Lineage

Established as 27th Fighter Wing on 28 Jul 1947. Organized on 15 Aug 1947. Redesignated: 27th Fighter-Escort Wing on 1 Feb 1950; 27th Strategic Fighter Wing on 20 Jan 1953; 27th Fighter-Bomber Wing on 1 Jul 1957; 27th Tactical Fighter Wing on 1 Jul 1958; 27th Fighter Wing on 1 Oct 1991.

Assignments

Eighth Air Force, 15 Aug 1947 (attached to Far East Air Forces, 19 Nov? 29 Nov 1950; Fifth Air Force, 30 Nov 1950?15 Jul 1951); 42d Air Division, 6 Aug 1951 (attached to Far East Air Forces, 6?13 Oct 1952; 39th Air Division [Defense], 13 Oct 1952?c. 13 Feb 1953; 7th Air Division, 7 May? 17 Aug 1955); Twelfth Air Force, 8 Jan 1958 (attached to 834th Air Division, 15 Jul 1958?18 Feb 1959); 832d Air Division, 18 Feb 1959 (attached to 3d Air Division [Provisional]), 21 Oct?1 Dec 1962); Twelfth Air Force, 1 Jul 1975; Eighth Air Force, 1 Jun 1992?.

Components

Wing. 136th Fighter-Bomber: attached 20 May?30 Jun 1951.

Group. 27th Fighter (later, 27th Fighter-Escort; 27th Operations): 15 Aug 1947?16 Jun 1952; 1 Nov 1991?.

Squadrons. 27th Air Refueling: 25 Oct 1953?1 Jul 1957 (detached 7 May? 17 Aug 1955). 307th Air Refueling: attached 6 Jun?25 Oct 1953. 428th Tactical Fighter Training: 2 Apr 1990?1 Nov 1991. 429th: attached 15 May 1967?15 May 1968. 465th Tactical Fighter Training: 1 Dec 1972?1 Aug 1973. 481st Fighter-Bomber (later, 481st Tactical Fighter; 481st Tactical Fighter Training): 25 Sep 1957?31 Aug 1973 (detached 1?25 Jun 1959, 9 Jun?11 Oct 1961, 24 Apr?20 May 1963, 19 Nov 1963?1 Feb 1964, 9?c. 20 Apr 1964, 2 Sep?4 Dec 1964, and 15 Jun?30 Nov 1965); 15 Jan 1976? 8 Jul 1990. 522d: attached 6 Aug 1951?15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952? 1 Nov 1991 (detached 6 Sep?18 Dec 1958, 18 Oct 1959?22 Feb 1960, 13 Feb?c. 7 Mar 1961, 5 Feb?15 Jun 1962, 12 Dec 1962?c. 15 Feb 1963, 16 Mar?6 May 1964, 8 Aug?15 Nov 1964, and 15 Aug?25 Nov 1965). 523d: attached 6 Aug 1951?15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952?20 Nov 1965 (detached c. 24 Feb?17 Jun 1960, c. 5 Sep?20 Nov 1961, c. 12 Oct 1962?c. 15 Jan 1963, c. 17 Sep?20 Nov 1963, 12 Jun?4 Sep 1964, and 22 Mar? 30 Jun 1965); 31 Aug 1973?1 Nov 1991. 524th: attached 6 Aug 1951?15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952?1 Nov 1991 (detached 17 Jun?8 Jul 1959, 10 Feb?16 Jun 1961, 30 Oct?14 Nov 1961, 9 Jun?c. 27 Jun 1963, 21 Jan? 19 Mar 1964, and 1 Dec 1964?28 Mar 1965). 4427th Tactical Fighter Replacement: 1 Oct 1971?15 Jan 1976. 4429th Combat Crew Training: 20 Dec 1968?1 Dec 1972.

Detachment. Det 1, HQ 27th TFW: 15 Jul 1963?4 May 1964.

Stations

Kearney AAFld (later, AFB), NE, 15 Aug 1947; Bergstrom AFB, TX, 16 Mar 1949; Cannon AFB, NM, 18 Feb 1959?.

Commanders

Col Gwen G. Atkinson, 15 Aug 1947; Col Ashley B. Packard, 7 Jan 1948; Col Raymond F. Rudell, 1 May 1951; Col Donald J. M. Blakeslee, 6 Jul 1952; Col Richard N. Ellis, 2 Aug 1954; Col Charles M. Walton, Jr., Jul 1957; Brig Gen Ivan W. McElroy, 8 Jan 1958; Col John L. Gregory, Jr., 15 Jul 1958?c. 28 Jan 1959; unkn, c. 28 Jan?17 Feb 1959; Col Gilbert L. Meyers, 18 Feb 1959; Col Arlie J. Blood, 10 May 1959; Col Gilbert L. Meyers, 4 Aug 1959; Col Thomas A. Robertson, 22 Aug 1959; Col Arvis L. Hilpert, 12 Oct 1959; Col Jack C. Berger, 17 Jul 1961; Col Charles E. Simpson, 15 Jul 1963; Col Dale S. Sweat, 15 Aug 1963; Col Robert A. Tyler, 31 Dec 1965; Col Herndon F. Williams, 25 May 1967; Col Homer K. Hansen, 24 Jul 1967; Col William L. Ford, 1 Apr 1968; Col Jimmy J. Jumper, 16 Apr 1968; Col Frank C. Buzze, 15 Jul 1968; Col Charles E. Francis, 12 May 1970; Col Richard E. Little, 28 Jan 1972; Col John H. Bennett, 25 May 1973; Col Cecil D. Crabb, 18 Jul 1975; Col Thomas J. Hickey, 6 Aug 1976; Brig Gen Joseph D. Moore, 18 Nov 1977; Col Robert I. McCann, 7 May 1979; Col William K. James, 5 Aug 1980; Col Joseph K. Stapleton, 3 Sep 1982; Col James E. Salminen, 11 May 1984; Col Needham B. Jones, 7 Sep 1984; Col Henry R. Becker, 29 Sep 1986; Col Donald L. Peterson, 5 Jul 1988; Col Arnold L. Franklin, 14 Sep 1990; Brig Gen Richard N. Goddard, 30 Jun 1992?.

