21st Space Wing
Encyclopedia
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 units and ground based sensors operated by geographically separated units around the world.
The Wing’s services include more than 9,000 government and contractor personnel who detect, track and catalog more than 14,000 catalogued man-made objects in space, from those in near-Earth orbit to objects up to 22,300 miles above the Earth's surface and explores counterspace warfighting technologies in the field.
Ballistic missile
warning allows the US to monitor at least 20 nations that currently have nuclear
, biological or chemical weapons, and the technology to deliver them over long distances, including some with the ability to launch intercontinental ballistic missiles at the United States.
The 21st Operations Group manages all operation units in the 21st Space Wing.
The Wing's ground-based radars are: a sea-launched ballistic missile or SLBM, the PAVE PAWS
warning system; a Ballistic Missile Early Warning System
, or BMEWS; and a Perimeter Attack Radar Characterization System, or PARCS
.
SLBM warning units are the 6th SWS, Cape Cod AFS, Mass., and the 7th SWS, Beale AFB, Calif. Their mission is mainly to watch America's coasts for incoming sea-launched or intercontinental ballistic missiles, and warn NORAD and NORTHCOM.
The wing's two BMEWS radar units are the 12th Space Warning Squadron
, Thule AB, and the 13th Space Warning Squadron
at Clear AFS. The 21st SW also has a detachment at RAF Fylingdales
, U.K., to coordinate cooperative missile warning and space surveillance with Royal Air Force
counterparts.
The wing's PARCS unit is the 10th Space Warning Squadron
, Cavalier AFS, N.D.
, are regularly tracked. Knowing the orbits of those objects is essential to prevent collisions when a new satellite is launched.
The 20th Space Control Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla., provides dedicated active radar space surveillance. In addition, other collateral and contributing missile warning and research radars are used to support the surveillance mission.
(CMAFS); Thule Air Base
(TABG), Greenland; Clear AFS
(CAFS), Alaska, and Cape Cod AFS
(CCAFS), Mass. The 21st also provides community support to 302d Airlift Wing
(ANG), the 50th Space Wing
, Schriever AFB, Colo and to its neighbors in the Colorado Springs area.
On 1 January 1953 the 21st Fighter-Bomber Wing as part of Tactical Air Command
at George AFB, California. The wing was activated following Secretary of State John Foster Dulles
' promise to provide NATO with four additional tactical fighter wings to increase it's defenses against the Soviet Union
due to the outbreak of the Cold War. The wing's operational component was the 21st Fighter-Bomber Group, comprised three fighter-bomber squadrons: the 72d, 416th, and 531st. The 72d and 531st previously had been components of the World War II
21st Fighter Group.
During its first six months, the 21st Fighter-Bomber Wing upgraded from the F-51 to the F-86F “Sabrejet,” which had become famous for its prowess in the Korean War
. Throughout 1953 and into the first months of 1954, the 21st participated in a series of tactical exercises through which the unit obtained operational readiness. As part of the training for operational duty, the 21st FBW conducted deployment exercises to Alaska
in September and October 1953 when the flying squadrons, in tandem, rotated through a special two-week arctic indoctrination program at Eielson AFB.
Next, the 21st sent six of its F-86s to participate in Project Willtour, an 11,000 mile goodwill and training tour of twelve Central
, Caribbean
, and South America
n countries. The wing continued its exercises in Operation BOXKITE, held throughout April and into May 1954 at North Field
, South Carolina
. BOXKITE tested a new operational concept: the ability of a tactical wing to deploy to a forward base and sustain combat operations over a thirty-day period. In response, the 21st flew 3,000 sorties.
, as part of Twelfth Air Force and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) which had taken a defensive stance against the Warsaw Pact
headed by the Soviet Union
. Chambley Air Base was located about ten miles west of the French city of Metz
, and just south of the road leading to Verdun
near France’s strategic northeastern border with Luxembourg
, Belgium
, and West Germany
.
The wing’s deployment from George AFB, California, to France had to be carried out in stages. Four echelons of wing personnel variously traveled by train, ship, and air to reach their destination between November 1954 and January 1955. The air squadrons stopped to refuel across the United States and in Labrador
, Greenland
, Iceland
, and Scotland
in route.
Upon their arrival, the facilities at Chambley were not ready for aircraft use, and the squadrons had to deploy elsewhere while engineers upgraded the modest facilities at Chambley. The 72d deployed to Chateauroux AB
, while the 416th and 531st operated out of Toul-Rosieres AB
.
After many construction delays, the wing 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 Wing had to be removed from France. During October 1957 it was announced that the 21 FBW would be inactivated on 8 February 1958, and that its assets would be dispersed among existing USAFE units. With the departure of the wing, Chambley-Bussieres AB was placed in reserve status.
a few months later on 1 July 1958, inheriting the lineage of the 21st FBW. The mission of the 21st TFW included defending the air space of northern Japan against Soviet intruders and planning for strategic bombardment in the event a new war broke out with North Korea
(known as contingency plan “Quick Strike”). Operational squadrons of the 21st included the 416th and 531st Tactical Fighter Squadrons.
Initially, the 416th TFS carried out the war-fighting missions in the F-84G Thunderjet, a single-seat fighter-bomber. The Thunderjet was the first fighter equipped to deliver non-conventional ordinance as well as the first capable of refueling in-flight. Meanwhile, the 531st prepared to upgrade to the F-100D Super Sabre, the world’s first supersonic aircraft. Once combat ready in April 1959, the 531st assumed the wing’s war-fighting missions while the 416th converted to the Supersabre in turn. Remarkably, the 416th achieved full operational status in August 1959.
Cooperation between the wing’s units paid off in Fifth Air Force
’s Tactical Evaluation and Operational Readiness Inspection held in August and September of 1959. The 21st garnered an “Excellent” rating and carried off the best bomb score average in the history of Fifth Air Force. Operational readiness and high marks in training translated directly into the field.
21st TFW aircraft intercepted Soviet Tupolev Tu-16
"Badger" and Myasishchev M-4
"Bison" bombers on a regular basis, taking home, in the words of Intelligence analysts, “some of the best photographs ever taken of the Badger.” In October 1959,First Lieutenant Charles L. Ferguson of the 531st received credit for making the first M-4 Bison intercept in the Far East and probably the world.
The 21st Tactical Fighter Wing also flew beyond the base at Misawa. In addition to routine alert commitments and deployments to South Korea
, two F-100s from the 531st made the first American jet aircraft transpolar flight, flying from RAF Wethersfield
, England
, to Eielson AFB, Alaska
, on 7 August 1959.
