From 24 March to 10 June 1999, the 31st AEW, the largest expeditionary wing in Air Force history flew nearly 9,000 combat sorties and accumulated almost 40,000hours of combat service over the skies of Kosovo, Serbia and the rest of the Balkans in support of NATO operations. Air Force), Brig. During his visit, France toured the 56th and 57th Rescue Squadrons, the 31st Security Forces Squadron Combat Arms Training and Maintenance facility, 606th Air Control Squadron, Comprehensive Operational Medicine for Battle Ready Airmen clinic and more. On 15 March 1959, the wing moved without people or equipment to George Air Force Base, California During the wing's time in California, it deployed units for four-month alert rotations to Moron Air Base, Spain and Aviano Air Base, Italy. “But today’s not about looking back,” he said. The group prepares fighter pilots, controllers, and support personnel to execute US and North Atlantic Treaty Organization war plans and contingency operations. Colonel June 1, 2019, An official website of the United States government, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. He served in both the 555th and 510th Fighter Squadrons during previous stints. A year later, a massive search and rescue operation took place to extract USAF captain Scott O'Grady[30] of the 555th FS from behind enemy lines. Both use the tail code "AV" for AViano. Brig. Gen. Daniel T. Lasica, who will assume command of the 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force-Afghanistan, as well as concurrent leadership roles with NATO and Air Forces Central Command. 31st Fighter Wing commander . The Defense Department has a policy of neither confirming nor denying the presence of nuclear weapons at specific locations, though Aviano is widely believed to be one of the few bases in Europe that has them. On 15 July 1956, Sixteenth Air Force was created when the Air Administration (Spain) was re-designated as Headquarters, 16 AF, and aligned directly under Headquarters, U.S. Air Force. Air Force), Brig. United States Naval War College, 1993 L101RB: ADP 6-22, Army Leadership, US Department of the Army. In 1966, after SAC withdrew its forces from Europe, 16 AF became part of the United States Air Forces in Europe, providing command and control of USAFE forces initially in Spain and North Africa, and later in Italy and Turkey until 2006. The organization was the first newly established Numbered Air Force (NAF) by the USAF after World War II. The KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft provides the core aerial refueling capability for the U.S. Air Force and has excelled in this role for, U.S. Air Force Capt. Like driving the Batmobile into the future: Air Force uses JLTV in mission for 1st time, Trailblazer: First Marine general to lead Defense Intelligence Agency dies at 64, China denounces US Navy reconnaissance planes trip through Taiwan Strait, Reports of sexual assaults increased in Navy, Air Force and Marines in 2022; Army saw decline, New bill aims to expand mental health care for military families, K-Town Now features the latest news from the Kaiserslautern Military Community. On 1 April 1994, the 31st Fighter Wing inactivated at Homestead and subsequently activated at Aviano Air Base, Italy in place of the 401st Fighter Wing. Flight hours: more than 2,700 Gen. Lance K. Landrum, the new commander of the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base, Italy, surveys his airmen after taking command on Friday, June 10, 2016. Clark. Gen. Craig Franklin. Lasica assumed command from Brig. With approximately 4,200 Active Duty military members, nearly 300 U.S. civilians and 700 Italian civilian employees, the wing conducts and supports air combat operations and maintains munitions for NATO. AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy Brig. He is responsible for four squadrons, providing a full spectrum of healthcare operations, supporting a population of approximately 8,400 beneficiaries, including 1,300 Personal Reliability Program, Arming Use of, An official website of the United States government, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. The wing earned two Outstanding Unit Awards, one with a combat "V" device, a Presidential Unit Citation, two Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Crosses with Palm and ten campaign streamers for action in Vietnam. Landrum becomes the 15th commander of the wing at Aviano and 44th since U.S. forces first came to the base in 1955. Gen. Lance K. Landrum during a change of command ceremony Friday, June 10, 2016, at Aviano Air Base, Italy. Peacekeeping operations continued in the Balkans through the end of 2004, when the European Union assumed responsibility for the region. Gen. Daniel T. Lasica took command of the 31st Fighter Wing in a ceremony on Thursday. That next assignment included participating in the invasion force that landed in North Africa on 8 November 1942, becoming the first American Air Force unit to see combat in theater. The operation, the largest airborne operation since 1989, constituted 62 missions, transporting 2,146 passengers and 2,433.7 tons of cargo. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Brooke Moeder), U.S. Air Force Tech. Norman covers the U.S. military in Northern Italy and sometimes elsewhere for Stars and Stripes. The wing commander and the group commanders form a part of the management process, but it is more in the reviewing role than in day-to-day hands-on management. He had held all the "right" jobs and knew success in his upcoming touras Aviano's 31st Fighter Wing (31 FW) Commander would provide a great shot for promotionto Brigadier General. The unit then island-hopped across the rest of the Pacific with stops at Midway and Wake Islands, Eniwetok Atoll, Guam, Iwo Jima and Yokota Air Base, Japan.