1975: From SOW to FW

  • Published
  • By Rick Griset,
  • 56th Fighter Wing History Office
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, ARIZONA --  
Forty years ago, the 56th Special Operations Wing ended its participation in the war in Southeast Asia. For eight years, the wing had operated from Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. For its efforts, the wing earned 13 campaign streamers, three Presidential Unit Citations, and four Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards with Combat V Device.

Its new destination was MacDill AFB, Florida. Effective June 30 of that year, the Air Force redesignated the 56th as a tactical fighter wing and assigned it the mission of the previous host unit, the 1st Tactical Fighter Wing. The 1st relocated to Langley AFB, Virginia. But, its commander, Col. Ernest Bedke, remained at MacDill to take command of the 56th with its new mission of training aircrews to fly the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II.

The 56th brought a number of ground units with it when it left Thailand. However, none of the flying units from Thailand came with the wing. So where did today's flying and nonflying units originate?

All the flying units came into existence during World War II. The War Department established the 54th, 56th and 58th Fighter Groups in late 1940. The 61st, 62nd and 63rd fighter squadrons were assigned to what we know today as the 56th Operations Group.

Others like the 308th and 309th fighter squadrons were created later in the 31st Pursuit (later, Fighter) Group. The 310th and 311th Fighter Squadrons formed and joined the 69th Fighter Squadron, which was already in the 58th Pursuit (later, Fighter) Group. The 314th FS was part of the 324th Fighter Group. Coming into existence later in the war were the 425th and 21st fighter squadrons.

Of the nonflying squadrons, the 56th Training Squadron activated with the 54th Fighter Group as a flying unit. By the end of the war, both forerunners for the 54th and 56th operations support squadrons and the 54th Maintenance Squadron activated. Shortly after the war's end, the 607th Air Control Squadron was created.

When the 56th Fighter Wing stood up for the first time in 1947, so did the other three groups along with five squadrons.

Over the years, the Air Force created ten more squadrons and the organization that became the 56th Medical Group. Of those activations, the most on one day occurred 21 years ago, when the Air Force stood up the four medical squadrons at Luke AFB.