The 116th Operations Group is a
Georgia Air National Guard
The Georgia Air National Guard (GA ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Georgia, United States of America. It is a reserve of the United States Air Force, and along with the Georgia Army National Guard, an element of the Georgia National ...
unit assigned to the
116th Air Control Wing
The 116th Air Control Wing is a Wing (military aviation unit), Wing of the Georgia Air National Guard/United States Air Force, stationed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. If activated for federal service, the wing is gained by Air Combat Command. ...
. The unit is stationed at
Robins Air Force Base
Robins Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force installation located in Houston County, Georgia, Houston County, Georgia, United States. The base is located just east of the city of Warner Robins, Georgia, Warner Robins, south-southea ...
, Georgia. The 116th Group controls all operational
Northrop Grumman E-8C Joint STARS aircraft of the 116th Air Control Wing. It was activated in 1992, when the Air Force implemented the Objective Wing organization, and was successively equipped with the
McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an American twin-engine, all-weather fighter aircraft designed by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing). Following reviews of proposals, the United States Air Force (USAF) selected McDonnell Douglas's desi ...
and the
Rockwell B-1 Lancer
The Rockwell B-1 Lancer is a supersonic variable-sweep wing, heavy bomber used by the United States Air Force. It has been nicknamed the "Bone" (from "B-One"). , it is one of the United States Air Force's three strategic bombers, along with t ...
before converting to the E-8C in 2002.
The unit was first activated during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
as the 353d Fighter Group, a
Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter, and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bombe ...
fighter unit assigned to
VIII Fighter Command
The VIII Fighter Command was a United States Army Air Forces unit of command above the wings and below the numbered air force. Its primary mission was command of fighter operations within the Eighth Air Force. In the World War II European Thea ...
in Western Europe, which later converted to the
North American P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in 1940 by a team headed by James H. Kin ...
. The group received a
Distinguished Unit Citation
The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed e ...
for its air support during
Operation Market Garden, the airborne invasion of the
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
.
Postwar, in 1946, the group was redesignated the 116th Fighter Group and became part of the Georgia Air National Guard. In 1950, the group was mobilized for the
Korean War
The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
as the 116th Fighter-Bomber Group, and was deployed to Japan. In 1952, the group was returned to the Georgia Air National Guard and became the 116th Fighter-Interceptor Group. The group converted to transport aircraft in 1961 and was successively redesignated the 116th Air Transport Group and the 116th Air Mobility Group. After the end of United States involvement in the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
, the group was converted back to fighters in 1973, but was inactivated a year later.
History
World War II
The
group
A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together.
Groups of people
* Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity
* Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic iden ...
was organized as the 353d Fighter Group at
Mitchel Field Mitchell may refer to:
People and fictional characters
*Mitchell (surname), including lists of both people and fictional characters
*Mitchell (given name), lists of people and fictional characters
Places Australia
* Mitchell, Australian Ca ...
, New York, although it did not receive any
pilot
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...
s until it moved to
Richmond AAB, Virginia.
[
Rust & Hess, p. 9] The group trained in the Mid-Atlantic states during 1942–1943 while also serving as an
air defense
Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) is the counter to aerial warfare and includes "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It encompasses surface-based, subsurface (Submarine#Armament, submarine-lau ...
organization.
[Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 233–234] Its original squadrons were the
350th,
[Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 435] 351st,
[Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 436] and
352d Fighter Squadrons.
[Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 437] The group was equipped with
Curtiss P-40N Warhawks that had been used by other units, but in February 1943, it began receiving
Republic P-47B Thunderbolts.
[
]
The 353d moved to England May through June 1943, where it was assigned to the 66th Fighter Wing
The 66th Fighter Wing is a disbanded unit of the United States Air Force, last stationed at Chicago Municipal Airport, Illinois. It was withdrawn from the Illinois Air National Guard and inactivated on 31 October 1950.
History World War II
Es ...
of VIII Fighter Command
The VIII Fighter Command was a United States Army Air Forces unit of command above the wings and below the numbered air force. Its primary mission was command of fighter operations within the Eighth Air Force. In the World War II European Thea ...
at Sawston Hall
Sawston Hall is a Grade I listed Tudor manor house in Sawston, Cambridgeshire dating from the 16th century. It has many fine features, such as the magnificent Great Hall complete with Elizabethan panelling and a large Tudor fireplace with firebac ...
