21st Operations Group
Encyclopedia
The 21st Operations Group (21 OG) is an operational component of the 21st Space Wing
, stationed at Peterson Air Force Base
, Colorado
.
The mission of the 21st OG is to provide overall management and guidance to 21 geographically separated units assigned to the wing, which provide attack warning and space control. Its history goes back to World War II
when the 21st Fighter Group flew very long range (VLR) escort missions of Twentieth Air Force
B-29 Superfortress
bombardment groups against Japan. During the Cold War
, the unit was a USAFE tactical fighter unit assigned to France in the 1950s and later controlled all operational fighter squadrons at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
.
The 21st OG funnels Defense Support Program satellite information to forward users, and the Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station missile warning. The group is also the focal point for the Air Force's transition from DSP to the new Space-Based Infrared Satellite system.
. Thereafter, from February 1942 until October 1943, the
group relocated successively to Jackson Army Air Base; Mississippi
; Columbia Army Air Base, South Carolina
; Key Field
, Mississippi
, and MacDill Field, Florida.
The 21st initially trained on B-25 Mitchell
bombers then converted to B-26 Marauder
s. The group largely served as an operational training unit assigned to Third Air Force
; however, while at MacDill Field, from June 1942 to October 1943, the 21st additionally carried out anti-submarine patrols over the Caribbean Sea
. For this action the group received the Anti-Submarine 1941–1945 campaign streamer. The 21st inactivated on 10 October 1943.
The 21st did not have to wait long to write a further chapter in the history of warfare. Another unit, the 21st Fighter Group (FG), activated on 21 April 1944 at Wheeler Army Airfield
in the Hawaii Territory. Assigned to VII Fighter Command, the group consisted of the 46th, 72d, and 531st Fighter Squadrons. Over the next two months, the group trained on its first aircraft type, the P-39Q Airacobra. The 21st provided air defense over the Hawaiian Islands
from July 1944, then began upgrading into the P-38J/L Lightning in September.
By the end of October, rumors filled the air that the group soon would upgrade airframes again, this time to the P-51 Mustang
. This change in aircraft heralded a new mission for the 21 FG. True to rumor, leading echelons began deploying by ship to the island of Iwo Jima in the western Pacific in February 1945.
Before the end of the month, the 21st began flying patrols over the critical island base in support of ground operations. The final group echelon arrived at Iwo Jima
on 25 March. Early the next morning, elements of the 21st were attacked in their encampment by Japanese soldiers. Assisted by a patrol of American Marines, 21st personnel counterattacked and in the tent-by-tent fighting killed 250 of the enemy. Fourteen group personnel were killed and 50, including 21 FG commander Colonel Kenneth R. Powell
, were wounded.
The first long-range aerial mission of the 21st Fighter Group against the mainland of Japan began on 7 April 1945, when the group’s Mustangs escorted a formation of B-29 bombers against the fortified and well-defended Nakajima
aircraft factory near Tokyo. This mission marked the first time fighters had escorted bombers over Japan. Moreover, this mission has been credited as having been the longest over-water fighter escort sortie to date. Over the following weeks, the 21st escorted American B-29s over enemy airfields and industrial targets and engaged rival Japanese fighter aircraft. The 531st Squadron achieved another first for the 21 FG in June 1945 by initiating aerial rocket strike sorties against select enemy targets which included ships and a radio station. In the meantime, the groups’ aircraft continued to duel in the air and two “aces” soon emerged: Major Harry Crim and Captain Willis Matthews, both of the 531st Fighter Squadron. Aircrews of the 21st also strafed the airfields which the Japanese used for their increasingly dangerous kamikaze attacks. The 21 FG flew its last combat mission 14 August 1945, about two weeks before the official Japanese capitulation on 2 September.
The group received the Distinguished Unit Citation on 13 November 1945 specifically for its outstanding conduct during the earlier raid on Nakajima. However, the 21st had played a laudable part throughout the final stages of the war in the Pacific.
After the war, the group transferred from Iwo Jima, first to Saipan
, then finally to Guam
. Re-equipped with P-47 Thunderbolt
s during the summer of 1946. The 21 FG inactivated on 10 October 1946.
At George, the group established and maintained tactical proficiency and provided air defense augmentation. In December 1954, the group was assigned to NATO and was reassigned to Chambley-Bussieres Air Base
, France.
