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| 57th Wing | |
|---|---|
 57th Wing Shield |
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| Active | 20 November 1940 — present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | Air Force |
| Type | Operational Test and Evaluation |
| Part of | Air Combat Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Nellis Air Force Base |
| Engagements |
 
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| Decorations |  DUC AFOUA FCdG w/ Palm |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Colonel Russell J. Handy |
| Notable commanders |
John Jumper Michael Moseley Joseph Ashy |
The 57th Wing (57 WG) is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Nellis Air Force Base, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Contents |
Mission
The 57 WG is home to the most demanding advanced air combat training mission in the world. The wing provides training for composite strike forces which include every type of aircraft in the Air Force inventory. Training is conducted in conjunction with air and ground units of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and air forces from US allied nations. The crews do not come to learn how to fly, but instead how to be the best combat aviators in the world.
Units
The wing was reorganized in 2005 to reflect its current structure.
- 57th Adversary Tactics Group
The 57th ATG consists of two Aggressor squadrons -- 64th AGRS flying F-16 aircraft and 65th AGRS flying F-15 aircraft -- that replicate adversary threat tactics while training combat air forces aircrews. In addition, the 414th Combat Training Squadron (Red Flag), the 547th Intelligence Squadron, the 507th Adversary Aggressor Squadron, the 57th Information Aggressor Squadron, the 527th Space Aggressor Squadron, and the 57th Operations Support Squadron report to the group commander.
The group consists of the following operational squadrons:
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- 57th Operations Support Squadron (57 OSS)
- 547th Intelligence Squadron (547 IS)
- 414th Combat Training Squadron (414 CTS) Red Flag
- 64th Aggressor Squadron (64 AGRS)
- 65th Aggressor Squadron (65 AGRS)
- 507th Air Defense Aggressor Squadron (507 ADAS)
- 527th Space Aggressor Squadron (527 SAS)
- 57th Maintenance Group
The Air Force's most diverse maintenance group provides on- and off-equipment maintenance for 120 assigned A-10, F-15, F-16, and F-22A aircraft to support 15 flying programs plus AFSOC. It generates more than 16,000 sorties annually for operational test & evaluation, USAF Weapons School, and contingency operations. It also provides direct support for 700 visiting Red Flag, Air Warrior and operational test and evaluation aircraft.
The group consists of the following squadrons:
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- 57th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (57 AMXS)
- 57th Component Maintenance Squadron (57 CMS)
- 57th Equipment Maintenance Squadron (57 EMS)
- 57th Maintenance Operations Squadron (57 MOS)
- 57th Operations Group
The 57 OG mission is to provide unsurpassed close air support education through the 6th Combat Training Squadron Air-Ground Operations School (AGOS) and training to assure tomorrow's counterland victories. 57th Operations Group is the single DoD focal point for joint education and training in concepts, doctrine, control systems and tactics, techniques and procedures for air and surface force integration in the counterland close battle.
The group consists of the following operational squadrons:
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- 6th Combat Training Squadron
- 12th Combat Training Squadron
- 548th Combat Training Squadron (Green Flag East)
- 549th Combat Training Squadron (Green Flag West)
- United States Air Force Weapons School
The U.S. Air Force Weapons School teaches graduate-level instructor courses that provide the world's most advanced training in weapons and tactics employment to officers of the combat air forces. Every six months, the Weapons School produces approximately 80 graduates who are expert instructors on weapons, weapons system and air and space integration. They take to their respective squadrons the latest tactics, techniques and procedures for air-to-air and air-to-ground combat. The Weapons School also produces the Weapons Review magazine, the CAF's premier professional tactics publication.
Weapons School offers weapons instructor courses for the A-10 Thunderbolt II, the B-1 Lancer, the B-2 Spirit, the B-52 Stratofortress, the EC-130H Compass Call, the KC-135 Stratotanker, the C-17 Globemaster II, the C-130 Hercules, the F-15C Eagle, the F-15E Strike Eagle, the F-16 Fighting Falcon, the HH-60G Pave Hawk, the RC-135/W Rivet Joint, intelligence instructors, space instructors, senior directors serving on the E-3 AWACS, E-8 JSTARS and ground control and reporting centers and special operations forces crewmembers aboard the AC-130, and MC-130.