Once more, however, the accomplishments of the 21st came to a temporary halt when the U.S. government placed a ceiling on the number of fighter wings allowed in the Air Force inventory. Consequently, Fifth Air Force undertook an extensive reorganization. The 21st Tactical Fighter Wing inactivated on 18 June 1960 and its assets were transferred to the 39th Air Division at Misawa AB.
, and was assigned to Alaskan Air Command
(AAC). AAC itself was a component of the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD), which had been formed in 1954, and the Alaska Region Command of the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) which had been formed in 1957.
The 21st activated as an intermediate headquarters that could tie together and manage several missions critical to Alaskan Air Command. Components of the 21 CW carried out the wing’s three primary missions: air defense (317th Fighter Interceptor Squadron
), airlift (17th Troop Carrier Squadron, known from 1967 as the 17th Tactical Airlift Squadron), and search and rescue (21st Operations Squadron). The 21st Operations Squadron (OSS), utilized H-21 helicopters for search and rescue work and employed C-47, C-54, and C-118 aircraft to assist with the mission of airlift. The 17th Troop Carrier/Tactical Airlift Squadron provided logistical airlift (with its C-130 Hercules aircraft).
The 17th supported the various U.S. Army and AAC aircraft control and warning sites, and permanently stationed two C-130s on skis at Sondrestrom Air Base
, Greenland
, in support of the Distant Early Warning Line
sites (DEW).
The 317th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (FIS) carried out the mission of air defense for the wing. The 317th kept two of its F-102A Delta Dagger aircraft on alert at each of the following locations: Elmendorf and Eielson Air Force Base
s, and King Salmon and Galena Airports. The 317th was one of the premier squadrons of its day, being the only unit to have won the prestigious Hughes Achievement Trophy (given for the best fighter unit with an active air defense mission) three times during its operational service.
The F-102s, unfortunately, were technologically outdated, a fact that made long-range interception of Soviet intruders into Alaskan airspace by 317th crews increasingly difficult. AAC recognized the limitations of this aerial platform and repeatedly tried to secure the more advanced F-4 Phantom II
for air defense. The Vietnam War
, however, had first call for the F-4. For a few years, therefore, Air Defense Command (ADC) dispatched F-106 Delta Dart
s from other states on a rotational basis to Alaska to help correct this mission limitation.
The situation came to a head late in 1969 when the Air Force announced the inactivation of the 317th due to the squadron’s aging F-102s and the need to respond to budget cuts imposed by the cost of the war in Southeast Asia
. Nevertheless, the Air Force compensated the 21st by assigning the 43d Tactical Fighter Squadron, which flew F-4Es, to the wing on 13 March 1970. The 43d departed MacDill AFB, Florida
and arrived at Elmendorf on 23 June 1970. Consequently, the rotational F-106 deployments from the lower continental states ceased soon after the 43d assumed mission responsibilities at Elmendorf, Eielson, Galena and King Salmon on 1 August.
Unfortunately, the winter of 1970-1971 was severe in Alaska, causing numerous mechanical failures in the F-4s which had been accustomed to Florida’s warm climate. At times, the wing’s operational air defense assets dwindled from eighteen aircraft to only one or two. Moreover, the 43d assumed close air support as well as air defense responsibilities, two missions which stretched the squadron’s capabilities. In response, Air Staff sent the 43d an additional six aircraft in May 1971.
Despite these initial handicaps, the 21 CW quickly proved itself a leader in the fighter community, conducting alerts, intercepts and exercises throughout the 1970s. In July 1972 the wing dispatched a detachment to Operation COOL SHOOT, a live missile firing exercise, held at Tyndall AFB, Florida
. Air Force Headquarters awarded the 43d the coveted Hughes Achievement Trophy in December. Meanwhile, the 21 CW continued to intercept Soviet intruders into Alaskan airspace.
Exercises in 1976 included JACK FROST (later known as BRIM FROST), and a Tactical Air Command
(TAC) Weapons System Evaluation Program at Eglin AFB, Florida
. At the William Tell fighter weapons competition held in October-November 1976 at Tyndall, the wing won “Best F-4 Crew”, “Best Maintenance Crew,” the Apple Splitter Award for the most drones destroyed, the Top Gun Award, and only narrowly missed overall first place due to a sudden mission abort. The 43d again won the Hughes Achievement Trophy in 1977. Training deployments included the Canadian Maple Flag in September 1978 and Red Flag in April 1979.
Organizational changes also underscored the 1970s. Due to a realignment of airlift and rescue forces under the Military Airlift Command
(MAC), the wing divested its helicopters and C-130s in 1975. Overall, however, the wing expanded, gaining two air base squadrons and several other responsibilities. The 21 CW picked up a new fighter unit on 1 October 1977 when the 18th Tactical Fighter Squadron (F-4Es) activated. Subsequently, the 43d maintained its air defense mission while the 18th adopted the role of close air support. Both units shared air defense alert duties in Alaska. Additionally, from November 1977 to April 1979, the 21 CW controlled all thirteen of Alaska’s air control and warning sites. Then, in May 1979, Colonel Michael E. Nelson, 21st Composite Wing commander, initiated a study that concluded that his unit should be streamlined into a normal tactical fighter wing.
The F-4s of the streamlined wing soon deployed to Chong Ju Air Base, Republic of Korea for Exercise “TEAM SPIRIT.” During March 1980 the wing participated in dissimilar air combat training (DACT) and conducted combat air patrol, air interdiction and composite force tactics. TEAM SPIRIT proved to be the last exercise for the 21st’s F-4s. Later that year the Air Force released plans to replace the F-4Es stationed in Alaska with F-15A fighters, which were slated to go to the 43d Tactical Fighter Squadron, and A-10 close air support aircraft, which were earmarked for the 18th Tactical Fighter Squadron. In fact, the arrival of the A-10s heralded the reassignment of the 18th from the 21st to the 343d Composite Wing at Eielson AFB, Alaska.
The first F-15 arrived at Elmendorf in March, and the last of the new aircraft were in place by October. Thanks to special bomb-delivery air-to-surface training carried out in the T-33s, the 21st Tactical Fighter Wing became the first flying unit to reach initial operating capability (IOC) in the F-15 without the assistance of the aircraft manufacturer or a sister flying unit. The 21st made its first intercept of a Soviet intruder, a Tu-95 Bear C, when a pair of F-15s sortied from alert at King Salmon Airport on 24 November 1982.
