18th Tactical Fighter Wing
The United States Air Force's 18th Wing is the host wing for Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan and is the Air Force's largest combat wing. It is the largest and principal organization in the Pacific Air Forces Fifth Air Force. The Wing's 18th Operations Group is a successor organization of the 18th Pursuit Group, one of the 15 original combat air groups formed by the Army before World War II. Mission The 18th Wing's mission is to defend U.S. and Japanese' mutual interests by providing a responsive staging and operational airbase with integrated, deployable, forward-based airpower. The focus of the unit's operations is directed to accomplishing this mission. Strategy used to employ this mission centers around a composite force of combat-ready fighter, air refueling, airborne warning and control and rescue aircraft as well as medical aircrews tasked with transporting patients by air. Units The 18th Wing is composed of five groups each with specific functions. The Operations Group co ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal Corps, the USAF was established as a separate branch of the United States Armed Forces in 1947 with the enactment of the National Security Act of 1947. It is the second youngest branch of the United States Armed Forces and the fourth in order of precedence. The United States Air Force articulates its core missions as air supremacy, global integrated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, rapid global mobility, global strike, and command and control. The United States Air Force is a military service branch organized within the Department of the Air Force, one of the three military departments of the Department of Defense. The Air Force through the Department of the Air Force is headed by the civilian Secretary of the Air Force ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Presidential Unit Citation (Korea)
A Presidential Unit Citation is a unit citation awarded by the president of a state. Specific awards include: * Presidential Unit Citation (United States), awarded for actions on or after December 7, 1941, World War II * Vietnam Presidential Unit Citation, August 15, 1950, considered obsolete since South Vietnam no longer exists * Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation, awarded to U.S. military and Philippine military for actions during and after World War II * Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation The Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation () is a military unit award of the government of South Korea that may be presented to South Korean military units, and foreign military units for outstanding performance in defense of the Republic o ..., awarded to South Korean military and foreign military for defense of the Republic of Korea See also * PUC (other) {{Disambiguation ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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909th Air Refueling Squadron
The 909th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base, Japan. It operates the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting air refueling missions. The squadron was first activated in 1942 as the 19th Reconnaissance Squadron, but was redesignated the 409th Bombardment Squadron shortly after activation. After briefly serving as an antisubmarine unit, it participated in combat in the Mediterranean and European Theaters of Operations, earning two Distinguished Unit Citations for its actions. After the surrender of Germany the squadron returned to the United States and was inactivated. The squadron was reactivated shortly after the end of World War II as a Boeing B-29 Superfortress unit, and became one of the first units of Strategic Air Command in 1946. It was inactivated later that year when its parent group was replaced by the 43d Bombardment Group. The 909th Air Refueling Squadron was activated in 1963 at Amarillo Air Force Base, Texas. The squadron ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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623d Air Control Squadron
The 623d Air Control Squadron (623 ACS) is an operational unit of the United States Air Force assigned to the 18th Wing. The 623d is based out of Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan. The 623d is tasked to provide Command & Control within a sector of the Japanese Air Defense System. The 623d conducts operations out of Japanese Air Self Defense Force facilities located at Naha Air Base, Kasuga Air Base and Iruma Air Base. The 623d operates the Southwest Sector Interface Control Cell, conducting joint and bilateral tactical datalink operations. Mission Primary mission is two-fold (1) is to provide rapidly deployable Theater Control Operations Teams (TCOT) in order to coordinate and direct US air and air defense artillery (ADA) employment within a sector of the Japan Air Defense Ground Environment (JADGE) system. When activated as a TCOT the unit is directly subordinate to 613th Air Operations Center Chief of Combat Operations. (2) Operate Japan's Joint/Bilateral Southwest Sector Int ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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67th Fighter Squadron
The 67th Fighter Squadron "Fighting Cocks" is a fighter squadron of the United States Air Force, part of the 18th Operations Group at Kadena Air Base, Japan. The 67th is equipped with the F-15C/D Eagle. Mission The 67th Fighter Squadron is one of two McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle squadrons in the Asian-Western Pacific area of operations, supporting Pacific Command operational plans and headquarters-directed contingency operations. History World War II Continually active since January 1941, the 67th was activated as a single-engine fighter operational and replacement training unit as part of the 58th Pursuit Group. 67th Pursuit Squadron, nicknamed the “Fighting Cocks,” stationed at Harding Army Airfield in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and was equipped with just a few obsolete Seversky P-35 fighters. On January 23 1942, the Fighting Cocks embarked from Brooklyn, New York, for New Caledonia aboard the Army transport ship Thomas A. Barry. Another freighter carried 45 disassembled a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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44th Fighter Squadron
