Tactical Air Command MacDill Air Force Base

1 tactical air command

1.1 12th tactical fighter wing
1.2 15th tactical fighter wing
1.3 cuban missile crisis
1.4 1st tactical fighter wing
1.5 56th tactical fighter wing / 56th tactical training wing

tactical air command

the first attempt close macdill afb made in 1960, when impending phaseout of sac s b-47 bombers caused listed surplus , slated closure. however, cuban missile crisis of 1962 highlighted base s strategic location , usefulness staging area. result, cuts stayed , base re-purposed tactical mission fighter aircraft. in response cuban missile crisis, united states strike command (usstricom) established @ macdill crisis response force; 1 of first unified commands, command draws manpower , equipment branches of u.s. military.

in 1962, macdill afb transferred sac tactical air command (tac). bomber aircraft remain home based @ macdill until 306th bombardment wing s transfer mccoy afb , sac continue maintain tenant presence @ macdill through 1980s, utilizing alert facility dispersal location b-52 , kc-135 aircraft. practical purposes, 1960s marked macdill s transition bomber-centric sac base fighter-centric tac installation. under tac, macdill afb remained fighter base 30 years, other changes went on in background.

12th tactical fighter wing

upon macdill afb s transfer tac, 12th tactical fighter wing reactivated on 17 april 1962 , assigned ninth air force (9 af). initially, operational squadron 559th tactical fighter squadron. mission of 12th tfw prepared tactical worldwide deployments , operations. until 1964, wing flew obsolete republic f-84f thunderjets reclaimed air national guard.

in january 1964, wing chosen first air force combat wing convert new mcdonnell-douglas f-4c phantom ii. expanded follows:

557th tactical fighter squadron
558th tactical fighter squadron
559th tactical fighter squadron
555th tactical fighter squadron

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

the wing involved in f-4c firepower demonstrations, exercises and, ultimately, @ paris air show. conflict in southeast asia escalating , throughout 1965 wing supported pacific air forces (pacaf) contingency operations rotating combat squadrons quarterly naha air base in ryuku islands. 12th tfw began permanent deployment first air force expeditionary airfield @ cam ranh bay air base, south vietnam on 6 november 1965.

12th tfw combat squadrons scheduled deployment vietnam 555th, 557th , 558th tfs. ultimately, 559th tfs took place of 555th when squadron diverted second tdy 51st fighter-interceptor wing @ naha air base, okinawa, followed reassignment 8th tfw @ ubon royal thai air force base, thailand. still later 555th assigned 432d trw @ udon royal thai air force base.

15th tactical fighter wing

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).

cuban missile crisis

during 1962 cuban missile crisis, following units deployed macdill afb in addition assigned 12th , 15th tfws in preparation planned airstrikes on cuba:

27th tactical fighter wing, 60 f-100s

(deployed cannon afb, new mexico)
363d tac reconnaissance wing, 33 rf-101s, 31 rb-66s

(deployed shaw afb, south carolina)
622d air refueling squadron, 20 kb-50js

(aerial tankers deployed england afb, louisiana)

the macdill-based 12th , 15th tactical fighter wings subsequently designated 836th air division. 836th ad committed provide 1 hundred sorties in planned first strike. press napalm , rocket attacks against surface-to-air missile (sam) sites @ mariel , sagua la grande airfields @ santa clara, los banos , san julien.

the 836th commitment second strike provide sixty-four sorties concentrating on los banos airfield, 2 aaa sites , ssm launchers @ san diego de los vegas , pinar del rio. finally, forty-two aircraft strike los banos mig base third time , santa clara mig base, sagua la grande , mariel sam sites each second time. cuban missile confrontation resolved , air strikes, have been followed invasion of cuba, never launched.

1st tactical fighter wing

mcdonnell f-4e-31-mc phantom ii, af ser. no. 66-0295 of 94th tfs.



martin b-57g-ma, af ser. no. 53-3877 of 4530th ccts.

on 10 january 1970, 1st tactical fighter wing reassigned without personnel or equipment macdill, wing being transferred air defense command (adc) tac hamilton afb, california. initially, 1st tfw operated same tactical fighter squadron designations used 15th tfw until 1 july 1971 when redesignated follows:

45th tfs -> 27th tactical fighter squadron (fd/ff) (f-4e)
46th tfs -> 71st tactical fighter squadron (fb/ff) (f-4e)
47th tfs -> 94th tactical fighter squadron (fe/ff) (f-4e)
4424th tfts -> 4530th combat crew training squadron (fk/fs) (b-57g)

(note: squadron discontinued 30 june 1972.)

in 1972, 1st tfw standardized of aircraft common wing tail code ff .

at macdill, 1st tfw combat-coded operational tactical fighter wing, assuming operational commitments of 15th tfw. 1st assumed f-4 transitional , replacement pilot , weapon systems officer training role in 1971, of aircrews , equipment being deployed time time in variety of tactical exercises.

on 1 july 1975, 1st tfw , operational squadrons reassigned langley afb, virginia without personnel or equipment transition f-15 eagle.

56th tactical fighter wing / 56th tactical training wing

mcdonnell f-4d-29-mc phantom ii, af ser. no. 66-0244 of 61st tfs.



general dynamics f-16a block 10b fighting falcon, af ser. no. 79-0397 of 61st tfs.

on 30 june 1975, 56th tactical fighter wing became new host unit @ macdill, being reassigned nakhon phanom royal thai air force base, thailand. operational squadrons of wing were:

61st tactical fighter squadron (former 27th tfs, yellow tail stripe)
62d tactical fighter squadron (former 73rd tfs, blue tail stripe)
63d tactical fighter squadron (former 94th tfs, red tail stripe)
13th tactical fighter squadron (white tail stripe, inactivated @ macdill during conversion f-4d f-16a/b in 1981 , reactivated @ misawa ab, japan f-16 squadron)
72nd tactical fighter squadron (black tail stripe)

(f-16a/b/c/d activated 1 july 1981, inactivated 19 june 1992)

in 1975, 56th tfw assumed f-4e aircraft of reassigned 1st tfw , aircraft tail codes changed mc .

the wing conducted f-4e replacement training pilots, weapon systems officers, , aircraft maintenance personnel , conducted service test of tac s production oriented maintenance organization (pomo) in 1976 , converted pomo concept in march 1977. in addition, wing converted f-4e f-4d between october 1977 , september 1978.

in 1980 , 1981, wing upgraded block 10 general dynamics f-16a/b fighting falcon. arrival of f-16, wing designation changed 56th tactical training wing (56 ttw) on 1 october 1981. aircraft upgraded more capable block 30 , 42 f-16c/d in 1991.

in 1983, new rapid deployment joint task force (rdjtf) activated, , in 1987 became united states central command (uscentcom). in 1987, united states special operations command (ussocom) activated @ macdill afb, occupying former facilities of usredcom.

at super bowl xviii , again @ super bowl xxv, both played @ tampa stadium, 56th tactical training wing aircraft performed flyover , missing man formation @ conclusion of national anthem.

on 1 october 1991, 56th ttw redesignated 56th fighter wing (56 fw). following inactivation of tactical air command (tac), 56 fw reassigned newly established air combat command (acc) on 1 june 1992.