The 21 FBG consisted of three squadrons, the 72d, 416th and 531st Fighter-Bomber Squadrons, equipped with the F-86F Sabre. Upon their arrival, the facilities at Chambley were not ready for aircraft use, and the squadrons had to deploy elsewhere. The 72d deployed to Chateauroux AB
, while the 416th and 531st operated out of Toul-Rosieres AB
.
After many construction delays, the group combined its fighter squadrons at Chambley on 15 April 1955. The squadrons carried out close air support
training missions with the Army, then took first place at the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) "Gunnery Meet" at Wheelus Air Base
, Libya.
The 21 FBW participated in the Atomic Warfare exercise Carte Blanche, and went on to take an overall second place in the Nellis AFB
, Nevada Gunnery Meet in 1956. Moreover, they won the USAFE Award for Tactical Proficiency for the January–June period of 1957.
In 1957, the French Government
decreed that all nuclear weapons and delivery aircraft had to be removed from French soil by July 1958. As a result, the F-86's of the 21st Fighter-Bomber Group had to be removed from France. During October 1957 it was announced that the 21 FBG would be inactivated on 8 February 1958, and that its assets would be dispersed among existing USAFE units.
were placed under it. The 21st Operations Group was the flying component of the 21st Wing. The 21st Wing was de-activated and the 3d Wing
was reassigned from Clark Air Base
, Philippines to Elmendorf on 19 December 1991 as a result of the Mount Pinatubo
eruption and the inhabitability of Clark. This was in keeping Air Force's polices of retaining the oldest and most illustrious units.
The 21st Operations Group was reactivated on 15 May 1992 as a component of the redesignated and reactivated 21st Space Wing, providing command management of Air Force Space Command's worldwide network of assigned missile warning, space surveillance, and communications units.
21st Space Wing
The 21st Space Wing is a unit of the Air Force Space Command based at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. The unit is tasked with the operation of early missile warning and space object detection equipment around the world in support of NORAD and USSTRATCOM through a network of command and control...
, stationed at Peterson Air Force Base
Peterson Air Force Base
Peterson Air Force Base is a base of the United States Air Force located at Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States and it provides runways for the adjacent City of Colorado Springs Municipal Airport under a shared joint civil-military airport arrangement...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
.
The mission of the 21st OG is to provide overall management and guidance to 21 geographically separated units assigned to the wing, which provide attack warning and space control. Its history goes back to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
when the 21st Fighter Group flew very long range (VLR) escort missions of Twentieth Air Force
Twentieth Air Force
The Twentieth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming.20 AF's primary mission is Intercontinental Ballistic Missile operations...
B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
bombardment groups against Japan. During the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, the unit was a USAFE tactical fighter unit assigned to France in the 1950s and later controlled all operational fighter squadrons at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
.
Overview
Responsibilities include establishment of operational requirements and managing the training, standardization and evaluation programs. This includes conducting command-directed evaluations and staff assistance visits. Additionally, the 21st OG develops and maintains operational procedures and regulations for field units.The 21st OG funnels Defense Support Program satellite information to forward users, and the Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station missile warning. The group is also the focal point for the Air Force's transition from DSP to the new Space-Based Infrared Satellite system.
Units
- 21st Operations Support Squadron – Peterson AFB, ColoradoColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
.
- Space Warning Squadrons
- 6th Space Warning Squadron6th Space Warning SquadronThe 6th Space Warning Squadron is located at Cape Cod Air Force Station, in Sandwich, Massachusetts. It keeps watch for sea-launched and intercontinental ballistic missiles launched toward North America...
– Cape Cod AFS MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. - 7th Space Warning Squadron7th Space Warning SquadronThe United States Air Force's 7th Space Warning Squadron is an missile warning unit located at Beale AFB, Ca.-Previous Designations:*7th Space Warning Squadron *7th Missile Warning Squadron -Decorations:...
– Beale AFB, California - 10th Space Warning Squadron10th Space Warning SquadronThe United States Air Force's 10th Space Warning Squadron , is a missile warning unit located at Cavalier AFS, North Dakota.-Mission:...
