37th Training Wing

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=37th Training Wing


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dates= 1 February 1940 — present
country=United States
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branch=Air Force
type=Training
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command_structure=Air Education and Training Command
current_commander=Brigadier General Len Patrick
garrison=Lackland Air Force Base
ceremonial_chief=
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patron=
motto=
colors=
identification_symbol=
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mascot=
battles=
notable_commanders= Joseph Ashy
Gabriel P. Disosway
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The 37th Training Wing (37 TRW) is a wing of the United States Air Force stationed at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.

The 37th TRW provides basic military, professional and technical skills, and English language training for the Air Force, other military services, government agencies, and allies.

Its four primary training functions graduate more than 86,000 students annually.

The current commander of the 37th Training Wing is Brigadier General Len Patrick.

Units

The 37th Training Group is made up of 1,600,000 personnel from all four military services. The group conducts professional and technical training to more than 36,000,000 military and civilians in the armed forces, international community, and other federal agencies.

In addition, the 37th Training Wing staff agencies provide a variety of support services for wing and tenant units at Lackland AFB.
* 37th Mission Group
** 37th Civil Engineer Squadron
** 37th Communications Squadron
** 37th Logistics Readiness Squadron
** 37th Mission Support Squadron
** 37th Operations Support Squadron
** 37th Services Division
** 37th Contracting Squadron
** 37th Security Forces Squadron
* 37th Training Group
** 37th Training Support Squadron
** 341st Training Squadron
** 342d Training Squadron
** 343d Training Squadron
** 344th Training Squadron
** 345th Training Squadron
* 737th Training Group
** 737th Training Support Squadron
** 319th Training Squadron
** 320th Training Squadron
** 322d Training Squadron
** 323d Training Squadron
** 324th Training Squadron
** 326th Training Squadron
** 331st Training Squadron
* 37th Medical Group
** 37th Medical Operations Squadron
** 37th Aero-Medical Squadron

History

Lineage

* Constituted as 37th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 22 Dec 1939.
** Inactivated 1 Feb 1940.
* Redesignated 37th Fighter Group in May 1942.
** Disbanded 1 Nov 1943.
* Established as 37th Fighter-Bomber Wing on 3 Mar 1953.
** Activated on 8 Apr 1953.
** Inactivated on 25 Jun 1953.
* Redesignated 37th Tactical Fighter Wing, and activated, on 26 Oct 1966.
** Organized on 1 Mar 1967
** Inactivated on 31 Mar 1970
** Activated on 30 Mar 1981
** Redesignated 37th Fighter Wing on 1 Oct 1991
** Inactivated on 8 Jul 1992.
* Redesignated 37th Training Wing, and activated, on 1 Jul 1993.

Major Commands

*Sixth Air Force (1940 - 1943)
*Pacific Air Forces (1967 – 1970)
*Tactical Air Command (1989 – 1991)
*Air Combat Command (1991 – 1993)
*Air Education and Training Command (1993 - Present)

Bases Assigned

* Albrook AAfld., Panama Canal Zone (1940 - 1943)
* Howard AAfld., Panama Canal Zone (1943)
* Clovis Air Force Base, New Mexico (1953) (Inactive)
* Phu Cat Air Base, South Vietnam (1967 – 1970)
* George Air Force Base, California (1981 – 1989)
* Tonopah Test Range, Nevada (1989 – 1992)
* Lackland Air Force Base, Texas (1993 – Present)

Aircraft Operated

* Curtiss P-40 Warhawk (1940 - 1943)
* F-100 Super Sabre (1967 – 1969)
* F-4 Phantom II (1969 – 1970, 1981 – 1989)
* F-117 Nighthawk (1989 – 1992)
* T-38 Talon (1989 – 1992)

Operational history

World War II

The 37th Pursuit Group was originally activated at Albrook Army Airfield, Panama Canal Zone on 1 February 1940. During the early years of World War II, the unit was part of the Panama Canal defense force. It was inactivated on 1 November 1943.

Cold War

The 37th Fighter-Bomber Wing was established on 3 March 1953 and activated on 8th April 1953 at Clovis AFB, New Mexico. It was neither manned or equipped and was inactivated on 25 Jun 1953.

Vietnam War

On 1 March 1967, the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing was activated in place at Phu Cat Air Base, South Vietnam to become the host unit. The 37th TFW received its manpower and equipment from various units transferred from the United States and elsewhere, and tactical operations did not commence until mid-April. The newly-formed wing was assigned to Seventh Air Force.

Its attached squadrons were:
* 416th Tactical Fighter: 15 Apr 1967 - 27 May 1969 (F-100D/F Tail Code: HE)
* Det 1, 612th Tactical Fighter: 8 Jun 1967 - 13 Apr 1969 (F-100D/F Tail Code: HS)

The 416th TFS was deployed from the 3d TFW at Bien Hoa AB, Det 1, 612th TFS from the 35th TFW at Phan Rang AB. On 15 April, the 37TFW began combat operations with strikes by 416TFS (F-100D aircraft) en route from Bien Hoa Air Base to their new home. On 8 June, Det 1., 612th TFS began operations, also after flying a mission en route from their former home at Phan Rang Air Base. By 28 February 1968, the 37th TFW squadrons completed 18,000 combat hours and 13,000 combat sorties without a major aircraft accident.

