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

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6 56th Fighter Wing History The 56th Fighter Wing, one of the most highly decorated aviation units in history, traced its heritage to the 56th Pursuit Group which first activated on 15 January 1941 at Savannah AB, Georgia. The unit was redesignated a fighter group and equipped with the P-47 Thunderbolt when it was reassigned to England. The 56th flew its first combat missions of World War II on 13 April 1943. During its two-year involvement in the air war in Europe, the group damaged or destroyed 1,598.5 enemy aircraft. What seemed incredible was that the 56th posted that record while losing only 25 fighters in aerial combat. The group also produced 40 fighter aces.* After World War II, the 56th Fighter Group was assigned at Selfridge Field, Michigan. On 15 August 1947, the 56th Fighter Wing was activated with the 56th Fighter Group as a subordinate unit. The wing's mission was air defense. The unit wrote another chapter in aviation history when on 14 July 1948 its F-80 Shooting Stars made the first ever westto-east crossing of the Atlantic by military jets. The flight was a month after the Soviets set up their blockade of Berlin, and put the Soviets on notice that this nation had the capability to deploy a large package of military aircraft across the Atlantic in minimum time. The wing was inactivated on 1 January 1964. On 16 March 1967, the 56th activated as 56th Air Commando Wing in Southeast Asia, and redesignated as 56th Special Operations Wing on 1 August 1968. While there, the 56th supported and conducted combat operations against opposing armed enemy forces. Renamed the 56th Tactical Fighter Wing, the wing was reassigned to MacDill Air Force Base (AFB), Florida, on 1 June 1975 and conducted combat aircrew training in the F-4 and later fighter training in the F-16. When the military downsized in the early 1990’s, one step removed the fighter aircraft from MacDill. However, the renamed 56th Fighter Wing would remain part of the active fighter force. On 1 April 1994, the 56th Fighter Wing was reassigned to Luke AFB. Today, the 56th Fighter Wing, a unit which historically has proven to have some of the world’s greatest fighter pilots, continues the mission that has been identified with Luke AFB since 1941: "Training the world’s greatest F-16 fighter pilots and maintainers while deploying mission ready warfighters." NOTE: * There is more below about the 56th Fighter Group which today is the 56th Operations Group.
7 56th Fighter Wing Commander BRIGADIER GENERAL MICHAEL D. ROTHSTEIN Brig. Gen. Michael D. Rothstein is the Commander, 56th Fighter Wing, Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. The wing's mission is to train the world’s greatest F-16 pilots and maintainers while deploying mission-ready warfighters. As part of Air Education and Training Command, and home to 138 F-16 aircraft and 24 squadrons, the 56th is the largest fighter wing in the U.S. Air Force and graduates more than 300 F-16 pilots and 500 crew chiefs annually. The wing oversees the Gila Bend Air Force Auxiliary Field and is steward of the Barry M. Goldwater Range, a military training range spanning more than 1.7 million acres of Sonoran desert.
Page 1 and 2: Luke Field/Air Force Base and 56th
Page 3 and 4: 3 Table of Contents 56th Fighter Wi
Page 5: 5 Luke Field/AFB Primary Aircraft 2
Page 9 and 10: 9 11. December 2005 - May 2007, stu
Page 11 and 12: 11 12 August 1943 First time belly
Page 13 and 14: 13 13 April 1945 Group fighters att
Page 15 and 16: 15 16 March 1967 56th Fighter Wing
Page 17 and 18: 17 4 January 1994 56th Fighter Wing
Page 19 and 20: 19 1 July 1995 LANTIRN confidence c
Page 21 and 22: 21 30 November 1997 Wing's mission
Page 23 and 24: 23 27 March 1999 Jet losses caused
Page 25 and 26: 25 20 September 2000 Northern depar
Page 27 and 28: 27 13 November 2001 944th Fighter W
Page 29 and 30: 29 21 August 2002 The (Representati
Page 31 and 32: 31 16 May 2003 Dysart School Distri
Page 33 and 34: 33 14 October 2003 Fish and Wildlif
Page 35 and 36: 35 14 July 2004 First purchase of 1
Page 37 and 38: 37 25 May 2005 Contingent from Poli
Page 39 and 40: 39 2 September 2006 Sixteen-member
Page 41 and 42: 41 1 October 2007 Life support/surv
Page 43 and 44: 43 30 September 2008 State sued Mar
Page 45 and 46: 45 15-29 January 2011 310th Fighter
Page 47 and 48: 47 56th Fighter Wing Lineage 56th F
Page 49 and 50: 49 Decorations. Distinguished Unit
Page 51 and 52: 51 Previously Assigned Units Time F
Page 53 and 54: 53 Previously Assigned Units (Conti
Page 55 and 56: 55 Assignments. Fifteenth Air Force
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57 Wing Commanders 56th Fighter Win
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59 56th Fighter Wing [1 October 199
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61 56th Comptroller Squadron Lineag
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63 Significance. Ultramarine blue a
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65 Campaign Streamers. World War II
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67 Group - 667 Total Aerial Victory
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69 Assignments. Southeast Air Distr
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71 56th Operations Group [1 Novembe
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73 56th Operations Support Squadron
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75 Commanders. 56th Airdrome Squadr
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77 Distinguished Unit Citations Ala
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79 Commanders. 56th Pursuit Squadro
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81 21st Fighter Squadron Lineage. C
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83 Stations. Seymour-Johnson Field,
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85 Commanders. (Continued) Lt Col C
