1.
William E. Ward
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William E. Kip Ward, is a former United States Army four-star general who previously served as Commander, U. S. Africa Command from October 1,2007 to March 8,2011. Prior to that, Ward previously served as Deputy Commander, U. S, after he left U. S. Ward then retired with the rank of lieutenant general in November 2012. Ward holds an M. A. in Political Science from Pennsylvania State University, while at Morgan State he was a member of the National Society of Pershing Rifles. His military education includes the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced courses, U. S. Army Command and General Staff College, Ward was commissioned into the infantry in 1971. He relinquished command of Africa Command to General Carter F. Ham, while a retirement ceremony was held in April 2011, Ward remained on active-duty, pending a special Army investigation by the Office of the Inspector General, U. S. Department of Defense. The investigation has run 17 months and a ruling on the matter is pending with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, in a Pentagon report, Ward spent $129,000 of taxpayer money on an 11-day trip with an entourage of 13 military and civilian personnel. Ward held the grade of general while serving as Commander, U. S. Africa Command. Ward was reduced in rank upon retirement by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, wards retired rank is that of Lieutenant General which was determined to be the last rank in which he had satisfactorily served. Ward received the awards and decorations, William E. Ward received the Trumpet Award in 2010 as well as the BEYA award for Lifetime Achievement. 100 Black Men of America Omega Psi Phi Sigma Pi Phi General William E. Ward Commander, United States Africa Command
2.
Guidon (United States)
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A basic guidon can be rectangular, but sometimes has a triangular portion removed from the fly. The significance and importance of the guidon is that it represents the unit, when the commander is in, his or her guidon is displayed for everyone to see. When the commander leaves for the day, the guidon is taken down and it is an honor to be the guidon carrier for a unit, known as a guidon bearer or guide. He or she stands in front of the unit alongside of the commander, in drill and ceremonies, the guidon and commander are always in front of the formation. The guidon is a source of pride for the unit. Any sort of disgrace toward the guidon is considered a dishonor of the unit as a whole, for example, should the guidon bearer drop the guidon, they must fall with it and perform punishment, often in the form of push-ups. Other units may attempt to steal the guidon to demoralize or antagonize the unit, veteran soldiers know not to give up the guidon to anyone outside their unit, but new recruits may be tempted into relinquishing it by a superior, especially during a unit run. Previously guidons were made of bunting, and if serviceable these older versions may still be used. Current guidons are made of heavyweight rayon banner cloth, Old guidons show letters and numerals reversed as if printed through on the reverse of the guidon. Current guidons are made so that letters and numerals read correctly on both sides, lettered companies of battalions have guidons displaying the branch insignia, the company letter, and the battalion and regimental numbers. For companies of battalions, the branch insignia is centered on the guidon between the battalion number above and the company letter below. For companies of battalions of regiments, the number above the insignia is that of the regiment, groups use diagonal stripes of the branchs secondary color. Headquarters elements of Army commands, agencies, garrisons, centers, schools, depots and miscellaneous organizations are authorized guidons of distinctive design, generally these guidons follow the design of the unit’s Organizational Flag. Various units not oriented to a branch, e. g. US Army Garrisons, have a teal blue guidon with the branch immaterial insignia in yellow. Exceptions to the use of colors for guidons are found in the infantry and cavalry. The infantry branch colors are blue and white, but infantry guidons have a field of Old Glory blue. The cavalry branch colors are yellow and dark blue, cavalry guidons, however, are horizontally divided, scarlet over white, with troop letters and squadron/regimental numbers in white and scarlet, but no branch insignia. There are two types of guidons used by the Corps of Cadets at the United States Military Academy, “Field” guidons have the regimental number only
3.
Ramstein Air Base
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Ramstein Air Base is a United States Air Force base in Rhineland-Palatinate, a state in southwestern Germany. It serves as headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa, Ramstein is located near the town of Ramstein-Miesenbach, in the rural district of Kaiserslautern. The Air Base is used to coordinate and execute most of the United States global drone program, the east gate of Ramstein Air Base is about 10 miles from Kaiserslautern. Other nearby civilian communities include Ramstein-Miesenbach, just outside the bases west gate, the host unit is the 86th Airlift Wing, commanded by Brigadier General Patrick X. Mordente. The 86th Airlift Wing is composed of six groups,27 squadrons and its mission is the operation and maintenance of airlift assets consisting of C-130Js, C-20s, C-21s, C-40B and C-37A Gulfstream aircraft throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Also at Ramstein is the 435th Air Ground Operations Wing, which focuses on base-support responsibilities within the KMC and it is composed of five groups and 20 squadrons. The wing provides rapid mobility and agile combat support for military operations, the commander of the 435th AGOW is Colonel Andra V. P. The new 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing stood up on 4 September 2008, the current commander of the 521st AMOW is Colonel Thomas Cooper. Ramsteins wings are assigned to the headquarters 3rd Air Force also based at Ramstein AB, Ramstein AB is part of the Kaiserslautern Military Community, where more than 54,000 American service members and more than 5,400 US civilian employees live and work. U. S. organizations in the KMC also employ the services of more than 6,200 German workers, Air Force units in the KMC alone employ almost 9,800 military members, bringing with them nearly 11,100 family members. There are more than 16,200 military, U. S. civilian, while the KMC remains the largest U. S. community overseas at 53,000 people, the defense drawdown continues to shape its future. Due to the departure of other main operating installations, more than 100 geographically separated units receive support from Ramstein, Ramstein Air Base also served as temporary housing for the United States mens national soccer team during the 2006 World Cup. There is often a Summer Camp to Ramstein from British CCF, the construction of the air base was a project designed and undertaken by the French Army and the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers from 1949 to 1952. The area was a swamp that had to be built up by two meters, trainloads of earth were moved over the line and spread over the bases current area to raise it to its current level. Once the ground was level, building construction began, Landstuhl Air Base on the south side and Ramstein Air Station on the north. From 1948 to the opening of the bases in 1953 it was the largest one spot construction site in Europe employing over 270,000 Europeans at one time. A part of the autobahn to the west of Mannheim. The airstrip was used by the advancing U. S. Army Air Forces during the final months of World War II
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.
Numbered Air Force
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A Numbered Air Force is a type of organization in the United States Air Force that is subordinate to a Major Command and has assigned to it operational units such as wings, squadrons, and groups. A Component Numbered Air Force has the role as an Air Force Component Command exercising command and control over air. Unlike MAJCOMs, which have a management role, a NAF is a organization with an operational focus. Numbered air forces are commanded by a major general or a lieutenant general. Numerical designations for Numbered Air Forces are written out, but Arabic numerals are used in abbreviations, units directly subordinate to a NAF are generally numbered 6XX. For example, the 618th Air and Space Operations Center is a subordinate to the Eighteenth Air Force. Numbered air forces began as named organizations in the United States Army Air Corps before World War II, the first four NAFs were established as the Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, and Southwest Air Districts on 19 October 1940 to provide air defense for the United States. These Air Districts were redesignated as the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Air Forces, respectively, on 26 March 1941. Over a year after the establishment of the United States Army Air Forces on June 20,1941, the Arabic numerals were changed to the First, Second, Third, after World War II, the US Air Force continued to use both named and numbered air forces. While named air forces were used in tactical and support roles, numbered air forces were generally employed only in tactical roles. These commands reflected the air combat missions that evolved during the war, and each reported directly to General Carl Spaatz. Numbered air forces served as an intermediate headquarters between these commands and the wings and groups. Eleven of the sixteen wartime air forces remained, Second Air Force would later be transferred to SAC in 1949. The numbered air forces had both operational and administrative authority, and existed as a level between major commands and air divisions. Although variations existed, and number air forces were often reassigned, the role of numbered air forces changed in the 1990s during the Air Force reorganization initiated by Air Force Chief of Staff General Merrill McPeak. The goal of the reorganization was to streamline, take out, flatten organizational charts. Numbered air forces were reorganized into tactical echelons focused on operations and this reorganization also reduced the number of major commands, and eliminated the air divisions to place numbered air forces directly in command of operational wings. The role of numbered air forces was changed in 2006 with the implementation of the Component Air Force concept
7.
U.S. European Command
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The United States European Command is one of nine Unified Combatant Commands of the United States military, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Its area of focus covers 21,000,000 square miles and 51 countries and territories, including Europe, Russia, Greenland, the Commander of the United States military EUCOM simultaneously serves as the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe within NATO—an intergovernmental military alliance. During the Gulf War and Operation Northern Watch, EUCOM controlled the forces flying from Incirlik Air Base, prior to 1952, the title European Command referred to a single-service, United States Army command. The first unified command in the European area was established by the Joint Chiefs of Staff on 1 August 1952, European Command, it was established to provide unified command and authority over all U. S. forces in Europe. Prior to 1 August 1952, the U. S. Air Force, U. S. Navy, in line with the creation of the joint-service European Command, the Army command in Europe was redesignated U. S. Army Europe on 1 August 1952. The unified command structure was born of the need to address changes wrought not only by Americas rapid post-war demobilization, questions arose over the U. S. commitment to the defense of Western Europe against the Soviet Union. In 1949 the allies established the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, in 1952 the area of responsibility included continental Europe, the United Kingdom, North Africa and Turkey. The AOR was subsequently expanded to include Southwest Asia as far east as Iran, in early 1951, NATO established Allied Command Europe and the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was called from retirement to become the first Supreme Allied Commander Europe, the United States sent massive reinforcements to Europe designed to deter the Soviet Union. From 1950 to 1953 United States military personnel in Europe grew from 120,000 to over 400,000, United States Air Forces in Europe grew from three groups with 35,000 personnel to eleven wings with 136,000 personnel. Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean doubled to more than 40 warships, the Army activated the 10th Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg in 1952 and deployed it to Bad Tölz in November 1953 for unconventional warfare missions in the Soviet Bloc countries. To provide for national command within NATO and to control this build-up of forces. Because the senior United States commander would continue as Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Eisenhower returned to the United States just as the new command was established. The first United States Commander-in-Chief Europe was General Matthew Ridgway, former commander of Eighth Army and his deputy was General Thomas T. Handy, commander of United States Army, Europe. Headquarters EUCOM initially shared the I. G, farben Building in Frankfurt, Germany, with Headquarters United States Army, Europe. By 1953 over 400,000 U. S. troops were stationed in Europe, in 1954, the headquarters moved to Camp des Loges, a French Army base west of Paris and a short distance from SHAPE. There, EUCOM prepared plans for the defense of Western Europe within the NATO framework against the Soviet Union, EUCOM used the Military Assistance Program to help its NATO partners build their military capabilities, including after 1955 the German Bundeswehr. In 1955, EUCOM established a Support Operations Command Europe, soon renamed Support Operations Task Force Europe for special operations missions, in 1961, EUCOM began operating an airborne command post, Operation Silk Purse
8.
United States Africa Command
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The United States Africa Command is one of nine unified combatant commands of the United States Armed Forces, headquartered at Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany. It is responsible for U. S. military operations and military relations with 53 African nations and its area of responsibility covers all of Africa except Egypt, which is within the area of responsibility of the United States Central Command. U. S. AFRICOM headquarters operating budget was $276 million in fiscal year 2012, the Commander of U. S. AFRICOM reports to the Secretary of Defense. Ambassadors continue to be the diplomatic representative for relations with host nations. In 2007, the White House announced, will strengthen our security cooperation with Africa, Africa Command will enhance our efforts to bring peace and security to the people of Africa and promote our common goals of development, health, education, democracy, and economic growth in Africa. General Carter F. Ham said in a 2012 address at Brown University that U. S. strategy for Sub-Saharan Africa is to strengthen democratic institutions, prior to the creation of AFRICOM, responsibility for U. S. A U. S. military officer wrote the first public article calling for the formation of a separate African command in November 2000 and these locations, along with Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti, would form the basis of AFRICOM facilities on the continent. The website Magharebia. com was launched by USEUCOM in 2004 to provide news about North Africa in English, French, when AFRICOM was created, it took over operation of the website. Information operations of the United States Department of Defense was criticized by the Senate Armed Forces Committee, the site was closed down in February 2015. This program builds upon the former Pan Sahel Initiative, which concluded in December 2004 and focused on weapon and drug trafficking, previous U. S. military activities in Sub-Saharan Africa have included Special Forces associated Joint Combined Exchange Training. Letitia Lawson, writing in 2007 for a Center for Contemporary Conflict journal at the Naval Postgraduate School, in mid-2006, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld formed a planning team to advise on requirements for establishing a new Unified Command for the African continent. In early December, he made his recommendations to President George W. Bush, on, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced to the Senate Armed Services Committee that President George W. Bush had given authority to create the new African Command. U. S. Navy Rear Admiral Robert Moeller, the director of the AFRICOM transition team, arrived in Stuttgart, on 1 October 2008, the command separated from USEUCOM and began operating on its own as a full-fledged combatant command. The territory of the consists of all of the African continent except for Egypt. Most of Africa was transferred from the United States European Command with the Horn of Africa, responsibility for U. S. military operations in the islands of Madagascar, the Comoros, the Seychelles and Mauritius was transferred from the United States Pacific Command. The AFRICOM headquarters is located at Kelley Barracks, an urban facility near Stuttgart, Germany. It was reported in June 2007 that African countries were competing to host the headquarters because it would bring money for the recipient country, however, of all the African nations, only Liberia has publicly expressed a willingness to host AFRICOMs headquarters. The U. S. declared in February 2008 that AFRICOM would be headquartered in Stuttgart for the foreseeable future, nigeria announced it will not allow its country to host a base and opposed the creation of a base on the continent
9.
