14th Flying Training Wing

14th Flying Training Wing

Emblem of the 14th Flying Training Wing
Active 1947–1966; 1972–present
Country United States
Branch Air Force
Type Training
Part of Air Education and Training Command
Garrison/HQ Columbus Air Force Base
Nickname(s) Blaze
Motto Day and Night – Peace and War
Engagements
  • Vietnam Service (1966–1971)
Decorations PUC
MUA
AFOUA
RVGC w/ Palm
Commanders
Current
commander
Colonel John J. Nichols
Notable
commanders
Robert H. Foglesong

The 14th Flying Training Wing (14 FTW) is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi.

The 14th Operations Group and its six squadrons are responsible for the 52-week Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training (SUPT) mission. The group also performs quality assurance for contract aircraft maintenance.

The 14th Mission Support Group provides essential services with a 5-squadron/2-division, 750+ person work force and $38 million budget. It operates/maintains facilities and infrastructure for a 6,013-acre (24.33 km2) pilot training base and provides contracting, law enforcement, supply, transportation, fire protection, communications, education, recreation and personnel management for 9,500 people. The group is also responsible for wartime preparedness and contingency operations.

History

Fairchild AC-119G "Shadow" gunship Serial 53-3178 17th Special Operations Squadron – 1969. Sold to South Vietnamese Air Force in 1971.
Douglas AC-47B-30-DK "Spooky" gunship Serial 44-76625 of the 4th Special Operations Squadron- March 1969

The 14th Fighter Wing was established on 29 July 1947. It provided air defense for the northeastern United States, 1947–1949.

The unit was redesignated as the 14th Air Commando Wing and was reactivated at Nha Trang AB Republic of Vietnam on 8 March 1966. On 1 August 1968 it was renamed the 14th Special Operations Wing and was the host unit at the base until 30 September 1971. From 15 October 1969 through 30 September 1971 the 14th SOW also operated and conducted missions from Phan Rang Air Base Republic of Vietnam.

Operations included close and direct air support, interdiction, combat airlift, aerial resupply, visual and photographic reconnaissance, unconventional warfare, counterinsurgency operations, psychological warfare (including leaflet dropping and aerial broadcasting), forward air control operations and escort, search and rescue, escort for convoy and defoliation operations, flare drops, civic actions, and humanitarian actions.

The 14th Air Commando Wing distinguished itself by extraordinary heroism, exceptional gallantry and outstanding performance of duty in action against hostile forces in Southeast Asia from 8 March 1966 to 7 March 1967, earning a Presidential Unit Citation. Flying thousands of different sorties, elements of the Wing caused many enemy casualties and destroyed or damaged more than 8,500 structures, 500 trucks and 60 fuel sites as well as numerous automatic weapon positions, radio stations, bridges and boats.

Flying the venerable Douglas C-47 aircraft, one squadron of the Wing helped abort a large number of night hostile operations against friendly forts and hamlets through flare drops and minigun saturation fire. Despite the often heavy and accurate enemy antiaircraft fire, the search and rescue missions of the Wing recovered 91 skilled airmen during this period. In addition, the Wing's psychological warfare missions directly or indirectly influenced the surrender of thousands of enemy soldiers.

The wing also provided maintenance support for a number of tenants. The wing trained Vietnam Air Force (VNAF) personnel in AC-119 operations and maintenance, February–August 1971, and transferred some of its AC-119s to the VNAF, August–September 1971 as part of a phase-down for inactivation.

Flying training at Columbus

14 FTW Emblem 1994-2007

[1]

The 14th replaced, and absorbed resources of, the 3650th Pilot Training Wing in June 1972 at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi, and assumed an undergraduate pilot training program, plus base operations and maintenance.

Units today

Northrop T-38C formation from the 50th Flying Training Squadron. 66-4327, 68–8162 and 68-8187 identifiable.

14th Operations Group (14 OG)

14th Mission Support Group (14 MSG)

14th Medical Group (14 MDG)

Additionally, the 14th Comptroller Squadron (14 CPTS) reports directly to the 14 TFW.

Lineage

Organized on 15 August 1947
Inactivated on 2 October 1949
Organized on 8 March 1966
Redesignated 14th Special Operations Wing on 1 August 1968
Inactivated on 30 September 1971
Activated on 1 June 1972

Assignments

Components

Group

Squadrons

Stations

Aircraft operated

Notes

  1. This emblem was used from 16 September 1994 to 21 December 2007 AFHRA Factsheet, 14th Flying Training Wing (accessed 22 July 2012)
  2. 1968–1971 designation. Combat Talons prior to their MC- designation in 1977 are now referred to as "UWC-130E", for "Unconventional Warfare".

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

  • Endicott, Judy G. Active Air Force wings as of 1 October 1995; USAF active flying, space, and missile squadrons as of 1 October 1995. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1999. CD-ROM.
  • Lambert, John W. The 14th Fighter Group in World War II. Atglen, PA: Schiffer, 2008. ISBN 978-0-7643-2921-0.
  • Martin, Patrick. Tail Code: The Complete History of USAF Tactical Aircraft Tail Code Markings. Schiffer Military Aviation History, 1994. ISBN 0-88740-513-4.
  • Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
  • Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9. 

External links

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