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87 Honors. Service Streamers. World
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89 Assignments. 56th Pursuit (later
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91 Commanders. 62d Pursuit Squadron
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93 62d Tactical Fighter Training Sq
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95 Vietnam: Vietnam Defensive [1965
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97 Unknown, 1 May-3 July 1963; 7231
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99 Commanders. 308th Pursuit Squadr
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101 308th Tactical Fighter Squadron
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103 Honors. Campaign Streamers. Wor
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105 Squadron - 173.75 Total Aerial
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107 Official Motto. None. Significa
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109 309th Tactical Fighter Training
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111 Decorations. Distinguished Unit
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113 Aircraft and Missiles. Bell P-3
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115 Commanders. (Continued) Lt Col
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117 Decorations. (Continued) Air Fo
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119 Commanders. 425th Night Fighter
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121 56th Maintenance Group Col Vict
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123 Previously Assigned Units (Cont
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125 Commanders. (Continued) Lt Col
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129 56th Aircraft Maintenance Squad
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131 Motto. Can Do. Significance. Bl
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133 56th Component Maintenance Squa
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137 Commanders. 56th Armament and E
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139 56th Equipment Maintenance Squa
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141 Air Force Outstanding Unit Awar
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143 Commanders. Maintenance Squadro
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145 56th Equipment Maintenance Squa
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147 Aircraft. None. Emblem. Approve
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149 Activated on 1 April 1994. 674
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Page 153 and 154:
153 Previously Assigned Units (Cont
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155 56th Combat Support Group [1 Ap
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157 56th Civil Engineer Squadron Li
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161 Commanders. Squadron "C," 56th
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163 56th Contracting Squadron Linea
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165 Commanders. 56th Contracting Sq
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169 56th Force Support Squadron Lin
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173 Commanders. Squadron "D,” 56t
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175 56th Logistics Readiness Squadr
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Page 179 and 180:
179 Significance. Ultramarine blue
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181 56th Logistics Readiness Squadr
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183 Honors. Campaign Streamers. Vie
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185 Assignments. 56th Airdrome Grou
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187 Commanders. (Continued) Maj Car
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191 Commanders. USAF Regional Hospi
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193 56th Medical Operations Squadro
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195 56th Aerospace Medicine Squadro
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197 Commanders. 56th Aerospace Medi
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199 Emblem. Approved on 5 November
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201 Emblem. Approved on 15 November
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203 Luke Field/AFB Chronology World
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205 April 1943 First US P-40 fighte
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207 2 May 1952 Federal government t
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209 1 July 1957 The 3600th Flying T
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211 27 September 1962 F-86F program
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213 18 January 1970 311th Tactical
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215 23 June 1976 Second F-15 squadr
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217 16 March 1983 USAF/German AF F-
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219 2 May 1986 Arizona Senate Bill
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221 October 1989 832d Air Division
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223 30 December 1992 425th Fighter
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225 1 April 1994 58th Fighter Wing
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227 58th Tactical Fighter Training
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229 405th Tactical Training Wing (2
Page 231 and 232:
231 Luke Field/AFB Primary Aircraft
Page 233 and 234:
233 F-16 Flying Hour Programs FY83
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235 56th Fighter Wing ORGANIZATION
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