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23rd Wing
23rd Wing's assets (circa 2015)
Active	1948–1949; 1951–1952; 1964–1992; 1992–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Close Air Support, Combat Search and Rescue
Size	5000 personnel
Part of	Air Combat Command Fifteenth Air Force
Garrison/HQ	Moody Air Force Base, Georgia
Nickname(s)	Flying Tigers
Motto(s)	Attack, Rescue, Prevail. Tigers Lead
Mascot(s)	Tiger with Wings
Engagements	Asia-Pacific Theater World War II 1991 Gulf War (Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation of Kuwait)
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Meritorious Unit Award Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Commanders
Current commander	Colonel Paul E. Sheets
Deputy Commander	Colonel Ben Rudolphi
Command Chief	Chief Master Sergeant Justin L. Geers
Notable commanders	Michael Dugan James V. Hartinger
Insignia
23rd Wing emblem (Approved 24 January 1957)

The 23rd Wing is a front-line United States Air Force Air Combat Command wing currently assigned to Moody Air Force Base, Georgia.

Mission

The mission of the 23rd Wing is to organize, train and employ combat-ready Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, HC-130J and HH-60W, as well as pararescuemen and force protection assets. It consists of approximately 5,000 military and civilian personnel, including a geographically separated unit (GSU) at Avon Park Air Force Range, Florida.

Units

The 23rd Wing consists of the following groups:

• 347th Rescue Group (HH-60W, HC-130J)

38th Rescue Squadron

41st Rescue Squadron

71st Rescue Squadron

347th Operations Support Squadron

• 23rd Fighter Group (A-10C)

74th Fighter Squadron

75th Fighter Squadron

23rd Operations Support Squadron

598th Range Squadron (MacDill AFB and Avon Park Air Force Range)

• 23rd Mission Support Group

23rd Civil Engineer Squadron

23rd Communication Squadron

23rd Contracting Squadron

23rd Logistics Readiness Squadron

23rd Force Support Squadron

23rd Security Forces Squadron

• 23rd Medical Group

23rd Healthcare Operations Squadron

23rd Operational Medical Readiness Squadron

• 23rd Maintenance Group

23rd Munitions Squadron

23rd Maintenance Squadron

41st Rescue Generation Squadron

71st Rescue Generation Squadron

74th Fighter Generation Squadron

75th Fighter Generation Squadron

• 23rd Comptroller Squadron

History

Postwar era

The 23rd Fighter Wing was activated on 10 August 1948 at Northwest Guam Air Force Base, Guam as part of the Wing-Base organization plan, which prescribed a standard organizational setup for all USAF bases worldwide. The plan called for the creation of a wing headquarters that established policy and supervised four functional groups: an operational group, an air base group, a maintenance and supply group, and a medical group. The 23rd Fighter Group was assigned as the operational group under the new 23rd Fighter Wing. The wing was assigned to Twentieth Air Force.

The 23rd's mission on Guam was to provide air defense of the island. The 23rd Fighter Group was assigned the 74th, 75th and 76th Fighter Squadrons, being equipped with Republic F-47 Thunderbolts.

The 23rd Fighter Wing was reassigned to Howard Air Force Base, Panama Canal Zone, in April 1949, where it also acquired a squadron of Lockheed RF-80 Shooting Stars. The 23rd Fighter Wing conducted air defense of the Canal Zone under the Caribbean Air Command until it was again inactivated on 24 September 1949.

Air Defense Command

Reactivated on 12 January 1951, at Presque Isle Air Force Base, Maine, the wing was redesignated the 23rd Fighter-Interceptor Wing with the 74th and 75th Fighter-Interceptor Squadrons assigned, as part of the Air Defense Command (ADC). Equipped with North American F-86 Sabre, North American F-51 Mustang, Northrop F-89D Scorpion and F-80 Shooting Star aircraft, its mission was to provide air defense for the northeastern United States during the Korean War and conduct basic training for about 500 Air Force recruits. The 23rd was inactivated 6 February 1952 along with the 23rd Fighter-Interceptor Group. The Wing's equipment and personnel were transferred to the 4711th Defense Wing, which had been organized at Presque Isle on 1 February 1952.

Tactical Air Command

McConnell Air Force Base

Following its longest period of inactivation, the group was organized as the 23rd Tactical Fighter Wing on 8 February 1964, at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, under Tactical Air Command and Twelfth Air Force. The 23 TFW was activated to replace the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing at McConnell after its deployment to Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. Squadrons of the 23 TFW were:

• 561st Tactical Fighter Squadron
• 562nd Tactical Fighter Squadron
• 563rd Tactical Fighter Squadron
• 560th Tactical Fighter Squadron (28 January 1964 – 25 September 1968)
• 4519th Combat Crew Training Squadron (later 4519th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron) (1 August 1967 – 16 October 1969)
• 419th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron (15 October 1969 – 8 May 1971)

Squadron markings on the natural metal / silver lacquered aircraft included the following: 561 TFS – black/yellow checkerboarding on rudder; 562 TFS – a red, white and black "sharkmouth" on the nose of the aircraft; 563rd Squadron red and white stripes on the rudder, wingtips and stabilizers with a white band on the top of the vertical fin.

