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Portal:United States Air Force/Article Spotlight/1
Photo credit:SSgt. Aaron Allmon, USAF, 15 December 2008.
366th Fighter Wing is a composite unit of the
United States Air Force headquartered at
Mountain Home Air Force Base,
Idaho. Originally activated as the 366th Fighter Group on 10 June 1943, the wing has served in
World War II,
Vietnam, the
Persian Gulf War, and the
Global War on Terror. The 366th currently consists of two squadrons of
F-15E Strike Eagles, one squadron of
F-15C Eagle.
Portal:United States Air Force/Article Spotlight/2
Carswell Air Force Base served as an active base for the Army Air Force and later the Air Force from 1942-1994. The base hosted a number of units in that time, most prominently the
7th Bombardment Wing staging bomber and tanker aircraft for Strategic Air Command and later Air Combat Command. However, it also support Air Force Reserve Command fighters from the
301st Fighter Wing. The base was closed the 1991
BRAC commission recommendation. Today it serves as
Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth and continues to host the 301st Fighter Wing along with the
136th Airlift Wing.
Portal:United States Air Force/Article Spotlight/3
United States Air Force Memorial was designed by
James Ingo Freed under direction of the Air Force to honor the men and women who have served in the Air Force and its predecessors. The memorial consists of three 270 foot, stainless steel arcs reminiscent of the
Thunderbirds "bomb burst" maneuver. The memorial also contains four statues by Zenos Frudakis depicting an
Air Force Honor Guard formation. The memorial is located on
Fort Myer,
Virginia near
The Pentagon.
Portal:United States Air Force/Article Spotlight/4
The
Air Force Honor Guard consists of specially training Air Force members who conduct ceremonial functions. Honor guards typically perform ceremonial functions at funerals, weddings, and
present the colors at formal occasions. Each air force base maintains its own honor guard for local functions while the national honor guard conducts national-level ceremonies and includes a
drill team that performs exhibitions worldwide.
Portal:United States Air Force/Article Spotlight/5
Hawgsmoke is a biennial gunnery competition for
A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft and pilots. The event began in 2000 as a replacement for the defunct "
Gunsmoke" competition. Hawgsmoke allows the A-10 community to meet every two years to share tactics and experiences. The winner of each competition hosts the subsequent event.
Portal:United States Air Force/Article Spotlight/6
Operation Varsity was the airborne component of
Operation Plunder, the
allied invasion of Germany on 24 March 1945. A total of 1,702 aircraft and 1,320 gliders, including
C-46 Commandos,
C-47 Skytrains,
C-54 Skymasters,
CG-4 Wacos,
Airspeed Horsas, and
General Aircraft Hamilcar dropped 16,607 members of the
British 6th Airborne Division and
American 17th Airborne Division. The operation was successful in establishing a bridgehead across the Rhine River aiding a wider Allied advance.
Portal:United States Air Force/Article Spotlight/7
The
37th Training Wing is based at
Lackland Air Force Base. It was initially activated in 1940 and served in the
Panama Canal Zone during
World War II. The wing saw extensive action during the
Vietnam War as host unit of
Phu Cat Air Base,
South Vietnam. In the 1980s the wing trained
Wild Weasel pilots in the
F-4 Phantom II before taking over
F-117 Nighthawk operations in 1989 and participating in
Operation Just Cause and
Operation Desert Storm. The wing took over Air Force
basic military training in 1993.
Portal:United States Air Force/Article Spotlight/8
MiG Alley was the name of an air corridor over the northwest part of
North Korea. During the
Korean War MiG Alley saw the first large scale jet combat mostly between
F-86 Sabre and Soviet-built
MiG-15 Fagot aircraft. The area became known for fierce aerial combat after
Chinese and
Soviet pilots began flying against
United Nations forces. The jet-on-jet combat continued from November 1950 until the armistice on 27 July 1953. The actual number of aircraft shot down by both sides over MiG Alley has never been fully confirmed with both sides claiming more kills than the opposing side acknowledged losses. Regardless of the actual numbers, however, the aerial combat claimed many lives through the course of the war.
Portal:United States Air Force/Article Spotlight/9
The
Nine-O-Nine is a
B-17 Flying Fortress that gained fame during
World War II for flying 140 combat missions over in the
European Theater of Operations from 25 February 1944 to the end of the war in Europe on 7 May 1945. The aircraft was assigned to the 323d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy),
91st Bombardment Group (Heavy). Through the course of the war the aircraft dropped 562,000 pounds of bombs, while flying 1,129 hours, including 18 missions over
Berlin. After the war the aircraft served as a firefighting aircraft before being restored to its World War II condition. The Nine-O-Nine currently serves flying in air shows with the Collings Foundation.
