4504th Missile Training Wing
Encyclopedia
The 4504th Missile Training Wing is an inactive United States Air Force
unit. It was last assigned to Ninth Air Force
, Tactical Air Command
, stationed at Orlando Air Force Base
, Florida. It was inactivated on 25 March 1967
and MGM-13 Mace
tactical cruise missiles, taking over the training mission from the Air Force Systems Command
6555th Test Wing at Patrick AFB, Florida on 18 October 1956.
The 588th Tactical Missile Group was formed as a unit encompassing both launch and maintenance squadrons to be deployed together rather than single squadrons which had been done previously by TAC. The 588th TMG was assigned to Ninth Air Force
and consisted of the 17th TMS and the 588th Support Squadron. The 17th TMS was later deployed to Pacific Air Forces in 1958, being assigned to Tainan AS, Taiwan and being re-designated as the 858th TMS.
Ninth Air Force also formed the 589th TMS two months later in March 1957. The 589th included the 24th TMS and the 589th SupSq. TAC also assigned a mobile training detachment to the school at Cape Canaveral AFS to assume crew training. The AFMC 6555th Guided Missiles Squadron assisted TAC with a training detachment in launching Matador missiles from the Cape.
With the deployment of the 17th TMS to Taiwan, the 24th TMS was transferred to the 588th TMS on 25 April 1958. The 24th engaged in crew training at Orlando AFB but never received any missiles or deployment orders before the squadron was inactivated on 15 July 1958. The squadron did, however, deploy to Cape Canaveral AFS and launched for Matador missiles under the guidance of the 6555th GMS.
With the inactivation of the squadron, personnel of the 24th TMS were reassigned directly to the 588th TMG. The 588th intended to deploy its lead elements to South Korea during the fall of 1958, but in a change of plans, the unit was in activated at Orlando AFB on 15 July 1958. The personnel and equipment of the 588th were reassigned to the newly-formed 58th Tactical Missile Group at Osan AB, South Korea, with the newly re-designated 310th Tactical Fighter Squadron becoming the 310th Tactical Missile Squadron, absorbing the personnel of the 588th TMG en-masse.
In preparation for a new streamlined organization, both Tactical Missile Groups at Orlando AFB were inactivated within a few weeks of each other in mid-1958. The 4504th Tactical Missile Wing was re-designated as the 4504th Missile Training Wing and TAC formally established the USAF Tactical Missile School. The newly-renamed Wing consisted of a Headquarters section, a Student Squadron, a Training Squadron and a Support Squadron. In addition the wing operated two geographically separated detachments, Detachment 1 at Holloman AFB, New Mexico for TM-76 Mace, and Detachment 2 at Cape Canaveral Auxiliary AFS, Florida (also known at "Camp Happiness") for TM-61C Matador (later TM-76 Mace) live firing of tactical missiles on the White Sands Missile Range or Eastern Missile Test Range.
The school was affected by budget reductions in the early 1960s with the detachments inactivated and the organization reduced to one student squadron. By 1962, the school had graduated over 3,500 personnel The Tactical Missile School was closed on 25 March 1967 with the phaseout of the MGM-13 Mace missile out of the USAF innovatory, and the wing was inactivated. Instructors and all equipment was moved to Lowry AFB, Colorado, where Air Training Command
was consolidating all USAF missile training.
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...
unit. It was last assigned to Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The 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....
, 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...
, stationed at Orlando Air Force Base
Orlando Air Force Base
Orlando Air Force Base is a closed United States Air Force facility, located in Orlando, Florida. It was established in 1940 as a World War II training base and was also used for coastal patrols during World War II....
, Florida. It was inactivated on 25 March 1967
History
The wing was a provisional Tactical Air Command organization, with the mission to operate the USAF Tactical Missile School. Though its student squadrons trained Air Force personnel on the operation and maintenance of the MGM-1 MatadorMGM-1 Matador
The Martin MGM-1 Matador was the first operational surface-to-surface cruise missile built by the United States. It was similar in concept to the German V-1, but the Matador included a radio link that allowed in-flight course corrections. This allowed accuracy to be maintained over greatly extended...
and MGM-13 Mace
MGM-13 Mace
-See also:-External links:* * * * * * *...
tactical cruise missiles, taking over the training mission from the Air Force Systems Command
Air Force Systems Command
Air Force Systems Command is a former United States Air Force command. Its headquarters was located at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland...
6555th Test Wing at Patrick AFB, Florida on 18 October 1956.