Over the next four years, the F-15s undertook several deployments and exercises such as “BRIM FROST,” a U.S. Readiness Command biennial Arctic exercise, and “TEAM SPIRIT” held in Japan and the Republic of Korea in 1985. The 21st conducted joint training exercises along the northern continental frontier with the Canadians. All the while, the wing intercepted Soviet bomber, transport, and maritime reconnaissance aircraft flying over the Arctic Ocean and Bering Sea.
This creditable service continued throughout the late 1980s from the William Tell Air-to-Air Weapons meets to COMBAT ARCHER to DACT training to the Air Force’s “live-fire” Weapon System Evaluation Programs. During one exercise at the remote site known as Deadhorse, Alaska, three F-15s became the first Alaskan-based single-seat fighters to circle the North Pole. The 21st received newer aircraft, its first F-15Cs and Ds, in May 1987.
The wing hosted multiple distinguished visitors in 1989. President George Bush stopped at Elmendorf in route to Japan for the state funeral of Japanese Emperor Hirohito and addressed a crowd of over 7,000 in Hangar Five. Ironically, this was the same hangar in which President Richard Nixon had greeted Hirohito eighteen years previously when the emperor had made his first official state visit outside his native land.
Later that year, the wing expanded into the escort rather than only the intercept business. Two Soviet MiG-29 “Fulcrum” aircraft, which were traveling to their first air show in North America, officially visited the 21st at Elmendorf, not only to refuel, but as a gesture of goodwill. This event marked the first time the MiG-29 fighters landed on the continent, and the 21st’s aircraft were there to escort them in, help them refuel, and play host.
The final upgrade of the 21st fighter inventory came with the addition of the 90th Tactical Fighter Squadron and the F-15E “Strike Eagle” in May 1991.
In 1991, the 21st Tactical Fighter Wing was reorganized as an objective wing and all the major tenant units on Elmendorf were placed under it. The 21st Wing was deactivated and the 3d Wing
was reassigned from the closing Clark Air Base
, Philippines to Elmendorf Air Force Base
, Alaska on 19 December 1991. This was in keeping Air Force's polices of retaining the oldest and most illustrious units during a period of major force reductions.
The 21st Space Wing was reactivated on 15 May 1992 from the former 1st Space Wing
and 3d Space Support Wing at Peterson AFB, Colorado (both previously located at Peterson AFB), providing command management of Air Force Space Command's worldwide network of assigned missile warning, space surveillance, and communications units. The missile warning network had operated under the direction of Air Defense Command (later Aerospace Defense Command) and Strategic Air Command since the early 1960s. The network then passed under the aegis of Air Force Space Command when that command activated in September 1982.
Upon activation, the primary wing mission was ICBM warning though Defense Satellite Program (DSP). DSP is a constellation of geosynchronous satellites equipped with infrared detectors to help locate and identify ballistic missile and nuclear testing activities around the world.
If missile warning had remained the only primary mission of the 21st Space Wing, the wing still would have been
one of the largest in the Air Force. However, in April 1995, the 73d Space Surveillance Group merged with the 21st Space Wing. With the 73d came a new primary mission, that of space surveillance though a series of radar stations located throughout the world.
The 21st Space Wing also inherited the Ground-Based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance System (GEODSS).
GEODSS sites began opening in May 1982, first at Socorro, New Mexico, then at Maui, Hawaii, Choejong-San, Republic
of Korea (soon to close in 1990), and finally at Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory, in 1987. These advanced electro-optical telescopic cameras operate in the arena of space tracking, and allowed deep-space surveillance and space-object identification. Deep Space Tracking System and Low Altitude Space Surveillance Systems (DSTS/LASS) provided additional global coverage of space activities for the Air Force.
The wing additionally operated the command and control network used to relay missile warning and surveillance
information from sites dispersed around the world to HQ AFSPC, USSPACECOM, and NORAD. Air Force Space Command had identified the need for a mobile and hence more survivable command and control unit in 1989, a system which
first would be called RAPIER, and which later would became known as the Mobile Command and Control Center (MCCC).
The events of 11 September 2001 challenged America to respond to terrorism worldwide. President George W.
Bush ordered strikes against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan in October, and followed-up with an assault on Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq in March and April 2003. The wing deployed personnel overseas and tightened
security at GSUs and Peterson AFB.
Squadrons
Air Force Space Command
Air Force Space Command is a major command of the United States Department of the Air Force, with its headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. AFSPC supports U.S. military operations worldwide through the use of many different types of satellite, launch and cyber operations....
based 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. 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
United States Strategic Command
United States Strategic Command is one of nine Unified Combatant Commands of the United States Department of Defense . The Command, including components, employs more than 2,700 people, representing all four services, including DoD civilians and contractors, who oversee the command's operationally...
through a network of command and control units and ground based sensors operated by geographically separated units around the world.
The Wing’s services include more than 9,000 government and contractor personnel who detect, track and catalog more than 14,000 catalogued man-made objects in space, from those in near-Earth orbit to objects up to 22,300 miles above the Earth's surface and explores counterspace warfighting technologies in the field.
Mission
Conduct world class space superiority operations and provide unsurpassed installation support and protection while deploying Warrior Airmen.Operations
The 21 SW operate and maintain a complex system of U.S. and foreign-based radars that detect and track ballistic missile launches, launches of new space systems, and provide data on foreign ballistic missile events through its communication and control with CMAS, TABG, CAFS, and CCAFS.Ballistic missile
Ballistic missile
A ballistic missile is a missile that follows a sub-orbital ballistic flightpath with the objective of delivering one or more warheads to a predetermined target. The missile is only guided during the relatively brief initial powered phase of flight and its course is subsequently governed by the...
warning allows the US to monitor at least 20 nations that currently have nuclear
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
, biological or chemical weapons, and the technology to deliver them over long distances, including some with the ability to launch intercontinental ballistic missiles at the United States.
The 21st Operations Group manages all operation units in the 21st Space Wing.
The Wing's ground-based radars are: a sea-launched ballistic missile or SLBM, the PAVE PAWS
PAVE PAWS
PAVE PAWS is a United States Air Force Space Command radar system operated by three 21st Space Wing squadrons for missile warning and space surveillance. Operational PAVE PAWS radars are located at:...
warning system; a Ballistic Missile Early Warning System
Ballistic Missile Early Warning System
The United States Air Force Ballistic Missile Early Warning System was the first operational ballistic missile detection radar. The original system was built in 1959 and could provide long-range warning of a ballistic missile attack over the polar region of the Northern Hemisphere. They also...
