1.
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
2.
United States Air Forces Central Command
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United States Air Forces Central Command is a Named Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. During the Cold War, it was one of two Numbered Air Forces of Tactical Air Command and it has fought in the 1991 Gulf War, War in Afghanistan, the Iraq War, as well as various engagements within USCENTCOM. United States Air Forces Central is the descendant organization of Ninth Air Force. AFCENT was formed as the United States Central Command Air Forces under Tactical Air Command, CENTAF initially consisted of designated United States Air Force elements of the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force which was inactivated and reformed as USCENTCOM in 1983. On 1 March 2008 USCENTAF was redesignated USAFCENT and it shared its commander with Ninth Air Force until August 2009. Ninth Air Force was formally re designated USAFCENT on 5 August 2009, a new Ninth Air Force was established that date for command and control of CONUS-based Air Combat Command units formerly assigned to the previous Ninth Air Force. It is planned that they return to a shared commander after the United States completes its current wars. During World War II, the air forces of the United States Army Air Forces came to be classified as strategic or tactical. In June 1942, the German Afrika Korps advance in North Africa forced the British Eighth Army to retreat towards Egypt putting British Middle East Command at risk, harry A. Halverson, commanding twenty-three B-24D Liberator heavy bombers and a hand-picked crews, decided to move to Egypt. HALPRO was quickly diverted from its mission to a new one—interdictory raids from airfields in Egypt against shipping. On 28 June 1942, Major General Lewis H Brereton arrived at Cairo to command the U. S. Army Middle East Air Force, USAMEAF comprised the Halverson Detachment, Breretons detachment, and the Air Section of US Military North African Mission. Several USAAF units were sent to join USAMEAF during next weeks in the destruction of Rommels Afrika Korps by support to troops and secure sea. Col. Patrick W. Subsequent negotiations carried the point with the British, on 12 October a small staff moved into Grey Pillars, RAF headquarters at Cairo, and thenceforth USAMEAFs bombers operated only under the strategic direction of the British. After initially resisting the attack, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel decided he no longer had the resources to hold his line, Allied victory in the Second Battle of Alamein was accomplished. Ninth Air Force had been first constituted as V Air Support Command, part of Air Force Combat Command, at Bowman Field, Kentucky on 11 September 1941. It was reassigned to Bolling Field, Washington, D. C. on 22 July and transferred without personnel or equipment to Cairo, Egypt on 12 November 1942. The Ninth Air Force mission comprised, Gain air superiority, Deny the enemy the ability to replenish or replace losses, and Offer ground forces close support in North-East Africa. On 12 November 1942, the US Army Middle East Air Force was dissolved and replaced by HQ Ninth Air Force, commanded by Lieutenant General Lewis H. Brereton
3.
Southwest Asia
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Western Asia, West Asia, Southwestern Asia or Southwest Asia is the westernmost subregion of Asia. The concept is in limited use, as it overlaps with the Middle East. The term is used for the purposes of grouping countries in statistics. The total population of Western Asia is an estimated 300 million as of 2015, in an unrelated context, the term is also used in ancient history and archaeology to divide the Fertile Crescent into the Asiatic or Western Asian cultures as opposed to ancient Egypt. As a geographic concept, Western Asia almost always includes the Levant, Mesopotamia, the term is used pragmatically and has no correct or generally agreed-upon definition. In contrast to this definition, the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation in its 2015 yearbook also includes Armenia and Azerbaijan, unlike the UNIDO, the United Nations Statistics Division excludes Iran from Western Asia and include Turkey, Georgia, and Cyprus in the region. These four countries are listed in the European category of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, the Olympic Council of Asias multi-sport event West Asian Games are contested by athletes representing these thirteen countries. Among the regions sports organisations are the West Asia Basketball Association, West Asian Billiards and Snooker Federation, West Asian Football Federation, Western Asia was in use as a geographical term in the early 19th century, even before Near East became current as a geopolitical concept. Use of the term in the context of contemporary geopolitics or world economy appears to date from the 1960s, Western Asia is located directly south of Eastern Europe. The region is surrounded by seven major seas, the Aegean Sea, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea. The Dasht-e Kavir and Dasht-e Lut deserts in eastern Iran naturally delimit the region somewhat from Asia itself, three major tectonic plates converge on Western Asia, including the African, Eurasian, and Arabian plates. The boundaries between the plates make up the Azores-Gibraltar Ridge, extending across North Africa, the Red Sea. The Arabian Plate is moving northward into the Anatolian plate at the East Anatolian Fault, several major aquifers provide water to large portions of Western Asia. In Saudi Arabia, two large aquifers of Palaeozoic and Triassic origins are located beneath the Jabal Tuwayq mountains and areas west to the Red Sea. Cretaceous and Eocene-origin aquifers are located beneath large portions of central and eastern Saudi Arabia, including Wasia, flood or furrow irrigation, as well as sprinkler methods, are extensively used for irrigation, covering nearly 90,000 km² across Western Asia for agriculture. Western Asia is primarily arid and semi-arid, and can be subject to drought, the region consists of grasslands, rangelands, deserts, and mountains. Water shortages are a problem in parts of West Asia, with rapidly growing populations increasing demands for water. Major rivers, including the Tigris and Euphrates, provide sources for water to support agriculture
4.
World War II
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World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although related conflicts began earlier. It involved the vast majority of the worlds countries—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing alliances, the Allies and the Axis. It was the most widespread war in history, and directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. Marked by mass deaths of civilians, including the Holocaust and the bombing of industrial and population centres. These made World War II the deadliest conflict in human history, from late 1939 to early 1941, in a series of campaigns and treaties, Germany conquered or controlled much of continental Europe, and formed the Axis alliance with Italy and Japan. Under the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of August 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union partitioned and annexed territories of their European neighbours, Poland, Finland, Romania and the Baltic states. In December 1941, Japan attacked the United States and European colonies in the Pacific Ocean, and quickly conquered much of the Western Pacific. The Axis advance halted in 1942 when Japan lost the critical Battle of Midway, near Hawaii, in 1944, the Western Allies invaded German-occupied France, while the Soviet Union regained all of its territorial losses and invaded Germany and its allies. During 1944 and 1945 the Japanese suffered major reverses in mainland Asia in South Central China and Burma, while the Allies crippled the Japanese Navy, thus ended the war in Asia, cementing the total victory of the Allies. World War II altered the political alignment and social structure of the world, the United Nations was established to foster international co-operation and prevent future conflicts. The victorious great powers—the United States, the Soviet Union, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and the United States emerged as rival superpowers, setting the stage for the Cold War, which lasted for the next 46 years. Meanwhile, the influence of European great powers waned, while the decolonisation of Asia, most countries whose industries had been damaged moved towards economic recovery. Political integration, especially in Europe, emerged as an effort to end pre-war enmities, the start of the war in Europe is generally held to be 1 September 1939, beginning with the German invasion of Poland, Britain and France declared war on Germany two days later. The dates for the beginning of war in the Pacific include the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War on 7 July 1937, or even the Japanese invasion of Manchuria on 19 September 1931. Others follow the British historian A. J. P. Taylor, who held that the Sino-Japanese War and war in Europe and its colonies occurred simultaneously and this article uses the conventional dating. Other starting dates sometimes used for World War II include the Italian invasion of Abyssinia on 3 October 1935. The British historian Antony Beevor views the beginning of World War II as the Battles of Khalkhin Gol fought between Japan and the forces of Mongolia and the Soviet Union from May to September 1939, the exact date of the wars end is also not universally agreed upon. It was generally accepted at the time that the war ended with the armistice of 14 August 1945, rather than the formal surrender of Japan
5.
Operation Southern Watch
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Operation Southern Watch was an air-centric military operation conducted by the United States Department of Defense from Summer 1992 to Spring 2003. Nothing in the resolution spelled out the Iraqi no-fly zones or Operation Southern Watch, military forces from Saudi Arabia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France participated in Operation Southern Watch. An intensification was noted prior to the 2003 invasion of Iraq and it is now known that this increased activity occurred during an operation known as Operation Southern Focus. At first, Iraqi forces did not attack Coalition aircraft, later in the day, several Iraqi fighters dodged back and forth across the 32nd parallel, staying out of missile range of American fighters. However, an Iraqi MiG-25 crossed too far and was trapped inside the 32nd parallel by a flight of USAF F-16 Falcons of the 33rd Fighter Squadron, after intelligence verified the aircraft was hostile, the fighter pilot received clearance to fire. The lead plane piloted by then-Lieutenant Colonel Gary North, USAF and this was the first combat kill by an F-16 in USAF service, and the first combat kill using the AIM-120 AMRAAM missile. On 17 January 1993, a USAF F-16C destroyed an Iraqi MiG-23 Flogger with an AMRAAM missile for the second USAF aerial victory, on 7 January 1993, Iraq agreed to American, British, and French demands to withdraw their surface-to-air missiles from below the 32nd parallel. However, they did not remove all of them, and U. S. President George H. W. Bush ordered U. S. aircraft to bomb the remaining missile sites. On 13 January, more than 100 American, British, and French aircraft attacked Iraqi missile sites near Nasiriyah, Samawah, Najaf, around half the Iraqi sites south of the 32nd parallel were hit. On 29 June, a USAF F-4G Phantom II destroyed an Iraqi radar which had illuminated it, the first nine months of 1994 were quiet, and the USAF began to withdraw forces from the region. Saddam later withdrew the Iraqi Republican Guard out of the Kuwati border due to massive American military buildup and this served to increase Coalition resolve to enforce the no-fly zones and contain Iraqi aggression. On 25 June 1996, terrorists bombed the U. S. base at Khobar Towers in Dhahran, the attack killing 19 American airmen and injured an additional 372 people. In August 1996, Iraqi forces invaded the Kurdish regions of northern Iraq, as a result, the no-fly zone was extended north to the 33rd parallel. This marked renewed conflict with Iraqi air defenses and several more radars were destroyed by F-16 fighters, on 15 December 1998, France suspended participation in the no-fly zones, arguing that they had been maintained for too long and were ineffective. On 16 December, U. S. President Bill Clinton ordered execution of Operation Desert Fox and this resulted in an increased level of combat in the no-fly zones which lasted until 2003. On 30 December 1998, Iraqi SA-6 missile sites fired 6 to 8 surface-to-air missiles at American military aircraft, USAF F-16s responded by bombing the sites. On 5 January 1999, four Iraqi MiG-25s crossed into the southern no-fly zone, the American fighters fired a total of six missiles at the Iraqi aircraft, but they were able to evade them all and escape back to the north. Over the same period, American aircraft had attacked Iraqi targets on 73 occasions
6.
Operation Enduring Freedom
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Operation Enduring Freedom comprises several subordinate operations, Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan, lasted from October 2001 to 31 December 2014. Government used the term Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan to officially describe the War in Afghanistan, continued operations in Afghanistan by the United States military forces, both non-combat and combat, now occur under the name Operation Freedoms Sentinel. In September 2001, U. S. President George W, the term OEF-A typically refers to the phase of the War in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014. Other operations, such as the Georgia Train and Equip Program, are loosely or nominally connected. All the operations, however, have a focus on counterterrorism activities, Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan, which was a joint U. S. U. K. and Afghan operation, was separate from the International Security Assistance Force, which was an operation of North Atlantic Treaty Organization nations including the U. S. and the U. K. The two operations ran in parallel, although it had suggested that they merge. S. and British ships. The initial military objectives of OEF-A, as articulated by President George W, of those groups included are Abu Sayyaf Group, al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiyah. The operation consisted of training the AFP in counter-terrorist operations as well as supporting the people with humanitarian aid in Operation Smiles. In October 2002, the Combined Task Force 150 and United States military Special Forces established themselves in Djibouti at Camp Lemonnier, the stated goals of the operation were to provide humanitarian aid and patrol the Horn of Africa to reduce the abilities of terrorist organizations in the region. The military aspect involves coalition forces searching and boarding ships entering the region for illegal cargo as well as providing training, the humanitarian aspect involves building schools, clinics and water wells to enforce the confidence of the local people. Since 2001, the expenditure by the U. S. government on Operation Enduring Freedom has exceeded $150 billion. The operation continues, with military direction mostly coming from United States Central Command, seizing upon a power vacuum after the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan after their invasion, the Taliban assumed the role of government from 1996–2001. Their extreme interpretation of Islamic law prompted them to ban music, television, sports, and dancing, amputation was an accepted form of punishment for stealing, and public executions could often be seen at the Kabul football stadium. Womens rights groups around the world were frequently critical as the Taliban banned women from appearing in public or holding many jobs outside the home and they drew further criticism when they destroyed the Buddhas of Bamyan, historical statues nearly 1500 years old, because the Buddhas were considered idols. In 1996, Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden moved to Afghanistan upon the invitation of the Northern Alliance leader Abdur Rabb ur Rasool Sayyaf, when the Taliban came to power, bin Laden was able to forge an alliance between the Taliban and his al-Qaeda organization. It is understood that al-Qaeda-trained fighters known as the 055 Brigade were integrated with the Taliban army between 1997 and 2001 and it has been suggested that the Taliban and bin Laden had very close connections. On 20 September 2001, the U. S. stated that Osama bin Laden was behind the 11 September attacks in 2001, the US made a five-point ultimatum to the Taliban, Deliver to the U. S
7.
