475th Air Base Wing
Encyclopedia
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. Its last duty station was at Yokota Air Base
Yokota Air Base
, is a United States Air Force base in the city of Fussa, one of 26 cities in the Tama Area, or Western Tokyo.The base houses 14,000 personnel. The base occupies a total area of and has a runway...
, Japan, where it was inactivated on 1 April 1992.
A non-flying wing, 475th ABW's mission at Yokota was to perform host unit missions. The wing had no numbered flying squadrons, although it did operate a few T-39 Sabreliner aircraft and UH-1 Huey
UH-1 Iroquois
The Bell UH-1 Iroquois is a military helicopter powered by a single, turboshaft engine, with a two-bladed main rotor and tail rotor. The helicopter was developed by Bell Helicopter to meet the United States Army's requirement for a medical evacuation and utility helicopter in 1952, and first flew...
helicopters. It was absorbed by the 374th Airlift Wing
374th Airlift Wing
The 374th Airlift Wing is a unit of the United States Air Force assigned to Fifth Air Force. It is stationed at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It is part of Pacific Air Forces ....
under the "one base-one wing" organizational concept.
History
- See: 475th Fighter Group for complete history and lineage information
The 475th Fighter Wing was activated in 1948 as part of the "Base-Wing" USAF reorganization, assigned to the 315th Air Division
315th Air Division
The 315th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Pacific Air Forces, based at Tachikawa Air Base, Japan. It was inactivated in April 1969.-History:...
of Far East Air Forces where it performed postwar occupation duty. The wing was one of several occupation units in Japan, and was inactivated on 1 April 1949 at Ashiya Airfield due to budget reductions.
Cold War
In January 1968, the 475th Tactical Fighter Wing was activated at Misawa AB, Japan, replacing the 39th Air Division as the host unit, with the 439th Combat Support Group (Provisional) being redesignated 475th Combat Support Group that controlled the base support units. At Misawa, the wing trained for offensive and reconnaissance operations. Initial assigned operational squadrons of the wing were:- 67th Tactical Fighter Squadron (15 January 1968-15 March 1971) (F-4C) (UP)
- 356th Tactical Fighter Squadron356th Tactical Fighter SquadronThe 356th Tactical Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force fighter squadron. Its last assignment was with the 354th Fighter Wing, being stationed at Myrtle Beach AFB, South Carolina...
(15 January 1968 – 15 March 1971) (F-4C) (UK) - 391st Tactical Fighter Squadron (22 July 1968 – 28 February 1971) (F-4C) (UD)
- 421st Tactical Fighter Squadron (Attached) (23 April 1969-25 Jun 1969) (F-4E) (LC)
- 45th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron* (15 January 1968 – 15 March 1971) (RF-101C)
- 612th Tactical Fighter Squadron612th Tactical Fighter SquadronThe 612th Tactical Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 401st Tactical Fighter Wing, stationed at Torrejon Air Base, Spain. It was inactivated on 1 October 1991.-History:...
* (15 January 1968 – 15 March 1971) (F-100D)
- 556th Reconnaissance Squadron (1 November 1971-15 December 1972) (GT)
The 45th TRS and 612th TFS were unmanned during their entire assignment, as squadron was on deployed status to bases in South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
(The 45th TRS deployed to Tan Son Nhut Air Base
Tan Son Nhut Air Base
Tan Son Nhut Air Base was a Republic of Vietnam Air Force facility. It is located near the city of Saigon in southern Vietnam. The United States used it as a major base during the Vietnam War , stationing Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine units there...
; the 612th TFS at Phu Cat Air Base
Phu Cat Air Base
Phu Cat Air Base is a Vietnam People's Air Force military airfield in Vietnam. It is located northwest of Qui Nhon in Binh Dinh Province....
).
From Misawa, aircraft and personnel of the 67th, 356th and 391st TFS rotated six aircraft every ten days to Kusan
Kunsan Air Base
Kunsan Air Base , is a United States Air Force base located on the west coast of the South Korean peninsula bordered by the Yellow Sea. It is at the town of Gunsan about 150 miles south of Seoul. The town can be romanized as both Gunsan and Kunsan...
and Taegu Air Bases in South Korea performing Nuclear alert duty. A massive earthquake on 16 May 1968 caused over $1 million worth of damage to Misawa AB. Air Force fighter operations ceased at Misawa in early 1971, and the wing phased down operations. All flying resources were reassigned to Kusan AB South Korea for the 3d Tactical Fighter 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....
, and the wing was inactivated on 15 March, being replaced by the provisional 6112th Air Base Group as Misawa was phased down for reconstruction.
After a brief period of inactivation, the 475th Air Base Wing was reactivated on 1 November 1971 at Yokota Air Base
Yokota Air Base
, is a United States Air Force base in the city of Fussa, one of 26 cities in the Tama Area, or Western Tokyo.The base houses 14,000 personnel. The base occupies a total area of and has a runway...
, Japan, replacing the provisional 6100th Air Base Wing. At Yokota, the wing inherited a huge support complex, with some 47 sub-locations in all parts of Japan, including operation of Yokota and Tachikawa Air Bases
Tachikawa Airfield
is an airfield in the city of Tachikawa, the western part of Tokyo, Japan. Currently under the administration of the Ministry of Defense, it has also served as the civil aviation with Japan's first scheduled air service.-Operations:...