, or BMEWS; and a Perimeter Attack Radar Characterization System, or PARCS
PARCS (radar)
The Perimeter Acquisition Radar and Attack Characterization System is a concrete structure 121ft high which continuously provides critical missile warning and space surveillance data to North American Aerospace Defense Command , United States Strategic Command , and regional combatant commanders...
.
SLBM warning units are the 6th SWS, Cape Cod AFS, Mass., and the 7th SWS, Beale AFB, Calif. Their mission is mainly to watch America's coasts for incoming sea-launched or intercontinental ballistic missiles, and warn NORAD and NORTHCOM.
The wing's two BMEWS radar units are the 12th Space Warning Squadron
12th Space Warning Squadron
The 12th Space Warning Squadron is a United States Air Force missile warning squadron, stationed at Thule Air Base, Greenland.-Overview:...
, Thule AB, and the 13th Space Warning Squadron
13th Space Warning Squadron
The 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:...
at Clear AFS. The 21st SW also has a detachment at RAF Fylingdales
RAF Fylingdales
RAF 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...
, U.K., to coordinate cooperative missile warning and space surveillance with Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
counterparts.
The wing's PARCS unit is the 10th Space Warning Squadron
10th Space Warning Squadron
The United States Air Force's 10th Space Warning Squadron , is a missile warning unit located at Cavalier AFS, North Dakota.-Mission:...
, Cavalier AFS, N.D.
Space control
Space surveillance is a critical element of the space control mission and will be vitally important to support future theater missile operations and assured availability of U.S. space forces. As part of the space surveillance mission, the wing operates surveillance units. More than 9,500 manmade objects in orbit around the earth, ranging in size from a baseball to the International Space StationInternational Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
, are regularly tracked. Knowing the orbits of those objects is essential to prevent collisions when a new satellite is launched.
The 20th Space Control Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla., provides dedicated active radar space surveillance. In addition, other collateral and contributing missile warning and research radars are used to support the surveillance mission.
Units
Besides the three major commands, the Wing directs and supports Cheyenne Mountain Air Force StationCheyenne Mountain
Cheyenne Mountain is a mountain located just outside the southwest side of Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S., and is home to the Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station and its Cheyenne Mountain Directorate, formerly known as the Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center .Throughout the Cold War and...
(CMAFS); Thule Air Base
Thule Air Base
Thule Air Base or Thule Air Base/Pituffik Airport , is the United States Air Force's northernmost base, located north of the Arctic Circle and from the North Pole on the northwest side of the island of Greenland. It is approximately east of the North Magnetic Pole.-Overview:Thule Air Base is the...
(TABG), Greenland; Clear AFS
Clear Air Force Station
Clear Air Force Station is a United States Air Force Station located 5 miles south of Anderson, Alaska, USA, northeast of Mount McKinley, and southwest of Fairbanks. Its primary mission is to detect incoming ICBMs and submarine-launched ballistic missiles.-Overview:Clear AFS is operated by the...
(CAFS), Alaska, and Cape Cod AFS
Cape Cod Air Force Station
Cape Cod Air Force Station is a US Air Force station located in the northwest corner of the Massachusetts Military Reservation, USA, on Flatrock Hill...
(CCAFS), Mass. The 21st also provides community support to 302d Airlift Wing
302d Airlift Wing
The 302nd Airlift Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force Reserve based out of Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado.-Mission:...
(ANG), the 50th Space Wing
50th Space Wing
The 50th Space Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force under the major command of Air Force Space Command . It was activated on 30 January 1992, replacing the 2d Space Wing, which was deactivated on the same date.-Overview:...
, Schriever AFB, Colo and to its neighbors in the Colorado Springs area.
- 21st Maintenance Group: The 21st Maintenance Group commander is responsible for the hardware and software maintenance at 27 missile warning, space surveillance and satellite communications sensor sites, as well as supply, transportation, traffic management and precision measurement equipment laboratory support for Peterson and Schriever Air Force bases, and Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station.
- 21st Operations Group: The mission of the 21st OG as Air Force Space Command's largest, most weapon-system diverse, and geographically separated operations group is to command and control 19 units. The group provides real-time missile warning, attack assessment, and space control to the President, Secretary of Defense, JCS, combatant commands, and foreign allies. They develop future combat counterspace capabilities in support of theater campaigns.
- 21st Medical Group: The 21st Medical Group commander is responsible for protecting the health and environment of the warriors who defend the United States through the control and exploitation of space, educated, train and deploy medical personnel, and provide caring and efficient primary health care to retirees and family members.
- 21st Mission Support Group: The 21st MSG is made up of the people who make sure the base runs smoothly and effectively. They pay the bills, make sure the base stays secure, oversee the telephone services, keep the facilities in good condition, keep the records and take care of the well–being of all the people stationed in the Peterson Complex.
- 721st Mission Support Group: The 721st Mission Support Group, located at Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, operates, maintains, secures, sustains, mobilizes, tests, and controls the worldwide warning and surveillance system for North America, normally referred to as the Integrated Tactical Warning and Attack Assessment (ITW/AA) weapon system. It consists of airborne, land-based and space-based systems which sense and report on all activities in air and space.
- 821st Air Base Group: The mission of the 821st Air Base Group is to operate and maintain Thule Air Base, Greenland, in support of missile warning and space surveillance operations missions. Provide security, communications, civil engineering, personnel, services, logistics and medical support to remote active duty units in a combined US, Canadian, Danish and Greenlandic environment of more than 800 military, civilian and contractor personnel.
History
- For additional history and lineage see 21st Operations Group21st Operations GroupThe 21st Operations Group 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...
On 1 January 1953 the 21st Fighter-Bomber Wing as part of Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
at George AFB, California. The wing was activated following Secretary of State John Foster Dulles
John Foster Dulles
John Foster Dulles served as U.S. Secretary of State under President Dwight D. Eisenhower from 1953 to 1959. He was a significant figure in the early Cold War era, advocating an aggressive stance against communism throughout the world...
' promise to provide NATO with four additional tactical fighter wings to increase it's defenses against the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
due to the outbreak of the Cold War. The wing's operational component was the 21st Fighter-Bomber Group, comprised three fighter-bomber squadrons: the 72d, 416th, and 531st. The 72d and 531st previously had been components of the 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...
21st Fighter Group.