Operational squadrons of the school are:
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- 8th Weapons Squadron (WPS) (Command and Control Operations)
- 16th WPS (F-16)
- 17th WPS (F-15E)
- 19th WPS (Intelligence)
- 34th WPS (HH-60)
- 57th Weapons Support Squadron
- 66th WPS (A-10)
- 328th WPS (Space)
- 433d WPS (F-15C).
- United States Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron - Thunderbirds
The Thunderbirds plan and present precision aerial demonstrations in one of America's front-line multi-role fighter aircraft, the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Objectives of the squadron are to demonstrate to the public the professional competence of Air Force members to support Air Force community relations and people-to-people programs and to support Air Force recruiting and retention programs.
- USAF Advanced Maintenance and Munitions Officer School
The mission of the USAF Advanced Maintenance and Munitions Officers School is to provide graduate-level instruction to maintenance and munitions officers in the USAF distinctive capability of agile combat support. The USAF AMMOS offers a demanding 14-week course built around the six master ACS processes of Readying the Force, Preparing the Battlespace, Positioning the Force, Employing and Sustaining the Force and Recovering the Force.
The Thunderbirds and the USAF Advanced Maintenance and Munitions Officer School report directly to the 57th Wing commander.
History
Lineage
- Established as 57th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 20 Nov 1940
- Activated on 15 Jan 1941
- Redesignated 57th Fighter Group on 15 May 1942
- Inactivated on 7 Nov 1945
- Activated on 15 Aug 1946
- Established as 57th Fighter Wing c. 15 Mar 1948
- Organized on 20 Apr 1948
- Redesignated 57th Fighter-Interceptor Wing on 20 Jan 1950
- Inactivated on 1 Jan 1951
- Redesignated 57th Fighter Weapons Wing on 22 Aug 1969
- Activated on 15 Oct 1969
- Redesignated: 57th Tactical Training Wing on 1 Apr 1977
- Redesignated: 57th Fighter Weapons Wing on 1 Mar 1980
- Redesignated: 57th Fighter Wing on 1 Oct 1991
- Redesignated: 57th Wing on 15 Jun 1993.
Assignments
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Components
Groups
- 57th Fighter (later, 57th Fighter-Interceptor; 57th Operations)
- 20 Apr 1948-1 Jan 1951 (detached 10 Dec 1950-1 Jan 1951)
- 1 Nov 1991-
- 57th Test: 1 Nov 1991-1 Oct 1996
- 4440th Tactical Fighter Training (Red Flag)
- Attached 1 Oct 1979-28 Feb 1980
- Assigned 1 Mar 1980-1 Nov 1991
- 4443d Tactical Training: 26 Jan 1990-1 Nov 1991.
Squadrons
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Schools
- USAF Fighter Weapons (later, USAF Weapons): 30 Dec 1981-.
- USAF Combat Rescue: 2 Jul 1993-15 Jul 1995.
Stations
- Mitchell Field, New York (1941)
- Windsor Locks, Connecticut (1941)
- Boston, Massachusetts (1941 – 1942)
- Fort Dix, New Jersey (1942)
- Muqeibile, Palestine (1942)
- Egypt (1942)
- Libya (1942 – 1943)
- Zuara, Tripolitania (1943)
- Tunisia (1943)
- Malta (1943)
- Sicily (1943)
- Italy (1943 – 1945)
- Camp Miles Standish, Massachusetts (1945)
- Drew Field, Florida (1945)
- Shemya, Arkansas (1946)
- Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska (1947 – 1951)
- Paine Field, Washington (1961 – 1968)
- Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada (1969 – Present)
Aircraft Operated
- P-38 Lightning (1946)
- P-40 Warhawk (1941 – 1944)
- P-47 Thunderbolt (1944 – 1945)
- P-51 Mustang (1946 – 1948)
- P-80 Shooting Star (1948 – 1950)
- C-47 Skytrain (1948)
- C-54 Skymaster (1948 – 1950)
- A-7 Corsair II (1969 – 1975)
- F-4 Phantom II (1969 – 1985, 1993 – 1995)
- F-100 Super Sabre (1969)
- F-105 Thunderchief (1969 – 1975)
- F-111 Aardvark (1969 – 1995)
- T-39 Sabreliner (1969 – 1972)
- T-38 Talon (1972 – 1990)
- F-5 Freedom Fighter (1975 – 1989)
- F-15 Eagle (1976 – Present)
- A-10 Thunderbolt II (1977 – Present)
- F-16 Falcon (1980 – Present)
- UH-1 Iroquois (1981 – 1985)
- B-1 Lancer (1993 – 1999)
- B-52 Stratofortress (1993 – 1999)
- HH-60 Pave Hawk (1993 – Present)
- MQ-1 Predator (1995 – 2007)
- MQ-9 Reaper (- 2007)
Operational History
World War II
The 57th Pursuit Group trained with P-40s on the east coast of the United States before and just after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. It moved to the Middle East in July and August 1942 and trained with the British Commonwealth Desert Air Force. In October 1942, it began combat operations. The group took part in the Battle of El Alamein and, as part of 9th Air Force, supported the Commonwealth Eighth Army's drive across Egypt and Libya, escorting bombers and flying strafing and dive-bombing missions against airfields, communications, and troop concentrations until Axis defeat in Tunisia in May 1943. After the group destroyed more than 70 of the enemy's transport and fighter aircraft in an aerial battle over the Gulf of Tunis on 18 April 1943, it received a Distinguished Unit Citation. The unit participated in the reduction of Pantelleria (May-June 1943) and the conquest of Sicily (July-August 1943). For front-line operations in direct support of the Eighth Army from the Battle of El Alamein to the capitulation of enemy forces in Sicily, the group received another Distinguished Unit Citation.
