Luke Field/Air Force Base and 56th Fighter Wing Heritage Pamphlet ...

14
56th Fighter Wing Chronology
15 August 1947 56th Fighter Wing activated at Selfridge Field, and assumed
command jurisdiction over 56th Fighter Group. Other
subordinate groups activated as the 56th Airdrome Group,
56th Maintenance and Supply Group, and the 56th Station
Medical Group.
14 July 1948 Sixteen 56th Fighter Wing Lockheed P (later, F)-80 Shooting
Star jets flew first west-to-east crossing of Atlantic by military
jets in 13 days. The mission named Fox Able One proved to the
Soviets USAF's ability to deploy large fighter contingents long
distances in short time.
A 56th Fighter Wing Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star
being loaded with munitions in 1949.
1 December 1948 The wing was reassigned from Strategic Air Command to
Continental Air Command's Tenth Air Force.
25 April 1950 Wing began conversion from F-80s to North American F-86
Sabrejet.
6 February 1952 56th Fighter Wing and 56th Fighter Group inactivated at
Selfridge AFB.
18 August 1955 56th Fighter Group activated at O'Hare International Airport,
Chicago, Illinois.
1 October 1959 56th Fighter Group reassigned to K. I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan.
1 February 1961 56th Fighter Wing activated at K. I. Sawyer AFB.
1 January 1964 56th Fighter Wing inactivated.