325th Operations Group
Encyclopedia
325th Fighter Wing
The 325th Fighter Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida.-Mission:The 325th Fighter Wing’s primary mission is to provide air dominance training for F-22 Raptor pilots and maintenance personnel and air battle managers to support the combat Air...
, assigned to the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
Air Education and Training Command
Air Education and Training Command
Air Education and Training Command was established July 1, 1993, with the realignment of Air Training Command and Air University. It is one of the U.S. Air Force's ten major commands and reports to Headquarters, United States Air Force....
. The group is stationed at Tyndall Air Force Base
Tyndall Air Force Base
Tyndall Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base located east of Panama City, Florida. The base was named in honor of World War I pilot 1st Lt Frank Benjamin Tyndall...
, Florida.
Overview
The 325th Operations Group is responsible for directing the flying and support operations one F-22 RaptorF-22 Raptor
The Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is a single-seat, twin-engine fifth-generation supermaneuverable fighter aircraft that uses stealth technology. It was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but has additional capabilities that include ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals...
fighter squadron, an operations support squadron and an air control squadron. The 325th Operations Group is currently commanded by Colonel Wesley P. Hallman.
Assigned Units
The 325 OG (Tail Code: TY) commands one flying squadron, one air control and one operations support squadron.- 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:...
"American Hornets" (Diagonals on tails)
- Established 13 June 1917. First F-22A Raptor Flying Training Squadron. Received first aircraft (01-4018) on 26 September 2003. Currently provides air dominance upgrade pilot training.
- 325th Air Control Squadron325th Air Control SquadronThe 325th Air Control Squadron is part of the 325th Fighter Wing, an Air Education and Training Command unit, based at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. The mission of the present squadron was activated at Tyndall in 1947, making it the base's oldest surviving resident...
- 325th Air Control Squadron
- Trains every air battle manager in the Air Force, as well as international officers assigned to U.S. allied forces
- 325th Operations Support Squadron
- Trains air traffic control personnel and intelligence officers for worldwide assignment, provides academic and simulator training in support of each squadron's syllabi, and supports daily operations of the Group. The group staff provides guidance and assistance in successfully executing the training mission and ensures quality performance and standardized procedures for pilots, weapons directors, and air battle managers.
History
World War II
The 325th trained in the U.S. with P-40 aircraft before moving to North Africa by ship and transport planes, January–February 1943. It entered combatCombat
Combat, or fighting, is a purposeful violent conflict meant to establish dominance over the opposition, or to terminate the opposition forever, or drive the opposition away from a location where it is not wanted or needed....
in April 1943 and began escorting medium bomber
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
s, flying strafing
Strafing
Strafing is the practice of attacking ground targets from low-flying aircraft using aircraft-mounted automatic weapons. This means, that although ground attack using automatic weapons fire is very often accompanied with bombing or rocket fire, the term "strafing" does not specifically include the...
missions, and conducting sea sweeps from bases in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
and Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
. The group participated in the defeat of Axis forces in Tunisia, the reduction of Pantelleria
Pantelleria
Pantelleria , the ancient Cossyra, is an Italian island in the Strait of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea, southwest of Sicily and just east of the Tunisian coast. Administratively Pantelleria is a comune belonging to the Sicilian province of Trapani...
, and the conquest of Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
. The 325th received a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for action over Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
on 30 July 1943 when the group, using diversionary tactics
Military tactics
Military tactics, the science and art of organizing an army or an air force, are the techniques for using weapons or military units in combination for engaging and defeating an enemy in battle. Changes in philosophy and technology over time have been reflected in changes to military tactics. In...
, forced a superior number of enemy planes into the air and destroyed more than half of them. The group did not fly combat missions from the end of September to mid-December 1943 as the group converted to P-47 aircraft and moved to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
The 325th began operations with Fifteenth Air Force
Fifteenth Air Force
The Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
in December 1943, and primarily engaged in escort operations. It received a second DUC for a mission on 30 January 1944 when the group flew more than 300 miles at very low altitude to surprise the enemy fighters that were defending German airdromes near Villaorba, Italy; by severely damaging the enemy's force, the 325th enabled heavy bombers to strike vital targets in the area without encountering serious opposition. The group converted to P-51 aircraft in May 1944 and provided the fighter escort on the first shuttle bombing mission from Italy to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
in early June 1944. It escorted heavy bombers during long-range missions to attack the Messerschmitt
Messerschmitt
Messerschmitt AG was a famous German aircraft manufacturing corporation named for its chief designer, Willy Messerschmitt, and known primarily for its World War II fighter aircraft, notably the Bf 109 and Me 262...