Iraq War
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The Iraq War was a protracted armed conflict that began in 2003 with the invasion of Iraq by a United States-led coalition that toppled the government of Saddam Hussein. The conflict continued for much of the decade as an insurgency emerged to oppose the occupying forces. An estimated 151,000 to 600,000 or more Iraqis were killed in the first 3–4 years of conflict and it became re-involved in 2014 at the head of a new coalition, the insurgency and many dimensions of the civil armed conflict continue. The invasion began on 20 March 2003, with the U. S. joined by the United Kingdom and several allies, launching a shock. Iraqi forces were overwhelmed as U. S. forces swept through the country. The invasion led to the collapse of the Baathist government, President Hussein was captured during Operation Red Dawn in December of that same year, the United States responded with a troop surge in 2007. The winding down of U. S. involvement in Iraq accelerated under President Barack Obama, the U. S. formally withdrew all combat troops from Iraq by December 2011. Select U. S. officials accused Saddam of harboring and supporting al-Qaeda, while others cited the desire to end a repressive dictatorship, after the invasion, no substantial evidence was found to verify the initial claims about WMDs. The rationale and misrepresentation of pre-war intelligence faced heavy criticism within the U. S. in the aftermath of the invasion, Iraq held multi-party elections in 2005. Nouri al-Maliki became Prime Minister in 2006 and remained in office until 2014, the al-Maliki government enacted policies that were widely seen as having the effect of alienating the countrys Sunni minority and worsening sectarian tensions. The Iraq War caused hundreds of thousands of civilian, and thousands of military casualties, the majority of casualties occurred as a result of the insurgency and civil conflicts between 2004 and 2007. A1990 Frontline report on The arming of Iraq said, Officially, most Western nations participated in an arms embargo against Iraq during the 1980s. Western companies, primarily in Germany and Great Britain, but also in the United States, sold Iraq the key technology for its chemical, missile, any Western governments seemed remarkably indifferent, if not enthusiastic, about those deals. N Washington, the government consistently followed a policy which allowed and perhaps encouraged the growth of Saddam Husseins arsenal. The Western arming of Iraq took place in the context of the Iran-Iraq War, prior to September 2002, the CIA was the George W. Bush administrations main provider of intelligence on Iraq. The agency was out to disprove linkage between Iraq and terrorism the Pentagon adviser told me, the U. N. had prohibited Iraq from developing or possessing such weapons after the Gulf War and required Iraq to permit inspections confirming compliance. This was confirmed by The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, during 2002, Bush repeatedly warned of military action against Iraq unless inspections were allowed to progress unfettered. In accordance with U. N. Security Council Resolution 1441, Iraq agreed to new inspections under United Nations Monitoring, as part of its weapons inspection obligations, Iraq was required to supply a full declaration of its current weapons capabilities and manufacturing
8.
Operation Inherent Resolve
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Since 21 August 2016, the U. S. Armys XVIII Airborne Corps has been responsible for Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve. Unlike their coalition partners, and unlike previous combat operations, no name was given to the conflict against ISIS by the U. S. government. The decision to keep the conflict nameless drew considerable media criticism, the U. S. decided in October 2014 to name its military efforts against ISIS as Operation Inherent Resolve, the U. S. The medal is approved retroactively beginning 15 June, the Pentagon said, by 4 December 2014, three U. S. service members had died from accidents or non-combat injuries. On 22 October 2015, a U. S, the Kurdistan Regional Government said after the raid that none of the 15 prisoners it was intended to rescue were found. Approximately 80% of these airstrikes have been conducted by American forces, with the remaining 20% being launched by members of the coalition, such as the United Kingdom. 7,268 strikes hit targets in Iraq, while 3,602 hit targets in Syria, on 12 June 2016, it was reported that 120 Islamic State leaders, commanders, propagandists, recruiters and other high-value individuals were killed so far this year. Until March 2016, U. S. military members were ineligible for Campaign Medals, however, on 30 March 2016, U. S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced the creation of a new medal, named Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal. Of the 26,374 targets hit, nearly 8,000 were against ISIS fighting positions, while approximately 6,500 hit buildings, ISIS staging areas and oil infrastructure were each hit around 1,600 times. On 15 December 2016, the UK Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said that more than 25,000 Daesh fighters have now been killed, when asked about this discrepancy, the UKs Ministry of Defense said that it stood by his estimate. Since the first U. S. airstrikes on ISIS targets in Iraq on 8 August 2014, the air strikes occurred in the period between 22 September 2014 and 23 January 2017. The deployment marks a new escalation in the U. S. war in Syria, as of Feb.28,2017, the Coalition has conducted 3,271 sorties in 2017,2,129 of which have resulted in at least one weapon released. In total, the coalition released 7,040 weapons in Iraq, United States Air Force, United States Navy & United States Marine Corps units that are participating in this operations can be found in the Military intervention against ISIL order of battle. 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division
9.
Benjamin O. Davis Jr.
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Benjamin Oliver Davis Jr. was an American United States Air Force general and commander of the World War II Tuskegee Airmen. He was the first African-American general officer in the United States Air Force, on December 9,1998, he was advanced to four-star general by President Bill Clinton. During World War II, Davis was commander of the 99th Fighter Squadron and the 332nd Fighter Group, Davis himself flew sixty missions in P-39, Curtiss P-40, P-47 and P-51 Mustang fighters. Davis followed in his fathers footsteps in breaking racial barriers, as Benjamin O. Davis Sr. was the first African-American general in the United States Army. Benjamin Oliver Davis Jr. was born in Washington, D. C. on December 18,1912 and his father was a U. S. Army officer, and at the time he was stationed in Wyoming serving as a lieutenant with an all-white cavalry unit. Benjamin O. Davis Sr. served 41 years before he was promoted to general in October 1940. Elnora Davis died from complications giving birth to their third child in 1916. At the age of 13, in the summer of 1926, the experience led to his determination to become a pilot himself. After attending the University of Chicago, he entered the United States Military Academy at West Point and he was sponsored by Representative Oscar De Priest of Chicago, at the time, the only black member of Congress. During the four years of his Academy term, Davis was racially isolated by his White classmates and his classmates hoped that this would drive him out of the Academy. The silent treatment had the opposite effect and it made Davis more determined to graduate. He graduated in 1936, 35th in a class of 276 and he was the academys fourth black graduate after Henry Ossian Flipper, John Hanks Alexander, and Charles Young. When he was commissioned as a lieutenant, the Army had only two black officers – Benjamin O. Davis Sr. and Benjamin O. Davis Jr. After graduation he married Agatha Scott, at the start of his junior year at West Point, Davis had applied for the Army Air Corps but was rejected because it did not accept blacks. He was instead assigned to the all-black 24th Infantry Regiment at Fort Benning and he was not allowed inside the base officers club. He later attended the U. S. Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, and then was assigned to military tactics at Tuskegee Institute. This was something his father had years before, as a way for the Army to avoid having a black officer in command of white soldiers. Captain Davis was assigned to the first training class at Tuskegee Army Air Field and he was the first black officer to solo an Army Air Corps aircraft
10.
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
11.
Tuskegee Airmen
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The Tuskegee Airmen /tʌsˈkiːɡiː/ is the popular name of a group of African-American military pilots who fought in World War II. Officially, they formed the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group of the United States Army Air Forces, the name also applies to the navigators, bombardiers, mechanics, instructors, crew chiefs, nurses, cooks and other support personnel for the pilots. There was also one pilot from Port of Spain, Trinidad, although the 477th Bombardment Group trained with North American B-25 Mitchell bombers, they never served in combat. The 99th Pursuit Squadron was the first black flying squadron, the 332nd Fighter Group, which originally included the 100th, 301st, and 302nd Fighter Squadrons, was the first black flying group. The group deployed to Italy in early 1944, the 99th Fighter Squadron was initially equipped with Curtiss P-40 Warhawk fighter-bomber aircraft. When the pilots of the 332nd Fighter Group painted the tails of their P-47s and later, P-51s, red, the Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American military aviators in the United States Armed Forces. During World War II, black Americans in many U. S. states were subject to the Jim Crow laws. The Tuskegee Airmen were subjected to discrimination, both within and outside the army, before the Tuskegee Airmen, no African American had been a U. S. military pilot. In 1917, African-American men had tried to become aerial observers, African American Eugene Bullard served in the French air service during World War I, because he was not allowed to serve in an American unit. Instead, Bullard returned to duty with the French. The racially motivated rejections of World War I African-American recruits sparked over two decades of advocacy by African Americans who wished to enlist and train as military aviators. The effort was led by such prominent civil rights leaders as Walter White of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, philip Randolph, and Judge William H. Hastie. Finally, on 3 April 1939, Appropriations Bill Public Law 18 was passed by Congress containing an amendment by Senator Harry H. Schwartz, the War Department managed to put the money into funds of civilian flight schools willing to train black Americans. When the appropriation of funds for aviation training created opportunities for pilot cadets, in 1941, the War Department and the Army Air Corps, under pressure — three months before its transformation into the USAAF — constituted the first all-black flying unit, the 99th Pursuit Squadron. The exclusionary policies failed dramatically when the Air Corps received an abundance of applications from men who qualified, many of the applicants already had participated in the late-December 1938 unveiled Civilian Pilot Training Program, Tuskegee University had participated since 1939. The Air Corps determined that the programs would be used for all units. At Tuskegee, this continued with the selection and training of the Tuskegee Airmen. Anderson, who had been flying since 1929, and was responsible for training thousands of rookie pilots, after landing, she cheerfully announced, Well, you can fly all right
12.
United States Army Air Forces
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Each of these forces had a commanding general who reported directly to the Army Chief of Staff. S. Army to control its own installations and support personnel, the peak size of the AAF during the Second World War was over 2.4 million men and women in service and nearly 80,000 aircraft by 1944, and 783 domestic bases in December 1943. By V-E Day, the Army Air Forces had 1.25 million men stationed overseas, in its expansion and conduct of the war, the AAF became more than just an arm of the greater organization. By the end of World War II, the Army Air Forces had become virtually an independent service and this contrast between theory and fact is. fundamental to an understanding of the AAF. Gen. Billy Mitchell that led to his later court-martial, a strategy stressing precision bombing of industrial targets by heavily armed, long-range bombers emerged, formulated by the men who would become its leaders. Since 1920, control of units had resided with commanders of the corps areas. Both were created in 1933 when a conflict with Cuba seemed possible following a coup détat. Activation of GHQ Air Force represented a compromise between strategic airpower advocates and ground force commanders who demanded that the Air Corps mission remain tied to that of the land forces. GHQ Air Force organized combat groups administratively into a force of three wings deployed to the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts but was small in comparison to European air forces. Corps area commanders continued to control over airfields and administration of personnel. The expected activation of Army General Headquarters prompted Army Chief of Staff George C. Marshall to request a study from Chief of the Air Corps Maj. Gen. Henry H. Arnold resulting on 5 October 1940 in a proposal for creation of an air staff, unification of the air arm under one commander, and equality with the ground and supply forces. Marshall implemented a compromise that the Air Corps found entirely inadequate, naming Arnold as acting Deputy Chief of Staff for Air but rejecting all organizational points of his proposal. GHQ Air Force instead was assigned to the control of Army General Headquarters, although the latter was a training and not an operational component, when it was activated in November 1940. A division of the GHQ Air Force into four air defense districts on 19 October 1940 was concurrent with the creation of air forces to defend Hawaii. The air districts were converted in March 1941 into numbered air forces with an organization of 54 groups. Marshall had come to the view that the air forces needed a simpler system, Arnold and Marshall agreed that the AAF would enjoy a general autonomy within the War Department until the end of the war, while its commanders would cease lobbying for independence. Marshall, a proponent of airpower, left understood that the Air Force would likely achieve its independence following the war
13.
African Americans
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African Americans are an ethnic group of Americans with total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. The term may also be used to only those individuals who are descended from enslaved Africans. As a compound adjective the term is usually hyphenated as African-American, Black and African Americans constitute the third largest racial and ethnic group in the United States. Most African Americans are of West and Central African descent and are descendants of enslaved peoples within the boundaries of the present United States. On average, African Americans are of 73. 2–80. 9% West African, 18–24% European, according to US Census Bureau data, African immigrants generally do not self-identify as African American. The overwhelming majority of African immigrants identify instead with their own respective ethnicities, immigrants from some Caribbean, Central American and South American nations and their descendants may or may not also self-identify with the term. After the founding of the United States, black people continued to be enslaved, believed to be inferior to white people, they were treated as second-class citizens. The Naturalization Act of 1790 limited U. S. citizenship to whites only, in 2008, Barack Obama became the first African American to be elected President of the United States. The first African slaves arrived via Santo Domingo to the San Miguel de Gualdape colony, the ill-fated colony was almost immediately disrupted by a fight over leadership, during which the slaves revolted and fled the colony to seek refuge among local Native Americans. De Ayllón and many of the colonists died shortly afterwards of an epidemic, the settlers and the slaves who had not escaped returned to Haiti, whence they had come. The first recorded Africans in British North America were 20 and odd negroes who came to Jamestown, as English settlers died from harsh conditions, more and more Africans were brought to work as laborers. Typically, young men or women would sign a contract of indenture in exchange for transportation to the New World, the landowner received 50 acres of land from the state for each servant purchased from a ships captain. An indentured servant would work for years without wages. The status of indentured servants in early Virginia and Maryland was similar to slavery, servants could be bought, sold, or leased and they could be physically beaten for disobedience or running away. Africans could legally raise crops and cattle to purchase their freedom and they raised families, married other Africans and sometimes intermarried with Native Americans or English settlers. By the 1640s and 1650s, several African families owned farms around Jamestown and some became wealthy by colonial standards and purchased indentured servants of their own. In 1640, the Virginia General Court recorded the earliest documentation of slavery when they sentenced John Punch. One of Dutch African arrivals, Anthony Johnson, would own one of the first black slaves, John Casor
14.
Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site
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Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site, at Moton Field in Tuskegee, Alabama, commemorates the contributions of African American airmen in World War II. It was constructed in 1941 as a new training base, the field was named after former Tuskegee Institute principal Robert Russa Moton, who died the previous year. Before 1940, African Americans were barred from flying for the U. S. military, civil rights organizations and the black press exerted pressure that resulted in the formation of an all African-American pursuit squadron based in Tuskegee, Alabama, in 1941. They became known as the Tuskegee Airmen, Tuskegee Airmen refers to all who were involved in the so-called Tuskegee Experiment, the Army Air Corps program to train African Americans to fly and maintain combat aircraft. The Tuskegee Airmen included pilots, navigators, bombardiers, maintenance and support staff, instructors, the military selected Tuskegee Institute to train pilots because of its commitment to aeronautical training. Tuskegee had the facilities, and engineering and technical instructors, as well as a climate for year-round flying, the first Civilian Pilot Training Program students completed their instruction in May 1940. The Tuskegee program was expanded and became the center for African-American aviation during World War II. The Tuskegee Airmen overcame segregation and prejudice to become one of the most highly respected fighter groups of World War II and they proved conclusively that African Americans could fly and maintain sophisticated combat aircraft. The Tuskegee Airmens achievements, together with the men and women who supported them, Moton Field was the only primary flight facility for African-American pilot candidates in the U. S. Army Air Corps during World War II. It was named for Robert Russa Moton, second president of Tuskegee Institute, Moton Field was built between 1940-1942 with funding from the Julius Rosenwald Fund to provide primary flight training under a contract with the U. S. military. Staff from Maxwell Field, Montgomery, Alabama, provided assistance in selecting and mapping the site, architect Edward C. Miller and engineer G. L. Washington designed many of the structures. Archie A. Alexander, an engineer and contractor, oversaw construction of the school facilities. Tuskegee Institute laborers and skilled workers helped finish the field so that training could start on time. The Army Air Corps assigned officers to oversee the training at Tuskegee Institute/Moton Field and they furnished cadets with textbooks, flying clothes, parachutes, and mechanic suits. Tuskegee Institute was one of the very few American institutions to own, develop, ms. Roosevelt was a Rosenwald Fund trustee who helped secure financing for the construction of Moton Field at Tuskegee. The first class, which included student officer Captain Benjamin O. Davis, who served as Commandant of Cadets. Twelve cadets served with him under Captain Noel F. Parrish, a white officer, magoon, another white officer, who served as the adjutant. The other cadets were, John C, only five of these cadets completed the flying training at Tuskegee, in March 1942
15.