, Cambridge. The group was equipped with newer P-47D Thunderbolts and was the fourth P-47 unit to join the Eighth Air Force.[Rust & Hess, pp. 12–13]
Operations commenced on 9 August 1943 when sixteen planes joined P-47s of the 56th Fighter Group on an uneventful fighter sweep over the Netherlands.[ The group's first mission on its own was a ]bomber
A bomber is a military combat aircraft that utilizes
air-to-ground weaponry to drop bombs, launch aerial torpedo, torpedoes, or deploy air-launched cruise missiles.
There are two major classifications of bomber: strategic and tactical. Strateg ...
escort mission on 14 August. On the 16th, the group had its first engagement with enemy Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a monoplane fighter aircraft that was designed and initially produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW). Together with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the Bf 109 formed the backbone of the ...
and Fw 190 fighters. Unfortunately, the first group commander, Lt. Col. Joseph A. Morris was lost in combat that day.[ From Metfield the 353d flew numerous counter-air missions and provided escort for bombers that attacked targets in western Europe, made counter-air sweeps over France and the ]Low Countries
The Low Countries (; ), historically also known as the Netherlands (), is a coastal lowland region in Northwestern Europe forming the lower Drainage basin, basin of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta and consisting today of the three modern "Bene ...
, and dive bombed targets in France.[
In March 1944 the group commander. Col. Duncan, proposed to Maj Gen. Kepner, the commander of ]VIII Fighter Command
The VIII Fighter Command was a United States Army Air Forces unit of command above the wings and below the numbered air force. Its primary mission was command of fighter operations within the Eighth Air Force. In the World War II European Thea ...
, that a group of pilots be assembled who would be specialists in the art of ground strafing
Strafing is the military practice of attacking ground targets from low-flying aircraft using aircraft-mounted automatic weapons.
Less commonly, the term is used by extension to describe high-speed firing runs by any land or naval craft such a ...
. On 15 March sixteen pilots from the 353d, 355th, 359th and 361st Fighter Group
The 127th Operations Group is a unit of the Michigan Air National Guard. It is stationed at Selfridge Air National Guard Base and is one of two flying groups assigned to the 127th Wing. The group operates Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbol ...
s were assembled under Col. Duncan and nicknamed "Bill's Buzz Boys". These pilots flew P-47s equipped with "paddle blade" propellers which improved the low altitude performance of their Thunderbolts. Until "Bill's Buzz Boys" were disbanded on 12 April they developed tactics
Tactic(s) or Tactical may refer to:
* Tactic (method), a conceptual action implemented as one or more specific tasks
** Military tactics, the disposition and maneuver of units on a particular sea or battlefield
** Chess tactics
In chess, a tac ...
for low level strafing attacks on enemy airfield
An aerodrome, airfield, or airstrip is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for public or private use. Aerodromes in ...
s, which prevented the Luftwaffe
The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
from shepherding their air defense forces on the ground, in order to use them only when they had an advantage, minimizing losses, because the aircraft were vulnerable both in the air and on the ground.
During the Battle of Normandy
Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the N ...
, the 353d supported the breakthrough at Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô (, ; ) is a Communes of France, commune in northwest France, the capital of the Manche department in the region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy.[Distinguished Unit Citation
The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed e ...]
for supporting Operation Market Garden, the airborne attack on Arnhem
Arnhem ( ; ; Central Dutch dialects, Ernems: ''Èrnem'') is a Cities of the Netherlands, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands, near the German border. It is the capita ...
and Nijmegen
Nijmegen ( , ; Nijmeegs: ) is the largest city in the Dutch province of Gelderland and the ninth largest of the Netherlands as a whole. Located on the Waal River close to the German border, Nijmegen is one of the oldest cities in the ...
(Operation Market) and the advance of British Forces to link up with the airhead and attack across the Rhine
The Rhine ( ) is one of the List of rivers of Europe, major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Austria–Swit ...
River (Operation Garden) between 17 and 23 September 1944.[ On the 17th and 18th the group concentrated on strikes against enemy flak positions threatening the landing of airborne troops, claiming the destruction of 64 flak positions and damage to 22 more in the two days. These attacks also resulted in the loss of two of the group's planes and flak damage to 17 more. After standing down for two days due to weather, the 353d provided top cover to the ]Douglas C-53 Skytrooper
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II. During the war the C-47 was used for troop ...
and Douglas C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II. During the war the C-47 was used for tro ...
aircraft carrying out the operation. While protecting the troop carriers the group claimed 25 victories over enemy fighters attacking the drop and landing zones while losing four more of its P-47s.