When Southeast Asian camouflaged, the squadrons carried the following tail codes: 561 TFS "MD"; 562 TFS "ME"; 563 TFS "MF", and later the 4519th and 419th TFTS "MG".

Flying the Republic Aviation F-105D/G "Thunderchief" aircraft, the mission of the 23 TFW at McConnell was to provide training for Thud pilots prior to their deployment to Southeast Asia. The 560th acted as a combat training squadron, while the other three squadrons began rotational TDY deployments to Southeast Asia beginning in November 1964.

In February 1965, when the 23 TFW deployed three squadrons (the 561st, 562nd and 563rd) to Southeast Asia for combat, these units were initially under the control of the 2nd Air Division. Later, the 6441 TFW (P) was activated at Takhli RTAFB in July 1965, taking control of the 23rd's squadrons deployed there. It was during this five-month tour that the 563rd TFS lost 10 of its 18 F-105's deployed and was awarded two Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards with Combat "V" for Valor. In addition to the deployments to Thailand, detachments of the 561 TFS also deployed to Da Nang Air Base RVN for operations within the borders of the Republic of Vietnam.

On 1 August 1967, the 4519th Combat Crew Training squadron was added to the 23rd, and the 560th Tactical Fighter Squadron was inactivated on 25 September 1968.

The wing maintained proficiency in tactical fighter operations, and later also functioned as an F-105 replacement training unit and assisted Air National Guard units in their conversion to the F-105 when the Thunderchief left first-line service. For the dual role it played from June 1970 to June 1971 as both an operational and a training unit, the wing received the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award in March 1971. Two of its squadrons, the 562nd and 563rd, also received the same award for their duty in Vietnam during 1965, but with the combat "V" added, the 563rd receiving two such awards in a five-month period. For its participation in Linebacker I and Linebacker II during 1972 the 561st (Wild Weasels) received the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V".

During combat operations in Southeast Asia, the 562 TFS lost three aircraft, while the 563 TFS lost eleven aircraft.

On 1 July 1972 the 23 TFW was transferred to England Air Force Base Louisiana and the 561, 562 and 563 TFS were assigned to the 35 TFW at George Air Force Base California.

England Air Force Base

The 23rd Tactical Fighter Wing moved "on paper" without people or equipment to England Air Force Base, Louisiana, 1 July 1972 and took over the assets and personnel of the 4403rd Tactical Fighter Wing. Assigned to the Ninth Air Force, the wing activated all three of its original World War II fighter units – the 74th, 75th and 76th Tactical Fighter Squadrons for the first time since 1949, and began operations with the Ling-Temco-Vought A-7D Corsair II aircraft.

Squadron markings were a blue tail stripe, later adding white stars and a "74" in 1979 for the 74 TFS; s white outlined black tail stripe, later changed to black and white checkered for the 75 TFS, and a red tail stripe with white stars and a "76" for the 76 TFS. All 23 TFW aircraft carried the "EL" tail code at England.

On 5 July 1973, the 74 TFS deployed to Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, on temporary duty with the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing (Deployed) from Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, South Carolina. The 74th replaced the 354th Tactical Fighter Squadron from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona that had completed its temporary duty. For just over a month, until the cessation of all U.S. bombing on 15 August 1973, the 74 TFS supported the air war activities in Cambodia, accounting for the destruction of 311 enemy structures, 25 ground artillery and missile sites, three bridges and 9,500 cubic meters of supplies. The 74 TFS returned to England on 28 December 1973.

The 23 TFW took part in a variety of operational exercises both in the United States and overseas, including tactical bombing competitions against the Royal Air Force at RAF Lossiemouth, Scotland, during October 1977 and July 1978. In both events, A-7D teams captured the Sir John Mogg Team Trophy.

On 23 September 1980, the 74 TFS received the 23 TFW's first operational Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft. The 75 and 76 TFS received A-10s within the next few months, and the 23 TFW took top honors in Ninth Air Force's tactical bombing competition (Gunpowder 1981) in July, and advanced to TAC's worldwide Gunsmoke 1981 competition at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, in September. The Flying Tigers won six of nine events, including top maintenance and munitions awards, and was the top A-10 unit in the competition. The wing's maintenance complex was also awarded the 1981 Daedalian runner-up trophy, and earned the 1984 Daedalian Aircraft Maintenance Trophy.

