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The 33d Operations Group is the flying component of the 33d Fighter Wing, assigned to
Air Education and Training Command Air Education and Training Command (AETC) is one of the nine Major Commands (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force (USAF), reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force. It was established 1 July 1993, with the realignment of Air Training ...
of the
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 Si ...
. The group is stationed at
Eglin Air Force Base Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in the western Florida Panhandle, located about southwest of Valparaiso in Okaloosa County. The host unit at Eglin is the 96th Test Wing (formerly the 96th Air Base Wing). The 9 ...
, Florida. The group was first activated in January 1941 as the 33d Pursuit Group and began training in fighter operations at
Mitchel Field Mitchell may refer to: People *Mitchell (surname) *Mitchell (given name) Places Australia * Mitchell, Australian Capital Territory, a light-industrial estate * Mitchell, New South Wales, a suburb of Bathurst * Mitchell, Northern Territory ...
, New York. Following the
attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii ...
the group moved to
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...
, where it assumed an
air defense Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based ...
role while training for combat. After being redesignated the 33d Fighter Group, it moved to the
Mediterranean Theater of Operations The Mediterranean Theater of Operations, United States Army (MTOUSA), originally called the North African Theater of Operations, United States Army (NATOUSA), was a military formation of the United States Army that supervised all U.S. Army for ...
in November 1942 as part of
Operation Torch Operation Torch (8 November 1942 – 16 November 1942) was an Allied invasion of French North Africa during the Second World War. Torch was a compromise operation that met the British objective of securing victory in North Africa while al ...
, the invasion of North Africa, flying its planes to its first base in Morocco from the
aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...
USS ''Chenango'' of the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
. The group served in North Africa and Italy until February 1944, earning 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 enem ...
in January 1943 for its defense of its base from attacks by German and Italian aircraft. In 1944, the group departed Italy for the China-Burma-India Theater, leaving its
Curtiss P-40 Warhawk The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground-attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time an ...
s behind for
Lockheed P-38 Lightning The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinctive tw ...
s and
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-bomber ...
s. It continued combat operations until the
surrender of Japan The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally signed on 2 September 1945, bringing the war's hostilities to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Na ...
. In November 1945, it returned to the United States and was inactivated when it arrived at the Army's port of embarkation.Specific port is not stated. POE's were Army commands managing troops & cargo from origin, through the command, to destinations. The commands included "port facilities" but also military camps well beyond "port" areas. The group was activated as part of the Occupation Forces at
Neubiberg Air Base Neubiberg Air Base is a former German Air Force and United States Air Force airfield which was closed in 1991. It is located 9 km south of the city of Munich, Germany. Today the former base area holds the campus of Bundeswehr University of ...
, Germany, where it took over the personnel and equipment of the 357th Fighter Group, which was inactivated and transferred 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. Nat ...
. In July 1947, its personnel became the
cadre Cadre may refer to: *Cadre (military), a group of officers or NCOs around whom a unit is formed, or a training staff *Cadre (politics) In political contexts a cadre (, , ) consists of a person recognized as a capable militant within a political ...
for the
86th Composite Group Area codes 084 and 086 are Nigerian telephone area codes serving the cities of Port Harcourt and Ahoada in Rivers State. They fall under the Southeast Zone in the National Numbering Plan (NNP) restructured in 2003. When in Port Harcourt or Ahoad ...
, while the group made two moves without personnel or equipment before arriving at
Roswell Army Air Field Roswell may refer to: * Roswell incident Places in the United States * Roswell, Colorado, a former settlement now part of Colorado Springs * Roswell, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta * Roswell, Idaho * Roswell, New Mexico, known for the purported 1 ...
, where it equipped with North American P-51 Mustangs and became part of the fledgling
Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both 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 ...
. A year later, it received its first jet aircraft, the Republic F-84 Thunderjet. In 1948. the group moved to Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts, where it assumed an air defense role, first under
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 augm ...
, then under
Air Defense Command Aerospace Defense Command was a major command of the United States Air Force, responsible for continental air defense. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air Defense Command, was established in 1946, briefly inac ...
(ADC) as the 33d Fighter-Interceptor Group. It was inactivated in February 1952 when ADC reorganized its forces on a geographic basis. ADC activated the group, once more the 33d Fighter Group, at Otis in August 1955 as part of Project Arrow, a program to replace ADC's Air Defense Groups with fighter groups with distinguished combat records in
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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. As Otis expanded to add the
airborne early warning and control Airborne or Airborn may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Airborne'' (1962 film), a 1962 American film directed by James Landis * ''Airborne'' (1993 film), a comedy–drama film * ''Airborne'' (1998 film), an action film sta ...
mission the following year, the group's support units were transferred to the newly reactivated 33d Fighter Wing. In 1957, the group and wing were inactivated and the group's flying squadrons were transferred to the
Boston Air Defense Sector The Boston Air Defense Sector (BADS) is an inactive United States Air Force Air Defense Command (ADC) organization. Its last assignment was with the ADC 26th Air Division at Hancock Field, New York. History BADS was established in 1956 at Ste ...
As the
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 Si ...
implemented the Objective wing reorganization in 1991, the 33d, now designated the 33d Operations Group, was activated to command the 33d Fighter Wing's operational units. It flew the
McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an American twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter aircraft designed by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing). Following reviews of proposals, the United States Air Force selected McDonnell Douglas's ...
until 2009, when it began the transition to the
Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft that is intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions. It is also able to provide el ...
Joint Strike Fighter.