During its first six months, the 21st Fighter-Bomber Wing upgraded from the F-51 to the F-86F “Sabrejet,” which had become famous for its prowess in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. Throughout 1953 and into the first months of 1954, the 21st participated in a series of tactical exercises through which the unit obtained operational readiness. As part of the training for operational duty, the 21st FBW conducted deployment exercises to 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...
in September and October 1953 when the flying squadrons, in tandem, rotated through a special two-week arctic indoctrination program at Eielson AFB.
Next, the 21st sent six of its F-86s to participate in Project Willtour, an 11,000 mile goodwill and training tour of twelve Central
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n countries. The wing continued its exercises in Operation BOXKITE, held throughout April and into May 1954 at North Field
North Field
North Field can refer to:*North Field on Tinian from which the aircraft were launched to drop the atomic bombs on Japan during World War II...
, 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...
. BOXKITE tested a new operational concept: the ability of a tactical wing to deploy to a forward base and sustain combat operations over a thirty-day period. In response, the 21st flew 3,000 sorties.
United States Air Forces in Europe
BOXKITE was the last significant stateside exercise, for on 22 June 1954, the Secretary of the Air Force announced that the 21st would be relocating to Chambley Air Base, FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, as part of Twelfth Air Force and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) which had taken a defensive stance against the Warsaw Pact
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...
headed by the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. Chambley Air Base was located about ten miles west of the French city of Metz
Metz
Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...
, and just south of the road leading to Verdun
Verdun
Verdun is a city in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital of the department is the slightly smaller city of Bar-le-Duc.- History :...
near France’s strategic northeastern border with Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, and West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
.
The wing’s deployment from George AFB, California, to France had to be carried out in stages. Four echelons of wing personnel variously traveled by train, ship, and air to reach their destination between November 1954 and January 1955. The air squadrons stopped to refuel across the United States and in Labrador
Labrador
Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
, Greenland
Greenland
Greenland 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...
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
in route.
Upon their arrival, the facilities at Chambley were not ready for aircraft use, and the squadrons had to deploy elsewhere while engineers upgraded the modest facilities at Chambley. 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 wing 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
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
. 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 Wing had to be removed from France. During October 1957 it was announced that the 21 FBW would be inactivated on 8 February 1958, and that its assets would be dispersed among existing USAFE units. With the departure of the wing, Chambley-Bussieres AB was placed in reserve status.
Pacific Air Forces
The 21st Tactical Fighter Wing was reactivated at Misawa AB, JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
a few months later on 1 July 1958, inheriting the lineage of the 21st FBW. The mission of the 21st TFW included defending the air space of northern Japan against Soviet intruders and planning for strategic bombardment in the event a new war broke out with North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
(known as contingency plan “Quick Strike”). Operational squadrons of the 21st included the 416th and 531st Tactical Fighter Squadrons.
Initially, the 416th TFS carried out the war-fighting missions in the F-84G Thunderjet, a single-seat fighter-bomber. The Thunderjet was the first fighter equipped to deliver non-conventional ordinance as well as the first capable of refueling in-flight. Meanwhile, the 531st prepared to upgrade to the F-100D Super Sabre, the world’s first supersonic aircraft. Once combat ready in April 1959, the 531st assumed the wing’s war-fighting missions while the 416th converted to the Supersabre in turn. Remarkably, the 416th achieved full operational status in August 1959.
Cooperation between the wing’s units paid off in Fifth Air Force
Fifth Air Force
The Fifth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan....
’s Tactical Evaluation and Operational Readiness Inspection held in August and September of 1959. The 21st garnered an “Excellent” rating and carried off the best bomb score average in the history of Fifth Air Force. Operational readiness and high marks in training translated directly into the field.
21st TFW aircraft intercepted Soviet Tupolev Tu-16
Tupolev Tu-16
The Tupolev Tu-16 was a twin-engine jet bomber used by the Soviet Union. It has flown for more than 50 years, and the Chinese license-built Xian H-6 remains in service with the Chinese air force.-Development:...
"Badger" and Myasishchev M-4
Myasishchev M-4
The Myasishchev M-4 Molot , USAF/DoD reporting name "Type 37", NATO reporting name 'Bison'.) is a four-engined strategic bomber designed by Vladimir Myasishchev and manufactured by the Soviet Union in the 1950s to provide a bomber capable of attacking targets in North America...
"Bison" bombers on a regular basis, taking home, in the words of Intelligence analysts, “some of the best photographs ever taken of the Badger.” In October 1959,First Lieutenant Charles L. Ferguson of the 531st received credit for making the first M-4 Bison intercept in the Far East and probably the world.
The 21st Tactical Fighter Wing also flew beyond the base at Misawa. In addition to routine alert commitments and deployments to South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, two F-100s from the 531st made the first American jet aircraft transpolar flight, flying from RAF Wethersfield
RAF Wethersfield
MDPGA Wethersfield is a Ministry of Defence facility in Essex, England; it is located north of the village of Wethersfield—about north-west of the town of Braintree...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, to Eielson 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...
, on 7 August 1959.
Once more, however, the accomplishments of the 21st came to a temporary halt when the U.S. government placed a ceiling on the number of fighter wings allowed in the Air Force inventory. Consequently, Fifth Air Force undertook an extensive reorganization. The 21st Tactical Fighter Wing inactivated on 18 June 1960 and its assets were transferred to the 39th Air Division at Misawa AB.
21st Composite Wing
The 21st activated again as the 21st Composite Wing (CW) on 8 July 1966 at 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...
, and was assigned to Alaskan Air Command
Alaskan Air Command
Alaskan Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command. Established in 1945 under the United States Army Air Forces, its mission was to organize and administer the air defense system of Alaska, exercise direct control of all active measures, and coordinate all passive means of...
(AAC). AAC itself was a component of the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD), which had been formed in 1954, and the Alaska Region Command of the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) which had been formed in 1957.
The 21st activated as an intermediate headquarters that could tie together and manage several missions critical to Alaskan Air Command. Components of the 21 CW carried out the wing’s three primary missions: air defense (317th Fighter Interceptor Squadron
317th Fighter Interceptor Squadron
The 317th Fighter Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to Aerospace Defense Command, being stationed at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. The squadron was inactivated on December 31, 1969.-World War II:...