The 588th Tactical Missile Group was formed as a unit encompassing both launch and maintenance squadrons to be deployed together rather than single squadrons which had been done previously by TAC. The 588th TMG was assigned to Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The 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....
and consisted of the 17th TMS and the 588th Support Squadron. The 17th TMS was later deployed to Pacific Air Forces in 1958, being assigned to Tainan AS, Taiwan and being re-designated as the 858th TMS.
Ninth Air Force also formed the 589th TMS two months later in March 1957. The 589th included the 24th TMS and the 589th SupSq. TAC also assigned a mobile training detachment to the school at Cape Canaveral AFS to assume crew training. The AFMC 6555th Guided Missiles Squadron assisted TAC with a training detachment in launching Matador missiles from the Cape.
With the deployment of the 17th TMS to Taiwan, the 24th TMS was transferred to the 588th TMS on 25 April 1958. The 24th engaged in crew training at Orlando AFB but never received any missiles or deployment orders before the squadron was inactivated on 15 July 1958. The squadron did, however, deploy to Cape Canaveral AFS and launched for Matador missiles under the guidance of the 6555th GMS.
With the inactivation of the squadron, personnel of the 24th TMS were reassigned directly to the 588th TMG. The 588th intended to deploy its lead elements to South Korea during the fall of 1958, but in a change of plans, the unit was in activated at Orlando AFB on 15 July 1958. The personnel and equipment of the 588th were reassigned to the newly-formed 58th Tactical Missile Group at Osan AB, South Korea, with the newly re-designated 310th Tactical Fighter Squadron becoming the 310th Tactical Missile Squadron, absorbing the personnel of the 588th TMG en-masse.
In preparation for a new streamlined organization, both Tactical Missile Groups at Orlando AFB were inactivated within a few weeks of each other in mid-1958. The 4504th Tactical Missile Wing was re-designated as the 4504th Missile Training Wing and TAC formally established the USAF Tactical Missile School. The newly-renamed Wing consisted of a Headquarters section, a Student Squadron, a Training Squadron and a Support Squadron. In addition the wing operated two geographically separated detachments, Detachment 1 at Holloman AFB, New Mexico for TM-76 Mace, and Detachment 2 at Cape Canaveral Auxiliary AFS, Florida (also known at "Camp Happiness") for TM-61C Matador (later TM-76 Mace) live firing of tactical missiles on the White Sands Missile Range or Eastern Missile Test Range.
The school was affected by budget reductions in the early 1960s with the detachments inactivated and the organization reduced to one student squadron. By 1962, the school had graduated over 3,500 personnel The Tactical Missile School was closed on 25 March 1967 with the phaseout of the MGM-13 Mace missile out of the USAF innovatory, and the wing was inactivated. Instructors and all equipment was moved to Lowry AFB, Colorado, where Air Training Command
Air Training Command
Air Training Command is a former major command of the United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force. ATC came into being as a redesignation of the Army Air Forces Training Command on July 1, 1946...
was consolidating all USAF missile training.
Lineage
- Established by Tactical Air Command as 4504th Tactical Missile Wing (Training) and activated on 18 October 1956
- Re-designated: 4504th Missile Training Wing, 1 July 1958
- Inactivated on 25 March 1967
Units
- 588th Tactical Missile Group, 8 January 1957-15 July 1958 (Attached)
- 17th Tactical Missile Squadron, 15 October 1956-17 June 1958
- 24th Tactical Missile Squadron24th Tactical Missile SquadronThe 24th Tactical Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 588th Tactical Missile Group, stationed at Orlando Air Force Base, Florida. It was inactivated on 15 July 1958-History:...
, 25 April-15 July 1958 - 588th Support Squadron, 8 January 1957-15 July 1958
- 589th Tactical Missile Group, 15 March 1957-8 June 1958 (Attached)
- 24th Tactical Missile Squadron24th Tactical Missile SquadronThe 24th Tactical Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 588th Tactical Missile Group, stationed at Orlando Air Force Base, Florida. It was inactivated on 15 July 1958-History:...
, 15 March 1957-25 April 1958 - 589th Support Squadron, 15 March 1957-8 June 1958
- 11th Tactical Missile Squadron, 15 October 1956-18 June 1958 (Attached)
- 4504th Student Squadron, 1 July 1960-25 March 1967
- 4504th Missile Training Squadron, 8 July 1958-19 December 1961
- 4504th Support Squadron, 8 June 1958-19 December 1961
Stations
- Orlando AFB, Florida, 18 October 1956-25 March 1967
- Detachment 1, Holloman AFB, New Mexico, 8 June 1958-19 December 1961
- Detachment 2, Cape Canaveral Auxiliary AFS, Florida, 8 June 1958-19 December 1961