366th Wing History
(1943-1953) The U.S. Army Air Force activated the 366th Fighter Group at Richmond Army Air Base, Va., on June 10, 1943. At Richmond, and then later at Bluethenthal Air Field, N.C., the group trained its new pilots in the P-47 Thunderbolt. By December 1943, training was completed and they departed for the war. In January 1944, the group arrived in England. For the next several weeks, the group learned combat techniques from experienced veterans of the air war with Nazi Germany. The group moved to Thruxton, England, on March 1, 1944, and flew its first combat mission as a group on March 14. Early operations involved fighter sweeps over France, until the June 1944 D-Day invasion, when the group shifted to a ground support mission. Three days later, the 366th served as the lead attacking German positions near St. Lo. The invasion established an Allied foothold in Europe and soon the 366th Fighter Group moved to a base on French soil. The group followed ground advances, periodically moving to new bases in freshly-conquered territory to remain close to the action. In December 1944, the group participated in the Battle of the Bulge. They attacked German forces and flew armed reconnaissance missions. After Victory in Europe Day in May 1945, the group remained in Germany as part of the occupation forces, staying at three different bases until its inactivation Aug. 20, 1946. During its fourteen months of fighting in the European theater, the 366th FG had confirmed kills on 78 enemy aircraft in air to air combat. Today's 366th Wing flag carries the six campaign streamers earned by the 366th Fighter Group in World War II.
366th Fighter Bomber Wing
(1953-1963) After World War II, the Air Force reactivated the 366th Fighter-Bomber Wing on Jan. 1, 1953 at Alexandria Air Force Base, La. Initial operations involved the P-51 "Mustang," which were replaced by the wing's first jet fighter, the F-86 "Sabre." In September 1954 the wing began a series of rotations to Europe, with squadrons deploying for six months at a time and operating in France or Italy. As the wing began rotating squadrons to Europe, it began converting its aircraft fleet to the F- 84F "Thunderstreak" jet fighter. In 1957, the wing added the F-100 "Super Sabre" to its inventory, while continuing to operate the F-84. The 366th Fighter-Bomber Wing was redesignated the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing July 1, 1958. The unit was then inactivated April 1, 1959. The intensification of the Cold War in the early l960s brought the 366th TFW back to life at Chaumont Air Base, France, in April 1962. This marked the first peacetime activation of a wing at an overseas location. The wing flew the F-84F. Tensions in Europe decreased slightly over the next year, and the wing returned to the United States in July 1963.
366th Tactical Fighter Wing
The 366th Tactical Fighter Wing moved to Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., in July 1963. The wing began transitioning to the new F-4C "Phantom II," in February 1965 and later that year sent its first squadron to the Vietnam War. The 390th Fighter Squadron was assigned to Da Nang Air Base, the Republic of Vietnam ,and the 39lst went to Cam Ranh Bay Air Base in early 1966. By March, the rest of the wing entered the conflict and moved to Phan Rang Air Base, Republic of Vietnam. The 366th TFW moved to Da Nang Air Base and regained the 390th FS in October 1966. While at Da Nang, pilots noted they were missing opportunities to defeat enemy MiGs because the F-4C lacked a gun and its missiles were ineffective at short ranges. So wing maintainers mounted external 20-millimeter Gatling gun pods on the F-4C and scored four MiG kills in less than a month. This led other F-4C units to begin carrying gun pods and the wing became known as the "Gunfighters." During this period the wing earned a Presidential Unit Citation for shooting down 11 enemy aircraft in a three-month period. By May 1968, the wing had completely transitioned to the F-4D aircraft and then in 1969, two squadrons of F-4Es joined the wing. After this, the F-4Ds assumed forward air control duties while the more advanced F-4Es concentrated on aircraft escort and ground targets. By November 1971, the 366th was the only United States tactical fighter wing still stationed in Vietnam. The wing returned to the United States in October 1972. Between 1966 and 1972, aircrews had logged 18 confirmed MiG kills. Capt. Lance P. Sijan, a 366th pilot shot down in 1967, was awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor for his actions as a prisoner of war.
366th Wing
(1992-present) In September 1992, the 366th Wing received the first of its air superiority aircraft, activating the 390th Fighter Squadron which flies the F-15C Eagle. The wing also added F-16C Fighting Falcons (389th Fighter Squadron), F-15E Strike Eagles (391st Fighter Squadron) and the B-1B Lancer (34th Bomb Squadron). The wing also has refueling aircraft the KC-135R Stratotanker (22nd Air Refueling Squadron). These tankers give the air intervention composite wing its ability to deploy globally at a moment's notice. The composite wing in action The 366th Wing demonstrated its mobility muscle in 1995. In July 1995, the 366th served as the core unit for the Air Force's largest-ever operational readiness inspection and the first-ever fly- away ORI. The wing set up operations at Cold Lake Air Base, Canada and went into action. The Gunfighters came away from the inspection exceeding Air Combat Command's tough standards for an ORI. In November 1995, the 366th participated in Bright Star 95 the Joint Chiefs of Staff's largest-ever field exercise. The 366th served as the core unit, setting up tent areas and all the necessities of life for the more than 2,000 servicemembers who participated in the exercise. In 1996, 120 members of the 389th Fighter Squadron and six F-16s took part in Airpower Expeditionary Force II, patroling the Iraqi no-fly zone south of the 32nd parallel. Shortly after their return, Gunfighters took off again in July, this time to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, to support Operation Provide Comfort. The 366th wing enforced the northern no-fly zone over Iraq. Some 500 people, 27 aircraft and 460,000 tons of equipment from the wing deployed to make this the largest single unit swapout in Operation Provide Comfort history. Continuing to enjoy the outstanding flying conditions and support of the local Idaho community, Gunfighters train as the premier air intervention composite wing. For the past 50 years both Mountain Home AFB and the 366th Wing have played vital roles in this nation's defense. Now, together as partners, they forge ahead as the leading edge of airpower in the next century.
(Current as of June 1996)
© Tom Pirtle 1997