Eight of the 23rd's A-7Ds were transferred to the 4450th Tactical Group, based at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada in June 1981, during the transition to the A-10. The 4451st Tactical Squadron at Tonopah Test Range Airport used these aircraft to train F-117 Nighthawk pilots and to provide a cover story for F-117A development.

Operation Urgent Fury, Grenada, Oct/Nov 1983 The 76th Fighter Squadron was deployed to Roosevelt Roads Naval station in Puerto Rico, from where it flew combat missions in support of this operation.

The wing set Air Force records for "mission capable" and "fully mission capable" (meaning an aircraft can meet any mission tasking) rates during fiscal year 1985. The marks, 93.1 percent in MC and 92.8 percent in FMC, topped records set by the wing in 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984.

The wing earned its fourth Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for the period 1 April 1989, to 31 March 1991.

Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm

In response to the buildup of forces following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990, the 74th and 76th Tactical Fighter Squadrons deployed with numerous support personnel, to include pilots and maintainers from the 75th Tactical Fighter Squadron to King Fahd International Airport, Saudi Arabia, attached to the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing (Provisional) as part of Operation Desert Shield. The A-10 deployment was the largest ever fielded and consisted of:

A total of 144 A/OA-10 aircraft were deployed.

Using forward operating locations near the Kuwaiti border as well as King Fahd AB, A-10s made their combat debut in Operation Desert Storm on 17 January 1991. The 23 TFW flew more than 2,700 combat sorties over Iraq and Kuwait while maintaining a mission-capable rate of 95 percent. In addition to providing close air support for ground units, the A-10s performed Combat Search and Rescue and SCUD-hunting missions. The combined efforts of the A-10 units resulted in the confirmed destruction of 987 tanks, 926 artillery pieces, 500 armored personnel carriers, 1,106 trucks, 112 military structures, 96 radars, 72 bunkers, 57 SCUD missile launchers, 50 anti-aircraft artillery batteries, 28 command posts, 11 FROG missiles, nine surface-to-air missile sites, eight fuel tanks and 12 aircraft.

Both squadrons returned to England Air Force Base at the end of March 1991. Support personnel continued to arrive for months after the aircraft redeployment. In October 1990, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission decided that England Air Force Base would be closed by September 1992. A draw down of equipment and personnel began almost immediately.

On 1 October 1991, as part of an Air Force-wide reorganization, the wing designation became 23rd Fighter Wing, and on 1 November 1991, the squadrons also dropped "tactical" from their designations.

On 2 December 1991, the 75th Fighter Squadron was inactivated. The 74 FS was inactivated on 13 February 1992, and the 76 FS on 29 May. The 23rd Fighter Wing's A-10 aircraft were sent to Air National Guard units, and the wing was inactivated on 1 June 1992. England was closed the same day.

Air Combat Command

Pope Air Force Base

The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the end of Cold War tensions led senior defense planners to conclude that the structure of the military establishment which had evolved during the Cold War years was not suited to the new world situation. Senior planners reviewed numerous options before agreeing on the final conclusion—a merger of most strategic and tactical air resources and a reorganization of Military Airlift Command (MAC). In addition, the number of Air Force wings was to be reduced by about one-third to reflect the financial constraints of the post Cold War environment.

These changes led to Pope Air Force Base being transferred to the new Air Combat Command upon the command's activation on 1 June 1992. Also, the existing 317th Airlift Wing at Pope was blended with the newly activated 23rd Operations Group (last assigned to the wing in 1952 as the 23rd Fighter-Interceptor Group) into the new 23rd Wing on 1 June 1992.

In April 1992, A/OA-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft were transferred to the 75th Fighter Squadron from the 353rd Fighter Squadron of the 354th Fighter Wing at Myrtle Beach Air Force Base prior to the wing's inactivation and the 1993 Base Realignment and Closure Commission-mandated closure of Myrtle Beach in January 1993. In June 1993, Block 40 General Dynamics F-16C/D Fighting Falconss were transferred to the 74th Fighter Squadron from the 347th Fighter Wing at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia and the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.

Operational squadrons of the 23rd Wing at Pope were:

• 317th Airlift Group
  • 2nd Airlift Squadron (C-130E) (1 June 1992 – 1 April 1997)
  • 41st Airlift Squadron (C-130E) (16 July 1993 – 1 April 1997)
• 23rd Fighter Group
  • 74th Tactical Fighter Squadron (15 June 1993 – 1 April 1997)
    (F-16C/D 15 June 1993 – 30 June 1996), (A/OA-10A 1 July 1996 – 1 April 1997)
  • 75th Tactical Fighter Squadron (1 April 1992 – 1 April 1997) (A/OA-10A)
• 18th Air Support Group

All aircraft of the 23rd Wing at Pope carried the tail code "FT" (Flying Tigers).