United States Air Forces Africa
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The United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa is a United States Air Force major command and a component command of both United States European Command and United States Africa Command. As part of its mission, USAFE-AFAFRICA commands U. S. Air Force units pledged to NATO, USAFE-AFAFRICA is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It is the oldest continuously active USAF major command, originally activated on 1 February 1942 at Langley Field, Virginia, as the Eighth Air Force of the United States Army Air Forces. Two years later, it was designated as United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe, on 20 April 2012 United States Air Forces in Europe formally became the U. S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa when the 17th Air Force inactivated. The commander of USAFE-AFAFRICA is General Tod D. Wolters and Chief Master Sergeant Kaleth O. Wright is the Command Chief Master Sergeant, the command has more than 35,000 active duty personnel, Air Reserve Component personnel, and civilian employees assigned. On 7 August 1945, United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe was redesignated as United States Air Forces in Europe and its headquarters was relocated from Saint Germain-en-Laye, France, to Lindsey Air Station, Wiesbaden, Germany, on 28 September 1945. Within 18 months of VE-Day, virtually all U. S. armed forces personnel had left Europe except for the Occupation Forces in Germany, Austria, and a small number of Army troops in Trieste. USAFE had been reduced from a force of 17,000 aircraft, USAFEs four wartime Air Forces were demobilized or reassigned between August and December 1945. In March 1946 USAFE was given the status of a Major Command, at Lechfeld Air Base near Augsburg, large numbers of Me 262s were discovered, and valuable German air-to-air rockets. At the Oberpfaffenhofen air base near Munich — the former Dornier factory airfield and this propeller-driven aircraft could reach a speed of 760 km/h, about 100 km slower than the Me 262 jet fighter. Other former Luftwaffe aircraft were collected and simply sent to blast furnaces for metal recycling and he had no need for combat units, which he described as an administrative burden, and he wanted them withdrawn. Thus, the XII Tactical Air Command, the now USAFE combat organization after the inactivation of the four Air Forces, was inactivated on 10 May 1947, in 1945 IX Air Force Service Command was reassigned from Ninth Air Force to USSTAF. On 7 October 1946, IX ASC was redesignated European Air Materiel Command and this command administered USAFEs supply and maintenance depots. EAMC was headquartered at Erlangen Air Depot, at Erding Air Depot, it had Detachment B, 4th Air Vehicle Repair Squadron, and the 43d Air Depot. The 10th Air Depot was located at Oberpfaffenhofen Air Depot, the 862d Engineer Aviation Battalion and 837th Engineer Aviation Battalion were located at Landsberg. At Industriehafen Air Depot was Detachment A, 42d Air Repair Squadron, minor EAMC facilities were located at Bad Wiesse, Wolfgang, Munich, Bruck, Oberwiesenfeld and Bremerhaven. EAMC also controlled ammunition depots at Landesberg, Roth and Zepplenheim, EAMC remained assigned to USAFE until it was inactivated on 15 September 1947. The European Air Transport Service controlled C-46, C-47 and C-54 transport aircraft and provided passenger and it initially controlled the former IX Troop Carrier Command squadrons which remained after the war
10.
Rabat
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Rabat is the capital of Morocco and its seventh largest city centre with an urban population of approximately 580,000 and a metropolitan population of over 1.2 million. It is also the capital of the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra administrative region, the city is located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the river Bou Regreg. On the facing shore of the river lies Salé, the main commuter town. Rabat, Temara, and Salé form a conurbation of over 1.8 million people, silt-related problems have diminished Rabats role as a port, however, Rabat and Salé still maintain important textile, food processing and construction industries. In addition, tourism and the presence of all foreign embassies in Morocco serve to make Rabat one of the most important cities in the country. Once a reputed corsair haven, Rabat served as one of the ports in North Africa for the Barbary pirates. Rabat is accessible by train through the ONCF system and by plane through the nearby Rabat–Salé Airport, the Moroccan capital was ranked at second place by CNN in its Top Travel Destinations of 2013. It is one of four Imperial cities of Morocco, and the medina of Rabat is listed as a World Heritage Site, Rabat has a relatively modern history compared to the nearby ancient city of Salé. In 1146, the Almohad ruler Abd al-Mumin turned Rabats ribat into a fortress to use as a launching point for attacks on Iberia. In 1170, due to its importance, Rabat acquired the title Ribatu l-Fath, meaning stronghold of victory. Yaqub al-Mansur, another Almohad Caliph, moved the capital of his empire to Rabat and he built Rabats city walls, the Kasbah of the Udayas and began construction on what would have been the worlds largest mosque. However, Yaqub died and construction stopped, the ruins of the unfinished mosque, along with the Hassan Tower, still stand today. Yaqubs death initiated a period of decline, the Almohad empire lost control of its possessions in Spain and much of its African territory, eventually leading to its total collapse. In the 13th century, much of Rabats economic power shifted to Fez, in 1515 a Moorish explorer, El Wassan, reported that Rabat had declined so much that only 100 inhabited houses remained. An influx of Moriscos, who had expelled from Spain, in the early 17th century helped boost Rabats growth. Rabat and neighboring Salé united to form the Republic of Bou Regreg in 1627, the republic was run by Barbary pirates who used the two cities as base ports for launching attacks on shipping. The pirates did not have to contend with any central authority until the Alaouite Dynasty united Morocco in 1666, the latter attempted to establish control over the pirates, but failed. European and Muslim authorities continued to attempt to control the pirates over many years, but the Republic of Bou Regreg did not collapse until 1818
11.
Wheelus Air Base
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Wheelus Air Base was a United States Air Force base located in the Kingdom of Libya. At one point it was the largest U. S. military facility outside the United States with an area of 20 sq miles right on the coast off Tripoli. The base had its own club, the largest military hospital outside the US, a multiplex cinema, a bowling alley. The base also had its own radio and TV station as well as a shopping mall, at its height it had over 15,000 military personnel and their dependents on base. Wheelus Air Base was originally built by the Italian Air Force in 1923 and was known as Mellaha Air Base, today the facility is known as Mitiga International Airport. Prior to the war, the airbase was constructed in 1923, in 1933 the roads around the air base and the neighbouring Mellaha Lake became the new home for the popular Tripoli Grand Prix motor race. Mellaha was used by the German Luftwaffe during the North African Campaign, with the Germans using it for short range recon units, special weather recon units also existed at Mehalla. The main Luftwaffe unit stationed at the base was the 2nd Staffel of the Aufklärungsgruppe 14 or 2. /14, the airbase was captured by the British 8th Army in January 1943. The US Army Air Force began using Mellaha as a base in January 1943 and it was used by the 376th Bombardment Group of the 12th Air Force for B-24 bomb missions into Italy and southern parts of Germany. In addition, Mellaha Field was used by Air Transport Command and it functioned as a stopover en route to Benina Airport near Benghazi or to Tunis Airport, Tunisia on the North African Cairo-Dakar transport route for cargo, transiting aircraft and personnel. On 15 April 1945 Mellaha AAF was taken over by USAAF’s Air Training Command and it was renamed Wheelus Army Air Field on 17 May 1945 in honor of USAAF Lieutenant Richard Wheelus who had died earlier that year in a plane crash in Iran. Wheelus AAF was inactivated on 15 May 1947, then reactivated as Wheelus Air Base on 1 June 1948 and its host unit under MATS was the 1603d Air Transport Wing. A further agreement between the United States and Libya, signed in 1954, granted the U. S. the use of Wheelus, the Military Air Transport Service activated the 1603rd Air Transport Wing at Wheelus on 1 June 1948. The 1603rd flew C-47 and C-54s to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Cyprus, Headquarters, 7th Air Rescue Group was assigned to Wheelus along with the 58th Air Rescue Squadron at about this time. At the time the Air Rescue Service was under the command and control of the Military Air Transport Command, the 58th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron operated out of Wheelus until 1970 when they were relocated to the 67th ARRSQ in the UK. The 58 ARRS flew three HH-3E Jolly Green Giant helicopters, and three HC-130 refueling tankers, MATS aircraft and personnel from Wheelus participated in Operation Hajji Baba in 1952. Also in 1952 the MATS 580th Air Resupply and Communications Wing was reassigned to Wheelus from Mountain Home Air Force Base, the Wing supported special operations in the Mediterranean, Middle East and Southwest Asia until being inactivated in 1956. MATS withdrew and relocated to Rhein Main AB, Germany in January 1953, however, MATS and later Military Airlift Command aircraft were frequent visitors at Wheelus and maintained a small detachment there until the bases closure in 1970
12.
Libya
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The three traditional parts of the country are Tripolitania, Fezzan and Cyrenaica. With an area of almost 1.8 million square kilometres, Libya is the fourth largest country in Africa, Libya has the 10th-largest proven oil reserves of any country in the world. The largest city and capital, Tripoli, is located in western Libya, the other large city is Benghazi, which is located in eastern Libya. Libya has been inhabited by Berbers since the late Bronze Age, the Phoenicians established trading posts in western Libya, and ancient Greek colonists established city-states in eastern Libya. Libya was variously ruled by Carthaginians, Persians, Egyptians and Greeks before becoming a part of the Roman Empire, Libya was an early center of Christianity. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the area of Libya was mostly occupied by the Vandals until the 7th century, in the 16th century, the Spanish Empire and the Knights of St John occupied Tripoli, until Ottoman rule began in 1551. Libya was involved in the Barbary Wars of the 18th and 19th centuries, Ottoman rule continued until the Italian occupation of Libya resulted in the temporary Italian Libya colony from 1911 to 1943. During the Second World War Libya was an important area of warfare in the North African Campaign, the Italian population then went into decline. Libya became an independent kingdom in 1951, a military coup in 1969 overthrew King Idris I, beginning a period of sweeping social reform. Since then, Libya has experienced a period of instability, the European Union is involved in an operation to disrupt human trafficking networks exploiting refugees fleeing from wars in Africa for Europe. At least two political bodies claim to be the government of Libya, the Council of Deputies is internationally recognized as the legitimate government, but it does not hold territory in the capital, Tripoli, instead meeting in the Cyrenaica city of Tobruk. Parts of Libya are outside of either governments control, with various Islamist, rebel, the United Nations is sponsoring peace talks between the Tobruk and Tripoli-based factions. An agreement to form an interim government was signed on 17 December 2015. Under the terms of the agreement, a nine-member Presidency Council, the leaders of the new government, called the Government of National Accord, arrived in Tripoli on 5 April 2016. Since then the GNC, one of the two governments, has disbanded to support the new GNA. The name Libya was introduced in 1934 for Italian Libya, reviving the name for Northwest Africa. The name was based on use in 1903 by Italian geographer Federico Minutilli. It was intended to supplant terms applied to Ottoman Tripolitania, the region of what is today Libya having been ruled by the Ottoman Empire from 1551 to 1911
13.
West Germany
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West Germany is the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation on 23 May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990. During this Cold War era, NATO-aligned West Germany and Warsaw Pact-aligned East Germany were divided by the Inner German border, after 1961 West Berlin was physically separated from East Berlin as well as from East Germany by the Berlin Wall. This situation ended when East Germany was dissolved and its five states joined the ten states of the Federal Republic of Germany along with the reunified city-state of Berlin. With the reunification of West and East Germany, the Federal Republic of Germany, enlarged now to sixteen states and this period is referred to as the Bonn Republic by historians, alluding to the interwar Weimar Republic and the post-reunification Berlin Republic. The Federal Republic of Germany was established from eleven states formed in the three Allied Zones of occupation held by the United States, the United Kingdom and France, US and British forces remained in the country throughout the Cold War. Its population grew from roughly 51 million in 1950 to more than 63 million in 1990, the city of Bonn was its de facto capital city. The fourth Allied occupation zone was held by the Soviet Union, as a result, West Germany had a territory about half the size of the interbellum democratic Weimar Republic. At the onset of the Cold War, Europe was divided among the Western and Eastern blocs, Germany was de facto divided into two countries and two special territories, the Saarland and divided Berlin. The Federal Republic of Germany claimed a mandate for all of Germany. It took the line that the GDR was an illegally constituted puppet state, though the GDR did hold regular elections, these were not free and fair. For all practical purposes the GDR was a Soviet puppet state, from the West German perspective the GDR was therefore illegitimate. Three southwestern states of West Germany merged to form Baden-Württemberg in 1952, in addition to the resulting ten states, West Berlin was considered an unofficial de facto 11th state. It recognised the GDR as a de facto government within a single German nation that in turn was represented de jure by the West German state alone. From 1973 onward, East Germany recognised the existence of two German countries de jure, and the West as both de facto and de jure foreign country, the Federal Republic and the GDR agreed that neither of them could speak in the name of the other. The first chancellor Konrad Adenauer, who remained in office until 1963, had worked for an alignment with NATO rather than neutrality. He not only secured a membership in NATO but was also a proponent of agreements that developed into the present-day European Union, when the G6 was established in 1975, there was no question whether the Federal Republic of Germany would be a member as well. With the collapse of communism in Central and Eastern Europe in 1989, symbolised by the opening of the Berlin Wall, East Germany voted to dissolve itself and accede to the Federal Republic in 1990. Its five post-war states were reconstituted along with the reunited Berlin and they formally joined the Federal Republic on 3 October 1990, raising the number of states from 10 to 16, ending the division of Germany
14.
