The 924th Fighter Group is a group of the
United States Air Force Reserve
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 ...
. It assigned to the
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 ...
and stationed at
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona as a Geographically Separated Unit (GSU) of the Air Force Reserve Command's
442d Fighter Wing
The 442d Fighter Wing is an Air Reserve Component of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to Tenth Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri.
Overview
The 442d Fighter Wing trains reserve person ...
at
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 attac ...
, Missouri.
[ On 1 October 2012, the 924 FG was reassigned to the 944th Fighter Wing 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. The 924th flies the 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 Republic ...
aircraft.
Until its inactivation in 1994, the group was known as the 924th Fighter Wing and was based at the former Bergstrom Air Force Base
Bergstrom Air Force Base (1942–1993) was located seven miles southeast of Austin, Texas. In its later years it was a major base for the U.S. Air Force's RF-4C reconnaissance fighter fleet.
History
Bergstrom was originally activated on ...
, Texas, the 924 FW was a subordinate command of 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 ...
and was inactivated as a wing on 27 September 1996 concurrent with Bergstrom's closure due to 1995 Base Realignment and Closure Commission
The 1995 Base Realignment and Closure Commission preliminary list was released by the United States Department of Defense in 1995 as part of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission. It recommended closing 32 major United States military bases.
...
action.
History
Need for reserve troop carrier groups
After May 1959, the reserve flying force consisted of 45 troop carrier squadrons assigned to 15 troop carrier wings.[There were an additional four rescue squadrons not assigned to the wings. Cantwell, p. 156] The squadrons were not all located with their parent wings, but were spread over thirty-five Air Force, Navy and civilian airfields under what was called the Detached Squadron Concept. The concept offered several advantages. Communities were more likely to accept the smaller squadrons than the large wings
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expre ...
and the location of separate squadrons in smaller population centers would facilitate recruiting and manning. However, under this concept, all support organizations were located with the wing headquarters. Although this was not a problem when the entire wing was called to active service, mobilizing a single flying squadron and elements to support it proved difficult. This weakness was demonstrated in the partial mobilization of reserve units during the Berlin Crisis of 1961. To resolve this, at the start of 1962, 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 ...
, (ConAC) determined to reorganize its reserve wings by establishing groups with support elements for each of its troop carrier squadrons. This reorganization would facilitate mobilization of elements of wings in various combinations when needed.
Activation of the 924th Troop Carrier Group
As a result, the 924th Troop Carrier Group was activated at Ellington Air Force Base
Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base is a joint installation shared by various active component and reserve component military units, as well as aircraft flight operations of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) under the aegis ...
, Texas on 17 January 1963 as the headquarters for the 704th Troop Carrier Squadron, which had been stationed there since May 1955.[Maurer, p. 709] Along with group headquarters, a Combat Support Squadron, Materiel Squadron and a Tactical Infirmary were organized to support the 705th.
The group was one of three Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar
The Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar (Navy and Marine Corps designation R4Q) was an American military transport aircraft developed from the World War II-era Fairchild C-82 Packet, designed to carry cargo, personnel, litter patients, and mechani ...
groups assigned to the 446th Troop Carrier Wing in 1963, the others being the 925th Troop Carrier Group
9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding .
Evolution of the Arabic digit
In the Brahmi numerals, beginning, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bottom dot. The Kshat ...
, also at Ellington and the 926th Troop Carrier Group
9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding .
Evolution of the Arabic digit
In the beginning, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bottom dot. The Kshatrapa, Andhra and ...
at Naval Air Station New Orleans
Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans is a base of the United States military located in Belle Chasse, unincorporated Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, United States. NAS JRB New Orleans is home to a Navy Reserve strike fighter squadron ...
, Louisiana.
924th flew experimental drop missions in support of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration from 1963 to 1967 and was also part of the USAF Combat Crew Training School, the first Air Force Reserve institution that trained active duty crews. The 924th retired their C-119 Flying Boxcars in 1967, upgrading to the newer Lockheed C-130A Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally desig ...
. The 924th ferried C-130s to Taiwan in 1966 and to Southeast Asia from 1968 to 1970, with unit members flying more than 120 missions to Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...
. The unit transferred to Military Airlift Command
The Military Airlift Command (MAC) is an inactive United States Air Force major command (MAJCOM) that was headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. Established on 1 January 1966, MAC was the primary strategic airlift organization of th ...
(MAC) control in 1974 and moved to Bergstrom Air Force Base
Bergstrom Air Force Base (1942–1993) was located seven miles southeast of Austin, Texas. In its later years it was a major base for the U.S. Air Force's RF-4C reconnaissance fighter fleet.
History
Bergstrom was originally activated on ...
, Texas in 1976 as part of the USAF pullout from Ellington and turnover of the installation to the Texas Air National Guard
The Texas Air National Guard (TX ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Texas, United States of America. It is, along with the Texas Army National Guard, an element of the Texas National Guard. No element of the Texas Air National Guard is ...
as Ellington Field ANGB. At Bergstrom, the unit became the first Air Force Reserve unit assigned, and was upgraded to the newer C-130B
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally desi ...
.
Fighter operations
In 1981, the 924th was transferred back to TAC and realigned as the 924th Tactical Fighter Group, converting to the McDonnell F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and Bow ...