In October 1944, the group converted to the North American P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in 1940 by a team headed by James H. Kin ...
.[ The group flew its first Mustang mission escorting ]Boeing B-17
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is an American four-engined heavy bomber aircraft developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). A fast and high-flying bomber, the B-17 dropped more bombs than any other aircraft during ...
s on 2 October. This mission was the only one in which the group flew both P-47s and P-51s, although Thunderbolts continued to fly separate missions until the conversion was complete. Four days later Lt. C. W. Mueller claimed Eighth Air Force's second victory over a jet-propelled Me 262
The Messerschmitt Me 262, nicknamed (German for "Swallow") in fighter versions, or ("Storm Bird") in fighter-bomber versions, is a fighter aircraft and fighter-bomber that was designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Messersc ...
fighter.
About this time Raydon was known colloquially as "Bomb Alley" due to the number of German V-1 "Doodlebug" flying bombs which flew directly overhead on their way to London. One V-1 blew up as it went over and the engine narrowly missed the bomb dump in Raydon Great Wood.
The group continued its fighter-bomber, escort, and counter-air activities, participating in the Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive or Unternehmen Die Wacht am Rhein, Wacht am Rhein, was the last major German Offensive (military), offensive Military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western ...
from December 1944 through January 1945 and Operation Varsity, the airborne attack across the Rhine in March 1945.[ The group had two "aces in a day" on 24 March when Lt. Col. Wayne Blickenstaff and Maj. Robert Elder each claimed five victories. The group encountered a formation of Fw 190 aircraft loaded with bombs, with another formation of Bf 109s flying top cover for them. The group attacked the enemy formations, claiming a total of 29 destroyed while losing five aircraft. This was the only time in the history of Eighth Air Force when two pilots from the same unit destroyed five or more enemy aircraft in the same engagement.
The 353d's flew its last combat mission (its 448th) on 25 April 1945, when it escorted ]Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
and 398th Bombardment Group 398th may refer to:
*398th Air Expeditionary Group, provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe
*398th Bombardment Squadron, inactive United States Air Force unit last assigned with the 92d Operations ...
bombers attacking Berchtesgaden
Berchtesgaden () is a municipality in the district Berchtesgadener Land, Bavaria, in southeastern Germany, near the border with Austria, south of Salzburg and southeast of Munich. It lies in the Berchtesgaden Alps. South of the town, the Be ...
and Pilsen. It had lost 152 aircraft in combat. 50 of the pilots had become prisoners of war or evadees (including group commander, Col. Glenn E. Duncan), but most aircraft losses also involved the loss of the pilot. After the end of hostilities, the group trained and prepared for transfer to the Pacific Theater
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
. With the end of World War II in September, the group left Raydon and transferred back to Camp Kilmer, New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
where it was inactivated on 18 October 1945.[
After VE day in May 1945, Colonel Glen E. Duncan received a B-17 Flying Fortress from school friend Colonel John B Kidd from the 100th Bomb Group in return for Kidd flying a P-47 Thunderbolt. The B-17 was painted in the 353rd colors (yellow/black checkerboard cowls) and used to fly ground crewmembers over Germany so that they could observe the impact their aircraft had made in the war.
]
Aerial Victories
Aerial Victories by the 353d Ftr Gp
Aces of the 353d Ftr Gp[Rust & Hess, P. 83]
Aircraft Markings
* P-47s Yellow and black diamonds on the cowling.
* P-51s Spinners striped alternately yellow and black. Three rows of yellow and black checks on cowlings (expanded to eight rows in 1945).
:: 350th Fighter Squadron LH, yellow rudders
:: 351st Fighter Squadron YJ, plain rudders
:: 352d Fighter Squadron SX, black rudders[
]
Georgia Air National Guard
The wartime 353d Fighter Group was redesignated as the 116th Fighter Group, allotted to the National Guard
National guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards.
...
on 24 May 1946. It was organized at Marietta Army Air Field, Georgia, and was extended federal recognition on 20 August 1946 by the National Guard Bureau
The National Guard Bureau (NGB) is the federal agency responsible for the administration of the National Guard established by the United States Congress as a joint bureau of the Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force. It was c ...