Sembach Kaserne
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Sembach Kaserne is a United States Army installation in Sembach, Germany, near Kaiserslautern, and is about 19 miles east of Ramstein Air Base. Prior to October 2010, it was a United States Air Force installation, during the Cold War, Sembach Air Base housed a variety of USAF Tactical Reconnaissance, Close Air Support and Tactical Air Control units as a front line NATO air base. Sembach serves a population of about 2,000, on 1 October 2010, the Air Force handed over control of Sembach Annex to the US Army, who then renamed the site Sembach Kaserne. Sembach Kaserne is part of what is the Kaiserslautern Military Community and it is used for housing American Army military personnel. The housing developments and dormitories were declared condemned by the Air Force in 2007, the US Army houses soldiers in the dormitory complexes. The facility has a commissary, bowling alley, elementary/middle school, fire station, four baseball/softball fields, given additional downsizing by the U. S. Army, and Congressional demands for more base closings in Germany, Sembach will probably close soon. The purpose of opening this installation is to facilitate the consolidation, the French facilities consisted of 10 sheet-iron barracks and 26 wooden hangars with canvas coverings. As part of the withdrawal of French occupation forces from the left bank of the Rhine in 1930. After the French withdrawal, the land was returned to farmers, in 1939, the German Luftwaffe ordered that the area be reserved for use as a fighter base. Because of the brevity of the French campaign in the first year of the Second World War, in April 1951, German surveyors visited the area in the company of French officers. The local farmers protested the construction of an airfield which would entail the loss of much of their land, and they demonstrated in Mainz. Despite this vigorous opposition, the French occupational authorities began the construction of an airfield at the end of June 1951. Many workers were brought in to build the new base, construction continued around the clock through the use of nighttime illumination. The pouring of the 8, 500-foot concrete runway was begun early in September 1951 and was finished by the end of the month, the taxiways were completed by the close of the year. On 1 September 1951, U. S. authorities officially took over the site from the French. During the remainder of the winter, the tower, hangars, repair shops. With the building of munitions bunkers to the east of the flightline and a road connecting the taxiway to the B-40 in April 1952, on April 22, officials began to survey the land that was to be built upon. The farmers joined forces and forcibly hindered the surveyors, injuring one of them, on April 23,1952, the Chief of the State Chancellery personally visited Sembach and promised the farmers that he would do all that he could to protect their rights
15.
Third Air Force
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The Third Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa. Its headquarters is Ramstein Air Base, Germany and it is responsible for all U. S. Air Forces in Europe and Africa operations and support activities in the U. S. European Command and U. S. Africa Commands areas of responsibility, during the war, its primary mission became the organization and training of combat units prior to their deployment to the overseas combat air forces. Its Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Phillip L. Easton, the command directs all USAFE and AFAFRICA forces engaged in contingency and wartime operations in the United States European Command and United States Africa Command areas of responsibility. It also has a mission as the U. S. militarys primary liaison to the British government. Through the Partnership for Peace program, Third Air Force manages military contact, Third Air Force is also responsible for contingency planning and support of American security interests in Africa. It is composed of more than 25,000 military people, Third Air Force is assigned more than 200 aircraft, while tasked to provide support servicing to thousands of other transient aircraft that visit its bases each year. It was redesignated Third Air Force on 26 March 1941 with a mission for the defense of the Southeast and it moved to offices in downtown Tampa on 8 January 1941. MacDill Field was one of two major Army Air Corps bases established in the Tampa Bay area in the prior to World War II. Tampas Drew Field Municipal Airport, established in 1928 was leased by the Air Corps in 1940, a major expansion of the airport was initiated and Drew Army Airfield was opened in 1941. Two secondary Army Airfields, Brooksville Army Airfield and Hillsborough Army Airfield were built and opened in early 1942 to support the operations of MacDill. The Bonita Springs Auxiliary Field, located near Fort Myers provided an emergency landing field for MacDill. All of these came under the jurisdiction of Third Air Force. III Fighter Command, the arm, was headquartered at Drew Field. Third Air Force initially provided air defense for the southeastern United States and flew patrols along coastal areas of the Atlantic Ocean. Third Air Force primarily trained B-25 Mitchell and B-26 Marauder medium bomber groups and A-20 Havoc, Third Air Force also provided support to the Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics in Florida. Also by 1944, the majority of the Numbered Air Forces of the AAF were fighting in parts of the world, such as the Eighth Air Force in Europe. When the Army Air Forces reorganized in 1946, Tactical Air Command was established as one of its three major commands
16.
Staff (military)
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A military staff is a group of officers, enlisted and civilian personnel that are responsible for the administrative, operational and logistical needs of its unit. It provides bi-directional flow of information between an officer and subordinate military units. A staff also provides a function where it filters information needed by the commander or shunts unnecessary information. One of the key purposes of a staff is to provide accurate. A goal is being able to suggest approaches or help produce well-informed decisions that effectively manage. In addition to generating information, the staff also manages the flow of communication within the unit, while controlled information flow toward the commander is a priority, those useful or contingent in nature are communicated to lower-level units and/or through their respective staffs. If the information is not pertinent to the unit, it is redirected to the level which can best utilize the condition or information. Staffs are generally the first to know of issues that affect its group, issues that require major decisions affecting the units operational capability are communicated to the commanding officer. However, not all issues will be handled by the commander, in addition, a staff aims to carefully craft any useful situations and utilize that information. In a generic command staff, more seasoned and senior officers oversee staff sections of groups organized by the needs of the unit, senior Enlisted Personnel task personnel in the maintenance of tactical equipment and vehicles. Senior Analysts are tasked with the finalizing of reports, and their enlisted personnel participate in the acquisition of information from subordinate staffs and this frees up the most senior members of the command at each level for decision making and issuing direction for further research or information gathering. Prior to the late 18th century, there was no organizational support for staff functions such as military intelligence, logistics. Unit commanders handled such functions for their units, with help from subordinates who were usually not trained for or assigned to a specific task. A great deal of mythology surrounds the origin of the modern staff system as a tool of army management. It was perfected by the Prussians, but despite the claims of many American and British authors, it did not originate in France, especially not with Napoleon, the claims made about Pierre-Joseph Bourcet and his staff college at Grenoble are myths. Staff officers were drawn from units and would later return to them. In a battle or when the army had detached corps, a number of staff would be allocated to the column commander as a smaller version of headquarters. The senior man, usually a Major, would be the chief of the column staff, the Archduke set out the position of a modern Chief of Staff, “The Chief of Staff stands at the side of the Commander-in-Chief and is completely at his disposal
17.
110th Attack Wing
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The 110th Attack Wing is a unit of the Michigan Air National Guard, stationed at Kellogg Air National Guard Base, Battle Creek, Michigan. If activated to service the Wing would be gained by the United States Air Force Air Combat Command. The main operations unit of the wing is the 110th Air Operations Group, the 172d FIS became the groups flying squadron. Other squadrons assigned into the group were the 110th Material Squadron, 110th Air Base Squadron, in 1957, the 172d FIS received a new aircraft, the RB-57 Canberra, and a new mission – tactical reconnaissance. The activation of a squadron, the 127th Reconnaissance Technical Squadron. In 1962, the 110th Tactical Reconnaissance Group and support organizations were reactivated with Major Howard Strand serving as its commander, Major Strand departed in January 1965 to become deputy commander of the 127th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Selfridge AFB, Michigan. He returned again in 1974 to lead the 110th until 1981, the 172d flew Canberras until 1971, when it undertook the radical and unexpected transformation from the RB-57 jets to the smaller, prop-powered Cessna O-2 Skymaster. On 11 June 1971, the 110th Tactical Reconnaissance Group became the 110th Tactical Air Support Group, in 1980, the 110th saw a return to jet power when it reequipped with OA-37 Dragonfly. In 1991 the 110th Tactical Air Support Group transitioned from the Dragonfly to the OA-10 Thunderbolt II, in June 1995 the 110th Fighter Group became the 110th Fighter Wing. In 1997 the wing took part in Operation Deny Flight, the 110th Fighter Wing served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. In May 1999 the 110th Fighter Wing was deployed to Trapani Italy in support of Operation Noble Anvil, the 110th Fighter Wing underwent a major transition moving from the A-10 aircraft to the Learjet C-21A aircraft in 2008. The C-21, which arrived in October 2008, is a turbofan engine passenger aircraft. With a crew of two, it can accommodate eight passengers and 42 cubic feet of cargo, for aero medical evacuations, it can carry one little litter or five ambulatory patients plus one flight nurse and two medical technicians. The 110th Fighter Wing was redesignated as the 110th Airlift Wing with no change in station and it changed from an Air Combat Command unit to an Air Mobility Command unit on 1 December 2009. The base also witnessed the creation of a new unit, the 217th Air Operations Group on 1 April 2009, the 217th AOG is an organization supporting the 17th Air Force. The 217th AOG has four squadrons that include intelligence, communications, operations, on 13 December 2014, in a ceremony presided by Gov. Rick Snyder, the wing was redesignated as the 110th Attack Wing. Constituted as the 110th Fighter Group and allotted to the Air National Guard on 15 April 1956 Extended federal recognition, 110th Airlift Wing history webpage 110th Airlift Wing@globalsecurity. org Rogers, B. United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978
18.
Michigan Air National Guard
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The Michigan Air National Guard is the air force militia of the State of Michigan, United States of America. It is, along with the Michigan Army National Guard, an element of the Michigan National Guard, the Michigan Air National Guard is also an Air Reserve Component of the United States Air Force. As a state militia, the Michigan Air National Guard are not in the United States Air Force chain of command unless it is federalized. They are under the jurisdiction of the Governor of Michigan though the office of the Michigan Adjutant General unless they are federalized by order of the President of the United States. The Michigan Air National Guard is headquartered at the Joint Forces Headquarters compound, located in Lansing, Michigan, Michigan ANG units are trained and equipped by the Air Force and are operationally gained by a Major Command of the USAF if federalized. State missions include disaster relief in times of earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and forest fires, search and rescue, protection of public services. At the time the C-27J was the newest cargo aircraft in the Air Force inventory, the missions of the C-27 would have included direct support of Army units, homeland security, disaster response, and medical evacuation, as well as multiple other Federal and State requirements. Due to political decisions, the C-27 mission was replaced with a new Remotely Piloted Aircraft MQ-9 Reaper mission, the Wing also supports the Air Force Special Operations Command with its 107th Weather Flight. Support Unit Functions and Capabilities, Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center Houses the Combat Readiness Training Center which trains various units from National Guard, the origins of the Michigan Air National Guard can be traced back to the 107th Aero Squadron, which was organized on 27 August 1917. The squadron assembled, serviced, and repaired aircraft during World War I and it was re-designated 801st Aero Squadron on 1 February 1918 and inactivated after the end of the war on 18 March 1919. The Militia Act of 1903 established the present National Guard system, units raised by the states but paid for by the Federal Government, if federalized by Presidential order, they fall under the regular military chain of command. On 1 June 1920, the Militia Bureau issued Circular No.1 on organization of National Guard air units and it was reformed on 7 May 1926, as the 107th Observation Squadron and is oldest unit of the Michigan Air National Guard. It is one of the 29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the United States Army National Guard formed before World War II. The 116th Observation Squadron was ordered into service on 15 October 1940 as part of the buildup of the Army Air Corps prior to the United States entry into World War II. The unit was activated again on 15 October 1940, being redesignated 107th Observation Squadron with Douglas O-38 and it was sent to the airfield at Camp Beauregard, Louisiana for unit training on 28 October 1940. In 1941, the 107th was joined by two other National Guard observation units to form the 67th Observation Group, the 67th Group did anti-submarine patrolling off the East Coast of the US from mid-December 1941 to March 1942, when it returned to Louisiana for training in fighter aircraft. Under War Department policy, many of Michigans National Guard units were detached from their former organizations, such was the case for the 107th Observation Squadron, which entered service with the 32nd Division. The squadron was attached to the 67th Fighter Reconnaissance Group
19.
NATO
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The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on 4 April 1949. The organization constitutes a system of collective defence whereby its member states agree to mutual defence in response to an attack by any external party, three NATO members are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council with the power to veto and are officially nuclear-weapon states. NATOs headquarters are located in Haren, Brussels, Belgium, while the headquarters of Allied Command Operations is near Mons. NATO is an Alliance that consists of 28 independent member countries across North America and Europe, an additional 22 countries participate in NATOs Partnership for Peace program, with 15 other countries involved in institutionalized dialogue programmes. The combined military spending of all NATO members constitutes over 70% of the global total, Members defence spending is supposed to amount to 2% of GDP. The course of the Cold War led to a rivalry with nations of the Warsaw Pact, politically, the organization sought better relations with former Warsaw Pact countries, several of which joined the alliance in 1999 and 2004. N. The Treaty of Brussels, signed on 17 March 1948 by Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, the treaty and the Soviet Berlin Blockade led to the creation of the Western European Unions Defence Organization in September 1948. However, participation of the United States was thought necessary both to counter the power of the USSR and to prevent the revival of nationalist militarism. He got a hearing, especially considering American anxiety over Italy. In 1948 European leaders met with U. S. defense, military and diplomatic officials at the Pentagon, marshalls orders, exploring a framework for a new and unprecedented association. Talks for a new military alliance resulted in the North Atlantic Treaty and it included the five Treaty of Brussels states plus the United States, Canada, Portugal, Italy, Norway, Denmark and Iceland. The first NATO Secretary General, Lord Ismay, stated in 1949 that the goal was to keep the Russians out, the Americans in. Popular support for the Treaty was not unanimous, and some Icelanders participated in a pro-neutrality, the creation of NATO can be seen as the primary institutional consequence of a school of thought called Atlanticism which stressed the importance of trans-Atlantic cooperation. The members agreed that an attack against any one of them in Europe or North America would be considered an attack against them all. The treaty does not require members to respond with military action against an aggressor, although obliged to respond, they maintain the freedom to choose the method by which they do so. This differs from Article IV of the Treaty of Brussels, which states that the response will be military in nature. It is nonetheless assumed that NATO members will aid the attacked member militarily, the treaty was later clarified to include both the members territory and their vessels, forces or aircraft above the Tropic of Cancer, including some Overseas departments of France. The creation of NATO brought about some standardization of allied military terminology, procedures, and technology, the roughly 1300 Standardization Agreements codified many of the common practices that NATO has achieved
20.
