944th Fighter Wing

944th Fighter Wing
Members of the 944th Fighter Wing salute Lt. Col. Donald Lindberg, 302nd Fighter Squadron commander
Active	1 July 1987 – present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Wing
Role	Fighter Training
Part of	Air Force Reserve Command
Garrison/HQ	Luke Air Force Base, Arizona
Decorations	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm
Insignia
944th Fighter Wing emblem(approved 20 June 1995)^[1]
944th Military Airlift Group emblem
Tail Code	LR

The 944th Fighter Wing (944 FW) is an Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the Tenth Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, stationed at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona.

The 944th FW is an associate unit of the 56th Fighter Wing, Air Education and Training Command and if mobilized the wing is gained by AETC.

Overview

The mission of the 944th Fighter Wing is to train and provide combat ready Airmen. During peacetime, the 944th trains reservists for worldwide deployments and has participated in real-world operational deployments in support of Operation Provide Comfort II and Operation Northern Watch (Northern Iraq), and Deny Flight/Decisive Edge (missions over Bosnia-Herzegovina), Operation Southern Watch (Southern Iraq) and has flown combat missions over the AOR during Operation Enduring Freedom. Additionally, approximately 100 reservists were mobilized in direct support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Noble Eagle.

The unit reports to Headquarters Tenth Air Force at NAS Fort Worth JRB/Carswell ARS, Texas, and Headquarters, Air Force Reserve Command. Within the active Air Force, the wing was previously gained by the former Tactical Air Command and its successor, the Air Combat Command. It is currently gained by Air Education and Training Command.

The unit has an authorized strength of 1,050 personnel. Roughly one-quarter (231) of assigned personnel are full-time Air Reserve Technicians who provide continuity between weekend training periods. The annual payroll comes to almost $22 million. The value of unit resources, weapon systems, capital assets, and inventory comes to almost $300 million. The unit maintains facilities housing over 207,300 square feet (approximately 19.7 percent of Luke Air Force Base facility space).

The majority of personnel are traditional reservists that meet during one required weekend unit training assembly (UTA) each month, augmented by numerous additional weekends and weekdays in an additional drill or active duty status. The reservists represent a wide variety of civilian careers, including airline pilots, doctors, engineers, elected officials, teachers, plumbers, mechanics, corporate managers and local, state and federal government employees.

Units

944th FW F-16s with German MiG-29s over Denmark, 1996

944th Operations Group

69th Fighter Squadron

Det 1 69 FS

944 Operations Support Flight

944th Mission Support Group

944th Civil Engineering Squadron

944th Force Support Squadron

944th Logistics Readiness Squadron

944th Security Forces Squadron

924th Fighter Group

47th Fighter Squadron

924th Maintenance Squadron

414th Fighter Group

307th Fighter Squadron

414th Maintenance Squadron

944th Aeromedical Staging Squadron
944th Medical Squadron

History

The 944th Fighter Wing (944 FW) of the Air Force Reserve Command at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, is one of more than 50 flying units in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. The unit was activated at Luke on 1 July 1987. The 944 FW flies the General Dynamics F-16C Fighting Falcon and F-16DD (Block 32 model). The unit is currently funded and manned for fifteen F-16 aircraft.

The 944 FW was the first Air Force Reserve fighter unit to fly operational missions with the coalition task force over Northern Iraq in support of Provide Comfort II in 1992-1993. The unit flew 1,090 hours or 308 sorties with only one sortie lost due to maintenance.

Lineage

Established as the 944th Troop Carrier Group, Medium and activated in the Reserve on 28 December 1962 (not organized)

Organized on 17 January 1963

Redesignated 944th Tactical Airlift Group on 1 July 1967

Redesignated 944th Military Airlift Group (Associate) on 25 March 1968

Inactivated on 1 July 1973

Redesignated 944th Tactical Fighter Group on 12 November 1986

Activated in the Reserve on 1 July 1987

Redesignated 944th Fighter Group on 1 February 1992

Redesignated 944th Fighter Wing on 1 October 1994^[1]

Assignments

Continental Air Command, 28 December 1962 (not organized)
452d Troop Carrier Wing (later 452d Military Airlift Wing), 17 January 1963
349th Military Airlift Wing, 25 July 1969 – 1 July 1973
419th Tactical Fighter Wing (later 419th Fighter Wing), 1 July 1987
Tenth Air Force, 1 October 1994 – Present^[1]

Components

944th Operations Group: 1 Aug 1992 – present^[1]
302d Tactical Fighter Squadron: 1 July 1987 – 1 August 1992
728th Military Airlift Squadron: 1 January 1972 – 1 July 1973
729th Military Airlift Squadron: 25 April 1969 – 1 July 1973
730th Military Airlift Squadron: 17 January 1963 - 1 July 1973^[1]

Stations

March Air Force Base, California, 17 January 1963
Norton Air Force Base, California, 25 March 1968 – 1 July 1973
Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, 1 July 1987 – Present^[1]

Aircraft

Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar, 1963-1968
Lockheed C-141 Starlifter, 1968-1973
General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, 1987 – present^[1]

References

Notes

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Endicott, Jundy G. (29 October 2007). "Factsheet 944 Fighter Wing (AFRC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 5 November 2014.

Bibliography

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

Cantwell, Gerald T. (1997). Citizen Airmen: a History of the Air Force Reserve, 1946-1994 (PDF). Washington, D.C.: Air Force History and Museums Program. ISBN 0-16049-269-6. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.
Ravenstein, Charles A. Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.

External links

United States Air Force

Leadership

Structure

Commands	Reserve Air National Guard Field Operating Agencies Installations

Direct Reporting Units	District of Washington Operational Test and Evaluation Center USAF Academy

Major Commands	Air Combat Air Education and Training Air Mobility Global Strike Materiel Reserve Space Special Operations Europe & Africa Pacific

Numbered Air Forces	First Second Third Fourth Fifth Seventh Eighth Ninth Tenth Eleventh Twelfth Thirteenth Fourteenth Seventeenth Eighteenth Nineteenth Twentieth Twenty-Second Twenty-Third Twenty-Fourth Twenty-Fifth

Wings (ANG) Groups (ANG) Squadrons (ANG) Civilian auxiliary: Civil Air Patrol

Personnel and
training

Uniforms and
equipment

History and
traditions

Category
Portal

Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC)

Air Forces

Bases

Command

Air Reserve Personnel Center

Wings/Groups

Air Refueling	434th 459th 507th 916th 939th 940th

Airlift	94th 302d 315th 433d 439th 440th 445th 446th 512th 908th 910th 911th 914th 927th 932d 934th

Fighter	301st 414th 419th 442d 476th 477th 482d 944th

other	310th Space 349th Air Mobility 403d 452d Air Mobility 514th Air Mobility 307th Bomb 919th Special Operations 920th Rescue

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