Sharpe Field
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Sharpe Field is a private use airport located six nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Tuskegee, a city in Macon County, Alabama, United States. This airport is owned by the Bradbury Family Partnership. Formerly known as Tuskegee Army Airfield, Sharpe Field was used to train the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II and it provided advanced training for the graduates of nearby Moton Field. Most of the history of the Tuskegee Airmen was made at this site, the Air Field was designed by the African American architect Hilyard Robinson and built in 1941. Construction began on July 12,1941, Training flights began in November of the same year, even though construction was nowhere near completion. A graded portion of the runway was used to conduct initial flight training. On 23 July 1941 the Air Corps established an Air Corps Advanced Flying School to be activated at Tuskegee, two weeks later, on 6 August, the Air Corps Advanced Flying School at Tuskegee was activated. It was later redesignated as the Tuskegee Advanced Flying School, the Army Air Forces Advanced Flying School, Tuskegee AAF was assigned to the Southeast Training Center of the Army Air Force Training Command. It was commanded by the 318th Army Air Force Base Unit, by the end of 1942, Tuskegee had a total of 3,414 personnel. The March 1943 14M Regional Aeronautical Chart labeled the airfield as “Tuskegee Army Flying School”, by September 1943, Tuskegee had 4 runways & a total of 225 buildings. The first class of African-American aviation cadets entered the phase of military flight training at Tuskegee AAF on 8 November 1941. Only 7 of the 13 original cadets remained, the 99th Pursuit Squadron moved to Tuskegee from Maxwell Field, Alabama on 5 January 1942. The Air Base Detachment would later be redesignated as the 318th Air Base Squadron and still later as the 318th Base Headquarters, five of the aviation cadets at Tuskegee entered advanced flying training with P-40 Warhawks in January 1942. The 100th Pursuit Squadron was activated at Tuskegee on 19 February 1942 and it was the second African-American Army Air Forces unit ever to be activated. The first class of African-American pilots at Tuskegee completed advanced training on 7 March. There were only five who completed the training, on 17 April the Air Corps Advanced Flying School at Tuskegee Army Air Field was redesignated as Tuskegee Advanced Flying School. The second class of African-American pilots graduated from flying training on 29 April, by the end of 1942, nine classes of African-American pilots had completed training at Tuskeegee AAF. On 13 October 1942 the 332d Fighter Group was activated at Tuskegee, the 301st and 302d Fighter Squadrons were also activated for the first time at Tuskegee, and assigned to the 332d Fighter Group
16.
Springfield, Illinois
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Springfield is the capital of the U. S. state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County. The citys population of 116,250 as of the 2010 U. S. Census makes it the sixth most populous city. It is the largest city in central Illinois, present-day Springfield was settled by European Americans in the late 1810s, around the time Illinois became a state. The most famous resident was Abraham Lincoln, who lived in Springfield from 1837 until 1861. The city lies on a flat plain that encompasses much of the surrounding countryside. Hilly terrain lies near the Sangamon River, lake Springfield, a large artificial lake owned by the City Water, Light & Power company, supplies the city with recreation and drinking water. Weather is fairly typical for middle latitude locations, with hot summers, spring and summer weather is like that of most midwestern cities, severe thunderstorms are common. Tornadoes hit the Springfield area in 1957 and 2006, the city is governed by a mayor–council form of government. The city proper is also the Capital Township governmental entity, in addition, the government of the state of Illinois is also based in Springfield. State government entities include the Illinois General Assembly, the Illinois Supreme Court, there are three public and three private high schools in Springfield. Public schools in Springfield are operated by District No.186, Springfields economy is marked by government jobs, and the medical field, which account for a large percentage of the citys workforce. Springfields original name was Calhoun, after Senator John C. Calhoun of South Carolina, the land that Springfield now occupies was originally settled by trappers and traders who came to the Sangamon River in 1818. The settlements first cabin was built in 1820, by John Kelly and it was located at what is now the northwest corner of Second Street and Jefferson Street. In 1821, Calhoun became the county seat of Sangamon County due to fertile soil, settlers from Kentucky, Virginia, and as far as North Carolina came to the city. By 1832, Senator Calhoun had fallen out of the favor with the public, at that time, Springfield, Massachusetts was comparable to modern-day Silicon Valley—known for industrial innovation, concentrated prosperity, and the celebrated Springfield Armory. Most importantly, it was a city that had built itself up from frontier outpost to national power through ingenuity – an example that the newly named Springfield, Illinois, sought to emulate. Kaskaskia was the first capital of the Illinois Territory from its organization in 1809, continuing through statehood in 1818, vandalia was the second state capital of Illinois from 1819 to 1839. Springfield became the third and current capital of Illinois in 1839, the designation was largely due to the efforts of Abraham Lincoln and his associates, nicknamed the Long Nine for their combined height of 54 feet
17.
Balad Air Base
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Balad Air Base is an Iraqi Air Force base located near Balad in the Sunni Triangle 40 miles north of Baghdad, Iraq. The base was handed back to the Iraqi Air Force during December 2011 returning to be called Balad Air Base, during the Iraq War it was the second largest U. S. Base in Iraq and today is home to the Iraqi Air Forces General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons, Balad was formerly known as al-Bakr AB, named in honor of Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr, the president of Iraq from 1968 to 1979. It was considered by many in the Iraqi military to be the most important airfield of the Iraqi Air Force, during most of the 1980s, it operated with at least a brigade level force, with two squadrons of Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 fighters. Al-Bakr AB was especially known for the large number of hardened aircraft shelters built by the Yugoslavs during the Iran–Iraq War in the mid-1980s. It had four hardened areas—one each on either end of the main runways—with approximately 30 individual aircraft shelters, the base was captured during April 2003 as part of the Iraq War The Armys 310th Sustainment Command and the Air Forces 332d Air Expeditionary Wing were headquartered at JBB. It was decided that the facility share one name, even though for reasons and for its many occupants. Until mid-2008 the US Army had been in charge of the base but, Balad was the central logistical hub for forces in Iraq. Camp Anaconda has also been more colloquially-termed Life Support Area Anaconda or the Big Snake and it housed 28,000 military personnel and 8,000 civilian contractors. Carrie Underwood played there in December 2006 and Gary Sinise visited again going out of his way to greet the troops at the Base/Post Exchange, oct 2007 - Dec 2008 602nd Maintenance Co. By mid-2006, this rate had dropped by about 40%, due to these attacks, the soldiers and airmen refer to the base as Mortaritaville, though this name is shared with other bases in Iraq. Joint Base Balad had a burn pit operation as late as the summer of 2008 burning 147 tons of waste per day when the Army Times published a story about it. Respiratory difficulties and headaches were reported, Joint base Balad was also home to the Air Force Theater Hospital, a Level I trauma center which boasts a 98% survival rate for wounded Americans and Iraqis alike. As American forces left Iraq, Joint Base Balad was returned to the Iraqi Air Force in December 2011, the base came under attack by ISIS militants in late June 2014, with the insurgents launching mortar attacks and reportedly surrounding the base on three sides. The base is home to the Iraqi Air Forces General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons
18.
22d Expeditionary Fighter Squadron
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The 22d Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 52d Operations Group and stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base and it was inactivated on 13 August 2010. The 22d Pursuit Squadron was constituted on 22 December 1939, at Langley Field, Flying the P-36 Hawk, The squadron was one of several deployed to the Caribbean and being stationed on bases established as part of the 1940 Destroyers for Bases Agreement with Great Britain. After its arrival at Ponce, the Squadron converted from the P-36A to P-40 Warhawk, on 13 December, the unit Headquarters moved from Ponce to Vega Baja Field, 18°28′58″N 066°25′58″W an auxiliary aerodrome in Puetro Rico, to provide better interception coverage for the island. A detachment of three P-39Ds was operating at Beane Field, St. Lucia by 28 February 1942 while the detachment at Waller Field, the unit was redesignated as the 22d Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942. The detachment at Aruba was further attached to the 12th Bombardment Squadron, the larger 22d Fighter Squadron detachment in Trinidad engaged in extensive anti-submarine activities. With the Navy taking over the mission, the Squadron was redeployed back to the United States, moving to Morrison Field. Transferred to III Fighter Command in June 1943, began training for deployment to the European Theater of Operations as a P-47 Thunderbolt fighter-bomber squadron, deployed to England in April 1944 as part of IX Fighter Command. The squadron also flew escort missions with Eighth Air Force Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. On D-Day the squadron patrolled the air over the landing zones and by flying close-support, moved to its Advanced Landing Ground at Brucheville Field, France in July, then eastward as ground forces advanced on the continent. Operations supported the breakthrough at Saint-Lô in July and the thrust of U. S, third Army toward Germany in August and September as part of the 303d Fighter Wing, XIX Tactical Air Command. In October, the moved into Belgium to support U. S. Participated in the Battle of the Bulge during December 1944 and January 1945 by flying armed reconnaissance, first Armys push across the Roer River in February 1945. Supported operations at the Remagen bridgehead and during the assault across the Rhine in March. By V-E Day, the squadron was based at Kassel/Rothwesten airfield, Germany, in February, the unit was transferred, without personnel or equipment to Bolling Field, Washington, D. C where it was inactivated as a paper unit. Re-activated in October 1946 under Caribbean Air Command in the Canal Zone, the squadron conducted air defense training missions for the next two years initially with P-47s. The squadron upgraded to jet aircraft in December 1947 with the arrival of the Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star, at Fürstenfeldbruck AB tactical operations included air defense, tactical exercises, maneuvers, and photographic reconnaissance. Upgraded to new F-84E Thunderjets in 1950, remained at Fürstenfeldbruck until 1952 when it was reassigned to the new Bitburg Air Base, west of the Rhine River near the French border in the Eifel mountains
19.
107th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron
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The 107th Fighter Squadron is a unit of the Michigan Air National Guard 127th Wing. It is assigned to Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan and is equipped with the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft, the squadron is a descendant organization of the World War I 107th Aero Squadron, established on 27 August 1917. The 107th Fighter Squadron traces its origins to 26 August 1917 with the organization of the 107th Aero Squadron, forty recruits arrived at Kelly Field, San Antonio, Texas from Vancouver Barracks, Washington. An additional 341 recruits arrived from Fort Thomas, Kentucky, and 110 men, the squadron was initially indoctrinated into military service, performing drill, fatigue duties and also construction work at the field. Once basic indoctrination training was completed, the 107th was ordered for duty, being ordered to report to the Aviation Concentration Center, Garden City. It was there that final arrangements were made for the overseas, complete equipment was drawn. On 7 December, the 107th was ordered to proceed by train to St. Johns, on the 10th it boarded the SS Tuscania for the cross-Atlantic voyage, arriving on Christmas Morning at Liverpool, England. After a brief rest, the arrived at Southampton, England on the 29th. There, it traveled by train to the Replacement Concentration Center, AEF, St. Maixent Replacement Barracks, France. At St. Maixent the squadron was re-designated as the 801st Aero Squadron, finally, it was ordered to proceed to the 3d Air Instructional Center, Issoudun Aerodrome, in Central France, arriving on 21 February. Initially the squadron was assigned to the airfield, working in the aircraft assembly. On 7 June, help was needed at Field #2, cooperating with another squadron, Field #2 was placed on an efficient basis as any field in the AEF. The squadron remained at 3d AIC until after the Armistice with Germany in November 1918, arrived at Mitchel Field where the squadron members were demobilized and returned to civilian life. After the war the squadron was reorganized in 1925 as the Michigan National Guards first flying unit and it received Federal recognition in May 1926 as the Air Section of the Michigan National Guards 32nd Division. Its primary mission was artillery spotting and observation of troop movements, in March 1938, elements of the 107th Observation Squadron performed gunnery training at Eglin Field, Florida, for fifteen days, deploying from Wayne County Airport at Detroit, Michigan. Twenty-three officers and 111 men arrived on 1 March, one detachment flew in eight aircraft while the rest arrived by rail over the Louisville and Nashville Railroad at Crestview, Florida. For many years this airfield was called the Artillery Range Airport Camp. On 11 April 1941, Lieutenant Wilmer Esler was killed in the crash of his O-47 when it experienced a failure on take off
20.
111th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron
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The 111th Reconnaissance Squadron is a unit of the Texas Air National Guard 147th Reconnaissance Wing located at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base, Houston, Texas. The 111th is equipped with the MQ-1B Predator unmanned aerial vehicle, the squadron is a descendant organization of the World War I 111th Aero Squadron, established on 14 August 1917. The 111th Reconnaissance Squadron is the oldest unit of the Texas Air National Guard, with over 95 years of service to the State of Texas, the Texas Air National Guard began as the 111th Aero Squadron on 14 August 1917 at Kelly Field in San Antonio, TX. The unit, composed of teamsters and laborers, was on duty at Kelly Field and was known as the Post Headquarters Squadron. The squadron was demobilized 19 August 1919, the unit was reorganized with the establishment of a permanent air service in 1920, forming in the old Houston Light Guard Armory. The 111th Observation Squadron received Federal Recognition on 29 June 1923, as part of the 36th Division, the squadron had no airplanes, so the hot summer of 1923 was devoted to close-order drill and classroom sessions. That was remedied, however, in September of that year when the 111th became airborne in the Curtiss JN-6H Jenny, in September 1927 the Curtiss JN-6Hs were retired and the squadron gained Consolidated PT-1s and several other trainers until June 1928 when new Douglas O-2H observation aircraft arrived. New Douglas O-38 observation planes were received in January 1931, by 1938 the squadron was flying both Douglas Douglas O-43As and North American O-47s. The border patrol was short, and on 14 February 1942, the squadron left Texas for Daniel Field in Augusta, Georgia, pilots trained on Douglas O-43A, Vultee/Stinson O-49/L-1 Vigilant and Douglas A-20B Havoc aircraft in preparation for deployment to the European Theater of Operations. As the invasion force moved inland, the three squadrons of the group divided up the A-20s and P-39s by squadron and the 111th took on the Fighter Reconnaissance role in the P-39. In June 1943 the newly redesignated 111th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, flying Allison engined F-6A or F-6B Mustangs, became the eyes of the 7th Army in Sicily, Operation Husky. They were temporarily assigned to the 5th Army in Italy, but returned in July 1944 in time to support the 7th Army’s invasion of southern France, in addition to the older F-6A/F-6B Mustangs, they began receiving F-6C Mustangs. The 111th remained with the 7th Army through the end of the war, from VE Day until December 1945, the Squadron served in the occupation force, and conducted postwar photo-mapping of the devastation in France. During 23 months of combat flying, from June 1943 through May 1945. While keeping Army Headquarters informed of movements, the 111th destroyed 44 enemy aircraft, damaged 29 others. The squadron received eight Battle Stars, a Distinguished Unit Citation, the wartime 111th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron was re-designated as the 111th Fighter Squadron, and was allotted to the Texas Air National Guard, on 24 May 1946. It was organized at the Houston Municipal Airport and was extended federal recognition on 27 January 1947 by the National Guard Bureau, the 111th Fighter Squadron was bestowed the lineage, history, honors, and colors of the 111th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron and all predecessor units. The squadron was assigned to the Texas Air National Guard 136th Fighter Group and was equipped with F-51D Mustangs, the mission of the squadron was the air defense of Texas
21.