Lindsey Air Station
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The Europaviertel in Wiesbaden is a former barracks area named Gersdorff Kaserne at the edge of the city center of the Hessian state capital, approximately 2 kilometers southwest of the Marktkirche. Between 1868 and 1945, three different barracks, a hospital and a laundry occupied the site of todays European quarter. After World War II, the area was occupied by the US Army, U. S. Air Forces Europe, however, retained a small presence at Lindsey Air Station. All of the streets in Camp Lindsey were named for the 31 American fatalities from Operation Vittles, from 1954 to 1973, Lindsey Air Station was, among other things, home to the 17th Air Force and the 65th Air Division. Wiesbaden Army Airfield and Wiesbaden Army Medical Center were administered from Lindsey, after the transfer of Wiesbaden Air Base to the Army in 1976, Lindsey provided a home base for other support activities. One of these was the 7100 Consolidated Equipment Maintenance and Support Squadron and this group transferred its base of operation to Sembach Air Base upon the close of Lindsey. Support for various other Air Force units in the Wiesbaden area continued until it was closed in 1993,3 FTD, HQ ESAA, 2063rd Comm. The 7100th Combat Support Wing was active at the base between 1985 and 1993, after which Lindsey Air Station was transferred back to the Army, in 1993 Lindsey Air Station was returned to the Federal Republic of Germany and renamed Europaviertel. The buildings at Lindsey now house offices of the German Federal Investigation Bureau Bundeskriminalamt, the Hessen State Police, a Folk high school. The sports field and gym is now the home of the Wiesbaden Phantoms
21.
BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missile
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The Ground Launched Cruise Missile, or GLCM, was a ground-launched cruise missile developed by the United States Air Force in the last decade of the Cold War. The BGM-109G was developed as a counter to the mobile medium-, GLCM is also a generic term for any ground-launched cruise missile. Since the U. S. deployed only one cruise missile in the tactical role. The GLCM was built by General Dynamics, a conventionally configured cruise missile, the BGM-109 was essentially a small, pilotless flying machine, powered by a turbofan engine. Also, it flies at lower altitudes than a ballistic missile. The trade-off for this low-observability flight is strike time, cruise missiles travel far more slowly than a weapon. The W84 warhead was a 0. 2-150kt variable-yield weapon and this yield contrasts with the yield of the W80 warhead found on other versions of the Tomahawk and on the ALCM from which the W84 was derived, which had a selectable yield of 5 or 150 kt. The Pentagon credited the GLCM with a range of 2000–2500 kilometers, like other U. S. cruise missiles of this period, accuracy after more than 2000 km of flight was within half the width of an American football field or 100 ft. The missile was entirely subsonic, powered by an engine with a rocket booster assisting at launch. Militarily, the GLCM was targeted against fixed targets—at the outer edge of its range, the missiles were launched from an elevated launcher, with the missile ejected from its canister for about 13 seconds of solid rocket booster flight. The fins extended at 4 seconds, the air inlet and wings deployed at 10 seconds, flying at low level, the missile was guided by TERCOM to the target. 3 This contrasted strongly with Pershing II, which had a time of 10–15 minutes. BGM-109G personnel were trained at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, on 1 October 1985, the squadron became part of the 868th Tactical Missile Training Group. The group and squadron were inactivated on 31 May 1990, an area near Fort Huachuca, Arizona was used for field training for GLCM flights. GLCM testing was conducted at the Dugway Proving Ground in Utah, BGM-109G missiles would be based at six locations throughout Europe, in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, and Comiso Air Station in Italy. Each location had its own problems, but all required extensive construction by the USAF. Initial operating capability occurred in 1983, normal basing was in blast shelters at military installations. Each TMS consisted of flights, made up of 69 people and 22 vehicles
22.
Cold War
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The Cold War was a state of geopolitical tension after World War II between powers in the Eastern Bloc and powers in the Western Bloc. Historians do not fully agree on the dates, but a common timeframe is the period between 1947, the year the Truman Doctrine was announced, and 1991, the year the Soviet Union collapsed. The term cold is used there was no large-scale fighting directly between the two sides, although there were major regional wars, known as proxy wars, supported by the two sides. The Cold War split the temporary alliance against Nazi Germany, leaving the Soviet Union. The USSR was a Marxist–Leninist state ruled by its Communist Party and secret police, the Party controlled the press, the military, the economy and all organizations. In opposition stood the West, dominantly democratic and capitalist with a free press, a small neutral bloc arose with the Non-Aligned Movement, it sought good relations with both sides. The two superpowers never engaged directly in full-scale armed combat, but they were armed in preparation for a possible all-out nuclear world war. The first phase of the Cold War began in the first two years after the end of the Second World War in 1945, the Berlin Blockade was the first major crisis of the Cold War. With the victory of the communist side in the Chinese Civil War and the outbreak of the Korean War, the USSR and USA competed for influence in Latin America, and the decolonizing states of Africa and Asia. Meanwhile, the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 was stopped by the Soviets, the expansion and escalation sparked more crises, such as the Suez Crisis, the Berlin Crisis of 1961, and the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. The USSR crushed the 1968 Prague Spring liberalization program in Czechoslovakia, détente collapsed at the end of the decade with the beginning of the Soviet–Afghan War in 1979. The early 1980s were another period of elevated tension, with the Soviet downing of Korean Air Lines Flight 007, the United States increased diplomatic, military, and economic pressures on the Soviet Union, at a time when the communist state was already suffering from economic stagnation. In the mid-1980s, the new Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev introduced the reforms of perestroika and glasnost. Pressures for national independence grew stronger in Eastern Europe, especially Poland, Gorbachev meanwhile refused to use Soviet troops to bolster the faltering Warsaw Pact regimes as had occurred in the past. The result in 1989 was a wave of revolutions that peacefully overthrew all of the communist regimes of Central, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union itself lost control and was banned following an abortive coup attempt in August 1991. This in turn led to the dissolution of the USSR in December 1991. The United States remained as the only superpower. The Cold War and its events have left a significant legacy and it is often referred to in popular culture, especially in media featuring themes of espionage and the threat of nuclear warfare
23.
Bitburg Airport
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Bitburg Airport is a commercial airport serving Bitburg, a city in the Rhineland-Palatinate state of Germany. It is located 2 miles southeast of Bitburg,32 km north of Trier, from 1952 until 1994, Bitburg Air Base was a front-line NATO air base. It was the home of the United States Air Forces 36th Fighter Wing for over 40 years as part of the United States Air Forces in Europe. Under contract with the United States Air Force, the French Army began construction of what would become the base in Western Germanys Eifel Mountains in early 1951. Located in the French occupation zone, construction began on land that had been a Wehrmacht tank staging. The air base and its housing area occupied nearly 1,100 acres, with a 8, in July 1952, the 53rd Fighter-Bomber Squadron from the 36th Wing moved from Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base a few miles west of Munich and arrived at the newly built base. Throughout the summer, elements of the 36th FBW moved into Bitburg, with the end of the Cold War, it was deemed that Bitburg AB was no longer needed as a military base and it was turned over to the German government on 1 October 1994. Bitburg Airport was the most logical place—only 10 miles down the road, the USAF departed for the second time in September 1997 and Bitburg Airport was returned to use by the civil aircraft which now call it home. On September 15,2008, the Ministry of Transport of Rhineland-Palatinate granted the airport landing rights for aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight of more than 14 tonnes. The airport contracting company is currently evaluating plans to develop the airport into a regional freight airport, there are no scheduled airline services to and from Bitburg Airport. Transport in Germany List of airports in Germany Donald, David Century Jets, aIRtime ISBN 1-880588-68-4 Fletcher, Harry R. Air Force Bases Volume II, Active Air Force Bases outside the United States of America on 17 September 1982. Maxwell AFB, Alabama, Office of Air Force History, Tail Code, The Complete History of USAF Tactical Aircraft Tail Code Markings. Air Force Combat Units Of World War II, Maxwell AFB, Alabama, Office of Air Force History. Schiffer Military Books ISBN 1-57427-079-6 Mueller, Robert, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982. USAF Reference Series, Maxwell AFB, Alabama, Office of Air Force History, Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama, Office of Air Force History, United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers--1908 to present Mindling, George and Bolton, US Air Force Tactical Missiles 1949-1969 The Pioneers
24.
Hahn Air Base
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Hahn Air Base was a frontline NATO facility in Germany for over 40 years during the Cold War. It was the home of the United States Air Forces 50th Fighter Wing for most of those years as part of the United States Air Forces in Europe and it was one of several USAFE bases in Germany all within 100 km of each other. Beyond their location in the heart of US Army and other NATO troop concentrations, these air bases were situated to reach all locations within Europe. In 1951, occupying French forces founded an air base on the site which about 40 years later would become Hahn Air Base and the present day Frankfurt-Hahn Airport. In September 1952, the United States took over the installation, and began to erect the seventh largest USAF base in Europe and the second largest in Germany. The initial USAF unit at Hahn was the 7356th Air Base Group, whose mission was to get the base up and running, Base facilities then consisted of pre-fabricated barrack buildings, heated by coke-burning pot belly stoves, outdoor latrines, and tents for motorpool personnel to work in. An L-5B was the first aircraft assigned to Hahn to fill administrative flight requirements, with most of the construction completed by mid-1953, the primary mission of the Hahn Air Base was the reception of the 50th Fighter Bomber Wing. The aircraft were deployed to Hahn from Clovis AFB New Mexico during Operation Fox Able 27 on 10 August 1953 and this marked the first mass flight of an entire tactical wing from the U. S. to continental Europe. The operational squadrons of the 50th FBW were, 10th Fighter-Bomber 81st Fighter-Bomber 417th Fighter-Bomber The 417th FBS was commanded for a time by Chuck Yeager. The 81st flew the North American F-86F Sabre, with markings of dark blue for the 10th, yellow for the 81st. The wing conducted operations in support of USAF, NATO. In the autumn of 1955, the wing was upgraded to the F-86H, the primary mission of the 50th Fighter-Bomber Wing was the delivery of tactical nuclear weapons against Warsaw Pact forces in the event of an invasion of Western Europe. Its secondary missions were tactical air defense and support for NATO ground forces, due to the vulnerability of West Germany to Soviet attack, USAF planners did not want their tactical nuclear weapons in locations that could be quickly overrun by Warsaw Pact forces. When construction was completed at Toul-Rosières Air Base France, the 50th Fighter-Bomber Wing was moved there on 17 July 1956, in August 1954 the Air Defense Command 496th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron from Hamilton AFB California arrived at Hahn flying the North American F-86D Sabre to stand air defence alert. Although based at Hahn, the 496th FIS was assigned to the 86th Fighter-Interceptor Wing at Ramstein Air Base, the squadron won the Hughes Trophy as the best fighter-interceptor squadron in the USAF in 1955. It stood alert and deployed regularly to Wheelus Air Base, Libya, later added other European bases as weapons training deployments. On 10 December 1959 the 496th was upgraded to the Convair F-102A/TF-102B Delta Dagger, the 496th was the second European squadron, after the 525th FIS at Bitburg Air Base to receive the F-102. With the transition to the F-102, the 496th operated under the USAFE 86th Air Division at Ramstein Air Base West Germany on 1 July 1960 and this transfer was made in order that all USAF fighter assets in Europe could be concentrated in one command
25.
Spangdahlem Air Base
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Spangdahlem is home of the 52d Fighter Wing, which maintains, deploys and employs Lockheed Martin Block 50 F-16CM/DM. In total,4,800 military personnel,840 German nationals and 200 US contractors are working at the base. S, the wing also supports contingencies and operations other than war. In addition, Air Mobility Command supports cargo and passenger traffic as part of its airlift mission, with the closure of the Rhein-Main Air Base in 2005, the Rhein-Main Transition Program was initiated to transfer all its former transport capacities to Ramstein Air Base and Spangdahlem AB. The 726th AMS utilizes various aircraft maintenance equipment, de-icers, mission vehicles, the squadron is capable of handling every type of aircraft in the AMC inventory, from C-17s and C-5s to KC-10s and KC-135s. In November 2005, the first C-17 Globemaster III aircraft arrived at Spangdahlem, after emerging as the victors in the Second World War, the Western Allies occupied western Germany under the terms of the Potsdam agreement. France agreed to air base sites within its zone of occupation in the Rheinland-Palatinate, Spangdahlem base was constructed between 1951 and 1953 at a cost of roughly $27,000,000 using French and German contractors, working under the supervision of a French government agency. The initial USAF military presence began on 1 September 1952 with the arrival of the 7352d Air Base Squadron on 1 September 1952 from Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base near Munich, the mission of the 7532d ABS was to prepare the facility for an operational wing. On 10 May 1953 the 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing was reassigned to Spangdahlem AB from Toul-Rosieres Air Base, the base population at this time totaled slightly more than 1,900 personnel. The RB-26s were replaced in October 1954 by Martin RB-57A Canberras, in 1957 the RB-57s and RF-84s were transferred to Chateauroux-Deols Air Depot and the 1st and 38th were re-equipped with the Douglas RB-66 Destroyer. Three additional squadrons, the 19th and 30th and 42d Tactical Reconnaissance were assigned to the 10th TRW from the 66th TRW, the 42nd TRS flew from RAF Chelveston and remained there as a detachment of the 10th TRW. On 25 August 1959, the 10th TRW ended its stay at Spangdahlem and moved to RAF Alconbury. On 25 August 1959, the 49th Tactical Fighter Wing moved to Spangdahlem AB from the Etain-Rouvres Air Base, France, in 1957, the French Government decreed that all nuclear weapons and delivery aircraft had to be removed from French soil. As a result, the nuclear-capable North American F-100C/D Super Sabres of the 49th TFW had to be removed from France, the 49th TFW was only the third USAF unit to operate the F-105. The 49th received two Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards for F-105 operations at Spangdahlem, on 9 March 1967, the Wing began receiving the McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II. The 49 TFW remained at Spangdahlem AB until 1 July 1968 when it relocated to Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, the 38 TRS was never equipped with RB-66B models. When the 10 TRW re-equipped with the RB-66 the 38 TRS, the 1,19,30, and the 42 TRS remained at Spangdahlem until their move to the UK. The 1,19, and 30 TRS flew the RB-66B and this movement of squadrons came about due to the introduction of the AFM 66-1 combined maintenance concept. It was decided to keep aircraft of one type in the same units for maintenance
26.