Aircraft

P (later, F)?51, 1947?1949; F?82, 1948?1950; F?84, 1950?1951, 1951? 1958; KB?29, 1953?1955, 1955?1957; F?101, 1957?1958; F?100, 1959? 1972; T/AT?33, 1968?1973; F?111, 1969?1970, 1970?; EF?111, 1992?.

Operations

Fighter escort operations to meet SAC commitments, 1947?1950. Won the Mackay Trophy for successful deployment of 90 F?84Es from Bergstrom AFB, TX, to Furstenfeldbruck AB, Germany, in Sep 1950, via Labrador, Greenland, Iceland, and England. This was the first long-range mass flight of jet aircraft in aviation history. Deployed at Yokota AB, Japan, 19?30 Nov 1950, then split into two echelons. The advance echelon deployed at Taegu AB, South Korea, 1 Dec 1950?30 Jan 1951, while the rear echelon deployed at Itazuke AB, Japan, 9 Dec 1950?31 Jan 1951. Flew combat in Korea, 6 Dec 1950?30 Jun 1951, including armed reconnaissance, interdiction, fighter escort, and close air support missions. The two echelons of the wing combined at Itazuke on 1 Feb 1951, continuing combat from that base. Returned to the United States in Jul 1951 but deployed to provide air defense at Misawa AB, Japan, 6 Oct 1952?13 Feb 1953. Added air refueling as a mission, Jun 1953?May 1955 and Aug 1955?Jun 1957. Wing pilot Capt Forrest W. Wilson, won the Allison Trophy jet aircraft race of the National Aircraft Show at Dayton, OH, on 6 Sep 1953, flying the 110.3-mile course in an F?84G, at an average speed of 537.802 mph in 12:17.2 minutes. Deployed at Sturgate RAF Station, England, 7 May?17 Aug 1955. Converted to F?101s in 1957 after joining the Tactical Air Command. Maj Adrian E. Drew, wing F?101 project officer, broke the world speed record on 12 Dec 1957, when he flew an F?101A over a Mojave Desert course at 1,212.8 mph in one direction and 1,207.5 mph in the opposite direction. Converted to F?100s in late 1958 and early 1959. Deployed at England AFB, LA, 29 Mar?5 May 1961, and at MacDill AFB, FL, 21 Oct?1 Dec 1962, the latter deployment during the Cuban missile crisis. Conducted F?100 pilot and mechanic replacement training, Jan 1966?Jun 1969. Deployed at Holloman AFB, NM, 13 Apr? 12 May 1966. Conducted T/AT?33 forward air controller/air liaison officer training, Dec 1968?Jul 1973, phasing out F?100s in mid-1972, and phasing in F?111s beginning Oct 1969. Continued F?111 operations to 4 Aug 1970, and resumed F?111 operations again on 28 Oct 1970. From Oct 1971 conducted F?111 aircrew replacement training; performed numerous small-scale deployments overseas and throughout CONUS to meet operational requirements; participated in joint training exercises with US Army forces. Provided support personnel and equipment for UN operations in Southwest Asia to liberate Kuwait. Deployed squadron elements on a rotational basis to Incirlik AB, Turkey, to patrol no-fly zone over Northern Iraq in operations to provide humanitarian relief to the Kurds. Gained a squadron of EF?111A aircraft in May 1992 and added an electronic warfare mission.

Honors

Service Streamers. None.

Campaign Streamers. Korea: CCF Intervention; First UN Counteroffensive; CCF Spring Offensive.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.

Decorations. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jan 1981?30 Jun 1982; 1 Jan 1988? 31 Dec 1989. Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation: 9 Nov 1950? 31 May 1951.

Bestowed Honors. Authorized to display honors earned by the 27th Operations Group prior to 15 Aug 1947.

Service Streamers. None.

Campaign Streamers. World War II: Philippine Islands; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Anzio; Rome-Arno; Northern France; Southern France; North Apennines; Rhineland; Central Europe; Air Combat, EAME Theater.

Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Philippine Islands, 7 Dec 1941? [Apr] 1942; Philippine Islands, 8?22 Dec 1941; Philippine Islands, 6 Jan? 8 Mar 1942; Italy, 10 Sep 1943; France, 4 Sep 1944. Philippine Presidential Unit Citation.

Emblem

Per bend Azure and Or, in sinister chief a dexter hand clenched couped at the wrist; in dexter base a magnolia blossom, leaved all Argent fimbriated and garnished Sable, all within a diminished bordure of the second. Motto: INTELLIGENT STRENGTH. Approved for 27th Group on 12 Sep 1940; and for 27th Wing on 11 Jul 1952 (K&KE 17354).