119th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron
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The 119th Fighter Squadron is a unit of the New Jersey Air National Guard 177th Fighter Wing located at Atlantic City Air National Guard Base, New Jersey. The 119th is equipped with the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft, the squadron is a descendant organization of the World War I 5th Aviation School Squadron, established on 5 June 1917. The 119th Fighter Squadron is one of the oldest units in the United States Air Force, its origins beginning in June 1917 as the World War I 5th Aviation School Squadron at Langley Field, in September 1917 it was redesignated as the 119th Aero Squadron. Not deployed overseas, the unit was inactivated in May 1919, in 1934, aircraft of the 119th Observation Squadron were dispatched to the scene of the Morro Castle, a ship burning off the coast of Asbury Park, New Jersey. Many hours were spent flying over the ship and adjacent water assisting in the direction of rescue efforts, the 119th Observation Squadron fell victim to the draft on 16 September 1940, when it was inducted into active service. The unit continued as the 119th until 12 April 1948, at time it became the 490th Fighter Squadron. The 490th was disbanded in May 1944 while still at Thomasville, the wartime 490th Fighter Squadron was reconstituted on 21 June 1945. It was then re-designated as the 119th Fighter Squadron, and was allotted to the New Jersey Air National Guard and it was organized at Newark Airport, New Jersey and was extended federal recognition on 9 June 1947. The 119th Fighter Squadron was entitled to the history, honors, the squadron was equipped with F-47D Thunderbolts and was allocated to the First Air Force, Continental Air Command by the National Guard Bureau. The 119th moved to the former Atlantic City Naval Air Station, now known as the William J. Hughes Technical Center and this change of station also brought about a change in aircraft to the F-84F. The 119th was called to duty again in October 1961. The unit remained at home station, however, the pilots were rotated to Chaumont Air Base. On 15 October 1962, the 119th was authorized to expand to a level. The 119th TFS becoming the flying squadron. Other squadrons assigned into the group were the 177th Headquarters, 177th Material Squadron, 177th Combat Support Squadron, the 119th transitioned into F-86H aircraft. Two years later, the unit transitioned into F-100 Super Sabres, in January 1968, a new crisis, the seizure of the American ship USS Pueblo by North Korean forces, and again the 119th was called to active duty. In May 1968, the squadron was activated to federal service, personnel were spread throughout the United States, Taiwan, Korea, and Vietnam with the main unit stationed at the 113 TFW. The 119 TFS returned to Atlantic City, New Jersey, in June 1969, in 1973, the unit transitioned into the F-106 Delta Dart and assumed alert status the following year
22.
120th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron
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The 120th Fighter Squadron is a unit of the Colorado Air National Guard 140th Wing located at Buckley Air Force Base, Aurora, Colorado. The 120th is equipped with the F-16C/D Fighting Falcon, the squadron is a descendant organization of the World War I 120th Aero Squadron, established on 28 August 1917. The 120th Fighter Squadron was the first federally recognized Air National Guard unit, thus, their motto is, First in the Air Guard. The current mission of the 120th is to operate at the highest levels of military and domestic policy protecting the midwest America, also the 120th Fighter squadron has deployed five times in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, most recently to Joint Base Balad, Iraq in 2010. The 120th Fighter Squadron dates its origins to the 120th Aero Squadron, organized at Kelly Field, in July 1917, the men of the squadron were first organized at Fort Thomas, Kentucky where the recruits, about 160 of the, were sent to Kelly Field. There the squadron was placed into training, learning infantry drill. On 1 November, the squadron was ordered to Ellington Field, Houston, upon arrival, the squadron was ordered to begin the work of operating the field for the Air Service. A civilian construction firm, the American Construction Company, Houston, was contracted to put up the Hangars, the first duty of the squadron was to assemble about 100 airplanes, and put them in a flyable condition for use as training planes. On 30 January 1918, the squadron was ordered for duty and moved to the Aviation Concentration Center, Garden City. There the squadron was equipped for overseas duty, on 16 February, the squadron, was ordered to report to the Port of Entry, Hoboken, New Jersey for boarding on the former Cunard Liner RMS Carmania for transport. After an uneventful Atlantic crossing, it arrived at Liverpool, England on 4 March, the next day the squadron was moved to the American Rest Camp Romsey, near Winchester, England. There, the squadron trained with the British soldiers at the station, maintained the camp and this work continued until 9 August when orders were given for the squadron to divide into Flights. A and B Flights were ordered to RFC Stamford, England, while C Flight was ordered to RFC Grail and this meant that the squadron had completed its training in England and was ready for duty at the front. After about a month of training, the squadron was re-combined at Southampton for transfer to France. After processing, the squadron was ordered to report to the 2d Air Instructional Center, Tours Aerodrome, a great many of the men were not fitted for the jobs assigned and required training in order to be of useful service. It then was moved to Kelly Field, Texas, where it was demobilized on 17 May 1919, on 27 June 1923 the 120th Aero Observation Squadron, 45th Division, Aviation was mustered into service as part of the Colorado Army National Guard. Initially composed of eight officers and 50 enlisted members, the unit flew Curtis JN-4Es - an aircraft which proved to be unsuitable for flying at Denver elevations, one year later, the 120th began flying out of Lowry Field. The brand new airfield was named in honor of 2nd Lt. Francis B, Lowry who was shot down and killed near Crepion, France in 1918 while on a photographic mission
23.
121st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron
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The 121st Fighter Squadron is a unit of the District of Columbia Air National Guard 113th Wing located at Joint Base Andrews, Camp Springs, Maryland. The 121st is equipped with the Block 30 F-16C/D Fighting Falcon, the squadron is a descendant organization of the 121st Observation Squadron, established on 10 July 1940. It is one of the 29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the United States Army National Guard formed before World War II. In the early 1960s, the 121st Tactical Fighter Squadron developed and approved a fuselage insignia and it was thought that the unit had no previous insignia, but the designers were incorrect. A Maryland Terrapin originally flew with the District of Columbia Air National Guard and, the original design, approved in 1943, and authenticated as correct by the Air Museum, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, is described as follows. A caricatured tan and brown turtle proper, riding a pogo stick, leaving a trail of hops and impact marks black, significance, The turtle depicts slow but sure travel, as characterized by the story of the Tortoise and the Hare in Aesops Fables. The short hops and limited range of liaison airplanes are depicted by the short hops the turtle is making on the pogo stick, established by the National Guard Bureau as the 112th Observation Squadron and allocated to the District of Columbia National Guard in July 1940. Not organized until April 1941, formed in Washington D. C. without aircraft assigned, unit was ordered to active duty in April 1941 as part of the buildup of the Army Air Corps after the Fall of France. Assigned to Bolling Field, D. C. and equipped with light observation aircraft, transferred to Third Air Force in September 1941, began flying coastal anti-submarine flights over the South Carolina coastline from airfields in the Columbia area. Moved to First Air Force at Langley Field, Virginia, again engaging in antisubmarine patrols over the Maryland, Virginia and upper North Carolina coasts, moved to Birmingham, Alabama in October 1942 and inactivated. Squadron personnel being reassigned to units and aircraft being transferred to other duties. Was deployed to Twelfth Air Force in Algeria in March 1944, engaging in liaison and courier operations for Headquarters, Army Air Forces, reassigned to Fifth Army in Italy in September, engaged in combat reconnaissance and photo-reconnaissance in Italy as part of the Italian Campaign. Elements transferred to Seventh Army in Southern France, performing combat reconnaissance as part of the Southern France Campaign, elements remained attached to the Ninth Air Force and Sixth United States Army Group during the Rhineland Campaign and the Western Allied invasion of Germany. Remaining elements in Italy as part of Fifth Army advanced north as enemy forces north of Rome. Returned to the United States at Drew Field, Florida in August 1945, most personnel were demobilized although unit remained active until being inactivated in Oklahoma in November 1945. The wartime 121st Liaison Squadron was redesignated as the 121st Fighter Squadron and it was organized at Andrews Field, Maryland, and was extended federal recognition on 20 October 1946 by the National Guard Bureau. The squadron was equipped with F-47D Thunderbolts and was assigned to 113th Fighter Group, the mission of the 121st Fighter Squadron was the air defense of the District of Columbia, along with southern Maryland and northern Virginia. Parts were no problem and many of the personnel were World War II veterans so readiness was quite high
24.
124th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron
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The 124th Fighter Squadron is a unit of the Iowa Air National Guard 132d Fighter Wing. It is assigned to Des Moines Air National Guard Base, Iowa and was equipped with F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft. The unit is scheduled to transition to the operation of unmanned aerial aircraft, the squadron is a descendant organization of the 124th Observation Squadron, established on 30 July 1940. It is one of the 29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the United States Army National Guard formed before World War II and this non-profit committee consisted of local business, civic and military leaders. Recruiting of members for the new unit began the following month, the 124th Observation Squadron was organized on 25 February 1941 with an allotted strength of 31 officers and 116 enlisted personnel. The 124th was an observation squadron, flying North American O-47 twin-seat observation monoplanes. Ordered to active service in September was initially a unit at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas as part of the U. S. Army Command. After the Navy took over the antisubmarine mission performed replacement reconnaissance pilot training, Mar 1943-Apr 1944 at Tullaholma, Tennessee with P-39 Airacobra, P-40 Warhawk, inactivated as part of an administrative reorganization of training units in May 1944. Assigned to Des Moines Municipal Airport, a training field during World War II used as an Aircraft/Crew processing center for heavy bomber crews. Was assigned to the Iowa ANG 132d Fighter Wing, which consisted of the 124th, along with the 127th Fighter Squadron at Sioux City, engaged in routine training exercises, and was upgraded to F-84B Thunderjet jet aircraft in early 1948. The 132d was moved to Alexandria AFB, Louisiana in May 1952 again with F-51s replacing the federalized Oklahoma ANG 137th Fighter-Bomber Wing which was deployed to France, performed training as a tactical fighter unit until relieved from active service and returned to Iowa ANG jurisdiction in January 1953. During 1952, over one million dollars of federally funded improvements were added to the Des Moines airport. The work included the addition of 1,800 feet to the runway and 3,480 feet of taxiways to better accommodate the 124th receiving jet aircraft upon their return to peacetime service. After returning to Des Moines, was re-equipped with F-80C Shooting Star jet fighter-bombers, was later upgraded to newer F-84E Thuderjets in 1955. Was transferred to Air Defense Command in July 1958, becoming an all-weather F-86L Sabre Interceptor squadron, its new mission being the air defense of Des Moines, the Sabres were replaced in 1962 with F-89J Scorpion Interceptors, which the squadron flew until the summer of 1969. Was transferred back to TAC in 1969, being re-equipped with second-line F-84F Thunderstreaks, upgraded to the F-100D Super Sabre, which were returning from South Vietnam in 1971 and being transferred to the ANG to replace the subsonic F-84s. With the retirement of the A-7Ds in the late 1980s, was upgraded to Block 42 F-16C Fighting Falcons in 1990, two of the six contingency deployments occurred within a ten-month period, attesting to the unit’s professionalism and high state of readiness. After 9/11 the unit’s F-16s were prepared to launch within minutes in the event of a “scramble” order – 24/7, the unit has also provided continuous Combat Air Patrols during Presidential visits
25.
125th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron
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The 125th Fighter Squadron is a unit of the Oklahoma Air National Guard 138th Fighter Wing located at Tulsa Air National Guard Base, Oklahoma. The 125th is equipped with the Block 42 F-16C Fighting Falcon, the squadron is a descendant organization of the 125th Aero Squadron, established on 30 July 1940. It was one of the 29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the United States Army National Guard formed before World War II, the Oklahoma Air National Guard originated during the pre World War II formation of Army National Guard aviation units. In July 1940 the War Department allotted the 125th Observation Squadron to the Oklahoma National Guard, organized in Tulsa, the squadron was equipped with 0-38 aircraft. It was federally recognized on January 31,1941, seven months after its federal recognition, the 125th Observation Squadron was federalized and ordered into active service on 15 September 1941. The 125th was assigned to the 68th Observation Group at Fort Sill, in March 1942 the unit was transferred to the 77th Observation Group. It operated as the 125th Observation Squadron until July 1942, when it was designated the 125th Observation Squadron. During the remainder of 1942 it trained with aircraft at Fort Sill. In April 1943 the 125th was renamed the 125th Liaison Squadron, transferred to Texas, it joined the Second Air Force Support Command and was re-equipped with L-5 Sentinel aircraft. In January 1944 the squadron became a part of the 76th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, the 125th arrived in England in June 1944 and was assigned to the Ninth Air Force. Ninth Army, units of the 125th arrived in France in August 1944, in November 1944 the 125th was assigned to the XIX Tactical Air Command and then to the IX Fighter Command. After V-E Day the 125th was transferred to the XII Tactical Air Command of the Army of Occupation, the wartime 125th Liaison Squadron was re-designated as the 125th Fighter Squadron and allotted to the Oklahoma Air National Guard, on 24 May 1946. It was organized at Tulsa Municipal Airport, Oklahoma, and was extended federal recognition on 15 February 1947 by the National Guard Bureau, the 1125th Fighter Squadron was bestowed the history, honors, and colors of the 125th Liaison Squadron and all predecessor units. The squadron was equipped with F-51D Mustang Fighters and was assigned to the Missouri ANG 71st Fighter Wing, the squadron was assigned the mission for air defense of the State of Oklahoma. On 18 December 1947, the 125th FS was transferred to the newly recognized Oklahoma ANG 137th Fighter Group, the Norman-based 137th Fighter Group provided command and logistical support. The 125th then performed training missions over Northern Oklahoma and the panhandle, in June 1950, the 125th began re-equipping from F-51D Mustangs to F-84B Thunderjets. The F-84s were received from Republic after refurbishing, the aircraft seeing previous service with the 14th or 20th Fighter Groups. The 125th and its parent 137th Fighter Group were federalized and ordered to service on 10 October 1950 due to the Korean War, becoming part of Ninth Air Force
26.
