3d Wing

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3d Wing
3d Wing Insignia
Active	August 10, 1948
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Fighter / Command & Control / Airlift
Part of	Pacific Air Forces
Garrison/HQ	Elmendorf Air Force Base
Motto	NON SOLUM ARMIS Not by Arms Alone

The United States Air Force's 3d Wing is the host wing for Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. It operates the F-15C/D Eagle, F-15E Strike Eagle, E-3 Sentry, C-130H Hercules, and C-12F Huron.

In 1991 the 3d Wing replaced the 21st Wing which previously was the host organization for Elemendorf. Prior to Elmendorf, the 3d Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW) was the host organization at Clark Air Base, Republic of the Philippines, where it flew the F-4E Phantoms and F-4G Wild Weasels. The 3 TFW also operated the Crow Valley Range Complex and sponsored PACAF's Cope Thunder exercises. The 3 TFW was deactivated, and Clark Air Base was closed in 1991 after the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo.

The 3d Wing traces its history to the 1st Surveillance Group created in 1919, the parent organization for the 3rd, 8th, 90th, and 104th Squadrons, as part of the U.S. Army Air Service, and was redesignated the 3rd Attack Group in 1921. It continued as the 3rd Attack Group when the Air Service became the Air Corps, serving in Texas and Louisiana. In World War II the organization was designated the 3d Bombardment Group and operated in the Pacific theater.

The 3rd Bomb Wing, Light was activated August 10, 1948, with the 3rd Bomb Group assigned as its combat component. Both Wing and Group served in Korea during the Korean War. The honors, lineage, and history of the 3rd Bomb Group were bestowed on the Wing with the inactivation of the group on October 25, 1957. In the mid-1960s it converted to fighter aircraft and operated as the 3d Tactical Fighter Wing during Vietnam.

[edit] Aircraft

B-26, 1948-1950, 1950-1956; F-15 Reporter, 1949; RF-80, 1949-1950; C-47, 1951; B-57, 1956-1963; RB-50, 1960-1961; KB-50, 1960-1962; C-130, 1961-1962. 1992-; F-102, 1961-1962; F-100, 1964-1970; F-5, 1965-1967. 1977-1988; A-1, 1965-1966; U-10, 1965-1966; C/AC/HC-47, 1965-1966; A-37, 1967-1970; F-4, 1971-1974, 1974-1991; T-33, 1974-1987; C-9, 1974-1975; CH-3, 1974-1975; T-38, 1976-1980; MC-130, 1980-1983; UH-1, 1991; F-15, 1991-; C-12, 1992-; E-3, 1993-.