SABREJET - Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ - Military Installations on Waymarking.com

355th Wing
The 355th Fighter Group was first activated Nov. 12, 1942. Originally equipped with P-47D Thunderbolts, the group transitioned to the P-51 Mustangs in 1944, and quickly gained acclaim as the “Steeple Morden Strafers,” a reference to its base in England and its lethal accuracy at low level. The fighter group destroyed or damaged 1,500 enemy planes, making it the top strafing outfit in 8th Air Force during World War II.

In the mid-1950s, the group was assigned to Air Defense Command and based at McGhee-Tyson Airport, Tenn. Flying the F-86D Sabrejet, the group provided fighter defense for the Oak Ridge Atomic Energy Plant and the Tennessee Valley Authority dams, as well as the eastern region of the United States.

The unit, known as the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, transferred to Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, in 1965. During the next five years, it flew more than 101,000 sorties over North Vietnam, dropping 202,596 tons of bombs and destroying 12,675 targets. The wing’s pilots were credited with 20 MiG kills, and another eight destroyed on the ground. Nicknamed “PACAF’s Pride,” the unit received three Presidential Unit Citations and three Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards with combat “V” device. It is also noteworthy that - of the 12 airmen awarded the Medal of Honor in the Vietnam War - two belonged to the 355th TFW: Majors Merlyn H. Dethlefsen and Leo K. Thorsness.

The 355th transferred to D-M in 1971, but continued to deploy aircraft and personnel to Southeast Asia until 1974. Initially equipped with the A-7D Corsair II, the wing transitioned into the A-10 Thunderbolt II in 1976. By the end of the decade, with the gradual phaseout of the A-7 fleet, the 355th became the Air Force’s sole A-10 training wing.

As the wing entered the 1990s, it continued to train A-10 crews for assignments to units in the United States, England and Korea The 355th Wing regularly participated in close air support exercises such as Air Warrior and weapons competitions such as Long Rifle, where it consistently captured top A-10 honors. However the wing’s excellence wasn’t limited to the cockpit. In 1990, it received the TAC Commander’s Award for top aircraft maintenance, in the A-10 category, for the third consecutive year.

The wing’s training program paid off in 1991 during Operation Desert Storm, when 355th-trained A-10 pilots destroyed 1,000 tanks, 2,000 vehicles, 1,200 artillery pieces and two helicopters. While the wing as a whole did not deploy to the Persian Gulf, more than 250 members augmented forces in theater and filled shortages in the United States.

The unit was re-designated the 355th Fighter Wing Oct. 1, 1991, as the lines between tactical and strategic forces blurred and the Air Force leadership began to merge these forces under Air Combat Command. As part of this restructuring, May 1, 1992, the 355th Wing absorbed elements of the 602nd Air Control Wing, 41st Electronic Combat Squadron and most other activities currently operating at D-M.

The 355th Wing currently provides air assets to commanders involved in operations around the globe, including Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

An era came to a close, when on Sept. 30, 2002, the 42nd Airborne Command and Control Squadron inactivated. Further changes occurred Oct. 1 2002, when the 355th Wing underwent an extensive reorganization of forces. During this reorganization, new squadrons were added to the existing wing structure while some squadrons were realigned under new group commanders. The 355th Wing also inherited the 48th, 55th, and the 79th Rescue Squadrons equipped with HC-130 aircraft and HH-60 helicopters. Another change saw the 41st and 43rd Electronic Combat Squadrons fall under the operational control of the 55th Wing at Offutt AFB, Nebraska. On 1 Oct 2003, the three combat search and rescue squadrons fell under the command of the 563d Rescue Group.

The 355th Wing is composed of four groups: the 355th Operations Group, the 355th Maintenance Group, the 355th Mission Support Group and the 355th Medical Group.

Era: WW I General Comments: Not listed Related web site: Not listed

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