factory at Regensburg
Regensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
, the Daimler-Benz
Daimler-Benz
Daimler-Benz AG was a German manufacturer of automobiles, motor vehicles, and internal combustion engines; founded in 1926. An Agreement of Mutual Interest - which was valid until year 2000 - was signed on 1 May 1924 between Karl Benz's Benz & Cie., and Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft, which had...
tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
factory at Berlin, oil refineries at Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, and other targets, such as airfields, marshalling yards
Classification yard
A classification yard or marshalling yard is a railroad yard found at some freight train stations, used to separate railroad cars on to one of several tracks. First the cars are taken to a track, sometimes called a lead or a drill...
, and communications targets in Italy, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, Austria, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Romania, and Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
. It also covered operations of reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
aircraft and strafed such targets as trains, vehicles, and airfields. The group continued combat operations until May 1945. The group moved back to the U.S. and was deactivated after V-E Day.
Cold War
Inactive from 1945 until 1947, Beginning in Spring 1949, conducted the All Weather Combat Crew Training School, while participating in air defense operations exercises and training.From August 1955, served as the "host" group at McChord AFB until October 1956, while at the same time conducting air defense operations. Became subordinate to the 325th Fighter Wing in October 1956 and was non-operational as all group headquarters personnel were used to man the wing headquarters until about June 1957.
Regained control over its tactical squadrons in June 1957 and continued air defense operations of the wing, with annual squadron deployments to Tyndall AFB, FL, for firing practice. Discontinued in March 1960, losing its tactical squadrons to direct wing control.
Modern era
On 1 September 1991, the 325th Operations Group was activated as a result of the 325th Fighter Wing implementing the USAF objective wing organization. Upon activation, the 325th OG was bestowed the lineage and history of the 325th Fighter Group. The 325 OG was assigned control of the wing's tactical units.Lineage
- Established as 325th Fighter Group on 24 June 1942
- Activated on 3 August 1942
- Inactivated on 28 October 1945
- Redesignated 325th Fighter Group (All Weather) on 2 May 1947
- Activated on 21 May 1947
- Redesignated: 325th Fighter Group, All Weather, on 10 May 1948
- Redesignated: 325th Fighter-All Weather Group on 20 January 1950
- Redesignated: 325th Fighter-Interceptor Group on 1 May 1951
- Inactivated on 6 February 1952
- Redesignated 325th Fighter Group (Air Defense) on 20 June 1955
- Activated on 18 August 1955 by redesignation of 567th Air Defense Group567th Air Defense GroupThe 567th Air Defense Group is a disbanded United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 25th Air Division, being stationed at McChord Air Force Base, Washington. It was inactivated on 18 August 1955.-History:...
- Discontinued on 25 March 1960
- Redesignated 325th Tactical Training Group on 31 July 1985 (remained inactive)
- Redesignated 325th Operations Group on 1 September 1991
- Activated on 1 September 1991.
Note: The Air Defense Command 567th Air Base Group was activated on 6 February 1952, at McChord AFB, Washington with the personnel and equipment of the inactivated 325th FIG assigned (less fighter squadrons). Redesignated the 567th Air Defense Group
567th Air Defense Group
The 567th Air Defense Group is a disbanded United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 25th Air Division, being stationed at McChord Air Force Base, Washington. It was inactivated on 18 August 1955.-History:...
on 16 February 1953 when operational flying squadrons assigned, the unit was redesignated as the 325th Fighter Group (Air Defense) on 18 August 1955 as part of the ADC "Project Arrow", which redesignated notable 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...
combat units.
Assignments
- I Fighter CommandI Fighter CommandThe I Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the First Air Force, based at Mitchel Army Airfield, New York...
