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323d Air Expeditionary Wing: Difference between revisions

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==== World War II ====
[[Image:Mb-323rd.jpg|right|110px|]]
Constituted as 323rd323d Bombardment Group (Medium) on 19 Jun 1942. Activated on 4 Aug 1942. Trained with B-26's. Moved to England, Apr-Jun 1943. Arrived at [[RAF Horham]] in [[Suffolk]] on [[12 May]] 1943 from [[Myrtle Beach Air Force Base|Myrtle Beach AAF]] [[South Carolina]]. The group was assigned to the [[8th AirEighthAir Force]] 3rd3d Bomb Wing and flew [[B-26 Marauder|Martin B-26B/C Marauders]] with a Horizontal white tail band for its group marking. Operational squadrons of the 323rd323d were:
 
* 453d Bomb Squadron (VT)
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Relocated to [[RAF Earls Colne]] and replaced the 94th Bomb Wing on [[14 June]] 1943 and inaugurated medium-altitude bombing missions on [[16 July]] 1943 and during that summer its principal targets were marshalling yards, airfields, industrial plants, military installations, and other targets in [[France]], [[Belgium]], and [[Holland]].
 
In common with other Marauder units of the 3rd3d Bomb Wing, the 323rd323d was transferred to [[Ninth Air Force]] on [[16 October]] 1943. Tactical missions were flown against V-weapon sites along the coast of France and attacked airfields at [[Leeuwarden]] and [[Venlo]] in conjunction with the Allied campaign against the [[Luftwaffe|German Air Force]] and aircraft industry during [[Big Week]], 20-25 Feb 1944.
 
The 323rd323d helped to prepare for the [[Operation Overlord|invasion of Normandy]] by bombing coastal defenses, marshalling yards, and airfields in France and struck roads and coastal batteries on [[D-Day]], [[6 June]] [[1944]].
 
On [[21 July]] the group was moved south to [[RAF Beaulieu]] in [[Hampshire]], a move designed to extend their range over western France.
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Within a few days. over 60 B-26s were in residence and operations were well under way. During the following five weeks. 28 missions were flown from Beaulieu without loss, although one B-26 crash-landed near the airfield after running out of fuel.
 
Between August 16 and 26, the 323rd323d moved to [[Lessay]] airfield in [[France]] (A-20), the main movement of aircraft taking place on the 26th. By [[Victory in Europe Day|VE-Day]], the group was based near Gablingen, Germany (R-77) and participated in the disarmament program. It returned to the [[United States]] in [[December]] and was inactivated on [[12 December]] [[1945]].
 
<center>
<Gallery>
Image:323bg-b26-1.jpg|Martin B-26 Marauders of the 455th Bomb Squadron line up on the perimeter track standing ready for takeoff. Martin B-26C-15-MO Marauder Serial 41-34871 (foreground) identifiable.
Image:323bg-b26-2.jpg|323rd323d ground crew airmen attend to Martin B-26C-15-MO Marauder Serial 41-34969. This aircraft went on to survive the war with over 150 missions to its credit
Image:323bg-b26-3.jpg|B-26s taxing in after a mission.
Image:323dbg-beaulieu-1.jpg|B-26 Marauder of the 323rd323d Bomb Group at RAF Beaulieu, England
</gallery>
</center>
 
==== 323rd323d Bomber Group (Air Force Reserve) ====
 
In accordance with 10thTenth Air Force General Order (10 AF GO) #41, June 26, 1947. The '''323d Bombardment Group (Light)''' was alloted to the [[Air Force Reserve]], then activated on 9 Sep 1947. Ordered to active duty on 10 Mar 1951 at [[Tinker AFB]], Oklahoma. Operational squadrons were the 453rd453d, 454th, 455th and 456th Bombardment Squadrons.
 
Even before the bomb wing’s activation, it was decided that it should be equipped with the respected [[A-26 Invader|Douglas A-26 Invader]] light bombardment aircraft. The bomb wing’s reservists were indeed fortunate to receive several of these light bombers by mid-1948, with the promise of more.
 
