86th Airlift Wing: Difference between revisions
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===Operational history=== |
===Operational history=== |
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[[Image:86fw-1940s.jpg|left|80px|]] |
[[Image:86fw-1940s.jpg|left|80px|]] |
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Activated on 10 Feb 1942, the 86th Fighter Group at Will Rogers Field, near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, trained in the United States for several months until moving to [[North Africa]] in September 1942, being assigned to the [[Twelfth Air Force]] Northwest African Training Command, at La Senia, [[Algeria]] in early May 1943. |
Activated on 10 Feb 1942, the 86th Fighter Group at Will Rogers Field, near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, trained in the United States for several months until moving to [[North Africa]] in September 1942, being assigned to the [[Twelfth Air Force]] Northwest African Training Command, at La Senia, [[Algeria]] in early May 1943. |
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In July, 1944 the group moved to the island of [[Corsica]], from which it attacked enemy-held road and rail networks in northern Italy. It supported the [[Operation Dragoon|Allied invasion of southern France]] in August, the 86th escorted [[bomber]]s attacking coastal defenses. In September the group moved back to Italy and began attacking transportation lines in the [[Po Valley]]. In February 1945, the group moved into southeast France and began attacking enemy targets such as rail lines, roads, supply dumps, and airdromes in southern [[Germany]]. The group again moved, this time to Germany, in April. It earned a second DUC for concentrated attacks on enemy transportation targets on [[20 April]]. By [[8 May]], the group had flown a total of 3,645 combat missions. |
In July, 1944 the group moved to the island of [[Corsica]], from which it attacked enemy-held road and rail networks in northern Italy. It supported the [[Operation Dragoon|Allied invasion of southern France]] in August, the 86th escorted [[bomber]]s attacking coastal defenses. In September the group moved back to Italy and began attacking transportation lines in the [[Po Valley]]. In February 1945, the group moved into southeast France and began attacking enemy targets such as rail lines, roads, supply dumps, and airdromes in southern [[Germany]]. The group again moved, this time to Germany, in April. It earned a second DUC for concentrated attacks on enemy transportation targets on [[20 April]]. By [[8 May]], the group had flown a total of 3,645 combat missions. |
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Just after the [[war]], the group performed [[military occupation|occupation]] duty at Braunschardt and [[Schweinfurt]] Germany as part of the [[United States Air Forces in Europe]] It moved without personnel or equipment to [[Bolling AFB|Bolling Field]] in [[Washington, D.C.]], in February, 1946, where it inactivated at the end of March. |
Just after the [[war]], the group performed [[military occupation|occupation]] duty at Braunschardt and [[Schweinfurt]] Germany as part of the [[United States Air Forces in Europe]] It moved without personnel or equipment to [[Bolling AFB|Bolling Field]] in [[Washington, D.C.]], in February, 1946, where it inactivated at the end of March. |
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==== Postwar Years ==== |
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[[Image:F-47-526thfw-Neubiberg.jpg|thumb|F-47D's of the 526th Fighter Squadron at Neubiberg Air Base]] |
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The 86th Fighter Group was reactivated in Germany on 20 Aug 1946, being assigned to USAFE and being stationed at [[Nordholz|Nordholz Air Base]], near [[Bremerhaven]]. Equipped with [[P-47|P (later F-47) Thunderbolts]], the 86th was one of two active USAF fighter units in Germany (the other being the 36th FG) during the immediate postwar years. Over the next several years, the 86th underwent several redesignations and several station assignments in occupied Germany. In June 1948, the '''86th Fighter Group''' was stationed at [[Neubiberg Air Base]], near [[Munich]] when tensions with the [[Soviet Union]] culminated in the [[Berlin Blockade]]. |
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At the dawn of the [[Cold War]], USAFE strength was low both in quantity and quality. The wartime [[P-47|F-47s]] of the 86th Fighter Group |
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==== Cold War ==== |
==== Cold War ==== |
Revision as of 23:05, 30 September 2008
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86th Airlift Wing | |
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Active | 13 January 1942 — present |
Country | United States |
Branch | Air Force |
Type | Airlift |
Part of | United States Air Forces in Europe |
Garrison/HQ | Ramstein Air Base |
Decorations | Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award |
Commanders | |
Current commander | Colonel William Bender |
Notable commanders | Wilbur L. Creech Robert C. Oaks George B. Simler |
The 86th Airlift Wing (86 AW) 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
Mission
The wing’s primary mission is to conduct airlift, airdrop and aeromedical evacuation operations flying the C-21, C-20H, C-37, C40B and C-130E aircraft. The 86th Airlift Wing commander also serves as the Kaiserslautern Military Community (KMC) commander, leading the largest American community outside the United States.
