Air Defense

The 14th Fighter Wing was established on 29 July 1947. It provided air defense for the northeastern United States, 1947–1949.^[1]

Vietnam War

Fairchild AC-119G "Shadow" gunship Serial 53-3178 17th Special Operations Squadron – 1969. Transferred to Republic of Vietnam Air Force in 1971.

Douglas AC-47B-30-DK "Spooky" gunship Serial 44-76625 of the 4th Special Operations Squadron- March 1969

The unit was redesignated as the 14th Air Commando Wing and was reactivated at Nha Trang Air Base Republic of Vietnam on 8 March 1966. On 1 August 1968 it was renamed the 14th Special Operations Wing and was the host unit at the base until 30 September 1971. From 15 October 1969 through 30 September 1971 the 14th SOW also operated and conducted missions from Phan Rang Air Base, Republic of Vietnam.^[1]

Operations included close and direct air support, interdiction, combat airlift, aerial resupply, visual and photographic reconnaissance, unconventional warfare, counterinsurgency operations, psychological warfare (including leaflet dropping and aerial broadcasting), forward air control operations and escort, search and rescue, escort for convoy and defoliation operations, flare drops, civic actions, and humanitarian actions.^[1]

The 14th Air Commando Wing distinguished itself by extraordinary heroism, exceptional gallantry and outstanding performance of duty in action against hostile forces in Southeast Asia from 8 March 1966 to 7 March 1967, earning a Presidential Unit Citation. Flying thousands of different sorties, elements of the Wing caused many enemy casualties and destroyed or damaged more than 8,500 structures, 500 trucks and 60 fuel sites as well as numerous automatic weapon positions, radio stations, bridges and boats.

Flying the venerable Douglas C-47 aircraft, one squadron of the Wing helped abort a large number of night hostile operations against friendly forts and hamlets through flare drops and minigun saturation fire. Despite the often heavy and accurate enemy antiaircraft fire, the search and rescue missions of the Wing recovered 91 skilled airmen during this period. In addition, the Wing's psychological warfare missions directly or indirectly influenced the surrender of thousands of enemy soldiers.

The wing also provided maintenance support for a number of tenants. The wing trained Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF) personnel in AC-119 operations and maintenance, February–August 1971, and transferred some of its AC-119s to the RVNAF, August–September 1971 as part of a phase-down for inactivation.^[1]

Flying training at Columbus

The 14th replaced, and absorbed resources of, the 3650th Pilot Training Wing in June 1972 at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi, and assumed an undergraduate pilot training program, plus base operations and maintenance.^[1]

Assignments

• First Air Force, 15 August 1947 – 2 October 1949
• Pacific Air Forces, 28 February 1966
• 2d Air Division, 8 March 1966
• Seventh Air Force, 1 April 1966 – 30 September 1971
• Air Training (later, Air Education and Training) Command, 1 June 1972
• Nineteenth Air Force, 1 July 1993 – present^[1]

Components

Group

• 14th Fighter (later, 14th Operations): 15 August 1947 – 2 October 1949; 15 December 1991 – present^[1]

Squadrons

• 1st Air Commando: 8 March 1966 – 20 December 1967
• 3d Air Commando (later, 3d Special Operations): 1 May 1968 – 15 September 1969
• 4th Air Commando (later, 4th Special Operations): 8 March 1966 – 15 December 1969
• 5th Air Commando (later, 5th Special Operations): 8 March 1966 – 15 October 1969
• 6th Air Commando: 29 February – 15 July 1968
• 9th Air Commando (later, 9th Special Operations): 25 January 1967 – 30 September 1971
• 14th Air Commando: 25 October 1967 – 1 May 1968
• 15th Air Commando (later, 15th Special Operations): 15 March 1968 – 31 October 1970
• 17th Special Operations: 1 June 1969 – 30 September 1971
• 18th Special Operations: 1 October 1969 – 25 August 1971
• 20th Air Commando (later, 20th Special Operations): 8 March 1966 – 1 September 1971
• 37th Flying Training: 1 June 1972 – 15 December 1991
• 42d Flying Training: 25 June 1990 – 15 December 1991
• 43d Flying Training: 25 June 1990 – 15 December 1991
• 49th Flying Training: 25 June 1990 – 15 December 1991
• 50th Flying Training: 1 June 1972 – 15 December 1991
• 71st Special Operations: 20 December 1968 – 10 June 1969
• 90th Special Operations: 31 October 1970 – 1 September 1971
• 602d Air Commando: 8 March 1966 – 8 April 1967
• 604th Air Commando (later, 604th Special Operations): 15 November 1967 – 1 March 1970 (detached)
• 3588th Flying Training: 1 October 1990 – 18 October 1991^[1]

Stations

• Dow Field (later Dow Air Force Base), Maine, 15 August 1947 – 2 October 1949
• Nha Trang Air Base, South Vietnam, 8 March 1966
• Phan Rang Air Base, South Vietnam, 15 October 1969 – 30 September 1971
• Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi, 1 June 1972 – present^[1]

Aircraft

Notes

Explanatory notes

Citations

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Endicott, Judy G. (1998). Active Air Force Wings as of 1 October 1995 and USAF Active Flying, Space, and Missile Squadrons as of 1 October 1995 (PDF). Air Force History and Museums Program. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ASIN B000113MB2. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
• Lambert, John W. The 14th Fighter Group in World War II. Atglen, PA: Schiffer, 2008. ISBN 978-0-7643-2921-0.
• Martin, Patrick. Tail Code: The Complete History of USAF Tactical Aircraft Tail Code Markings. Schiffer Military Aviation History, 1994. ISBN 0-88740-513-4.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947–1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.