, Fuchu and Chitose Air Stations, and numerous housing complexes within the Tokyo area.
At Yokota, the only operational flying squadron was the 556th Reconnaissance Squadron. The 556th RS was a highly specialized unit, employing modified C-130B-II, EB-57E electronic counter measures (ECM) aircraft and on occasion TDY C-130A-II and EC-97G Stratotankers. Only the EB-57E's carried the tail code GT, the C-130B-IIs and other aircraft being uncoded.
Post Vietnam era
The 55th RS was inactivated on 30 June 1972, after which the 475th supported a Royal Thai Air ForceRoyal Thai Air Force
The Royal Thai Air Force or RTAF is the air force of the Kingdom of Thailand. Since its establishment in 1913, as one of the earliest air forces of Asia, the Royal Thai Air Force had engaged in many major and minor battles. During the Vietnam war era, the air force has been developed with USAF-aid...
C-123 Provider
C-123 Provider
The C-123 Provider was an American military transport aircraft designed by Chase Aircraft and subsequently built by Fairchild Aircraft for the United States Air Force...
detachment which provided airlift support to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Command (Rear) of 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....
, which relocated its headquarters to Yokota in November 1974.
The 475th ABW also gradually closed down many of its widely dispersed installations, sites and facilities, consolidating them as well as assisting in the closing of Tachikawa Air Base in September 1977. On 1 October 1978, 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) established the 316th Tactical Airlift Group (Provisional) at Yokota, being supported by the 475th ABW. This was MAC's operational support airlift group in the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
, with the 1403d Military Airlift Squadron (Provisional) flying a combination of CT-39As, C-12Fs, and C-21As which it obtained from various bases in PACAF, consolidating them at Yokota. On 1 October 1989, this unit was upgraded to a wing level and personnel redesignated as the [374th Tactical Airlift Wing]], which was moved from Clark AB, Philippines in a name-only redesignation.
The 475th ABW was inactivated on 1 April 1992 as part of a consolidation effort, being replaced as host unit at Yokota by the 374th, which was redesignated 374th Airlift Wing
374th Airlift Wing
The 374th Airlift Wing is a unit of the United States Air Force assigned to Fifth Air Force. It is stationed at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It is part of Pacific Air Forces ....
same date.
Lineage
- Established as 475th Fighter Wing on 10 August 1948
- Activated on 18 August 1948
- Inactivated 1 April 1949
- Redesignated 475th Tactical Fighter Wing and activated on 21 December 1967
- Organized on 15 January 1968, absorbing personnel and equipment of 439th Combat Support Group (Provisional), and operational squadrons formerly assigned to the 39th Air Division.
- Inactivated 15 March 1971
- Redesignated 475th Air Base Wing on 20 October 1971
- Activated 1 November 1971
- Inactivated 1 April 1992, personnel and equipment consolidated into 374th Airlift Wing374th Airlift WingThe 374th Airlift Wing is a unit of the United States Air Force assigned to Fifth Air Force. It is stationed at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It is part of Pacific Air Forces ....
Assignments
- 315th Air Division315th Air DivisionThe 315th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Pacific Air Forces, based at Tachikawa Air Base, Japan. It was inactivated in April 1969.-History:...
, 18 Aug 1948-1 Apr 1949 - Pacific Air Forces, 21 Dec 1967
- 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....
, 15 Jan 1968-15 Mar 1971; 1 Nov 1971-1 Apr 1992
Components
Group- 475th Fighter Group: 18 Aug 1948-1 Apr 1949
Squadrons
- 16th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron: 16 Mar 1970-15 Feb 1971, attached 16-22 Feb 1971.
- 45th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron: 15 Jan 1968-15 Mar 1971 (not operational).
- 67th Tactical Fighter Squadron: 15 Jan 1968-15 Mar 1971
- 356th Tactical Fighter Squadron356th Tactical Fighter SquadronThe 356th Tactical Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force fighter squadron. Its last assignment was with the 354th Fighter Wing, being stationed at Myrtle Beach AFB, South Carolina...
: 15 Jan 1968-15 Mar 1971 - 391st Tactical Fighter Squadron: 22 Jul 1968-28 Feb 1971
- 421st Tactical Fighter Squadron: attached 23 Apr-25 Jun 1969
- 556th Reconnaissance Squadron: 1 Nov 1971-30 Jun 1972
- 612th Tactical Fighter Squadron612th Tactical Fighter SquadronThe 612th Tactical Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 401st Tactical Fighter Wing, stationed at Torrejon Air Base, Spain. It was inactivated on 1 October 1991.-History:...
: 15 Jan 1968-15 Mar 1971 (not operational).
Stations
- Itazuke Airfield, Japan, 28 August 1948
- Ashiya Airfield, Japan, 25 March – 1 April 1949
- Misawa AB, Japan 15 January 1968 – 15 March 1971
- Yokota AB, Japan, 1 November 1971 – 1 April 1992
Aircraft
- F-51 Mustang, 1948-1949
- 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...
, 1968 - 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,...
, 1968-1971 - RF-4C Phantom II, 1970-1971
- 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...
, 1971-1972 - C-123 ProviderC-123 ProviderThe C-123 Provider was an American military transport aircraft designed by Chase Aircraft and subsequently built by Fairchild Aircraft for the United States Air Force...
, 1971-1976