Gen. Lance K. Landrum took command from Maj. Gen. Barre R. Seguin. It was attached to the Joint U.S. Military Group, which oversaw implementation of the 1953 Spanish-American Defense Cooperation Agreement. The Operations Group consists of seven squadrons that continually support operations and exercises across three Combatant Commands. Program Management Office in expanding Aviano Air Base project from around the world. 24 Hour Flight Recording . Gen. Lance K. Landrum, the new commander of the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base, Italy, surveys his airmen after taking command on Friday, June 10, 2016. The Military Personnel Flight (MPF) provides support to the 31st Fighter Wing Aviano Air Base Mission, Airmen and their families. The 57th RQS provides personnel recovery, combat search and rescue, civil search and rescue and casualty evacuation subject matter experts to fulfill USEUCOM, USAFRICOM and NATO security cooperation requirements. On 15 March 1959, the wing moved without people or equipment to George Air Force Base, California During the wing's time in California, it deployed units for four-month alert rotations to Moron Air Base, Spain and Aviano Air Base, Italy. from around the world. Like driving the Batmobile into the future: Air Force uses JLTV in mission for 1st time, Trailblazer: First Marine general to lead Defense Intelligence Agency dies at 64, China denounces US Navy reconnaissance planes trip through Taiwan Strait, Reports of sexual assaults increased in Navy, Air Force and Marines in 2022; Army saw decline, New bill aims to expand mental health care for military families, K-Town Now features the latest news from the Kaiserslautern Military Community. aviano.pdf - CGSC Copyright Registration # 10-1196 E THE Then, during the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962, the 31st planned operational missions and participated in events that ultimately led to the removal of missiles from Cuba. The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a compact, multi-role fighter aircraft. On 1 April 1994, the 31st Fighter Wing inactivated at Homestead and subsequently activated at Aviano Air Base, Italy in place of the 401st Fighter Wing. The flight also led to the wing receiving the Tactical Air Command Outstanding Fighter Wing Award for 1964 for the second consecutive year.[17]. Gen. Tad Clark, 31st Fighter Wing commander, right, and Third Air Force leadership, left, on 606th ACS equipment and capabilities at Aviano Air Base, Italy, Nov. 22, 2022. It provides a relatively low-cost, high-performance weapon system for the United States and allied nations. The clinic houses rehabilitation equipment, such as gait retraining software, anti-gravity treadmills for rehab, recovery modalities and a float pod for sensory deprivation. Two months later in November, the 31st Fighter Wing was organized as part of the test by the Air Force of the wing base organization system, which unified combat groups and their support organizations under a single wing, carrying the same number as the combat group. In 1957, 16 AF was realigned under Strategic Air Command (SAC) to provide command and control of SAC bases and B-47 Stratojet rotational units assigned and deployed to Spain and Morocco. The 31st Fighter Wing continued deploying forces in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Force, with more than one-third of the wing deploying to support operations each year from 2003 to 2007. BY ORDER OF THE COMMANDER 31ST FIGHTER WING (USAFE) AVIANO AIR BASE INSTRUCTION . Bailey returns to Aviano after previously serving as the commander of the 31st Operations Support Squadron, as well as an instructor pilot and chief of wing plans and programs from 2011 to 2013. llamas.norman@stripes.com Twitter: @normanllamas. As part of the most extensive restructuring since the Air Force became a separate service, Tactical Air Command was inactivated and Air Combat Command was activated and the 31st Tactical Fighter Wing was redesignated to its current name, the 31st Fighter Wing.[4]. On 15 July 1956, Sixteenth Air Force was created when the Air Administration (Spain) was re-designated as Headquarters, 16 AF, and aligned directly under Headquarters, U.S. Air Force. The experiment proved successful and the Air Force adopted it on a permanent basis in the summer of 1948, making the wing its basic combat unit. Bronze Star 10-401 . All Rights Reserved. U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Derek France, Third Air Force commander, and other 3rd AF leadership had the opportunity to fly in an HH-60G and became familiar with the 56th RQS mission. From June through December 2001, the fighter squadrons deployed combat search and rescue capabilities three times and helped enforce the no fly zone over Iraq. The operation, the largest airborne operation since 1989, constituted 62 missions, transporting 2,146 passengers and 2,433.7 tons of cargo. It supported approximately 11,000 Air Force and civilian members at two main operating bases, four support bases and other sites in Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Croatia, Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Hungary, Macedonia, Greece, Turkey and Israel; and conducted peacetime engagement throughout the region. In recognition of these achievements, the wing was awarded its second Outstanding Unit Award. And the highest possible nuclear inspection rating in 2015, according to the citation for an award he was issued. In 1995, 1h AF supported Operation Joint Endeavor, the NATO peacekeeping mission to the former Yugoslavia, through operations in Croatia, Hungary and Bosnia-Herzegovina. 3. 