926th Group
Encyclopedia
The 926th Group is a United States Air Force Reserve unit. It is assigned to the Tenth Air Force
and stationed at Nellis Air Force Base
, Nevada
.
The 926th GP also supports the U.S. Air Force's first Unmanned Aircraft Systems wing, the 432d Wing
/432d AEW, equipped with more than 100 MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper
unmanned aircraft, in its mission to train pilots, sensor operators and other UAS crewmembers, and conduct combat surveillance and attack operations worldwide.
In 1969, the 926th TAG experienced another conversion as transitioned to the C-130 Hercules. In October 1972, members of the 926th TAG flew two C-130 aircraft into South Vietnam as part of the Air Force-wide program designed to provide the South Vietnamese with increased cargo capability before the war came to an end.
In 1977, the Air Force announced the 926th TAG would convert to the A-37 Dragonfly fighter aircraft, bringing with the conversion a combat mission and a new designation, the 926th Tactical Fighter Group. The 926th TFG continued to fly the A-37 until June 1982 when the group completed a conversion to the A-10 Thunderbolt II.
When Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, the 926 TFG began deploying people in support of Operation Desert Shield. Then, in December 1990, approximately 450 members of the 926th TFG were recalled to active duty in support of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm as the nation's first Air Force Reserve combat unit recalled to active duty.
In 1995 the 926th FW converted to the A/OA-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft. The conversion was completed and the unit became combat-ready in September 1997.
In the late 1990s, the 926th FW participated in deployments patrolling the no-fly zones over Iraq in support of Operation Deny Flight, Operations Northern Watch and Southern Watch, and in 1999 returned to Kuwait to participate in Aerospace Expeditionary Force One.
After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, members of the 926th FW were mobilized and deployed to various locations worldwide in support of Operations Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Noble Eagle (ONE).
In 2005, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission identified the 926th FW for closure with personnel and aircraft relocating to four bases. The damage caused by Hurricane Katrina accelerated the process from two and a half years to nine months. By the spring of 2006, the A-10s transferred to Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., and Barksdale Air Force Base, La., logistics readiness support moved to Buckley Air Force Base
, Colo., and the command element moved to Nellis AFB.
In October 2007, the 926th Group was officially activated at Nellis AFB.
Tenth Air Force
The Tenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve Command . It is headquartered at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas....
and stationed at Nellis Air Force Base
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
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
.
Overview
The 926th Group is an associate unit to the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center at Nellis AFB. The unit provides combat-ready reservists to the USAFWC as sustained expertise integrated at the operational and tactical levels of warfare. It continuously conducts combat operations, operational test and evaluation, tactics development, and advanced training to warfighters.The 926th GP also supports the U.S. Air Force's first Unmanned Aircraft Systems wing, the 432d Wing
432d Wing
The 432d Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Combat Command, stationed at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada. The group operates unmanned reconnaissance aircraft which provide real-time reconnaissance, surveillance, and precision attack against fixed and time-critical targets...
/432d AEW, equipped with more than 100 MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper
MQ-9 Reaper
The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper is an unmanned aerial vehicle , capable of remote controlled or autonomous flight operations, developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems for use by the United States Air Force, the United States Navy, the CIA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Royal...
unmanned aircraft, in its mission to train pilots, sensor operators and other UAS crewmembers, and conduct combat surveillance and attack operations worldwide.
Units
The 926th GP consists of nine squadrons Located at Nellis AFB and at Geographically Separated Locations:- 26th Space Aggressor Squadron26th Space Aggressor SquadronThe 26th Space Aggressor Squadron is a unit of the United States Air Force located at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado. It is part of the 926th Group and is the Reserve Associate of the 527th Space Aggressor Squadron....
- Accomplishing the 57th Adversary Tactics Group57th Adversary Tactics GroupThe 57th Adversary Tactics Group is the flying component of the 57th Wing, assigned to the United States Air Force Air Combat Command...
mission at Schriever AFB, Colorado- 78th Reconnaissance Squadron78th Reconnaissance SquadronThe 78th Reconnaissance Squadron is part of the Tenth Air Force, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas. The 78 RS conducts operations from Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada in conjunction with their active-duty associates in the Air Force Warfare Center.-Mission:The mission of the...
(UAS)
- 78th Reconnaissance Squadron
- Integrated into the 432d Wing432d WingThe 432d Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Combat Command, stationed at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada. The group operates unmanned reconnaissance aircraft which provide real-time reconnaissance, surveillance, and precision attack against fixed and time-critical targets...
/432nd AEW at Creech AFB, Nevada- 84th Test and Evaluation Squadron
- Located at Eglin AFB, Florida
- Detachment 1, 84th Test Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Florida
- Integrated into the 505th Command and Control Wing505th Command and Control WingThe United States Air Force's 505th Command and Control Wing is organized under the USAF Warfare Center. The 505th CCW is dedicated to improving warfighter readiness through integrated training, tactics development and testing for operational-level command and control of air, space and cyberspace...
at Hurlburt FieldHurlburt FieldHurlburt Field is a U.S. Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the Town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation, and is home to Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command , the 1st Special Operations Wing , the...
, Florida- 706th Fighter Squadron706th Fighter SquadronThe 706th Fighter Squadron is part of the 926th Group at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. Its mission is to oversee Air Force Reserve Command members assigned to the United States Air Force Warfare Center, supporting missions in its 57th Wing, 53d Wing and 505th Command and Control Wing...
- 706th Fighter Squadron
- Integrated into the 57th Wing57th WingThe 57th Wing is an operational unit of the United States Air Force Warfare Center, stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.The 57 WG's mission is to provide well trained and well equipped combat forces ready to deploy into a combat arena to conduct integrated combat operations.-Mission:The 57...
and 53d Wing53d WingThe 53d Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.-Mission:The 53d Wing serves as the focal point for the Combat Air Forces in electronic warfare, armament and avionics, chemical defense, reconnaissance, and aircrew training devices...
- 926th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
- Integrated into the 57th Maintenance Group
- 926th Force Support Squadron
- 926th Aerospace Medicine Squadron
- 926th Civil Engineer Flight
- Accomplishing Explosive Ordnance Disposal
Cold War
On 28 December 1963 the 926th Troup Carrier Group was established at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, flying C-119 aircraft as part of a Tactical Air Command decision to organize all troop carrier forces, regular Air Force and Reserve, into wing-group-squadron configurations. In 1967, the unit designation was changed to the 926th Tactical Airlift Group, reflecting broader airlift capabilities to include transporting equipment and supplies for deployments worldwide.In 1969, the 926th TAG experienced another conversion as transitioned to the C-130 Hercules. In October 1972, members of the 926th TAG flew two C-130 aircraft into South Vietnam as part of the Air Force-wide program designed to provide the South Vietnamese with increased cargo capability before the war came to an end.
In 1977, the Air Force announced the 926th TAG would convert to the A-37 Dragonfly fighter aircraft, bringing with the conversion a combat mission and a new designation, the 926th Tactical Fighter Group. The 926th TFG continued to fly the A-37 until June 1982 when the group completed a conversion to the A-10 Thunderbolt II.
When Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, the 926 TFG began deploying people in support of Operation Desert Shield. Then, in December 1990, approximately 450 members of the 926th TFG were recalled to active duty in support of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm as the nation's first Air Force Reserve combat unit recalled to active duty.
Modern era
In February 1992, the unit was redesignated as the 926th Fighter Group. The name change reflected the deactivation of the Tactical Air Command. The group began conversion to the F-16 Fighting Falcon which was complete by October that year. Two years later, on October 1, 1994, the unit officially became the 926th Fighter Wing.In 1995 the 926th FW converted to the A/OA-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft. The conversion was completed and the unit became combat-ready in September 1997.
In the late 1990s, the 926th FW participated in deployments patrolling the no-fly zones over Iraq in support of Operation Deny Flight, Operations Northern Watch and Southern Watch, and in 1999 returned to Kuwait to participate in Aerospace Expeditionary Force One.
After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, members of the 926th FW were mobilized and deployed to various locations worldwide in support of Operations Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Noble Eagle (ONE).
In 2005, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission identified the 926th FW for closure with personnel and aircraft relocating to four bases. The damage caused by Hurricane Katrina accelerated the process from two and a half years to nine months. By the spring of 2006, the A-10s transferred to Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., and Barksdale Air Force Base, La., logistics readiness support moved to Buckley Air Force Base
Buckley Air Force Base
Buckley Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Aurora, Colorado, that was established by the U.S. Army in 1943. The base was named in honor of the World War I Army pilot 1LT John Harold Buckley.-Overview:...
, Colo., and the command element moved to Nellis AFB.
In October 2007, the 926th Group was officially activated at Nellis AFB.
Lineage
- Established as 926th Troop Carrier Group, Medium, and activated, on 28 Dec 1962
- Organized in the Reserve on 17 Jan 1963
- Re-designated: 926th Tactical Airlift Group on 1 Jul 1967
- Re-designated: 926th Tactical Fighter Group on 1 Apr 1978
- Re-designated: 926th Fighter Group on 1 Feb 1992
- Re-designated: 926th Fighter Wing on 1 Oct 1994
- Re-designated: 926th Group on 17 Aug 2007.
Assignments
- 446th Troop Carrier (later, 446th Tactical Airlift) Wing446th Airlift WingThe 446th Airlift Wing is a United States Air Force Reserve unit. The wing is stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. If ordered to Active Service, the unit would come under the Air Mobility Command 15th Expeditionary Mobility Task Force....
, 17 Jan 1963 - 433d Tactical Airlift (later, 433d Military Airlift) Wing433d Airlift WingThe 433d Airlift Wing is a unit of the United States Air Force Reserve assigned to Fourth Air Force. It is stationed at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas...
, 1 Mar 1968 - 446th Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 Oct 1969
- 442d Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 Jul 1972
- 434th Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 Jan 1978
- 442d Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 Feb 1984
- 917th Tactical Fighter (later, 917th Fighter) Wing917th WingThe 917th Wing is an inactive wing of the United States Air Force. It was last based at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. It operated both the A-10 Thunderbolt II and the B-52 Stratofortress....
, 1 Jul 1987
- Attached to 354th Tactical Fighter Wing (Deployed), 1990-March 1991
- 301st Fighter Wing301st Fighter WingThe 301st Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force Reserve fighter wing, based at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth Carswell Field, Texas. It is equipped with the F-16C+ Fighting Falcon...
, 1 Aug 1992 - Tenth Air ForceTenth Air ForceThe Tenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve Command . It is headquartered at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas....
, 1 Oct 1994-Present
- 301st Fighter Wing
Components
- 926th Operations Group: 1 Aug 1992-17 Aug 2007
- 26th Space Aggressor Squadron26th Space Aggressor SquadronThe 26th Space Aggressor Squadron is a unit of the United States Air Force located at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado. It is part of the 926th Group and is the Reserve Associate of the 527th Space Aggressor Squadron....
: 17 Aug 2007-Present - 78th Reconnaissance Squadron78th Reconnaissance SquadronThe 78th Reconnaissance Squadron is part of the Tenth Air Force, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas. The 78 RS conducts operations from Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada in conjunction with their active-duty associates in the Air Force Warfare Center.-Mission:The mission of the...
: 17 Aug 2007-Present - 706th Fighter Squadron706th Fighter SquadronThe 706th Fighter Squadron is part of the 926th Group at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. Its mission is to oversee Air Force Reserve Command members assigned to the United States Air Force Warfare Center, supporting missions in its 57th Wing, 53d Wing and 505th Command and Control Wing...
: 17 Jan 1963-1 Aug 1992; 17 Aug 2007-Present
Stations
- New Orleans NAS (later, NAS JRB ANG; ARS), Louisiana, 17 Jan 1963
- Deployed to King Fahd International Airport, Saudi Arabia, 1990-March 1991
- Nellis AFB, Nevada, 17 Aug 2007-Present
Aircraft
- C-119 Flying BoxcarC-119 Flying BoxcarThe Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar was an American military transport aircraft developed from the World War II-era Fairchild C-82 Packet, designed to carry cargo, personnel, litter patients, and mechanized equipment, and to drop cargo and troops by parachute...
, 1963-1970 - 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...
, 1969-1978 - A-37 DragonflyA-37 DragonflyThe Cessna A-37 Dragonfly, or Super Tweet, is a United States light attack aircraft developed from the T-37 Tweet basic trainer in the 1960s and 1970s...
, 1978-1982 - A-10/OA-10 Thunderbolt IIA-10 Thunderbolt IIThe Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is an American single-seat, twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic in the early 1970s. The A-10 was designed for a United States Air Force requirement to provide close air support for ground forces by attacking tanks,...
, 1981-1992, 1996-Present - F-16 Fighting FalconF-16 Fighting FalconThe General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since...
, 1992-1996