Rhineland-Palatinate
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Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has an area of 19,846 square kilometres and about four million inhabitants, Rhineland-Palatinate is located in western Germany and borders Belgium, Luxembourg and France, and the German states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, Baden-Württemberg and Saarland. The state of Rhineland-Palatinate dates from 30 August 1946, as of 201044. 9% of the population of the state adhered to the Roman Catholic Church,30. 6% to the Evangelical Church in Germany. 22. 0% of the population is irreligious or adheres to other religions, muslims made up 2. 5% of the total. The league of ShUM-cities in the later Rhineland-Palatinate comprised the Jewish communities of Mainz, Speyer, the Takkanot Shum, or Enactments of ShUM were a set of decrees formulated and agreed upon over a period of decades by their Jewish community leaders. Rhineland-Palatinate leads all German states with a rate of approximately 50%. Important sectors are the industry, chemical industry, pharmaceutical industry. Distinctive regional industries includes gemstone industry, ceramic and glass industry, small and medium enterprises are considered the backbone of the economy in Rhineland-Palatinate. The principal employer is the chemical and plastics processing industry which is represented by BASF in Ludwigshafen, boehringer, Joh. A. Benckiser, SGE Deutsche Holding, Schott Glassworks concludes the top 5 companies in the state. Rhineland-Palatinate is Germanys leading producer of wine in terms of grape cultivation, of thirteen wine regions producing quality wine in Germany, six are located in Rhineland-Palatinate, with 65% to 70% of the production of wine grapes in Germany having their origin within the state. 13,000 wine producers generate 80% to 90% of the German wine export, traditional grape varieties and a wide range of varieties developed during the last 125 years are characteristic for the region. Classical white varieties are cultivated at 63,683 hectares and these comprise the famous Rieslings 14,446 hectares, Müller-Thurgau, Silvaner and Kerner. The share of red varieties grew constantly during the last decades, dornfelder, a new cultivar, is the leading red grape cultivated on 7,626 hectares, which is more than a third. Blauer Portugieser and Spätburgunder show also appreciable cultivated shares, the state supports the wine industry by providing a comprehensive consultancy and education program in the service supply centers of the land. The Geilweilerhof Institute for Grape Breeding is fully financed by the state, many well known new breeds, such as Morio-Muskat, Bacchus, Optima and Regent have been created in these institutes. The worldwide leader in sparkling wine production, producing 245 million bottles in 2006, is the renowned Schloss Wachenheim Group and this company is headquartered in Trier, with operations in several locations in Rhineland-Palatinate
27.
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II
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It first entered service in 1960 with the U. S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable, it was adopted by the U. S. Marine Corps and the U. S. Air Force. The Phantom is a fighter with a top speed of over Mach 2.2. It can carry more than 18,000 pounds of weapons on nine hardpoints, including air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles. The F-4, like other interceptors of its time, was designed without an internal cannon, later models incorporated an M61 Vulcan rotary cannon. Beginning in 1959, it set 15 world records for performance, including an absolute speed record. The Phantom has the distinction of being the last U. S. fighter flown to attain ace status in the 20th century. The F-4 Phantom II remained in use by the U. S. in the reconnaissance and Wild Weasel roles in the 1991 Gulf War, finally leaving service in 1996. It was also the aircraft used by both U. S. flight demonstration teams, the USAF Thunderbirds and the US Navy Blue Angels. The F-4 was also operated by the forces of 11 other nations. Israeli Phantoms saw extensive combat in several Arab–Israeli conflicts, while Iran used its fleet of Phantoms in the Iran–Iraq War. Phantoms remain in front line service with five countries, Phantom production ran from 1958 to 1981, with a total of 5,195 built, making it the most numerous American supersonic military aircraft. The F-4 is currently used by Greece, Iran, Japan, South Korea and it has been recently used in combat against the Islamic State. In 1952, McDonnells Chief of Aerodynamics, Dave Lewis, was appointed by CEO Jim McDonnell to be the preliminary design manager. With no new aircraft competitions on the horizon, internal studies concluded the Navy had the greatest need for a new and different aircraft type, in 1953, McDonnell Aircraft began work on revising its F3H Demon naval fighter, seeking expanded capabilities and better performance. The company developed several projects including a variant powered by a Wright J67 engine, the J79-powered version promised a top speed of Mach 1.97. On 19 September 1953, McDonnell approached the United States Navy with a proposal for the Super Demon, the Navy was sufficiently interested to order a full-scale mock-up of the F3H-G/H, but felt that the upcoming Grumman XF9F-9 and Vought XF8U-1 already satisfied the need for a supersonic fighter. On 26 May 1955, four Navy officers arrived at the McDonnell offices and, within an hour, because the Navy already had the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk for ground attack and F-8 Crusader for dogfighting, the project now had to fulfill the need for an all-weather fleet defense interceptor
28.
Wild Weasel
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The Wild Weasel concept was developed by the United States Air Force in 1965, after the introduction of Soviet SAM missiles and their downing of U. S. strike aircraft over the skies of North Vietnam. The program was headed by General Kenneth Dempster, the modern term used in the U. S. Armed Forces for this profile is Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses. While an effective airframe, the F-100F Wild Weasel did not have the characteristics to survive in a high threat environment. The first Wild Weasel squadron was the 354th Tactical Fighter Squadron based at Takhli Royal Thai Air Base, the Wild Weasel II version was the first unsuccessful attempt to use the F-4C as the Wild Weasel platform. When that effort failed, the Wild Weasel role was passed to the F-105F in the summer of 1966. The F-105F was converted for the role and was designated Wild Weasel III, the F-105F was equipped with more advanced radar, jamming equipment, and a heavier armament. Anti-radiation missiles were outfitted that could seek out radar emplacements, the F-105F Wild Weasel airframes were eventually modified with improved countermeasures components in a standardized configuration and designated the F-105G. The F-105G was also designated Wild Weasel III,61 F-105F units were upgraded to F-105G specifications, although in some documentation the F-105F was referred to as an EF-105F, that designation never existed in the operational flying squadrons. The F-105 had gone out of production by 1964, with severe combat attrition of the F-105 inventory, the need for a still more sophisticated aircraft resulted in the conversion of 36 F-4C Phantom II aircraft, designated F-4C Wild Weasel IV. The F-4C Wild Weasel IV was also not designated as an EF-4C, the F-4E, the most advanced Phantom variant with extensive ground-attack capabilities and an internal gun, became the basis for the F-4G Wild Weasel V. A total of 134 F-4G models were converted from F-4Es with the first one flying in 1975, f-4Gs were deployed to three active wings. F-4Gs from George AFB and Spangdahlem AB saw combat during Operation Desert Storm in 1991, after an investigation into the loss of the aircraft which occurred during several aborted landing attempts in a sandstorm, it was determined that a fuel cell was punctured by anti-aircraft fire. The pilot and EWO safely ejected after the shut down when the aircraft ran out of fuel attempting to land at a forward airstrip. After Desert Storm, some of the George AFB aircraft were assigned to the 124th Wing of the Air National Guard at Boise, Idaho, 190th Fighter Squadron. Aircraft from Spangdahlem, Clark, and the remainder from George were assigned to the 57th Fighter Wing assigned to Nellis AFB at Las Vegas, by this time the F-4G was the last operational variant of the Phantom II in the US forces. Many of the airframes were used as target drones and Aircraft Battle Damage Repair training aids. A change in design theory to stress versatile multi-role aircraft meant that the F-4G was the last aircraft in the USAF inventory specifically outfitted for the SEAD role
29.
480th Fighter Squadron
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The 480th Fighter Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 52d Operations Group, stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base and it was reactivated on 13 August 2010. Established by III Bomber Command as a B-26 Marauder training squadron, the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron was established in 1957 at England Air Force Base, Louisiana, as the 480th Fighter Bomber Squadron, flying North American F-100 Super Sabres. In 1959 it was inactivated due to budgetary reductions. Three years later it was reactivated again under United States Air Forces in Europe, in 1963 it was re-equipped with F-100s, but withdrawn from France upon request of French government. Reassigned to Hollomon AFB, New Mexico, it was re-equipped with F-4C Phantom II fighters. The squadron was deployed to Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam, in 1966 as part of USAF buildup in Southeast Asia and was engaged in operations, primarily over North Vietnam. In November 1967, a member of the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron, lance Sijan, ejected his disabled aircraft and was badly injured in North Vietnam. Despite his injuries, he evaded enemy forces for more than 40 days and then, captain Sijan later died in a prison camp and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. In 1969 the squadron moved to Phù Cát Air Base, South Vietnam, the continued drawdown of United States forces from Vietnam resulted in the inactivation of 37th TFW at Phù Cát AB on 31 March 1970. On 20 October 1971, the 480th TFS flew its last combat mission, the 480 TFS was therefore inactivated, again. In 1987, the 480th started flying F-16C Fighting Falcon and became the USAFs first squadron to be equipped with the Block 50 F-16s in 1993, in 1994 the squadron was inactivated again as part of the post Cold War force reductions. In April 2010 the 52nd Fighter Wings strength was reduced by one third when 20 F-16Cs were transferred to other units. As a result of the drawdown of F-16s, the 22d and 23d Fighter Squadrons were inactivated on 13 August 2010 and formed a new squadron. In March 2012, the 480th was sent to train with the Turkish Air Force in Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses. afhra. af. mil/, 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, World War II. Washington, DC, Office of Air Force History, Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977. Washington, DC, Office of Air Force History
30.
General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon
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The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine supersonic multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force. Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft, over 4,500 aircraft have been built since production was approved in 1976. Although no longer being purchased by the U. S. Air Force, in 1993, General Dynamics sold its aircraft manufacturing business to the Lockheed Corporation, which in turn became part of Lockheed Martin after a 1995 merger with Martin Marietta. The F-16 has an internal M61 Vulcan cannon and 11 locations for mounting weapons, the F-16 has also been procured to serve in the air forces of 25 other nations. As of 2015, it is the second most common operational military aircraft in the world. Experiences in the Vietnam War revealed the need for air superiority fighters, boyds work called for a small, lightweight aircraft that could maneuver with the minimum possible energy loss, and which also incorporated an increased thrust-to-weight ratio. Air Force F-X proponents remained hostile to the concept because they perceived it as a threat to the F-15 program, however, the Air Forces leadership understood that its budget would not allow it to purchase enough F-15 aircraft to satisfy all of its missions. The Advanced Day Fighter concept, renamed F-XX, gained political support under the reform-minded Deputy Secretary of Defense David Packard. As a result, in May 1971, the Air Force Prototype Study Group was established, with Boyd a key member and this was the region where USAF studies predicted most future air combat would occur. The anticipated average flyaway cost of a version was $3 million. This production plan, though, was only notional as the USAF had no plans to procure the winner. Five companies responded and in 1972, the Air Staff selected General Dynamics Model 401 and Northrops P-600 for the prototype development. GD and Northrop were awarded contracts worth $37.9 million and $39.8 million to produce the YF-16 and YF-17, respectively, with first flights of both prototypes planned for early 1974. To overcome resistance in the Air Force hierarchy, the Fighter Mafia, the high/low mix would allow the USAF to be able to afford sufficient fighters for its overall fighter force structure requirements. The mix gained broad acceptance by the time of the flyoff, defining the relationship of the LWF. The YF-16 was developed by a team of General Dynamics engineers led by Robert H. Widmer. The first YF-16 was rolled out on 13 December 1973, and its 90-minute maiden flight was made at the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB, California and its actual first flight occurred accidentally during a high-speed taxi test on 20 January 1974. The test pilot, Phil Oestricher, decided to lift off to avoid a potential crash, the slight damage was quickly repaired and the official first flight occurred on time
31.
