December and demobilized, became part of the defense forces of Far East Air Forces in the postwar years at Clark Air Base, being deployed to Okinawa in 1949. As a result of the North Korean invasion of South Korea in June 1950, at Taego, the squadron exchanged its P-80 Shooting Star jets for propeller-driven F-51D Mustangs which were more suited to the ground attack and support role. Combat targets included tanks and armored vehicles, locomotives and trucks, artillery and antiaircraft guns, fuel and ammunition dumps, warehouses and factories, and troop concentrations. Because the front advanced so rapidly, operations from Pusan East soon became impractical, the Chinese Communist caused the unit to move twice in as many weeks, first to Suwon AB, South Korea, then to Chinhae. From there the unit continued to support forces and carry out armed reconnaissance. Throughout the conflict, the squadron moved from base to base in South Korea, in January 1953 the squadron rejoined the wing at Osan-ni AB where it transitioned to the F-86 Sabre without halting the fight against the enemy. It flew its first F-86 counter air mission on 26 February 1953, in the final days of the war, the squadron attacked dispersed enemy aircraft at Sinuiju and Uiju Airfields. The squadron remained in Korea for some time after the armistice and it was reassigned to Kadena Air Base, Okinawa in November 1954, performing tactical fighter operations in South Korea, Japan, Formosa, and the Philippines with frequent deployments. In 1957, the squadron upgraded to the North American F-100 Super Sabre, was re-equipped with the F-105 Thunderchief in 1962. Was moved to Misawa AB, Japan in December 1967, being reassigned to the 39th Air Division, equipment was changed to the F-4 Phantom II, with a to rotate squadrons to South Korea, providing air defense of the nation. Remained in Japan/South Korea until returned to Kadena AB in March 1971, until 1975, primary mission was the air defense of Taiwan, performing frequent rotational TDYs to Ching Chaun Kang AB. Chinese air defense mission ended with United States political recognition of Communist China, for the past 35 years, the squadron has operated from Kadena Air Base, providing air defense in the Far East
7.
Cockfight
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A cockfight is a blood sport between two roosters, or more accurately gamecocks, held in a ring called a cockpit. The history of raising fowl for fighting goes back 6,000 years, the combatants, referred to as gamecocks, are specially bred birds, conditioned for increased stamina and strength. The comb and wattle are cut off in order to show standards of the American Gamefowl Society. Cocks possess congenital aggression toward all males of the same species, cocks are given the best of care until near the age of two years. They are conditioned, much like professional athletes prior to events or shows, wagers are often made on the outcome of the match. Cockfighting is a sport due in some part to the physical trauma the cocks inflict on each other. While not all fights are to the death, the cocks may endure significant physical trauma, in some areas around the world, cockfighting is still practiced as a mainstream event, in some countries it is regulated by law, or forbidden outright. Advocates of the age old sport often list cultural and religious relevance as reasons for perpetuation of cockfighting as a sport, two owners place their gamecock in the cockpit. The cocks fight until one of them dies or is critically injured. Historically, this was in a cockpit, a term which was used in the 16th century to mean a place of entertainment or frenzied activity. William Shakespeare used the term in Henry V to specifically mean the area around the stage of a theatre, in Tudor times, the Palace of Westminster had a permanent cockpit, called the Cockpit-in-Court. Cockfighting is an ancient spectator sport, there is evidence that cockfighting was a pastime in the Indus Valley Civilization. The Encyclopædia Britannica holds, The sport was popular in ancient times in India, China, Persia, based on his analysis of a Mohenjo-daro seal, Iravatham Mahadevan speculates that the citys ancient name could have been Kukkutarma. However, according to a recent study, it is not known whether these birds made much contribution to the domestic fowl. Chickens from the Harappan culture of the Indus Valley may have been the source of diffusion throughout the world. Within the Indus Valley, indications are that chickens were used for sport and not for food, an early image of a fighting rooster has been found on a 6th-century BC seal of Jaazaniah from the biblical city of Mizpah in Benjamin, near Jerusalem. The anthropologist Clifford Geertz wrote the influential essay Deep Play, Notes on the Balinese Cockfight, in some regional variations, the birds are equipped with either metal spurs or knives, tied to the leg in the area where the birds natural spur has been partially removed. A cockspur is a bracelet with a curved, sharp spike which is attached to the leg of the bird, the spikes typically range in length from short spurs of just over an inch to long spurs almost two and a half inches long
8.
Thirteenth Air Force
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The Thirteenth Air Force was a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces. It was last headquartered at Hickam Air Force Base on the island of Oahu,13 AF has never been stationed in the continental United States. It was one of the oldest continuously active numbered air forces in the United States Air Force. Established on 14 December 1942 at Plaine Des Gaiacs Airfield, on New Caledonia,13 AF was a United States Army Air Forces combat air force deployed to the Pacific Theater of World War II. During the Cold War,13 AF remained in the Philippines, providing air defense of the nation, during the Korean War, its units provided staging areas for people and equipment destined for the war zone. 13 AF units last engaged in combat during the SS Mayaguez Incident in May 1975 and it was inactivated on 28 September 2012 and its functions merged with PACAF. The command is charged with planning, executing, and assessing operations in support of the U. S. On behalf of the Pacific Air Forces commander, the 13th AF commander is positioned to command Air Force forces, combined or joint force air components, Antarctic Program through Operation Deep Freeze. Headquarters,13 AF is made up of an A-staff, personal staff, 613th Air and Space Operations Center, known as the Maj Richard Bong AOC, the 613th AOC is one of the U. S. The AOC serves as the center of air operations during any campaign. Thirteenth AF relocated and officially established its headquarters at Andersen AFB, Guam, the command was moved from Guam to Hickam AFB in May 2005. It also includes a squadron of Lockheed F-22s, finally it serves as an important en-route location for transient aircraft. 36th Wing, Andersen AFB, Guam The 36th WG has a mission to support global projection. On 5 January 2007, Detachment 1,13 AF was activated at Yokota AB, the 13th Air Expeditionary Group, and formerly the 500th Air Expeditionary Group, is activated seasonally to support Operation Deep Freeze in the Antarctic. Thirteenth Air Force has never been stationed in the continental United States, it is one of the oldest, continuously active. It engaged in combat in the Pacific Theater during World War II, since World War II, it has provided air defense in the Far East, primarily the Philippines, until the 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo forced the closure of Clark AB. Numerous Thirteenth Air Force organizations participated in Southeast Asia combat operations in the 1960s and 1970s, established as Thirteenth Air Force on 14 December 1942 Activated on 13 January 1943 U. S. Served in combat with Thirteenth AF until the end of the war, inactivated in the Philippines on 15 March 1946
9.
Twentieth Air Force
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The Twentieth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command. It is headquartered at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base,20 AFs primary mission is Intercontinental Ballistic Missile operations. The Twentieth Air Force commander is also the Commander, Task Force 214, established on 4 April 1944 at Washington D. C,20 AF was a United States Army Air Forces combat air force deployed to the Pacific Theater of World War II. Operating initially from bases in India and staging though bases in China,20 AF conducted strategic bombardment of the Japanese Home Islands and it relocated to the Mariana Islands in late 1944, and continued the strategic bombardment campaign against Japan until the Japanese capitulation in August 1945. The 20 AF 509th Composite Group conducted the atomic attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. Twentieth Air Force headquarters is unique in that it has dual responsibilities to Air Force Global Strike Command, as the missile Numbered Air Force for AFGSC, 20th Air Force is responsible for maintaining and operating the Air Forces ICBM force. Designated as STRATCOMs Task Force 214, 20th Air Force provides on-alert, combined with the other two legs of the Triad, bombers and submarines, STRATCOM forces protect the United States with an umbrella of deterrence. Headquarters, Francis E. Warren AFB, Wyoming 90th Missile Wing, Twentieth Air Force was to be commanded by General Arnold himself at Joint Chiefs of Staff level. Twentieth Air Force was completely autonomous and its B-29s were to be independent of other command structures. In addition Twentieth Air Force was chosen to be the component of the Manhattan Project in 1944. However, in early 1944, the B-29 was not yet operationally ready, the aircraft had been in development at Boeing since the late 1930s and the first XB-29 flew on 21 September 1942. However, the aircraft suffered from a number of development issues. As a result, most of the first production B-29s were still held up at Air Technical Service Command modification centers, awaiting modifications, by March 1944, the B-29 modification program had fallen into complete chaos, with absolutely no bombers being considered as combat ready. General Arnold became alarmed at the situation and directed that his assistant, Major General B. E. Meyer, the resulting burst of activity that took place between 10 March and 15 April 1944 came to be known as the Battle of Kansas. The mechanics often had to work outdoors in freezing weather, as a result of superhuman efforts on the part of all concerned,150 B-29s had been handed over to the XX Bomber Command by 15 April 1944. See, Operation Matterhorn and XX Bomber Command for expanded history Operation Matterhorn was the name for the B-29 Superfortress offensive against the Empire of Japan from airfields in China, on 10 April 1944, the Joint Chiefs of Staff informally approved Operation Matterhorn. The operational vehicle was to be the 58th Bombardment Wing of the XX Bomber Command, the headquarters of the XX Bomber Command had been established at Kharagpur India on 28 March 1944. The commander was General Kenneth B, the first B-29 reached its base in India on 2 April 1944
10.