In December 1992, Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft from the 2nd Airlift Squadron deployed to Mombasa, Kenya, to participate in Operation Provide Relief. The aircraft and crews delivered tons of food and other relief supplies to small airstrips throughout Somalia. 23rd Wing C-130s have also been tasked to assist in other humanitarian relief efforts, to include Hurricane Andrew in Florida. They also airdropped relief supplies into Bosnia and Herzegovina and flew relief missions into Sarajevo for more than 28 months.

In September 1994, its C-130s participated in what was to be the largest combat personnel drop since World War II, Operation Uphold Democracy. They were to assist in dropping more than 3,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division onto Port au Prince Airport, Haiti. The invasion force was recalled at the last minute after word that the Haitian president had resigned upon hearing that the aircraft were on their way. The 75th Fighter Squadron's A-10s were deployed their aircraft to Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, where they were scheduled to launch close air support operations for the invasion force before recovering in Puerto Rico.

The first operational deployment of a composite wing happened in October 1994, when Iraqi troops began massing near the Kuwaiti Border. Within 72 hours, 56 aircraft and 1,500 personnel deployed to the Persian Gulf region for Operation Vigilant Warrior. Eventually, the 75th Fighter Squadron redeployed to Al Jaber Air Base, Kuwait, becoming the first U.S. fixed-wing aircraft to be stationed in that country since the end of the Gulf War.

On 1 July 1996, the 74th Fighter Squadron's F-16C/D Fighting Falcons were transferred to the 27th Fighter Wing's 524th Fighter Squadron at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, and the squadron transitioned to A/OA-10 Thunderbolt IIs received from the 20th Fighter Wing's 55th Fighter Squadron at Shaw Air Force Base. This gave the 23rd Group a 2nd A-10 squadron.

On 1 April 1997, the 23rd Wing was downsized and redesignated as the 23rd Fighter Group. The 23rd Operations Group was inactivated and its fighter squadrons assigned to the 23 Fighter Group. The 23rd remained at Pope as an operations group assigned to Air Combat Command 347th Wing at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. The C-130s formerly assigned to the 23rd and Pope Air Force Base were realigned to Air Mobility Command under the 43rd Airlift Wing.

On 27 June 2000, the 23rd Fighter Group was reassigned to the 4th Fighter Wing at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base North Carolina and continued to operate from Pope, after the 347th Wing was redesignated the 347th Rescue Wing. The group as it existed in 2006 consisted of the:

• 74th Fighter Squadron
• 75th Fighter Squadron
• 23rd Operations Support Squadron
• 23rd Maintenance Squadron

Operation Allied Force

In April 1999, the 74 FS deployed five aircraft and 60 personnel to Operation Allied Force, the NATO air campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, intended to stop ethnic cleansing of Albanians by Serbs. The US participation was known as Operation Noble Anvil and officially spanned 24 March 1999 – 10 June 1999. The 74th FS deployed initially to Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany and then forward deployed to Gioia del Colle Air Base, Italy. Designated the 74th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, the unit co-located with the 81st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron of the 51st Fighter Wing to form an expeditionary fighter wing.

The A-10A aircraft provided close air support during missions over the region, provided short-notice alert for combat search and rescue missions and also provided airborne forward air control for NATO fighters attacking Serbian targets found in the Kosovo area.

Operation Enduring Freedom

In March 2002, the 23rd Fighter Group landed the first fighter aircraft inside Afghanistan. They deployed from Al Jaber Air Base, Kuwait, to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. 23rd Fighter Group personnel operated simultaneously in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Southern Watch for nearly seven months.

Operation Iraqi Freedom

In February 2003, the 23rd Fighter Group deployed to Al Jaber Air Base in preparation of Operation Iraqi Freedom, there they launched aircraft to attack Baghdad until the major fighting ceased. They then deployed forward to Tallil Air Base, near An-Nasiriyah.

Milestones

In 2002, an A-10 of the 75th Fighter Squadron passed the 9,000 flying-hour mark, becoming the most flown attack aircraft in Air Force history. This was exceeded in 2005 by another A-10 from the 75th FS that passed the 10,000 flying-hour mark.

Moody Air Force Base

On 29 September 2006, the 347th Rescue Wing at Moody redesignated as the 347th Rescue Group, while the 23rd Fighter Group was redesignated the 23rd Wing. The 23rd Wing has three operations groups, the 347th Rescue Group, along with the original 23rd Fighter Group (last assigned to the wing at Pope AFB as the 23rd Operations Group), and the 563rd Rescue Group at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona and Nellis AFB, Nevada.