52nd Fighter Wing
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The 52d Fighter Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. It was activated in 1948, but derives significant elements of its history from the predecessor Second World War 52d Fighter Group, 52d Fighter Wing is the official military nomenclature of the unit and it is commonly referred to as the 52nd Fighter Wing. It is often interchanged within military writing and speech, either way, - Reserves numbers 101 through 299 for Air National Guard units giving position for the unit numbering. The 52 FW maintains, deploys and employs F-16CJ and A/OA-10 aircraft and TPS-75 radar systems in support of NATO, the wing also supports contingencies and operations other than war as required. The wing conducts operations at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, one of 16 major operating locations in USAFE, the wing is authorized for about 5,560 active-duty members and about 210 Department of Defense civilians. The wing is organized with four groups responsible for operations, maintenance, mission support and medical operations, in concert with USAFE wings at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, the 52d Fighter Wing directly supports the strategic mobility mission once conducted at Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany. The wing provides support for C-17 Globemaster III and C-5 Galaxy aircraft, crew, passengers and cargo to sustain air mobility operations throughout Europe, Africa. The 52nd was reactivated on 18 August 1955 and designated 52d Fighter Group and it was assigned to Air Defense Command and equipped with F-86 Sabre aircraft. It served once more as an air unit in the northeastern United States. In December 1971, it became the host wing at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, the wing participated in numerous tactical exercises, operations, and tests of USAFE and NATO and provided close air support, interdiction, and base defense operations. It cooperated with other NATO forces in frequent squadron exchange programs, in January 1973, a Wild Weasel defense suppression mission was added. After October 1985, using the F-4 Phantom II model aircraft, in 1987, the 52d acquired F-16 Falcons and became the first wing to integrate F-16Cs with F-4Gs to form hunter/killer teams within individual fighter squadrons. It deployed aircraft and personnel to locations in Saudi Arabia. Near the end of 1992, it began receiving A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft and it received F-15 Eagles in 1994 but lost its F-4Gs. In January and December 1999, the wing supported Operations Northern Watch, Allied Force, following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and The Pentagon in the United States on September 11,2001, the 52d Fighter Wing began preparations for possible combat tasking. Within one month the wing had deployed people and equipment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in, the 22d Expeditionary Fighter Squadron began flying operations at a deployed location in support of the war on terrorism within 100 hours of tasking notification. Personnel assigned to the 52d FW continue to deploy in support of Operation Enduring Freedom today, in April 2010 the wings strength was reduced by one third. Twenty F-16Cs were flown to the 148th Fighter Wing, Minnesota Air National Guard, one F-16 was transferred to Edwards Air Force Base, all aircraft were from the 22nd Fighter Squadron
32.
Warsaw Pact
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The Warsaw Pact was the military complement to the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, the regional economic organization for the communist states of Central and Eastern Europe. While the Warsaw Pact was established as a balance of power or counterweight to NATO, instead, the conflict was fought on an ideological basis and in proxy wars. Both NATO and the Warsaw Pact led to the expansion of military forces and its largest military engagement was the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in August 1968, which, in part, resulted in Albania withdrawing from the pact less than a month later. The Pact began to unravel in its entirety with the spread of the Revolutions of 1989 through the Eastern Bloc, beginning with the Solidarity movement in Poland, East Germany and Poland withdrew from the Pact in 1990. On 25 February 1991, the Pact was declared at an end at a meeting of defence, the USSR itself was dissolved in December 1991, although most of the former Soviet republics formed the Collective Security Treaty Organization shortly thereafter. Throughout the following 20 years, the seven Warsaw Pact countries outside the USSR each joined NATO, in the Western Bloc, the Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance is often called the Warsaw Pact military alliance—abbreviated WAPA, Warpac, and WP. Therefore, although ostensibly an international collective security alliance, the USSR dominated the Warsaw Treaty armed forces, the strategy behind the formation of the Warsaw Pact was driven by the desire of the Soviet Union to dominate Central and Eastern Europe. The Soviets wanted to keep their part of Europe theirs and not let the Americans take it from them and this policy was driven by ideological and geostrategic reasons. Ideologically, the Soviet Union arrogated the right to define socialism and communism, geostrategic principles also drove the Soviet Union to prevent invasion of its territory by Western European powers. Before the creation of the Warsaw Pact, Czechoslovak leadership, fearful of a rearmed Germany, sought to create a security pact with East Germany and these states protested strongly against the re-militarization of West Germany. The Warsaw Pact was primarily put in place as a consequence of the rearming of West Germany inside NATO, Soviet leaders, like many European countries on both sides of the Iron Curtain, feared Germany being once again a military power and a direct threat. The terrible consequences of German militarism remained a fresh memory among the Soviets, previously, in March 1954, the USSR, fearing the restoration of German militarism in West Germany, requested admission to NATO. The Soviet request to join NATO arose in the aftermath of the Berlin Conference of January–February 1954. James Dunn, who met in Paris with Eden, Adenauer and Robert Schuman, affirmed that the object should be to avoid discussion with the Russians, according to John Gaddis there was little inclination in Western capitals to explore this offer from USSR. But Eden, Dulles and Bidault opposed the proposal, the Soviets then decided to make a new proposal to the governments of the USA, UK and France to accept the participation of the USA in the proposed General European Agreement. Again all proposals, including the request to join NATO, were rejected by the UK, US, emblematic was the position of British General Hastings Ismay, supporter of NATO expansion, who said that NATO must grow until the whole free world gets under one umbrella. He opposed the request to join NATO made by the USSR in 1954 saying that the Soviet request to join NATO is like an unrepentant burglar requesting to join the police force, in April 1954 Adenauer made his first visit to the USA meeting Nixon, Eisenhower and Dulles. Ratification of EDC was delaying but the US representatives made it clear to Adenauer that EDC would have to become a part of NATO, memories of the Nazi occupation were still strong, and the rearmament of Germany was feared by France too
33.
Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force
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Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force was a NATO military formation under Allied Air Forces Central Europe tasked with providing air support to NATOs Central Army Group. Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force was formed in 1951 with its area of responsibility covering the Germany south of the city of Kassel, commander of Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force at its inception was the commanding Major General of the American Twelfth Air Force based in the southwest of Germany. After Twelfth Air Force returned to the continental US in 1958, the main establishment of 4 ATAF was a headquarters which had several locations over more than forty years. An operational Air Defence Operations Centre was operated at Ouvrage Molvange from 1961 until 1967 when it was moved to a USAF site in Kindsbach just south of Ramstein Air Base. The HQ also operated a number of sites which were concerned with secure communications for the release of tactical nuclear weapons through the NATO Quick Reaction Alert Force. In 1985 NATO began with the construction of a new Static War Headquarters bunker in Ruppertsweiler, Germany. If needed,4 ATAF would have been reinforced with units from the US Third, Eighth, Ninth and Twelfth Air Force, at the start of hostilities 4 ATAF would have had immediately around 600 combat aircraft at its disposal. The following units would have come under 4 ATAF in wartime,4 ATAF was disbanded on 30 June 1993 and these forces represented the complete combat-capable assets of Canadian Forces Air Command. Die Bundeswehr 1989 Volume 2.1, available here Dragoner, die Bundeswehr 1989 Volume 3, available here Pedlow, Gregory W. The Evolution of NATO’s Command Structure, 1951–2009 available
34.
65th Air Division
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The 65th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with United States Air Forces in Europe, assigned to Seventeenth Air Force, being stationed at Lindsey Air Station and it was inactivated on 30 June 1991. Established as the 4 Air Defense Wing, the unit was not activated or manned, redesignated as the 65th Fighter Wing, the wing and its subordinate units transferred to England and was assigned to VIII Fighter Command in June 1943 and began flying combat missions. Subordinate units escorted bombers, flew air patrols, and dive bombing missions. They attacked airdromes, marshaling yards, missile sites, industrial areas, ordnance depots, oil refineries, trains, during Big Week February 1944, the 65th participated in the assaults against the German Air Force and the German aircraft industry. As an Air Division, it carried out air operations in Iceland from 1952 to 1954. Activated three years later it transferred to Spain, where it cooperated with Spanish Air Force units in the Air Defense Direction Centers, the 65th Air Division directed base construction, and the establishment of off base housing and radar sites. Its fighter squadrons flew air defense interceptions over Spanish airspace, the 65th also controlled the operations of attached tactical fighter squadrons deployed to Spain for temporary duty. Assigned or attached units of the participated in numerous exercises with the Spanish Air Defense Command. In June 1985, the 65th assumed responsibility for integrating USAFEs electronic combat systems to maximize overall warfighting potential, the division was inactivated in June 1991 as the Air Force eliminated air divisions to shorten the chain of command. 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. Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977, washington, DC, Office of Air Force History
35.
23d Fighter Squadron
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The 23d 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 23d Fighter Squadron, the Fighting Hawks, was constituted on 22 December 1939, at Langley Field, Virginia, the unit moved to Kelly Field, Texas, in January 1940, and was equipped with the YP-37. The squadron was one of several deployed to the Caribbean and stationed on bases established as part of the 1940 Destroyers for Bases Agreement with Great Britain, a detachment of the squadron was also established at Benedict Field, St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. In both locations, the mission of the squadron was air defense, after the Pearl Harbor Attack, the 23d engaged in antisubmarine warfare against German U-boats. The units P-39s and P-40s were loaded with 300 pound general purpose bombs, while several subs were confirmed as sighted, no claims were made. In early January 1942 a second detachment was established at Bourne Field, Saint Thomas, on 28 January 1942 the squadron moved to an auxiliary aerodrome, Vega Baja Field, Puerto Rico 18°28′58″N 066°25′58″W to provide better interception coverage for the island. Like other squadrons attached to the Antilles Air Command, the unit was alerted on at least two occasions for an attack on Vichy French Martinique. The squadron was renamed the 23d Fighter Squadron in 1942, in March 1944, the 23d deployed to RAF Kingsnorth, England, and 9th Air Forces 36th Fighter Group. The squadron earned the Distinguished Unit Citation in September 1944 for missions flown from England and forward bases in France supporting the D-Day invasion and the Battle of the Bulge. Between October 1944 and January 1945, while operating from airfields in Belgium, the unit was awarded a second Distinguished Unit Citation for action in Germany during April 1945. After being inactivated in March 1946, the squadron was reactivated in October 1946 at Howard Field, Panama Canal Zone, flying the P-47, in July 1948, the squadron returned to Germany at Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base. Here, the 23d helped form the Skyblazers, a demonstration team. In November 1952, the moved to Bitburg Air Base, Germany. In September 1954, the converted to the F-84 Thunderjet and was redesignated the 23d Fighter-Day Squadron. It was the first squadron in Europe to fly the F-86 Sabre, the F-100 Super Sabre, the F-105 Thunderchief, during this period, the squadron received two Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards. The 23d Tactical Fighter Squadron moved to Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, the 23d converted to F-4E and F-4G Wild Weasels in 1982 and began flying defense suppression missions. In July 1987, the F-16 Fighting Falcon replaced the F-4E, in January 1991, at the outbreak of the Gulf War, the 23d deployed to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey
36.
81st Fighter Squadron
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The 81st Fighter Squadron is a flying squadron of the United States Air Force. It is part of the 23rd Wing at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, provide the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe and United States Air Forces in Europe commanders with dedicated close air support, air strike control, and combat search and rescue capability. The squadron was first activated on 15 January 1942, at Key Field, Mississippi, the squadron was assigned to the 50th Fighter Group to replace the 11th Pursuit Squadron, which had been transferred after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor to reinforce the air defenses of Alaska. In May 1942 the 50th Group was assigned to the Fighter Command School of the Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics, Night fighter combat over the skies of England made the Army Air Forces aware of the need for night air defense training and tactics development. The Air Defense Operational Training Unit had been established on 26 March, later it was renamed the Fighter Command School. The 81st Fighter Squadron became responsible for fighter training, using Douglas P-70 Havocs. They attended transition training school at Williams Field, Arizona before returning to Florida, in October 1942 the 81st moved to Orlando Army Air Field Florida. In October 1942, the personnel and equipment of the 81st squadron provided the manpower and equipment for the newly formed 348th and 349th Night Fighter Squadrons, and the squadron was remanned. The 81st helped test procedures and equipment, seeking ways to manage the huge efforts required to supply troops. In 1943 the 81st moved to Cross City Army Air Field, Florida, each of the 50th Fighter Groups detached squadrons returned to Orlando AAF in January 1944. The squadron continued to train and teach at Orlando AAF while preparing to ship out to England, in March 1944, the 81st was re-equipped the P-47 Thunderbolt and shipped to England with the 9th Air Force. The squadron received two Distinguished Unit Citations for combat, was credited with 30 aerial victories, and produced the 50th Fighter Groups only ace, the unit was inactivated on 7 November 1945 at La Junta Army Air Field, Colorado. It was reactivated at McChord Field, Washington in July 1947, on 1 January 1953 the 81st was established at Clovis Air Force Base, New Mexico where it briefly flew the F-51 Mustang before transitioning to the F-86 Sabre in the spring of 1953. In August 1953, the relocated to Hahn Air Base. In July 1956, the 81st moved to Toul-Rosières Air Base, France, one year later, it returned to Hahn Air Base and in December 1966, re-equipped with the F-4 Phantom II. The squadron took their Phantoms to Zweibrücken Air Base, Germany, in 1973, the 81st moved to the 52d Tactical Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, where it took on the Wild Weasel mission of defense suppression. As NATOs only defense suppression squadron, the 81st received the first 24 F-4G advanced Wild Weasels equipped with the APR-38 Radar Attack and Warning System. In 1984, the 81st FS transitioned to a mixed F-4G and F-4E hunter/killer team, using the AGM-88 HARM and AGM-45 Shrike, as the 52d TFW became the only defense suppression wing in NATO
37.
