15th Wing | |
|---|---|
 C-17 Globemaster IIIs of the 15th Wing atHickam AFB | |
| Active | 1940–1946, 1955–1960, 1962–1970, 1971–present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Type | Composite |
| Role | Fighter andAirlift |
| Part of | Pacific Air Forces |
| Garrison/HQ | Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii |
| Motto | Prosequor Alis (I Pursue with Wings) (1942–1992)[1] |
| Engagements | Pacific Ocean theater of World War II |
| Decorations |
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| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Colonel Garrett C. Fisher |
| Vice Commander | Colonel Ryan M. Graf |
| Command Chief | Chief Master Sergeant Michael M. Haywood |
| Insignia | |
| 15th Wing emblem(approved 15 March 1963 based on emblem approved 5 October 1942)[2] |  |
| Tail Code | HH |
| Tail Flash |  |
The15th Wing is awing of theUnited States Air Force atHickam AFB,Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam, Hawaii. The wing reports to11th Air Force, Headquartered atJoint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.
Its history goes back to just beforeWorld War II, when the15th Pursuit Group was organized atWheeler Field, Hawaii from elements of the18th Pursuit Group. Thegroup's combat effectiveness was largely destroyed during the Japaneseattack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. Remanned and re-equipped as the15th Fighter Group, it remained in the Hawaiian islands to provide for theair defense of the islands, although it deployedsquadrons and detachments to the Central and Western Pacific areas. It later became aTwentieth Air Force very long rangefighter group onIwo Jima, escortingBoeing B-29 Superfortress bombers that attacked the Japanese home Islands. In April 1945 the group earned aDistinguished Unit Citation for combat action over Japan. Following the end of the war, the group returned to Hawaii, where it was inactivated in 1946.
The group was again activated in 1955 to replace the518th Air Defense Group as part ofAir Defense Command's Project Arrow, which replaced units formed during theCold War with those that had a distinguished history in the two world wars. It performed theair defense mission atNiagara Falls Municipal Airport, New York until it was discontinued in 1960 and its mission assumed by theNew York Air National Guard.
In July 1962,Tactical Air Command organized the15th Tactical Fighter Wing as the secondMcDonnell F-4 Phantom II wing atMacDill Air Force Base, Florida. Although its companion12th Tactical Fighter Wing was one of the first wings deployed during theVietnam War, the 15th acted as an F-4 combat crew training unit during this era, although it assumed a tactical role during theCuban Missile Crisis and thePueblo crisis. In 1970 the wing was inactivated and its mission, personnel and equipment were transferred to the1st Tactical Fighter Wing, which moved on paper to MacDill fromHamilton Air Force Base, California.
Little more than a year later, the wing returned to Hawaii as the15th Air Base Wing, when it replaced the 6486th Air Base Wing as the host organization atHickam Air Force Base. The wing has been stationed at Hickam AFB (now part of Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam) since then. In 1984, the 15th group and 15th wing were consolidated into a single unit.
The mission of the 15th Wing is to develop and sustain combat-readyairmen, in partnership with the total force, to provide global mobility, global reach, precision engagement, and agile combat support anytime, anywhere.[3] The 15th Wing partners with the154th Wing of theHawaii Air National Guard to provide strategic and tactical airlift capability toPacific Air Forces andAir Mobility Command and to support local and worldwide missions of combat support and humanitarian or disaster relief.[4]
To execute its mission, the wing has established priorities: First, execute the mission; second ensure readiness; third develop the wing's airmen; fourth, grow resilient airmen and families; and fifth, strengthen partnerships.[3]
The 15 Wing is composed of fourgroups and one direct reporting squadron each with specific functions. The operations group controls all flying and airfield operations. The maintenance group performs aircraft and aircraft support equipment maintenance. The medical group provides medical and dental care. The 647th Air Base Group provides direct mission support and all Air Force communications. The 15th Comptroller Squadron performs financial management for the wing. The remaining functions of the wing are staff agencies.
