1.
308th Air Refueling Squadron
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The 308th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 2d Bombardment Wing at Hunter AFB and it was inactivated on 1 March 1960. The squadron was first active as the 318th Bombardment Squadron, a training unit. In 1945, the 8th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron was activated as a unit for air ground support exercises. In 1985 the three squadrons were consolidated into a single unit, the 318th Bombardment Squadron was established in early 1942 as a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombardment squadron. It was part of Second Air Force as a heavy bomber Operational Training Unit, the OTU program involved the use of an oversized parent unit to provide cadres to satellite groups. The squadron was assigned primarily to airfields in the Pacific Northwest training new units, rTUs were oversized units that trained individual pilots or aircrews. It was transferred along with its parent group to Third Air Force in November 1943, however, standard military units, based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were proving less well adapted to the training mission. Accordingly, a functional system was adopted in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit. In this reorganization it was replaced along with units at Avon Park AAF by the 325th AAF Base Unit and was inactivated. In 1945, the 8th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron was activated as a unit for air ground support exercises. The 308th Air Refueling Squadron, Medium was activated in 1953 at Hunter AFB, the squadron deployed to Sidi Slimane AB, Morocco in 1956. It maintained one third of its aircraft on alert in a test of Strategic Air Commands alert plan later that year, the squadron earned an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for its performance in this test. In 1959 it was reassigned to the 2d Bombardment Wing at Hunter when the 308th Bombardment Wing became non-operational and it was discontinued in 1960 as Boeing B-52 Stratofortresses supported by Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers assumed the greater portion of the strategic bombardment mission. The three units were consolidated in 1985 as the 308th Air Refueling Squadron but have not been active since. afhra. af. mil/, craven, Wesley F, Cate, James L, eds. The Army Air Forces in World War II, Chicago, IL, University of Chicago Press. Maurer, Maurer, ed. Air Force Combat Units of World War II, Washington, DC, Office of Air Force History. Maurer, Maurer, ed. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, Washington, DC, Office of Air Force History
2.
Beechcraft T-6 Texan II
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The Beechcraft T-6 Texan II is a single-engine turboprop aircraft built by the Raytheon Aircraft Company. A trainer aircraft based on the Pilatus PC-9, the T-6 has replaced the Air Forces Cessna T-37B Tweet, the T-6A is also used as a basic trainer by the Royal Canadian Air Force, the Greek Air Force, the Israeli Air Force, and the Iraqi Air Force. The T-6B is the trainer for U. S. The T-6C is used for training by the Royal Moroccan Air Force, the Royal New Zealand Air Force, the T-6 is a development of the Pilatus PC-9, modified significantly by Beechcraft to enter the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System competition in the 1990s. A similar arrangement between Pilatus and British Aerospace had also been in place for a Royal Air Force competition in the 1980s, the aircraft was designated under the 1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system and named for the decades-earlier T-6 Texan. The JPATS competition-winning design was based on a commercial off-the-shelf Pilatus PC-9, additional requirements and conflicts between the Air Force and the Navy resulted in delays, cost increases, and a completely new aircraft that is 22% or 1,100 lbs heavier than the Pilatus. On 9 April 2007, the U. S and it is unusual for a program so far into full-rate production to experience significant enough cost overruns to trigger this congressional notification. The T-6A was introduced to Moody Air Force Base and Randolph Air Force Base in 2000–2001, laughlin Air Force Base began flying the T-6 in 2003 where it is now the primary basic trainer, replacing the T-37. Vance Air Force Base completed transitioning from the T-37 to the T-6 in 2006 and that year, Columbus Air Force Base began its transition, and retired its last T-37 in April 2008. The last active USAF T-37Bs were retired at Sheppard Air Force Base in the summer of 2009, in 2013, Beechcraft was once again the loser. The CT-156 Harvard II is a variant used for instruction in the NATO Flying Training in Canada, located at 15 Wing, Moose Jaw. They are leased to the Royal Canadian Air Force by the programs administrator, nFTCs Harvard II aircraft are almost identical in cockpit layout and performance to the American JPATS Texan IIs. NFTC had 25 Harvard II aircraft owned and maintained by Bombardier, CAE took over the program in 2015. The Hellenic Air Force operates 25 T-6A and 20 T-6A NTA aircraft, on 9 June 2008, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced a possible FMS sale to Israel of 25 T-6As for the Israeli Air Force. In July 2009, Beechcraft delivered the first four of 20 T-6As under contract to the Israeli Air Force, on 16 December 2009, the first four of 15 T-6A aircraft are delivered to Iraq under a $210 million contract. No AT-6 aircraft were included as was previously reported and this equates to an average of $14 million per aircraft with support and training included. The first eight aircraft, purchased by the Government of Iraq, the last seven, purchased by the United States, are expected by the end of December 2010. On 13 May 2014, the US State Department approved an order for 24 T-6C aircraft for use as trainers by the Iraqi Air Force, the sale was worth US$790 million and was part of a larger one billion dollar deal
3.
