14th Flying Training Wing
| 14th Flying Training Wing | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | November 20, 1940 – present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | Air Force |
| Type | Training |
| Part of | Air Education and Training Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Columbus Air Force Base |
| Nickname(s) | Blaze |
| Motto(s) | Day and Night - Peace and War |
| Engagements |   
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| Decorations |  PUC  MUA  AFOUA File:GallantryCrossRibbon.jpg RVGC w/ Palm |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Colonel Roger Watkins |
| Notable commanders | Robert H. Foglesong |
The 14th Flying Training Wing (14 FTW) is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi.
Mission
The 14th Operations Group and its six squadrons are responsible for the 52-week Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training (SUPT) mission. The group also performs quality assurance for contract aircraft maintenance.
The 14th Mission Support Group provides essential services with a 5-squadron/2-division, 750+ person work force and $38 million budget. It operates/maintains facilities and infrastructure for a 6,013-acre (24.33 km2) pilot training base and provides contracting, law enforcement, supply, transportation, fire protection, communications, education, recreation and personnel management for 9,500 people. The group is also responsible for wartime preparedness and contingency operations.
Units
14th Operations Group (14 OG)
- 37th Flying Training Squadron (37 FTS)
- 41st Flying Training Squadron (41 FTS)
- 43d Flying Training Squadron (43 FTS)
- 48th Flying Training Squadron (48 FTS)
- 49th Fighter Training Squadron (49 FTS)
- 50th Flying Training Squadron (50 FTS)
- 14th Operations Support Squadron (14 OSS)
14th Mission Support Group (14 MSG)
- 14th Civil Engineering Squadron (14 CES)
- 14th Communications Squadron (14 CS)
- 14th Contracting Squadron (14 CONS)
- 14th Logistics Readiness Squadron (14 LRS)
- 14th Security Forces Squadron (14 SFS)
- 14th Mission Support Squadron (14 MSS)
14th Medical Group (14 MDG)
Additionally, the 14th Comptroller Squadron (14 CPTS) reports directly to the 14 TFW.
History
The history of the unit begins with the United States Army Air Corps 14th Pursuit Group, which fought in World War II as the United States Army Air Forces 14th Fighter Group. The unit also fought in the Vietnam War before becoming a training organization in the 1970s.
Lineage
- Established as 14th Pursuit Group (Fighter) on November 20, 1940
- Activated on January 15, 1941
- Redesignated 14th Fighter Group on May 15, 1942
- Inactivated on September 9, 1945
- Activated on November 20, 1946.
- Established as 14th Fighter Wing on July 29, 1947
- 14th Fighter Group assigned as subordinate unit, 14 Aug 1947
- Organized on August 15, 1947.
- Inactivated on October 2, 1949
- 14th Fighter Group (Air Defense) activated on 18 Aug 1955
- Discontinued on 25 Jun 1960
- Redesignated 14th Air Commando Wing, and activated, on February 28, 1966
- Organized on March 8, 1966.
- Redesignated 14th Special Operations Wing on August 1, 1968.
- Inactivated on September 30, 1971.
- Redesignated 14th Flying Training Wing on March 22, 1972
- Activated on June 1, 1972.
Assignments
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Bases stationed
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Aircraft operated
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1940s
1950s
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Vietnam War
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Flying Training
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Operational History
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World War II
The 14th Pursuit Group was activated on January 15, 1941 at Hamilton Field, California. Reassigned to March Field in California in early June 1941. Trained with Curtiss P-40s, P-43 Lancers and P-38D/E Lightnings. Reassigned back to Hamilton Field on February 7, 1942 to receive operational P-38F and flew flying patrols on the west coast of the US after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Although these fighters were not yet combat ready, these outfits had the only truly modern fighters then available to the USAAF, and provided West Coast defense at a time that Japanese attacks on the US mainland were believed to be imminent.
Even though the defense of the US west coast initially took priority, plans were made in the spring of 1942 to deploy the 14th and other P-38 squadrons to Great Britain. Redesignated the 14th Fighter Group in May 1942. The Ground echelon departed July 16, 1942 on the first stage of the movement to England. They sailed on the USS West Point in early August 1942, and arrived in Liverpool on August 17, 1942. The air echelon departed to Bradley Field, Connecticut on July 1, 1942. They flew P-38s to the United Kingdom via the northern ferry route. The first aircraft departed Presque Isle, Maine on July 22, 1942. The 50th Fighter Squadron remained in Iceland and was reassigned to the 342d Composite Group to assist the Curtiss P-40Cs of the 33rd Fighter Squadron in the flying of defensive patrols over the Atlantic.
This was the first transatlantic crossing successfully made by single-seat fighters. In Britain, the group was stationed at RAF Atcham as part of Eighth Air Force.
The 14th was reassigned to Twelfth Air Force XII Fighter Command on September 14, 1942, but continued to operate under VIII Fighter Command until mid-October flying sweeps over France and performing practice missions under the Royal Air Force's guidance.
The Ground echelon left Atcham on October 30, 1942, and sailed on the USS Brazil and USS Uruguay from Liverpool and arrived in Oran, Algeria on November 10, 1942. The air echelon departed for North Africa on November 6, 1942, and flew to Tafaraoui airfield, Algeria from November 10 to 14, 1942
From bases in Algeria, and later Tunisia, the group flew escort, strafing, and reconnaissance missions from the middle of November 1942 to late in January 1943. The Lightnings were soon in regular combat in the North African Campaign. The 14th contributed a great deal toward the establishment of local air superiority in the area, being effective against bombers and had wreaked great havoc among Rommel's air transport well out to sea. The P-38s earned the German nickname "der Gabelschwanz Teufel"--the Fork-Tailed Devil. In January 1943, the 14th was withdrawn from combat, with some of the men and planes being reassigned to the 1st and 82d groups.