15th Operations Group[5]
15th Operations Support Squadron
19th Fighter Squadron (F-22)
65th Airlift Squadron (C-37, C-40)
535th Airlift Squadron (C-17) (tail code: HH)
15th Maintenance Group[5]
15th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
15th Maintenance Squadron
15th Maintenance Operations Squadron
15th Medical Group[5]
15th Healthcare Operations Squadron
15th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron
15th Medical Support Squadron
647th Air Base Group[5]
647th Civil Engineer Squadron
647th Force Support Squadron
647th Logistics Readiness Squadron
647th Security Forces Squadron
747th Cyber Space Squadron
15th Comptroller Squadron
Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam is also host to numerous tenant organizations. The Air Force side of the installation supports 140 tenant and associate units.[5]
The unit was originally constituted as the15th Pursuit Group (Fighter) and was activated atWheeler Field, Hawaii, on 1 December 1940 as part of the defense force for the Hawaiian Islands.[6] The originalsquadrons of the group were the45th,[7]46th,[8] and47th Pursuit Squadrons.[9] The group drew itscadre from the18th Pursuit Group, which had been stationed at Wheeler since 1927.[10] In addition to its primary combat aircraft the group flew theCurtiss A-12 Shrike,Grumman OA-9 Goose,Martin B-12 andBoeing P-26 Peashooter during the prewar period.[2]
A little more than a year later, on 7 December 1941, thegroup fought the Japanese after they began theirAttack on Pearl Harbor. Bombing andstrafing attacks that morning bycarrier-based planes of theJapanese strike force destroyed many assigned aircraft and caused heavy casualties.[6] However, twelve of the group'spilots succeeded in launching theirCurtiss P-36 Hawk andCurtiss P-40 Warhawk aircraft from Wheeler andHaleiwa Fighter Strip, and flew 16 sorties, destroying 10 Japanese planes. Second LieutenantsGeorge S. Welch andKenneth M. Taylor, P-40 pilots assigned to the 47th Pursuit Squadron, shot down four and two Japanese aircraft, respectively,[6] and were later cited for extraordinary heroism during the attack. Both received theDistinguished Service Cross.[11] Because of the heavy casualties suffered by the group in the attack, it was remanned and reorganized.[6]
On 12 February 1942, the unit was redesignated the15th Pursuit Group (Interceptor).[6] Several months later, the unit was redesignated the15th Fighter Group.[6] That summer, the group's mission changed. Although defense of the islands continued to be an important responsibility, continuing to provide combat training for fighter pilots with theBell P-39 Airacobra, Curtiss P-40 Warhawk and theRepublic P-47D Thunderbolt became the primary mission of the elements of the group remaining in Hawaii for the next two years.[citation needed] In August 1942, the12th Fighter Squadron, which had deployed to theSouthwest Pacific Theater and been attached toVII Fighter Command, was assigned to the group,[12] although the squadron remained atChristmas Island during its assignment.[13] The group also deployed othersquadrons to the Central and South Pacific for operations against Japanese forces.[6]
The following March, the6th Night Fighter Squadron was assigned to the group. During this assignment, which lasted a little more than a year, the 6th kept detachments of itsDouglas P-70 Havocs andNorthrop P-61 Black Widows onGuadalcanal andNew Guinea.[14] In March 1943, the78th Fighter Squadron was assigned to the group.[15] The 78th in effect replaced the 46th Fighter Squadron, which moved toMakin Island andCanton Island for operations against the Japanese, although the 46th remained assigned to the group until June 1944.[8] In September, the 45th squadron also deployed to the western Pacific for combat operations,[7] leaving the 47th and 78th with group headquarters in Hawaii.[9][15]
Then, in April 1944, the deployed elements of the 15th Fighter Group returned to Hawaii and began training for very long range bomber escort missions, obtainingNorth American P-51 Mustangs later in the year.[6] In January 1945, ordered into combat, the group left Hawaii forSaipan in theMarianas Islands, remaining there until alanding strip could be secured by theMarines onIwo Jima. The first fighter aircraft to arrive at Iwo Jima were P-51s of the 15th's 47th Fighter Squadron the morning of 6 March, with the 45th and 78th Squadrons following the next day. They supportedMarine ground units by bombing and strafing cave entrances, trenches, troop concentrations, and storage areas.[6] By the middle of March, the group also began strikes against enemy airfields, shipping, and military installations in theBonin Islands.[6]
On 7 April 1945, the 15th flew its first Very Long Range (VLR) mission to Japan, providing fighter escort for theBoeing B-29 Superfortress bombers that attacked theNakajima aircraft plant near Tokyo, and was awarded theDistinguished Unit Citation.[6] In late April and early May that year, the 15th struck Japanese airfields onKyūshū to curtail the enemy'ssuicide attacks against the invasion force onOkinawa and also hit enemy troop trains, small factories, gun positions, and hangars in the Bonins and Japan.[6]