. The 116th Fighter Group was entitled to the history, honors, and colors of the 353d Fighter Group. It was assigned to the 54th Fighter Wing.
The 116th Fighter Group consisted of the 128th Fighter Squadron at Marietta AAF, and the 158th Fighter Squadron at Chatham Army Air Field, near Savannah. As part of the Continental Air Command
Continental Air Command (ConAC) (1948–1968) was a Major Command of the United States Air Force (USAF) responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.
During the Korean War, ConAC provided the necessary aug ...
Fourteenth Air Force
The Fourteenth Air Force (14 AF; Air Forces Strategic) was a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Space Command (AFSPC). It was headquartered at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.
The command was responsible for the organizatio ...
, the unit trained for tactical fighter missions and air-to-air combat.
Korean Mobilization
In October 1950, the group was mobilized and moved to George Air Force Base
George Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base located within the city limits, 8 miles northwest, of central Victorville, California, about 75 miles northeast of Los Angeles, California.
Established by the United States Army Air C ...
. Under the regular Air Force's wing base organization the 116th Fighter-Bomber Wing was activated as the headquarters for the group and the units supporting it. The 128th Fighter-Bomber Squadron remained with the group after mobilization, but its other units were the 159th Fighter-Bomber Squadron of the Florida Air National Guard
The Florida Air National Guard (FL ANG) is the aerial militia of the United States, U.S. state of Florida. It is a reserve component of the United States Air Force and along with the Florida Army National Guard (FL ARNG), an element of the Flori ...
and the 196th Fighter-Bomber Squadron of the California Air National Guard
The California Air National Guard (CA ANG) is one of three components of the California National Guard, a reserve of the United States Air Force, and part of the National Guard of the United States.
As militia units, the units in the Californi ...
.
Return to the Georgia Air National Guard
The group was redesignated the 116th Fighter-Interceptor Group, returned to the Georgia Air National Guard
The Georgia Air National Guard (GA ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Georgia, United States of America. It is a reserve of the United States Air Force, and along with the Georgia Army National Guard, an element of the Georgia National ...
on 10 July 1952 and activated at Dobbins Air Force Base. The 116th was gained by Air Defense Command
Aerospace Defense Command was a major command (military formation), command of the United States Air Force, responsible for air defense of the continental United States. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air De ...
(ADC). It was initially equipped with old North American P-51H Mustang
Over twenty variants of the North American P-51 Mustang fighter were produced from 1940, when it first flew, to after World War II, some of which were employed also in the Korean War and in several other conflicts.
Allison-engined Mustangs
NA- ...
s, but soon converted to Republic F-84 Thunderjet
The Republic F-84 Thunderjet is an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 first flew in 1946. Although it entered service in 1947, the Thunde ...
s. In 1958, the group began to stand alert with its interceptors. In 1960 the F-84s were replaced by the North American F-86L Sabre.
In 1961, the group traded in its Sabres for Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter
The Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter is a long-range heavy military cargo aircraft developed from the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, B-29 and Boeing B-50 Superfortress, B-50 bombers. Design work began in 1942, the first of three prototype XC-97s flew on ...
transports, becoming the 116th Air Transport Group. The group flew long-distance transport missions in support of Air Force requirements, frequently sending aircraft to the Caribbean, Europe, Greenland, and the Middle East. In 1966 the 116th, now the 116th Military Airlift Group, was the first Air National Guard group to receive Douglas C-124 Globemaster II
The Douglas C-124 Globemaster II, nicknamed "Old Shaky", is a retired American heavy-lift cargo aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company in Long Beach, California.
The C-124 was the primary heavy-lift transport for United States Air Forc ...
strategic heavy airlifters.
In the years after the Vietnam War, the 116th returned to the fighter mission and was re-equipped with North American F-100 Super Sabre
The North American F-100 Super Sabre is an American supersonic jet fighter aircraft designed and produced by the aircraft manufacturer North American Aviation. The first of the Century Series of American jet fighters, it was the first United ...
. In 1974 the Air National Guard eliminated its tactical groups at locations that also had a wing
A wing is a type of fin that produces both Lift (force), lift and drag while moving through air. Wings are defined by two shape characteristics, an airfoil section and a planform (aeronautics), planform. Wing efficiency is expressed as lift-to-d ...
headquarters
Headquarters (often referred to as HQ) notes the location where most or all of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. The term is used in a wide variety of situations, including private sector corporations, non-profits, mil ...
and the 116th Tactical Fighter Group was inactivated on 9 December.
