The 58th Operations Group (58 OG) is the operational flying component of the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

58th Special Operations Wing. It is stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base,

New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...

. 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 ...

, the units predecessor unit, the 58th Fighter Group operated primarily in the Southwest Pacific Theater as part of Fifth Air Force. The unit received a Distinguished Unit Citation strafing a Japanese naval force off Mindoro in the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

on 26 December 1944 to prevent destruction. During 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 ...

, the unit bombed and strafed enemy airfields and installations and supported UN ground forces, remaining in South Korea after the 1953 Armistice.

Overview

The 58 OG trains mission-ready special operations, combat search and rescue (CSAR) and airlift aircrews in the UH-1H/N, HH-60G, HC-130N/P, MC-130P, MC-130H, CV-22 and corresponding simulators; provides Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training-Helicopter; conducts special operations and CSAR intelligence training; responds to contingencies and humanitarian missions. Its component squadrons are: * 23d Flying Training Squadron (23 FTS) ( TH-1H) ( Fort Novosel, AL) * 36th Rescue Squadron (36th RQS) ( UH-1N) ( Fairchild AFB, WA) * 71st Special Operations Squadron (CV-22 Osprey) * 512th Rescue Squadron (UH-1N & HH-60G) * 415th Special Operations Squadron (HC-130J Combat King II & MC-130J Commando II) * 58th Operations Support Squadron * 58th Training Squadron

History

: ''For additional history and lineage, see 58th Special Operations Wing'' Established as 58 Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 20 Nov 1940. From beginning of World War II until 1943, served as replacement training unit for fighter pilots. Trained for combat and moved overseas to Southwest Pacific Theater in 1943. Began combat operations in February 1944, providing protection for U.S. bases and escorting transports initially, then escorting bombers over

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; , fossilized , also known as Papua or historically ) is the List of islands by area, world's second-largest island, with an area of . Located in Melanesia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is ...

and sea convoys to Admiralty Islands. From Noemfoor, bombed and strafed Japanese airfields and installations on Ceram, Halmahera, and the Kai Islands. Moved to the

in Nov, flew fighter sweeps against enemy airfields, supported U.S. ground forces, and protected sea convoys and transport routes. Earned a Distinguished Unit Citation for strafing a Japanese naval force that was attacking a U.S. base on Mindoro on 26 December 1944. Beginning in July 1945, attacked railways, airfields, and enemy installations in

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

and Kyushu, Japan from Okinawa. After V-J Day, flew reconnaissance missions over Japan. Moved without personnel or equipment to the

in Dec to be inactivated in January 1946.

Korean War

58th Fighter-Bomber Wing F-84E South Korea 1952

Activated in

during the

, absorbed the personnel and equipment of the 136th Fighter-Bomber Group, then provided close air support for UN ground forces and attacked enemy airfields and installations. Having entered the war with slow, short-ranged F-84D ThunderJets, the 58 FBG transitioned in late 1952 to the new "G" model, designed with more speed and range. New targets included enemy ports, railroads, and airfields. The group attacked the major supply port of Sinuiju in September, inflicting heavy damage without loss of personnel or aircraft. Combining with other fighter-bomber units, it attacked the Kumgang Political School at Odong-ni in October 1952 and the North Korean tank and infantry school at Kangso in February 1953. In May, the 58th FBG bombed North Korean dams, flooding enemy lines of communication and rice fields. On 27 July 1953, attacked runway at Kanggye and, with the 49 FBG, bombed Sunan Airfield for the final action of fighter-bombers in the Korean War. Earned a second DUC for its actions in the last three months of the war. After the war, provided air defense for

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

and deployed tactical components on rotational basis to

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

, January 1955 – February 1957. In October 1958, armed with tactical missiles to provide air defense of

until 1962.