66th Air Base Wing
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The 66th Air Base Wing is an inactive United States Air Force it was last active in September 2010 at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, where it had served as the host organization since 1994. It was replaced at Hanscom by the smaller 66th Air Base Group, the wing was reactivated in 1985 as the 66th Electronic Combat Wing. During Operation Desert Storm it deployed forces to Southwest Asia that conducted combat electronic warfare missions, in addition to its flying mission, the wing supported a number of geographically separated units in Europe. It was inactivated in 1992 when one of its squadrons was reassigned and its support mission was transferred to another wing. The wing departed Shaw in June 1953, the wing arrived at its first station in Europe, Sembach Air Base, West Germany, in early July 1953. It provided reconnaissance for USAFE and NATO from 1953 through 1970, on 30 November 1954, the wings 30th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron received the first Martin RB-57A Canberras to replace its World War II vintage RB-26s. However, engine malfunctions, structural deficiencies and lack of supporting equipment and parts plagued the RB-57A, in August 1955, the 302d and 303d Squadrons started to receive the Republic RF-84F Thunderflash. On 1 January 1957 a fourth squadron, the 19th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron at RAF Sculthorpe, was transferred to the 66th, the squadron initially flew the North American RB-45C Tornado. The squadron remained at Sculthrope while part of the wing, at Sculthorpe, the 19th became one of the first in USAFE to transition to the Douglas RB-66B Destroyer aircraft. One year after its assignment to the wing, the 19th was reassigned to the 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, the wing returned to Sembach as the 66th Electronic Combat Wing in 1985. Its 43d Electronic Combat Squadron trained US and NATO forces on Lockheed EC-130H Compass Call electronic countermeasures aircraft, the wings 42d Electronic Combat Squadron, stationed at RAF Upper Heyford, flew EF-111A Raven aircraft under the operational control of the 20th Tactical Fighter Wing. The 43d Squadron was inactivated, leaving the wing without tactical flying squadrons, at the end of March 1992, the wing was inactivated and its support functions transferred to the 601st Support Wing. Additionally, the wing supports oveed 100,000 retired military personnel, annuitants and spouses living in the area of New England. On 26 March 2010 the wing commander, Colonel David “Iron” Orr, was relieved of his position by Lieutenant General Ted Bowlds, with the mission at Hanscom shrinking, the wing was inactivated on 30 September 2010 and replaced by the smaller 66th Air Base Group. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards,1 Jan-31 Dec 1962,1 Apr 1987-1 Mar 1989,1 Jun 1989-31 May 1991,1 Jun 1991-31 Mar 1992,1 Jan 1996-31 Dec 1997, Air Force Organizational Excellence Award,1 Jan 2003-31 Dec 2004. This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http, encyclopedia of US Air Force Aircraft and Missile Systems. Vol.2, Post-World War II Bombers 1945-1973, washington, DC, Office of Air Force History. Maurer, Maurer, ed. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, washington, DC, Office of Air Force History
38.
42d Electronic Combat Squadron
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The 42d Electronic Combat Squadron a United States Air Force unit. Its current assignment is with the 55th Electronic Combat Group, based at Davis-Monthan AFB, provides the 55th Electronic Combat Group with combat ready EC-130H COMPASS CALL trained aircrews. Maintains quality control for all aspects of contracted aircrew training and manages courseware development for 17 Air Combat Command-verified syllabi, provides the group with simulator support for both continuation and initial qualification training. Established under VIII Bomber Command, Continental Air Forces as a very long-range strategic reconnaissance squadron, equipped with B-29 Superfortress bombers converted into F-13 reconnaissance/mapping configuration. Reactivated as part of the United States Air Forces in Europe in March,1954 at Spangdahlem AB, in 1956 the B-26s were sent to reclamation and the squadron received twelve Douglas RB-66C Destroyers. The RB-66C was a specialized reconnaissance and electronic countermeasures aircraft designed for jamming Soviet RADAR. Its mission was to fly tactical fighter and fighter bomber aircraft. An extensive suite of specialized equipment was fitted to locate and identify enemy radar emissions, additional ECM equipment was carried in wingtip pods. Chaff dispensing pods could be carried underneath the wing outboard of the engine nacelles, in addition, it was fitted with a removable in flight refueling probe attached to the right side of the forward fuselage. In 1959 the squadron moved to the United Kingdom as part of a USAFE realignment and its parent 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing was assigned to RAF Alconbury. A shortage of facilities at Alconbury led to the 42d being stationed at RAF Chelveston, about 20 miles west of Alconbury, where it remained as a detachment of the 10th TRW. In 1962 the runway at Chevelston was closed, and the squadron operated out of Toul-Rosieres AB, France, on 10 March 1964, a wing RB-66B took off from Toul for a mission over West Germany. Because of an equipment malfunction that was undetected by the crew, the crew ejected safely, but was taken prisoner, although they were released before the end of the month. This incident prompted USAFE to institute a buffer zone, where special procedures were required for aircraft flying near the border of West Germany. Starting in April 1964, thirteen of the squadrons RB-66Bs began to be modified under Project Brown Cradle, to update their electronic warfare equipment, by 1965 the aircraft modification had been completed. However, the service of the Brown Cradle aircraft with the squadron was short, in December five of the aircraft deployed to Southeast Asia, and in May 1966, the remaining eight aircraft joined them. With Frances withdrawal from NATOs integrated military organization in 1966, Chambley AB was closed, the specially-equipped EB-66Cs of the 42d ECS and their aircrews were sent directly to Southeast Asia for use over the skies of North Vietnam and the squadron was inactivated. Reactivated in 1968 at Takhli Royal Thai Air Base under the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, the RB-66C had no offensive capability, so it could not attack the radar sites directly
39.
RAF Upper Heyford
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RAF Upper Heyford was a Royal Air Force station located 5 miles north-west of Bicester near the village of Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England. The station was first used by the Royal Flying Corps in 1916 but was not brought into use for flying until July 1918 by the Royal Air Force, during the inter-war years and continuing through the Second World War until 1950 Upper Heyford was used mainly as a training facility. Upper Heyford was unique among airfield in the United Kingdom as only the area required military identification to access. The rest of the station, save the commercial facilities, was accessible to military and non-military alike.55 when flying past or overhead, the airfield was used by many units of the Royal Air Force, mainly as a training facility between 1918 and 1950. At the outbreak of World War II, RAF Upper Heyford was the home to units of RAF Bomber Command, specifically No.18 and No.57 Squadrons and it was decided to convert four airfields in and around Oxfordshire to serve as their regular stations. Upper Heyford was one of those selected, the others being RAF Brize Norton, RAF Fairford, on 26 June 1950, men of the 801st Engineer Aviation Battalion started work on extending the 6,000 ft runway to 8,300 ft. Also new hardstands were constructed for the heavy bombers of SACs Intercontinental Bombing Force of B-36s. A secure weapons storage facility was also added, on 7 July 1950, the first group of United States Air Force personnel arrived on the station. The original organization consisted of one officer and 26 airmen and it was designated as RAF Station Upper Heyford, and used by the 7509th Air Base Squadron. The 7509th would act as the host organisation to support the temporary duty aircraft, Upper Heyford was formally handed over to the USAF 3rd Air Force on 15 May 1951. This was formalised at a ceremonial parade on 1 June 1951. On 25 May 1951 the 7509th Air Base Squadron was re-designated the 7509th Air Base Group, then on 10 January 1952, the 7509th Air Base Group at Upper Heyford became the 3918th Air Base Group. On the same day the Third Air Force, under United States Air Force Europe, relinquished control of the station, SAC Squadrons and Wings continued to be deployed to the base throughout the 1950s and 60s. In 1958 the unit was redesignated the 3918th Combat Support Group, occasional visits by the huge B-52 commenced at the end of 1960 and became more and more frequent over the next five years. A third new aircraft type, the B-58 Hustler, was occasionally seen, on 1 February 1964 the unit was redesignated the 3918th Strategic Wing. In 1964, it was decided that detachments of SAC bomber aircraft to England would cease altogether. At Upper Heyford Reflex Alert continued until 1 January 1965, the 6985th Electronic Security Squadron, United States Air Force Security Service at Eielson AFB also maintained Detachment 1, supporting Communications Intelligence Specialist flying on the RC-135s. On 7 March 1966, French President Charles De Gaulle announced that France would withdraw from NATOs integrated military structure, the United States was informed that it must remove its military forces from France by 1 April 1967
40.
United Kingdom
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The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom or Britain, is a sovereign country in western Europe. Lying off the north-western coast of the European mainland, the United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain, Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border with another sovereign state—the Republic of Ireland. The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland, with an area of 242,500 square kilometres, the United Kingdom is the 78th-largest sovereign state in the world and the 11th-largest in Europe. It is also the 21st-most populous country, with an estimated 65.1 million inhabitants, together, this makes it the fourth-most densely populated country in the European Union. The United Kingdom is a monarchy with a parliamentary system of governance. The monarch is Queen Elizabeth II, who has reigned since 6 February 1952, other major urban areas in the United Kingdom include the regions of Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester. The United Kingdom consists of four countries—England, Scotland, Wales, the last three have devolved administrations, each with varying powers, based in their capitals, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, respectively. The relationships among the countries of the UK have changed over time, Wales was annexed by the Kingdom of England under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. A treaty between England and Scotland resulted in 1707 in a unified Kingdom of Great Britain, which merged in 1801 with the Kingdom of Ireland to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Five-sixths of Ireland seceded from the UK in 1922, leaving the present formulation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, there are fourteen British Overseas Territories. These are the remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in the 1920s, British influence can be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former colonies. The United Kingdom is a country and has the worlds fifth-largest economy by nominal GDP. The UK is considered to have an economy and is categorised as very high in the Human Development Index. It was the worlds first industrialised country and the worlds foremost power during the 19th, the UK remains a great power with considerable economic, cultural, military, scientific and political influence internationally. It is a nuclear weapons state and its military expenditure ranks fourth or fifth in the world. The UK has been a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council since its first session in 1946 and it has been a leading member state of the EU and its predecessor, the European Economic Community, since 1973. However, on 23 June 2016, a referendum on the UKs membership of the EU resulted in a decision to leave. The Acts of Union 1800 united the Kingdom of Great Britain, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have devolved self-government
41.
43d Electronic Combat Squadron
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The 43d Electronic Combat Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. The squadron is one of the oldest in the United States Air Force, its origins dating to 17 August 1917 and it later served in France as part of the American Expeditionary Force during World War I. The squadron saw combat during World War II, and became part of Tactical Air Command during the Cold War, the unit’s combat mission is to support tactical air, ground and naval operations by confusing the enemy’s defenses and disrupting its command and control capabilities. The squadron flies the EC-130H aircraft, a specially configured version of the Air Force’s proven C-130 transport, modifications made to the aircraft vary between the two squadrons, to help each squadron meet its specific mission-oriented needs. The 43rd ECS has a long and varied history beginning Aug.17,1917 and it served as part of the zone of advance in France during the latter part of World War I. Then in 1935, it was a squadron operating as part of the Air Corps Tactical School at Maxwell Field. Beginning Dec.7,1941, the squadron conducted patrols over the Hawaiian islands, the squadron then switched yet again. As a combat mapping squadron, the aircrews flew over Japanese held islands photographing and mapping the terrain. The 86th prepared the way for the taking of the Marshall Islands, Wake, finally, in 1944, the squadron made the first photographic mosaics of Tokyo. The squadron was redesigned as the 43rd Reconnaissance Squadron in 1945 then was inactivated in 1946, in January 1954, the 43rd was again activated, this time at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. The squadron was equipped with the Martin RB-57 Canberra. However, once the Air Force received enough Douglas RB-66B Destroyer to equip more than a single squadron and it accomplished a night photographic mission. The unit was inactivated in 1959, redesigned, the 43rd Electronic Combat Squadron, the unit was activated June 6,1986, at Sembach Air Base, Germany. It served in Europe until 1991, then came to Davis-Monthan AFB, the 43rd earned a combat streamer for its duties in World War I and six more for missions flown in the Pacific during World War II. afhra. af. mil/. Encyclopedia of US Air Force Aircraft and Missile Systems, vol.2, Post-World War II Bombers 1945-1973. Washington, DC, Office of Air Force History, Maurer, Maurer, ed. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II. Washington, DC, Office of Air Force History
42.
Lockheed EC-130H Compass Call
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The EC-130H Compass Call is an electronic attack aircraft flown by the United States Air Force. Planned upgrades will add the ability to attack early warning and acquisition radars, the EC-130H fleet, which is used to support U. S. and allied tactical air, surface, and special operations forces. Based at Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona, Compass Call can be deployed worldwide at short notice, the EC-130H is one of the four main U. S. electronic warfare aircraft, along with the Boeing EA-18 Growler, Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler, and the F-16CJ Fighting Falcon. These suppress enemy air defenses while jamming communications, radar and command, the EC-130H fleet is composed of a mix of state-of-the-art baseline aircraft. The EC-130H aircraft carries a crew of 13 people. Four members handle aircraft flight and navigation, while nine members operate, the mission crew includes the mission crew commander, weapon system officer, mission crew supervisor, four analysis operators, one acquisition operator and an airborne maintenance technician. Compass Call has been used in Kosovo, Haiti, Panama, Iraq, Serbia, Afghanistan, and elsewhere
43.