During the summer of 1945, the 15th Fighter Group (along with the21st Fighter Group and the VII Fighter Command) were reassigned toTwentieth Air Force.[6] The group continued its fighter sweeps against Japanese airfields and other targets, in addition to flying long-range B-29 Superfortress escort missions to Japanese cities, until the end of the war.[6] After the war, the group remained on lwo Jima until 25 November 1945, when it transferred (without personnel and equipment) toBellows Field, Hawaii.[6] There it absorbed the personnel and equipment of the508th Fighter Group.[16] On 8 February 1946, the unit moved toWheeler Field, where it remained until inactivated on 15 October 1946.[6] Its personnel and equipment were transferred to the81st Fighter Group, which assumed its mission.[17]
| Aerial Victories | Number | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Group Hq | 3 | [18][note 2] |
| 6th Night Fighter Squadron | 20 | [19] |
| 12th Fighter Squadron | 5 | [20] |
| 45th Fighter Squadron | 33.5 | [21] |
| 46th Fighter Squadron | 7 | [21] |
| 47th Fighter Squadron | 43 | [22] |
| 78th Fighter Squadron | 39 | [23] |
| Group Total | 150.5 |
The 15th was again activated on 18 August 1955 as the15th Fighter Group (Air Defense) atNiagara Falls Municipal Airport, New York, where it replaced the518th Air Defense Group as a result ofAir Defense Command (ADC)'s Project Arrow, which was designed to bring back on the active list fighter units which had compiled memorable records during the two World Wars.[24] There it was responsible for the air defense of an area that included Western and Northern New York and parts of Ontario, Canada. It was reunited with one of its former units, now designated the 47th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (FIS),[6][25] which was already at Niagara Falls, where it had been assigned to the 518th.[25] The group was also assigned several support squadrons to perform its mission as USAF host unit for the active duty portions of Niagara Falls Airport.[26] (later 15th USAF Dispensary)[27][28][29]
The 47th FIS was equipped withradar equipped androcket armedNorth American F-86D Sabres.[30] In the fall of 1957, the squadron upgraded todata link equipped F-86Ls[30] and later, by the summer of 1958 toConvair F-102 Delta Dagger aircraft[30] The group performed air defense operations for the4707th Air Defense Wing andSyracuse Air Defense Sector until July 1960, when it was discontinued. Its mission was assumed by units of ADC'sAir National Guard augmentation program.[31]
On 1 July 1962, the15th Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW) was organized byTactical Air Command atMacDill Air Force Base, Florida[32] and assigned to the836th Air Division. Operational squadrons of the wing and squadron tail codes were:
The wing was initially equipped with the obsolescentRepublic F-84F Thunderstreak which were obtained fromAir National Guard units. In 1964 the wing upgraded to theMcDonnell-Douglas F-4C Phantom II. The 15 TFW was the second wing to be equipped with the F-4.
The mission of the 15 TFW was to conduct tactical fighter combat crew training. The wing participated in a variety ofexercises,operations andreadiness tests of Tactical Air Command.[32] The wing traine pilots and provided logistical support for the 12th Tactical Fighter Wing.[32] It was reorganized as a mission-capable unit at the time of theCuban Missile Crisis of 1962, returning afterwards to a training mission.[32]
With the departure of the 12 TFW in 1965, the 15 TFW's mission became acting as a replacement training unit for F-4 aircrews prior to their deployment to Southeast Asia.[32] The wing deployed 16 F-4s atSeymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, during thePueblo crisis in 1968.[32]
In 1965, the wing deployed its 43d, 45th, 46th and 47th Tactical Fighter Squadrons to SEA,[32] where they participated in the air defense commitment for the Philippines fromClark AB and flew combat missions fromCam Rahn Bay Air Base inSouth Vietnam andUbon Royal Thai Air Force Base inThailand. Members of the 45 TFS achieved the first U.S. Air Force aerial victories of theVietnam War when they destroyed two MIGs on 10 July 1965. Captains Thomas S. Roberts, Ronald C. Anderson, Kenneth E. Holcombe, and Arthur C. Clark received credit for these kills. The 43d TFS was reassigned toElmendorf AFB, Alaska on 4 January 1970.
Beginning in October 1968, when the 4424th Combat Crew Training Squadron (CCTS) was organized, the wing beganMartin B-57G Canberra night intruder tactical bomber aircrew training.[32] On 8 February 1969, the13th Bombardment Squadron, was organized as a tactical B-57 squadron (Tail Code: FK) Night Intruder tactical bomber aircrew training.[34] The squadron and eleven aircraft deployed toUbon RTAFB, Thailand on 1 October 1970. Three B-57Gs were left behind at MacDill with the 4424th CCTS as trainers.
In 1969, the wing assumed host USAF responsibility for MacDill from the 836th AD and was assigned the15th Combat Support Group to carry out this mission.[35] The 15th was inactivated on 1 October 1970,[32] and was replaced by the1st Tactical Fighter Wing when the 1st TFW was reassigned from ADC to Tactical Air Command and moved fromHamilton AFB, CA to MacDill.[36] The 4424th CCTS remained at MacDill, coming under the 1st TFW and finally discontinuing on 30 June 1972[36] with the return of the B-57Gs to the United States (to Kansas ANG).
