488th Tactical Missile Wing
Graduation photo of17th Tactical Missile Squadron withTM-76 Mace Missile
Active	1943–1944; 1957-1958
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Bombardment andTactical missile training
Motto	Nullus Secundus (Latin for 'Second to None')
Commanders
588th Tactical Missile Group commander[1]	Lt. Col. Bowers W. Espy.
Insignia
588 Tactical Missile Group emblem[a]

The488th Tactical Missile Wing is an inactiveUnited States Air Force unit. It was formed by the consolidation of the488th Bombardment Group and the588th Tactical Missile Group in 1985, but has not been active since consolidation.

The488th Bombardment Group was aUnited States Army Air Forcesheavy bomberoperational andreplacement training unit that served duringWorld War II. It was last assigned toThird Air Force atMacDill Field, Florida, where it was disbanded on 1 May 1944.

The588th Tactical Missile Group was aUnited States Air Forcetactical missile training unit that served during theCold War. It was last assigned to4504th Missile Training Wing atOrlando Air Force Base, Florida, where it was inactivated on 15 July 1958.

The488th Bombardment Group was activated atGeiger Field, Washington in the fall of 1943 with the 840th, 841st, 842d, and843d Bombardment Squadrons assigned.^[2] While the 841st and 842d Squadrons were activated with group headquarters at Geiger, the 840th atEphrata Army Air Field, Washington and the 843d atKearney Army Air Field, Nebraska were formerantisubmarine units.^[3] Thegroup operated as aBoeing B-17 Flying Fortressoperational training unit underSecond Air Force.^[4] The OTU program involved the use of an oversized parent unit to providecadres to "satellite groups."^[5] Toward the end of 1943 Second Air Force prepared to concentrate onBoeing B-29 Superfortress training and Geiger was transferred toFourth Air Force and became a training base for Aviation Engineer units.^[6] The 488thheadquarters and all its assigned squadrons were transferred toThird Air Force and moved toMacDill Field, Florida.^[2][3]

At MacDill thegroup operated as a B-17replacement training unit.^[2] Replacement training units were oversized units which trainedaircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters.^[5] However, theArmy Air Forces found that standard military units, based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were proving less well adapted to the training mission. Accordingly, a more functional system was adopted in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit.^[7] This resulted in the 488th, along with other units at MacDill, being disbanded in the spring of 1944^[2] and being replaced by the 317th AAF Base Unit, which assumed the group's mission, personnel, and equipment

The588th Tactical Missile Group was formed as a unit including launch, maintenance and support squadrons which could be deployed together rather thanTactical Air Command's previous practice of organizing independentmissile squadrons. The 588th was part of theNinth Air Force and its initial components were the17th Tactical Missile Squadron, the 588th Communications and Guidance Squadron and the 588th Support Squadron. Initial training included preparation to deploy overseas.^[8] However, the 17th Squadron deployed toPacific Air Forces by itself in early 1958, where it became the nucleus for the6214th Support Group atTainan Air Station, Taiwan.

In April the24th Tactical Missile Squadron was reassigned from the 589th Group to the 588th Group and plans began to deploy toOsan Air Base, South Korea. The 24th engaged in crew training at Orlando but never received any missiles. The squadron did, however, deploy toCape Canaveral Air Force Station and launchedTM-61 Matador missiles under the guidance of the 6555th Guided Missile Squadron. However, when the 588th's personnel deployed, theUnited States Air Force decided to redesignate two fighter units at Osan instead of replacing them with new missile units. Deploying personnel and equipment were reassigned to the 58th Fighter-Bomber Group which was reactivated as the58th Tactical Missile Group;^[9] the 310th Tactical Fighter Squadron, which became the310th Tactical Missile Squadron;^[10] or the newly activated 58th Support Squadron and 58th Communications and Guidance Squadron.^[11]

In July 1958 the 4504th Wing reorganized and the 588th was inactivated and replaced by the 4504th Tactical Missile Training Squadron and the 4504th Support Squadron, which absorbed its remaining personnel and equipment.^[12]

The488th Bombardment Group and the588th Tactical Missile Group were consolidated on 31 July 1985 as the488th Tactical Missile Wing,^[13] but the consolidated unit has not been active.

• II Bomber Command, 1 October 1943
• III Bomber Command, 1 November 1943 – 1 May 1944
• 4504th Missile Training Wing, 8 January 1957 – 15 July 1958

• 840th Bombardment Squadron (later 818th Bombardment Squadron): 1 October 1943 – 1 May 1944^[14][b]
• 841st Bombardment Squadron: 1 October 1943 – 1 May 1944^[15]
• 842d Bombardment Squadron: 1 October 1943 – 1 May 1944^[15]
• 843d Bombardment Squadron: 1 October 1943 – 1 May 1944^[15]
• 17th Tactical Missile Squadron, 8 January 1957 – 6 February 1958
• 24th Tactical Missile Squadron, 25 April 1958 – 15 July 1958
• 588th Communications and Guidance Squadron (Tactical Missile), 8 January 1957 – 15 July 1958
• 588th Support Squadron (Tactical Missile), 8 January 1957 – 15 July 1958

• Geiger Field, Washington, 1 October 1943^[2]
• MacDill Field, Florida, 1 November 1943 – 1 May 1944^[2]
• Orlando Air Force Base, Florida, 8 January 1957 - 15 July 1958^[16]

• Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, 1943-1944^[2]
• Martin TM-61 Matador, 1957-1958

Explanatory notes

Citations

 This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Craven, Wesley F; Cate, James L, eds. (1955).The Army Air Forces in World War II. Vol. VI, Men & Planes. Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press.LCCN 48-3657.
• Fletcher, Harry R (1993).Air Force Bases, Vol. II, Air Bases Outside the United States of America(PDF). Washington, DC: Center for Air Force History.ISBN 0-912799-53-6. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 20 December 2016.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961].Air Force Combat Units of World War II(PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.ISBN 0-912799-02-1.LCCN 61060979. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 20 December 2016.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969].Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II(PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.ISBN 0-405-12194-6.LCCN 70605402.OCLC 72556. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 20 August 2023.

Further reading

• Mindling, George; Bolton, Robert (2008).U.S. Air Force Tactical Missiles, 1949–1969: The Pioneers. Raleigh, NC: Lulu Press, Inc.ISBN 978-0-557-00029-6.LCCN 2008908364.

• Missile wings of the United States Air Force

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