), airlift (17th Troop Carrier Squadron, known from 1967 as the 17th Tactical Airlift Squadron), and search and rescue (21st Operations Squadron). The 21st Operations Squadron (OSS), utilized H-21 helicopters for search and rescue work and employed C-47, C-54, and C-118 aircraft to assist with the mission of airlift. The 17th Troop Carrier/Tactical Airlift Squadron provided logistical airlift (with its C-130 Hercules aircraft).
The 17th supported the various U.S. Army and AAC aircraft control and warning sites, and permanently stationed two C-130s on skis at Sondrestrom Air Base
Sondrestrom Air Base
Sondrestrom Air Base is a former United States Air Force base in Greenland, located north of the Arctic Circle, from the northeast end of Kangerlussuaq Fjord , after which it was named, approximately west northwest of Ravneklippen, and west of Sisimiut.The base was turned over to the Greenland...
, Greenland
Greenland
Greenland 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...
, in support of the Distant Early Warning Line
Distant Early Warning Line
The Distant Early Warning Line, also known as the DEW Line or Early Warning Line, was a system of radar stations in the far northern Arctic region of Canada, with additional stations along the North Coast and Aleutian Islands of Alaska, in addition to the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Iceland...
sites (DEW).
The 317th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (FIS) carried out the mission of air defense for the wing. The 317th kept two of its F-102A Delta Dagger aircraft on alert at each of the following locations: Elmendorf and Eielson Air Force Base
Eielson Air Force Base
Eielson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska and just southeast of Moose Creek, Alaska....
s, and King Salmon and Galena Airports. The 317th was one of the premier squadrons of its day, being the only unit to have won the prestigious Hughes Achievement Trophy (given for the best fighter unit with an active air defense mission) three times during its operational service.
The F-102s, unfortunately, were technologically outdated, a fact that made long-range interception of Soviet intruders into Alaskan airspace by 317th crews increasingly difficult. AAC recognized the limitations of this aerial platform and repeatedly tried to secure the more advanced F-4 Phantom II
F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
for air defense. The Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, however, had first call for the F-4. For a few years, therefore, Air Defense Command (ADC) dispatched F-106 Delta Dart
F-106 Delta Dart
The Convair F-106 Delta Dart was the primary all-weather interceptor aircraft for the United States Air Force from the 1960s through the 1980s. Designed as the so-called "Ultimate Interceptor", it has proven to be the last dedicated interceptor in USAF service to date...
s from other states on a rotational basis to Alaska to help correct this mission limitation.
The situation came to a head late in 1969 when the Air Force announced the inactivation of the 317th due to the squadron’s aging F-102s and the need to respond to budget cuts imposed by the cost of the war in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
. Nevertheless, the Air Force compensated the 21st by assigning the 43d Tactical Fighter Squadron, which flew F-4Es, to the wing on 13 March 1970. The 43d departed MacDill AFB, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and arrived at Elmendorf on 23 June 1970. Consequently, the rotational F-106 deployments from the lower continental states ceased soon after the 43d assumed mission responsibilities at Elmendorf, Eielson, Galena and King Salmon on 1 August.
Unfortunately, the winter of 1970-1971 was severe in Alaska, causing numerous mechanical failures in the F-4s which had been accustomed to Florida’s warm climate. At times, the wing’s operational air defense assets dwindled from eighteen aircraft to only one or two. Moreover, the 43d assumed close air support as well as air defense responsibilities, two missions which stretched the squadron’s capabilities. In response, Air Staff sent the 43d an additional six aircraft in May 1971.
Despite these initial handicaps, the 21 CW quickly proved itself a leader in the fighter community, conducting alerts, intercepts and exercises throughout the 1970s. In July 1972 the wing dispatched a detachment to Operation COOL SHOOT, a live missile firing exercise, held at Tyndall AFB, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. Air Force Headquarters awarded the 43d the coveted Hughes Achievement Trophy in December. Meanwhile, the 21 CW continued to intercept Soviet intruders into Alaskan airspace.
Exercises in 1976 included JACK FROST (later known as BRIM FROST), and a Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
(TAC) Weapons System Evaluation Program at Eglin AFB, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. At the William Tell fighter weapons competition held in October-November 1976 at Tyndall, the wing won “Best F-4 Crew”, “Best Maintenance Crew,” the Apple Splitter Award for the most drones destroyed, the Top Gun Award, and only narrowly missed overall first place due to a sudden mission abort. The 43d again won the Hughes Achievement Trophy in 1977. Training deployments included the Canadian Maple Flag in September 1978 and Red Flag in April 1979.
Organizational changes also underscored the 1970s. Due to a realignment of airlift and rescue forces under the Military Airlift Command
Military Airlift Command
The Military Airlift Command is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command of the USAF which was headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. It was constituted on 1 January 1966 and active until the end of the Cold War, when the Air Force table of organization was revised...
(MAC), the wing divested its helicopters and C-130s in 1975. Overall, however, the wing expanded, gaining two air base squadrons and several other responsibilities. The 21 CW picked up a new fighter unit on 1 October 1977 when the 18th Tactical Fighter Squadron (F-4Es) activated. Subsequently, the 43d maintained its air defense mission while the 18th adopted the role of close air support. Both units shared air defense alert duties in Alaska. Additionally, from November 1977 to April 1979, the 21 CW controlled all thirteen of Alaska’s air control and warning sites. Then, in May 1979, Colonel Michael E. Nelson, 21st Composite Wing commander, initiated a study that concluded that his unit should be streamlined into a normal tactical fighter wing.
21st Tactical Fighter Wing
On 1 October 1979 the wing was re-designated as the 21st Tactical Fighter Wing as a result of the study, which was accepted by Alaskan Air Command. The name change reflected a period of growth and modernization of Elmendorf AFB. The mixed bag of aircraft from the old Composite Wing dispersed, leaving 40 F-4Es, 12 T-33s, and a C-12 at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska. The F-4s were distributed between the wing’s two flying components, the 18th and 43d Tactical Fighter Squadrons, while the T-33 trainers and the C-12 merged into the 5021st Tactical Operations Squadron.The F-4s of the streamlined wing soon deployed to Chong Ju Air Base, Republic of Korea for Exercise “TEAM SPIRIT.” During March 1980 the wing participated in dissimilar air combat training (DACT) and conducted combat air patrol, air interdiction and composite force tactics. TEAM SPIRIT proved to be the last exercise for the 21st’s F-4s. Later that year the Air Force released plans to replace the F-4Es stationed in Alaska with F-15A fighters, which were slated to go to the 43d Tactical Fighter Squadron, and A-10 close air support aircraft, which were earmarked for the 18th Tactical Fighter Squadron. In fact, the arrival of the A-10s heralded the reassignment of the 18th from the 21st to the 343d Composite Wing at Eielson AFB, Alaska.