The 23rd Fighter Group was reassigned to the 23rd Wing as a second operations group at Moody AFB in a ceremony held on 18 August 2006. The 23rd Fighter Group transferred its personnel and equipment from Pope AFB in December 2007 with that installation's transfer to the U.S. Army and redesignation as Pope Field. There are currently two operational active duty A-10C squadrons at Moody AFB plus one Air Force Reserve associate squadron. In addition, twelve additional A-10 aircraft from the 355th Fighter Squadron of the 354th Fighter Wing at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska were transferred to the 23rd Fighter Group as a result of BRAC 2005.

On 1 October 2018, the 563rd Rescue Group realigned under the 355th Wing at Davis-Monthan AFB. At this time, the 23rd Wing consisted of two operational groups: 23rd Fighter Group and the 347th Rescue Group.

On 1 July 2021, the 23rd Munitions Squadron activated and aligned under the 23rd Maintenance Group.

The 23rd Wing inactivated the 23rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron on 14 January 2022 whilst at the same time activating the 74th and 75th Fighter Generation Squadrons. The move was part of Air Combat Command's plans to improve the alignment of fighter operations and maintenance.

Lineage

• Constituted as the 23rd Fighter Wing on 10 August 1948

Activated on 16 August 1948

Inactivated on 24 September 1949

Redesignated 23rd Fighter-Interceptor Wing on 19 December 1950

Activated on 12 January 1951

Inactivated on 6 February 1952

• Redesignated 23rd Tactical Fighter Wing and activated on 28 January 1964

Organized on 8 February 1964

Redesignated 23rd Fighter Wing on 1 October 1991

Inactivated on 1 June 1992

• Redesignated 23rd Wing and activated on 1 June 1992

Redesignated 23rd Fighter Group on 1 April 1997

Redesignated 23rd Wing on 1 October 2006

Assignments

• Twentieth Air Force, 16 August 1948
• Caribbean Air Command, 25 – 24 April September 1949
• Eastern Air Defense Force, 12 January 1951 – 6 February 1952
• Air Defense Command, 7 February 1952
• 32nd Air Division, 16 February 1953 – 1 March 1956
• Tactical Air Command, 28 January 1964 (not organized)
• Twelfth Air Force, 8 February 1964
• 835th Air Division, 1 July 1964
• Twelfth Air Force, 30 June 1971
• Ninth Air Force, 1 July 1972
• 347th Wing, 1 April 1997
• 4th Fighter Wing, 23 June 2000
• Ninth Air Force (later, Ninth Air Force ), 1 October 2006 – 5 August 2009
• Ninth Air Force, 5 August 2009 – 20 August 2020
• Fifteenth Air Force, 20 August 2020 – present

Components

Groups

• 23rd Fighter Group (later 23rd Fighter-Interceptor Group 23rd Operations Group, 23rd Fighter Group): 16 August 1948 – 24 September 1949; 12 January 1951 – 6 February 1952; 1 June 1992 – 1 April 1997; 1 October 2006 – present
• 347th Rescue Group: 1 October 2006 – present
• 563rd Rescue Group: 1 October 2006 – 30 September 2018

Squadrons

• 6th Special Operations Training Squadron: 1 – 15 January September 1974
• 74th Tactical Fighter Squadron (later 74th Fighter Squadron): 1 July 1972 – 15 February 1992 (detached 2 – 28 July December 1973; 29 August 1990 – 20 April 1991); 1 April 1997 – 1 October 2006
• 75th Tactical Fighter Squadron (later 75th Fighter Squadron): 1 July 1972 – 2 December 1991; 1 – 1 April June 1992; 1 April 1997 – 1 October 2006.
• 76th Tactical Fighter Squadron (later 76th Fighter Squadron): 1 October 1972 – 29 May 1992 (detached 27 August 1990 – c. April 1991)
• 132nd Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: attached 21 July 1951 – 6 February 1952
• 134th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: attached 1 April 1951 – 6 February 1952
• 333rd Tactical Fighter Squadron: 15 October 1970 – 22 March 1971
• 357th Tactical Fighter Squadron: attached c. 8 November 1965 – 28 January 1966; assigned 15 – 22 March 1971
• 419th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron: 15 October 1969 – 1 October 1971
• 560th Tactical Fighter Squadron: 8 February 1964 – 25 September 1968
• 561st Tactical Fighter Squadron: 8 February 1964 – 1 July 1972 (detached 6 – 10 March July 1965 and 9 – 30 April June 1972)
• 562nd Tactical Fighter Squadron: 8 February 1964 – 1 July 1972 (detached 13 – 6 August December 1965)
• 563rd Tactical Fighter Squadron: 8 February 1964 – 1 July 1972 (detached 8 – 15 April August 1965)
• 598th Range Squadron: 22 September 2015 – Present
• 4519th Combat Crew Training Squadron: 1 August 1967 – 15 October 1969