From 1991

From October 1991, conducted combat crew training for F-15E aircrews and

F-16 The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American single-engine supersonic multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it e ...

pilots; F-16C/D squadrons had a secondary, wartime mission of augmenting national air defenses. Early in 1993, added a mission of training international (Republic of

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

) pilots in F-16 A/B aircraft, the first one arriving in March 1993. The next month, the group lost its wartime mission. In April 1994, gave up fighter pilot training function and moved without personnel or equipment from Luke to Kirtland AFB, NM, taking over the resources of the 542d Crew Training Wing, which was being inactivated. The wing trained aircrews in special operations and in search, rescue, and recovery. Additional missions included training pararescue and combat control teams, deploying personnel and equipment to support contingencies, and conducting search and rescue missions at request of local authorities. The 58 OG also accomplished all USAF undergraduate helicopter training via the 23 Flying Training Flight (later, Squadron) at Fort Rucker, AL. On 11 September 2001, after terrorists hijacked four civilian airliners and flew three of them into buildings in New York and Washington, the group airlifted a federal task force to Pennsylvania to investigate the crash site of the fourth airliner. Later the wing deployed personnel to support combat operations in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

(2001–) and

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

(2003–).

Lineage

* Established as 58th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 20 November 1940 : Activated on 16 January 1941 : Redesignated: 58th Fighter Group on 15 May 1942 : Redesignated: 58th Fighter Group, Single Engine, on 20 August 1943 : Inactivated on 27 January 1946 * Redesignated 58th Fighter-Bomber Group on 25 June 1952 : Activated on 10 July 1952 : Inactivated on 8 November 1957 * Redesignated 58th Tactical Missile Group on 17 June 1958 : Activated on 15 July 1958 : Discontinued, and inactivated, on 25 March 1962 * Redesignated 58th Operations Group, and activated, on 1 October 1991.

Assignments

* Northeast Air District (later, First Air Force), 16 January 1941 * 3 Interceptor Command, 2 October 1941 * I Fighter Command, 17 October 1942 : Attached to: Philadelphia Fighter Wing, 24 October 1942-c. 3 March 1943 : Attached to: New York Fighter Wing, 3 March-28 April 1943 : Attached to: Boston Fighter Wing, 28 April-22 October 1943 * Fifth Air Force, 19 November 1943 : Attached to: 86th Fighter Wing, 1 May-25 August 1944 : Attached to: 309th Bombardment Wing, 25 August 1944 – 1 January 1945 : Attached to: 310th Bombardment Wing, 1 January 1945– * V Fighter Command, by 6 March 1945 : Remained attached to: 310th Bombardment Wing until 7 April 1945 * Far East Air Forces, 23 November 1945 * Pacific Air Command, by 10–27 January 1946 * 58th Fighter-Bomber Wing, 10 July 1952 – 8 November 1957 * Fifth Air Force, 15 July 1958 * 314th Air Division, 24 April 1959 – 25 March 1962 * 58th (later, 58th Special Operations) Wing, 1 October 1991–present

Components

* 23d Flying Training Flight (later 23d Flying Training Squadron): 1 April 1994 – present * 36th Rescue Flight (later 36th Rescue Squadron): 1 July 2012 – 15 April 2014, 14 August 2015 – present * 62d Fighter Squadron: 18 March-1 April 1994 * 63d Fighter Squadron: 25 February 1993 – 1 April 1994 * 67th Pursuit (later, 67th Fighter) Squadron: 16 January 1941 – 3 October 1942 * 68th Pursuit (later, 68th Fighter) Squadron: 16 January 1941 – 3 October 1942 * 69th Pursuit (later, 69th Fighter; 69th Fighter-Bomber) Squadron: 16 January 1941 – 27 January 1946; 10 July 1952 – 8 November 1957 * 71st Special Operations Squadron: 20 May 2005–present * 310th Pursuit (later, 310th Fighter, 310th Fighter-Bomber, 310th Tactical Missile, 310th Tactical Fighter Training, 310th Fighter) Squadron: 9 February 1942 – 27 January 1946; 10 July 1952 – 8 November 1957; 15 July 1958 – 25 March 1962; 1 October 1991 – 1 April 1994 * 311th Pursuit (later, 311th Fighter, 311th Fighter-Bomber, 311th Tactical Fighter Training, 311th Fighter) Squadron: 9 February 1942 – 27 January 1946; 10 July 1952 – 8 November 1957; 1 October 1991 – 1 April 1994 * 314th Tactical Fighter Training (later, 314th Fighter) Squadron: 1 October 1991 – 1 April 1994 * 415th Special Operations Squadron: 2010 – present * 425th Fighter Squadron: 30 December 1992 – 1 April 1994 * 461st Tactical Fighter Training (later, 461st Fighter) Squadron: 1 October 1991 – 1 April 1994 * 512th Special Operations (later, 512th Rescue) Squadron: 1 April 1994–present * 550th Special Operations Squadron: 1 April 1994 – c. 29 September 2016 * 550th Tactical Fighter Training (later, 550th Fighter) Squadron: 1 October-14 November 1991; 25 March-1 April 1994 * 551st Special Operations Squadron: 1 April 1994 – 8 December 2007 * 555th Tactical Fighter Training (later, 555th Fighter) Squadron: 1 October-25 March 1994 * 607th Air Control Squadron: 1 May 1992 – 1 July 1993.

