aviano wing commander

February 2004 January 2005, student, F-16 pilot training, Springfield-Beckly Air National Guard Base, Ohio [21], The wing pioneered the development of in flight refueling tactics. Lasica takes over Aviano's 31st Fighter Wing | Stars and Stripes 2002 Aerospace Basic Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. Gen. Robert Yates, was stationed at Homestead Air Force Base, Fla., from 1986 to 1989 while it was home to the 31st. Brig. They distinguished the unit by destroying seven enemy fighters attacking allied shipping during the invasion of Sicily and six more attacking the invasion force on the beaches of Salerno. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes), The lead F-16 at Aviano Air Base, Italy, now bears the name of the new commander of the 31st Fighter Wing, Brig. July 2018 June 2019, Student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. 55 talking about this. The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a compact, multi-role fighter aircraft. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes). From June through December 2001, the fighter squadrons deployed combat search and rescue capabilities three times and helped enforce the no fly zone over Iraq. Bailey to take command of Aviano's 31st Fighter Wing In June 1942, the 31st Pursuit Group was transferred to England without planes and began training in British Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vbs at Achem and High Ercall air bases. All Rights Reserved. Sixteenth Air Force aircraft participated in the raid on the Bosnian-Serb held airfield at Udbina in November 1994. In 1968 they helped defend installations against enemy forces during the Tet Offensive and the siege of Khe Sanh and were later singled out for their outstanding contribution during the extraction of friendly forces from Kham Duc. 2019 Master of Science, National Security Strategy, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency. . [17], One of the highlights of the group's time in North Africa was the selection of the 308th Fighter Squadron to provide combat air patrols for the arrival of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill at the Casablanca conference in Morocco. Supporting this mission, 16 AF planned and executed combat air operations in southern Europe and portions of the Middle East and northern Africa as an air component or joint task force headquarters. 16 AF moved to Aviano AB in August 1992. Then, during the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962, the 31st planned operational missions and participated in events that ultimately led to the removal of missiles from Cuba. Lt. Col Sullivan was classified as missing in action and following the war, was reclassified as killed in action. A F-16C Fighting Falcon of the 31st Fighter Wing landing upon returning from an air-strike against the Bosnian Serbs during Operation . On 30 March 1981, the wing assumed a larger responsibility for training all F-4 aircrews. 2023 Stars and Stripes. 31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs. July 2014 July 2018, F-16 Instructor/Evaluator Pilot, Director of Operations, 31st Operations Support Squadron; Director of Operations, 555th Fighter Squadron; and Commander, 555th Fighter Squadron, Aviano AB, Italy Col. Kevin Crofton is the the Commander, 31st Operations Group, 31st Fighter Wing, Aviano Air Base, Italy. Heriberto Diaz, Third Air Force command chief, waves from an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter assigned to the 56th Rescue Squadron at Aviano Air Base, Italy, Nov. 22, 2022. Like driving the Batmobile into the future: Air Force uses JLTV in mission for 1st time, Trailblazer: First Marine general to lead Defense Intelligence Agency dies at 64, China denounces US Navy reconnaissance planes trip through Taiwan Strait, Reports of sexual assaults increased in Navy, Air Force and Marines in 2022; Army saw decline, New bill aims to expand mental health care for military families, K-Town Now features the latest news from the Kaiserslautern Military Community. Gen. Craig Franklin. The Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber) (16 AF) is a United States Air Force (USAF) organization responsible for information warfare, which encompasses intelligence gathering and analysis, surveillance, reconnaissance, cyber warfare and electronic warfare operations. 1.1.1. [9], The 31st Medical Group supports the readiness of 31st Fighter Wing and associated units throughout the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) southern region, ensuring the health of its community by providing patient-focused medical care from internal, Department of Defense and host nation resources. Brig. In 1995, 1h AF supported Operation Joint Endeavor, the NATO peacekeeping mission to the former Yugoslavia, through operations in Croatia, Hungary and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The wing's support of Operation Iraqi Freedom began in late 2003. Gen. Craig Franklin, 31st Fighter Wing commander, hosted an induction ceremony for 12 Italian community leaders into the Honorary Squadron Commander Program at the La Bella Vista Club here May 8. It is stationed at Aviano Air Base, Italy, a NATO base run by the Italian air force. With approximately 4,200 Active Duty military members, nearly 300 U.S. civilians and 700 Italian civilian employees, the wing conducts and supports air combat operations and