Vance Air Force Base
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Vance Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in southern Enid, Oklahoma, about 65 mi north northwest of Oklahoma City. The base is named after local World War II hero and Medal of Honor recipient, the host unit at Vance is the 71st Flying Training Wing, which is a part of Air Education and Training Command. The commander of the 71 FTW is Colonel Clark J. Quinn, the vice-commander is Colonel Fred Cunningham and the command chief is Chief Master Sergeant Jeffrey Wilson. Army Air Corps Project Officer, Major Henry W. Dorr supervised the construction and developed the basic pilot training base. In 1941, for the sum of $1 a year, this land was leased from the city of Enid to the government as a site for a pilot training field. The installation was without a name but was referred to as Air Corps Basic Flying School. The mission of the school was to train cadets to become aircraft pilots. The facility was assigned to the AAF Gulf Coast Training Center, with the Army Air Force Pilot School activated, fairchild PT-19s were the primary trainer used. It was not until 1942, that the base was officially named Enid Army Flying School and it was officially activated on 11 February 1942. On 8 January 1943, the War Department constituted and activated the 31st Flying Training Wing at Enid, for the duration of the war, the basic phase of training graduated 8,169 students, while the advanced phase of training graduated 826. As the demand for pilots decreased with the end of the war in Europe, the base was reactivated on January 13,1948, and its name changed to Enid Air Force Base, as one of the pilot training bases within the Air Training Command. Its mission was to provide training for advanced students in multi-engine aircraft, the first aircraft flown at Vance was the BT-13A, followed shortly by the BT-15. In 1944, advanced students flew the TB-25 and TB-26, following the establishment of U. S. Air Force as a separate service in September 1947, Vance began training in the AT-6 and eventually the T-33 Shooting Star. The T-37 Tweet flew at Vance beginning in 1961, and the T-38 Talon in 1963 as the Air Force transitioned to its Undergraduate Pilot Training system, in 1995 Air Force officials announced that Vance would transition to the Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training curriculum. With the introduction of the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System to Vance in 2005, a number of senior Naval Aviators in the rank of Commander have also served as flying training squadron commanders in the 71 FTW. All students practice basic patterns and landings at Kegelman Air Force Auxiliary Field located near Cherokee, Vance is considered the second busiest RAPCON facility in the United States, behind Nellis AFB. Nellis AFB is open 24 hours, but Vance AFB has more traffic per hour. org Vance AFB Installation Overview from AirForceUSA. org
4.
United States
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Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east, the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U. S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean, the geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the worlds third- or fourth-largest country by area, third-largest by land area. It is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago. European colonization began in the 16th century, the United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the following the Seven Years War led to the American Revolution. On July 4,1776, during the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain, representing the first successful war of independence against a European power. The current constitution was adopted in 1788, after the Articles of Confederation, the first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties. During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the country. By the end of century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the status as a global military power. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. The U. S. is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States. The United States is a developed country, with the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks highly in several measures of performance, including average wage, human development, per capita GDP. While the U. S. economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy, the United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci
5.
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
6.
Air Education and Training Command
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Air Education and Training Command was established 1 July 1993, with the realignment of the former Air Training Command and the extant Air University. It is one of the U. S. Air Forces ten major commands and reports to Headquarters, AETC is headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. Its commander is Lieutenant General Darryl Roberson, with Lieutenant General Douglas H. Owens as vice commander and Chief Master Sergeant Gerardo Tapia, more than 48,000 active duty and Air Reserve Component members and 14,000 civilian personnel make up AETC. The command has responsibility for approximately 1,600 aircraft, AETCs mission is to recruit, train and educate Airmen to deliver air power for America. AETCs mission begins with the Air Force Recruiting Service, an AETC activity also headquartered at Randolph AFB, Texas. Recruiters in more than 1,000 offices worldwide recruit the men and women needed as both enlisted airmen and commissioned officers to meet the demands of the U. S. Air Force. AFRS recruitment of commissioned officers is limited to 4-year college/university graduates via Air Force Officer Training School, the first stop for all Regular Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command enlisted personnel is Basic Military Training at Lackland AFB, Texas. More than 36,000 new airmen will complete this recently lengthened eight-and-a-half-week program each year, a recently established technical training institute at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, also conducts training in several medical career fields. Each base is responsible for a portion of formal technical training airmen require to accomplish the Air Force mission. 2 AF also conducts specialized training for military working dogs and dog handlers at Lackland AFB, Texas, for the entire Department of Defense and the Federal Aviation Administration. Additionally, the Inter-American Air Forces Academy at Lackland AFB hosts more than 160 courses in aviation specialties, taught in Spanish, the Air Education and Training Command, along with the USAF Academy, are responsible for teaching these principles throughout the Air Force. When AETC was established in 1993, Nineteenth Air Force was also established as a numbered air force to 2 AF within AETC. On 12 July 2012,19 AF was temporarily inactivated for budgetary reasons in an effort to gain efficiencies, Air Force pilot candidates begin their flying careers with Initial Flight Screening at Pueblo Memorial Airport, Colorado. S. Air Force Academy, Air Force ROTC and Air Force OTS and this program was terminated on 25 July 2013 with the graduation of the final USAF student pilot from primary training at NAS Whiting Field. S. Air Force and various European air forces, during the primary phase, students master contact, instrument, low-level and formation flying. After the primary phase of SUPT and ENJJPT, student pilots elect one of three advanced training tracks based on their class standing and those qualified for fighter or bomber assignments are assigned to the fighter/bomber track and train in the T-38 Talon at the SUPT and ENJJPT bases. Following completion of the track, graduates will be assigned to the A-10, F-15 Eagle, F-15E Strike Eagle, F-16, F-22 and F-35, B-1. NOTE, The U-2 is not an option for new graduates of the Fighter/Bomber track, prospective U-2 pilots must be qualified in another fighter, bomber, reconnaissance or mobility aircraft before applying to fly the U-2
7.