By April 1948 the 323rd323d Bombardment Group became the '''323rd323d Bombardment Wing (Light)''' on the same date, with Lieutenant Colonel R. Ahern commanding. From that point, the 323rd323d Bombardment Wing became the focal point for [[Air Force Reserve]] activities in Oklahoma.
 
The wing was inactivated on 17 Mar 1951.
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Reactivated at [[Grissom AFB|Bunker Hill AFB]], Indiana 8 Aug 1955 and assigned to [[Tactical Air Command]]'s [[Ninth Air Force]]. Initialy training with North American F-86Fs, these were quickly upgraded to the [[F-86 Sabre|North American F-86H Sabre]] and then to the [[F-100 Super Sabre|North American F-100A/D]] in 1956 to become proficient in tactical air operations. Operational squadrons were:
 
* '''323rd323d Fighter-Bomber Group'''
** 453rd453d Fighter-Bomber Squadron<BR>(Aug 1955 - March 1956, F-86H) (F-100A, March 1956, May 1957)
** 454th Fighter-Bomber Squadron<BR>(Aug 1955 - March 1956, F-86H) (F-100A, March 1956, May 1957)
** 455th Fighter-Bomber Squadron<BR>(Aug 1955 - March 1956, F-86H) (F-100A, March 1956, May 1957)
 
* '''386th Fighter-Bomber Group'''
** 552rd552d Fighter-Bomber Squadron (December 1956 - August 1957, F-100D)
** 553rd553d Fighter-Bomber Squadron (December 1956 - August 1957, F-100D)
** 554th Fighter-Bomber Squadron (December 1956 - August 1957, F-100D)
 
The wing's aircraft wore a band on the tail, and around the nose edged with small black checkers.
 
In 1955, [[Strategic Air Command]] (SAC) began stationing units at the base, and the [[Eighth Air Force]] claimed jurisdiction of Bunker Hill AFB in September 1957. With the turnover of the base to SAC, the 323rd323d was phased down and replaced by the SAC 401st Air Base Group on 1 September 1957.
 
==== 323rd323d Flying Training Wing ====
[[Image:T-43a-may89-323dftw.jpg|right|thumb|Boeing T-43A S/N 73-1152 of the 323rd323d Flying Training Wing.]]
Reactivated as [[Air Training Command]] navigator training wing at [[Mather AFB]], [[California]] on [[1 April]] [[1973]], replacing the 3535th Navigator Training Wing which had existed at Mather since 1946. The 323 FTW also conducted advanced training for winged navigators as navigator-bombardiers and electronic warfare officers. The following operational squadrons were redesignated as a result of the reactivation:
 
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The 323 FTW began training female USAF navigators in March 1977 and female USN naval flight officers in 1981. Female USAF instructor navigators followed in the 1983&ndash;84 time frame. In 1986, LT [[Kathryn P. Hire]], USN a former navigator and aircraft mission commander in the RP-3D oceanographic research aircraft, became the first female USN NFO Instructor in the 323 FTW. Of note is that in 1993, then-LCDR Hire would become the first female assigned to the combat version of the [[P-3C]] Orion, and as a CDR and CAPT, would become a NASA astronaut, flying the [[STS-90]] mission in 1998.
 
On [[15 December]] [[1991]], the 323rd323d implemented the objective wing concept and the 449th, 450th, 451st, 452nd452d and 432rd432d FTSs were inactivated and the wing was reorganized to a single squadron of aircraft type. All T-43As were assigned to the 445 FTS and T-37Bs to the 455 FTS. On [[1 July]] [[1993]], following the disestablishment of the [[Air Training Command]], the wing was assigned to the new [[Air Education and Training Command]]. The T-43 and T-47 aircraft assigned to the 454th and 455th FTSs were assigned tail codes of "NT", but due to the [[BRAC]] closure of Mather AFB on 30 September 1993, the 323 FTW was inactivated, with the wing's mission and T-43 aircraft being reassigned to the [[12th Flying Training Wing]] (12 FTW) and the 558th Flying Training Squadron (558 FTS) at [[Randolph AFB]], Texas. Because of the pre-existing presence of T-37B aircraft at Randolph AFB for T-37 flight instructor training, the Mather T-37s were sent to long-term storage at [[309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group|AMARC]] at [[Davis-Monthan AFB]], Arizona.
 
== See also ==