. With the mission change, the 924th was reassigned to the Air Force Reserve's 301st Tactical Fighter Wing
The 301st Fighter Wing (301 FW) is an Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the Tenth Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, stationed at Carswell Field, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Tex ...
at Carswell Air Force Base
Carswell Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force (USAF) base, located northwest of Fort Worth, Texas. For most of its operational lifetime, the base's mission was to train and support heavy strategic bombing groups and wings.
Carswe ...
, while the 924th remained at Bergstrom. The 924th trained with the F-4D throughout the 1980s, being upgraded to the F-4E in 1989. With the retirement of all F-4 Phantom IIs from Air Force, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard service in the early 1990s, the 924th was re-equipped with the Block 15 General Dynamics F-16A 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 successf ...
in 1991. The 924th was the last USAF F-4E Phantom II organization in Air Force Reserve service.
Renamed the 924th Fighter Group, in 1994 the 924th's equipment was again upgraded to the front-line Block 32 F-16Cs and the unit was upgraded as the 924th Fighter Wing and coming under the direct command of 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 ...
. However, with the end of the Cold War, Bergstrom was on the list of bases to be closed under the 1995 Base Realignment and Closure Commission
The 1995 Base Realignment and Closure Commission preliminary list was released by the United States Department of Defense in 1995 as part of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission. It recommended closing 32 major United States military bases.
...
process, and the 924th Fighter Wing was inactivated in September 1996 with the base's closure. Most of the 924th's F-16s were reassigned to the California Air National Guard
The California Air National Guard (CA ANG) is one of three components of the California National Guard, a reserve of the United States Air Force, and part of the National Guard of the United States.
As militia units, the units in the California ...
's 144th Fighter Wing
The 144th Fighter Wing (144 FW) is a unit of the California Air National Guard, stationed at Fresno Air National Guard Base, California. As part of the Air Reserve Component of the United States Air Force, the wing is operationally gained by t ...
.
In 2011, the unit was reactivated as the 924th Fighter Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. As part of the Air Force Reserve Command, the 924th was assigned to the 442d Fighter Wing
The 442d Fighter Wing is an Air Reserve Component of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to Tenth Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri.
Overview
The 442d Fighter Wing trains reserve person ...
at 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 attac ...
, and is now a unit of the 944th Fighter Wing. The 924th currently flies the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II close air support aircraft. The group is an associate of the 355th Fighter Wing 355th may refer to:
Aviation
*355th Fighter Squadron, an inactive United States Air Force unit
*355th Fighter Wing, a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command's Twelfth Air Force
*355th Tactical Airlift Squadron, a U.S. Air F ...
and conducts formal training on the A-10,[
]
Lineage
* Established as the 924th Troop Carrier Group, Medium and activated on 28 December 1962 (not organized)
: Organized in the Reserve on 17 January 1963
: Redesignated 924th Tactical Airlift Group on 1 July 1967
: Redesignated 924th Tactical Fighter Group on 1 April 1981
: Redesignated 924th Fighter Group on 1 February 1992
: Redesignated 924th Fighter Wing on 1 October 1994
: Inactivated on 27 September 1996
* Redesignated 924th Fighter Group on 15 December 2010
: Activated on 1 January 2011[
]
Assignments
* Continental Air Command, 28 December 1963 (not organized)
* 446th Troop Carrier Wing, 17 January 1963 – 1 July 1972
* 433d Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 July 1972 – 1 April 1981
* 301st Tactical Fighter Wing (later Fighter Wing), 1 April 1981 - 1 October 1994
* Tenth Air Force, 1 October 1994 – 27 September 1996
* 442d Fighter Wing, 1 January 2011 – 1 October 2012
* 944th Fighter Wing, 1 October 2012 – Present[
]
Components
* 45th Fighter Squadron
The 45th Fighter Squadron is a United States Air Force Reserve unit. It is assigned to the Air Force Reserve Command's (AFRC) 924th Fighter Group and stationed at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. The squadron currently flies the Fa ...
, 1 January 2011 – present[
* 704th Troop Carrier (later Tactical Airlift, Tactical Fighter, Fighter) Squadron, 28 December 1963 – 27 September 1996
* 705th Tactical Airlift Training Squadron, 1 September 1972 – 30 June 1976][
* 924th Maintenance Squadron, 1 January 2011 – present][Research Division, Air Force Historical Research Agency, Air Force Organization Change Report, January 2011]
Stations
* Ellington Air Force Base, Texas, 17 January 1963
* Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas, 1 March 1976 – 27 September 1996
* Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, 1 January 2011 – present[
]
Aircraft
* Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar, 1963–1967
* Lockheed C-130A Hercules, 1967–1976
* Lockheed C-130B Hercules, 1976–1981
* McDonnell F-4D Phantom II, 1981–1989
* McDonnell F-4E Phantom II, 1989–1991
* General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon, 1991–1994
* General Dynamics F-16C Fighting Falcon, 1994–1996
* Fairchild Republic A-10C Thunderbolt II, 2011–Present[
]
References
Notes
Citations
Bibliography
*
*
*
* {{cite book, last=Ravenstein, first=Charles A., title=Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977, year=1984, url=https://archive.org/details/airforcecombatwi0000rave, publisher=Office of Air Force History, location=Washington, DC, isbn=0-912799-12-9, url-access=registration
External links
History of the 924th
AFHRA search 924th Fighter Wing
f-16.net 924th FW F-16 inventory list
Fighter groups of the United States Air Force
Military units and formations of the United States Air Force Reserves