, 3 August 1942 - Boston Air Defense Wing, 11 August 1942
- Twelfth Air Force, 13 February 1943
- Northwest African Tactical Air Force, 18 February 1943
- Northwest African Strategic Air Force, 14 March 1943
- 47th Bombardment Wing, 27 March 1943
- 2686 Medium Bombardment Wing (Provisional), 7 June 1943
- 42d Bombardment Wing42d Air DivisionThe 42d Air Division was a unit of the United States Air Force. It was established as the 42 Bombardment Wing on 8 February 1943. The wing first saw combat in September 1943. It was inactivated in 1991.-History:...
, 24 August 1943 - 5th Bombardment Wing, 22 October 1943
- 306th Bombardment (later, 306th Fighter) Wing306th Fighter Wing (World War II)The 306th Fighter Wing was a World War II United States Army Air Force organization assigned to Fifteenth Air Force as an intermediate-level command and control organization...
, 27 March 1944
- 305th Bombardment Wing305th Air DivisionThe 305th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Continental Air Command, assigned to Fourth Air Force, being stationed at McChord Air Force Base, California...
, 13 June 1945 - 49th Bombardment Wing, Heavy49th Air DivisionThe 49th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe, based at RAF Sculthorpe, England. It was inactivated on 1 July 1956.-History:...
, August 1945 - Army Service ForcesArmy Service ForcesThe Army Service Forces were one of the three autonomous components of the Army of the United States during World War II, the others being the Army Air Forces and Army Ground Forces. They were created on February 28, 1942 by Executive Order Number 9082 "Reorganizing the Army and the War Department"...
(for inactivation), c. 9–28 October 1945 - First Air ForceFirst Air ForceThe First Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida....
, 21 May 1947 - Fourth Air ForceFourth Air ForceThe Fourth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve . It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California....
, 2 December 1947 - 325th Fighter (later, 325th Fighter-All Weather, 325th Fighter-Interceptor) Wing325th Fighter WingThe 325th Fighter Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida.-Mission:The 325th Fighter Wing’s primary mission is to provide air dominance training for F-22 Raptor pilots and maintenance personnel and air battle managers to support the combat Air...
, 9 June 1948 – 6 February 1952 - 25th Air Division, 18 August 1955
- 325th Fighter Wing, 18 October 1956 – 25 March 1960
- 325th Tactical Training (later, 325th Fighter) Wing, 1 September 1991–present
Components
- 1st Tactical Fighter Training (later, 1st Fighter)1st Fighter SquadronThe 1st Fighter Squadron was most recently based at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. It operated F-15C Eagle aircraft conducting advanced fighter training.-Mission:...
: 1 September 1991–2005 - 2d Tactical Fighter Training (later, 2d Fighter)2d Fighter SquadronThe 2d Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force Unit. It was last part of the 325th Fighter Wing at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida...
: 1 September 1991 – 11 May 2010 - 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:...
: 1 October 2002–present - 64th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 15 August 1957 – 15 March 1960
- 95th Tactical Fighter Training (later, 95th Fighter)95th Fighter SquadronThe 95th Fighter Squadron was part of the 325th Fighter Wing at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. It conducted advanced fighter training for the F-15 Eagle aircraft.-History:...
: 1 September 1991 – 21 September 2010 - 123d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: attached 12 February 1951 – 6 February 1952
- 317th Fighter (later, 317th Fighter-All Weather; 317th Fighter-Interceptor)317th Fighter Interceptor SquadronThe 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:...
: 3 August 1942 – 28 October 1945; 31 December 1947-6 February 1952; 18 August 1955 – 15 August 1957 (detached 18 October 1956-c. June 1957) - 318th Fighter (later, 318th Fighter-All Weather; 318th Fighter-Interceptor)318th Fighter Interceptor SquadronThe 318th Fighter Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with 25th Air Division based at McChord AFB, Washington. The squadron was inactivated on December 7, 1989.-World War II:...
: 3 August 1942 – 28 October 1945; 21 May 1947-6 February 1952; 18 August 1955 – 25 March 1960 (detached 18 October 1956-c. June 1957) - 319th Fighter (later, 319th Fighter-All Weather; 319th Fighter-Interceptor): 3 August 1942 – 28 October 1945; 1 July 1949-6 February 1952 (detached 14 December 1951 – 6 February 1952).
Stations
- Mitchel Field, New York, 3 August 1942
- HillsgroveHillsgrove, Rhode IslandHillsgrove is an area in western central Warwick, Rhode Island. The area was established as a farming hamlet and later a mill village, but today it is dominated by the presence of T. F. Green Airport, Rhode Island's largest and most important airport. Leviton Manufacturing operated a large factory...