[22]. The training is just one of the many requirements needed to ensure they are fit to fight to accomplish the mission at a moments notice. Unit 6165 Box 215 . 724th Air Mobility Squadron. Gen. Craig Franklin, 31st Fighter Wing commander, hosted an induction ceremony for 12 Italian community leaders into the Honorary Squadron Commander Program at the La Bella Vista Club here May 8. He said he’s also proud of the wing’s battle against drinking and driving, citing a decline in incidents of driving under the influence from 22 at the same point last year to eight this year. This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency. This is the official Facebook page of the 31st Fighter Wing commander at Aviano Air Base,. The 57th Rescue Squadron performed High-Altitude Low Opening (HALO) jump training over Aviano. 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Additionally, the 57th RQS provides personnel recovery, combat search and rescue, civil search and rescue and casualty evacuation subject matter experts. July 2011 July 2014, F-16 Instructor/Evaluator Pilot, Executive Officer to the Seventh Air Force Commander, Chief of Wing Standardization and Evaluation, Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea An official website of the United States government Here's how you know Official websites use .mil . June 2019 May 2021, Chief, Force Application Division, Joint Staff, J8, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Thomas, An official website of the United States government, Italys Frecce Tricolori aerobatic team fly the skies of Aviano, Wyvern Warrior of the Week: Staff Sgt. The wing commander, Colonel David C. Schilling, won the Air Force Association Trophy, which was later named after him. The 31st Fighter Wing leadership participated in the ceremony, AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy The 510th Fighter Squadron Buzzards trained alongside the Romanian air forces MiG-21s at Campia Turzii, Romania, March 28-31.This was the last opportunity for the 510th FS to fly with the MiG-21s before they are retired in mid-May.The squadron and Romanian air force flew. Existing Spanish Air Force bases near Madrid, Sevilla, and Zaragoza were expanded to accommodate the 16 AF. Michael Wayne Morris, a maintainer at Aviano Air Base, Italy, died Jan. 12, 2021 from the coronavirus, his friends and family said in Facebook posts. Third Air Force commander, command chief visit Aviano. ( Chad Trujillo/U.S. The vision is to be ready and adaptive warriors, committed to Allies and Partners, who are devoted to our community and one another. [1], The commander of the 31st Fighter Wing is Brigadier General Tad D. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Brooke Moeder), U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Now, three of the last four have. From August to December 2002, the 510th Fighter Squadron and 603rd Air Control Squadron returned to Southwest Asia. The 31st Fighter Wing is made up of four groups, each consisting of several squadrons. The 16 AF also operated SAC bases in Morocco from 1958 through 1963. But with the massive Aviano 2000 construction project starting to wind down, the changes have started to shift to the personnel side. 24 Hour Flight Recording . 1. Win the current fight and be ready to win the next fight. Each F-16 has a tail markings in the squadron colors Green with the words "Triple Nickel" in white for the 555th FS and Purple with the words "Buzzards" in white for the 510th FS. Marcus Dunham, 31st Communications Squadron. The flight also led to the wing receiving the Tactical Air Command Outstanding Fighter Wing Award for 1964 for the second consecutive year.[17]. In 2007, the 555th FS deployed to Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea. The wing also supports numerous other geographically separated units. He received his promotion to lieutenant general on 1 August 1963 and left Torrejn to assume command of SAC's Second Air Force with headquarters then at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, Louisiana. He has flown over 750 combat hours in support of Operation FREEDOMS SENTINEL and NATOs RESOLUTE SUPPORT mission. In March 1944 the group exchanged their Spitfires for the new North American P-51 Mustangs. The Agents An interesting twist to the Aviano program is that there can be four agents who actually contract the work to be done in the program. Anna Jongsma, 31st Operations Support Squadron main shop aircrew flight equipment NCOIC, right, gives flight gloves to U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Derek France, Third Air Force commander, before he flies in an HH-60G Pave Hawk assigned to the 56th Rescue Squadron at Aviano Air Base, Italy, Nov. 21, 2022. Today the wing remains a major participant in support of Balkan air operations. Sixteenth Air Force (16 AF)'s original ancestor was the Joint United States Military Group, Air Administration (Spain), which was established on 20 May 1954. The 401st FW moved from Spain to Aviano AB, Italy, in May 1992 and was re-designated as the 31st FW in April 1994. The 31st FW is the only U.S. fighter wing south of the Alps. The wide-ranging operational capabilities are brought by, Col Jeffrey S. Fewell is the Commander, 31st Medical Group, Aviano Air Base, Italy. The 56th RQS provides a rapidly-deployable, worldwide combat rescue and reaction force response utilizing HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters. This detachment collected NATO data from AIRSOUTH/DEPCINCUSAFE-SOUTHERN AREA, a dual-hatted position, and provided the information to 16 AF. They included Nouasseur Air Base, Ben Guerir Air Base, and Rabat-Sale. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. 10-401 . On 1 December 2006, the Sixteenth Air Force was inactivated at Ramstein AB and simultaneously reconstituted as the Sixteenth Air Expeditionary Task Force at Izmir Air Base, Turkey. Gen. Jason E. Bailey is scheduled to take command of Avianos 31st Fighter Wing during a virtual ceremony Friday, wing officials said. Based at Aviano Air Base, Italy, hes been TDY to countries such as Afghanistan Iraq, Kosovo and Bosnia. In June 1942, the 31st Pursuit Group was transferred to England without planes and began training in British Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vbs at Achem and High Ercall air bases. November 2007 July 2011, F-16 Instructor/Evaluator Pilot, Flight Commander, Luke AFB, Ariz. On 30 March 1981, the wing assumed a larger responsibility for training all F-4 aircrews. 17 JUNE 2021 . The vision is to be ready and adaptive warriors, committed to Allies and Partners, who are devoted to our community and one another. “Certainly in the Air Force.” Yates, headed for a job as deputy U.S. representative to NATO in Belgium, spent much of his speech talking about the wing’s accomplishments during his two years in Aviano. It provides a relatively low-cost, high-performance weapon system for the United States and allied nations. Gen. Craig Franklin is a newcomer to northern Italy, but he was a member of the 31st Fighter Wing long before the hundreds of airmen who stood in formation Friday. “It’s been a quick and fast ride and there was never a dull moment,” Yates said. It is stationed at Aviano Air Base, Italy, a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) base run by the Italian Air Force . Hurricane Andrew severely damaged the base in 1992, leading to its closure and the transfer of the wing to Aviano in 1994. This 606th ACS unit is comprised of more than 400 Airmen from 25 diverse Air Force specialty codes and $173M of rapidly deployable equipment including two TPS-75 radars, long-haul communications equipment, generators, tactical vehicles and a computer-based information system providing a real-time battlespace picture. The following units are subordinate to the Sixteenth Air Force.[1][2]. Training became the wing's primary mission until 1985 when the wing received its next aircraft, the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, and resumed an air defense and air interdiction mission. The Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber) (16 AF) is a United States Air Force (USAF) organization responsible for information warfare, which encompasses intelligence gathering and analysis, surveillance, reconnaissance, cyber warfare and electronic warfare operations. [17], In July 2015, the United States and Turkey reached agreement on Turkish support for actions against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The 31st Fighter Wing (31 FW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe major command and the Third Air Force. Gen. Daniel T. Lasica, outgoing commander of the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base, Italy. and the 510th Fighter Squadron,[3] allowing the wing to conduct offense and defensive combat air operations. It supported approximately 11,000 Air Force and civilian members at two main operating bases, four support bases and other sites in Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Croatia, Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Hungary, Macedonia, Greece, Turkey and Israel; and conducted peacetime engagement throughout the region. He got a short round of applause for it and a bit of envy from Seguin, whos leaving for a post with U.S. Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany, after two years in Italy on his second tour at Aviano. Franklin, who took command from Brig. Airman Holt's death constituted the 31st wing's first combat fatality since the Vietnam War. 4. The 31st Fighter Wing (31 FW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe major command and the Third Air Force. On 15 October 1970, the wing returned to Homestead without people or equipment as part of the United States force reduction in Vietnam. This weeks Wyvern Warrior of the Week is U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. The wide-ranging operational capabilities are brought by COLONEL JEFFREY S. FEWELL When the shooting stopped, the 31st Fighter Group sat as the undisputed top scoring allied fighter group in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations and the fifth highest overall for the Army Air Forces with 570 confirmed aerial victories. (U.S. Air Force). The wing later converted to F-4 Phantom IIs, and in 1983, to F-16 Fighting Falcons. None of the first 11 commanders of the 31st Fighter Wing since it activated in Aviano in 1994 had ever served a full tour on base before assuming command of the only fighter wing in Europe south of the Alps. In 1995, 1h AF supported Operation Joint Endeavor, the NATO peacekeeping mission to the former Yugoslavia, through operations in Croatia, Hungary and Bosnia-Herzegovina. It