15th Tactical Fighter Wing MacDill Air Force Base

mcdonnell douglas f-4e-35-mc phantom ii, af ser. no. 67-0305 of 43d tfs.

on 17 april 1962, 15th tactical fighter wing activated @ macdill , assigned ninth air force. operational squadrons of wing , squadron tail codes were:

45th tactical fighter squadron (fc)
46th tactical fighter squadron (fd)
47th tactical fighter squadron (fe)
43rd tactical fighter squadron (fb)

(activated on 8 january 1964 part of wing transition 3 squadrons of 25 aircraft each 4 squadrons of 18 aircraft each.)

the 12th , 15th tfws constituted 836th air division @ macdill afb on 1 july 1962.

initially equipped republic f-84f thunderjet, in 1964 15th tfw subsequently upgraded tail-coded mcdonnell-douglas f-4c phantom ii.

the mission of 15th tfw conduct tactical fighter combat crew training. wing participated in variety of exercises, operations , readiness tests of tactical air command, , trained pilots , provided logistical support 12th tactical fighter wing. reorganized mission-capable unit @ time of cuban missile crisis of 1962, returned afterwards training mission.

with departure of 12th tfw in 1965, 15th tfw became host unit @ macdill unit s mission becoming formal training unit f-4 aircrews prior deployment southeast asia. wing deployed 16 f-4s seymour johnson afb, nc during uss pueblo crisis in 1968.

in 1965, wing deployed 43rd, 45th, 46th , 47th tactical fighter squadrons southeast asia, participated in air defense commitment philippines clark ab , flew combat missions cam rahn bay air base in south vietnam , ubon royal thai air force base in thailand. members of 45th tfs achieved first u.s. air force aerial victories of vietnam war when destroyed 2 migs on 10 july 1965. captains thomas s. roberts, ronald c. anderson, kenneth e. holcombe , arthur c. clark received credit these kills.

beginning on 8 february 1969, 13th bombardment squadron, tactical began martin b-57g (tail code: fk) light bomber aircrew training @ macdill. squadron inactivated on 1 october 1970 , redesignated 4424th combat crew training squadron.

also in 1970, u.s. strike command renamed united states readiness command (usredcom).

the 43rd tfs reassigned elmendorf afb, alaska on 4 january 1970 , 15th tfw inactivated on 1 october 1970, being replaced 1st tactical fighter wing (1st tfw).