482d Fighter Wing

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=482d Fighter Wing


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dates= 10 August 1943 — present
country=United States
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branch=Air Force
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size=1,600 personnel
command_structure=Air Force Reserve Command
current_commander=Colonel [http://www.homestead.afrc.af.mil/library/biographies/bio.asp?id=8134 Randall Falcon]
garrison=Homestead Air Reserve Base
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The 482d Fighter Wing (482 FW) is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida.

Mission

The 482 FW provides the Department of Defense with an efficient, cost effective air base, with ready access to a strategic staging location on the rim of the Caribbean Basin, to support contingency and training operations associated with the United States Southern Command area of responsibility.

History

The 482d provided a pathfinder force of radar-equipped aircraft that preceded bomber formations flying from England to Germany and indicated targets such as airfields, submarine installations, and marshalling yards obscured by weather. It earned a Distinguished Unit Citation for a 11 January 1944 mission leading Eighth Air Force bombers to targets such as aircraft factories in central Germany. Although weather prevented effective fighter protection against enemy aircraft, the group bombed assigned targets and destroyed many enemy airplanes. Individual aircraft and crews led Eighth Air Force elements on attacks against factories at Gotha, Brunswick, Schweinfurt, and other German industrial centers during Big Week, 20-25 February. It was removed from combat status in March to operate a school for pathfinder crews of Eighth Air Force.

With radar, the 482d photographed parts of France, the Low Countries, and Germany for training and briefing combat crews. The group also tested radar and other navigational equipment. While on experimental flights, the group often bombed bridges, fuel depots, power plants, and railroad stations. On 6 June, it supported the Allied invasion of Normandy by flying a pathfinder mission to bomb coastal defenses and by leading attacks on traffic centers behind the beachhead.

After the war the group trained in the Reserve as a heavy bombardment group from, June 1947-June 1949 before being deactivated. The wing stood up and trained as a troop carrier wing from, June-December 1952; and as a fighter-bomber wing flying various fighter and trainer aircraft, May 1955-November 1957 and received brief training in C-119 aircraft during October 1957. The 482d was then again deactivated.

It was reactivated and replaced the 915th Tactical Fighter Group in April 1981 and trained to maintain tactical fighter combat readiness. The wing controlled two like-equipped tactical fighter groups at Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas (1981-1982) and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio (1982-1994). Following massive damage caused to Homestead Air Force Base by Hurricane Andrew in August 1992, the wing's flying operations were conducted from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, September-December 1992 and from MacDill Air Force Base, Florida] , February 1993- March 1994. The 482nd became host wing at Homestead on 1 April and provided weapons training support for air force units beginning in October 1994. From 1997, the 482 FW periodically deployed personnel and aircraft to Turkey to help enforce the no-fly zone over Northern Iraq.

Operations

*World War II
*Operation Northern Watch

Previous designations

*482d Bombardment Group (1943 – 1952)
*482d Troop Carrier Wing (1952 – 1955)
*482d Fighter-Bomber Wing (1955 – 1981)
*482d Tactical Fighter Wing (1981 – 1992)
*482d Fighter Wing (1992 – Present)

Assignments

Major command

*Air Force Reserve Command

Numbered Air Force

*10th Air Force (1947 – 1949, 1981 – Present)
*14th Air Force (1952, 1955 – 1957)

ubordinate organizations

482d Operations Group (482 OG)
*93d Fighter Squadron (93 FS)
*482d Operations Support Squadron (49 OSS)

482d Maintenance Group (482 MXG)
*482d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (482 AMXS)
*482d Maintenance Operations Squadron (482 MOS)
*482d Maintenance Squadron (482 MXS)

482d Mission Support Group (482 MSG)
*482d Civil Engineering Squadron (482 CES)
*482d Communications Squadron (482 CS)
*482d Contracting Squadron (482 CONS)
*482d Logistics Readiness Squadron (482 LRS)
*482d Mission Support Squadron (482 MSS)
*482d Security Forces Squadron (482 SFS)
*482d Services Squadron (482 SVF)

482d Medical Squadron (482 MDS)

Bases stationed

*RAF Alconbury, England (1943 – 1945)
*Victorville Army Airfield, California (1945)
*New Orleans Municipal Airport, Louisiana (1947 – 1949)
*Miami International Airport, Florida (1952)
*Dobbins Air Force Base, Georgia (1955 – 1957)
*Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida (1981 – Present)

Aircraft operated

*B-17 Flying Fortress (1943 – 1945)
*B-24 Liberator (1943 – 1945)
*C-46 Commando (1944 – 1945, 1952)
*P-80 Shooting Star (1955)
*F-84 Thunderjet (1955 – 1957)
*T-28 Trojan (1955 – 1957)
*T-33 Shooting Star (1955 – 1957)
*F-86 Sabre (1957)
*C-119 Flying Boxcar (1957)
*F-4 Phantom II (1981 – 1989)
*F-16 Falcon (1989 – Present)

Unit shields

External links

* [http://www.homestead.afrc.af.mil/ Homestead Air Reserve Base Home Page]