1st Special Operations Squadron
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The 1st Special Operations Squadron is part of the 353d Special Operations Group at Kadena Air Base, Japan. It operates MC-130 Combat Talon II aircraft providing special operations capability, Air crews are trained in night low-level flying, using night vision goggles. To deliver troops and equipment into denied areas during adverse conditions at night by airdrop or landing. The 1st conducted gunnery testing and training from 1939–1942 and it flew administrative airlift from 1949–1952 and 1953–1954. The 1st flew combat missions in Southeast Asia from 8 July 1963 –7 November 1972 and 15 December 1972 –28 January 1973 and it also trained Vietnamese Air Force pilots in counter-insurgency operations from, July 1963 – November 1972. It acquired the Combat Talon mission from the redesignated 90th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 15 December 1972, three MC-130 Combat Talons from the 1st SOS led the Night One mission of Operation Eagle Claw, the hostage rescue mission in Iran, in April 1980. The 1st operates the MC-130H Combat Talon II aircraft in support of joint, the 1st Special Operations Squadron was originally constituted as the 1st Air Commando Squadron, Composite, and activated on 17 June 1963 under Pacific Air Forces. It organized on 8 July 1963 at Bien Hoa Air Base, South Vietnam and it was reassigned the following year, on 8 July, to the 6251st Tactical Fighter Wing. Relocating to Pleiku Air Base, South Vietnam, it was reassigned to the 2nd Air Division on 18 February 1966, and reassigned again to the 14th Air Commando Wing on 8 March 1966. Redesignated the 1st Air Commando Squadron, Fighter, on 15 August 1967, it was reassigned on 20 December 1967 to the 56th Air Commando Wing, on 1 August 1968 the 1st ACS was redesignated as the 1st Special Operations Squadron. The 1st saw extensive combat in Southeast Asia, from 8 July 1963 –7 November 1972 and from 15 December 1972 –28 January 1973. In its early years in Southeast Asia, the squadron flew a variety of aircraft, beginning with the A-26 Invader and T-28 Trojan in 1963 and 1964, both aircraft used for close air support. While at its home base at Bien Hoa AB, aircrews of the 1st Air Commando Squadron performed the first combat tests of the famous FC-47 gunship. In 1964 the 1st began flying the A-1 Skyraider, the aircraft with which it is most closely associated and it also trained Vietnamese Air Force pilots in counterinsurgency operations, from July 1963 – November 1972. Aircraft flown by the 1st SOS were the A–26, T–28, U–10 Super Courier, C–47, RB–26, A–1, FC–47, AC–47, and the C –130 beginning in 1972. Among its pilots was Major Bernard Francis Fisher, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on 10 March 1966 over South Vietnam. Two other early recipients of the Air Force Cross were Maj, carl Berg Mitchell and his navigator, Capt. Maj. Mitchell and Capt. Hickman were awarded the medal posthumously for a A-26 mission over Dong Nai Province on 14 January 1964, john Edgar Lackey received the award for extraordinary heroism during a search and rescue mission over Laos on 18 and 19 March 1972
11.
2 Squadron SAAF
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2 Squadron is a squadron in the South African Air Force which was formed in 1940. The squadron has a history, having been involved in every single combat action in which the SAAF has taken part. During the Second World War it made a name for itself in the battles for East Africa, before distinguishing itself in North Africa as part of the Desert Air Force, the squadron was established on 1 October 1940. During the initial years of the war,2 Squadron served as part of 1 Bomber Brigade in the East African Campaign, after August 1943, it also saw action in Sicily, Italy and Yugoslavia. 2 Squadron was attached to the 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing U. S. Air Force for the duration of the war, initially flying the P-51 Mustang, the squadron re-equipped with the F-86 Sabre in February 1953. During the war the squadron flew a total of 12,067 sorties,74 of the 94 Mustangs and 4 out of the 22 Sabres were lost, along with 34 pilots. For its actions, the received the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, United States Presidential Unit Citation. After the Korean War 2 Squadron, based at Waterkloof AFB, was equipped with Sabres, the first aircraft to fly through the sound barrier over South African soil was a Sabre piloted by Captain Gerrie Moolman. Conversion to the new Mirage III occurred in 1963 and the moved to AFB Hoedspruit at the end of 1978. The squadron fought in several engagements during the South-West Africa/Angola Border War and they continued to fly the Mirages until October 1990. They later re-equipped with the Atlas Cheetah C and D, reconnaissance was also performed using Vinten Vicon 18 Series 601 pod. Regular night flying was performed and the aircrew also performed air-to-air refuelling operations with the Boeing 707 aircraft of 60 Squadron, the squadron participated in the annual SANDF force preparation exercises which includes using live weapons. During joint exercises with the German Luftwaffe in 2006,40 live V3S Snake short-range air-to-air missiles were fired at the Denel Overberg Test Range, moving to Louis Trichardt in January 1993,2 Squadron became the sole front line combat jet squadron in the SAAF. Till 2 April 2008 the squadron operated the Cheetah C/D fighter aircraft and was equipped with 28 examples, the squadron flew 1010 hours in 2004. The last of the Cheetahs were retired on 2 April 2008, the SAAF accepted its first Gripen D in April 2008 and the final two Gripen D aircraft arrived in South Africa in July 2009. The first two Gripen Cs arrived on 11 February 2010 with deliveries ongoing as at October 2011, the squadron operates all the SAAFs Gripens except for the first Gripen D, which is assigned to the Test Flight and Development Centre at AFB Overberg. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918–1988, unofficial South African Air Force website
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.
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