In 1992 as part of the post Cold War reorganizations of the Air Force, the 116th Wing converted to the Air Force Objective Wing organization and the group was again activated as the 116th Operations Group.
After calling Dobbins home for 50 years, the 116th simultaneously converted from the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an American twin-engine, all-weather fighter aircraft designed by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing). Following reviews of proposals, the United States Air Force (USAF) selected McDonnell Douglas's desi ...
fighters to the Rockwell B-1 Lancer
The Rockwell B-1 Lancer is a supersonic variable-sweep wing, heavy bomber used by the United States Air Force. It has been nicknamed the "Bone" (from "B-One"). , it is one of the United States Air Force's three strategic bombers, along with t ...
strategic bomber and moved 110 miles south to Robins Air Force Base
Robins Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force installation located in Houston County, Georgia, Houston County, Georgia, United States. The base is located just east of the city of Warner Robins, Georgia, Warner Robins, south-southea ...
near Warner Robins, Georgia and the former Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command (SAC) was a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile compon ...
alert facility there.
Under the Air Force's Total Force Initiative the 116th Wing became a "blended" wing. The 93d Air Control Wing
The 93d Air Ground Operations Wing (93d AGOW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Combat Command, Ninth Air Force. It is stationed as a tenant unit at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia.
The wing directs the 3d Air Support Operations G ...
, an active-duty unit, was inactivated on 1 October 2002 and the 116th Group was assigned both members of the Guard and active duty airmen. The unit was equipped with the new E-8C Joint STARS
The Northrop Grumman E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) is a retired United States Air Force (USAF) airborne ground surveillance, Battle Management, battle management and Command and control (military), command and c ...
airborne battle management aircraft.
On 24 November 2010, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force designated the 116th Air Control Wing as an "Active Associate" wing and replaced the "blended" wing concept. A new active duty associate wing was formed, and the squadrons with active duty airmen were reassigned to the 461st Air Control Wing
The 461st Air Control Wing is a joint United States Air Force, Air Force/United States Army, Army unit flying the E-8 J-STARS aircraft until 2023. The wing (military aviation unit), wing is assigned to Air Combat Command's Fifteenth Air Force, ...
. The two units continue to operate together to accomplish the shared J-STARS mission.
Lineage
* Constituted as the 353d Fighter Group on 29 September 1942
: Activated on 1 October 1942
: Inactivated on 18 October 1945
* Redesignated 116th Fighter Group and allotted to the National Guard on 24 May 1946
: Organized on 8 July 1946
: Extended federal recognition on 9 September 1946
: Federalized and placed on active duty on 10 October 1950
: Redesignated 116th Fighter-Bomber Group on 25 October 1950
: Inactivated on 10 July 1952
: Redesignated 116th Fighter-Interceptor Group and returned to the Air National Guard on 10 July 1952
: Redesignated 116th Fighter-Bomber Group on 1 December 1952
: Redesignated 116th Fighter-Interceptor Group on 1 July 1955
: Redesignated 116th Fighter Group (Air Defense) on 15 April 1956
: Redesignated 116th Air Transport Group on 1 April 1961
: Redesignated 116th Military Airlift Group on 1 January 1966
: Redesignated 116th Tactical Fighter Group on 4 April 1973
: Inactivated on 10 December 1974
: Redesignated 116th Operations Group
: Activated c. 1 January 1993
Assignments
* I Fighter Command
I Fighter Command was a United States Army Air Forces intermediate command responsible for command and control of the fighter operations within the First Air Force during World War II. It was initially established in June 1941 as the 1st Inter ...
, 1 October 1942 – 27 May 1943 (attached to Philadelphia Fighter Wing
The Philadelphia Fighter Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the I Fighter Command, stationed at Philadelphia Airport, Pennsylvania, where it was inactivated on 3 April 1946.
History
The wing was a ...
, c. 26 October 1942 – c. 27 May 1943)
* VIII Fighter Command
The VIII Fighter Command was a United States Army Air Forces unit of command above the wings and below the numbered air force. Its primary mission was command of fighter operations within the Eighth Air Force. In the World War II European Thea ...