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
8.
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
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The Air Force Outstanding Unit Award is one of the unit awards of the United States Air Force. It was established in 1954 and was the first independent Air Force decoration created, the Air Force Longevity Service Award would follow in 1957 with most of the standard Air Force awards established in the early to mid 1960s. The Outstanding Unit Award is awarded to any unit of the U. S, multiple awards of the Outstanding Unit Award are denoted by oak leaf clusters on the ribbon. Until 2004, the Outstanding Unit Award was the senior most unit award in the U. S. Air Force and it is awarded to personnel who were assigned or attached to the unit receiving the award during the period it was awarded for. Non-USAF personnel personnel assigned to USAF units awarded the Outstanding Unit Award are also eligible to wear the ribbon on their uniforms, however, the ribbon does not come in the larger size of unit awards common to the U. S. Army
9.
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
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In recognition of allied military service to South Korea during the Korean War, all United States military departments were authorized the unit award for that period. When the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation is worn on the South Korea military uniform it is as a ribbon 1 3⁄8 inches wide surrounded by a gold frame, the ribbon is white, with a 15⁄64 inch red above blue Taeguk in the center. No ribbon devices are authorized for wear with this award, U. S. Marine Corps for service in South Korea between 9 December 1999 to 24 April 2002. 2nd Infantry Division was recognized in 2011, for their support of South Korea over the preceding 60 years, seventh Air Force was recognized in October 2013, for longstanding achievements in operational readiness and force employment in South Korea. Eighth Army was recognized on October 1,2014, for outstanding performance in defense of the Republic of Korea, first Marine Division, Reinforced for operations from 15 September to 11 October 1950, including the Inchon landing and the battle for Seoul. 58th Engineer Treadway Bridge Company for their bridge building efforts with the X Corps at the Chosin Reservoir, the first was for service at Inchon, the second for service during the period of 1950-1953, and finally for deployment to the Korean Peninsula from 1945-1948 and 1953-1971. One Italian unit, the Ospedale da Campo n°68 of Corpo Militare della Croce Rossa Italiana, was awarded battle honour twelve, October 6,1952. One unit of the U. S. Armys 3rd Infantry Division, the first was for service in the Uijongbu Corridor in June 1951. The second was for service in the Iron Triangle at Hill 717 in July 1951, one South African unit, the 2 Squadron SAAF was also awarded this battle honour. It was presented on November 1,1951 and it reads This unit was dispatched from South Africa in support of the United Nations Forces in Korea. It was equipped with P-51 aircraft and has functioned continually in support of operations of the Eighth Army, through all gallantry and devotion to duty of its personnel it has earned high praise and its losses in pilots have been heavy. It continued to meet cheerfully all tasks allotted to it,16 Field Regiment of the Royal New Zealand Artillery. A Dutch battalion embedded into the US 2nd Infantry Division was awarded the U. S, Presidential Unit Citation in February 1951, for the capture of Hill 325, north of Manjong Station. The under-strength A Company, reinforced by personnel from B and heavy weapons companies, was ordered to recapture Hill 325 on the 15th of February 1951. At 0230 hrs the next morning, the Dutch were beaten back by heavy fire, at 0345 hrs they tried again. Just before dawn the exhausted Dutch, their ammunition almost expended, fixed bayonets and, shouting their battle cry, for these actions the Van Heutsz received its first U. S. This came at a cost, however, as the battalion had suffered over a hundred casualties. watv. org
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