Detachments and Operating Locations

• Detachment 1, Deployed Unit Complex (DUC), MacDill Air Force Base, Florida
  • Redesignated as 598th Range Squadron, 25 September 2015
• Detachment 1, Avon Park Air Force Range, Florida
  • Redesignated as 598th Range Squadron, 25 September 2015

Stations

• Northwest Guam Air Force Base, Guam, 16 August 1948 – 3 April 1949
• Howard Air Force Base, Panama Canal Zone, 25 – 24 April September 1949
• Presque Isle Air Force Base, Maine, 12 January 1951 – 6 February 1952
• McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, 8 February 1964
• England Air Force Base, Louisiana, 1 July 1972 – 1 June 1992
• Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina, 1 June 1992 – 1 April 1997
• Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, 1 October 2006 – present

References

Footnotes

1. This is a different Ninth Air Force from the above Ninth Air Force.

Citations

1. Robertson, Patsy (April 2014). "23 Wing (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
2. ^ "23 Wing (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
3. "GENERAL JAMES V. HARTINGER". Air Force. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
4. "23d Wing". Retrieved 29 February 2020.
5. Cornett & Johnson, p. 67
6. Schloeffel, A1C Eric (2 October 2006). "Ceremony brings historic 23rd Wing to Moody". United States Air Force Public Affairs. Archived from the original on 27 September 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
7. "563 Rescue Group (AFSOC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
8. "23 Munitions Squadron (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
9. Hadley, Greg (18 January 2022). "Air Force Activates Two New Fighter Generation Squadrons at Moody". Air Force Magazine. Air Force Association. Archived from the original on 19 January 2022. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
10. "Ninth Air Force (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
11. Ream, Margaret E. (9 November 2020). "Fifteenth Air Force (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
12. "23 Wing (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 11 February 2024.

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Cornett, Lloyd H.; Johnson, Mildred W. (1980). A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization, 1946 – 1980 (PDF). Peterson AFB, CO: Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 February 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
• Donald, David (2004). Century Jets: USAF Frontline Fighters of the Cold War. Norwalk: AIRtime. ISBN 1-880588-68-4. OCLC 56456861.
• Endicott, Judy G. (1998). Active Air Force Wings as of 1 October 1995 and USAF Active Flying, Space, and Missile Squadrons as of 1 October 1995 (PDF). Air Force History and Museums Program. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ASIN B000113MB2.
• Fletcher, Harry R. (1993). Air Force Bases, Vol. II, Air Bases Outside the United States of America (PDF). Washington, DC: Center for Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-53-6.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) . Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) . Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.
• Martin, Patrick (1994). Tail Code: The Complete History of USAF Tactical Aircraft Tail Code Markings. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing. ISBN 0-88740-513-4.
• Menard, David W. (1998). Before Centuries: USAFE Fighters, 1948-1959. Charlottesville: Howell Press. ISBN 1-57427-079-6. OCLC 41412771.
• Mueller, Robert (1989). Air Force Bases, Vol. I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-53-6.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
• Rogers, Brian (2005). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. Hinckley, UK: Midland Publications. ISBN 1-85780-197-0.

External links

• Official History of theFlying Tigers
• Global Security site about the 23rd Fighter Group
• Flying Tiger Association Website
• They found the Earthquake, Jim McGovern has come home

v t e Air Combat Command (ACC)
Air Forces	First (Northern) Ninth (Central) Twelfth (Southern) Fifteenth Sixteenth (Cyber)
Centers	601st Air Operations 609th Air Operations 612th Air Operations 616th Operations Air Force Technical Applications Cyberspace Capabilities United States Air Force Warfare
Bases	Beale Creech Davis–Monthan Grand Forks Langley–Eustis (Langley) Moody Mountain Home Nellis Offutt Seymour Johnson Shaw Tonopah Tyndall
Wings	Composite 23rd 53rd 55th 57th 355th 432nd Fighter 1st 4th 20th 325th 366th 388th Cyberspace 67th 688th Other 9th Reconnaissance 70th ISR 93rd Air Ground Operations 99th Air Base 319th Reconnaissance 363rd ISR 461st Air Control 480th ISR 505th Command and Control 552nd Air Control 557th Weather 633rd Air Base