The 57th supported the British Eighth Army's landing at Termoli and subsequent operations in Italy (October 1943 - February 1944) by flying dive-bombing strafing, patrol, and escort missions. Early in 1944, the group converted to P-47 aircraft and flew interdiction operations in Italy. The group moved to Corsica on 30 March 1944 to operate as a separate task force. It flew interdiction missions against railroads, communication targets, and motor vehicles behind enemy lines, providing a minimum of 48 fighter-bomber sorties per day. During 9 days of combat operations during early April 1944, the 57th exceeded 50 sorties per day. It earned a third Distinguished Unit Citation c. 14 April 1944 for attacks in the Florence-Arezzo area. The group participated in the French campaign against Elba in June 1944 and in the invasion of Southern France in August. It engaged in interdiction and support operations in northern Italy from September 1944 to May 1945. For its operations in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, the 57th earned the French Croix de Guerre (Cross of War) with Palm (awarded in late 1967).
Cold War
Beginning in August 1946 it provided air defense in the Alaskan area from Elmendorf Air Force Base. In addition, the wing provided intra-theater troop carrier and airlift support, 1948-1950, using several attached troop carrier squadrons. In January 1951, it was replaced by 39th Air Depot Wing. From April 1961-September 1968 the wing provided air defense for the Seattle, Washington, area.
The 57th moved to Nevada and replaced the 4525th Fighter Weapons Wing at Nellis Air Force Base, in October 1969. At Nellis, it trained tactical fighter aircrews, conducted operational tests and evaluations, demonstrated tactical fighter weapon systems, and developed fighter tactics and from February 1970 to October 1979 and operated Nellis AFB for all base tenants. The USAF Air Demonstration Squadron (the "Thunderbirds") was assigned to the wing in February 1974 and has remained an integral part of the wing to present. The 57th assumed operational control of "Red Flag" exercises in October 1979; developing realistic combat training operations featuring adversary tactics, dissimilar air combat training, and electronic warfare. It incorporated intelligence training after March 1980. In 1990 the aggressor mission transferred to 4440th TFTG and later to the 414th CTS. The wing added instruction in hunter/killer counter electronic warfare tactics until 1996.
Post Cold War
From 1992-1999, the wing operated detachments at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, and Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana that flew and tested the F-111, B-1, and B-52 respectively. It added the 66th Rescue Squadron, equipped with HH-60 helicopters, on 1 February 1993 while the squadron was deployed in Southwest Asia. From 1991 to present, the 57th provided combat aircrew capabilities, operating the USAF Weapons and the USAF Combat Rescue Schools, developing techniques and procedures and conducting operational test and evaluation on all major aircraft in the AF inventory.
With the reactivation of the 432d Wing at Creech Air Force Base on May 1, 2007, the elements that comprised the 57th Operations Group, were transferred to the 432nd Wing along with the 757th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.
References
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This article incorporates text from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website which, as a United States government publication, is in the public domain. |
- 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.
- Rogers, Brian (2005). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. Hinkley, England: Midland Publications. ISBN 1-85780-197-0.
External links
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