, Rhode Island, c. 31 August 1942 - Camp KilmerCamp KilmerCamp Kilmer, New Jersey is a former United States Army camp that was activated in June 1942 as a staging area and part of an installation of the New York Port of Embarkation. The camp was organized as part of the Army Service Forces Transportation Corps. Troops were quartered at Camp Kilmer in...
, New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, 23 January – 7 February 1943 - Tafaraoui Airfield, Algeria, 28 February 1943
- Montesquieu AirfieldMontesquieu AirfieldMontesquieu Airfield was a World War II military airfield in Algeria, located in the mountains near M'Daourouch, about 112 km southeast of Constantine. It's precise location is undetermined...
, Algeria, 5 April 1943 - Souk-el-Khemis AirfieldSouk-el-Khemis AirfieldSouk-el-Khemis Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Tunisia, located approximately 3 km southeast of Bou Salem, and 110 km east-northeast of Tunis...
, Tunisia, 3 June 1943 - Mateur AirfieldMateur AirfieldMateur Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Tunisia, located approximately 4 km north-northwest of Mateur, 52 km northwest of Tunis It was used by the United States Army Air Force Twelfth Air Force during the Tunisian Campaign. It was a temporary airfield, built...
, Tunisia, 19 June 1943 - Soliman AirfieldSoliman AirfieldSoliman Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Tunisia, located approximately 12 km west-northwest of Manzil Bū Zalafah, and 39 km southeast of Tunis. It was a temporary airfield, not designed for heavy bomber or long-term use. During the North African Campaign, it...
, Tunisia, 4 November 1943 - Foggia Airfield, Italy, 11 December 1943
- Lesina Airfield, Italy, 29 March 1944
- Rimini Airfield, Italy, c. 5 March 1945
- Mondolfo AirfieldMondolfo AirfieldMondolfo Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Italy, located about 6 km southeast of Fano and 4 km east of Mondolfo in the Marche region....
, Italy, April 1945 - Vincenzo Airfield, Italy, July-9 October 1945
- Camp KilmerCamp KilmerCamp Kilmer, New Jersey is a former United States Army camp that was activated in June 1942 as a staging area and part of an installation of the New York Port of Embarkation. The camp was organized as part of the Army Service Forces Transportation Corps. Troops were quartered at Camp Kilmer in...
, New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, 26–28 October 1945 - Mitchel Field, New York, 21 May 1947
- Hamilton Field (later, Hamilton AFB), California, 2 December 1947
- Moses Lake AFB, Washington, 26 November 1948
- McChord AFB, Washington, 23 April 1950 – 6 February 1952; 18 August 1955-25 March 1960
- Tyndall AFB, Florida, 1 September 1991–present
Aircraft assigned
- P-40 Warhawk (1942–1943)
- 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...
(1943–1944) - 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...
(1944–1945, 1951–1952) - P-61 Black WidowP-61 Black WidowThe Northrop P-61 Black Widow was the first operational U.S. military aircraft designed specifically for night interception of aircraft, and was the first aircraft specifically designed to use radar. It was an all-metal, twin-engine, twin-boom design developed during World War II...
(1947–1948) - F-82 Twin MustangF-82 Twin MustangThe North American F-82 Twin Mustang was the last American piston-engine fighter ordered into production by the United States Air Force. Based on the P-51 Mustang, the F-82 was originally designed as a long-range escort fighter in World War II; however, the war ended well before the first...
(1948–1951) - F-94 StarfireF-94 StarfireThe Lockheed F-94 Starfire was the United States Air Force's first operational jet-powered all-weather interceptor aircraft. It was a development by Lockheed of the twin-seat T-33 Shooting Star trainer aircraft.-Design and development:...
(1950–1952)
- 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...
(1955–1957) - 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...
(1956–1960) - F-106 Delta DartF-106 Delta DartThe 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...
(1960) - 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...
(1991–2010) - F-22 RaptorF-22 RaptorThe Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is a single-seat, twin-engine fifth-generation supermaneuverable fighter aircraft that uses stealth technology. It was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but has additional capabilities that include ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals...
(2003 – present)