– Cavalier AFS, North DakotaNorth DakotaNorth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S.... - 12th Space Warning Squadron12th Space Warning SquadronThe 12th Space Warning Squadron is a United States Air Force missile warning squadron, stationed at Thule Air Base, Greenland.-Overview:...
– Thule AB, GreenlandGreenlandGreenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for... - 13th Space Warning Squadron13th Space Warning SquadronThe 13th Space Warning Squadron is a missile warning unit assigned to the United States Air Force and located at Clear Air Force Station 5 miles south of Anderson, Alaska,-Mission:...
– Clear AFS, AlaskaAlaskaAlaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait... - RAF FylingdalesRAF FylingdalesRAF Fylingdales is a Royal Air Force station on Snod Hill in the North York Moors, England. Its motto is "Vigilamus" . It is a radar base and part of the United States-controlled Ballistic Missile Early Warning System...
– United Kingdom
- Space Control Squadrons
- 4th Space Control Squadron4th Space Control SquadronThe United States Air Force's 4th Space Control Squadron is an offensive space control unit located at Holloman AFB, New Mexico.-Mission:...
– Holloman AFB, New MexicoNew MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S... - 16th Space Control Squadron16th Space Control SquadronThe United States Air Force's 16th Space Control Squadron is an Air Force Space Command unit located at Peterson AFB, Colorado and assigned to the 21st Space Wing. The 16th SPCS operates the Rapid Attack Identification Detection Reporting System ....
– Peterson AFB, ColoradoColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains... - 20th Space Control Squadron20th Space Control SquadronThe United States Air Force's 20th Space Control Squadron is a space control unit located at Eglin AFB, Florida.-Mission:The mission of the 20th Space Control Squadron is to detect, track, identify, and report near earth and deep space objects in earth's orbit, and provide space object...
– Eglin AFB, Florida - 20th Space Control Squadron, Det. 1 – DahlgrenDahlgren-People:*Anders Dahlgren , Swedish politician who was a member of the Centre Party*Albert Dahlgren , Swedish-Canadian master carpenter*Charles G...
, VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there... - 76th Space Control Squadron76th Space Control SquadronThe United States Air Force's 76th Space Control Squadron is an offensive counter space unit located at Peterson AFB, Colorado.-Mission:...
– Peterson AFB, ColoradoColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
- Operations Group Detachments
- Det 1, 21st Operations Group – White Sands Missile RangeWhite Sands Missile RangeWhite Sands Missile Range is a rocket range of almost in parts of five counties in southern New Mexico. The largest military installation in the United States, WSMR includes the and the WSMR Otera Mesa bombing range...
, New MexicoNew MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S... - Det 2, 21st Operations Group – Diego GarciaDiego GarciaDiego Garcia is a tropical, footprint-shaped coral atoll located south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean at 7 degrees, 26 minutes south latitude. It is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory [BIOT] and is positioned at 72°23' east longitude....
- Det 3, 21st Operations Group – MauiMauiThe island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
, Hawaii - Det 4, 21st Operations Group – Moron AB, Spain
World War II
Constituted as 21st Bombardment Group (Medium) on 13 January 1942. Activated on 1 February 1942 at Bowman Field, KentuckyKentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. Thereafter, from February 1942 until October 1943, the
group relocated successively to Jackson Army Air Base; Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
; Columbia Army Air Base, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
; Key Field
Key field
A key field is a field or set of fields of a database table which together form a unique identifier for a database record . The aggregate of these fields is usually referred to simply as "the key". Key fields also define searches...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, and MacDill Field, Florida.
The 21st initially trained on B-25 Mitchell
B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
bombers then converted to B-26 Marauder
B-26 Marauder
The Martin B-26 Marauder was a World War II twin-engine medium bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, it was also used in the Mediterranean Theater and in Western Europe....
s. The group largely served as an operational training unit assigned to Third Air Force
Third Air Force
The Third Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe . It is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany....
; however, while at MacDill Field, from June 1942 to October 1943, the 21st additionally carried out anti-submarine patrols over the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
. For this action the group received the Anti-Submarine 1941–1945 campaign streamer. The 21st inactivated on 10 October 1943.