606 likes, 5 comments - Aviano Air Base (@avianoairbase) on Instagram: "FAMILY | Aviano Air Base hosted a tour for the local Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JRO . Brig. AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy - The 510th Fighter Squadron "Buzzards" trained alongside the Romanian air force's MiG-21s at Campia Turzii, Romania, March 28-31.This was the last opportunity for the 510th FS to fly with the MiG-21s before they are retired in mid-May.The squadron and Romanian air force flew 16 hours ago 57th RQS jump training The 56th RQS provides a rapidly-deployable, worldwide combat rescue and reaction force response utilizing HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters. In peacetime, the 31st FW prepares for its combat role by maintaining aircraft and personnel in a high state of readiness. February 2004 January 2005, student, F-16 pilot training, Springfield-Beckly Air National Guard Base, Ohio During operational F-16 tours both stateside and overseas, Col. OConnor has served as a Squadron Commander, Director of Operations, Chief of Wing Standardization and Evaluation, Flight Commander, F-16 Flight Examiner, and F-16 Instructor Pilot. Headquarters 16 AF formed the joint force air component command for Operation Silver Wake, the evacuation of Americans and allied noncombatants from Albania. With approximately 4,200 active duty military members, nearly 300 U.S. civilians and 700 Italian civilian employees, the wing conducts and supports air combat operations, and maintains munitions for NATO. US Air Force information warfare organization, Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, 70th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing, 363rd Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing, 480th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing, 70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing, 363d Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing, 480th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing, "Air Force Information Warfare's new warfighting unit activates", "Factsheet Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber) ACC", "Fifty Years On Nato's Southern Flank A History Of Sixteenth Air Force 1954 2004", US Air Force news story on 3AF and 16AF changes, Joint Overhead Persistent Infrared Center, 363rd Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing, 655th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing, Geospatial and Signatures Intelligence Group, Space, Missiles and Forces Intelligence Group, National Air and Space Intelligence Center, United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa, Strategic Air Command in the United Kingdom, Joint Functional Component Command for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, DEA Office of National Security Intelligence, Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence, National Counterintelligence and Security Center, Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center, Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity, Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System, National Museum of Intelligence and Special Operations, Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sixteenth_Air_Force&oldid=1145785646, Numbered air forces of the United States Air Force, Military units and formations established in 1956, Intelligence units of the United States Air Force, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the Air Force Historical Research Agency, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. Bailey is a 1995 Air Force Academy graduate who has also served overseas as the flight lead and flight commander of the 80th Fighter Squadron, Kunsan Air Base, South Korea; commander of the 455th Expeditionary Operations Group at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan; and commander of the 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. Based at Aviano Air Base, Italy, hes been TDY to countries such as Afghanistan Iraq, Kosovo and Bosnia. Their missions consisted mainly of sweeps over allied positions and escorting bombers attacking German positions. Commander: Lt Gen Kevin B. Kennedy Jr. Vice Commander: Maj Gen David M. Gaedecke: Deputy Commander: . Third Air Force exercises delegated authorities over assigned forces that include personnel management, General Courts Martial Convening Authority, and advising subordinate commands on requirements, programs and budget. [17], One of the highlights of the group's time in North Africa was the selection of the 308th Fighter Squadron to provide combat air patrols for the arrival of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill at the Casablanca conference in Morocco. In 1966, after SAC withdrew its forces from Europe, 16 AF became part of the United States Air Forces in Europe, providing command and control of USAFE forces initially in Spain and North Africa, and later in Italy and Turkey until 2006. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Brooke Moeder), U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Derek France, Third Air Force commander, right, greets U.S. Air Force Brig. In late 2003, the wing's 603rd Air Control Squadron became the first unit from the wing to deploy to Iraq. The 31st Fighter Wing is made up of four groups, each consisting of several squadrons. His last assignment was executive assistant to the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. From August to December 2002, the 510th Fighter Squadron and 603rd Air Control Squadron returned to Southwest Asia. Sign up to receive a daily email of today's top military news stories from Stars and Stripes and top news outlets In the fall of 1995, 16 AF supported Operation Deliberate Force, the U.N.