maintains munitions for NATO. Gen. Daniel T. Lasica, outgoing commander of the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base, Italy. conducted in 31 FW aircraft, while the 31st Operations Group Commander (31 OG/CC) has the primary responsibility for oversight of the program. On 10 April 2004, insurgents launched a mortar attack on Balad, killing Airman First Class Antoine Holt[33] and injuring two other 603rd members. (U.S. Air Force) AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy Brig. Win the current fight and be ready to win the next fight. He said he’s also proud of the wing’s battle against drinking and driving, citing a decline in incidents of driving under the influence from 22 at the same point last year to eight this year. It supported approximately 11,000 Air Force and civilian members at two main operating bases, four support bases and other sites in Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Croatia, Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Hungary, Macedonia, Greece, Turkey and Israel; and conducted peacetime engagement throughout the region. While leaving Aviano is certainly bittersweet, the sweet part is having the Landrums join the team, Seguin said. The mission of the 31st Fighter Wing, Aviano Air Base, Italy, is to deter through safe, secure, effective operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Brooke Moeder), U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Derek France, Third Air Force commander, poses for a photo with individuals assigned to the 31st Fighter Wing who were recognized for exceptional performance at Aviano Air Base, Italy, Nov. 21, 2022. Today marks the 78th Anniversary of the Liberation of Italy. Landrum becomes the 15th commander of the wing at Aviano and 44th since U.S. forces first came to the base in 1955. The 31st FW has the 57th Rescue Squadron thatleads, organizes, trains and equips Guardian Angel forces and combat support teams to conduct day and night personnel recovery operations in combat, as well as to provide combatant commanders with options to report, locate, recover and reintegrate isolated personnel. On 6 July 1952 the wing executed Operation Fox Peter One, the mass movement of the entire wing from Turner Field to Misawa Air Base, Japan using aerial refueling to fly non-stop from Turner to Travis Air Force Base, California, and from Travis to Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. The organization was the first newly established Numbered Air Force (NAF) by the USAF after World War II. Amid investigation, Hill maintenance group gets third commander in 11 Aviano's 31st Fighter Wing gets new commander - Stars and Stripes Bailey to take command of Aviano's 31st Fighter Wing Bailey will command the only permanently assigned Air Force fighter aircraft wing in NATOs southern region. Airman Holt's death constituted the 31st wing's first combat fatality since the Vietnam War. Colonel June 1, 2019, An official website of the United States government, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy — Brig. Home - 31st Force Support Squadron [4], At the end of the Cold War Sixteenth Air Force consisted of the following units:[3][5][6]. PDF By Order of The Commander Aviano Air Base Instruction 31st Fighter Wing In advance to the relocation, the 56th RQS first deployed to Aviano AB . Heriberto Diaz, Third Air Force command chief, shoots a weapon during an immersion at the 31st Security Forces Squadron Combat Arms Training and Maintenance facility at Aviano Air Base, Italy, Nov. 22, 2022. DVIDS - Video - 100 Years of the Italian Air Force - In Focus First 31 PCS Start - 31st Force Support Squadron During that time, the wing secured, bedded and fed more than 2,300 Army and Air Force personnel. He got a short round of applause for it and a bit of envy from Seguin, whos leaving for a post with U.S. Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany, after two years in Italy on his second tour at Aviano. All Rights Reserved. Since arriving at Aviano, the wing has also participated in numerous training exercises with international partners, including training deployments to Latvia, the Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria, Spain, Slovenia and Poland. The 16th AETF was inactivated in April 2008. On 15 October 1970, the wing returned to Homestead without people or equipment as part of the United States force reduction in Vietnam. Brig. ( Chad Trujillo/U.S. It has two squadrons of F-16Cs. (Chad Trujillo/U.S. This 606th ACS unit is comprised of more than 400 Airmen from 25 diverse Air Force specialty codes and $173M of rapidly deployable equipment including two TPS-75 radars, long-haul communications equipment, generators, tactical vehicles and a computer-based information system providing a real-time battlespace picture. During his visit, France toured the 56th and 57th Rescue Squadrons, the 31st SFS CATM facility, 606th Air Control Squadron, the Comprehensive Operational Medicine for Battle Ready Airmen clinic, and more. EDUCATION (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Brooke Moeder), U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Derek France, Third Air Force commander, left, and U.S. Air Force Brig. 724th Air Mobility Squadron. ASSIGNMENTS Commander: Lt Gen Kevin B. Kennedy Jr. Vice Commander: Maj Gen David M. Gaedecke: Deputy Commander: . The 31st FW is the only U.S. fighter wing south of the Alps. 2. [31], In 1999, USAFE activated the 31st Air Expeditionary Wing-NOBLE ANVIL (31st AEW) at Aviano for Operation Allied Force, the NATO operation to stop Serbian atrocities in the Province of Kosovo. AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy Brig. Every building at Homestead AFB received some damage, many buildings were destroyed. At the same time, the wing switched from flying North American F-100 Super Sabres to McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom IIs.