One year later, on 20 October 1971, the 15th Tactical Fighter Wing was redesignated the15th Air Base Wing and activated at Hickam AFB, Hawaii on 1 November 1971. Assigned toPacific Air Forces (PACAF), the 15th assumed the personnel, equipment, mission, and duties previously performed by the 6486th Air Base Wing, which was simultaneously discontinued.[37] This reactivation reestablished the organization in Hawaii, where the 15th Pursuit Group was formed in 1940, and the lineage, history and honors of the15th Fighter Group were bestowed on the Wing.[note 4]
The 15th Air Base Wing managed Hickam, Wheeler,Dillingham, andJohnston Island Air Force Bases,Bellows Air Force Station, and several smaller subsidiary bases.[32] It provided base level support for headquarters PACAF and more than 100 tenant organizations.[32] Its 15th Operations Squadron provided specialairlift for the Commander in Chief, Pacific (CINCPAC), and the USAF andUS Army components ofPacific Command, initially withVC-118 aircraft[32] until inactivating in 1975, when the wing absorbed its assets.[38] Its 9th Airborne Command and Control Squadron providedairborne command and control support for CINCPAC.[32] Responsibility for Johnston Island subsequently transferred to the Defense Nuclear Agency on 1 July 1973; but on that same date, the 15th ABW assumed operational responsibility forWake Island. Dillingham later transferred to Army control on 27 February 1975, as didWheeler AFB on 1 November 1991. In 1999, the 15th ABW once again assumed responsibility for Johnston Island. Operational control of Wake Island transferred to the36th Air Base Wing (13th Air Force),Andersen Air Force Base,Guam, on 1 October 2000.[citation needed]
From April to September 1975, the wing sheltered over 93,000 orphans, evacuees, and refugees from Southeast Asia as part ofOperation Babylift andOperation New Life.[2] In 1980 the wing participated in Project Lagoon, a program to remove radioactive waste fromEnewetak Atoll.[2]
On 13 April 1992 the15th Operations Group was activated as the wing implemented the USAF objective wing organization. Upon activation, the group assumed was reassigned the wing's operational squadrons and the newly activated 15th Operations Support Squadron. It also managed operational matters at Hickam and Bellows in Hawaii andWake Island Airfield. Its two flying squadrons provided airborne command and control andairlift for high-ranking officials. The group also providedcommand and control for the defense of the Hawaiian Islands, including tactical control of Hawaii Air National Guard alert F-15 aircraft.[39]
On 28 April 2003, the wing was redesignated the15th Airlift Wing and begun preparation to stand up a first-of-its-kind active duty/associateAir National GuardC-17 Globemaster III organization. Almost three years later, on 8 February 2006 the wing welcomed in the first of eight C-17 Globemaster III cargo jets changing Hickam's identity and mission from strictly en route support to include performing local and worldwide airlift operations in support of combat and humanitarian missions.
On 18 May 2010, the wing was redesignated the15th Wing in anticipation of the addition of air refueling and fighters to its airlift mission,[40] which occurred on 23 July, when the 96th Air Refueling Squadron was assigned to the wing's operations group.[40] Four days earlier, its 15th Mission Support Group was inactivated as Hickam Air Force Base became part ofJoint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam and theUS Navy assumed most support responsibility for the installation. In October, the wing addedLockheed Martin F-22 Raptors to the aircraft it flies when the19th Fighter Squadron moved fromJoint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska to become an active duty associate unit of the Hawaiian Air National Guard's199th Fighter Squadron.[41][42]
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Groups
Operational Squadrons
| Award streamer | Award | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Distinguished Unit Citation | 7 April 1945 | Japan, 15th Fighter Group[43] |
 | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 January 1965 – 1 June 1966 | 15th Tactical Fighter Wing[43] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 January 1969 – 31 December 1969 | 15th Tactical Fighter Wing[43] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 4 April 1975 – 3 September 1975 | 15th Air Base Wing[43] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 25 February 1986 – 25 March 1986 | 15th Air Base Wing[43] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1989 – 30 June 1991 | 15th Air Base Wing[43] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1991 – 30 June 1993 | 15th Air Base Wing[43] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 October 1993 – 30 September 1995 | 15th Air Base Wing[43] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 October 1995 – 1 August 1997 | 15th Air Base Wing[43] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 2 August 1997 – 1 August 1999 | 15th Air Base Wing[43] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 29 November 1999 – 30 November 2001 | 15th Air Base Wing[43] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 November 2002 – 31 October 2004 | 15th Air Base Wing (later 15th Airlift Wing)[43] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 November 2004 – 31 October 2006 | 15th Airlift Wing[43] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 November 2006 – 31 October 2007 | 15th Airlift Wing[43] |
| Campaign Streamer | Campaign | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Central Pacific | 7 December 1941 – 6 December 1943 | 15th Fighter Group[6] |
| Air Offensive, Japan | 17 April 1942 – 2 September 1945 | 15th Fighter Group[6] |
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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