In the spring of 1968, the two squadrons of the 37th TFW were augmented by two additional squadrons deployed from the United States:
* 174th Tactical Fighter: 14 May 1968 - 11 May 1969 (Iowa ANG) (F-100C/F Tail Code: HA)
* 355th Tactical Fighter: 3 Feb 1968 - 15 May 1969 (F-100D/F Tail Code: HP)

The 174th TFS was federalized Air National Guard personnel and aircraft from the 185th Tactical Fighter Group of the Iowa ANG at Sioux City MAP; the 355th TFS was deployed from the 354th TFW at Myrtle Beach AFB South Carolina. The wing was then composed of four F-100 combat squadrons with approximately 90 aircraft being assigned.

As 355th TFS personnel completed their TDY that same month the personnel and aircraft returned to Myrtle Beach AFB. They were replaced by Air National Guardsmen from New Jersey and Washington DC, who were manning Myrtle Beach at the time. These newly deployed personnel were sent to Tuy Hoa Air Base along with their F-100 D/F aircraft.

In the spring of 1969, the 416th TFS and it's F-100s were transferred to Tuy Hoa Air Base, while Det 1., 612th TFS was returned to the 35th TFW, now at Phan Rang Air Base. Two F-4D squadrons were transferred from Da Nang Air Base replaced them:

* 480th Tactical Fighter: 15 Apr 1969 - 31 Mar 1970 (F-4D Tail Code: HK)
* 389th Tactical Fighter: 15 Jun 1969 - 31 Mar 1970 (F-4D Tail Code: HB)

The US withdrawals from Vietnam continued during 1970, resulting in the inactivation of 37th TFW at Phu Cat AB on 31 March.

George AFB

When reactivated in 1981 the 37th gained assets of 35th Tactical Fighter Wing at George Air Force Base, California. Now equipped with F-4G "Wild Weasel" radar suppression aircraft the 37th became the Air Force's only "Wild Weasel" training wing, it provided instructor pilots and qualified aircrews for the other two "Wild Weasel" wings in the Philippines and Germany. The wing participated in numerous tactical, maritime, and electronic warfare exercises emphasizing hunter/killer tactics, suppression of enemy air defenses, force escort operations and dissimilar air combat training with US Armed Forces, Air National Guard and Reserves, and various allies. It served as an advisor to Air National Guard units from 30 March 1981 – 30 March 1984. The 37th won the United States Air Force Worldwide Fighter Gunnery Meet in both 1985 and 1987.

F-117A development

It turned over F-4G aircraft to 35th Tactical Fighter Wing and moved to Tonopah Test Range, Nevada, without personnel and equipment on 5 October 1989, absorbing the manpower, equipment, and the world's first Stealth fighter, the F-117 Nighthawk, of the former 4450th Tactical Group. The wing trained to integrate stealth technology with more conventional methods of combat operations.

The 37th dropped the first bombs in invasion of Panama on 20 December 1989.

The 37th Tactical Fighter Wing began deploying to Southwest Asia in August 1990 as part of Operations Desert Shield/Storm. 36 F-117s deployed from the base at Tonopah. On 17 January 1991, Stealth fighters hit 26 high-value Iraqi targets in and around Baghdad. The wing continued interdiction missions throughout the war. The Nighthawk conducted more than 1,250 sorties, dropped more than 2,000 tons of bombs and flew more than 6,900 hours. It Served as a member of Central Air Forces' post-Desert Storm task force in Southwest Asia. On 1 October 1991, the wing was redesignated as the 37th Fighter Wing.

In January 1990, Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney proposed that the stealth fighters be relocated from Tonopah, to Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico's Tularosa Basin. In April 1990, the F-117 was placed on public display for the first time at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Some 150,000 people saw the aircraft that day, including families who hadn’t been allowed to know what their parents and spouses were doing between the time they flew away Monday morning and returned home Friday afternoon. After years of operations at Tonopah, the F-117s were redeployed to Holloman AFB, New Mexico in May/June 1992, where they became part of the 49th Fighter Wing.

With the transfer of all it's assets to the 49th FW, the 37th Fighter Wing was inactivated on 8 July 1992.

Air Education and Training Command

A year later, the 37th Training Wing was activated at Lackland Training Center, Texas, on 1 July 1993 as a non-flying organization to conduct all Air Force basic military training.

Unit Shields

References

* Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.
* Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799129.
* Rogers, Brian (2005). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. Hinkley, England: Midland Publications. ISBN 1-85780-197-0.

External links

* [http://www.lackland.af.mil/ Lackland AFB Home Page]