, 7 June 1943
* 66th Fighter Wing
The 66th Fighter Wing is a disbanded unit of the United States Air Force, last stationed at Chicago Municipal Airport, Illinois. It was withdrawn from the Illinois Air National Guard and inactivated on 31 October 1950.
History World War II
Es ...
, 18 August 1943 (attached to 3d Bombardment Division
3D, 3-D, 3d, or Three D may refer to:
Science, technology, and mathematics
* A three-dimensional space in mathematics Relating to three-dimensionality
* 3D computer graphics, computer graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geome ...
(later 3d Air Division), 15 September 1943 – 10 October 1945
* Army Service Forces
The Army Service Forces was one of the three autonomous components of the United States Army during World War II, the others being the Army Air Forces and Army Ground Forces, created on 9 March 1942. By dividing the Army into three large comman ...
, Port of Embarkation, 16 – 18 October 1945
* 54th Fighter Wing, 9 September 1946
* Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Lang ...
, 10 October 1950
* 116th Fighter-Bomber Wing, Provisional, October 1950
* 116th Fighter-Bomber Wing, 1 November 1950 – 10 July 1952
* 116th Fighter-Interceptor Wing (later 116th Fighter-Bomber Wing, 116th Fighter-Interceptor Wing, 116th Air Transport Wing, 116th Military Airlift Wing, 116th Tactical Fighter Wing, 10 July 1952 – 9 December 1974
* 116th Air Control Wing
The 116th Air Control Wing is a Wing (military aviation unit), Wing of the Georgia Air National Guard/United States Air Force, stationed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. If activated for federal service, the wing is gained by Air Combat Command. ...
, 1 January 1993 – present
Components
* 12th Airborne Command and Control Squadron
The 12th Airborne Command and Control Squadron was a United States Air Force flying unit, assigned to the 461st Air Control Wing, stationed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. The squadron (aviation), squadron flew the Northrop Grumman E-8 Joint S ...
, 1 October 2002 – 1 October 2011
* 16th Airborne Command and Control Squadron
The 16th Airborne Command and Control Squadron was a United States Air Force squadron assigned to Air Combat Command's 461st Air Control Wing, 461st Operations Group, stationed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. The squadron previously flew t ...
, 1 October 2002 – 1 October 2011
* 128th Fighter Squadron (later 128th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 128th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 128th Air Transport Squadron, 128th Military Airlift Squadron, 128th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 128th Bomb Squadron, 128th Airborne Command and Control Squadron), 9 September 1946 – 1 November 1950, 10 July 1952 – 9 December 1974, 15 March 1992 – present
* 157th Fighter Squadron (see 350th Fighter Squadron)
* 158th Fighter Squadron (see 351st Fighter Squadron)
* 159th Fighter-Bomber Squadron (see 352d Fighter Squadron)
* 196th Fighter-Bomber Squadron 10 October 1950 – 10 July 1952
* 350th Fighter Squadron (later 157th Fighter Squadron), 1 October 1942 – 18 October 1945, 28 November 1946 – 1948
* 351st Fighter Squadron (later 158th Fighter Squadron, 158th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 158th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 158th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron), 1 October 1942 – 18 October 1945, 9 September 1946 – 10 July 1952, 10 July 1952 – 10 July 1958
* 352d Fighter Squadron (later 159th Fighter-Bomber Squadron. 159th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 159th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 159th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron), 1 October 1942 – 18 October 1945 10 October 1950 – 20 July 1952, 20 July 1952 – 30 June 1956
Stations
* Mitchel Field Mitchell may refer to:
People and fictional characters
*Mitchell (surname), including lists of both people and fictional characters
*Mitchell (given name), lists of people and fictional characters
Places Australia
* Mitchell, Australian Ca ...
, New York, 1 October 1942
* Richmond Army Air Base
Richmond International Airport is a joint civil-military airport in Sandston, Virginia, United States, an unincorporated community (in Henrico County). The airport is about 7 miles (11 km) southeast of downtown Richmond, the capital of the ...
, Virginia, c. 7 October 1942
* Baltimore Municipal Airport
Baltimore Municipal Airport ("Harbor Field") is a former airport and United States Air Force airfield about 6 miles southeast of Baltimore, Maryland, on an artificial peninsula. Construction began in 1929 with a seaplane base and was complet ...