[24]. Its mission was to execute aerospace operations through expeditionary force command and control in support of the U.S. European Command and NATO. More. In June 1965, the wing deployed the 307th Tactical Fighter Squadron to Bien Hoa Air Base, Republic of Vietnam. News - AF [19], As the Allied forces looked to Europe, the 31st once again rose to the challenge as they were the first US Army Air Forces unit in combat in Malta and Sicily and the first to land in Italy. January 2005 November 2007, F-16 Flight Lead, Electronic Combat Pilot, Cannon AFB, N.M. The 57th RQS provides personnel recovery, combat search and rescue, civil search and rescue and casualty evacuation subject matter experts to fulfill USEUCOM, USAFRICOM and NATO security cooperation requirements. from around the world. Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters Air Medal with seven oak leaf clusters WING PLAN DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT . Two months later in November, the 31st Fighter Wing was organized as part of the test by the Air Force of the wing base organization system, which unified combat groups and their support organizations under a single wing, carrying the same number as the combat group. llamas.norman@stripes.com Twitter: @normanllamas. Col. Timothy P. Maxwell is the Commander of the 31st Mission Support Group, Aviano Air Base, Italy. In recognition of these achievements, the wing was awarded its second Outstanding Unit Award. 2:48. AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy Brig. It is stationed at Aviano Air Base, Italy, a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) base run by the Italian Air Force. and the OSS Commander normally signs for unaffiliated aircrew. The 31st Pursuit Group, the predecessor unit of the wing's 31st Operations Group, was activated at Selfridge Field, Michigan, on 1 February 1940. The group also responds to humanitarian and contingency logistics support requirements as directed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff through Headquarters United States Air Forces Europe (USAFE) to locations in Europe, Africa, and Southwest Asia. Best nuclear assurance inspection grade in years, Ray said. 4. The 16 AF also operated SAC bases in Morocco from 1958 through 1963. The counteroffensive, however, was short-lived and by May 1943, the Germans surrendered in North Africa. In late 2003, the wing's 603rd Air Control Squadron became the first unit from the wing to deploy to Iraq. Aerial Achievement Medal It provides a relatively low-cost, high-performance weapon system for the United States and allied nations. 7217th Air Base Group, at Ankara Air Station, 6917th Electronic Security Squadron, operating an, 6931st Electronic Security Squadron (SIGINT unit), 7116th Tactical Control Flight, at Torrejn Air Base, 39th Wing (later 39th Air Base Wing) (see 39th Tactical Group), 1989th Communications Wing, 1 October 1990 10 August 1992, 7602d Support Wing (later 3977th Support Wing, 3977th Support Group), 1 January 1 July 1960, 406th Tactical Fighter Training Group, 1 July 1970 15 July 1972, 3977th Support Group (see 7602d Support Wing, after 1960), Integrated Air Defense Systems Analysis Squadron, Geospatial Intelligence and Measurements and Signatures Intelligence Analysis Squadron, C4 Information Operations Analysis Squadron, This page was last edited on 21 March 2023, at 00:03. Brig. The 31st FW also hosts the 56th Rescue Squadron providing a rapidly-deployable, worldwide combat rescue and reaction force response utilizing HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters. During 1953, the wing, then known as the 31st Strategic Fighter Wing, deployed to Japan and Alaska to provide air defense in the northern Pacific. The 31st wing arrived at Tuy Hoa, and was assigned to the 7th Air Force, on Christmas Day 1966. Gen. Jason Bailey, incoming commander of the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base, Italy. Military Personnel Flight - 31st Force Support Squadron Anna Jongsma, 31st Operations Support Squadron main shop aircrew flight equipment NCOIC, right, gives flight gloves to U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Derek France, Third Air Force commander, before he flies in an HH-60G Pave Hawk assigned to the 56th Rescue Squadron at Aviano Air Base, Italy, Nov. 21, 2022. In March 1944 the group exchanged their Spitfires for the new North American P-51 Mustangs. The 31st FW is the only U.S. fighter wing south of the Alps. 6. He has more than 10 years of experience as an Army photojournalist and has served as a photojournalism instructor at the Defense Information School. Aviano Air Base on Instagram: "FAMILY | Aviano Air Base hosted a tour General Michael E. Ryan is Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. As Chief, he serves as the senior uniformed Air Force officer responsible for the organization, training and equipage of 700,000 active-duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian forces serving in the United States and overseas. In the fall of 1995, 16 AF supported Operation Deliberate Force, the U.N.