Portal:United States Air Force/Article Spotlight/10
Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station is a facility located within Cheyenne Mountain southwest of
Colorado Springs, Colorado. The facility was constructed in the early 1960s to provide a survivable installation to house the
North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and is responsible for monitoring all
aerospace over
North America for external threats. The installation was designed and built with the
Cold War Soviet nuclear threat in mind. Consequently, it is capable of withstanding a 30-megaton blast within 1 nautical-mile (1.9 km). It is also capable of withstanding
seismic shock and an
electromagnetic pulse (EMP) while remaining entirely self-sufficient for brief periods of time.
Portal:United States Air Force/Article Spotlight/11
Operation Vittles, better known as the Berlin Airlift, was launched on 24 June 1948 in response to the
Soviet blockade of
West Berlin. The airlift continued for fifteen months, until 30 September 1949. Flying primarily
C-47 Skytrain and
C-54 Skymaster aircraft the USAF delivered a total of nearly 1,783,573 tons of supplies. The
Royal Air Force delivered a further 541,937 tons totaling 2,326,406 tons on 278,228 total flights. Through the course of the operation seventeen USAF crashed resulting in the deaths of 31 personnel. The airlift directly resulted in the failure of the Soviet policy and an early
Cold War victory for
NATO.
Portal:United States Air Force/Article Spotlight/12
Air Force One is the
call sign for any USAF aircraft carrying the
President of the United States (POTUS). The first aircraft dedicated to presidential airlift was a specially outfitted
C-54 Skymaster nicknamed
Sacred Cow served
Franklin D. Roosevelt and
Harry S. Truman. The name 'Air Force One' was first used in 1953 after an incident in which
Dwight D. Eisenhower's aircraft shared a call sign with a commercial flight. A number of different airframes have been used for presidential transport, including a
C-118 Liftmaster,
C-121 Constellation, and a
C-137 Stratoliner. Currently Air Force One is most commonly a modified
Boeing 747-200B designated as
VC-25 by the Air Force.
Portal:United States Air Force/Article Spotlight/13
The
Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is the official civilian
auxiliary of the
United States Air Force (USAF). It was created on 1 December 1941 by
Administrative Order 9, with Major General
John F. Curry as the first CAP national commander. Civil Air Patrol is credited with sinking at least two German
U-boats during
World War II. Today, CAP is no longer called on to destroy
submarines, but is instead is dedicated to education and national service. It is a volunteer organization with a strongly aviation-minded membership. It performs four key missions:
emergency services (including
search and rescue),
aerospace education for youth and the general public, cadet programs, and
homeland security.
Portal:United States Air Force/Article Spotlight/14
Operation Linebacker II was a
U.S. Air Force Seventh Air Force and
U.S. Navy Task Force 77 maximum effort aerial bombardment campaign, conducted against targets in the
Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV or North Vietnam) during the final period of the American commitment to the
Vietnam War. The operation, which contrasted with Operation Rolling Thunder's (1965-1968) graduated bombing, was conducted from 18 December to 29 December 1972, and saw the largest heavy bomber strikes launched by the
U.S. Air Force since the end of the
Second World War.
Linebacker II was a resumption of the
Operation Linebacker bombings conducted from May to October, with the emphasis of the new campaign shifted to attacks by
B-52 Stratofortress bombers rather than tactical fighter aircraft.
Portal:United States Air Force/Article Spotlight/15
Established in 1954, the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) is an institution for the undergraduate education of officers for the United States Air Force. Graduates of the four-year program receive a Bachelor of Science degree and most are commissioned as second lieutenants in the United States Air Force.
The program at the Academy is guided by its core values of
"Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence In All We Do," and based on four "pillars" of excellence: military training, academics, athletics and character development. In addition to a rigorous military training regimen, cadets also take a broad academic course load with an extensive core curriculum in engineering, humanities, social sciences, basic sciences, military studies and physical education. All cadets participate in either intercollegiate or intramural athletics, and a thorough character development and leadership curriculum provide cadets a basis for future officership. Each of the components of the program is intended to give cadets the skills and knowledge that they will need for success as officers.
Portal:United States Air Force/Article Spotlight/16
The B-52 aircraft crash at Fairchild Air Force Base was a fatal air crash that occurred on June 24, 1994, killing the four crew members of a United States Air Force (USAF) B-52 Stratofortress during a training flight. In the crash, Bud Holland, who was the command pilot of the aircraft based at Fairchild Air Force Base, call sign Czar 52, flew the aircraft beyond its operational parameters and lost control. As a result, the aircraft stalled, impacted the ground, and was completely destroyed. Video of the crash was shown throughout the United States on news broadcasts.