was activated in 1954 as a Joint Military Group to provide command and control of USAF activities in Spain, being designated a NAF in 1956. The 31st Force Support Squadron provides morale, welfare, and recreations support for Aviano Air Base members as well as other support structures such as Family support, Military Personnel, passport assistance, and education services. Landrum, who took command Friday from Maj. Gen. Barre R. Seguin in a ceremony officiated by Lt. Gen. Timothy R. Ray, showed off a bit of his language skills by delivering about a third of his speech in Italian. This event highlighted the various opportunities and careers strengthened by women in the military. According to Dunham, they can be doing anything from fixing email issues to things as complex as. July 2014 July 2018, F-16 Instructor/Evaluator Pilot, Director of Operations, 31st Operations Support Squadron; Director of Operations, 555th Fighter Squadron; and Commander, 555th Fighter Squadron, Aviano AB, Italy Dec. 14, 2022 | 0:59. Sgt. During his visit, France toured the 56th and 57th Rescue Squadrons, the 31st SFS CATM facility, 606th Air Control Squadron, the Comprehensive Operational Medicine for Battle Ready Airmen clinic, and more. Italian and American airmen attend a 31st Fighter Wing change-of-command ceremony Friday, June 10, 2016, at a hangar on Aviano Air Base, Italy. [9], The 31st Medical Group supports the readiness of 31st Fighter Wing and associated units throughout the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) southern region, ensuring the health of its community by providing patient-focused medical care from internal, Department of Defense and host nation resources. In 1968 they helped defend installations against enemy forces during the Tet Offensive and the siege of Khe Sanh and were later singled out for their outstanding contribution during the extraction of friendly forces from Kham Duc. Franklin has experience with one of the Air Force’s newest fighters: the F/A-22. Gen. Jason E. Bailey is scheduled to take . (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Brooke Moeder), U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. May 2021 present, Vice Commander, 31st Fighter Wing, Aviano AB, Italy, SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS On 14 October 1942, the group was declared non-operational on prior to boarding ships bound for its next assignment. Gen. Tad Clark, 31st Fighter Wing commander, receive a mission brief at Aviano Air Base, Italy, Nov. 21, 2022. The sheer magnitude of this accomplishment was sufficient to name the 31st Fighter Escort Wing as the recipient of the first-ever Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. Nov. 8, 2020 | By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory. Lt. Gen. Robert Bishop, commander of the 3rd Air Force, pointed out in his remarks how much the base had changed during Yates’ two years. More. The 31st FW is the only U.S. fighter wing south of the Alps. Gen. Daniel T. Lasica, outgoing commander of the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base, Italy. 2010 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. They also relocated their entire operation from Baghdad International Airport to Balad Air Base. As part of the most extensive restructuring since the Air Force became a separate service, Tactical Air Command was inactivated and Air Combat Command was activated and the 31st Tactical Fighter Wing was redesignated to its current name, the 31st Fighter Wing.[4]. Col. Vincent J. O'Connor, 31st Fighter Wing vice commander, Command Chief Master Sergeant, 31st Fighter Wing, Aviano Air Base, Italy. A F-16C Fighting Falcon of the 31st Fighter Wing landing upon returning from an air-strike against the Bosnian Serbs during Operation . Lieutenant Colonel January 1, 2016 As an encore, on 20 August 1953, Col Schilling led a flight of eight F-84s on a 10.5-hour non-stop flight from Turner Field to Nouasseur Air Base, French Morocco. On 15 October 1972, Captains James L. Hendrickson and Gary M. Rubus[27] of the 307th Tactical Fighter Squadron[28] shot down a MiG-21 northeast of Hanoi. This strategic location makes the wing critical to operations in NATO's southern region. A new commander is taking charge of the 309th Aircraft Maintenance Group at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, on Monday as the organization shuffles leadership for the second time in less than a year. Bronze Star It was the first Air Force organization to fully employ the Expeditionary Wing concept. The 16th AETF was inactivated in April 2008. The 31st Fighter Wing is the only United States fighter wing south of the Alps. July 2018 June 2019, Student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. In 1985, the wing received its next aircraft, the F-16 and resumed an air defense mission.[17]. Franklin is a command pilot with more than 3,100 hours, including time on four F-16 models and the B-1 and B-52 bombers. In 1979 and 1980, the wing transferred its F-4Es to Air National Guard units and the Egyptian Air Force, and began operating F-4Ds.[17]. 31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs. Bailey is a 1995 Air Force Academy graduate who has also served overseas as the flight lead and flight commander of the 80th Fighter Squadron, Kunsan Air Base, South Korea; commander of the 455th Expeditionary Operations Group at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan; and commander of the 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.