v t e Tactical Air Command (TAC)
Air Forces	First Ninth Twelfth Eighteenth Nineteenth
Air Divisions	20th (ADTAC) 21st (ADTAC) 23d (ADTAC) 24th (ADTAC) 25th (ADTAC) 26th (ADTAC) 28th (ADTAC) 831st 832d 833d 834th 835th 836th 837th 838th 839th 840th
Named units	Air Forces Panama Air Forces Iceland Air Defense, Tactical Air Command
Wings	TFW 1st 4th 12th 15th 20th 23d 27th 32d 33d 37th 50th 56th 312th 323d 347th 354th 355th Other 1st SOW 57th FWW 63d TAW 64th TAW 67th TRW 75th TRW 85th TFTW 317th TAW 363d TRW 405th TFTW 461st TBW 4505th ARW
Former bases	Active (MAJCOM) Altus (AETC) Brooks (AFMC) Cannon (AFSOC) Charleston (AMC) Creech (ACC) Davis–Monthan (ACC) Dover (AMC) Dyess (ACC) Eglin (AFMC) Hill (AMFC) Holloman (ACC) Hurlburt Field (AFSOC) Langley (ACC) Little Rock (AETC) Luke (AETC) MacDill (AMC) McChord (AMC) McConnell (AMC) Moody (ACC) Mountain Home (ACC) Nellis (ACC) Pope (AMC) Seymour Johnson (ACC) Shaw (ACC) Tonopah (ACC) Tyndall (AETC) Whiteman (ACC) Inactive Bergstrom Blythville Donaldson England Forbes George Howard Grenier Myrtle Beach Orlando Sewart Turner Williams Inactive, but with a military presence Bunker Hill Biggs Dow Godman Homestead Lockbourne March Otis
Aircraft	A-1 A-7 A-10 A-37 AC-47 AC-119 AC-130 B-26 B-57 B-66 C-7 C-47 C-82 C-119 C-123 C-130 E-3 E-8 EF-111 EC-135 F-4 F-5 F-15 F-16 F-47 F-51 F-80 F-82 F-84 F-86 F-89 F-100 F-101 F-102 F-104 F-105 F-106 F-111 F-117 H-1 H-5 H-6 H-19 H-43 H-60 H-53 KB-29 KB-50 KC-97 O-1 O-2 OH-23 OV-10 P-40 P-38 R-4 S-62 T-6 T-28 T-29 T-33 T-38