Overview

From its reactivation in December 1991, as part of the 33d Fighter Wing, the 33d Operations Group has deployed aircraft and personnel to Saudi Arabia, Canada, the
Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean ...
, South America, Jamaica, Iceland, Italy, and
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...
and participated in Operation Southern Watch, Operation Coronet Macaw;
Operation Restore Hope The Unified Task Force (UNITAF) was a United States-led, United Nations-sanctioned multinational force which operated in Somalia from 5 December 1992 until 4 May 1993. A United States initiative (code-named Operation Restore Hope), U ...
, Operation Support Justice III and IV, and Operation Uphold Democracy. These deployments included combat as well as deployments to assist in the United States
War on Drugs The war on drugs is a global campaign, led by the United States federal government, of drug prohibition, military aid, and military intervention, with the aim of reducing the illegal drug trade in the United States.Cockburn and St. Clair, 1 ...
. The 33d lost members of three of its squadrons in the Khobar Towers bombing, Saudi Arabia on 25 June 1996.Foster, pp. 27–28


Mission

The mission of the group is to train Air Force and international partner pilots and maintainers of the
Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft that is intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions. It is also able to provide el ...
Joint Strike Fighter.


Units

The 33d Group has four squadrons assigned: * 33d Operations Support Squadron: Known as the "Jokers", the 33d Operations Support Squadron provides operational intelligence training, weapons and tactics, aircrew flight equipment, training and scheduling support. * 58th Fighter Squadron: Known as the "Mighty Gorillas", the 58th Fighter Squadron is the flying unit of the group and operates 24 F-35A aircraft training Air Force and international partner pilots. They also possess two Royal Netherlands Air Force F-35As. *
60th Fighter Squadron The 60th Fighter Squadron is a United States Air Force unit that is part of the 33d Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida; It is tasked with training pilots on the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II. History World War II Activated in ...
: Known as the "Crows", the 60th Fighter Squadron is the flying unit of the group and will operate 24 F-35A aircraft training Air Force pilots. *
337th Air Control Squadron The 337th Air Control Squadron is part of the 33d Fighter Wing, an Air Education and Training Command (AETC) unit, based at the United States Air Force's Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. The squadron's present mission was activated at Tyndall ...
: Known as the "Doghouse" and located at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, the 337th Air Control Squadron trains air battle managers for the Air Force,
Air National Guard The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...
and
Air Force Reserve Command The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of commis ...
. Additionally, its members provide command and control support for Tyndall's
F-22 Raptor The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is an American single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather stealth tactical fighter aircraft developed for the United States Air Force (USAF). As the result of the USAF's Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program, th ...
training mission and train international officers for tactical command and control operations.


History


World War II

The 33d Fighter Group was activated early in 1941 as the 33d Pursuit Group with the 58th,Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 230–231 59th,Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 233–234 and 60th Pursuit SquadronsMaurer, ''Combat Squadrons''. pp, 235–236 assigned. It trained with
Bell P-39 Airacobra The Bell P-39 Airacobra is a fighter produced by Bell Aircraft for the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. It was one of the principal American fighters in service when the United States entered combat. The P-39 was used by t ...
s in 1941, but soon changed to
Curtiss P-40 Warhawk The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground-attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time an ...
s and served as part of the United States defense force for the east coast after the Japanese attack on
Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the ...
. Its 58th and 59th squadrons were based on the West Coast in May and June 1942 to provide additional air defense there. The group was requested as air support for the Western Task Force of
Operation Torch Operation Torch (8 November 1942 – 16 November 1942) was an Allied invasion of French North Africa during the Second World War. Torch was a compromise operation that met the British objective of securing victory in North Africa while al ...
and assigned on 19 September 1942. Its 77 P-40Es moved from Hampton Roads, Virginia, to North Africa on the deck of the as part of the
invasion An invasion is a military offensive in which large numbers of combatants of one geopolitical entity aggressively enter territory owned by another such entity, generally with the objective of either: conquering; liberating or re-establishing ...
force on 8 November 1942. Pilots had been given brief training at Philadelphia in carrier launches but the Navy had serious misgivings about the aircraft's ability to withstand the strain and the pilot's ability to launch by catapult from the escort carrier.Craven & Cate, Vol. 2 ''Europe, Torch to Pointblank, August 1942 to December 1943'' pp. 58, 77 With securing of the
Port Lyautey airfield Naval Air Station Port Lyautey is a former United States Navy Naval Air Station in Morocco, about north-northwest of Kenitra and about northeast of Casablanca. The Naval Air Station was turned over to the Royal Moroccan Air Force and the last o ...
on 10 November the launch from ''Chenango'' began and was successful but the airfield's runways were so damaged that the launch was discontinued and not completed until two days later. Two of the 77 aircraft were lost to a crash and vanishing in a fog with 17 damaged in landing with none getting into action. The 35 planes of the group following on D+5 aboard the British carrier also were launched to land at the Port Lyautey airfield and suffered four loses on landing due to pilot inexperience. Meanwhile, the group's ground echelon sailed for Morocco aboard the (AP-72). Shortly after the squadron's arrival in North Africa, a provisional "J Squadron", commanded by Lt. Col.
Philip Cochran Philip Gerald Cochran (born in Erie, Pennsylvania January 29, 1910 – August 26, 1979) was an officer in the United States Army Air Corps and the United States Army Air Forces. Cochran developed many tactical air combat, air transport, and ...
, at
Rabat Rabat (, also , ; ar, الرِّبَاط, er-Ribât; ber, ⵕⵕⴱⴰⵟ, ṛṛbaṭ) is the capital city of Morocco and the country's seventh largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan populatio ...
. The squadron was organized to provide an advanced replacement center for aircraft and pilots. On 6 December, the 58th squadron moved forward to Thelepte Airfield, where it became the first American air unit stationed in Tunisia.Foster, p. 45 The unit operated with Twelfth Air Force in the
Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on ...
theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perfor ...
until February 1944, providing
close air support In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movemen ...
for ground forces, and bombing and strafing personnel concentrations, port installations, fuel dumps, bridges, highways, and rail lines. The 33d 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 enem ...
for action on 15 January 1943 when nine German Junkers Ju 88 bombers escorted by four Italian
Macchi C.202 The Macchi C.202 ''Folgore'' (Italian "thunderbolt") was an Italian fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by Macchi Aeronautica. It was operated mainly by the ''Regia Aeronautica'' (''RA''; Royal (Italian) Air Force) in and around the Se ...
fighters attempted to knock out the group's base at Thelepte. Group airplanes on
combat air patrol Combat air patrol (CAP) is a type of flying mission for fighter aircraft. A combat air patrol is an aircraft patrol provided over an objective area, over the force protected, over the critical area of a combat zone, or over an air defense area, ...
drove off the escorting fighters. Other group planes took off while the field was being bombed. The group destroyed eight of the attackers, and the ninth was shot down by antiaircraft fire. In May 1943 the
99th Fighter Squadron The 99th Infantry Division was formed in 1942 and deployed overseas in 1944. The "Checkerboard" or "Battle Babies" division landed at the French port of Le Havre and proceeded northeast to Belgium. During the heavy fighting in the Battle of the ...
, the first AAF unit to enter combat with black personnel, was attached to the group, and again from August to October 1943. It took part in the reduction of
Pantelleria Pantelleria (; Sicilian: ''Pantiddirìa'', Maltese: ''Pantellerija'' or ''Qawsra''), the ancient Cossyra or Cossura, is an Italian island and comune in the Strait of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea, southwest of Sicily and east of the Tunisi ...
and flew
patrol A patrol is commonly a group of personnel, such as law enforcement officers, military personnel, or security personnel, that are assigned to monitor or secure a specific geographic area. Etymology From French ''patrouiller'', from Old Fren ...
missions while Allied troops landed after surrender of the enemy's garrison. It also participated in the invasion and conquest of
Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...
by supporting landings at
Salerno Salerno (, , ; nap, label= Salernitano, Saliernë, ) is an ancient city and ''comune'' in Campania (southwestern Italy) and is the capital of the namesake province, being the second largest city in the region by number of inhabitants, after ...
. The group supported additional landings in southern Italy, and the
beachhead A beachhead is a temporary line created when a military unit reaches a landing beach by sea and begins to defend the area as other reinforcements arrive. Once a large enough unit is assembled, the invading force can begin advancing inland. The ...
at
Anzio Anzio (, also , ) is a town and '' comune'' on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome. Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Isl ...
. After moving to India in February 1944, the group trained with
Lockheed P-38 Lightning The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinctive tw ...
s and
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-bomber ...
s. It then moved to China where it continued training and flew
patrol A patrol is commonly a group of personnel, such as law enforcement officers, military personnel, or security personnel, that are assigned to monitor or secure a specific geographic area. Etymology From French ''patrouiller'', from Old Fren ...
and intercept missions. Upon returning to India in September 1944, it flew dive bombing and strafing missions in Burma until the Allied campaigns in that area had been completed. 33d Ftr Gp


Occupation forces

In August 1946, the 33d Fighter Group took over the personnel and equipment of the 357th Fighter Group at
Neubiberg Air Base Neubiberg Air Base is a former German Air Force and United States Air Force airfield which was closed in 1991. It is located 9 km south of the city of Munich, Germany. Today the former base area holds the campus of Bundeswehr University of ...
and began service as part of the United States occupation force in Germany, initially operating North American P-51 Mustangs. The 357th was inactivated and transferred 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. Nat ...
. In July 1947, the 33d's personnel became the
cadre Cadre may refer to: *Cadre (military), a group of officers or NCOs around whom a unit is formed, or a training staff *Cadre (politics) In political contexts a cadre (, , ) consists of a person recognized as a capable militant within a political ...
for the
86th Composite Group Area codes 084 and 086 are Nigerian telephone area codes serving the cities of Port Harcourt and Ahoada in Rivers State. They fall under the Southeast Zone in the National Numbering Plan (NNP) restructured in 2003. When in Port Harcourt or Ahoad ...
, while the group made two moves without personnel or equipment to Bad Kissingen Airfield, Germany and
Andrews Field Andrews may refer to: Places Australia *Andrews, Queensland *Andrews, South Australia United States * Andrews, Florida (disambiguation), various places *Andrews, Indiana * Andrews, Nebraska *Andrews, North Carolina *Andrews, Oregon * Andrews, Sou ...
, Maryland.


Cold War

The group was organized as an operational unit at
Roswell Army Air Field Roswell may refer to: * Roswell incident Places in the United States * Roswell, Colorado, a former settlement now part of Colorado Springs * Roswell, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta * Roswell, Idaho * Roswell, New Mexico, known for the purported 1 ...
, New Mexico on 16 August 1947, where it again equipped with Mustangs and became part of
Eighth Air Force The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Forc ...
of
Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both 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 ...
. At Roswell, the group participated in the experimental Wing Base organization, which was intended to unify control at air bases under a single wing. As a result, the group was assigned to the 33d Fighter Wing. The test proved successful, and the wing-base plan was adopted by the Air Force. A year later, in June 1948, it received its first jet aircraft, the Republic F-84 Thunderjet. The group was the second in the Air Force to fly the F-84C model of the Thunderjet. A few months later the group moved to Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts, where it assumed an air defense role, first under
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 augm ...
, then under
Air Defense Command Aerospace Defense Command was a major command of the United States Air Force, responsible for continental air defense. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air Defense Command, was established in 1946, briefly inac ...
(ADC) as the 33d Fighter-Interceptor Group. There it trained to maintain tactical proficiency and participated in exercises and aerial demonstrations. In February 1949, the group transitioned to North American F-86A Sabres. By December the group had completed its transition to Sabres and assumed an air defense mission, providing air defense in the northeastern US. Toward the end of 1949, ADC was inactivated and the group and its parent wing became elements of
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 augm ...
. In December 1950 ADC was reactivated, and the group, which since spring had been designated as the 33d Fighter-Interceptor Group rejoined the command. Because of ADC's need to expand its coverage, the group dispersed the 60th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron to Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts in August 1950. The group was inactivated in February 1952 along with the 33d Fighter Wing in a major reorganization of ADC responding to ADC's difficulty under the existing wing base organizational structure in deploying fighter squadrons to best advantage. Fighter-interceptor groups and wings were replaced by regionally organized air defense wings. The 564th Air Base Group was activated on 1 February 1952 to replace the support elements of the 33d Fighter-Interceptor Wing. The group became the 564th Air Defense Group in February 1953 when it assumed control of fighter-interceptor squadrons at Otis. The unit was replaced by the reactivated 33d Fighter Group (Air Defense) as part of ADC's "Project Arrow", which reactivated fighter units that had achieved distinction in the two world wars. The 33d Fighter Group was assigned to ADC's 4707th Air Defense Wing, and in 1956 reunited with the 33d Fighter Wing (Air Defense). Again, it provided air defense in northeastern US flying the
Northrop F-89 Scorpion The Northrop F-89 Scorpion was an American all-weather, twin-engined interceptor aircraft built during the 1950s, the first jet-powered aircraft designed for that role from the outset to enter service. Though its straight wings limited its per ...
. It was also the host organization for USAF units until 1956, and was assigned several support organizations to fulfill this function.Cornett & Johnson, p. 132Cornett & Johnson, p. 136Cornett & Johnson, p. 151''See'' when the 33d Fighter Wing was activated and the group was assigned to it once again, along with the support units assigned to the group.AFOMO Letter 660j, 20 June 1955, Subject: Activation of Headquarters, 1st Fighter Group (Air Defense); Inactivation, Activation and Reorganization of Certain Other USAF Units The group was inactivated on 18 August 1957 and replaced by 4735th Air Defense Group when the 551st Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing assumed host responsibilities for Otis from the 33d Fighter-Interceptor Wing.


Vietnam War

On 8 July 1963 the 33d Tactical Group was activated in Viet Nam. It was equipped primarily with cargo aircraft. Its mission was to maintain and operate base support facilities at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, supporting the 2d Air Division and subordinate units by performing reconnaissance of Vietnam from various detachments flying
Douglas RB-26 Invader The Douglas A-26 Invader (designated B-26 between 1948 and 1965) is an American twin-engined light bomber and ground attack aircraft. Built by Douglas Aircraft Company during World War II, the Invader also saw service during several major C ...
,
Martin RB-57 Canberra The Martin B-57 Canberra is an American-built, twin-engined tactical bomber and reconnaissance aircraft that entered service with the United States Air Force (USAF) in 1953. The B-57 is a license-built version of the British English Electri ...
, and
McDonnell RF-101C Voodoo The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo is a supersonic jet fighter which served the United States Air Force (USAF) and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Initially designed by McDonnell Aircraft Corporation as a long-range bomber escort (known as a ' ...
aircraft. The 33d Tactical Group performed administrative and maintenance tasks and set up detachments at smaller, outlying airfields, the 33d assuming responsibility for Can Tho and Nha Trang Air Bases. The group inactivated in July 1965, and its aircraft, personnel and equipment were transferred to the 6250th Combat Support Group. While the 33d Tactical Group was inactive, it was consolidated with the 33d Fighter Group as the 33d Tactical Fighter Group.


Contingency operations

As the 33d Fighter Wing reorganized under the Objective Wing system on 1 December 1991, the group was activated as the 33d Operations Group and once more assigned its original three squadrons, which were equipped with the
McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an American twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter aircraft designed by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing). Following reviews of proposals, the United States Air Force selected McDonnell Douglas's ...
, together with an operations support squadron. In May 1992 the group was enlarged by the assignment of the
728th Air Control Squadron The 728th Air Control Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 552d Air Control Group, 552d Air Control Wing. It was inactivated on 17 May 2013. From 1950 to 2013, the unit was a Control and Reporting C ...
at
Duke Field Duke Field , also known as Eglin AFB Auxiliary Field #3, is a military airport located three miles (5 km) south of the central business district of Crestview, in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. History Duke Field was one of the f ...
when the 507th Air Control Wing inactivated.Foster, p. 26 From 1992 through 2002 the group deployed aircraft and personnel to Saudi Arabia, Canada, the
Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean ...
, South America, Jamaica, Iceland, Italy, and
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...
and participated in various operations. The group lost members of its 58th and 60th Fighter Squadron and 33d Operations Support Squadron in the Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia on 25 June 1996 during one of these deployments. In 1999, as a result of the administration reductions in military spending, the group lost six of its F-15s. The 59th squadron inactivated on 15 April as a result and the remainder of its aircraft were split between the other two squadrons. The group engaged in air expeditionary operations in various combat areas as part of the
Global War on Terrorism The war on terror, officially the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), is an ongoing international counterterrorism military campaign initiated by the United States following the September 11 attacks. The main targets of the campaign are militant ...
. In May 2008, the 728th Air Control Squadron was reassigned to the
552d Air Control Wing The 552d Air Control Wing is an operational wing of the United States Air Force. It has been based at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma since July 1976, operating the Boeing E-3 Sentry. It includes the 552d Operations Group, 552d Maintenance Gro ...
. The group continued to shrink when, on 1 October 2008, the 60th Fighter Squadron flew its last sortie with the Eagle and became non-operational. It inactivated on 1 January 2009. In July, the group stopped operating F-15s in anticipation of receiving the
Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft that is intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions. It is also able to provide el ...
Joint Strike Fighter. For more than a year, it would remain without assigned aircraft.


Lightning II training

The group mission changed in addition to its change of aircraft, and on 1 October 2009, the group became part of
Air Education and Training Command Air Education and Training Command (AETC) is one of the nine Major Commands (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force (USAF), reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force. It was established 1 July 1993, with the realignment of Air Training ...
in preparation for its new role of conducting joint training on the Joint Strike Fighter. However, the F-35 program was delayed and in January 2011, the group received its first aircraft in 17 months, when four
General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a success ...
aircraft borrowed from the
56th Fighter Wing The 56th Fighter Wing is a fighter wing in the United States Air Force. It is the world’s largest Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II wing and one of two Air Force F-35 training locations. Additionally, it is one of two active-duty F-16 training ...
at
Luke Air Force Base Luke Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States., effective 20 December 2007 It is located west of the central business district of Glendale, and west of Phoenix. Luke AFB is a major traini ...
, Arizona arrived to prepare the group's instructor pilots for the Lightning II. The F-16's flying characteristics are similar to those of the F-35, and would prepare group pilots to transition into its new plane on arrival. On 14 July 2011, the group received its first Lightning II for training. Lt Col Christine Mau, the deputy commander of the group, became the first woman to fly the F-35 on 5 May 2015, when she completed her first training flight.


Lineage

33d Operations Group * Constituted as the 33d Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 20 November 1940 : Activated on 15 January 1941 : Redesignated 33d Fighter Group on 15 May 1942 : Inactivated on 8 December 1945 * Activated on 20 August 1946 : Redesignated 33d Fighter-Interceptor Group on 20 January 1950 : Inactivated on 6 February 1952 * Redesignated 33d Fighter Group (Air Defense) on 20 June 1955 : Activated on 18 August 1955 : Inactivated on 18 August 1957 * Consolidated with the 33d Tactical Group as the 33d Tactical Fighter Group on 31 July 1985 (remained inactive) * Redesignated 33d Operations Group and activated on 1 December 1991Lineage, including assignments, stations, components and aircraft in Bailey, AFHRA Factsheet, except as noted. 33d Tactical Group * Constituted as the 33d Tactical Group and activated on 19 June 1963 : Organized on 8 July 1963 : Discontinued, and inactivated on 8 July 1965 * Consolidated with the 33d Fighter Group (Air Defense) as the 33d Tactical Fighter Group on 31 July 1985


Assignments

*
7th Pursuit Wing 7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube. As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion, mythology, s ...
, 15 January 1941 * 1 Interceptor (later I Interceptor, I Fighter) Command, 2 October 1941 * Philadelphia Air Defense Wing, 11 August 1942 * XII Air Support Command, November 1942 * XII Fighter Command, 6 December 1942 * XII Air Support Command, 13 January 1943 * XII Air Force Service Command, 18 February 1943 * XII Bomber Command, 1 March 1943 * 47th Bombardment Wing, 3 March 1943 * XII Air Support Command, 14 March 1943 * 3rd Air Defense (later 64th Fighter) Wing, 24 July 1943 * XII Air Support Command, 21 December 1943 : Under operational control of 64th Fighter Wing, 21 December 1943 – February 1944 * AAF India-Burma Sector, c. 20 February 1944 : Attached to CBI Air Forces Training Command, 5 March – 14 April 1944 *
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 organiza ...
, 15 April 1944 * 312th Fighter Wing, 11 May 1944 *
Tenth Air Force The Tenth Air Force (10 AF) is a unit of the U.S. Air Force, specifically a numbered air force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). 10 AF is headquartered at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base/Carswell Field (formerly Carswel ...
, 24 August 1944 – November 1945 * 70th Fighter Wing, 20 August 1946 * Strategic Air Command, 25 August 1947 *
Eighth Air Force The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Forc ...
, 16 September 1947 * 33d Fighter Wing (later 33d Fighter-Interceptor Wing), 5 November 1947 – 6 February 1952 : Attached to 509th Bombardment Wing, 17 November 1947 – 15 November 1948 * 4707th Air Defense Wing, 18 August 1955 * 33d Fighter Wing (Air Defense), 18 October 1956 – 18 August 1957 *
Pacific Air Forces Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) is a Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force and is also the air component command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). PACAF is headquartered at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam (f ...
, 19 June 1963 (not organized) * 2d Air Division, 8 July 1963 – 8 July 1965 * 33d Fighter Wing, 1 December 1991 – present


Components

Tactical Squadrons * 58th Pursuit Squadron (later 58th Fighter Squadron 58th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 58th Fighter Squadron): 15 January 1941 – 8 December 1945; 20 August 1946 – 6 February 1952; 18 August 1955 – 18 August 1957; 1 December 1991 – present * 59th Pursuit Squadron (later 59th Fighter Squadron 59th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 59th Fighter Squadron): 15 January 1941 – 8 December 1945; 20 August 1946 – 6 February 1952; 1 December 1991 – 15 April 1999 * 60th Pursuit Squadron (later 60th Fighter Squadron 60th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 60th Fighter Squadron): 15 January 1941 – 8 December 1945; 20 August 1946 – 6 February 1952; 18 August 1955 – 18 August 1957; 1 December 1991 – 1 January 2009. 20 August 2021 – present * 99th Fighter Squadron (attached): 29 May 1943 – c. 29 June 1943; 19 July 1943 – 16 October 1943 * 459th Fighter Squadron: 12 May – 5 November 1945 * 337th Air Control Squadron: 3 October 2012 – present * 728th Air Control Squadron: 1 May 1992 – 1 May 2008 Support Units * 33d USAF Hospital (later 33d USAF Dispensary), 18 August 1955 – 18 October 1956; 8 July 1963 – 8 July 1965 * 13th Reconnaissance Technical Squadron, 8 July 1963 – 8 July 1965 * 33d Air Base Squadron, 8 July 1963 – 8 July 1965 * 33d Field Maintenance Squadron (later 33d Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron), 18 August 1955 – 18 October 1956; 8 July 1963 – 8 July 1965 * 33d Installations Squadron, 18 August 1955 – 18 October 1956 * 33d Motor Vehicle Squadron, 18 August 1955 – 18 October 1956 * 33d Operations Squadron (later 33d Operations Support Squadron), 18 August 1955 – 18 October 1956, 1 December 1991 – present * 33d Supply Squadron, 18 August 1955 – 18 October 1956 * 27th Crash Rescue Boat Flight, 18 August 1955 – 18 October 1956


Stations

*
Mitchel Field Mitchell may refer to: People *Mitchell (surname) *Mitchell (given name) Places Australia * Mitchell, Australian Capital Territory, a light-industrial estate * Mitchell, New South Wales, a suburb of Bathurst * Mitchell, Northern Territory ...
, New York, 15 January 1941 *
Philadelphia Airport Philadelphia International Airport is the primary airport serving Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The airport served 19.6 million passengers annually in 2021, making it the 21st busiest airport in the United States. The airport is located from t ...
, Pennsylvania, 13 December 1941 – October 1942 *
Port Lyautey Airfield Naval Air Station Port Lyautey is a former United States Navy Naval Air Station in Morocco, about north-northwest of Kenitra and about northeast of Casablanca. The Naval Air Station was turned over to the Royal Moroccan Air Force and the last o ...
, French Morocco, 10 November 1942 *
Casablanca Airfield Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econo ...
, French Morocco, c. 13 November 1942 *
Telergma Airfield Telerghma Airport is a joint-use civilian/military airport in Algeria , just south of the city of Telerghma, about 300 km east of Algiers History Built by the French Colonial government prior to World War II, the small airport was seized by ...
, Algeria, 24 December 1942 * Thelepte Airfield, Tunisia, 7 January 1943 *
Youks-les-Bains Airfield Youks-les-Bains Airfield is an abandoned military airfield in Algeria, located about 20 km northwest of Tebessa. The airfield today consists of several agricultural fields, with the faint remains of its main runway, parts of a taxiway and ...
, Algeria, 8 February 1943 *
Telergma Airfield Telerghma Airport is a joint-use civilian/military airport in Algeria , just south of the city of Telerghma, about 300 km east of Algiers History Built by the French Colonial government prior to World War II, the small airport was seized by ...
, Algeria, c. 20 February 1943 * Berteaux Airfield, Algeria, c. 2 March 1943 * Ebba Ksour Airfield, Tunisia, c. 12 April 1943 *
Menzel Temime Airfield Menzel Temime Airfield is an abandoned military airfield in Tunisia, which was located near the city of Menzel Temine, 25 km north-northeast of Korba and 31 km east of Tāklisah. The airfield was built as a temporary wartime field by ...
, Tunisia, 20 May 1943 *
Sousse Airfield Sousse Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Tunisia, which was located in the vicinity of Sousse. It was a temporary airfield used by the United States Army Air Forces Twelfth Air Force 31st Fighter Group 31 (thirt ...
, Tunisia, 9 June 1943 * Pantelleria Airport, 19 June 1943 *
Licata Airfield Licata Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Italy, located in the vicinity of Licata, Sicily. It was a temporary fighter airfield constructed in the immediate aftermath of Operation Husky by U.S. Army Engineers using pier ...
, Sicily, c. 18 July 1943 *
Paestum Airfield Paestum Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Italy, located approximately 9 km north-northeast of Agropoli, in the province of Salerno, in the Campania region of Italy. It was an all-weather temporary field built b ...
, Italy, 13 September 1943 * Santa Maria Airfield, Italy, 18 November 1943 *
Cercola Airfield Cercola Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Italy, located approximately 2 km north of Cercola in the Province of Naples in the Italian region Campania. It was an all-weather temporary field built by the United St ...
, Italy, c. 1 January – February 1944 *
Karachi Airport Jinnah International Airport ( ur, جناح بین الاقوامی ہوائی اڈا) , formerly Drigh Road Airport or Karachi Civil Airport, is Pakistan's busiest international and domestic airport, and handled 7,267,582 passengers in 2017 ...
, India, c. 20 February 1944 * Shwangliu Airfield, China, c. 18 April 1944 * Pungchacheng Airfield, China, 9 May 1944 * Nagaghuli Airfield, India, 3 September 1944 * Sahmaw Airfield, Burma, 26 December 1944 *
Piardoba Airfield Piardoba Airfield is an abandoned airfield in India, located 6.6 miles (10.7 km) S of Bishnupur, West Bengal, Bankura District in the state of West Bengal, India. History During World War II, the airfield hosted the United States Army A ...
, India, 4 May – c. 15 November 1945 * Camp Shanks, New York, 7 – 8 December 1945 * Army Air Forces Station Neubiberg, Germany, 20 August 1946 * Army Air Forces Station Bad Kissingen, Germany, July – 25 August 1947 * Andrews Field, Maryland, 25 August 1947 * Roswell Army Air Field (later Walker Air Force Base), New Mexico, 16 September 1947 * Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts, 16 November 1948 – 6 February 1952 * Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts, 18 August 1955 – 18 August 1957 * Tan Son Nhut Air Base, South Vietnam, 8 July 1963 – 8 July 1965 * Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, 1 December 1991 – present


Awards and campaigns


Aircraft

* Bell P-39 Airacobra (1941) * Curtiss P-40 Warhawk (1941–1944) * Lockheed P-38 Lightning (1944–1945) * Republic P-47 Thunderbolt (1944–1948) * North American P-51D Mustang (1948–1950) * Republic F-84C Thunderjet (1948–1950) * North American F-86A Sabre (1950–1952) * Lockheed F-94 Starfire (1951–1952, 1956–1957) * Northrop F-89C Scorpion (1956–1957) * McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle (1991–2009) * McDonnell Douglas F-15D Eagle (1991–2009) * General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon (2011) * Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II (2011–present)


See also


References


Notes


Citations


Bibliography

* Buss, Lydus H.(ed), Sturm, Thomas A., Volan, Denys, and McMullen, Richard F., History of Continental Air Defense Command and Air Defense Command July to December 1955, Directorate of Historical Services, Air Defense Command, Ent AFB, CO, 1956 * * * * * Grant, C.L.
The Development of Continental Air Defense to 1 September 1954, (1961), USAF Historical Study No. 126
* * * * 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

Military units and formations in Florida 033