406th Air Expeditionary Wing

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 406th Air Expeditionary Wing


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dates= 2000s (Exact Dates Unknown)
country= United States
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branch= United States Air Force
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current_commander=
garrison= Diyarbakir, Turkey
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname=
patron=
motto= ASCENDE ET DEFENDE - "Rise and Defend"
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles=
anniversaries=

The United States Air Force's 406th Air Expeditionary Wing (AEW) is an Air Expeditionary unit which is possibly located at Diyarbakir, Turkey.

As the AEW concept operates under temporary orders by the owning MAJCOM for a specific purpose or mission, the current mission and status of the 406th AEW is unknown.

History

Lineage

The 406th Air Expeditionary Operations Group is the successor to the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) 406th Bombardment Group (Dive), activated on 1 Mar 1943 at Key Army Airfield, Mississippi.

The United States Air Force 406th Fighter-Bomber Wing was established and activated at RAF Station Manston (later, RAF Manston), England on 10 July 1952. In 1952, the wing was bestowed the World War II honors and history of the USAAF 406th Bombardment (Later Fighter) Group.

Redesignated: 406th Fighter-Interceptor Wing, 1 April 1954, Inactivated on 15 May 1958.Reactivated as: 406th Tactical Fighter Training Wing, on 15 July 1972, Inactivated on 1 April 1994.Reactivated as: 406th Air Expeditionary Wing.

Major Commands

* United States Army Air Forces
** Third Air Force (1943-44)
** Ninth Air Force (1944-45)
** United States Air Forces in Europe (1945-46)

* United States Air Force
** United States Air Forces in Europe (1954-58, 1972-94)
** Air Combat Command, United States Central Command Air Forces (2000s-?)

Stations

* United States Army Air Forces
** Key Army Airfield, Mississippi (1943)
** Congaree Army Airfield, South Carolina (1943-44)
** RAF Ashford, England (1944)
** Various Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) locations in Europe (1944-45)
** Nordholz Germany (1945-46)

* United States Air Force
** RAF Station Manston (later, RAF Manston), England (1952-58)
** Zaragoza AB, Spain (1972-94)
** Diyarbakir, Turkey (2000s ?) [http://www.af.mil/bios/bio.asp?bioID=9258 MGen Mike Worden's Bio]

quadrons assigned

* 628th Bombardment Squadron (Dive) (1943)
Redesignated: 512th Fighter Squadron (1943-46)
* 629th Bombardment Squadron (Dive) (1943)
Redesignated: 513th Fighter Squadron (1943-46)
* 630th Bombardment Squadron (Dive) (1943)
Redesignated: 514th Fighter Squadron (1943-46)
* 631st Bombardment Squadron (Dive) (1943)

* 512th Fighter-Bomber Squadron (1952-54)
Redesignated: 512th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (1954-58)
* 513th Fighter-Bomber Squadron (1952-54)
Redesignated: 513th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (1954-58)
* 514th Fighter-Bomber Squadron (1952-54)
Redesignated: 514th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (1954-58)

Aircraft Operated

* Douglas A-24 Dauntless (1943)
* North American A-36 Apache (1943)
* Bell P-39 Airacobra (1943)
* Republic P-47 Thunderbolt (1943-46)

* Republic F-84E Thunderjet (1952-53)
* North American F-86F/D Sabre (1953-58)

Operations

World War II (1943-46)

During World War II the 406th Fighter Group was part of Ninth Air Force providing air-ground support to ground forces in Europe.

Operational fighter squadrons and fuselage codes were:

* 512th Fighter Squadron (L3) (yellow)
* 513th Fighter Squadron (4P) (red)
* 514th Fighter Squadron (O7) (blue)

The 406th Fighter Group was part of the 303d Fighter Wing, XIX Tactical Air Command. It provided tactical air support for ground forces. Participated in the reduction of St Malo and Brest. Aided the Allied drive across France, receiving a DUC for operations on 7 September 1944 when the group destroyed a large column of armered vehicles and military transports that were attempting to escape from southeastern France through the Belfort Gap.

The group operated closely with ground forces and flew interdictory missions during the drive to the Moselle-Saar region. Shifted operations from the Saar basin to the Ardennes and assisted the beleaguered garrison at Bastogne after the Germans had launched the counteroffensive that precipitated the Battle of the Bulge. The 406th operated almost exclusively within a ten-mile radius of Bastogne from 23-27 December 1944, a period for which the group received a second DUC for its attacks on tanks, vehicles, defended buildings, and gun positions. The 406th Fighter Group flew escort, interdictory, and close-support missions in the Ruhr Valley early in 1945 and thus assisted Allied ground forces in their drive to and across the Rhine until V-E Day, being finally stationed at Munster/Handorf Air Base (ALG Y-94), Germany.

With the end of hostilities, the group remained in Europe after V-E Day, being assigned to the Nordholz Air Base, Germany (ALG R-56) near Hamburg as part of the United States Air Forces in Europe for occupation duty. The 406th was inactivated on 20 August 1946.

United Kingdom (1952-58)

During the early years of the Cold War the 406th Fighter-Bomber Wing was activated in place at Manston to provide Air Defense to the United Kingdom. The following squadrons assigned:

* 512th Fighter-Bomber Squadron (Yellow Stripe)
* 513th Fighter-Bomber Squadron (Red Stripe)
* 514th Fighter-Bomber Squadron (Dark Blue Stripe)

Initially, the 406th utilized North American F-84E Sabres, however in August 1953, the F-86F "Saber" began to arrive to replace them.

A change of mission for the 406th in April 1954 from fighter-bomber to figher-interceptor came with a change of equipment. The F-86D began to arrive and the F-86F's were transferred to other USAFE squadrons and NATO countries. In addition, the 512th FBS was transferred to Soesterberg Air Base, Netherlands with their F-86Fs.

In June F-86D's arrived from CONUS to equip the 87th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron which was transferred to the 406th from the 81st FBW assigned to RAF Shepherds Grove. The 87th FIS, however, physically remained at Shepherds Grove, but was under the organizational command of the 406th at Manston. In September 1955, the 87th was redesignated the 512th FIS.

In May 1958 the 406th was deactivated in place, with its three air defense squadrons being assigned to contentinal Europe under the 86th Air Division (Defense) at Ramstein Air Base West Germany. The squadrons were transferred to the following bases:

* 512th FIS to Sembach Air Base, West Germany
* 513th FIS to Phalsbourg-Bourscheid Air Base France
* 514th FIS to Ramstein Air Base, West Germany

The F-86D's were eventually withdrawn from Europe in 1961, and the 512th, 513th and 514th were deactivated.

Zaragoza Air Base (1972-1994)

In February 1970 Project CREEK STEP called for the buildup of Zaragoza AB as a USAFE weapons training site, with actual use of the Bardenas Reales Air-to-Ground Bombing and Gunnery Range (about 45mi/70km northwest of the base) began in March.

With the closure of Wheelus Air Base in Libya, Zaragoza returned to active status on 19 February 1970 with the activation of the 406th Tactical Fighter Training Group. The 406th was elevated to Wing status on 21 July 1972.

Although the 406th had no permanently assigned aircraft, the Wing provided support to all USAFE tactical aircraft which used the Zaragoza range, as well as deployed SAC and TAC units, as well as allied NATO units.Subject to the same provisions requiring the removal of other units from Spain, the 406th began efforts to end its operations and return Zaragoza to the Spanish Government in 1992. The use of the training range ended in December 1991, followed by the turnover of base operations to the Spanish in April 1992.

The 406th Tactical Fighter Training Wing was deactivated on 1 April 1994 when USAFE ended its presence and returned contol to the Spanish government.

Global War On Terror (2001-Present)

The role of the 406th Air Expeditionary Wing is unknown as part of the GWOT.

References

* ArmyAirForces.com 406th Fighter Group http://www.armyairforces.com/dbgroups.asp?Group=227
* Donald, David, "Century Jets. USAF Frontline Fighters Of The Cold War", 1995
* Endicott, Judy G., USAF Active Flying, Space, and Missile Squadrons as of 1 October 1995. Office of Air Force History
* Freeman, Roger A., "UK Airfields of the Ninth: Then and Now", 1994
* Menard, David W., "Before Centuries. USAFE Fighters 1948-1959", 1992.
* Maurer Maurer, "Air Force Combat Units Of World War II", Office of Air Force History, 1983
* Ravenstein, Charles A., Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977, Office of Air Force History, 1984
* Swetzer, Robert L., On NATO's southern flank: A history of Sixteenth Air Force, 1954-1988, Office of History Headquarters, Sixteenth Air Force, United States Air Forces in Europe, 1989

External links

* [http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=14162&archive=true "Airmen hover north of Iraq after politics rewrites the mission"] , Marni McEntee, "Stars and Stripes"