53rd WING – NEW

$7.00

In stock

SKU: WG-53-1012 Categories: , ,

Description

Computer made/mounted on velcro   3.0 inch-77mm

 

53rd WING (ACC)

Lineage. Established as 53 Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 20 Nov 1940. Activated on 15 Jan 1941. Redesignated 53 Fighter Group on 15 May 1942. Disbanded on 1 May 1944. Reestablished, and redesignated 53 Fighter Group (Air Defense), on 20 Jun 1955. Activated on 18 Aug 1955. Discontinued on 1 Apr 1960. Redesignated 53 Tactical Fighter Group on 31 Jul 1985. Consolidated (25 Sep 1995) with the USAF Tactical Air Warfare Center, which was organized on 1 Nov 1963. Redesignated: USAF Air Warfare Center on 1 Oct 1991; 53 Wing on 1 Oct 1995.

Assignments. 22 Pursuit Wing, 15 Jan 1941; 3 Interceptor Command, 2 Oct 1941; Caribbean (later, Sixth) Air Force, 1 Jan 1942; XXVI Interceptor (later, XXVI Fighter) Command, 6 Mar 1942; III Fighter Command, 26 Nov 1942-1 May 1944. 31 Air Division, 18 Aug 1955; 20 Air Division, 1 Mar 1956; Kansas City Air Defense Sector, 1 Jan-1 Apr 1960. Tactical Air Command, 1 Nov 1963; Air Combat Command, 1 Jun 1992; Air Warfare Center, 1 Oct 1995-.

Operational Components. Wing. 4485 Test: 16 Mar 1964-30 Jun 1965. Groups. 53 Test Management: 1 Oct 2002-. 57 Test: 1 Oct 1996-1 Aug 1997. 68 Electronic Combat (later, 53 Electronic Warfare): 15 Apr 1993-. 475 (later, 53) Weapons Evaluation: 23 Jan 1991-. 4441 Tactical Training (Blue Flag) [later, 41 Training]: 1 Mar 1977-15 Apr 1993. 4442 Tactical Control (later, 505 Air Control; 505 Command and Control Evaluation) Group: 1 Mar 1980-1 Oct 1997. 4443 (later, 79; 53) Test and Evaluation: 1 Jul 1988-. Squadrons. 13 Pursuit (later, 13 Fighter; 13 Fighter-Interceptor): 15 Jan 1941-1 May 1944; 18 Aug 1955-1 Jul 1957. 14 Pursuit (later, 14 Fighter; 14 Fighter-Interceptor): 15 Jan 1941-1 May 1944; 18 Aug 1955-1 Apr 1960. 15 Pursuit (later, 15 Fighter): 15 Jan 1941-1 May 1944. 31 Test and Evaluation: 1 Jun 1992-15 Apr 1993. 49 Test: 1 Jun 1992-15 Apr 1993. 438 Fighter: 20 Feb 1943-1 May 1944. 513 Test: 1 Jun 1992-15 Apr 1993. 727 Tactical Control (Test): 1 Oct 1979-1 Mar 1980. 3907 Systems Evaluation: 1 Jun 1992-15 Apr 1993. 4484 Fighter Weapons: 1 Oct 1978-1 Jun 1984. 4484 Test: 15 Oct 1983-1 Aug 1988. 4485 Test: 12 Apr 1971-1 Aug 1988. 4486 Fighter Weapons: 1 Oct 1985-1 Aug 1988. 4487 (later, 87) Electronic Warfare Aggressor: 1 Oct 1990-15 Apr 1993. Battlelabs. Air Force Battle Management (later, Air Force Command and Control Battle Management): 1 Apr 1997-1 Oct 1997. Air Force Unmanned Aerial Vehicle: 1 Apr 1997-1 Mar 1999. School. USAF Air Ground Operations: 1 Feb 1978-1 Mar 1980.

Stations. MacDill Field, FL, 15 Jan 1941; Tallahassee, FL, 8 May-8 Dec 1941; Howard Field, CZ, 1 Jan-10 Nov 1942; Dale Mabry Field, FL, 26 Nov 1942; Drew Field, FL, 7 Jan 1943; Fort Myers AAFld (later, Page Field), FL, 6 Feb 1943-1 May 1944. Sioux City Muni Aprt, IA, 18 Aug 1955-1 Apr 1960. Eglin AFB, FL, 1 Nov 1963-.

Aircraft. P-35, 1941; P-40, 1941; P-39, 1942, 1942-1943; P-51, 1943; P-47, 1943-1944. F-86, 1955-1959; C-119, 1956; T-33, 1957; C-45, 1957. Between 1963 and 1973, tested tactical weapon systems and tactics using a cross section of TAC aircraft, including: A-4, A-37, B-57, C-119, C-123, C-124, CH-3, CH-21, F-100, F-101, F-104, F-105, O-1, OV-10, RB-66, T-33, and UH-1; C-130, 1964-1974; F-4, 1964-1994; RF-4, 1965-1990; F-5, 1965-1978; F-111, 1968-1978; A-7, 1972-1974; AC-130, 1972-1978; EF-111, 1976-1997; F-15, 1976-; F-16, 1978-; A-10, 1978-; E-3, 1980; QF-106, 1994-1996; E-9, 1996-2006; F-117, 1996-; HH-60, 1996-; QF-4, 1996-; F-22, 2002-; B-52, 2002-; B-1, 2002-; B-2, 2002-; MQ-1, 2004-; U-2, 2006-; QF-4, 2006-; RQ-4, 2006-.

Operations. Trained fighter pilots, Jan-Dec 1941. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, moved to the Canal Zone to fly patrols in defense of the Panama Canal. Returned to Florida in Nov 1942, where it trained replacement fighter pilots until disbanded on 1 May 1944. Between Aug 1955 and Apr 1960, served as an air defense unit, participating in NORAD exercises and testing automated air defense systems. Activated as the USAF Tactical Air Warfare Center in 1963 to improve use of USAF tactical aviation in support of ground forces by operationally testing weapon systems and tactics for the joint U.S. Strike Command. Employed a cross-section of tactical aircraft from Tactical Air Command bases across the country. During the conflict in Vietnam, tested tactical weapons systems and tactics for use in Southeast Asia. After the Vietnam conflict, continued operational testing of new tactical aviation weapon systems. In 1977, began an annual series of Air Force-wide exercises to improve command, control, communications, and intelligence techniques. Around the same time, embarked on the electronic warfare evaluation program, and continued operational tests and evaluations of aviation weapon systems for Tactical Air Command and later Air Combat Command, the Department of Defense, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). From 1983 to present, responsible for the test and evaluation of all Air Force aircraft/weapons systems, and providing range control for live-firing missile programs on the Gulf range and aerial targets, using full scale and subscale drones.

Service Streamers. None.

Campaign Streamers. World War II: Antisubmarine, American Theater.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.

Decorations. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jun 1998-31 May 2000; 1 Jun 2002-31 May 2004; 1 Jun 2004-31 May 2006. Air Force Organizational Excellence Awards: 1 Jan 1981-1 Jan 1983; 28 Feb 1984-28 Feb 1986; 1 Mar 1986-28 Feb 1988; 1 Jan 1989-31 Dec 1990; 1 Jan 1992-31 Dec 1993; 1 Jan 1994-30 Apr 1995.

Emblem. Approved on 26 May 1964.