Units
The 86th Airlift Wing is composed of four groups, 14 squadrons and one detachment. These are:
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The 779th Expeditionary Airlift Flight was activated in January 2008 to administer a rotational deployment of two C-17 Globemaster IIIs to be based at Ramstein AB.[1] The exact reporting chain for the 779th EAF is not known.
History
Lineage
- Constituted as 86th Bombardment Group (Light) on 13 Jan 1942
- Activated on 10 Feb 1942
- Redesignated: 86th Bombardment Group (Dive) in Sep 1942
- Redesignated: 86th Fighter-Bomber Group in Aug 1943
- Redesignated: 86th Fighter Group in May 1944
- Redesignated: 86th Composite Group in May 1947
- Redesignated: 86th Fighter Group in Jan 1948
- Established as 86th Fighter Wing, and activated, on 1 Jul 1948
- (86th Fighter Group assigned to wing as subordinate unit)
- Redesignated: 86th Fighter-Bomber Wing on 20 Jan 1950
- Redesignated: 86th Fighter-Interceptor Wing on 9 Aug 1954
- Redesignated: 86th Air Division (Defense) on 18 Nov 1960
- Inactivated on 14 Nov 1968.
- Redesignated: 86th Fighter-Interceptor Wing on 14 Nov 1968
- Redesignated: 86th Tactical Fighter Wing on 13 Oct 1969.
- Activated on 1 Nov 1969
- Redesignated: 86th Fighter Wing on 1 May 1991
- Redesignated: 86th Wing on 1 Jun 1992
- Redesignated: 86th Airlift Wing on 1 Oct 1994.
Assignments
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Major Components
Group
- 86 Fighter (later, 86 Fighter-Bomber; 86 Fighter-Interceptor; 86 Tactical Fighter; 86 Operations)
- 1 Jul 1948-8 Mar 1958; 22 Sep 1975-14 Jun 1985; 1 May 1991-.
Squadrons
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Bases assigned
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Aircraft operated
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Operational history
World War II
Activated on 10 Feb 1942, the 86th Fighter Group at Will Rogers Field, near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, trained in the United States for several months until moving to North Africa in September 1942, being assigned to the Twelfth Air Force Northwest African Training Command, at La Senia, Algeria in early May 1943.
In the Western Desert Campaign, the 86th flew A-36 Mustangs, P-40 Warhawks and later P-47 Thunderbolts engaging primarily in close support of ground forces, beginning in early July against German positions in Tunisia. Later that month, the group moved to Sicily, where it attacked German forces retreating across the island and evacuating to the southern coast of the Italian mainland.
The 86th provided air support for Allied landings at Salerno in September 1943 and later that month moved from Sicily to the beachhead area. During the winter of 1943-1944, the group supported advancing Allied forces in Italy by attacking enemy lines of communication, troop concentrations, and supply areas. It also attacked rail and road targets and strafed German troop and supply columns during late spring, earning a Distinguished Unit Citation (DCU) for outstanding action against the enemy on 25 May.