-sanctioned/NATO executed attacks on Bosnian-Serb forces. On 1 December 2006, the Sixteenth Air Force was inactivated at Ramstein AB and simultaneously reconstituted as the Sixteenth Air Expeditionary Task Force at Izmir Air Base, Turkey. France and other Third Air Force leadership toured the 56th RQS and learned about the squadrons mission sets and capabilities. (U.S. Air Force). On 11 October 2019, Sixteenth Air Force (16 AF) was reactivated as the new Information Warfare (IW) Numbered Air Force (NAF), following the merger of the Twenty-Fourth and Twenty-Fifth Air Forces. Col. OConnor received his commission from the Air Force ROTC program at the University of Notre Dame in 2001, and earned his wings at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, in 2003. July 2011 July 2014, F-16 Instructor/Evaluator Pilot, Executive Officer to the Seventh Air Force Commander, Chief of Wing Standardization and Evaluation, Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea A new commander is taking charge of the 309th Aircraft Maintenance Group at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, on Monday as the organization shuffles leadership for the second time in less than a year. In the aftermath, the Secretary of Defense recommended complete closure of the base, but in June 1993, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommended realigning the base under the Air Force Reserve Command and inactivating the 31st Fighter Wing. Gen. Daniel T. Lasica, outgoing commander of the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base, Italy. Like driving the Batmobile into the future: Air Force uses JLTV in mission for 1st time, Trailblazer: First Marine general to lead Defense Intelligence Agency dies at 64, China denounces US Navy reconnaissance planes trip through Taiwan Strait, Reports of sexual assaults increased in Navy, Air Force and Marines in 2022; Army saw decline, New bill aims to expand mental health care for military families, K-Town Now features the latest news from the Kaiserslautern Military Community. The 31st Fighter Wing (31 FW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe major command and the Third Air Force. They received their second Distinguished Unit Citation in July 1944 following a mission to escort P-38s on a raid from Ukraine into Romania and Poland. With approximately 4,200 active duty military members, nearly 300 U.S. civilians and 700 Italian civilian employees, the wing conducts and supports air combat operations, and maintains munitions for NATO. The 31st Fighter Wing was the first F-16 Falcon unit to fly combat missions utilizing night vision goggles, and wing aircraft provided close air support during Pope John Paul II's historic visit to Sarajevo. United States Naval War College, 1993 L101RB: ADP 6-22, Army Leadership, US Department of the Army. Today the wing remains a major participant in support of Balkan air operations. As a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he . After the U.S. force reduction in Vietnam, the wing switched to F-4s. In 1966, a year after SAC withdrew its B-47 alert force from Spain, the 16 AF was reassigned to U.S. Air Forces in Europe. [11][12][13][14], The 31st Fighter Wing currently has two operational squadrons, the 555th and 510th Fighter Squadrons flying the F-16CG/DG. Aviano airman's death was from coronavirus, family and friends say On 15 October 1972, Captains James L. Hendrickson and Gary M. Rubus[27] of the 307th Tactical Fighter Squadron[28] shot down a MiG-21 northeast of Hanoi. From March to September 2000, the 510th and 555th Fighter Squadrons conducted back-to-back deployments to Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base, Kuwait, in support of Operation Southern Watch. It was activated in 1954 as a Joint Military Group to provide command and control of USAF activities in Spain, being designated a NAF in 1956. Brig. In 1957, 16 AF was realigned under Strategic Air Command (SAC) to provide command and control of SAC bases and B-47 Stratojet rotational units assigned and deployed to Spain and Morocco. In one of them, pilots and aircraft from the wing set a record at Balad Air Base by flying 667 sorties in less than a month. 2023 Stars and Stripes. [4] The 31st Fighter Wing has acted as a key player in several significant engagements and operations during its long history, including several operations in Vietnam, the Balkans and Operation Odyssey Dawn. Following the war, the 31st Fighter Group, as it was now called, activated at Giebelstadt Army Airfield, Germany as part of the US occupation forces, on 20 August 1946, where they flew Lockheed P-80 Shooting Stars, the first operational American jet fighter aircraft. But with the massive Aviano 2000 construction project starting to wind down, the changes have started to shift to the personnel side. As part of the most extensive restructuring since the Air Force became a separate service, Tactical Air Command was inactivated and Air Combat Command was activated and the 31st Tactical Fighter Wing was redesignated to its current name, the 31st Fighter Wing.[4]. Lieutenant Colonel January 1, 2016 (Chad Trujillo/U.S. Gen. Jason E. Bailey is scheduled to take command of Avianos 31st Fighter Wing during a virtual ceremony Friday, wing officials said.