The 21st did not have to wait long to write a further chapter in the history of warfare. Another unit, the 21st Fighter Group (FG), activated on 21 April 1944 at Wheeler Army Airfield
Wheeler Army Airfield
Wheeler Army Airfield , also known as Wheeler Field and formerly as Wheeler Air Force Base, is a United States Army post located in the City & County of Honolulu and in the Wahiawa District of the Island of O'ahu, Hawaii...
in the Hawaii Territory. Assigned to VII Fighter Command, the group consisted of the 46th, 72d, and 531st Fighter Squadrons. Over the next two months, the group trained on its first aircraft type, the P-39Q Airacobra. The 21st provided air defense over the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
from July 1944, then began upgrading into the P-38J/L Lightning in September.
By the end of October, rumors filled the air that the group soon would upgrade airframes again, this time to the P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
. This change in aircraft heralded a new mission for the 21 FG. True to rumor, leading echelons began deploying by ship to the island of Iwo Jima in the western Pacific in February 1945.
Before the end of the month, the 21st began flying patrols over the critical island base in support of ground operations. The final group echelon arrived at Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
on 25 March. Early the next morning, elements of the 21st were attacked in their encampment by Japanese soldiers. Assisted by a patrol of American Marines, 21st personnel counterattacked and in the tent-by-tent fighting killed 250 of the enemy. Fourteen group personnel were killed and 50, including 21 FG commander Colonel Kenneth R. Powell
Kenneth R. Powell
Kenneth R. "Ken" Powell was born in McMinnville, Oregon. He entered flying school in the fall of 1939 and graduated from Kelly Field in July 1940. Served during World War II at Canton, Battle of Makin, and Iwo Jima. He retired Aug. 1st, 1968 as a Major General.-Early life:After birth in 1915 and a...
, were wounded.
The first long-range aerial mission of the 21st Fighter Group against the mainland of Japan began on 7 April 1945, when the group’s Mustangs escorted a formation of B-29 bombers against the fortified and well-defended Nakajima
Nakajima Aircraft Company
The Nakajima Aircraft Company was a prominent Japanese aircraft manufacturer throughout World War II.-History:...
aircraft factory near Tokyo. This mission marked the first time fighters had escorted bombers over Japan. Moreover, this mission has been credited as having been the longest over-water fighter escort sortie to date. Over the following weeks, the 21st escorted American B-29s over enemy airfields and industrial targets and engaged rival Japanese fighter aircraft. The 531st Squadron achieved another first for the 21 FG in June 1945 by initiating aerial rocket strike sorties against select enemy targets which included ships and a radio station. In the meantime, the groups’ aircraft continued to duel in the air and two “aces” soon emerged: Major Harry Crim and Captain Willis Matthews, both of the 531st Fighter Squadron. Aircrews of the 21st also strafed the airfields which the Japanese used for their increasingly dangerous kamikaze attacks. The 21 FG flew its last combat mission 14 August 1945, about two weeks before the official Japanese capitulation on 2 September.
The group received the Distinguished Unit Citation on 13 November 1945 specifically for its outstanding conduct during the earlier raid on Nakajima. However, the 21st had played a laudable part throughout the final stages of the war in the Pacific.
After the war, the group transferred from Iwo Jima, first to Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
, then finally to Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
. Re-equipped with P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
Republic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
s during the summer of 1946. The 21 FG inactivated on 10 October 1946.
Post/Cold War
Redesignated 21st Fighter-Bomber Group. Activated at George AFB California on 1 January 1953 with three (72d, 416th and 531st) Fighter-Bomber squadrons. Assigned to Tactical Air Command. Equipped for a few months with F-51's, later with F-86's. Maintained tactical proficiency and provided air defense augmentation in the United States, January 1953 – November 1954.At George, the group established and maintained tactical proficiency and provided air defense augmentation. In December 1954, the group was assigned to NATO and was reassigned to Chambley-Bussieres Air Base
Chambley-Bussieres Air Base
Chambley-Bussières Air Base is a former United States Air Force base in France. It is located in the Meurthe-et-Moselle département of France, about ten miles west of the French city of Metz, and about one mile southwest of Chambley-Bussières, on the south side of the Départemental 901 ...
, France.