In July, 1944 the group moved to the island of Corsica, from which it attacked enemy-held road and rail networks in northern Italy. It supported the Allied invasion of southern France in August, the 86th escorted bombers attacking coastal defenses. In September the group moved back to Italy and began attacking transportation lines in the Po Valley. In February 1945, the group moved into southeast France and began attacking enemy targets such as rail lines, roads, supply dumps, and airdromes in southern Germany. The group again moved, this time to Germany, in April. It earned a second DUC for concentrated attacks on enemy transportation targets on 20 April. By 8 May, the group had flown a total of 3,645 combat missions.
Just after the war, the group performed occupation duty at Braunschardt and Schweinfurt Germany as part of the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE). It moved without personnel or equipment to Bolling Field in Washington, D.C., in February, 1946, where it inactivated at the end of March.
Postwar Years
The 86th Fighter Group was reactivated in Germany on 20 Aug 1946, being assigned to USAFE and being stationed at Nordholz Air Base, near Bremerhaven. Equipped with P (later F-47) Thunderbolts, the 86th was one of two active USAF fighter units in Germany (the other being the 36th FG) during the immediate postwar years. Over the next several years, the 86th underwent several redesignations and several station assignments in occupied Germany. In June 1948, the 86th Fighter Group was stationed at Neubiberg Air Base, near Munich when tensions with the Soviet Union culminated in the Berlin Blockade.
At the dawn of the Cold War, USAFE strength was low both in quantity and quality. The wartime F-47s of the 86th Fighter Group
Cold War
It was activated again in Germany later that year for occupation duty. The 86th provided air defense, primarily in West Germany, July 1948–November 1968, initially as a wing but later as an air division. During its eight years as an air division, the organization supervised the improvement of a manual radar system to a semi-automatic air weapons control system. From November 1969 to June 1971, it was charged only with tactical reconnaissance, but added tactical fighter operations later in 1971. Between September 1975 and June 1985, the wing trained and provided tactical air capability in Europe for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). After activation again in Germany in May 1991, deployed to Turkey and flew fighter missions to enforce no-fly zones in northern Iraq and Bosnia and Herzegovina, twice attacking Iraqi surface-to-air missile (SAM) sites in northern Iraq.
Post Cold-War
The 86th gained some airlift capability in 1992 and became strictly an airlift unit in 1994, trading its F-16 fighters for C-130 transports. During the 1990s, the wing supported peacekeeping and humanitarian aid airlift operations in the Balkans, Africa, and Southwest Asia.
Operations
- World War II
- Operation Iraqi Freedom
- Operation Enduring Freedom
- Operation Northern Watch
- Operation Support Hope
- Operation Unified Assistance
Photo Gallery
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F-47D's of the 526th Fighter Squadron, 1949
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Republic F-84E-5-RE Thunderjet Serial 49-2133 of the 527th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 1953
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North American F-86F-25-NH Sabre Serial 51-13194 of the 527th Fighter-Bomber Squadron - 1954
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North American F-86D-45-NA Sabres of the 514th Fighter-Inteceptor Squadron - 1958. In front is Serial 52-4133
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Convair TF-102A-20-CO Delta Dagger Serial 54-1366 of the 526th FIS, 1962.
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McDonnell Douglas F-4E-55-MC Phantom 68-0517 and General Dynamics F-16C Block 25E Fighting Falcon 84-296 of the 526th TFS, flying in formation, 1985.
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Lockheed C-130E Hercules of the 37th AS
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The new C-130J model aircraft (99-1431) taxies down the flightline after landing Nov. 8, 2007
Unit shields
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86 OG
Decorations
The 86th Airlift Wing has been awarded the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award six times.[2]
- Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
- 1 Jul 93 - 30 Jun 95
- 1 Jul 96 - 30 Jun 97
- 24 Mar 99 - 10 Jun 99
- 1 Jan 01 - 31 Dec 01
- 1 Jan 02 - 31 Dec 02
- 1 Jan 07 - 31 Dec 07
References
- ^ Stars and Stripes, [1]
- ^ Air Force awards and decorations http://www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/library/awards/index.asp
- Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799129.
- USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers--1908 to present