The 72d Fighter Wing is an inactive 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...

 unit. Its last was assigned to the Second Air Force

Second Air Force

The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....

, stationed at Colorado Springs Army Air Base, Colorado. It was inactivated on 31 December 1945.

History

Initially activated as a command and control organization for heavy bomber training in 1943, became single-engine fighter training organization for Second Air Force, 1943-1945. Had jurisdiction for fighter training RTUs in the midwest. Known assignments were:

• Abilene Army Airfield, Texas
• Alamogordo Army Airfield, New Mexico
• Bruning Army Airfield
  Bruning Army Airfield
  Bruning Army Airfield was a flight training installation of the United States Army Air Forces used during World War II and located in northeast Thayer County, Nebraska, at coordinates 40°20'25" North, 97°25'42" West, approximately six miles east of Bruning....
  
  , Nebraska
• Casper Army Airfield, Wyoming
• Dalhart Army Airfield, Texas

• DeRidder Army Airbase, Louisiana
• Galveston Army Airfield, Texas
• Harding Army Airfield, Louisiana
• Peterson Field (Colorado Springs Army Airbase)
  Peterson Field
  Peterson Field is a public-use airport located three nautical miles northeast of the central business district of Plains, a city in Sumter County, Georgia, United States. It is privately owned by G. Thomas Peterson.- Facilities and aircraft :...
  
  , Colorado
• Pocatello Army Airfield, Idaho
• Scribner Army Airfield
  Scribner Army Airfield
  Scribner State Airport is a public use airport located three nautical miles southeast of the central business district of Scribner, a city in Dodge County, Nebraska, United States...
  
  , Nebraska

Lineage

• Constituted as 72d Bombardment Operational Training Wing (Heavy) on 1 August 1943

Activated on 20 August 1943

Re-designated 72d Fighter Wing on 1 September 1943

Inactivated on 31 December 1945

Assignments

• II Bomber Command
  II Bomber Command
  The II Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Second Air Force, based at Fort George Wright, Washington. It was inactivated on 6 October 1943....
  
  , 20 August 1943
• Second Air Force
  Second Air Force
  The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
  
  , 1 September 1943-31 December 1945

Components

• 36th Fighter Group, 17 September 1943-4 April 1944
• 84th Fighter Group
  84th Fighter Group
  The 84th Fighter Group is an active United States Air Force organization. It is assigned to the 84th Combat Sustainment Wing, stationed at Hill Air Force Base, California. It was last active as a Fighter Group on 15 July 1963.-History:...
  
  , 1 November 1943 – 1 April 1944
• 357th Fighter Group
  357th Fighter Group
  The 357th Fighter Group was an air combat unit of the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War. The 357th operated P-51 Mustang aircraft as part of the U.S. Eighth Air Force and its members were known unofficially as "The Yoxford Boys" after a village near their base...
  
  , 7 October – 9 November 1943
• 407th Fighter Group, 9 March 1943-21 March 1944
• 408th Fighter Group
  408th Fighter Group
  The 408th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with 25th Air Division , based at Kingsley Field, Oregon. It was inactivated on 1 January 1970-History:...
  
  , 1 November 1943-1 April 1944
• 476th Fighter Group
  476th Fighter Group
  The 476 Fighter Group is a United States Air Force Reserve unit, stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia.-Overview:Assigned to the 442d Fighter Wing, at Whiteman AFB, Missouri, the 476th Fighter Group is an Air Force Reseve associate unit linked to the 23d Fighter Group at Moody...
  
  , 26 March-1 April 1944
• 507th Fighter Group, 12 October 1944-24 June 1945
• 508th Fighter Group, 12 October 1944-6 January 1945