The 44th Fighter Squadron is a unit of the United States Air Force, part of the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. The 44th Pursuit Squadron was activated on 1 January 1941 and assigned to the 18th Pursuit Group. The 44th Fighter Squadron is equipped with the F-15C/D Eagle. Mission The 44 FS operates the F-15C Eagle aircraft conducting air superiority missions. History World War II The 44th Flew patrols over the Pacific from Hawaii from 7 December 1941 – October 1942. It went on to fly combat missions in the South and Southwest Pacific from 21 December 1942 – 15 August 1945. Vietnam War It again flew combat missions in Southeast Asia from 18 December 1964 – 25 February 1965, 21 April – 22 June 1965, 19 – 29 October 1965, and 25 April 1967 – 6 October 1970. The squadron was unmanned from 31 December 1966 – 24 April 1967 and November 1970–15 May 1971. Japan It has flown air defense over Okinawa and Japan since 1971. On 17 January 2006 an F-15C of ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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33d Rescue Squadron
The 33d Rescue Squadron is part of the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base, Japan. It operates Sikorsky HH-60 Pave Hawk aircraft conducting search and rescue missions. The squadron was established when the 2d Air Rescue Squadron was expanded to Group status in 1952. Since that time, it has carried out air rescue duties with fixed wing aircraft until 1952, and thereafter with both fixed wing aircraft and helicopters. It has been stationed almost continuously in Okinawa since the 1950s. History Initial activation at Kadena Air Base In 1952 Air Rescue Service expanded its existing squadrons to groups. In this reorganization, the 2d Air Rescue Squadron became a group,Bailey, Carl E. (undated), Lineage and Honors History of the 2 Air Rescue Group, Air Force Historical Research Agency and the 33d Air Rescue Squadron was activated at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa with the mission of the former Flight C of the 2d Squadron. The squadron performed search and rescue and recovery missions from Kade ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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31st Rescue Squadron
The 31st Rescue Squadron is part of the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base, Japan. It trains, equips and employs combat-ready pararescue specialists. History The 31st Rescue Squadron was constituted as the 31st Air Rescue Squadron on 17 October 1952. They made combat rescues in Southeast Asia, 1965–1966 and also operated the Joint Rescue Coordination Center for Thirteenth Air Force, Apr 1967 – July 1975. They took part in disaster relief missions in the Philippines between 16–31 July 1990. As a USAF Special Operations Squadron the 31st was forward deployed at Osan Air Base, Korea from 1992–2001, while its headquarters at the 353d Special Operations Group was stationed at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan. Inactivated for a couple of years, in 2003 the squadron was redesignated the 31st Rescue Squadron under the 18th Wing and stationed at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan. Lineage * Constituted as the 31st Air Rescue Squadron on 17 October 1952 : Activated on 14 November 1952 : ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis powers. World War II was a total war that directly involved more than 100 million personnel from more than 30 countries. The major participants in the war threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. Aircraft played a major role in the conflict, enabling the strategic bombing of population centres and deploying the only two nuclear weapons ever used in war. World War II was by far the deadliest conflict in human history; it resulted in 70 to 85 million fatalities, mostly among civilians. Tens of millions died due to genocides (including the Holocaust), starvation, ma ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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18th Operations Group
The 18th Operations Group is the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 18th Wing, stationed at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan. The 18th OG is the largest combat operations group in the Air Force with eight squadrons, one flight, 842 active-duty members and approximately 80 aircraft, including the F-15 Eagle, E-3 Sentry, KC-135 Stratotanker and the HH-60 Pave Hawk. The group is one of the oldest in the United States Air Force, being a successor organization of the 18th Pursuit Group, one of the 15 original combat air groups formed by the Army before World War II. Units The group's nine squadrons (Tail Code: ZZ) and flight include: * 18th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron (AES) * 18th Operations Support Squadron (OSS) * 44th Fighter Squadron (FS) (F-15 Eagle) * 67th Fighter Squadron (FS) (F-15 Eagle) * 31st Rescue Squadron (RQS) * 33d Rescue Squadron (RQS) (HH-60G Pave Hawk) * 623d Air Control Flight (ACF) * 909th Air Refueling Squadron (ARS) (KC-135R ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Okinawa
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city of Okinawa Prefecture, with other major cities including Okinawa, Uruma, and Urasoe. Okinawa Prefecture encompasses two thirds of the Ryukyu Islands, including the Okinawa, Daitō and Sakishima groups, extending southwest from the Satsunan Islands of Kagoshima Prefecture to Taiwan ( Hualien and Yilan Counties). Okinawa Prefecture's largest island, Okinawa Island, is the home to a majority of Okinawa's population. Okinawa Prefecture's indigenous ethnic group are the Ryukyuan people, who also live in the Amami Islands of Kagoshima Prefecture. Okinawa Prefecture was ruled by the Ryukyu Kingdom from 1429 and unofficially annexed by Japan after the Invasion of Ryukyu in 1609. Okinawa Prefecture was officially founded in 1879 by the Empi ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Wing (military Aviation Unit)
In military aviation, a wing is a unit of command. In most military aviation services, a wing is a relatively large formation of planes. In Commonwealth countries a wing usually comprises three squadrons, with several wings forming a group (around 10 squadrons). Each squadron will contain around 20 planes. Commonwealth usage Origins On its establishment in 1912, the British Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was intended to be an inter-service, combined force of the British Army and Royal Navy. Given the rivalry that existed between the army and navy, new terminology was used, in order to avoid marking the corps out as having an army or navy ethos. While the term "wing" had been used in the cavalry, its more general use predominated. Accordingly, the word "wing", with its allusion of flight, was chosen as the term of subdivision and the corps was split into a "Military Wing" (i.e. an army wing) and a "Naval Wing". Each wing consisted of a number of squadrons (the term "squadro ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |