The 53rd Test and Evaluation Group is a

group A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic iden ...

of the United States

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...

. It is a part of the

53rd Wing The 53d Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The wing reports to the United States Air Force Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, which in turn reports to Headquarters Air Combat Comman ...

, and is

headquartered Headquarters (commonly referred to as HQ) denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top ...

Nellis AFB Nellis Air Force Base ("Nellis" colloq.) is a United States Air Force installation in southern Nevada. Nellis hosts air combat exercises such as Exercise Red Flag and close air support exercises such as Green Flag-West flown in " Military Oper ...

, Nevada. The Group was originally activated in 1942 as the 79th Pursuit Group (Interceptor), becoming the 79th Fighter Group (Single Engine) a few months later. Later that year it moved overseas to Egypt, where it was assigned to

Ninth Air Force The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is the Air Force Service Component of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), a joint De ...

and participated in combat in 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 forc ...

in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Italy until April 1945. After the end of

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 opposin ...

, it became part of the Army of Occupation until it was inactivated in 1947. The group was activated again in 1955 as the 79th Fighter Group (Air Defense) as part of a program of

Air Defense Command Aerospace Defense Command was a major command (military formation), 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 est ...

(ADC) to replace its air defense groups with fighter units with distinguished records in World War II. It provided

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, ...

of the

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lakes ...

region until it was inactivated in 1960. In 1988,

Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 J ...

activated the 4443rd Test and Evaluation Group as an operational test unit at Eglin AFB, an

Air Force Systems Command The Air Force Systems Command (AFSC) is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command. It was established in April 1951, being split off from Air Materiel Command. The mission of AFSC was Research and Development for new weapons systems. Ove ...

(AFSC) base that was home to AFSC's Armament Center. In December 1991, as the USAF eliminated its Major Command controlled (MAJCON) four-digit units, the 79th was consolidated with the 4443rd, and the combined unit was designated the 79th Test and Evaluation Group. In 1998, as a result of USAF policy that subordinate groups carry the same number as their parent wing, the 79th TEG was inactivated and replaced by the newly constituted 53rd Test and Evaluation Group. In 1999, the unit moved from Eglin AFB to Nellis AFB, Less than two years later, USAF consolidated the 79th and 53rd TEGs to provide one continuous history to its weapons test and evaluation group. The unit consists of seven squadrons, two detachments, and a named flight. Its mission is to manage the flying activities of the 53rd wing at Barksdale,

Beale Beale is an English surname. At the time of the British Census of 1881, its relative frequency was highest in Dorset (6.3 times the British average), followed by Huntingdonshire, Hampshire, Sussex, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Warwickshire, Kent and ...

, Creech, Dyess,

Edwards Edwards may refer to: People * Edwards (surname) * Edwards family, a prominent family from Chile * Edwards Barham (1937-2014), a former member of the Louisiana State Senate * Edwards Pierrepont (1817–1892), an American attorney, jurist, and ora ...

, Eglin,

Nellis Nellis may refer to: People * Alice Nellis (born 1971), Czech filmmaker * Duane Nellis (born 1954), American educator and Ohio University president * William Harrell Nellis (1916-1944), World War II fighter pilot, after whom the Air Force base is n ...

, and Whiteman

Air Force base An air base (sometimes referred to as a military air base, military airfield, military airport, air station, naval air station, air force station, or air force base) is an aerodrome used as a military base by a military force for the operation ...

Units

The group consists of seven squadrons, two direct detachments, and a named flight. These units perform tactical development, operational tests, and evaluations for

Air Combat Command Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the primary provider of air combat forces for the Air Force, and i ...

. In addition, the group assists the

Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center Located at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center is a direct reporting unit of Headquarters, United States Air Force. It is the Air Force independent test agency responsible for testing, unde ...

with testing and operating the

YAL-1 Airborne Laser The Boeing YAL-1 Airborne Laser Testbed (formerly Airborne Laser) weapons system was a megawatt-class chemical oxygen iodine laser (COIL) mounted inside a modified military Boeing 747-400F. It was primarily designed as a missile defense system ...

MQ-9 The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper (sometimes called Predator B) is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) primarily for the Unit ...

, and

F-35A 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 electr ...

Squadrons

31st Test and Evaluation Squadron The 31st Test and Evaluation Squadron is a United States Air Force unit, assigned to the 753d Test and Evaluation Group, stationed at Edwards Air Force Base, California as a geographically separated unit of the 53rd Wing. The 31 TES is an A ...

49th Test and Evaluation Squadron The 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit. Its current assignment is with the 53d Wing, based at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron is an Air Combat Command (ACC) u ...

72d Test and Evaluation Squadron The 72d Test and Evaluation Squadron is part of the 53d Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The squadron is geographically separated but operated from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. It conducts testing and evaluation of the B-2 S ...

85th Test and Evaluation Squadron The 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron is part of the 53d Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. It conducts testing and evaluation for the F-15 Eagle, F-15E Strike Eagle, and F-16 Fighting Falcon airframes. Mission The 85th Test and Evaluat ...

337th Test and Evaluation Squadron The 337th Test and Evaluation Squadron is a squadron of the United States Air Force. It is a part of the 53d Test and Evaluation Group of the 53d Wing. The 337th is stationed at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, though it operates out of a number ...

417th Test and Evaluation Squadron The 417th Test and Evaluation Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit, assigned to the 753rd Test and Evaluation Group and stationed at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Its previous assignment was with the USAF Weapons School at ...

* 418th Test and Evaluation Squadron *

422d Test and Evaluation Squadron The 422d Test and Evaluation Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 53d Test and Evaluation Group, stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. The squadron performs operational testing of all fighter aircraft and mun ...

556th Test and Evaluation Squadron The 556th Test and Evaluation Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 53d Test and Evaluation Group at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, and conducts unmanned aircraft testing. Mission The 556th Test and Evaluation Squa ...

Detachments

The group includes three detachments which are not part of the regular squadron structure: *Detachment 1 – Based at Edwards AFB, Detachment 1 performs operational test. *Detachment 2 – Based at Beale AFB, Detachment 2 performs evaluations of the

Lockheed U-2 The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed "''Dragon Lady''", is an American single-jet engine, high altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) and previously flown by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). It provides day ...

and

RQ-4 Global Hawk The Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk is a high-altitude, remotely-piloted surveillance aircraft of the 1990s–2020s. It was initially designed by Ryan Aeronautical (now part of Northrop Grumman), and known as Tier II+ during development. Th ...

and train personnel in the operation of the equipment. *Detachment 3 – Based at Nellis AFB, Detachment 3 trains and evaluates

aircrew Aircrew, also called flight crew, are personnel who operate an aircraft while in flight. The composition of a flight's crew depends on the type of aircraft, plus the flight's duration and purpose. Commercial aviation Flight deck positions ...

s in the use of Foreign Materiel Exploitations for the

Air Force Materiel Command Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force (USAF). AFMC was created on July 1, 1992, through the amalgamation of the former Air Force Logistics Command (AFLC) and the former Air Force Systems Com ...

Named flights

The group includes one named flight: *Combat Search and Rescue Combined Test Force – Based at Nellis AFB, the CSAR Combined Test Force currently operates the HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter and Guardian Angel Weapons System in an attempt to consolidate all combat search and rescue operation efforts.

History

World War II

The group was constituted as 79th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 13 January 1942 and activated at

Dale Mabry Field : ''For the World War II use of the airport, see Dale Mabry Army Airfield'' Dale Mabry Field is a former airport 3.4 miles west of Tallahassee, Florida. It was replaced in 1961 by Tallahassee Regional Airport (now Tallahassee International Airp ...

, Florida on 9 February 1942, drawing its personnel from the 56th and

81st Fighter Group 081 may refer to: Telephony * 081, the telephone dialing code for the City of Naples and surroundings in Italy * 081, a former dialling code for London, UK (1990–1995) * 081, a telephone area code for mobile operators in Lebanon * 081, a mobi ...

s.Abstract, History of 79th Ftr Gp, activation-Aug 43
Retrieved 13 May 2012 its original squadrons were the 85th,Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 295 86th, and 87th Pursuit Squadrons. The group was redesignated the 79th Fighter Group (Single Engine) in May 1942. The group trained in the United States, then moved to

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

by sea via Brazil in October–November 1942, where it became part of

.Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 144–145 The group trained with

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 and ...

s's while moving westward in the wake of the British drive across Egypt and

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

. Although many of the group's pilots flew combat missions with other organizations, the 79th group itself did not begin combat operations until March 1943. By escorting bombers, attacking enemy shipping, and supporting ground forces, the 79th took part in the Allied operations that defeated Axis forces in

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

, captured

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 Tunis ...

, and conquered

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

. The group was awarded 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 ...

(DUC) for its support of British Eighth Army during that period, March–August 1943. The group was assigned to

Twelfth Air Force The Twelfth Air Force (12 AF; Air Forces Southern, (AFSOUTH)) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. The command is the air component to U ...

in August 1943 and continued to support the

British Eighth Army The Eighth Army was an Allied field army formation of the British Army during the Second World War, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns. Units came from Australia, British India, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Free French Forces, ...

by attacking troop concentrations, gun positions, bridges, roads, and rail lines in southern

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. It operated in the area of the

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 Port, fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine I ...

beachhead, from January to March 1944. The group participated in the drive on

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, from March to June 1944, and converted to

P-47 Thunderbolt The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bombe ...

s during that time. It flew escort and strafing missions in southern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

during August and September 1944, and afterward returned to Italy and engaged in interdictory and close support operations in northern Italy. The group received a second DUC for numerous missions flown at minimum altitude in intense flak to help pierce the enemy line at the

Santerno River The Santerno is a river in Romagna in northern Italy. It is a major tributary of the river Reno. In Roman times, it was known as the ''Vatrenus'' (small ''Renus''), although, in the Tabula Peutingeriana, it was already identified as the ''Santernus ...

in Italy in April 1945. 79th Ftr Gp The group remained overseas as part of

United States Air Forces in Europe United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...

after the war as part of the occupation force. It was transferred, without personnel and equipment, to the US in June 1947 and inactivated on 15 July 1947.

Air Defense Command

86th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron Convair TF-102A-36-CO Delta Dagger 55-4052 2

The group was redesignated the 79th Fighter Group (Air Defense), assigned to ADC and activated on 18 August 1955 at Youngstown MAP, Ohio as part of ADC's Project Arrow, which was designed to bring back on the active list the fighter units which had compiled memorable records in the two world wars. At Youngstown, the group assumed the personnel and equipment of the 502nd Air Defense Group, which was simultaneously inactivated.Cornett & Johnson, p. 81 The group provided air defense over eastern Ohio as part of

30th Air Division The 30th Air Division (30th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command, assigned to Tenth Air Force, being stationed at Sioux City Municipal Airport, Iowa. It was inactivated on ...

of ADC's

Central Air Defense Force The Central Air Defense Force (CADF) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command being stationed at Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base, Missouri. It was inactivated on July 1, 1960. History C ...

and acted as the host unit for the Air Force portion of Youngstown MAP. The 79th was assigned several support organizations to fulfill this responsibility.Cornett & Johnson, p. 137Cornett & Johnson, p. 145 One of the group's original components, the

86th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron The 86th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 79th Fighter Group at Youngstown Air Force Base, Ohio, where it was inactivated on 1 March 1960. The squadron was first activat ...

(FIS), flying

radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...

equipped and

rocket A rocket (from it, rocchetto, , bobbin/spool) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using the surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entirely fr ...

armed

North American F-86D Sabre The North American F-86D/K/L Sabre (initially known as the YF-95 and widely known informally as the "Sabre Dog",) was an American transonic jet fighter aircraft. Developed for the United States Air Force in the late 1940s, it was an interceptor ...

s was already stationed at Youngstown and transferred from the 502nd.Cornett & Johnson, p. 120 In September 1957 the 86th FIS traded its Sabres for

Convair F-102 Delta Dagger The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger was an American interceptor aircraft designed and manufactured by Convair. Built as part of the backbone of the United States Air Force's air defenses in the late 1950s, it entered service in 1956. Its main purpos ...

aircraft equipped with

data link A data link is the means of connecting one location to another for the purpose of transmitting and receiving digital information (data communication). It can also refer to a set of electronics assemblies, consisting of a transmitter and a recei ...

for interception control through the

Semi-Automatic Ground Environment The Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) was a system of mainframe computer, large computers and associated computer network, networking equipment that coordinated data from many radar sites and processed it to produce a single unified image ...

system. The Air Force transferred command of Youngstown MAP from ADC to

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 au ...

on 1 March 1960 and the 79th Fighter Group and its components inactivated that date.

Lineage

79th Test and Evaluation Group * Constituted as 79th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 13 January 1942 : Activated on 9 February 1942 : Redesignated 79th Fighter Group (Single Engine) in May 1942 : Inactivated on 15 July 1947 * Redesignated as 79th Fighter Group (Air Defense) on 20 June 1955 : Activated on 18 August 1955 : Inactivated on 1 March 1960 * Redesignated 79th Tactical Fighter Group on 31 July 1985 (remained inactive) * Redesignated 79th Test and Evaluation Group on 1 December 1991 * Consolidated with 4443rd Test and Evaluation Group on 15 December 1991 : Inactivated on 20 November 1998 * Consolidated on 25 June 2000 with 53rd Test and Evaluation Group as 53rd Test and Evaluation Group 4443rd Test and Evaluation Group * Designated as 4443rd Test and Evaluation Group and activated on 1 July 1988 * Consolidated with 79th Test and Evaluation Group on 15 December 1991 as 79th Test and Evaluation Group 53rd Test and Evaluation Group * Constituted as 53rd Test and Evaluation Group and activated on 20 November 1998 * Consolidated on 25 June 2000 with 79th Test and Evaluation Group

Assignments

Third Air Force The Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe) (3 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). Its headquarters is Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It is responsible for all U.S. air forces in E ...

, 9 February 1942 *

I Fighter Command I Fighter Command was a United States Army Air Forces intermediate command responsible for command and control of the fighter operations within the First Air Force during World War II. It was initially established in June 1941 as the 1st Inte ...

, 22 June 1942 *

Boston Fighter Wing Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- most ...

, 1 August 1942 – 28 September 1942 *

, 18 November 1942 (attached to No. 7 Wing,

South African Air Force "Through hardships to the stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , equipment ...

(SAAF) from 21 February 1943) *

IX Fighter Command The IX Fighter Command was a United States Army Air Forces formation. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Erlangen, Germany, wheret was inactivated on 16 November 1945. IX Fighter Command was the primary tactical fighter ...

, 24 February 1943 (remained attached to No. 7 Wing, SAAF until ''ca''. 2 June 1943, attached to XII Air Support Command to 14 June 1943, No. 7 Wing SAAF) *

, 21 August 1943 (attached to

Northwest African Tactical Air Force The Northwest African Tactical Air Force (NATAF) was a component of the Northwest African Air Forces which itself reported to the Mediterranean Air Command (MAC). These new Allied air force organizations were created at the Casablanca Conference in ...

(NWATAF)) *

XII Air Support Command The XII Tactical Air Command was a formation of the United States Army Air Forces. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe at Bad Kissingen, Germany, where it was inactivated on 10 November 1947. History The 12th Gr ...

, 1 September 1943 (remained attached to NWATAF) * 57th Bombardment Wing, 1 November 1943 – 1 January 1944 (remained attached to NWATAF until 17 January 1944, attached to 64th Fighter Wing 18 January 1944 – 10 February 1944 and 27 February 1944 – 20 April 1944, 87th Fighter Wing 11 June 1944 – 19 September 1944) *

XII Fighter Command Twelve or 12 may refer to: * 12 (number) * December, the twelfth and final month of the year Years * 12 BC * AD 12 * 1912 * 2012 Film * ''Twelve'' (2010 film), based on the 2002 novel * ''12'' (2007 film), by Russian director and actor Nikit ...

, 20 September 1944 (attached to 64th Fighter Wing 20 September 1944 – 30 September 1944 * Twelfth Air Force, 1 October 1944 (attached to

Desert Air Force The Desert Air Force (DAF), also known chronologically as Air Headquarters Western Desert, Air Headquarters Libya, the Western Desert Air Force, and the First Tactical Air Force (1TAF), was an Allied tactical air force created from No. 204 ...

1 October 1944 – 9 May 1945,

XXII Tactical Air Command The XXII Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Twelfth Air Force, at Pomigliano Airfield, Italy, where it was inactivated on 4 October 1945. The command was formed in the southeast Unite ...

, 12 May 1945 – 7 June 1945 *

70th Fighter Wing The 70th Fighter Wing (70th FW) is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe, based at Neubiberg Air Base, Germany. It was inactivated on 25 September 1947. History Established ...

, 31 July 1945 *

, 25 June 1947 – 15 July 1947 *

4708th Air Defense Wing The 4708th Air Defense Wing is a discontinued United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 30th Air Division of Air Defense Command (ADC) at Selfridge Air Force Base (AFB), Michigan, where it was discontinued in 1956. ...

, 18 August 1955Cornett & Johnson, p. 73 *

, 8 July 1956 * Detroit Air Defense Sector, 1 April 1959 – 1 March 1960 * USAF Tactical Air Warfare Center (later USAF Air Warfare Center, 53rd Wing), 1 July 1988 – 20 November 1998, 20 November 1998 – present

Components

* 85th Pursuit Squadron (later 85th Fighter Squadron, 4485th Test and Evaluation Squadron, 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron): 9 February 1942 – 15 July 1947, 1 August 1988 – present * 86th Pursuit Squadron (later 86th Fighter Squadron, 86th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron): 9 February 1942 – 15 July 1947; 18 August 1955 – 1 March 1960 * 87th Pursuit Squadron (later 87th Fighter Squadron): 9 February 1942 – 15 July 1947 *

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 ...

: 16 October 1943 – 1 April 1944 (Attached) *

316th Fighter Squadron The 316th Fighter Squadron (316 FS) is an active United States Air Force unit. It was reactivated in 2015 as an Air Combat Command unit of Ninth Air Force (9 AF), flying alongside the South Carolina Air National Guard's 169th Fighter Wing at ...

: 15 March 1943 – 21 May 1943 (Attached) Support Units * 79th USAF Infirmary (later 79th USAF Dispensary), 18 August 1955 – 1 March 1960 * 79th Air Base Squadron, 18 August 1955 – 1 March 1960 * 79th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, ''ca''. 8 July 1957 – 1 March 1960 * 79th Materiel Squadron, 18 August 1955 – 1 March 1960 Test Units *

, 15 April 1993 – present :

Edwards Air Force Base Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force installation in California. Most of the base sits in Kern County, but its eastern end is in San Bernardino County and a southern arm is in Los Angeles County. The hub of the base is E ...

, California * 49th Test Squadron (later 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron), 15 April 1993 – present :

Barksdale Air Force Base Barksdale Air Force Base (Barksdale AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in northwest Louisiana, United States, in Bossier Parish. It is contiguous to Bossier City, Louisiana, along the base's western and northwestern edge. Barksdale AFB ...

, Louisiana *

72nd Test and Evaluation Squadron The 72d Test and Evaluation Squadron is part of the 53d Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The squadron is geographically separated but operated from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. It conducts testing and evaluation of the B-2 Spi ...

, 20 November 1998 – present :

Whiteman Air Force Base Whiteman Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located just south of Knob Noster, Missouri, United States. The base is the current home of the B-2 Spirit bomber. It is named for 2nd Lt George Whiteman, who was killed during the attack ...

, Missouri *

, 24 April 2018 – present : Edwards Air Force Base, California *

422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron The 422d Test and Evaluation Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 53d Test and Evaluation Group, stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. The squadron performs operational testing of all fighter aircraft and mun ...

, 1 August 1997 – present : Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada * 4486th Fighter Weapons Squadron, 1 October 1988 - 30 November 1991 * HH-60G Combined Test Force (later Combat Rescue Combined Test Force), 1 October 2002 – present

Stations

, Florida, 9 February 1942 *

Morris Field Charlotte Douglas International Airport (IATA: CLT, ICAO: KCLT, FAA LID: CLT), typically referred to as Charlotte Douglas, Douglas Airport, or simply CLT, is an international airport in Charlotte, North Carolina, located roughly six miles west ...

, North Carolina c. 1 May 1942 *

Hillsgrove Army Air Field Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport is a public international airport in Warwick, Rhode Island, United States, south of the state's capital and largest city of Providence. Opened in 1931, the airport was named for former Rhode Is ...

, Rhode Island ''ca''. 22 June 1942 *

Bedford Army Air Field Hanscom Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force base located predominantly within Bedford, Massachusetts, with portions extending into the adjoining towns of Lincoln, Concord and Lexington. The facility is adjacent to Hanscom Field ...

, Massachusetts 2 July – 28 September 1942 * Egypt 18 November 1942Located at Alexandria by 1 January 194
Abstract, History of 79th Ftr Gp CY 1943
Retrieved 13 May 2012 * Al Amirya (Landing Ground LG-174), Egypt 19 November 1942 *

Gazala Gazala, or ʿAyn al-Ġazāla ( ), is a small Libyan village near the coast in the northeastern portion of the country. It is located west of Tobruk. History In the late 1930s (during the Italian occupation of Libya), the village was the site of ...

, Libya (Landing Ground LG-150), 14 January 1943 * Daraugh North Landing Ground Libya, 7 February 1943 *

Castel Benito Castel Benito (called originally in Italian "Tripoli-Castel Benito aeroporto") was an airport of Tripoli created by the Italians in Italian Libya in the early 1930s. It was called RAF Castel Benito by the Allies after 1943. History Originally, ...

Airdrome, Libya, 27 March 1943 * Causeway Airdrome, Tunisia 13 March 1943 * Sidi El Hani Landing Ground, Tunisia, 17 April 1943 * El Haouaria Airfield, Tunisia, 2 June 1943 *

Bou Grara Airfield Bou Grara Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Tunisia, which was located near Golfe de Bou Grara (Madanin); about 360 km south-southeast of Tunis. It was a temporary airfield built by the United States Army Corps of ...

, Tunisia, 6 June 1943 * Causeway Airdrome, Tunisia 14 June 1943 *

Syracuse, Sicily Syracuse ( ; it, Siracusa ; scn, Sarausa ), ; grc-att, wikt:Συράκουσαι, Συράκουσαι, Syrákousai, ; grc-dor, wikt:Συράκοσαι, Συράκοσαι, Syrā́kosai, ; grc-x-medieval, Συρακοῦσαι, Syrakoûs ...

, Italy 16 July 1943 * Cassibile Landing Ground, Sicily, Italy, 26 July 1943 *

Palagonia Palagonia ( Sicilian: ''Palagunìa'', Latin: ''Palica'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Catania in the Italian region Sicily, located about southeast of Palermo and about southwest of Catania. Palagonia borders the fo ...

Landing Ground, Sicily, Italy, 30 July 1943 *

Isole Isole ( br, Izol) is a river which flows through the department of Finistère in the region of Brittany in France. It is long and its basin area is . Its source is near Roudouallec. Another town on the Isole is Scaër. At the town of Quimperlé ...

Landing Ground, Sicily, Italy, 13 September 1943 *

Pisticci Pisticci ( Metapontino: ; la, Pesticium) is a town comune in the province of Matera, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. Pisticci is the fourth most populous town in the region and the most populous in the province after Matera. It is k ...

Landing Ground, Italy, 24 September 1943 * Penny Post Landing Ground, Italy 26 September 1943 *

Salsola Airfield The Foggia Airfield Complex was a series of World War II military airfields located within a radius of Foggia, in the Province of Foggia, Italy. The airfields were used by the United States Army Air Force Fifteenth Air Force as part of the str ...

(Foggia No. 3), Italy 4 October 1943 * Madna Airfield, Italy 19 November 1943 *

Capodichino Airport San Pietro a Patierno is a suburb of Naples, the chief city in Campania, Italy. Geography It is one of the largest suburbs of Naples and is relatively lightly populated compared to surrounding areas, with around 20,000 residents. The district of ...

, Naples, Italy, 15 January 1944Part of the group remained behind at Madna. *

Pomigliano Airfield Pomigliano Airfield (40°55'40"N / 14°23'20"E) was a military airfield and base established in 1938–39 in Pomigliano d'Arco, southern Italy near Naples. It was attacked on several occasions by the United States Army Air Force. The airfield was ...

, Italy 1 May 1944 – 17 June 1944 *

Serragia Airfield Serragia Airfield is an abandoned military airfield in France, located approximately 26 km west-southwest of Porto-Vecchio on Corsica. Its last known use was by the United States Army Air Force Twelfth Air Force in 1944. After the forced wit ...

Corsica Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of ...

20 June 1944 * St. Raphael/Frejus Airfield (Y-12),Airfield Identification Numbers from Johnson France c. 25 August 1944 * Valance Airfield (Y-23), France, 30 September 1944The group history identifies this field as "Bron Airdrome". * Iesi Airfield, Italy c. 4 October 1944 *

Fano Airfield Fano Airport is an airport in Italy . located 1 km southeast of Fano and 10 km northwest of Mondolfo in the province of Pesaro and Urbino in the Marche region of Italy. The airport is used for general aviation, with no commercial airlin ...

, Italy c. 5 December 1944 *

Cesenatico Airfield Cervia Air Base is an air base of the Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare). It is located in northern Italy, approximately southwest of Cervia, in the province of Ravenna (Emilia-Romagna). It was the home of the 5th Fighter Wing, which flew ...

, Italy 20 March 1945 *

AAF Station Hoersching Linz Airport (german: link=no, Flughafen Linz, ) is a minor international airport located in Hörsching, near Linz, the third-largest city in Austria. It is also known as the Blue Danube Airport. History Early years Air traffic used to take pl ...

(later Hoersching Air Base), Austria, 22 July 1945 – 25 June 1947Abstract, History of 79th Ftr Gp, Jul 1945
Retrieved 13 May 2012 *

Langley Field Langley may refer to: People * Langley (surname), a common English surname, including a list of notable people with the name * Dawn Langley Simmons (1922–2000), English author and biographer * Elizabeth Langley (born 1933), Canadian perform ...

, Virginia, 25 June 1947 – 15 July 1947 * Youngstown Municipal Airport, Ohio, 18 August 1955 – 1 March 1960 *

Eglin AFB 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, 1 July 1988 *

, Nevada, 17 June 1999 – present

Awards and Campaigns

Aircraft

* Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, 1942 * Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, 1942–1945 * North American F-86D Sabre, 1955 * Convair F-102A Delta Dagger, 1955–1960 *

Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is a single-seat, twin-turbofan, straight-wing, subsonic attack aircraft developed by Fairchild Republic for the United States Air Force (USAF). In service since 1976, it is named for the Republ ...

Rockwell B-1 Lancer The Rockwell B-1 Lancer is a supersonic variable-sweep wing, heavy bomber used by the United States Air Force. It is commonly called the "Bone" (from "B-One"). It is one of three strategic bombers serving in the U.S. Air Force fleet along with ...

Boeing B-52 Stratofortress The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the United States Air ...

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 ...

C & E *

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

Lockheed Martin 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 ...

Sikorsky HH-60 Pave Hawk The Sikorsky MH-60G/HH-60G Pave Hawk is a four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift utility military helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. It is a derivative of the UH-60 Black Hawk and incorporates the US Air Force PAVE electronic systems ...

General Atomics MQ-1 Predator The General Atomics MQ-1 Predator (often referred to as the predator drone) is an American remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) built by General Atomics that was used primarily by the United States Air Force (USAF) and Central Intelligence Agency ( ...

Additionally, the group has flying hours assigned to the

B-2 Spirit The Northrop (later Northrop Grumman) B-2 Spirit, also known as the Stealth Bomber, is an American heavy strategic bomber, featuring low-observable stealth technology designed to penetrate dense anti-aircraft defenses. A subsonic flying ...

bomber,