170th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron
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The 170th Fighter Squadron is an inactive unit of the Air National Guard. It was last assigned to the 183d Fighter Wing located of the Illinois Air National Guard at Capital Airport Air National Guard Station, Springfield, the 170th last flew the Block 30 General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon. It was inactivated on 30 September 2008, the squadron was activated at Dale Mabry Field, Florida as one of the original squadrons of the 338th Fighter Group. The squadron was equipped with Bell P-39 Airacobras. It operated as a replacement training unit, replacement training units were oversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters. In 1943, the 338th Group and its squadrons standardized training with the Republic P-47 Thunderbolts, however, the Army Air Forces found that standard military units, based on relatively inflexible tables of organization, were proving poorly adapted to the training mission. Accordingly, it adopted a functional system in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit, while the groups. This resulted in the 305th, along with units at Dale Mabry, being disbanded in the spring of 1944 and its personnel. The 305th Fighter Squadron was reconstituted and redesignated as the 170th Fighter Squadron on 24 May 1946, in September 1948 the squadron was organized at Capital Airport, Springfield, Illinois and extended federal recognition. The squadron was equipped with the North American F-51D Mustang and was assigned to the 128th Fighter Group of the Wisconsin Air National Guard, on 1 March 1951 the 170th was called to active duty due to the Korean War. It moved to Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas where it was redesignated the 170th Fighter-bomber Squadron and was assigned to the federalized 131st Fighter-Bomber Group. In addition to the 170th, the 131st Group was assigned the 110th Fighter-Bomber Squadron of the Missouri Air National Guard, at Bergstrom, its mission was to replace the 27th Fighter-Escort Group which deployed to Japan as part of Strategic Air Commands commitment to the Korean War. In November the 131st and its squadrons were transferred to Tactical Air Command and moved to George Air Force Base, after returning to Springfield, the 170th was equipped with the North American F-86E Sabre. However, only about a half-dozen Sabres were received before the squadron began receiving Republic F-84F Thunderstreaks, the first F-84F arrived in February 1955. On 1 October 1961, as a result of the 1961 Berlin Crisis, the 170th remained at Springfield, while elements of the 131st deployed to Toul-Rosières Air Base, France to form the 7131st Tactical Fighter Wing. The 131st Tactical Fighter Wing, was composed of three federalized National Guard squadrons and their supporting squadrons, however, only its 110th Tactical Fighter Squadron deployed as a unit to France. The 170th rotated personnel to Toul during their period of activation, however aircraft, while in France, the Guardsmen trained with elements of the United States Seventh Army and maintained a 24-hour alert status. The 7131st exchanged air and ground crews with the Royal Danish Air Forces 730th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Skydstrup Air Station, Denmark during May 1962
27.
176th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron
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The 176th Fighter Squadron is a unit of the Wisconsin Air National Guard 115th Fighter Wing located at Truax Field Air National Guard Base, Madison, Wisconsin. The 176th is equipped with the F-16 Fighting Falcon, the 306th was an Operational Replacement Unit which trained newly graduated pilots in combat fighter tactics with graduates being assigned to operational squadrons for combat in overseas theaters. Initially equipped with the P-39 Airacobra, later using P-47 Thunderbolts, disbanded in May 1944 as part of a reorganization of Army Air Force training unit designations. The wartime 306th Fighter Squadron was reconstituted and re-designated as the 176th Fighter Squadron and it was organized at Truax Field, Madison, Wisconsin and was extended federal recognition on 6 October 1948 by the National Guard Bureau. The 176th Fighter Squadron was entitled to the history, honors, the squadron was equipped with F-51D Mustangs and was assigned to the new 128th Fighter Group, WI ANG at General Mitchell Field, Milwaukee. The 176th was gained by Air Defense Command with an air defense mission of the Great Lakes, Chicago, upgraded to F-80A Shooting Star jet aircraft in 1949. Was re-designated as the 176th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron in November 1950 and 10 of the units 25 Mustangs were shipped to Korea in support of the Korean War effort, federalized during the Korean War in February 1951, but remained at Truax Field where it flew air defense training missions. During the active duty tour, the 176th FIS converted its aircraft to the F-89 Scorpion and they became the first Air National Guard unit to fly the modern jet fighter. Returned to Wisconsin state control in February 1952 and converted back to the F-51 Mustang. In October 1953, The 176th FIS converted from F-51s to the F-86 Sabre, in October 1954 The 176 Fighter Squadron was reassigned the F-89 Scorpion, which they had flown briefly in 1952 during the units Korean War activation. The aircraft, designed as an All Weather fighter interceptor, carried a pilot, on 15 April 1956, the 176th FIS was authorized to expand to a group level, and the 115th Fighter-Interceptor Group was established by the National Guard Bureau at Truax Field. The 176th FIS becoming the flying squadron. The Group continued its air defense mission with summer training moved to Volk Field from 1956 to 1962, beginning in 1963, training moved to year around training. In January 1960 F-89 crews were put on active duty status, along with this commitment came the F-89J with an armament platform that included the AIR-2 Genie. The AIR-2A was the first US air-to-air rocket with a nuclear warhead, in early 1966 the squadron turned in their F-89s for the F-102 Delta Dagger. In May 1966 the 176th FIS replaced their F-89s with the Convair F-102 Delta Dagger, in the spring of 1967 after a period of re-training in the new supersonic interceptors, the 176th FIS resumed its air defense runway alert mission. One year later in June 1969, the unit airlifted to Gulfport, in September 1972, the 176th FIS won the prestigious William Tell Competition in the F-102 category. The event, held at Tyndall Air Force Base, included top Air National Guard, Canadian Air Force, the competition included 12 teams of 48 aircraft, each team scored on aerial marksmanship, weapons control, weapons loading and maintenance
28.
179th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron
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The 179th Fighter Squadron is a unit of the Minnesota Air National Guard 148th Fighter Wing located at Duluth Air National Guard Base, Minnesota. The 179th is equipped with the General Dynamics F-16C Fighting Falcon, several members of its initial cadre were former Flying Tigers with prior combat experience. It was not until late August, however, that the received its first Bell P-39 Airacobra. After building up its strength, the squadron moved in October to Santa Rosa Army Air Field, in December group headquarters and the squadron moved to Oakland Municipal Airport, while the other squadrons of the group were at other locations in northern California. The squadron moved temporarily to Tonopah Army Air Field, Nevada, training accidents with the Bell P-39 Airacobra cost several pilots their lives. In January 1944, as it prepared for movement, the 393d was beefed up with personnel from the 328th and 368th Fighter Groups. The squadron staged through Camp Shanks, and sailed for England aboard the SS Duchess of Bedford, the Drunken Duchess docked at Greenock, Scotland on 3 April and the group was transported by train to its airfield at RAF Stoney Cross, England. Having trained on single engine aircraft, the pilots were surprised to find Lockheed P-38 Lightnings sitting on Stoney Crosss dispersal pads. Only members of the party had any experience flying the Lightning. These pilots had flown combat sorties with the 55th Fighter Group, the change from single engine to twin engine aircraft required considerable retraining for both pilots and ground crew. However, the lack of instrument training in the P-38 took its toll on the 393d as weather, not enemy action, caused the loss of pilots, on 9 May, the squadron flew its first combat mission, a fighter sweep over Alençon. For the remainer of the month, the unit flew fighter sweeps, bomber escort and dive bombing, missions, on D-Day and the next three days the squadron flew missions maintaining air cover over shipping carrying invasion troops. These missions continued for the three days. Shortly after the Normandy invasion, on 12 June, the 367th Group was selected to test the ability of the P-38 to carry a 2,000 lb bomb under each wing, the selected target was a railroad yard, and results were mixed. However, on mission, the squadron scored its first air-to-air victory when Lts James Pinkerton. An attack by VII Corps on 22 June was to be preceded by low level bombing and strafing attack by IX Fighter Command, briefed by intelligence to expect a milk run The 394th flew at low altitude through what turned out to be a heavily defended area. Within two to three minutes after beginning the attack the squadron lost five pilots, seven group pilots were killed in action. Nearly all surviving aircraft received damage and the entire 367th Group was out of action for several days
29.
186th Airlift Squadron
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The 186th Airlift Squadron is a unit of the Montana Air National Guard 120th Airlift Wing located at Great Falls Air National Guard Base, Montana. The 186th is equipped with the C-130H Hercules, the squadron trained in the northeastern United States with Republic P-47 Thunderbolts under First Air Force before moving overseas in the spring of 1944. Upon arriving in England, the became an element of Ninth Air Force at Bisterne Close. The squadrons first combat operation was a sweep over Occupied France. Prior to Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy, the 404th flew fighter sweeps, dive bombing, on D-Day the 404th patrolled the beachhead. It continued to operate in northeastern France and southwestern Germany through the winter of 1945, attacking storage dumps, marshalling yard, factories, bridges, roads, in December 1944 it provided close air support for ground forces engaged in the Battle of the Bulge. The squadron was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for its attacks between 15 March and 21 March 1945 that contributed to the defeat of Axis forces in southern Germany and it continued combat operations until the Surrender of Germany in May. The squadron remained with the forces in Germany and Austria until October 1945 when it returned to the United States and was inactivated. The wartime 404th Fighter Squadron was redesignated as the 186th Fighter Squadron and it was organized at Gore Field, Great Falls, Montana and was extended federal recognition on 27 June 1947. The squadron was equipped with F-51D Mustangs and was allotted to the Fourth Air Force, within two weeks of its activation six F-51Ds arrived. As part of the Continental Air Command Fourth Air Force, the unit trained for tactical bombing missions, eighty-nine days after activation, tragedy struck the fledgling unit. En route to pick up the adjutant general in Helena, the A-26 Invader Lt. Col. Sperry was flying went down in a heavy snowstorm, the wreckage could not be found until the following summer. Charles Glover, for whom the street along the east side of building 64 is named, on 1 April 1951, the unit was activated for duty in South Korea. Personnel were sent to Moody AFB, Ga. and ten F-51s were shipped to Korea, the squadron became a F-51D Fighter-Bomber training unit. The 186th was returned to Montana State control in November 1952 and on 1 January 1953, after the Korean War, the squadron was equipped with the long-range F-51H Mustang and became a part of Air Defense Command. The unit received its first jet aircraft in December 1952, a T-33 Shooting Star, in early 1953 it was equipped with F-86A Sabre jet interceptors. The squadron was redesignated the 186th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 1 November 1953, by July 1955 the transition from the F-51H Mustang to the F-86A Sabre was complete. On 1 July 1955, the 186th was authorized to expand to a level
30.
777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron
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The 777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force squadron activated after 11 September 2001, being engaged in the Global War on Terrorism. Previously, the squadron was a Tactical Air Command Tactical Airlift squadron, assigned to the 464th Tactical Airlift Wing, stationed at Pope Air Force Base and it was inactivated on 31 August. During World War II, the 777th Bombardment Squadron was a B-24 Liberator heavy bomb squadron which saw combat with Fifteenth Air Force stationed in Italy, established as a B-24 Liberator heavy bomber squadron in mid-1943, trained under Second Air Force. Deployed to Mediterranean Theater of Operations, October 1943, becoming a Fifteenth Air Force heavy bomb squadron, after end of war in Europe, used B-24s for transport of personnel from various points in Europe to Waller Field, Trinidad, being attached to Air Transport Command. Reactivated as a Tactical Air Command theater transport squadron,1953, performed Troop Carrier missions using tactical transport aircraft until 1971 when inactivated. Activated as a C-130 Hercules airlift squadron as part of the Global War on Terrorism after 9 September 2001, converted to provisional status and redesignated as 777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron on undetermined date. Assigned to Air Mobility Command to activate or inactivate at any time. afhra. af. mil/, Maurer, Maurer, ed. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II. Washington, DC, Office of Air Force History
31.
United States Department of War
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The Secretary of War, a civilian with such responsibilities as finance and purchases and a minor role in directing military affairs, headed the War Department throughout its existence. Retired senior General Henry Knox, then in civilian life, served as the first United States Secretary of War, forming and organizing the department and the army fell to Secretary Knox. On November 8,1800 the War Department building with its records, foundation of the new military academy at West Point along the Hudson River upstream from New York City in 1802 was important to the future growth of the American army. The multiple failures and fiascos of the War of 1812 convinced Washington that thorough reform of the War Department was necessary, winfield Scott became the senior general until the start of the American Civil War in 1861. The bureau chiefs acted as advisers to the Secretary of War while commanding their own troops, the bureaus frequently conflicted among themselves, but in disputes with the commanding general, the Secretary of War generally supported the bureaus. Congress regulated the affairs of the bureaus in detail, and their chiefs looked to that body for support, during the American Civil War, the War Department responsibilities expanded. It handled the recruiting, training, supply, medical care, transportation, a separate command structure took charge of military operations. In the late stages of the war, the Department took charge of refugees and freedmen in the American South through the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, during Reconstruction, this bureau played a major role in supporting the new Republican governments in the southern states. When military Reconstruction ended in 1877, the U. S. Army removed the last troops from military occupation of the American South, and the last Republican state governments in the region ended. The Army comprised hundreds of small detachments in forts around the West, dealing with Indians, the United States Army, with 39,000 men in 1890 was the smallest and least powerful army of any major power in the late 19th century. By contrast, France had an army of 542,000, temporary volunteers and state militia units mostly fought the Spanish–American War of 1898. This conflict demonstrated the need for effective control over the department. Elihu Root enlarged the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York and established the United States Army War College and he changed the procedures for promotions and organized schools for the special branches of the service. He also devised the principle of rotating officers from staff to line, indeed, Secretary Taft exercised little power, President Theodore Roosevelt made the major decisions. In 1911, Secretary Henry L. Stimson and Major General Leonard Wood, his chief of staff, the general staff assisted them in their efforts to rationalize the organization of the army along modern lines and in supervising the bureaus. Assisted by industrial advisers, they reorganized the system of the army. General March reorganized the general staff along similar lines and gave it authority over departmental operations. After the war, the Congress again granted the bureaus their former independence, in the 1920s, General John J. Pershing realigned the general staff on the pattern of his American Expeditionary Force field headquarters, which he commanded
32.
Bell P-39 Airacobra
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The Bell P-39 Airacobra was one of the principal American fighter aircraft in service when the United States entered World War II. The P-39 was used by the Soviet Air Force, which scored the highest number of individual kills attributed to any U. S. fighter type in the Eastern European theatre. Other major users of the type included the Free French, the Royal Air Force, the United States Army Air Forces, and the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force. Designed by Bell Aircraft, it had a layout, with the engine installed in the center fuselage, behind the pilot. It was also the first fighter fitted with a tricycle undercarriage, although its mid-engine placement was innovative, the P-39 design was handicapped by the absence of an efficient turbo-supercharger, preventing it from performing high-altitude work. As such it was rejected by the RAF for use over western Europe but adopted by the USSR where most air combat took place at medium, together with the derivative P-63 Kingcobra, the P-39 was one of the most successful fixed-wing aircraft manufactured by Bell. It was a request for a single-engine high-altitude interceptor having the mission of interception. Despite being called an interceptor, the aircrafts role was simply an extension of the traditional pursuit role, using a heavier. This was the most demanding set of fighter specifications USAAC had presented to that date and this happened because H. M. Poyer, designer for project leader Robert Woods, was impressed by the power of this weapon and pressed for its incorporation. This was unusual, because fighter design had previously driven by the intended engine. Although devastating when it worked, the T9 had very limited ammunition, a low rate of fire, a secondary benefit of the mid-engine arrangement was that it created a smooth and streamlined nose profile. Much was made of the fact that this resulted in a configuration “with as trim, entry to the cockpit was through side doors rather than a sliding canopy. There were no problems with propeller shaft failure, the XP-39 made its maiden flight on 6 April 1938. At Wright Field, Ohio, achieving 390 mph at 20,000 ft, however, the XP-39 was found to be short on performance at altitude. Flight testing had found its top speed at 20,000 feet to be lower than the 400 mph claimed in the original proposal, as originally specified by Kelsey and Saville, the XP-39 had a turbo-supercharger to augment its high-altitude performance. Bell cooled the turbo with a scoop on the side of the fuselage. Kelsey wished to shepherd the XP-39 through its early engineering teething troubles, the XP-39 project was handed over to others, and in June 1939 the prototype was ordered by General Henry H. Arnold to be evaluated in NACA wind tunnels to find ways of increasing its speed, tests were carried out, and Bell engineers followed the recommendations of NACA and the Army to reduce drag such that the top speed was increased 16%
33.
Curtiss P-40 Warhawk
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The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground-attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry into production, the Warhawk was used by most Allied powers during World War II, and remained in frontline service until the end of the war. P-40 Warhawk was the name the United States Army Air Corps and after June 1941, USAAF-adopted name for all models, making it the official name in the U. S. for all P-40s. The British Commonwealth and Soviet air forces used the name Tomahawk for models equivalent to the P-40B and P-40C, P-40s first saw combat with the British Commonwealth squadrons of the Desert Air Force in the Middle East and North African campaigns, during June 1941. However, between 1941 and 1944, the P-40 played a role with Allied air forces in three major theaters, North Africa, the Southwest Pacific, and China. It also had a significant role in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, Alaska, the P-40s performance at high altitudes was not as important in those theaters, where it served as an air superiority fighter, bomber escort and fighter-bomber. The P-40 offered the advantage of low cost, which kept it in production as a ground-attack aircraft long after it was obsolete as a fighter. On 14 October 1938, Curtiss test pilot Edward Elliott flew the prototype XP-40 on its first flight in Buffalo, the first prototype placed the glycol coolant radiator in an underbelly position on the fighter, just aft of the wings trailing edge. USAAC Fighter Projects Officer Lieutenant Benjamin S. Kelsey flew this prototype some 300 miles in 57 minutes, hiding his disappointment, he told reporters that future versions would likely go 100 miles per hour faster. Kelsey was interested in the Allison engine because it was sturdy and dependable, Curtiss engineers worked to improve the XP-40s speed by moving the radiator forward in steps. Seeing little gain, Kelsey ordered the aircraft to be evaluated in a NACA wind tunnel to identify solutions for better aerodynamic qualities, from 28 March to 11 April 1939, the prototype was studied by NACA. Based on the data obtained, Curtiss moved the glycol coolant radiator forward to the chin, other improvements to the landing gear doors and the exhaust manifold combined to give performance that was satisfactory to the USAAC. Without beneficial tail winds, Kelsey flew the XP-40 from Wright Field back to Curtisss plant in Buffalo at an speed of 354 mph. Further tests in December 1939 proved the fighter could reach 366 mph, an unusual production feature was a special truck rig to speed delivery at the main Curtiss plant in Buffalo, New York. The rig moved the newly built P-40s in two components, the main wing and the fuselage, the eight miles from the plant to the airport where the two units were mated for flight and delivery. The P-40 was conceived as an aircraft and was agile at low and medium altitudes. At medium and high speeds it was one of the tightest-turning early monoplane designs of the war, and it could out turn most opponents it faced in North Africa and the Russian Front. In the Pacific Theater it was out-turned at lower speeds by the lightweight fighters A6M Zero, the American Volunteer Group Commander Claire Chennault advised against prolonged dog-fighting with the Japanese fighters due to speed reduction favouring the Japanese
34.
100th Fighter Squadron
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The 100th Fighter Squadron is a unit of the Alabama Air National Guard 187th Fighter Wing located at Montgomery Air National Guard Base, Alabama. The 100th is equipped with the General Dynamics F-16C/D Fighting Falcon and it was returned to duty in 2007 as a replacement of the Alabama ANG 160th Fighter Squadron so the state could honor the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen. Established in February 1942 at Tuskegee Army Airfield, Alabama to train African-American flight cadets graduated from the Tuskegee Institute Army contract flying school, at Tuskegee, the squadron performed advanced combat flying training. As the number of graduated from the Tuskegee school grew, two squadrons the 301st and 302d Fighter Squadrons were activated at Tuskegee Army Airfield, forming the 332d Fighter Group. Due to the status of the Army Air Forces in 1942 and the reluctance by the service to deploy African Americans into combat. The Group was transferred to Selfridge Army Air Base, near Detroit, in combat, the unit engaged enemy forces in the Rome-Arno area, then during the D-Day landings in France, took part in the Normandy and Northern France campaigns. The 100th Fighter Squadron was inactivated as a unit at Camp Kilmer. At Lockbourne, the Wing was equipped with new F-47N Thunderbolts that were designed for very-long range flights in the Pacific Theater to attack targets in the Japanese Home Islands. The African-American segregated unit was inactivated in July 1949 as a result of President Harry S. Trumans Executive Order 9981, EO9981 abolished racial discrimination in the United States Armed Forces. The 100ths personnel and equipment were reassigned to other units, the squadron primarily performed areal refueling of SACs Boeing B-50 Superfortress medium bombers using a primitive looped hose refueling system. The 100th Air Refueling Squadron continued to operate from Pease until the end of the B-47 and REFLEX era in 1966 and its instructor pilots provided incoming pilots qualification in T-37 and T-38 aircraft, and as instructor pilots. The squadron was inactivated as part of the post-Cold War draw-down of the Air Force in 1993, in 1999, the 100th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron was activated as a provisional United States Air Forces in Europe Expeditionary aerial refueling squadron. Its mission was the refuel NATO combat aircraft during the 1999 Kosovo Campaign, consisting of Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers from the 100th Air Refueling Wing, RAF Mildenhall, England, the squadron was active between April–June 1999 when the Kosovo Campaign ended. It provided flight training to new air force pilot trainees throughout the early 21st century and this was obtained from the Air Force and on 12 September 2009, the 100th Flying Training Squadron was inactivated. The designation was transferred to the National Guard Bureau by the Air Force, as a result, the 160th Fighter Squadron was inactivated, and the new 100th Fighter Squadron assumed its personnel, equipment and aircraft. From the onset the squadron started training on the block 30 version of the General Dynamics F-16C/D Fighting Falcon that carried over from the 160th FS, the squadron flies the F-16 in a traditional air defense and conventional attack role. In August 2009, the 100th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron deployed 240 airmen and aircraft to Balad AB and this was the first deployment of the 100th FS to the middle east and over 2,000 hours were flown and Precision Guided Munitions were employed. The unit returned to Montgomery in November 2009, the squadron deployed to Romania in August 2012 to participate in Dacian Viper 2012, a three-week joint exercise with the Romanian Air Force. afhra. af. mil/
35.
Ramitelli Airfield
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The Foggia Airfield Complex was a series of World War II military airfields located within a 40 km radius of Foggia, in the Province of Foggia, Italy. Before World War II, the Italian Royal Air Force Regia Aeronautica constructed a series of airfields in the Foggia area and they consisted of hard-surfaced runways and taxiways, concrete parking areas and permanent buildings for the support units and barracks. After the Armistice between Italy and Allied armed forces in September,1943 these airfields were seized by the German Luftwaffe. After the area was captured, the facilities were repaired by the United States Army Corps of Engineers to make usable for heavy bomber operations by the new Fifteenth Air Force. Weather in southern Italy was much better than in England where the Eighth Air Force was conducting daylight strategic bombing of Occupied Europe and Nazi Germany. Using the Foggia Airfield Complex for strategic bombing missions would allow Allied heavy bombers to targets in France, Germany, Austria. In addition to the air forces, Foggia was a major Allied command center for forces in southern Italy and naval forces operating in the Adriatic Sea. In addition to the airfields, several temporary and semi-permanent airfields were constructed for operations by both Twelfth and Fifteenth Air Force units. Six-man tents were used for billeting, lined up in rows with the orderly room, there was one, dimly lit, light bulb at the center of each tent. The tent floor was grass or more commonly, dirt, eventually plywood was scavenged for flooring, wooden cots were used for beds, and ubiquitous 55-gallon drums were converted into a stoves and other items. With the end of the war in May 1945, most of the airfields were abandoned, today, most of the airfields are long since returned to agriculture, and little or no evidence remains of their use as wartime airfields. A few, however, still exist as commercial airports and one is used by the Italian Air Force. The airfield complex consisted of the major airfields. In addition, there were numerous axillary landing airstrips not listed Amendola Airfield Located approximately 16km northeast of Foggia, 41°32′29. 98″N 015°42′44. 92″E Captured Regia Aeronautica airfield used by Fifteenth Air Force, primarily for heavy bombardment units. Repaired by COE in September 1943 and put into use immediately, last USAAF unit left in March 1946 and airfield turned over to Allied Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force. Today Italian Air Force air base, extensive remains of wartime use visible in aerial photography. 41°08′19. 41″N 016°45′41. 24″E Captured Regia Aeronautica airfield used by Fifteenth Air Force as command and control facility, using airfield for reconnaissance, last USAAF unit left in September 1945 and airfield turned over to Allied Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force. Military airfield until the late 1960s when opened for airline use
36.
First Air Force
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The First Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command. It is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida and its primary mission is the air defense of the Contiguous United States, United States Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Its mission lineage can be traced to the Air Defense Command, during the war, its primary mission became the organization and training of combat units prior to their deployment to the overseas combat air forces. First Air Force is commanded by Lieutenant General R. Scott Williams and its Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sgt. The command has responsibility for ensuring the air sovereignty and air defense of the Contiguous United States, United States Virgin Islands. As the CONUS Region for NORAD, the bi-national North American Aerospace Defense Command, 1AF is also the designated air component for the United States Northern Command. USNORTHCOMs area of responsibility includes the continental United States, Alaska, Canada and Mexico, the command is unique in both its mission and composition. First Air Force has been an Air Combat Command organization since 1 June 1992 and its subordinate units are located throughout the continental United States. It was redesignated First Air Force on 9 April 1941 with a mission for the defense of the Northeast, AAFSC would eventually expand that mission to the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean until the antisubmarine mission was taken over completely by the Navy in mid-1943. The First Air Force became predominantly a fighter OTU and RTU organization, most P-47 Thunderbolt fighter groups were trained by I Fighter Command, along with P-39/P-63 Airacobra groups, C-47 Skytrain and later C-46 Commando groups by I Troop Carrier Command. Air Defense Wings were also organized for the metropolitan areas along the northeast coast. By 1944 the likelihood of an air attack along the eastern seaboard was remote, and these air defense wings were reduced to paper units. By 1944, the vast majority of the USAAF was engaged in operations in various parts of the world, such as the Eighth Air Force in Europe. First Air Force Headquarters was located at Fort Slocum, New York, the command was originally assigned the region of the New England states, along with New York and New Jersey. The command was inactivated on 23 June 1958 for budgetary reasons, First Air Force was reactivated at Stewart Air Force Base, Newburgh, N. Y. on 20 January 1966 due to the inactivation of the ADC Air Defense Sectors. First Air Force assumed responsibility for the ADC 21st, 33d, 34th, 35th and it also was responsible for the air defense of Greenland, Iceland and parts of Canada. By July 1968, First Air Force had again assumed responsibility for the air defense of the eastern seaboard. On 16 January 1968 Air Defense Command was re-designated Aerospace Defense Command as part of a restructuring of USAF air defense forces, ADCOM reassigned the units under the inactivated First Air Force were reassigned primarily to the 20th, 21st or 23d Air Divisions
37.
Twelfth Air Force
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The Twelfth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command. It is headquartered at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, the command serves as a primary conventional fighter and bomber warfighting headquarters trained and ready for worldwide employment of airpower. It is responsible for the readiness of 10 active-duty wings. These subordinate commands operate more than 520 combat aircraft with more than 42,000 uniformed and civilian Airmen. It takes part in a multitude of operations in the United States Southern Command area of focus alongside partner nations in Central and South America, ensuring a safe, secure, and stable region. Established on 20 August 1942 at Bolling Field, District of Columbia and it engaged in operations in North Africa, the Mediterranean, and Western Europe. As a result of the Global War on Terrorism, most 12th Air Force units have operated in the United States Central Command AOR. Since 1987, Twelfth Air Force trains, equips, and prepares assigned units from Air Combat Command and also serves as the air, Twelfth Air Force serves as a primary conventional fighter and bomber WFHQ trained and ready for worldwide employment of airpower. It is responsible for the readiness of seven active-duty wings. The command is also leading the way in bringing the Chief of Staff of the Air Forces Warfighting Headquarters concept to life, the WFHQ is composed of a command and control element, an Air Force forces staff and an Air Operations Center. Operating as a WFHQ since June 2004, Twelfth Air Force has served as the Air Force model for the future of Combined Air and Space Operations Centers and WFHQ Air Force forces. 12 AF command is responsible for the operational readiness of 13 Twelfth Air Force-gained wings and other units of the Air Force Reserve. These units include more than 220 aircraft and 18,900 Total Force Airmen, the mission of AFSOUTH is to conduct Air Force, joint and combined air and space operations in addition to information operations in the USSOUTHCOM Area of Responsibility. To fulfill these responsibilities AFSOUTH employs a full spectrum of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, intra-theatre airlift, in addition the AOC is responsible for developing strategy and plans to execute air and space operations in support of USSOUTHCOM objectives. The AOC also provides command and control of all AFSOUTH air, Twelfth Air Force is also responsible for the combat readiness of one of five Falconer AOC weapons systems in the Air Force. Typically, the 12 AF/CC and his command and control organization form the core of the AFSOUTH command section. Unlike the 12 AF/CC, who reports to COMACC and has only a training mission, AFSOUTH has no organic assets, but draws on forces provided to it by CDRUSSOUTHCOM. Currently, AFSOUTH manages four rotational Air Force Reserve Command and Air National Guard C-130s based out of Muniz Air National Guard Base, the SOUTHCOM JFACC is a warfighting commander who reports to CDRUSSOUTHCOM and directs air and air defence forces provided to him for tasking by CDRUSSOUTHCOM
38.