316th Air Division
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The 316th Airlift Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe, assigned to Seventeenth Air Force, being stationed at Ramstein Air Base and it was inactivated on 1 May 1991. Established as 316 Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy on 4 August 1944,14 August – c.7 December 1944 Army Service Forces,8 July 1945 United States Strategic Air Forces in the Pacific Eighth Air Force,5 September 1945 Pacific Air Command, U. S. Wing 86th Tactical Fighter,14 June 1985 –1 May 1991, b-29 Superfortress, 1945–1948 F-86 Sabre, 1953–1960 F-100 Super Sabre, 1956–1957 F-16 Falcon, 1985–1991. The 316th Bombardment Wing trained in the United States before transfer to Okinawa in August 1945, assigned units ferried Allied prisoners of war from Japan to the Philippines. In September 1953, the 316th Division manned, equipped, trained and it provided warning and defense against potential hostile air operations against the Moroccan region of North Africa. In 1985, the division gained operational responsibility to implement war and it also provided host support to units in the Kaiserslautern Military Community as well as logistical support for other organizations in the European theater. List of United States Air Force air divisions This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http, //www. afhra. af. mil/
44.
86th Airlift Wing
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The 86th Airlift Wing is a United States Air Force wing, currently assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe. The 86th AW is stationed at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, the wings primary mission is to conduct airlift, airdrop and aeromedical evacuation operations flying the C-21A, C-20H, C-37A, C-40B and C-130J aircraft. The 86th Airlift Wing commander also serves as the Kaiserslautern Military Community commander, originally the 86th Fighter Wing was established and activated on 1 July 1948 at Neubiberg AB, Germany. The exact reporting chain for the 779th EAF is not known, the 86th Fighter Wing was established and activated on 1 July 1948 at Neubiberg AB, Germany. Its initial mission was to air defense, primarily in West Germany with its operational component. Equipped with P Thunderbolts, the 86th was one of two active USAF fighter units in Germany during the postwar years. Over the next years, the 86th underwent several redesignations. In June 1948, the 86th Fighter Wing was stationed at Neubiberg Air Base, in February 1951, the United States and France signed an agreement in which USAF bases in their German occupation zone would be built and made available to USAFE. In late 1952, enough construction was completed at Landstuhl and the 86th Fighter-Bomber Wing was reassigned to the new base, the 86th Wing has been assigned to Ramstein for almost 60 years, with a brief period being inactive or assigned to Zweibrücken Air Base. In March 1958 the 86th Fighter-Bomber Group was inactivated and its squadrons being assigned to the Wing. In May, the 406th FIW at RAF Manston, England was inactivated and its three F-86D squadrons, the 512th, 513th and 514th were reassigned to bases on the continent and were also assigned to the 86th. HQ USAFE decided to uprade the 86th Fighter-Interceptor Wing and centralize command of all the European Air Defense squadrons in USAFE to it, with this change, the 86th Fighter-Interceptor Wing was redesignated the 86th Air Division on 18 November 1960. On 1 November 1969, the Air Force reactivated the 86th Tactical Fighter Wing at Zweibrücken and it received its first flying unit, the 17th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, on 12 January 1970. The 17th TRS and its McDonnell Douglas RF-4C Phantom IIs was reassigned to the 86th TFW from the inactivating 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at RAF Upper Heyford, Squadron tail code for the 17th TRS was initially ZS, then was recoded to ZR in 1971. For 18 months the 17th was the operational squadron on the base. The 81st TFS, however remained a part of the 50th TFW but was detached from the operational control. Squadron tail code for the 81st TFS was ZS, in 1972, tail codes for all 86th TFW aircraft at Zweibrücken were standardized as ZR, per AFM 66-1, when squadron tail codes were eliminated. However, with reconnaissance aircraft at Zweibrücken the 86th Tactical Fighter Wings designation did not coincide with the wings mission
45.
512th Fighter Squadron
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The 512th Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 86th Fighter-Interceptor Wing, based at Ramstein Air Base, converted to a Fighter-Bomber squadron and deployed to the European Theater of Operations in March 1944. Entered combat with P-47 Thunderbolts in May when the Allies were preparing for the invasion of the Continent, helped prepare the way for the Allied breakthrough at St Lo on 25 July Moved to the Continent early in August 1944 and continued to provide tactical air support for ground forces. Aided the Allied drive across France, operated closely with ground forces, shifted operations from the Saar basin to the Ardennes and assisted the beleaguered garrison at Bastogne after the Germans had launched the counteroffensive that precipitated the Battle of the Bulge. Operated almost exclusively within a radius of Bastogne from 23–27 December 1944, attacking tanks, vehicles, defended buildings. Flew escort, interdiction, and close-support missions in the Ruhr Valley early in 1945 and thus assisted Allied ground forces in their drive to and across the Rhine. Remained in Europe after V-E Day, being assigned to United States Air Forces in Europe for duty in Bremen, inactivated on 20 August 1946, personnel and equipment being assigned to 86th Fighter Group keeping with Air Force policy of having low-numbered units active as much as possible. Reactivated in England as an air defense squadron in July 1952 and assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe Third Air Force. Tasked with both fighter-bomber and air defense roles in the United Kingdom, in the fall of 1953, the squadron was re-equipped with F-86F Sabres which were returned from action in Korea. In 1956, the unit was upgraded to the F-86D Sabre interceptor version, host 406th FIW was inactivated in March 1958. Reassigned to the 86th Fighter-Bomber Wing at Ramstein AB, West Germany, operated from Sembach until July 1959 when the F-86s were withdrawn from Europe and host wing was inactivated. Reactivated as an F-4E Phantom II squadron at Ramstein AB in 1976 when the 36th TFW at Bitburg AB received F-15As, upgraded to F-16 Fighting Falcons when 86th TFW converted from F-4 Phantom IIs in 1985. Supported numerous military units located in the area and participated in exercises that provided the wing with air combat tactics training essential to their mission. With the influx of C-130 personnel, the 512th FS was inactivated on 1 October 1994, with its aircraft and personnel also being moved to Aviano AB, Italy, being assigned to the 510th Fighter Squadron. 31 January 1945 Asch Airfield, Belgium, c.6 February 1945 Münster-Handorf Airfield, Germany, Maurer, Maurer, ed. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Washington, DC, Office of Air Force History
46.
526th Fighter Squadron
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The 526th Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 86th Operations Group, based at Ramstein Air Base and it was inactivated on 1 July 1994. Initially activated as an A-20 Havoc dive-bomber squadron in the southeast, was realigned to an A-24 Banshee fighter-bomber squadron and re-designated from the 310th to 526th Fighter-Bomber Squadron in August 1943. Was deployed to Twelfth Air Force in North Africa in May 1943, flying operations began 15 May from Médiouna Airfield, near Casablanca, French Morocco. Moved eastward supporting the Fifth Army with close air support missions, in the North African Campaign, the squadron engaged German positions in Tunisia. In July, initial elements of the moved to Sicily. From the Gela West airfield, begin flying combat missions, supporting the 1st Division of II Army Corps, on 27 August, the squadron provided air support for the first Allied landings on the European mainland at Salerno, Italy. On 10 September, three days after the invasion of Salerno, advance echelons of the moved to Sele Airfield. Enemy shelling of the beaches caused considerable difficulty during the move, moved north through Italy during the Italian Campaign, supported Allied forces by attacking enemy lines of communication, troop concentrations and supply areas. In April 1944 the squadron attacked the German Gustav Line and it also attacked rail and road targets and strafed German troop and supply columns during late spring. While Strangle did not significantly cut into German supplies, it did disrupt enemy tactical mobility and was a factor in the Allies’ eventual breakthrough. During this period the squadron received P-40 Warhawks to augment its aging A-36s, the squadron welcomed its first P-47 Thunderbolts a few weeks later, on 23 June. Moved to Corsica in July 1944, from Poretta Airfield, the squadron flew bombing missions against coastal defenses in direct support of Operation Dragoon, the Allied invasion of southern France 15 August 1944. Allied forces met little resistance as they moved inland twenty miles in the first twenty-four hours, the squadron also conducted armed reconnaissance against the enemy in the Po Valley region. The squadron transferred from Tantonville to Braunshardt Airfield, near Darmstadt, Germany, just after the war, the squadron performed military occupation duty in Germany, with personnel demobilizing throughout the summer. The squadrons last personnel were sent back to the United States from AAF Station Schweinfurt, Germany, on 15 February 1946, the squadron was reactivated in the postwar era 20 August 1946 at Nordholz Airbase, Germany equipped with surplus P-47 Thunderbolts from storage depots in Europe. Over the next years, the squadron underwent several redesignations. In June 1948, the squadron was moved to Neubiberg Air Base, the squadron relocated to a new base, located west of the Rhine River near Kaiserslautern, West Germany in 1952
47.
377th Combat Support Wing
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The 377th Air Base Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. The wing has been the host unit at Kirtland since January 1993 and it was activated on 1 January 1993, when Air Force Materiel Command assumed responsibility for operating the base from Air Mobility Command. The wing was first organized in 1966 as the 377th Combat Support Group at Tan Son Nhut Airport, in 1972, it was expanded to wing level and gained a tactical flying mission. It began phasing down in early 1973 and transferred most of its assets to the Vietnamese Air Force before inactivating. The wing is made up of approximately 1,200 active-duty military,591 federal civilians and 720 contractors assigned, the 377th replaced the 6250th Combat Support Group, which had acted as host for Tan Son Nhut since the 33d Tactical Group was inactivated the previous year. It became responsible for operation and maintenance of USAF portion of Tan Son Nhut until it was inactivated in March 1973, in Vietnam, the groups responsibilities included housing numerous tenant organizations including Seventh Air Force, base defense, and liaison with South Vietnamese Air Force. While serving in this capacity the 377th underwent numerous enemy attacks and it was also responsible for Binh Thuy Air Base, South Vietnam between 12 May and 1 July 1970. The group provided support for Seventh Air Force flying operations with from June to December 1966, from this date it also supported Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft deployed to the control of the 834th Air Division. These units had all been assigned to the 315th Tactical Airlift Wing, the wing operated the Southeast Asia Central Instructor Pilots School, in which the 360th Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron used C/EC-47s, from 15 February until about November 1972. It resumed base flight operations at Tan Son Nhut in January 1972, operating and maintaining C-47, C-118, and T-39 aircraft. It was replaced on 20 June 1972 by Detachment 1 of the wing headquarters, the detachment continued operations through 11 February 1973. As the wing phased down for inactivation from February 1973, it transferred many assets to South Vietnamese Air Force, in June 1985 the wing was redesignated the 377th Combat Support Wing and reactivated at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, where it replaced the 86th Combat Support Group. The 377th Air Base Wing has since provided support to operations to more than 100 associate units in more than 2000 buildings. To support this mission, the 377th Air Base Wing has the largest security forces squadron in the command, in November 2009 the wing, commanded by Colonel Michael S. Duvall, failed its nuclear surety inspection. Duvall was kept on as commander to fix the problem and the wing subsequently passed its re-inspection less than 90 days later, on 1 October 2015 the wing began reporting to Twentieth Air Force and Air Force Global Strike Command instead of Air Force Material Command. The 377th Air Base Wing carries out nuclear, readiness, and it operates the airfield for Air Force operations, prepares personnel to deploy worldwide and keeps the base secure. It supports the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, the 58th Special Operations Wing, the 150th Special Operations Wing of the New Mexico Air National Guard, as Kirtlands host organization, the 377th Air Base Wing supports base operations. It ensures the people living and working on Kirtland have the support to conduct their jobs
48.
26th Information Operations Wing
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The 26th Information Operations Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with United States Air Forces in Europe at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, the wing was first established during World War II as the 5th Photographic Group with Twelfth and Fifteenth Air Forces in the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations. The 26th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing operated under the direction of Strategic Air Command from 1952 until 1958, the two units were consolidated in 1965 as the 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing and served for the next twenty-six years with United States Air Forces Europe. The wing was inactivated on 31 July 1991, the wing was activated again as the 26th Intelligence Wing in late 1991. However, by the time the group moved overseas in August 1943, only the 23d, the unit operated primarily with Lockheed F-5 Lightnings, ranging as far as Germany and Poland. It also flew photographic missions with its Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress. The 5th Group provided photographic coverage for landing areas for Operation Shingle and it flew missions to northwestern France to photograph rail targets to be attacked in preparation for Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy in June 1944. Closer to home, it performed similar missions for Operation Dragoon, the group remained in Italy after VE Day until October 1945, when it returned to the United States and was inactivated on arrival at the Port of Embarkation. The wing performed strategic reconnaissance and air refueling missions, the wing became non-operational in April 1958 and was inactivated in July. The 5th Group and 26th Wing were consolidated in 1965 as the 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, exercising control of a deployed Aerospace Defense Command squadron, it also performed electronic countermeasure training through the late 1960s. From 1968 to 1973, it added an air defense responsibility and it performed day and night visual and photographic reconnaissance. From the fall of 1972 to spring of 1973 the wing also had a special operations mission, with the end of the Cold War in 1990, the wing was gradually phased down. In addition, the 1960s-era McDonnell RF-4C Phantoms were increasingly costing more and more to maintain, Tactical reconnaissance was being handled by other means, and the need for the wing was becoming less critical to USAFE planners. As a result, the RF-4Cs of the wing were sent to AMARC on 1 April 1991, the wing was inactivated on 31 July 1991. The 26th Intelligence Wing was activated in October and it was renamed the 26th Information Operations Wing in 2000 and inactivated in 2006. 1 January 1985 -15 March 1985 7426th Tactical Reconnaissance Intelligence Support Squadron,15 March 1985 - c, Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Washington, DC, Office of Air Force History, Maurer, Maurer, ed. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II. Washington, DC, Office of Air Force History, Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977
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U.S. European Command
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This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.