The accident investigation concluded that the chain of events leading to the crash was primarily attributable to Holland's personality and behavior, USAF leaders' reactions to it, and the sequence of events during the mishap flight of the aircraft. Today, the crash is used in military and civilian aviation environments as a
case study in teaching
crew resource management. Also, the crash is often used by the USAF during safety training as an example of the importance of compliance with safety regulations and correcting the behavior of anyone who violates safety procedures.
Portal:United States Air Force/Article Spotlight/17
Operation Barrel Roll was a covert
U.S. Air Force 2nd Air Division (later the
Seventh Air Force) and
U.S. Navy Task Force 77,
interdiction and
close air support campaign conducted in the
Kingdom of Laos between 14 December 1964 and 29 March 1973 concurrent with the
Vietnam War. The original purpose of the operation was to serve as a signal to the
Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) to cease its support for the
insurgency then taking place in the
Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam). This action was taken within Laos due to the location of North Vietnam's expanding logistical corridor known as the
Ho Chi Minh Trail (the Truong Son Road to the North Vietnamese). The campaign then centered on the interdiction of that logistical system. The operation became increasingly involved in providing close air support missions for
Royal Lao Armed Forces,
CIA-backed tribal mercenaries, and Thai "volunteers" in a covert ground war in northern and northeastern Laos.
Barrel Roll and the "Secret Army" attempted to stem an increasing tide of
People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and
Pathet Lao offensives. The operation was one of the most closely-held secrets and one of the most unknown components of the American military commitment in
Southeast Asia. Due to the
neutrality of Laos, guaranteed by the
Geneva Conference of 1954 and
1962, both the U.S. and North Vietnam strove to maintain the secrecy of their operations and only slowly escalated military actions there.
Portal:United States Air Force/Article Spotlight/18
Diego Garcia is an
atoll located in the heart of the
Indian Ocean, some 1,000 miles (1,600 km) south off
India's southern coast. It is the largest atoll by land area of the
Chagos Archipelago. It is part of the
British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), a
British Overseas Territory. Since the enforced
depopulation of Diego Garcia in the years leading up to 1973, it has been used as a military base by the
United States. Diego Garcia hosts one of three Ground-based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance (GEODSS) (others are on
Kwajalein and
Ascension Island) that assist the
United States Space Surveillance Network.
Portal:United States Air Force/Article Spotlight/19
RAF Mildenhall is a
Royal Air Force station currently utilized by the
100th Air Refueling Wing and the
352d Special Operations Group. The base was initially opened in 1934. Through
World War II it hosted RAF bombers. With the ensuing
Cold War RAF Mildenhall was used as a staging base for
Strategic Air Command and hosted USAF bombers on a rotating basis. Beginning in the 1970s the bomber role was replaced by a reconnaissance as Mildenhall began hosting
U-2 and
SR-71 aircraft. As the Cold War ended so too did the reconnaissance mission at RAF Mildenhall. Beginning in the 1990s the base began primarily serving a mobility role with
KC-135 Stratotankers.
Portal:United States Air Force/Article Spotlight/20
The
1st Special Operations Wing was first established as the 16th Pursuit Group in 1923. The unit provided air defense for the
Panama Canal Zone from 1932-1943 when it was transferred to
India and participated in operations in the
China-Burma-India Theater. During the
Vietnam War the wing conducted
unconventional warfare training for the
South Vietnamese Air Force and conducted combat operations during the war. Since the end of the Vietnam War elements of the wing have participated in several combat operations including Operations
Eagle Claw,
Urgent Fury,
Just Cause,
Desert Shield/Storm,
Deliberate Force/Joint Endeavor,
Enduring Freedom, and
Iraqi Freedom.
Portal:United States Air Force/Article Spotlight/21
The
Kee Bird was a
B-29 Superfortress that was specially modified to conduct photo
reconnaissance. The aircraft was assigned to the
46th Reconnaissance Squadron based at
Ladd Army Airfield,
Alaska where it initially flew missions designed to test equipment and procedures for arctic operations and train flight crews for arctic missions. On 20 February 1947 the aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing in
Greenland. The crew was rescued after a four-day search effort, however, the Kee Bird was unable to fly and left on the ice. In 1994 an aircraft restoration team flew to the crash site and attempted to restore the Kee Bird, however, their attempt to fly it out in May 1995 resulted in a fire that destroyed much of the Kee Bird. The wreckage now lies at the bottom of a frozen lake in Greenland.