-sanctioned/NATO executed attacks on Bosnian-Serb forces. conducted in 31 FW aircraft, while the 31st Operations Group Commander (31 OG/CC) has the primary responsibility for oversight of the program. Aviano Air Base on Instagram: "FAMILY | Aviano Air Base hosted a tour The 31st Fighter Wing (31 FW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe major command and the Third Air Force. On 1 December 2006, the Sixteenth Air Force was inactivated at Ramstein AB and simultaneously reconstituted as the Sixteenth Air Expeditionary Task Force at Izmir Air Base, Turkey. Landrum becomes the 15th commander of the wing at Aviano and 44th since U.S. forces first came to the base in 1955. [30], In August and September, Operation Deliberate Force began and the 31st conducted air strikes against Bosnian Serbs conducting ethnic purges among the Muslim population of the country. llamas.norman@stripes.com Twitter: @normanllamas. Beginning in March 1999, the 16th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force grew to 10 air expeditionary wings and 480 Air Force aircraft in 10 countries supporting Operation Allied Force, NATO's air campaign in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia. AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy — Brig. 31st Fighter Wing - Wikipedia Gen. Jason Bailey, incoming commander of the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base, Italy. Gen. Tad D. Clark is the Commander, 31st Fighter Wing, Aviano Air Base, Italy. Col. Timothy P. Maxwell is the Commander of the 31st Mission Support Group, Aviano Air Base, Italy. Sign up to receive a daily email of today's top military news stories from Stars and Stripes and top news outlets Gen. Tad Clark, 31st Fighter Wing commander, right, and Third Air Force leadership, left, on 606th ACS equipment and capabilities at Aviano Air Base, Italy, Nov. 22, 2022. The organization was the first newly established Numbered Air Force (NAF) by the USAF after World War II. First 31 PCS Start - 31st Force Support Squadron Bailey to take command of Aviano's 31st Fighter Wing Military Personnel Flight - 31st Force Support Squadron This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency. Gen. Craig Franklin. From 24 March to 10 June 1999, the 31st AEW, the largest expeditionary wing in Air Force history flew nearly 9,000 combat sorties and accumulated almost 40,000hours of combat service over the skies of Kosovo, Serbia and the rest of the Balkans in support of NATO operations. Aviano is seeing a reduction from its force of about 4,500 active-duty personnel as the Air Force looks to trim its ranks around the globe to free up money for new aircraft. 2023 Stars and Stripes. He served in both the 555th and 510th Fighter Squadrons during previous stints. 2022 Spark Tank. The wing assisted in the evacuation of nearly 6,500 pro-U.S. Kurds from northern Iraq. July 2018 June 2019, Student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. He served as F-22 project officer at Langley Air Force Base, Va., from 1993 to 1995. It worked around the clock to launch 2,250 flying operations out of Aviano. It is stationed at Aviano Air Base, Italy, a NATO base run by the Italian air force. January 2005 November 2007, F-16 Flight Lead, Electronic Combat Pilot, Cannon AFB, N.M. Gen. Daniel T. Lasica, who will assume command of the 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force-Afghanistan, as well as concurrent leadership roles with NATO and Air Forces Central Command. They were both released and returned to the United States in March 1973. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Brooke Moeder), U.S. Air Force Tech. Franklin has experience with one of the Air Force’s newest fighters: the F/A-22. Maj. Gen. Scott J. Zobrist was the first wing commander to have previously served in another capacity at Aviano. It was replaced at Ramstein by the Third Air Force. The Wing's focus areas are to defend and improve base infrastructure, further Agile Combat Employment (ACE) capabilities and invest in Wyvern Nation Airmen and families. Gen. Lance K. Landrum seems to be part of a trend. COLONEL VINCENT J. O'CONNOR > Aviano Air Base > Biography Display On 1 July 1957, the 16 AF was transferred to Strategic Air Command (SAC). The group sailed to home on 13 August 1945, one of the last units to depart Europe. Gen. Lance K. Landrum during a change of command ceremony Friday, June 10, 2016, at Aviano Air Base, Italy. In 1950 the wing transferred from Tactical Air Command to Strategic Air Command and was redesignated as the 31st Fighter-Escort Wing. An example of an internal plan is the 31 FW PLAN 1002- 15, Operations Security Plan. Number one in the Mediterranean theater of operations in terms of aerial victories, the group was involved in 15 WWII campaigns and earned two Distinguished Unit Citations. 2022 Spark Tank. . The group also responds to humanitarian and contingency logistics support requirements as directed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff through Headquarters United States Air Forces Europe (USAFE) to locations in Europe, Africa, and Southwest Asia. Lasica assumed command from Brig. Gen. Craig Franklin is a newcomer to northern Italy, but he was a member of the 31st Fighter Wing long before the hundreds of airmen who stood in formation Friday. Col. Vincent J. OConnor is the Vice Commander, 31st Fighter Wing, Aviano Air Base, Italy. The wing accomplished much during Operation Allied Force as the two permanently assigned flying squadrons, the 510th and 555th, flew more than 2,400 combined sorties and more than 10,000 combat hours.[32]. Now hell be leading that team, and itll be a tough act to follow, according to Ray. 8. Italian Air Force Col. Marco Schiattoni, 'Pagliano e Gori' Airport Commander, and Col. Vincent O'Connor, 31st FW Vice Commander, shares their thoughts on the importance of celebrating and . But with the massive Aviano 2000 construction project starting to wind down, the changes have started to shift to the personnel side. Under combat conditions, the squadron transferred $73 million in equipment and more than 100 personnel with 20 convoys. The 31st Maintenance Group maintains combat capability for 56 combat-coded F-16 C/D and HH-60 aircraft valued at $2.4B, and provides force infrastructure support for 1,600 military and civilian personnel, Col. Kevin Crofton is the the Commander, 31st Operations Group, 31st Fighter Wing, Aviano Air Base, Italy.