The first F-15 arrived at Elmendorf in March, and the last of the new aircraft were in place by October. Thanks to special bomb-delivery air-to-surface training carried out in the T-33s, the 21st Tactical Fighter Wing became the first flying unit to reach initial operating capability (IOC) in the F-15 without the assistance of the aircraft manufacturer or a sister flying unit. The 21st made its first intercept of a Soviet intruder, a Tu-95 Bear C, when a pair of F-15s sortied from alert at King Salmon Airport on 24 November 1982.
Over the next four years, the F-15s undertook several deployments and exercises such as “BRIM FROST,” a U.S. Readiness Command biennial Arctic exercise, and “TEAM SPIRIT” held in Japan and the Republic of Korea in 1985. The 21st conducted joint training exercises along the northern continental frontier with the Canadians. All the while, the wing intercepted Soviet bomber, transport, and maritime reconnaissance aircraft flying over the Arctic Ocean and Bering Sea.
This creditable service continued throughout the late 1980s from the William Tell Air-to-Air Weapons meets to COMBAT ARCHER to DACT training to the Air Force’s “live-fire” Weapon System Evaluation Programs. During one exercise at the remote site known as Deadhorse, Alaska, three F-15s became the first Alaskan-based single-seat fighters to circle the North Pole. The 21st received newer aircraft, its first F-15Cs and Ds, in May 1987.
The wing hosted multiple distinguished visitors in 1989. President George Bush stopped at Elmendorf in route to Japan for the state funeral of Japanese Emperor Hirohito and addressed a crowd of over 7,000 in Hangar Five. Ironically, this was the same hangar in which President Richard Nixon had greeted Hirohito eighteen years previously when the emperor had made his first official state visit outside his native land.
Later that year, the wing expanded into the escort rather than only the intercept business. Two Soviet MiG-29 “Fulcrum” aircraft, which were traveling to their first air show in North America, officially visited the 21st at Elmendorf, not only to refuel, but as a gesture of goodwill. This event marked the first time the MiG-29 fighters landed on the continent, and the 21st’s aircraft were there to escort them in, help them refuel, and play host.
The final upgrade of the 21st fighter inventory came with the addition of the 90th Tactical Fighter Squadron and the F-15E “Strike Eagle” in May 1991.
In 1991, the 21st Tactical Fighter Wing was reorganized as an objective wing and all the major tenant units on Elmendorf were placed under it. The 21st Wing was deactivated 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 the closing 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 Air Force Base
Elmendorf Air Force Base
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is a United States military facility adjacent to Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska. It is an amalgamation of the former United States Air Force Elmendorf Air Force Base and the United States Army Fort Richardson, which were merged in 2010.-Overview:The...
, Alaska on 19 December 1991. This was in keeping Air Force's polices of retaining the oldest and most illustrious units during a period of major force reductions.
Modern era
1st Space Wing
The 1st Space Wing was a wing of the United States Air Force active from 1983 to 1992 at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado as part of Air Force Space Command.-History:...
and 3d Space Support Wing at Peterson AFB, Colorado (both previously located at Peterson AFB), providing command management of Air Force Space Command's worldwide network of assigned missile warning, space surveillance, and communications units. The missile warning network had operated under the direction of Air Defense Command (later Aerospace Defense Command) and Strategic Air Command since the early 1960s. The network then passed under the aegis of Air Force Space Command when that command activated in September 1982.
Upon activation, the primary wing mission was ICBM warning though Defense Satellite Program (DSP). DSP is a constellation of geosynchronous satellites equipped with infrared detectors to help locate and identify ballistic missile and nuclear testing activities around the world.
If missile warning had remained the only primary mission of the 21st Space Wing, the wing still would have been
one of the largest in the Air Force. However, in April 1995, the 73d Space Surveillance Group merged with the 21st Space Wing. With the 73d came a new primary mission, that of space surveillance though a series of radar stations located throughout the world.
The 21st Space Wing also inherited the Ground-Based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance System (GEODSS).
GEODSS sites began opening in May 1982, first at Socorro, New Mexico, then at Maui, Hawaii, Choejong-San, Republic
of Korea (soon to close in 1990), and finally at Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory, in 1987. These advanced electro-optical telescopic cameras operate in the arena of space tracking, and allowed deep-space surveillance and space-object identification. Deep Space Tracking System and Low Altitude Space Surveillance Systems (DSTS/LASS) provided additional global coverage of space activities for the Air Force.
The wing additionally operated the command and control network used to relay missile warning and surveillance
information from sites dispersed around the world to HQ AFSPC, USSPACECOM, and NORAD. Air Force Space Command had identified the need for a mobile and hence more survivable command and control unit in 1989, a system which
first would be called RAPIER, and which later would became known as the Mobile Command and Control Center (MCCC).
The events of 11 September 2001 challenged America to respond to terrorism worldwide. President George W.
Bush ordered strikes against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan in October, and followed-up with an assault on Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq in March and April 2003. The wing deployed personnel overseas and tightened
security at GSUs and Peterson AFB.
Lineage
- Established as 21st Fighter-Bomber Wing on 15 November 1952
- Activated on 1 January 1953
- Inactivated on 8 February 1958
- Redesignated 21st Tactical Fighter Wing on 19 May 1958
- Activated on 1 July 1958
- Discontinued, and inactivated, on 18 June 1960
- Redesignated 21st Composite Wing, and activated, on 6 May 1966
- Organized on 8 July 1966
- Redesignated: 21st Tactical Fighter Wing on 1 October 1979
- Redesignated: 21st Wing on 26 September 1991
- Inactivated on 19 December 1991
- Redesignated 21st Space Wing on 1 May 1992
- Activated on 15 May 1992.
Assignments
- Ninth Air ForceNinth Air ForceThe Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
, 1 January 1953 - Twelfth Air Force, 12 December 1954
- United States Air Forces in EuropeUnited States Air Forces in EuropeThe United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...
, 1 January-8 February 1958 - Fifth Air ForceFifth Air ForceThe Fifth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan....
, 1 July 1958 - 39th Air Division, 10 November 1958-18 June 1960
- Alaskan Air Command (later, Eleventh Air Force)Eleventh Air ForceThe Eleventh Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska....