Stations

* Selfridge Field,

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

, 15 January 1941 * Harding Army Airfield,

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

, 5 October 1941 * Dale Mabry Field, Florida, 4 March 1942 * Richmond AAB,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

, 16 October 1942 * Philadelphia Muni Aprt,

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, 24 October 1942 * Bradley Field,

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

, c. 3 March 1943 * Green Field,

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

, 28 April 1943 * Grenier Field,

New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

, 16 September-22 October 1943 *

Sydney Airport Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport — colloquially Kingsford Smith Airport, Sydney Airport or Mascot Airport — is an international airport serving Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, south of the Sydney central business district, in the subu ...

, Australia, 19 November 1943 * Archerfield Airport, Brisbane, Australia, 21 November 1943 * Dobodura Airfield Complex,

, 28 December 1943 * Saidor Airfield,

, c. 3 April 1944 * Kornasoren Airport, Noemfoor, Schouten Islands, 30 August 1944 * San Roque Airfield,

Mindanao Mindanao ( ) is the List of islands of the Philippines, second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and List of islands by population, seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the ...

, Philippines, 18 November 1944 * McGuire Field, San Jose, Mindoro, Philippines, c. 30 December 1944 * Mangaldan Airfield,

Luzon Luzon ( , ) is the largest and most populous List of islands in the Philippines, island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the List of islands of the Philippines, Philippine archipelago, it is the economic and political ce ...

, Philippines, 5 April 1945 * Porac Airfield,

, Philippines, 18 April 1945 * Motobu Airfield, Okinawa, 10 July 1945 * Japan, 26 October 1945 * Fort William McKinley,

, Philippines, 28 December 1945 – 27 January 1946 * Taegu AB (K-2),

, 10 July 1952 * Osan-Ni (later, Osan) AB, South Korea, 15 March 1955 – 8 November 1957 * Osan AB, South Korea, 15 July 1958 – 25 March 1962 * Luke AFB,

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

, 1 October 1991 * Kirtland AFB,

, 1 April 1994–present

Aircraft and missiles

Seversky P-35 The Seversky P-35 is an American fighter aircraft built by the Republic Aviation, Seversky Aircraft Company in the late 1930s. A contemporary of the Hawker Hurricane and Messerschmitt Bf 109, the P-35 was the first single-seat fighter in United ...

, 1941–1943 * Curtiss P-36 Hawk, 1941–1943 * P-39 Airacobra, 1941–1943 *

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 ...

, 1941–1943 *

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 ...

, 1943–1945 * F-84 Thunderjet, 1952–1954 *

F-86 Sabre The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing Sov ...

, 1954–1957 * MGM-1 Matador, 1958–1962 * F-15 Eagle, 1991–1994 * F-16 Falcon, 1991–1994 * UH-1 Iroquois, 1994–present * HH-60 Pave Hawk, 1994–present * MH-53 Pave LowJ/M, 1994–2007 * CH-53 Sea Stallion, 1994–2001 * HC-130 Combat King, 1994–1997, 2000–present * MC-130P Combat Shadow, 1994–present * C-12 Huron, 1999–2002 * CV-22B Osprey, 2006–present * TH-1H, 2008–present * HC-130J Combat King II, 2011–present * MC-130J Commando II, 2011–present * MH-139J Grey Wolf, 2024-present

References

58th Operations Group Factsheet

External links

{{Navboxes , list = {{USAAF 5th Air Force World War II {{USAAF 1st Air Force World War II 058 Military units and formations in New Mexico 1941 establishments in Michigan