14th Operations Group
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14th Operations Group
| 14th Operations Group | |
|---|---|
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| Active | 1941–1960; 1991–present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Type | Training |
| Part of | 14th Flying Training Wing |
| Garrison/HQ | Columbus Air Force Base |
| Nickname | Blaze |
| Motto | Day and Night – Peace and War |
| Engagements |
 
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| Decorations |  PUC MUA AFOUA |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Colonel Roger Watkins |
| Notable commanders |
Robert H. Foglesong |
The 14th Operations Group (14 OG) is the flying component of the 14th Flying Training Wing, assigned to the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command. The group is stationed at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi.
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Contents
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Overview
The 14th Operations Group and its six squadrons are responsible for the 52-week Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training (SUPT) mission at Columbus AFB or the U.S. Air Force and international officers. The group uses a fleet of T-6, T-38, and T-1 aircraft and flight simulators.
The Group's 250 aircraft fly about 90,000 hours annually in 11,500 square miles (30,000 km2) of airspace.
Components
The 14th Operations Group (Tail Code: CB) consists of the following squadrons:
- 37th Flying Training Squadron (37 FTS) T-6 Texan II "Bengal Tigers"
- 41st Flying Training Squadron (41 FTS) T-6 Texan II "Flying Buzzsaws"
- 43d Flying Training Squadron (43 FTS) T-1 Jayhawk and T-38 Talon
- 48th Flying Training Squadron (48 FTS) T-1 Jayhawk "Alley Cats"
- 49th Fighter Training Squadron (49 FTS) T-38 Talon "Black Knights"
- 50th Flying Training Squadron (50 FTS) T-38 Talon "Strikn' Snakes"
- 14th Operations Support Squadron (14 OSS)
History
World War II
The 14th Pursuit Group was activated on 15 January 1941 at Hamilton Field, California.[1] Reassigned to March Field in California in early June 1941.[1] Trained with Curtiss P-40s, P-43 Lancers and P-38D/E Lightnings. Reassigned back to Hamilton Field on 7 February 1942 to receive operational P-38F and flew flying patrols on the west coast of the US after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.[1] Although these fighters were not yet combat ready, these outfits had the only truly modern fighters then available to the USAAF, and provided West Coast defense at a time that Japanese attacks on the US mainland were believed to be imminent.
Even though the defense of the US west coast initially took priority, plans were made in the spring of 1942 to deploy the 14th and other P-38 squadrons to Great Britain. The group was redesignated as the 14th Fighter Group in May 1942.[1] The Ground echelon departed 16 July 1942 on the first stage of the movement to England. They sailed on the USS West Point in early August 1942, and arrived in Liverpool on 17 August 1942. The air echelon departed to Bradley Field, Connecticut on 1 July 1942. They flew P-38s to the United Kingdom via the northern ferry route. The first aircraft departed Presque Isle, Maine on 22 July 1942. The 50th Fighter Squadron remained in Iceland and was reassigned to the 342d Composite Group to assist the Curtiss P-40Cs of the 33rd Fighter Squadron in the flying of defensive patrols over the Atlantic.
This was the first transatlantic crossing successfully made by single-seat fighters. In Britain, the group was stationed at RAF Atcham as part of Eighth Air Force.
The 14th was reassigned to Twelfth Air Force XII Fighter Command on 14 September 1942, but continued to operate under VIII Fighter Command until mid-October flying sweeps over France and performing practice missions under the Royal Air Force's guidance.
The Ground echelon left Atcham on 30 October 1942, and sailed on the USS Brazil and USS Uruguay from Liverpool and arrived in Oran, Algeria on 10 November 1942. The air echelon departed for North Africa on 6 November 1942, and flew to Tafaraoui airfield, Algeria from 10 to 14 November 1942.[1]
From bases in Algeria, and later Tunisia, the group flew escort, strafing, and reconnaissance missions from the middle of November 1942 to late in January 1943. The Lightnings were soon in regular combat in the North African Campaign. The 14th contributed a great deal toward the establishment of local air superiority in the area, being effective against bombers and had wreaked great havoc among Rommel's air transport well out to sea. The P-38s earned the German nickname "der Gabelschwanz Teufel"--the Fork-Tailed Devil. In January 1943, the 14th was withdrawn from combat, with some of the men and planes being reassigned to the 1st and 82d groups.
The group resumed operational combat operations in May, being re-equipped with the P-38F and some P-38Gs. Already prior to the Axis defeat in Tunisia, the Northwest African Air Forces (of which the Twelfth Air Force was a component) had begun preparations for the invasion of Sicily. Attacks on Sicily, on Pantelleria and on Lampedusa were stepped up in preparation for Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily on 10 July 1943. The group flew dive-bombing missions during the Allied assault on Pantelleria. Helped prepare for and support the invasions of Sicily and Italy. Lieut H. T. Hanna of the 14th Fighter Group made ace in one day by destroying five Junkers Ju 87 dive bombers on 9 October 1943.
Reassigned to Fifteenth Air Force in November 1943, being assigned to Triolo Airfield, Italy.[1] Engaged primarily in escort work flying many missions to cover bombers engaged in long-range operations against strategic objectives in Italy, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Rumania, and Bulgaria. However, on occasion, they escorted the medium bombers of the Twelfth Air Force.
On 2 April 1944, the 14th Fighter Group earned a Distinguished Unit Citation for escorting bombers attacking ball-bearing and aircraft production facilities at Steyr, Austria.[1]
In late July and early August 1944, the 14th flew a shuttle missions to Russia and returned to their Italian base after spending three days at a Soviet base in the Ukraine. Along with their P-51 escorts, they shot down thirty German planes and destroyed twelve on the ground. The last Lightning shuttle mission was flown on 4/6 August.
The group provided escort for reconnaissance operations, supported the invasion of Southern France in August 1944, and on numerous occasions flew long-range missions to strafe and dive-bomb motor vehicles, trains, bridges, supply areas, airdromes, and troop concentrations in an area extending from France to the Balkans.
The 14th Fighter Group was inactivated in Italy on 9 September 1945.[1]
Cold War
Activated in the US on 20 November 1946 at Dow Field, Maine[1] as part of Air Defense Command First Air Force, the unit being activated as a replacement for the 355th Fighter Group due to the Air Force's policy of retaining only low-numbered groups on active duty after the war and assumed the 355th's personnel and equipment. Assigned squadrons were 37th, 48th and 49th Fighter Squadrons. The 14th Fighter Group was one of the first USAAF groups assigned to Air Defense Command.
The group's 37th Fighter Squadron was initially equipped with surplus P-47N Thunderbolts and later with first generation P-84B Thunderjets. Responsible for air defense of the Northeastern United States. In July 1947 deployed to Muroc AFB, California to conduct accelerated service tests with new F-84Bs prior to acceptance. First operational production USAF F-84Bs arrived at Dow AFB on 7 November; the last P-84B was delivered in February 1948.
Throughout the winter of 1947/48 the 14th Fighter Group lost three F-84s at Dow. Findings indicated that the extreme cold weather at the base enhanced aircraft performance over what was found during testing in California, however as the temperatures moderated in the spring of 1948, accident rate remained high.
Assigned to 26th Air Division on 25 August 1948 with the creation of ADC's first Air Divisions. Mission was daylight and fair weather defense of northeast United States from New York City north to Maine/New Brunswick border, shared with 52d Fighter Group (All-Weather) at Mitchel AFB, New York which flew F-82 Twin Mustangs for night and inclement weather operations. In July 1949, group sent sixteen F-84Bs to New York City for flyover display at newly-opened Idlewild Airport.
Inactivated on 2 October 1949[1] due to budget cutbacks. F-84B aircraft returned to Republic Aircraft for refurbishment and reassignement to Air National Guard units.
The group was redesignated as the 14th Fighter Group (Air Defense) and reactivated on 18 August 1955 at Ethan Allen AFB, Vermont[1] as part of ADC's Project Arrow, which was designed to bring back on the active list the fighter units that had compiled memorable records in the two world wars.[2] It was initially assigned to Air Defense Command (ADC)'s 4711th Defense Wing[3] and equipped with F-86D Sabre interceptor aircraft. It was reassigned to the 32d Air Division (Defense), 1 March 1956.[3] Its 37th FIS upgraded in 1958 to the F-102 Delta Dagger interceptors until being inactivated on 23 May 1960.
Modern era
On 9 December 1991, the 14th Operations Group (14 OG) was activated as a result of the 14th Flying Training Wing implementing the USAF objective wing organization. Upon activation, the 14th OG was bestowed the lineage and history of the 14th Fighter Group. The 14th OG was assigned flying components of the 14th FTW.
From activation, the group trained pilots in fighter fundamentals, using AT-38 aircraft. Fighter fundamentals training at Columbus resumed on 10 May 2007 with the reassignment of the 49th Fighter Training Squadron from Moody AFB. On 27 January 1995, Second Lieutenant Kelly Flinn graduated from pilot training with the 14th Operations Group on her way to becoming the first woman to enter B-52 Stratofortress combat crew training.
Lineage
- Constituted as 14th Pursuit Group (Fighter) on 20 November 1940[1]
- Activated on 15 January 1941
- Redesignated 14th Fighter Group on 15 May 1942
- Inactivated on 9 September 1945
- Activated on 20 November 1946, replacing 355th Fighter Group
- Inactivated on 2 October 1949
- Redesignated 14th Fighter Group (Air Defense) on 20 June 1955
- Activated on 18 August 1955, replacing 517th Air Defense Group
- Discontinued and inactivated on 25 June 1960
- Redesignated: 14th Tactical Fighter Group on 31 July 1985 (unit remained inactive)
- Redesignated: 14th Operations Group on 9 December 1991
- Activated on 15 December 1991.
Assignments
- 10th Pursuit Wing, 15 January 1941
- 9 Pursuit Wing, 1 June 1941
- IV Bomber Command, 5 September 1941
- Attached to IV Interceptor Command, 17 October–December 1941
- IV Interceptor (later, IV Fighter) Command, 26 January 1942
- 6th Fighter Wing, 14 August 1942
- XII Fighter Command, 14 September 1942
- XII Bomber Command, 11 December 1942
- 7th Fighter Wing, January 1943
- Northwest African Training Command, February 1943
- 5th Bombardment Wing, May 1943
- Northwest African Tactical Air Force, 10 July 1943
- 5th Bombardment Wing,14 July 1943
- 2686 Medium Bombardment Wing (Provisional), 25 July 1943
- 5th Bombardment Wing, September 1943
- 306th Fighter Wing, 27 March 1944
- 305th Fighter Wing (Provisional), 3 September 1944
- 305th Bombardment Wing, Heavy, 12 June 1945
- Fifteenth Air Force, September-9 September 1945
- First Air Force, 20 November 1946
- 14th Fighter Wing, 15 August 1947 – 2 October 1949
- 4711th Air Defense Wing, 18 August 1955
- 32d Air Division (Defense), 1 March 1956
- Bangor Air Defense Sector, 1 August 1958 – 25 June 1960
- 14th Flying Training Wing, 15 December 1991–present
Components
- 37th Fighter (later, 37th Fighter-Interceptor; 37th Flying Training): 1 March 1943 – 9 September 1945; 20 November 1946-2 October 1949; 18 August 1955 – 1 May 1960; 15 December 1991–present
- 41st Flying Training: 1 October 1998–present
- 43d Flying Training: 15 December 1991 – 1 October 1992
- 48th Pursuit (later, 48th Fighter; 48th Flying Training): 15 January 1941 – 9 September 1945; 20 November 1946-2 October 1949; 1 July 1996–present
- 49th Pursuit (later, 49th Fighter; 49th Flying Training; 49th Fighter Training): 15 January 1941 – 9 September 1945; 20 November 1946-2 October 1949; 15 December 1991 – 18 September 1992; 1 July 1993-10 October 2000; 10 May 2007–present
- 50th Pursuit (later, 50th Fighter; 50th Flying Training): 15 January 1941 – 14 November 1942; 15 December 1991–present
- 14th Operations Support Squadron, 15 December 1991 - present
Stations
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Aircraft assigned
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References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
- Buss, Lydus H.(ed), Sturm, Thomas A., Volan, Denys, and McMullen, Richard F., History of Continental Air Defense Command and Air Defense Command July to December 1955, Directorate of Historical Services, Air Defense Command, Ent AFB, CO, (1956)
- Cornett, Lloyd H; Johnson, Mildred W (1980). A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization, 1946 - 1980. Peterson AFB, CO: Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center. http://www.usafpatches.com/pubs/handbookofadcorg.pdf.
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/af_combat_units_wwii.pdf.
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/combat_sq_of_the_af_wwii.pdf.
- Mueller, Robert (1989). Air Force Bases, Vol. I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-53-6. http://www.afhso.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-100921-026.pdf.
- Ravenstein, Charles A.. Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9. http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/combat_wings.pdf.
External links
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