The 21 FBG consisted of three squadrons, the 72d, 416th and 531st Fighter-Bomber Squadrons, equipped with the F-86F Sabre. Upon their arrival, the facilities at Chambley were not ready for aircraft use, and the squadrons had to deploy elsewhere. The 72d deployed to Chateauroux AB
Châteauroux-Déols Air Base
Châteauroux-Déols Air Base is a former United States Air Force base in France. It is located in the Indre département of France, located about 3 miles northeast of Châteauroux and about 1 mile northeast of Déols on the east side of the Départemental 920 road in Central France.During the Cold...
, while the 416th and 531st operated out of Toul-Rosieres AB
Toul-Rosieres Air Base
Toul-Rosières Air Base is a reserve French Air Force base. It is located in the Meurthe-et-Moselle département of France, 10 miles northeast of the city of Toul, on the west side of the Route nationale 411 Highway about one mile southeast of Rosières-en-Haye.Toul Air Base was used by American...
.
After many construction delays, the group combined its fighter squadrons at Chambley on 15 April 1955. The squadrons carried out close air support
Close air support
In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...
training missions with the Army, then took first place at the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) "Gunnery Meet" at Wheelus Air Base
Wheelus Air Base
-See also:*List of airports in Libya-External links:*****...
, Libya.
The 21 FBW participated in the Atomic Warfare exercise Carte Blanche, and went on to take an overall second place in the Nellis AFB
Nellis Air Force Base
Nellis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is under the jurisdiction of Air Combat Command .-Overview:...
, Nevada Gunnery Meet in 1956. Moreover, they won the USAFE Award for Tactical Proficiency for the January–June period of 1957.
In 1957, the French Government
Government of France
The government of the French Republic is a semi-presidential system determined by the French Constitution of the fifth Republic. The nation declares itself to be an "indivisible, secular, democratic, and social Republic"...
decreed that all nuclear weapons and delivery aircraft had to be removed from French soil by July 1958. As a result, the F-86's of the 21st Fighter-Bomber Group had to be removed from France. During October 1957 it was announced that the 21 FBG would be inactivated on 8 February 1958, and that its assets would be dispersed among existing USAFE units.
Modern era
In 1991, the 21st Tactical Fighter Wing was reorganized as an objective wing and all the major tenant units on Elmendorf AFB, AlaskaAlaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
were placed under it. The 21st Operations Group was the flying component of the 21st Wing. The 21st Wing was de-activated and the 3d Wing
3d Wing
The 3d Wing is a unit of the United States Air Force, assigned to the Pacific Air Forces Eleventh Air Force. It is stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska....
was reassigned from Clark Air Base
Clark Air Base
Clark Air Base is a former United States Air Force base on Luzon Island in the Philippines, located 3 miles west of Angeles City, about 40 miles northwest of Metro Manila. Clark Air Base was an American military facility from 1903 to 1991...
, Philippines to Elmendorf on 19 December 1991 as a result of the Mount Pinatubo
Mount Pinatubo
Mount Pinatubo is an active stratovolcano located on the island of Luzon, near the tripoint of the Philippine provinces of Zambales, Tarlac, and Pampanga. It is located in the Tri-Cabusilan Mountain range separating the west coast of Luzon from the central plains, and is west of the dormant and...
eruption and the inhabitability of Clark. This was in keeping Air Force's polices of retaining the oldest and most illustrious units.
The 21st Operations Group was reactivated on 15 May 1992 as a component of the redesignated and reactivated 21st Space Wing, providing command management of Air Force Space Command's worldwide network of assigned missile warning, space surveillance, and communications units.
Lineage
- Established as 21st Bombardment Group (Medium) on 13 January 1942
- Activated on 1 February 1942
- Disestablished on 10 October 1943
- Reestablished and consolidated (31 July 1985) with the 21st Fighter Group, which was established on 31 March 1944
- Activated on 21 April 1944
- Inactivated on 10 October 1946
- Redesignated 21st Fighter-Bomber Group on 15 November 1952
- Activated on 1 January 1953
- Inactivated on 8 February 1958
- Redesignated: 21st Tactical Fighter Group on 31 July 1985 (Remained inactive)
- Redesignated: 21st Operations Group on 25 September 1991
- Activated on 26 September 1991
- Inactivated on 19 December 1991
- Activated on 15 May 1992.
Assignments
- Air Force Combat Command, 1 February 1942
- III Bomber CommandIII Bomber CommandThe III Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Third Air Force stationed at MacDill Field, Florida. It was inactivated on 8 April 1946.-Lineage:...
