906th Fighter Group

906th Fighter Group

F-16s of the 906th Fighter Group at Wright-Patterson AFB[note 1]
Active 1962-1975; 1982-1994
Country  United States
Branch  United States Air Force
Role Fighter
Insignia
906th Tactical Fighter Group emblem (approved 1983)

The 906th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Air Force Reserve unit. It was last active with the 445th Airlift Wing, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, where it was inactivated on 1 October 1994.

History

Need for reserve troop carrier groups

During the first half of 1955, the Air Force began detaching Air Force Reserve squadrons from their parent wing locations to separate sites. The concept offered several advantages. Communities were more likely to accept the smaller squadrons than the large wings and the location of separate squadrons in smaller population centers would facilitate recruiting and manning. Continental Air Command (ConAC)'s plan called for placing Air Force Reserve units at fifty-nine installations located throughout the United States. When these relocations were completed in 1959, reserve wing headquarters and wing support elements would typically be on one base, along with one (or in some cases two) of the wing's flying squadrons, while the remaining flying squadrons were spread over thirty-five Air Force, Navy and civilian airfields under what was called the Detached Squadron Concept.[1]

Although this dispersal was not a problem when the entire wing was called to active service, mobilizing a single flying squadron and elements to support it proved difficult. This weakness was demonstrated in the partial mobilization of reserve units during the Berlin Crisis of 1961 To resolve this, at the start of 1962, Continental Air Command, (ConAC) determined to reorganize its reserve wings by establishing groups with support elements for each of its troop carrier squadrons. This reorganization would facilitate mobilization of elements of wings in various combinations when needed. However, as this plan was entering its implementation phase, another partial mobilization occurred for the Cuban Missile Crisis, with the units being released on 22 November 1962. The formation of troop carrier groups occurred in January 1963 for units that had not been mobilized, but was delayed until February for those that had been.[2]

Activation of 906th Troop Carrier Group

As a result, the 906th Troop Carrier Group was established at Clinton County Air Force Base, Ohio on 11 February 1963, as the headquarters for the 355th Troop Carrier Squadron, which had been stationed there since June 1952.[3] Along with group headquarters, a Combat Support Squadron, Materiel Squadron and a Tactical Infirmary were organized to support the 355th.

Group Fairchild C-123K Provider

The 906th Troop Carrier Group was one of two Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcargroups assigned to the 302d Troop Carrier Wing in 1963, the other being the 907th Troop Carrier Group also at Clinton County. It replaced its C-119s with Fairchild C-123 Provider assault transport in 1967, began training with special operations forces when parent 302d Tactical Airlift Wing was redesignated as a Special Operations Wing in 1970. Inactivated in 1975 as part of post-Vietnam War drawdown.

Fighter operations

Reactivated in 1981 as a Fairchild UC-123K Provider reserve squadron at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Ohio for aerial spraying operations. Re-aligned to a McDonnell F-4 Phantom II tactical fighter unit in 1982 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Its F-4Ds came from the 704th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas. Carried Tail Code "DO", aligned to Tactical Air Command.

Was upgraded to F-16A/B Falcons in 1989 as part of the retirement of the Phantom II, receiving F-16s from inactivating 474th Tactical Fighter Wing at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.

It was inactivated in 1994 as part of post-Cold War drawdown. Replaced by 445th Operations Group with the 89th Fighter Squadron.

Lineage

Organized in the Reserve on 11 February 1963
Redesignated 906th Tactical Airlift Group on 1 July 1967
Redesignated 906th Special Operations Group on 25 January 1970
Redesignated 906th Tactical Airlift Group on 26 July 1971
Inactivated on 1 September 1975
Redesignated 906th Tactical Fighter Group on 1 July 1982
Redesignated 906th Fighter Group on 1 February 1992
Inactivated on 1 October 1994

Assignments

445th Military Airlift Wing (later 445th Airlift Wing), 1 July 1982 – 1 October 1994

Components

Stations

Aircraft

References

Notes

  1. ↑ General Dynamics F-16A Block 10A Fighting Falcon serial 79-365 is in the foreground. This aircraft was retired in 1994 to AMARC. Taken about 1990.

Citations

  1. ↑ Cantwell, pp. 156, 169
  2. ↑ Cantwell, pp. 189-191
  3. ↑ Maurer, pp. 441-442

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

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