Pantelleria
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Pantelleria, the ancient Cossyra, is an Italian island in the Strait of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea,100 km southwest of Sicily and 60 km east of the Tunisian coast. Tunisia is visible on clear days, administratively Pantelleria is a comune belonging to the Sicilian province of Trapani. With an area of 83 square kilometres, it is the largest volcanic island of Sicily. The last eruption occurred in 1891 below sea level, and today phenomena related to volcanic activity can be observed, such as hot springs, the highest peak, called Montagna Grande, reaches 836 m above sea level. Archaeological exploration has unearthed dwellings and artifacts 35,000 years old, the original population of Pantelleria did not come from Sicily, and was of Iberian or Ibero-Ligurian stock. The town has remains of walls made of rectangular blocks of masonry. Punic tombs have been discovered, and the votive terra-cottas of a sanctuary of the Punic period were found near the north coast. The Romans occupied the island as the Fasti Triumphales record in 255 BC, lost it again the next year, under the Empire it served as a place of banishment for prominent persons and members of the imperial family. In 700 AD, Arabs conquered the island and named it بنت الرياح Bint al-Riyāḥ the daughter of the winds, in 1123 Roger of Sicily took the island, and in 1311 an Aragonese fleet, under the command of Lluís de Requesens, won a considerable victory here. Requesenss family became princes of Pantelleria until 1553, when the Turks captured the island, a naval battle took place near the island in July 1586 when an armed English merchant fleet of five ships managed to repel an attack by eleven Spanish and Maltese galleys. A Siculo-Arabic dialect similar to Maltese was the vernacular of the island until the late 18th Century, the modern Sicilian language in Pantelleria contains many Arabic loanwords, and most of the islands place names are of Semitic origin. Pantellerias capture was regarded as crucial to Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943 as planes based on Pantelleria could readily reach Sicily, in Operation Corkscrew the Allies bombarded Pantelleria heavily from air and sea in the days before the invasion. The garrison surrendered as the troops approached. Pantelleria then became a base for Allied aircraft during the assault on Sicily. The island of Pantelleria is located above a drowned continental rift in the Strait of Sicily and has been the focus of intensive volcano-tectonic activity, the 15 km-long island is the emergent summit of a largely submarine edifice. Two large Pleistocene calderas dominate the island, the older of the two formed about 114,000 years ago and the younger Cinque Denti caldera formed about 45,000 years ago, holocene eruptions have constructed pumice cones, lava domes, and short, blocky lava flows. Post Green Tuff activity constructed the cone of Monte Gibele, part of which was uplifted to form Montagna Grande. Several vents are located on three sides of the uplifted Montagna Grande block on the southeast side of the island, a submarine eruption in 1891 from a vent off the northwest coast is the only confirmed historical activity
39.
Mediterranean Sea
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The sea is sometimes considered a part of the Atlantic Ocean, although it is usually identified as a separate body of water. The name Mediterranean is derived from the Latin mediterraneus, meaning inland or in the middle of land and it covers an approximate area of 2.5 million km2, but its connection to the Atlantic is only 14 km wide. The Strait of Gibraltar is a strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Gibraltar. In oceanography, it is called the Eurafrican Mediterranean Sea or the European Mediterranean Sea to distinguish it from mediterranean seas elsewhere. The Mediterranean Sea has a depth of 1,500 m. The sea is bordered on the north by Europe, the east by Asia and it is located between latitudes 30° and 46° N and longitudes 6° W and 36° E. Its west-east length, from the Strait of Gibraltar to the Gulf of Iskenderun, the seas average north-south length, from Croatia’s southern shore to Libya, is approximately 800 km. The Mediterranean Sea, including the Sea of Marmara, has an area of approximately 2,510,000 square km. The sea was an important route for merchants and travelers of ancient times that allowed for trade, the history of the Mediterranean region is crucial to understanding the origins and development of many modern societies. In addition, the Gaza Strip and the British Overseas Territories of Gibraltar and Akrotiri, the term Mediterranean derives from the Latin word mediterraneus, meaning amid the earth or between land, as it is between the continents of Africa, Asia and Europe. The Ancient Greek name Mesogeios, is similarly from μέσο, between + γη, land, earth) and it can be compared with the Ancient Greek name Mesopotamia, meaning between rivers. The Mediterranean Sea has historically had several names, for example, the Carthaginians called it the Syrian Sea and latter Romans commonly called it Mare Nostrum, and occasionally Mare Internum. Another name was the Sea of the Philistines, from the people inhabiting a large portion of its shores near the Israelites, the sea is also called the Great Sea in the General Prologue by Geoffrey Chaucer. In Ottoman Turkish, it has also been called Bahr-i Sefid, in Modern Hebrew, it has been called HaYam HaTikhon, the Middle Sea, reflecting the Seas name in ancient Greek, Latin, and modern languages in both Europe and the Middle East. Similarly, in Modern Arabic, it is known as al-Baḥr al-Mutawassiṭ, in Turkish, it is known as Akdeniz, the White Sea since among Turks the white colour represents the west. Several ancient civilisations were located around the Mediterranean shores, and were influenced by their proximity to the sea. It provided routes for trade, colonisation, and war, as well as food for numerous communities throughout the ages, due to the shared climate, geology, and access to the sea, cultures centered on the Mediterranean tended to have some extent of intertwined culture and history. Two of the most notable Mediterranean civilisations in classical antiquity were the Greek city states, later, when Augustus founded the Roman Empire, the Romans referred to the Mediterranean as Mare Nostrum
40.
Allied invasion of Sicily
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The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major campaign of World War II, in which the Allies took the island of Sicily from the Axis powers. It was an amphibious and airborne operation, followed by a six-week land campaign and was the beginning of the Italian Campaign. Husky began on the night of 9/10 July 1943, and ended on 17 August, the Italian leader, Benito Mussolini, was toppled from power in Italy and the way was opened for the Allied invasion of Italy. The German leader, Adolf Hitler, canceled a major offensive at Kursk after only a week, in part to divert forces to Italy, resulting in a reduction of German strength on the Eastern Front. The plan for Operation Husky called for the assault of Sicily by two Allied armies, one landing on the south-eastern and one on the central southern coast. The amphibious assaults were to be supported by gunfire, as well as tactical bombing, interdiction. As such, the operation required a complex structure, incorporating land, naval. The overall commander was American General Dwight D. Eisenhower, as Commander-in-Chief of all the Allied forces in North Africa, British General Sir Harold Alexander acted as his second-in-command and as the 15th Army Group commander. The American Major General Walter Bedell Smith was appointed as Eisenhowers Chief of Staff, the overall Naval Force Commander was the British Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham. The Allied land forces were from the American, British and Canadian armies, the Eastern Task Force was led by General Sir Bernard Montgomery and consisted of the British Eighth Army. The Western Task Force was commanded by Lieutenant General George S. Patton, the two task force commanders reported to Alexander as commander of the 15th Army Group. Seventh Army consisted initially of three divisions, organized under II Corps, commanded by Lieutenant General Omar Bradley. Middleton, sailed from the United States via Oran in Algeria, the 2nd Armored Division, under Major General Hugh Joseph Gaffey, also sailing from Oran, was to be a floating reserve and be fed into combat as required. On 15 July, Patton reorganized his command into two corps by creating a new Provisional Corps headquarters, commanded by his deputy army commander, Major General Geoffrey Keyes. The two divisions of XIII Corps, the 5th and 50th Infantry Divisions, commanded by Major-Generals Horatio Berney-Ficklin and Sidney Kirkman and this request was granted by the British, displacing the veteran British 3rd Infantry Division. The Red Patch Division was added to Leeses XXX Corps to become part of the British Eighth Army, in addition to the amphibious landings, airborne troops were to be flown in to support both the Western and Eastern Task Forces. To the east, the British 1st Airborne Division, commanded by Major-General George F. Hopkinson, was to seize vital bridges and high ground in support of the British Eighth Army. The initial plan dictated that the U. S. 82nd Airborne Division, Allied naval forces were also grouped into two task forces to transport and support the invading armies
41.
William W. Momyer
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William Wallace Momyer was a general officer and fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. Among his notable posts were those commanding the Air Training Command, the Seventh Air Force during the Vietnam War, johnson and Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara. Momyer was acknowledged in the Air Force community as a expert in tactical air warfare. His predecessor as commander of TAC described him as difficult to work for or with because he was smarter than most people. After his retirement in 1973, he spent five years researching and writing Airpower in Three Wars, his treatise on airpower doctrine, strategy, and tactics. The controversy reached the highest levels of the United States Army Air Forces, was reported in the American press. Momyer was born in 1916, the son of a lawyer in Muskogee and his nickname within the service was Spike. Early in 1942, at the age of 25, Momyer replaced Col. Elwood R. Quesada as commanding officer of the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk-equipped 33d Fighter Group, in October the group was carried to North Africa aboard the USS Chanango as part of Operation Torch. Launching from the carrier on November 10, the group attempted to land at the Port Lyautey airfield in French Morocco. Several aircraft were disabled in landing accidents and Momyer was awarded the Silver Star for personally extricating a trapped pilot from a P-40 that had flipped onto its back. From Telergma Airfield, Algeria, and Thelepte Airfield, Tunisia, Momyer led the 33rd FG on combat missions in the Tunisia, Sicily and Naples-Foggia campaigns. For his performance during several actions of the North African campaign, he received the Distinguished Service Cross. He accrued more than 200 combat flying hours and became an ace with eight credited aerial victories, thus despite cautions from Generals Jimmy Doolittle and Howard Craig to group commanders to conserve strength, Momyer was compelled to commit his aircraft to battle in small increments. S. Of the situation, Momyer himself said, The German Air Force controlled the air in northern and southern Tunisia, the 33rd returned to combat on 22 February from Youks-les-Bains Airfield, the last forward field for the Twelfth Air Force. NATAF initiated a campaign in mid-March that achieved air superiority soon after. The 33rd FG began fighter-bomber attacks on the island on 29 May, augmented by attachment to the group of the segregated 99th Fighter Squadron, the 99th FS was then sent to another group. It may be expected that we will get less work and less time out of the 99th than any squadron in this group. The 99th Fighter Squadron continued in combat, although with a different group, historian Walter J. Boyne wrote, Momyers illustrious combat record was tarnished by incident of racial intolerance. at a time when such attitudes were still pervasive. Momyers assessment was wrong
42.
Distinguished Unit Citation
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The unit with the most Presidential Unit Citations is the USS Parche with 9 citations. The Army citation was established by Executive Order 9075 on 26 February 1942, superseded by Executive Order 9396 on Dec.2,1943, as with other Army unit citations, the PUC is in a larger frame than other ribbons, and is worn above the right pocket. All members of the unit may wear the decoration, whether or not they participated in the acts for which the unit was cited. Only those assigned to the unit at the time of the action cited may wear the decoration as a permanent award, for both the Army and Air Force, the emblem is a solid blue ribbon enclosed in a gold frame. The Air Force PUC was adopted from the Army Distinguished Unit Citation after the Air Force became a military branch in 1947. By Executive Order 10694, dated Jan,10,1957 the Air Force redesignated the Distinguished Unit Citation as the Presidential Unit Citation. The Air Force PUC is the color and design as the Army PUC but slightly smaller. The Citation is carried on the units colors in the form of a blue streamer,4 ft long and 2.75 in wide. For the Army, only on rare occasions will a larger than battalion qualify for award of this decoration. The Navy citation was established by Executive Order 9050 on 6 February 1942, the Navy version has blue, yellow, and red horizontal stripes, and is the only Navy ribbon having horizontal stripes. These are only worn by persons who meet the criteria at the time it is awarded to the unit, unlike the Army, those who later join the unit do not wear it on a temporary basis. The current decoration is known as the Department of Homeland Security Presidential Unit Citation. A Coast Guard version of the award was awarded to all U. S. Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary personnel responding to Hurricane Katrina by President George W. Bush for rescue, the United States Public Health Service Presidential Citation was established in 2015. The design was finalized by the Army Institute of Heraldry on 17 August 2015, two units of the Free French Forces were awarded Presidential Unit Citations during World War II. On April 22,1986, the 1st Fighter Group Força Aérea Brasileira was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for its actions in the Po Valley region of Italy in World War II. The Brazilians, operating in Italy in support of Allied forces, destroyed in one day over 45 vehicles, strafed pontoon bridges on the River Po, eleven missions of 44 sorties were flown destroying nine motor transports and damaging 17. One Belgian-Luxembourgian battalion of the Belgian United Nations Command was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation once for actions during the Battle of the Imjin River, the Colombia Battalion received the citation while attached to the American 21st Infantry Regiment in 1951. One Dutch unit, the Netherlands Detachment United Nations, part of the Regiment Van Heutsz, was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation twice for actions during the Korean War, the first citation was awarded after the battle near Wonju and Hoengson in February 1951
43.
Adriatic Sea
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The Adriatic Sea /ˌeɪdriˈætᵻk/ is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula and the Apennine Mountains from the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto to the northwest, the countries with coasts on the Adriatic are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Montenegro and Slovenia. The Adriatic contains over 1,300 islands, mostly located along its eastern, Croatian and it is divided into three basins, the northern being the shallowest and the southern being the deepest, with a maximum depth of 1,233 metres. The Otranto Sill, a ridge, is located at the border between the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. The prevailing currents flow counterclockwise from the Strait of Otranto, along the eastern coast, tidal movements in the Adriatic are slight, although larger amplitudes are known to occur occasionally. The Adriatics salinity is lower than the Mediterraneans because the Adriatic collects a third of the water flowing into the Mediterranean. The surface water temperatures range from 30 °C in summer to 12 °C in winter. The Adriatic Sea sits on the Apulian or Adriatic Microplate, which separated from the African Plate in the Mesozoic era, the plates movement contributed to the formation of the surrounding mountain chains and Apennine tectonic uplift after its collision with the Eurasian plate. In the Late Oligocene, the Apennine Peninsula first formed, separating the Adriatic Basin from the rest of the Mediterranean, all types of sediment are found in the Adriatic, with the bulk of the material transported by the Po and other rivers on the western coast. The western coast is alluvial or terraced, while the eastern coast is indented with pronounced karstification. There are dozens of protected areas in the Adriatic, designed to protect the seas karst habitats. The sea is abundant in flora and fauna—more than 7,000 species are identified as native to the Adriatic, many of them endemic, rare and threatened ones. The Adriatics shores are populated by more than 3.5 million people, the earliest settlements on the Adriatic shores were Etruscan, Illyrian, and Greek. By the 2nd century BC, the shores were under Romes control, following Italian unification, the Kingdom of Italy started an eastward expansion that lasted until the 20th century. Following World War I and the collapse of Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire, the former disintegrated during the 1990s, resulting in four new states on the Adriatic coast. Italy and Albania agreed on their maritime boundary in 1992, Fisheries and tourism are significant sources of income all along the Adriatic coast. Adriatic Croatias tourism industry has grown faster economically than the rest of the Adriatic Basins, maritime transport is also a significant branch of the areas economy—there are 19 seaports in the Adriatic that each handle more than a million tonnes of cargo per year. The largest Adriatic seaport by annual cargo turnover is the Port of Trieste, in the southeast, the Adriatic Sea connects to the Ionian Sea at the 72-kilometre wide Strait of Otranto
44.
15th Expeditionary Mobility Task Force
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The Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force was one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command and was headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California. The 15 EMTF was inactivated on 20 March 2012 and its functions,15 EMTF provided strategic and theater airlift for all United States Department of Defense agencies as well as air refueling for the Air Force in both peace and wartime. Primary aircraft assigned to its units were the C-5 Galaxy, C-9 Nightingale, C-17 Globemaster III, C-21, C-130 Hercules, KC-10 Extender,15 EMTF was a redesignation of Fifteenth Air Force, effective 1 October 2003. During the Cold War,15 AF was one of three Numbered Air Forces of the United States Air Force Strategic Air Command, commanding USAF strategic bombers and missiles on a global scale. Elements of 15th Air Force engaged in operations during the Korean War, Vietnam War. The first commander was General Jimmy Doolittle, 15th AF resulted from a reorganization of Doolittles Twelfth Air Force into the 15th with Doolittle in command, and the Ninth Air Force with Lewis H. Brereton in command. The new air force was activated with a strength of ninety B-24 Liberators and 210 B-17 Flying Fortresses, inherited from the Twelfth Air Force, in December, new groups, most of which were equipped with B-24s soon started arriving from the United States. It was hoped that the 15th AF stationed in the Mediterranean would be able to operate when the Eighth Air Force in England was socked in by bad English weather. The 9th AF would later move to England to serve as a unit to take part in the invasion of Europe. Assigned to the 15th Special Group in January 1945, on 1 December 1943, the Headquarters was moved to Bari Airfield, Italy. On 4 January 1944, Fifteenth, along with Twelfth Air Force were organized into Mediterranean Allied Air Forces, MAAF was the southern component of U. S. Strategic Air Forces, Europe, the overall USAAF command and control organization in Europe. The first major operation carried out by Fifteenth Air Force was bombing missions in support of the Anzio Landings in Italy, strikes on German and fascist Italian targets were carried out and caused widespread damage to Axis forces. Big Week was the name of an intense Eighth and Fifteenth Air Forces series of attacks on Germany in a series of co-ordinated raids on the German aircraft industry, on 22 February 1944, Fifteenth Air Force made its first attack on Germany, with an attack on Regensburg. The Fifteenth dispatched a force of 183 bombers to the Oberstraubing Messerschmidt assembly plant, some 118 bombed with good results but fourteen were shot down. The next day the 15th sent 102 bombers to the Steyr ball-bearing works in Austria where they destroyed twenty percent of the plant, on 24 February, over 180 Liberators inflicted considerable damage to the Messerschmitt Bf 110 assembly plant at Gotha, losing 28 aircraft. On 25 February 114 B-17s and B-24s were dispatched to Steyr again, but the force became separated, despite these losses, it was believed that the USSTAF had dealt the German aircraft industry a severe blow. In April, General Eisenhower ordered the USSTAF to attack German fuel production centers by striking both the oil refineries and the factories producing synthetic fuels. The 15th started the offensive on 5 April when it dispatched 235 B-17s, the refineries were attacked again on 15 and 24 April, inflicting additional damage
45.
Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
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The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt was a World War II era fighter aircraft produced by the United States between 1941–1945. Its primary armament was eight. 50-caliber machine guns and in the fighter-bomber ground-attack role it could carry five-inch rockets or a load of 2,500 pounds. When fully loaded the P-47 weighed up to eight tons making it one of the heaviest fighters of the war. The P-47 was designed around the powerful Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp engine which was used by two U. S. Navy fighters, the Grumman F6F Hellcat and the Vought F4U Corsair. The Thunderbolt was effective as a short-to-medium range escort fighter in high-altitude air-to-air combat, the P-47 was one of the main United States Army Air Forces fighters of World War II, and served with Allied air forces including France, Britain, and Russia. Mexican and Brazilian squadrons fighting alongside the U. S. were equipped with the P-47, the armored cockpit was relatively roomy and comfortable, offering good visibility. A modern-day U. S. ground-attack aircraft, the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, both had fled from their homeland to escape the Bolsheviks. In 1939, Republic Aviation designed the AP-4 demonstrator powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-1830 radial engine with a belly-mounted turbocharger. While the resulting Republic P-43 Lancer was in limited production, Republic had been working on an improved P-44 Rocket with a powerful engine. The latter was an aircraft powered by the Allison V-1710 liquid-cooled V-12 engine. The United States Army Air Corps backed the project and gave it the designation XP-47, as the war in Europe escalated in spring 1940, Republic and the USAAC concluded that the XP-44 and the XP-47 were inferior to the Luftwaffe fighters. Republic unsuccessfully attempted to improve the design, proposing the XP-47A, kartveli then designed a much larger fighter, which was offered to the USAAC in June 1940. The Air Corps ordered a prototype in September, to be designated the XP-47B, the XP-47A, which had little in common with the new design, was abandoned. The XP-47B was of construction with elliptical wings, with a straight leading edge that was slightly swept back. The air-conditioned cockpit was roomy and the seat was comfortable—like a lounge chair. Main and auxiliary self-sealing fuel tanks were placed under the cockpit, the cowling admitted cooling air for the engine, left and right oil coolers, and the turbosupercharger intercooler system. At full power, the pipes glowed red at their forward ends, the complicated turbosupercharger system with its ductwork gave the XP-47B a deep fuselage, and the wings had to be mounted in a relatively high position. This was problematic since long-legged main landing gear struts were needed to provide clearance for the enormous propeller
46.
North American P-51 Mustang
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The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in 1940 by North American Aviation in response to a requirement of the British Purchasing Commission, the Purchasing Commission approached North American Aviation to build Curtiss P-40 fighters under license for the Royal Air Force. Rather than build an old design from another company, North American Aviation proposed the design, the prototype NA-73X airframe was rolled out on 9 September 1940,102 days after the contract was signed, and first flew on 26 October. The Mustang was originally designed to use the Allison V-1710 engine and it was first flown operationally by the RAF as a tactical-reconnaissance aircraft and fighter-bomber. The addition of the Rolls-Royce Merlin to the P-51B/C model transformed the Mustangs performance at altitudes above 15,000 ft, the P-51 was also used by Allied air forces in the North African, Mediterranean, Italian and Pacific theaters. During World War II, Mustang pilots claimed to have destroyed 4,950 enemy aircraft, despite the advent of jet fighters, the Mustang remained in service with some air forces until the early 1980s. After the Korean War, Mustangs became popular civilian warbird and air racing aircraft, in April 1940 the British government established a purchasing commission in the United States, headed by Sir Henry Self. Self was given responsibility for Royal Air Force production and research and development, and also served with Sir Wilfrid Freeman. Self also sat on the British Air Council Sub-committee on Supply and one of his tasks was to organize the manufacturing and supply of American fighter aircraft for the RAF. At the time, the choice was limited, as no U. S. aircraft then in production or flying met European standards. The Curtiss-Wright plant was running at capacity, so P-40s were in short supply, North American Aviation was already supplying its Harvard trainer to the RAF, but was otherwise underutilized. NAA President Dutch Kindelberger approached Self to sell a new medium bomber, instead, Self asked if NAA could manufacture the Tomahawk under license from Curtiss. Kindelberger said NAA could have an aircraft with the same engine in the air sooner than establishing a production line for the P-40. In March 1940,320 aircraft were ordered by Sir Wilfred Freeman who had become the head of the Ministry of Aircraft Production. The NA-73X, which was designed by a led by lead engineer Edgar Schmued, followed the best conventional practice of the era. One was a wing designed using laminar flow airfoils which were developed co-operatively by North American Aviation and these airfoils generated very low drag at high speeds. The results of this test showed the superiority of the wing designed with the NAA/NACA 45–100 airfoils, the other feature was a new cooling arrangement that reduced the cooling drag. It was later discovered that, after lot of development, the assembly could take advantage of the Meredith Effect
47.
Focke Wulf Fw 190
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The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Würger is a German single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank in the late 1930s and widely used during World War II. Along with its counterpart, the Messerschmitt Bf 109, the Fw 190 became the backbone of the Luftwaffes Jagdwaffe. The Fw 190A started flying operationally over France in August 1941, and quickly proved superior in all but turn radius to the Royal Air Forces main front-line fighter, V, especially at low and medium altitudes. The 190 maintained superiority over Allied fighters until the introduction of the improved Spitfire Mk, in the opinion of German pilots who flew both the Bf 109 and the Fw 190, the latter provided increased firepower and, at low to medium altitude, manoeuvrability. The Fw 190A series performance decreased at high altitudes, which reduced its effectiveness as a high-altitude interceptor, problems with the turbocharger installations on the -B and -C subtypes meant only the D model would see service, entering service in September 1944. While these long nose versions gave them parity with Allied opponents, the Fw 190 was well-liked by its pilots. Some of the Luftwaffes most successful fighter aces claimed a great many of their kills while flying it, including Otto Kittel, Walter Nowotny, between 1934 and 1935 the German Ministry of Aviation ran a contest to produce a modern fighter for the rearming Luftwaffe. Kurt Tank entered the parasol-winged Fw 159 into the contest, against the Arado Ar 80, Heinkel He 112, the Fw 159 was hopelessly outclassed, and was soon eliminated from the competition along with the Ar 80. The He 112 and Bf 109 were generally similar in design, on 12 March 1936 the 109 was declared the winner. Kurt Tank responded with a number of designs, most based around a liquid-cooled inline engine, however, it was not until a design was presented using the air-cooled, 14-cylinder BMW139 radial engine that the Ministry of Aviations interest was aroused. As this design used an engine, it would not compete with the inline-powered Bf 109 for engines. This was not the case for competing designs like the Heinkel He 100 or twin-engined Focke-Wulf Fw 187, after the war, Tank denied a rumour that he had to fight a battle with the Ministry to convince them of the radial engines merits. Tank was not convinced of this, having witnessed the use of radial engines by the U. S. Navy. The hottest points on any air-cooled engine are the cylinder heads, in order to provide sufficient air to cool the engine, airflow had to be maximized at this outer edge. This was normally accomplished by leaving the majority of the front face of the open to the air. During the late 1920s, NACA led development of an improvement by placing an airfoil-shaped ring around the outside of the cylinder heads. The shaping accelerated the air as it entered the front of the cowl, increasing the total airflow, Tank introduced a further refinement to this basic concept. He suggested placing most of the components on the propeller
48.
Anzio
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Anzio is a city and comune on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about 51 kilometres south of Rome. Well known for its seaside setting, it is a fishing port. The city bears great significance as the site of Operation Shingle. Anzio occupies a part of the ancient Antium territory, in ancient times, Antium was the capital of the Volsci people until it was conquered by the Romans. In some versions of Romes foundation myth, Antium was founded by Anteias, son of Odysseus, in 493 BC the Roman consul Postumus Cominius Auruncus fought and defeated two armies from Antium, and as a result captured the Volscian towns of Longula, Pollusca and Corioli. With the latter expansion of Rome it was just far away to be insulated from the riots and tumults of Rome. When Cicero returned from exile, it was at Antium that he reassembled the battered remains of his libraries, leading Romans built magnificent seaside villas at Antium. Remains of Roman villas are conspicuous all along the shore, both to the east and to the north-west of the town. Many ancient works of art have found there, the Fanciulla dAnzio, the Borghese Gladiator. Of the villas, the most famous was the Villa of Nero at Antium which cannot be identified, but is generally placed at the so-called Arco Muto. It extended along the coast of the Capo dAnzio some 800 metres of seafront, of the famous temple of Fortune no remains are known. There are records of the participation of a few bishops of Antium in synods held in Rome, Gaudentius in 465, Felix in 487, barbarian incursions in the 6th century put an end to its existence as a residential bishopric. Accordingly, Antium is today listed by the Catholic Church as a titular see, in the Middle Ages Antium was deserted in favour of Nettuno, which maintained the legacy of the ancient city. The sea is encroaching slightly at Anzio, but some kilometres farther north-west the old Roman coast-line now lies slightly inland, the Volscian Antium stood on higher ground and somewhat away from the shore, though it extended down to it. This was defended by a ditch, which can still be traced, and by walls. In 1857 Pope Pius IX founded the municipality of Anzio. Anzio and Nettuno are also notable as sites of an Allied forces landing, the Commonwealth Anzio War Cemetery and Beach Head War Cemetery are located here. In February 1944 American soldiers were surrounded by Germans in the caves of Pozzoli for a week, a film based on the events called Anzio was made, starring Robert Mitchum and based on a book by Wynford Vaughan-Thomas
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Distinguished Unit Citation Italy, 24 March 1945
Gallant Unit Citation[10] Kuwait/Afghanistan, 15 Oct 2001-15 Apr 2002
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Kuwait, 1 June 2000 – 31 May 2002
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.
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