, 11 March 1942 - XII Bomber CommandXII Bomber CommandThe XII Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Twelfth Air Force, based in Corsica, France...
, 2 May 1942 - III Bomber CommandIII Bomber CommandThe III Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Third Air Force stationed at MacDill Field, Florida. It was inactivated on 8 April 1946.-Lineage:...
, 8 May 1942 – 10 October 1943 - US Army Air Forces, Central Pacific Area, 21 April 1944
- VII Fighter Command, 24 April 1944
- 7th Fighter Wing, 3 July 1944
- VII Fighter Command, 10 November 1944
- Attached to 7th Fighter Wing, 10 November 1944 – February 1945
- United States Strategic Air Forces in the PacificUnited States Strategic Air Forces in the PacificThe United States Strategic Air Forces in the Pacific was a World War II command and control authority of the strategic United States Army Air Forces in the Pacific Theater.-Overview:...
, 16 July 1945 - 20th Fighter Wing46th Fighter Wing (World War II)The 46th Figher Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Pacific Air Forces, based on Guam. It was inactivated on 24 August 1948.-History:...
, 5 August 1945 – 10 October 1946 - 21st Fighter-Bomber Wing, 1 January 1953 – 8 February 1958
- 21st Wing, 26 September – 19 December 1991
- 21st Space Wing21st Space WingThe 21st Space Wing is a unit of the Air Force Space Command based at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. The unit is tasked with the operation of early missile warning and space object detection equipment around the world in support of NORAD and USSTRATCOM through a network of command and control...
, 15 May 1992–present
- United States Strategic Air Forces in the Pacific
Components
- 8th Reconnaissance (later, 398th Bombardment) Squadron: attached 1 February – 21 April 1942, assigned 22 April 1942 – 10 October 1943
- 313th Bombardment Squadron313th Bombardment SquadronThe 313th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 21st Bombardment Group, based at MacDill Field, Florida. It was inactivated on 10 October 1943.-History:...
: 1 February 1942 – 10 October 1943 - 314th Bombardment Squadron314th Bombardment SquadronThe 314th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 21st Bombardment Group, based at MacDill Field, Florida. It was inactivated on 10 October 1943.-History:...
: 1 February 1942 – 10 October 1943 - 315th Bombardment Squadron315th Bombardment SquadronThe 315th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 21st Bombardment Group, based at MacDill Field, Florida. It was inactivated on 10 October 1943.-History:...
: 1 February 1942 – 10 October 1943
- 46th Fighter Squadron: 15 June 1944 – 10 October 1946
- 72d Fighter (later, 72d Fighter-Bomber) Squadron72d Tactical Fighter SquadronThe 72d Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 56th Operations Group, based at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. It was inactivated on 19 June 1992.-World War II:...
: 15 June 1944 – 10 October 1946; 1 January 1953-8 February 1958 (detached 27 August – 17 September 1953 and 15 April 1957 – 8 February 1958) - 531st Fighter (later, 531st Fighter-Bomber) Squadron: 15 June 1944 – 10 October 1946; 1 January 1953-8 February 1958 (detached 26 September-c. 17 October 1953 and 15 April 1957 – 8 February 1958)
- 416th Fighter-Bomber Squadron: 1 January 1953 – 8 February 1958 (detached 12 September-c. 2 October 1953 and 15 April 1957 – 8 February 1958)
- 90th Fighter Squadron90th Fighter SquadronThe 90th Fighter Squadron is part of the 3d Wing at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. It operates the F-22 Raptor aircraft conducting air superiority missions.-Mission:...
: 26 September – 19 December 1991 - 43d Fighter Squadron43d Fighter SquadronThe 43d Fighter Squadron is part of the 325th Fighter Wing at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. It conducts advanced fighter training for F-22 Raptor pilots.-Mission:...
: 26 September – 19 December 1991 - 54th Fighter Squadron54th Fighter SquadronThe 54th Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was to the 3d Operations Group, being stationed at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska...
: 26 September – 19 December 1991
- 21st Crew Training Squadron: 15 May 1992 – 1 October 1994
Stations
- Bowman Field, KentuckyKentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, 1 February 1942 - Jackson AABHawkins Field (airport)Hawkins Field is a city-owned public-use airport located three miles northwest of the central business district of Jackson, a city in Hinds County, Mississippi, United States.-Facilities and aircraft:...
, MississippiMississippiMississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, 6 February 1942 - Columbia AABColumbia Metropolitan AirportColumbia Metropolitan Airport is the main airport for Columbia, South Carolina. The airport lies five miles southwest of Columbia's central business district, in Lexington County.-Airlines and destinations:...
, South CarolinaSouth CarolinaSouth Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, 21 April 1942 - Key FieldMeridian Regional AirportMeridian Regional Airport is a public airport located on Key Field, a joint civil-military airfield located southwest of the city of Meridian in Lauderdale County, Mississippi, United States. It is owned by Meridian Airport Authority....
, MississippiMississippiMississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, 24 May 1942 - MacDill Field, Florida, 24 June 1942 – 10 October 1943
- Wheeler FieldWheeler Army AirfieldWheeler Army Airfield , also known as Wheeler Field and formerly as Wheeler Air Force Base, is a United States Army post located in the City & County of Honolulu and in the Wahiawa District of the Island of O'ahu, Hawaii...
, Hawaii Territory, 21 April 1944 - Mokuleia Army Airfield, Hawaii Territory, 13 October 1944 – 9 February 1945
- Central FieldCentral Field (Iwo Jima)Central Field was a World War II airfield on Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands, located in the Central Pacific. The Volcano Islands are part of Japan. The airfield was located on the southern corner of Iwo Jima located on the Motoyama plateau, to the north of Mount Suribachi.It was abandoned after...
, Iwo JimaIwo JimaIwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
, 26 March 1945
- North FieldNorth Field (Iwo Jima)North Field or Iwo Jima Air Base is a World War II airfield on Iwo Jima in the Bonin Islands, located in the Central Pacific. The Bonin Islands are part of Japan...
, Iwo JimaIwo JimaIwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
, 16 July 1945 - Isley Airfield, SaipanSaipanSaipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
, 4 December 1945 - Northwest FieldNorthwest Field (Guam)Northwest Field is a former World War II airfield on Guam in the Mariana Islands. It was closed in 1949 and is unused.-History:Northwest Field was constructed in 1944–45 near Ritidian Point on the northwest end of the island of Guam as a base for Twentieth Air Force B-29 Superfortresses to carry...
, GuamGuamGuam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, 17 April – 10 October 1946 - George AFB, California, 1 January 1953 – 26 November 1954
- Chambley-Bussieres Air BaseChambley-Bussieres Air BaseChambley-Bussières Air Base is a former United States Air Force base in France. It is located in the Meurthe-et-Moselle département of France, about ten miles west of the French city of Metz, and about one mile southwest of Chambley-Bussières, on the south side of the Départemental 901 ...
, France, 12 December 1954 – 8 February 1958 - Elmendorf AFB, AlaskaAlaskaAlaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, 26 September – 19 December 1991 - Peterson AFB, ColoradoColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, 15 May 1992–present
Aircraft
- A-20 Havoc, 1942
- B-18 BoloB-18 BoloThe Douglas B-18 Bolo was a United States Army Air Corps and Royal Canadian Air Force bomber of the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Bolo was built by Douglas Aircraft Company and based on its DC-2 and was developed to replace the Martin B-10....
, 1942 - B-25 MitchellB-25 MitchellThe North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
, 1942 - B-26 MarauderB-26 MarauderThe Martin B-26 Marauder was a World War II twin-engine medium bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, it was also used in the Mediterranean Theater and in Western Europe....
, 1942–1943 - P-39 Aircobra, 1944
- P-38 LightningP-38 LightningThe Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
, 1944–1945 - P-51 MustangP-51 MustangThe North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
, 1944–1946
- P-47 ThunderboltP-47 ThunderboltRepublic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
, 1946 - F-51 Mustang, 1953
- F-86 SabreF-86 SabreThe North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...
, 1953–1958 - T-33 Shooting StarT-33 Shooting StarThe Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star is an American-built jet trainer aircraft. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948, piloted by Tony LeVier. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then designated T-33A. It was used by the...
, 1957–1958 - C-21 Learjet, 1993–1997
- USAF Satellites, 1993–present