, Maryland, c. 26 October 1942 – c. 27 May 1943
* RAF Goxhill
Royal Air Force Goxhill or RAF Goxhill is a former Royal Air Force List of former Royal Air Force stations, station located east of Goxhill, on the south bank of the Humber, Humber Estuary in north Lincolnshire, England, opposite the city of Kin ...
(AAF-345),[Station numbers in the UK are from Anderson] England, June 1943
* RAF Metfield
Royal Air Force Metfield or more simply RAF Metfield is a former Royal Air Force List of former Royal Air Force stations, station located just to the southeast of the village of Metfield, Suffolk, England.
Metfield was built as a standard, Cl ...
(AAF-366),[ England, 3 August 1943
* ]RAF Raydon
Royal Air Force Raydon or more simply RAF Raydon is a former Royal Air Force station located just to the northeast of the village of Raydon, about from Ipswich, England.
History
Construction
Raydon airfield was constructed by the 833rd and 86 ...
(AAF-157),[ England, April 1944 – October 1945
* ]Camp Kilmer
Camp Kilmer is a former United States Army camp in Central New Jersey that was activated in June 1942 as a staging area and part of an installation of the New York Port of Embarkation. The camp was organized as part of the Army Service Forces Tra ...
, New Jersey, c. 16–18 October 1945
* Marietta Army Air Field (later Marietta Air Force Base, Dobbins Air Force Base), Georgia, 9 September 1946
* George Air Force Base, California, 1 November 1950 – 10 July 1952
* Misawa Air Base
is an air base of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), List of United States Air Force installations, the United States Air Force, and the United States Navy located in Misawa, Aomori, Misawa, Aomori Prefecture, Aomori, in the northern p ...
, Japan, 1 August 1951 – 10 July 1952 (operated from Taegu Air Base
Daegu International Airport is an international airport serving the city of Daegu and the surrounding area in southeastern South Korea. The airport is also a military base for the ROKAF's 11th Fighter Wing, whose three squadrons fly the F-15 ...
(K-2), South Korea, 2 December 1950 – 4 January 1952; 26 May 1952 – 10 July 1952)
* Dobbins Air Force Base, Georgia, 10 July 1952 – 9 December 1974
* Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia, 1 January 1993
* Robins Air Force Base
Robins Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force installation located in Houston County, Georgia, Houston County, Georgia, United States. The base is located just east of the city of Warner Robins, Georgia, Warner Robins, south-southea ...
, Georgia, 1 April 1996 – 1 October 2011
* Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, 1 October 2011 – present
Aircraft
* P-40 Warhawk
The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter-bomber that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry ...
, 1942–1943
* P-47D Thunderbolt
The P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II fighter aircraft built by Republic Aviation from 1941 to 1945.
Early designs
XP-47 (AP-10)
In response to a USAAC requirement for a new fighter aircraft, Republic Aviation engineer Alexander Kartveli p ...
, July 1943 – 10 November 1944
* P-51D Mustang
Over twenty variants of the North American P-51 Mustang fighter were produced from 1940, when it first flew, to after World War II, some of which were employed also in the Korean War and in several other conflicts.
Allison-engined Mustangs
NA- ...
, 2 October 1944
* P-51K Mustang, December 1944 – October 1945
* F-47N Thunderbolt, 1946–1950
* F-84G Thunderjet, 1950–1952
* F-51H Mustang, 1952
* F-84D Thunderjet, 1952–1955
* F-84F Thunderstreak, 1955–1960
* F-86L Sabre, 1960–1961
* C-97F Stratofreighter, 1961–1965
* C-124C Globemaster II, 1965–1973
* F-100D Super Sabre, 1973–1974
* F-15A Eagle, 1986–1996
* B-1B Lancer, 1996–2002
* E-8C Joint STARS, 2002–present.
See also
* List of groups and wings of the United States Air National Guard
* List of United States Air National Guard Squadrons
* List of B-1 units of the United States Air Force
* List of F-100 units of the United States Air Force
References
Notes
Citations
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
* Newton, Wesley P. Jr. and Senning, Calvin F., (1963
USAF Credits for the Destruction of Enemy Aircraft, World War II, USAF Historical Study No. 85
*
*
*
External links
{{USAAF 8th Air Force UK
Operations groups of the United States Air Force
Military units and formations of the United States in the Cold War
Military units and formations in Georgia (U.S. state)