23rd Wing

[4] The mission of the 23rd Wing is to organize, train and employ combat-ready Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, HC-130J and HH-60W, as well as pararescuemen and force protection assets.

It consists of approximately 5,000 military and civilian personnel, including a geographically separated unit (GSU) at Avon Park Air Force Range, Florida.

The 23rd Fighter Wing was reassigned to Howard Air Force Base, Panama Canal Zone, in April 1949, where it also acquired a squadron of Lockheed RF-80 Shooting Stars.

Equipped with North American F-86 Sabre, North American F-51 Mustang, Northrop F-89D Scorpion and F-80 Shooting Star aircraft, its mission was to provide air defense for the northeastern United States during the Korean War and conduct basic training for about 500 Air Force recruits.

The 23 TFW was activated to replace the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing at McConnell after its deployment to Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand.

Flying the Republic Aviation F-105D/G "Thunderchief" aircraft, the mission of the 23 TFW at McConnell was to provide training for Thud pilots prior to their deployment to Southeast Asia.

In February 1965, when the 23 TFW deployed three squadrons (the 561st, 562nd and 563rd) to Southeast Asia for combat, these units were initially under the control of the 2nd Air Division.

The 74th replaced the 354th Tactical Fighter Squadron from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona that had completed its temporary duty.

For just over a month, until the cessation of all U.S. bombing on 15 August 1973, the 74 TFS supported the air war activities in Cambodia, accounting for the destruction of 311 enemy structures, 25 ground artillery and missile sites, three bridges and 9,500 cubic meters of supplies.

The 23 TFW took part in a variety of operational exercises both in the United States and overseas, including tactical bombing competitions against the Royal Air Force at RAF Lossiemouth, Scotland, during October 1977 and July 1978.

The 4451st Tactical Squadron at Tonopah Test Range Airport used these aircraft to train F-117 Nighthawk pilots and to provide a cover story for F-117A development.

The wing earned its fourth Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for the period 1 April 1989, to 31 March 1991.

In addition to providing close air support for ground units, the A-10s performed Combat Search and Rescue and SCUD-hunting missions.

Senior planners reviewed numerous options before agreeing on the final conclusion—a merger of most strategic and tactical air resources and a reorganization of Military Airlift Command (MAC).

In addition, the number of Air Force wings was to be reduced by about one-third to reflect the financial constraints of the post Cold War environment.

In December 1992, Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft from the 2nd Airlift Squadron deployed to Mombasa, Kenya, to participate in Operation Provide Relief.

In September 1994, its C-130s participated in what was to be the largest combat personnel drop since World War II, Operation Uphold Democracy.

The first operational deployment of a composite wing happened in October 1994, when Iraqi troops began massing near the Kuwaiti Border.

Eventually, the 75th Fighter Squadron redeployed to Al Jaber Air Base, Kuwait, becoming the first U.S. fixed-wing aircraft to be stationed in that country since the end of the Gulf War.

The group as it existed in 2006 consisted of the: In April 1999, the 74 FS deployed five aircraft and 60 personnel to Operation Allied Force, the NATO air campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, intended to stop ethnic cleansing of Albanians by Serbs.

In February 2003, the 23rd Fighter Group deployed to Al Jaber Air Base in preparation of Operation Iraqi Freedom, there they launched aircraft to attack Baghdad until the major fighting ceased.

In 2002, an A-10 of the 75th Fighter Squadron passed the 9,000 flying-hour mark, becoming the most flown attack aircraft in Air Force history.

[9] Groups Squadrons Detachments and Operating Locations This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

Aircraft from the 23rd Wing conducted a surge exercise 22 May 2017, at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. The exercise demonstrated the wing's ability to rapidly deploy combat ready forces across the globe. The 23rd Wing maintains and operates A-10C Thunderbolt IIs, HH-60G Pave Hawks, and HC-130J Combat King II aircraft for precision attack, personnel recovery and combat support worldwide.
23rd Fighter-Interceptor Wing North American F-86A-5-NA Sabre 49-1122, Presque Isle AFB, Maine, 1952 (marked as Wing Commander's aircraft)
F-105Ds of the 562nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, deployed from McConnel AFB, KS to Southeast Asia (Thailand), 1965
F-105F-1-RE Thunderchief, AF Serial No. 63-8360 of the 561st Tactical Fighter Squadron, McConnel AFB, Kansas – 1970. This aircraft was later converted to the F-105G "Wild Weasel" configuration. It was hit by flak over North Vietnam on 17 September 1972 and crashed at sea.
Ling-Temco-Vought A-7D-11-CV Corsair II, AF Serial No. 71-0338 of the 75th Tactical Fighter Squadron, taken in May 1973. A-7D attack aircraft were assigned to the 23rd TFW from 1972 through 1981
A-10s on the flightline.
A 23rd Fighter Group member directs traffic in the desert.
"Flying Tiger" General Dynamics F-16C Block 40E Fighting Falcon, AF Serial No. 89-2008, of the 74th Fighter Squadron.
"Flying Tiger" Lockheed C-130E-LM Hercules, AF Serial No. 63-7846, of the 41st Airlift Squadron.
Fairchild Republic A-10A Thunderbolt II Serial 80-0252 of the 75th Fighter Squadron.
A 23rd Fighter Group member inspects two AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles on an aircraft in the desert.