The group resumed operational combat operations in May, being re-equipped with the P-38F and some P-38Gs. Already prior to the Axis defeat in Tunisia, the Northwest African Air Forces (of which the Twelfth Air Force was a component) had begun preparations for the invasion of Sicily. Attacks on Sicily, on Pantelleria and on Lampedusa were stepped up in preparation for Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily on July 10, 1943. The group flew dive-bombing missions during the Allied assault on Pantelleria. Helped prepare for and support the invasions of Sicily and Italy. Lieut H. T. Hanna of the 14th Fighter Group made ace in one day by destroying five Junkers Ju 87 dive bombers on October 9, 1943.
Reassigned to Fifteenth Air Force in November 1943, being assigned to Triolo Airfield, Italy. Engaged primarily in escort work flying many missions to cover bombers engaged in long-range operations against strategic objectives in Italy, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Rumania, and Bulgaria. However, on occasion, they escorted the medium bombers of the Twelfth Air Force.
On April 2, 1944, the 14th Fighter Group earned a Distinguished Unit Citation for escorting bombers attacking ball-bearing and aircraft production facilities at Steyr, Austria.
In late July and early August 1944, the 14th flew a shuttle missions to Russia and returned to their Italian base after spending three days at a Soviet base in the Ukraine. Along with their P-51 escorts, they shot down thirty German planes and destroyed twelve on the ground. The last Lightning shuttle mission was flown on August 4/6.
The group provided escort for reconnaissance operations, supported the invasion of Southern France in August 1944, and on numerous occasions flew long-range missions to strafe and dive-bomb motor vehicles, trains, bridges, supply areas, airdromes, and troop concentrations in an area extending from France to the Balkans.
The 14th Fighter Group was inactivated in Italy on September 9, 1945.
Air Defense Command
Activated in the US on November 20, 1946 at Dow Field, Maine as part of Air Defense Command. it's 37th FIS waqs equipped first with P-47’s and later with F-84’s. Inactivated on October 2, 1949. Redesignated 14th Fighter Group (Air Defense). Reativated on August 18, 1955 at Ethan Allen AFB, Vermont. Assigned to Air Defense Command and equipped with F-86 aircraft. It's 37th FIS upgraded in 1958 to the F-102 until being inactivated on May 23, 1960.
Southeast Asia
The unit was redesignated as the 14th Air Commando Wing and was reactivated at Nha Trang AB Republic of Vietnam on March 8, 1966. On August 1, 1968 it was renamed the 14th Special Operations Wing and was the host unit at the base until September 30, 1971. From October 15, 1969 through September 30, 1971 the 14th SOW also operated and conducted missions from Phan Rang Air Base Republic of Vietnm
Operations included close and direct air support, interdiction, combat airlift, aerial resupply, visual and photographic reconnaissance, unconventional warfare, counterinsurgency operations, psychological warfare (including leaflet dropping and aerial broadcasting), forward air control operations and escort, search and rescue, escort for convoy and defoliation operations, flare drops, civic actions, and humanitarian actions.
The 14th Air Commando Wing distinguished itself by extraordinary heroism, exceptional gallantry and outstanding performance of duty in action against hostile forces in Southeast Asia from March 8, 1966 to March 7, 1967, earning a Presidential Unit Citation. Flying thousands of widely diversified sorties, elements of the Wing caused many enemy casualties and destroyed or damaged more than 8,500 structures, 500 trucks and 60 fuel sites as well as numerous automatic weapon positions, radio stations, bridges and boats.
Flying the venerable C-47 aircraft, one squadron of the Wing helped abort a large number of night hostile operations against friendly forts and hamlets through flare drops and minigun saturation fire. Despite the often heavy and accurate enemy antiaircraft fire, the search and rescue missions of the Wing recovered 91 skilled airmen during this period. In addition, the Wing's psychological warfare missions directly or indirectly influenced the surrender of thousands of enemy soldiers.
The wing also provided maintenance support for a number of tenants. The wing trained Vietnam Air Force (VNAF) personnel in AC-119 operations and maintenance, February–August 1971, and transferred some of its AC-119s to the VNAF, August–September 1971 as part of a phase-down for inactivation.
Air Training/Air Education and Training Command
The 14th replaced, and absorbed resources of, the 3650th Pilot Training Wing in June 1972 at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi, and assumed an undergraduate pilot training program, plus base operations and maintenance. From 1993 to 2000, the wing also trained pilots in fighter fundamentals, using AT-38 aircraft. Fighter fundamentals training at Columbus resumed on May 10, 2007 with the reassignment of the 49th Fighter Training Squadron from Moody AFB. On January 27, 1995, Second Lieutenant Kelly Flinn graduated from pilot training with the 14th Flying Training Wing on her way to becoming the first woman to enter B-52 Stratofortress combat crew training.
Operations
References
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
Notes
- ^ 1968-1971 designation. Combat Talons prior to their MC- designation in 1977 are now referred to as "UWC-130E", for "Unconventional Warfare".
Bibliography
- Endicott, Judy G. Active Air Force wings as of 1 October 1995; USAF active flying, space, and missile squadrons as of 1 October 1995. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1999. CD-ROM.
- Lambert, John W. The 14th Fighter Group in World War II. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing, 2008. ISBN 0-76432-921-0.
- Martin, Patrick. Tail Code: The Complete History of USAF Tactical Aircraft Tail Code Markings. Schiffer Military Aviation History, 1994. ISBN 0-88740-513-4.
- Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories, 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1984. ISBN 0-91279-912-9.
External links
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