, 6 May 1966-19 December 1991 - Air Force Space CommandAir Force Space CommandAir Force Space Command is a major command of the United States Department of the Air Force, with its headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. AFSPC supports U.S. military operations worldwide through the use of many different types of satellite, launch and cyber operations....
, 15 May 1992 - Fourteenth Air ForceFourteenth Air ForceThe Fourteenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Space Command . It is headquartered at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California....
, 20 September 1993–present
Components
Groups- 21st Fighter-Bomber (later, 21st Operations) Group21st Operations GroupThe 21st Operations Group 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...
: 1 January 1953-8 February 1958; 26 September-19 December 1991; 15 May 1992–present - 343d Tactical Fighter Group: 15 November 1977-1 January 1980
- 721st Space Group: 15 May 1992-24 June 1994
- 821st Space Group: 31 May 1996-1 October 2001.
Squadrons
- 2d Space Warning Squadron2d Space Warning SquadronThe 2d Space Warning Squadron Is part of the 460th Space Wing at Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado. It operates the Space-Based Infrared System satellites conducting global monitoring for significant infrared events.-Mission:...
: 21 July 1995-31 May 1996 - 5th Space Warning Squadron5th Space Warning SquadronThe United States Air Force's 5th Space Warning Squadron was a missile warning unit located at Woomera AS, Australia. It was formerly known as the 5th Defense Space Communications Squadron.-Decorations:*Air Force Outstanding Unit Award...
: 8 June 1995-10 August 1999 - 8th Space Warning Squadron8th Space Warning SquadronThe United States Air Force's 8th Space Warning Squadron is an Air Force Reserve missile warning unit located at Buckley AFB, Colorado...
: 8 June-30 September 1995 - 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:...
: 8 June 1995-10 August 1999
- 17th Troop Carrier (later, 17th Tactical Airlift) Squadron17th Airlift SquadronThe 17th Airlift Squadron is one of four active duty C-17A Globemaster III squadrons at Charleston AFB, SC.The 17th Airlift Squadron is commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel, who serves as head of the squadron and the pilots...
: 8 July 1966-31 March 1975 - 18th Tactical Fighter Squadron: 1 October-15 November 1977; 1 January 1980-1 January 1982
- 43d Tactical Fighter Squadron: 15 July 1970-15 November 1977; 1 January 1980-26 September 1991
- 54th Tactical Fighter Squadron: 8 May 1987-26 September 1991
- 72d Fighter-Bomber Squadron: attached 15 April 1957-8 February 1958
- 90th Tactical Fighter Squadron: 29 May-26 September 1991
- 317th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 8 July 1966-31 December 1969
- 416th Fighter-Bomber (later, 416th Tactical Fighter) Squadron416th Fighter SquadronThe 416th Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 49th Fighter Wing at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico...
: attached 15 April 1957-8 February 1958; assigned 1 July 1958-18 June 1960 - 531st Fighter-Bomber (later, 531st Tactical Fighter) Squadron: attached 15 April 1957-8 February 1958; assigned 1 July 1958-18 June 1960
- 5021st Tactical Operations Squadron: 1 October 1981-1 July 1988
- 5040th Helicopter Squadron: 15 July 1969-30 September 1975
- 5041st Tactical Operations Squadron: 1 October 1971-1 October 1977.
Stations
- George Air Force BaseGeorge Air Force BaseGeorge Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located within city limits, 8 miles northwest of central Victorville, California, about 75 miles northeast of Los Angeles, California. The facility was closed by the Base Realignment and Closure 1992 commission at the end of the Cold...
, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, 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 - Misawa Air BaseMisawa Air Baseright|thumb|A US Navy C-2 at Misawa is a United States military facility located northeast of the railway station in Misawa, west of the Pacific Ocean, northeast of Towada, northwest of Hachinohe, and north of Tokyo, in Aomori Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region in the northern part of the...
, Japan, 1 July 1958 – 18 June 1960 - Elmendorf Air Force BaseElmendorf Air Force BaseJoint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is a United States military facility adjacent to Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska. It is an amalgamation of the former United States Air Force Elmendorf Air Force Base and the United States Army Fort Richardson, which were merged in 2010.-Overview:The...
, Alaska, 8 July 1966 – 19 December 1991 - Peterson Air Force BasePeterson Air Force BasePeterson 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...
, 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
- 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 - F-84 ThunderjetF-84 ThunderjetThe Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 flew in 1946...
, 1958–1959 - F-100 Super SabreF-100 Super SabreThe North American F-100 Super Sabre was a supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard until 1979. The first of the Century Series collection of USAF jet fighters, it was the first USAF fighter capable of...
, 1958–1960 - F-102 Delta DaggerF-102 Delta DaggerThe Convair F-102 Delta Dagger was a US interceptor aircraft built as part of the backbone of the United States Air Force's air defenses in the late 1950s. Entering service in 1956, its main purpose was to intercept invading Soviet bomber fleets...
, 1966–1969 - C-130 HerculesC-130 HerculesThe Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
, 1966–1975 - C-124 Globemaster IIC-124 Globemaster IIThe Douglas C-124 Globemaster II, nicknamed "Old Shakey", was a heavy-lift cargo aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company in Long Beach, California....
, 1969–1971, 1971–1974 - F-4 Phantom IIF-4 Phantom IIThe McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
, 1970–1982
- B-57 CanberraB-57 CanberraThe Martin B-57 Canberra was a United States-built, twin jet engine light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft, which entered service with the United States Air Force in 1953. The B-57 was initially a version of the English Electric Canberra built under license. However, the Glenn L...
, 1971–1975; EB-57, 1974–1976 - C-118 Liftmaster, 1971–1975; VC-118, 1972–1975; EC-118, 1973–1975
- 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...
, 1971–1988 - T-39 SabrelinerT-39 SabrelinerThe North American Sabreliner is a mid-sized business jet developed by North American Aviation. It was offered to the U.S. Air Force in response to their Utility Trainer Experimental program...
, 1971–1977 - C-12 HuronC-12 HuronThe C-12 Huron is the military designation for a series of twin-engine turboprop aircraft based on the Beechcraft Super King Air and Beechcraft 1900. C-12 variants are used by the United States Air Force, United States Army, United States Navy and United States Marine Corps...
, 1977–1984 - F-15 EagleF-15 EagleThe McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
, 1982–1991 - C-21 Learjet, 1993–1997
Decorations
- Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
- February 1968-31 December 1968
- 1 October 1997-30 September 1999
- 1 January 1998-31 December 1998