v t e Aerospace Defense Command (ADC)
Bases	CONUS Amarillo Beale Charleston Davis-Monthan Dobbins Dover Dow Duluth Eglin Edwards Ellington Ellsworth England Ent Ethan Allen Fairfax Fallon Fort Gregg-Adams Fort Heath Geiger George Glasgow Grand Forks Grenier Griffiss Gunter Hamilton Hancock Homestead Hurlburt Hunter Imeson Key West Kincheloe Kingsley Kirtland Lackland Laredo Larson Luke MacDill March Malmstrom McCoy McChord McClellan McGhee Tyson McGuire Minneapolis-St. Paul Minot Mitchel New Castle Niagara Falls Norton O'Hare Otis Oxnard Paine Perrin Peterson Pittsburgh Portland Presque Isle R.I. Bong Richards-Gebaur Robins K.I. Sawyer Selfridge Seymour Johnson Sioux City Stead Stewart Suffolk County Tinker Travis Truax Tyndall Vandenberg Vincent Walker Webb Westover Wright-Patterson Wurtsmith Youngstown Overseas Ernest Harmon Frobisher Bay Goose Keflavik McAndrew Pepperrell Thule
Stations	CONUS Adair Aiken Almaden Alpena Antigo Arlington Heights Baker Bedford Bellefontaine Belleville Benton Blaine Brookfield Brunswick Bucks Harbor Burns Calumet Cambria Cape Charles Cape Cod Carmi Caswell Chandler Charleston Cheyenne Mountain Claysburg Clear Colville Condon Continental Divide Cottonwood Cross City Crystal Springs Curlew Custer Cut Bank Dallas Center Dauphin Island Dickinson Duncanville Eldorado Empire Finland Finley Flintstone Fordland Fort Fisher Fort Lee Fortuna Gettysburg Grand Marais Grand Rapids Guthrie Hanna City Havre Highlands Houma Hutchinson Joelton Keno Killeen Kingman Kirksville Klamath Lake Charles Lake City Las Cruces Las Vegas Lewistown Lockport Lufkin Lyndonville Madera Makah Mica Peak Miles City Mill Valley Minot Montauk Moriarty Mount Hebo Mount Laguna Mount Lemmon Naselle North Bend North Charleston North Truro Oklahoma City Olathe Omaha Opheim Osceola Othello Owingsville Ozona Palermo Point Arena Port Austin Port Isabel Pyote Red Bluff Rochester Rockport Rockville (Indiana) Roslyn Rye Saint Albans San Clemente Island Santa Rosa Island Saratoga Springs Sault Ste Marie Shemya Snelling Snow Mountain Sweetwater Texarkana Tierra Amarilla Thomasville Tonopah Topsham Two Creeks Wadena Walnut Ridge Watertown Waverly West Mesa Willow Run Winnemucca Winslow Winston-Salem Woomera Yaak Zapata Overseas Armstrong Baldy Hughes Beausejour Cape Makkovik Cartwright Cut Throat Island Elliston Ridge Fox Harbour Hofn Hopedale Kamloops La Scie Langanes Latrar Melville Puntzi Mountain Ramore Red Cliff Rockville Saglek St. Anthony Saskatoon Mountain Sioux Lookout Spotted Island Stephenville
Air Defense units	Forces Central Air Defense Eastern Air Defense Iceland Western Air Defense First Fourth Tenth Fourteenth Air Divisions 8th 9th 20th 21st 23d 24th 25th 26th 27th 28th 29th 30th 31st 32d 33d 34th 35th 36th 37th 58th 64th 73d 85th Sectors Albuquerque Bangor Boston Chicago Detroit Duluth Goose Grand Forks Great Falls Kansas City Los Angeles Minot Montgomery New York Oklahoma City Phoenix Portland Reno Sault Sainte Marie San Francisco Seattle Sioux City Spokane Stewart Syracuse Washington Wings Fighter 1st 4th 23d 32d 33d 50th 52d 56th 78th 81st 325th 328th 507th Detection and Control 71st 73d 551st 552d Air Defense 46th 4620th 4621st 4622d 4624th 4625th 4627th 4628th 4683d 4700th 4702d 4703d 4704th 4705th 4706th 4707th 4708th 4709th 4710th 4711th 4750th 4751st 4752d 4756th 4780th Groups Fighter 1st 4th 14th 15th 23d 32d 33d 50th 52d 53d 54th 56th 57th 78th 79th 81st 82d 84th 325th 326th 327th 328th 329th 337th 343d 355th 408th 412th 414th 473d 475th 476th 478th 507th Air Defense 10th 500th 501st 502d 503d 514th 515th 516th 517th 518th 519th 520th 521st 525th 527th 528th 529th 530th 533d 534th 564th 566th 567th 568th 575th 637th 665th 678th 692d 701st 751st 762d 765th 778th 780th 827th 858th 4606th 4620th 4676th 4700th 4721st 4722d 4727th 4728th 4729th 4730th 4731st 4732d 4733d 4734th 4735th 4750th 4756th Aircraft Control & Warning 503d 505th 540th 541st 542d 543d 544th 545th 546th 563d 564th 565th 566th Squadrons Aerospace Defense Command Fighter Squadrons Aircraft Control and Warning Squadrons
Major weapon systems	Electronic TB-29 EB-57 EC-121 Fighters Propeller: F-47 F-51 P-61 F-82 Subsonic Jet: P-80 F-84 F-86 F-89 F-94 Supersonic Jet: F-101 F-102 F-104 F-106 Missiles AIM-4 AIM-26 AIR-2 CIM-10 Ships Guardian Interceptor Interdictor Interpreter Investigator Locator Lookout Outpost Pickett Protector Scanner Searcher Skywatcher Tracer Watchman Vigil Texas Towers Texas Tower 2 Texas Tower 3 Texas Tower 4
Miscellaneous	Air Defense Command Emblem Gallery (on Wikimedia Commons) General Surveillance Radar Stations

v t e USAAF Fourteenth Air Force in World War II
Previously: 1st American Volunteer Group (AVG) "Flying Tigers" (Dec 1941-July 1942) China Air Task Force (July 1942-Mar 1943)
Airfields	China Ankang Chanyi Chengkung Chengtu Chihkiang Hanchung Hankow Hsian Hsingching Huhsien Kanchow Kunming Kwanghan Kweilin Laifeng Laohwangping Loping Liangshan Liuchow Luliang Nanning Peishiyi Pungchacheng Shwangliu Suichwan Tsuyung Yangkai Yunnani
Units	Wings 68th Composite 69th Composite 312th Fighter Chinese-American Composite Wing (Provisional) Groups Bombardment 308th Bombardment 341st Bombardment 402d Bombardment Fighter 23d Fighter 33d Fighter 51st Fighter 81st Fighter 311th Fighter 476th Fighter Transport 443d Troop Carrier Squadrons Combat Cargo 1st Combat Cargo 2d Combat Cargo 11th Combat Cargo Night Fighter 426th Night Fighter 427th Night Fighter Reconnaissance 21st Photographic Reconnaissance 35th Photographic Reconnaissance Transport 322d Troop Carrier
United States Army Air Forces First Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth Seventh Eighth Ninth Tenth Eleventh Twelfth Thirteenth Fourteenth Fifteenth Twentieth

• Military units and formations in Georgia (U.S. state)
• Composite wings of the United States Air Force
• Military units and formations established in 1948