The 35th Fighter Wing is an air combat unit of the United States Air Force and the host unit at Misawa Air Base, Japan. The wing is part of Pacific Air Forces (PACAF)'s Fifth Air Force.
The wing was first activated in August 1948 at Johnson Air Base, Japan when PACAF implemented the wing base organization. It participated in the Korean War and later served in the air defense of Japan until inactivating in 1957.
In 1966, the wing was again activated and served in combat in the Vietnam War until inactivating in 1972 with the withdrawal of US forces from Southeast Asia. It was soon reactivated at George Air Force Base, California, where it served until inactivating in 1992. It was activated the following year in Iceland as an air defense unit. With the drawdown of US forces in Iceland, the 35th Wing was inactivated on 1 October 1994 at Keflavik, but redesignated, reassigned, and reactivated as the 35th Fighter Wing at Misawa Air Base the same day.
Mission The mission of the 35th Wing is to project power throughout the Pacific theater and execute worldwide deployments.
Units The 35th Fighter Wing is a combat-ready fighter wing composed of 4 groups, 2 fighter squadrons, 27 support squadrons and agencies, and more than 3,850 personnel. It operates F-16 Fighting Falcons and F-35A Lightning II aircraft. Host unit for 13,500-manned base supporting 35 associate units representing all four US military services and the Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF).
The Operations Group controls all flying and airfield operations. The Maintenance Group performs Aircraft and Aircraft support equipment maintenance. The Mission Support Group has a wide range of responsibilities but a few of its functions are Security, Civil Engineering, Communications, Personnel Management, Logistics, Services and Contracting support. The Maintenance Group provides aircraft and mission support equipment maintenance, while the Medical Group provides medical and dental care.
35th Fighter Wing 35th Fighter Wing Staff Agencies 35th Comptroller Squadron 35th Fighter Wing Chaplain 35th Fighter Wing Retiree Activities Office 35th Fighter Wing Command Post 35th Fighter Wing Inspector General 35th Fighter Wing Plans, Programs, and Inspections 35th Fighter Wing Legal 35th Fighter Wing Public Affairs 35th Fighter Wing Safety 35th Fighter Wing Equal Opportunity Office 35th Fighter Wing Protocol 35th Fighter Wing School Liaison 35th Fighter Wing Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) Office
35th Operations Group (Tail Code: WW) 13th Fighter Squadron – F-16CJ/DJ Fighting Falcon / F-35A Lightning II (transitioning) 14th Fighter Squadron – F-16CJ/DJ Fighting Falcon (transitioning to F-35A) 35th Operations Support Squadron 610th Air Control Flight 35th Maintenance Group 13th Fighter Generation Squadron 14th Fighter Generation Squadron 35th Maintenance Squadron 35th Medical Group 35th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron 35th Dental Squadron 35th Healthcare Operations Squadron 35th Medical Support Squadron 35th Surgical Operations Squadron 35th Mission Support Group 35th Civil Engineer Squadron 35th Contracting Squadron 35th Communications Squadron 35th Force Support Squadron 35th Logistics Readiness Squadron 35th Security Forces Squadron
History For additional history and lineage, see 35th Operations Group The 35th Fighter Wing flew air defense missions in Japan, August 1948 – November 1950. Redesignated 35th Fighter-Interceptor Wing in January 1950 and two squadrons (39th, 40th Fighter Squadrons) were equipped with Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star jet fighters.
Korean War In July 1950, the 35th Fighter-Interceptor Group commenced combat from Ashiya Air Base in southwestern Japan. It quickly converted from F-80Cs back to the rugged and longer-range North American F-51D Mustangs it had given up only a short time before. Group headquarters and the 40th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron moved to Pohang Air Base (K-3) on South Korea's south eastern coast in mid-July, and the 39th Squadron followed on 10 August.
The precarious ground situation in Korea forced the 35th Group to return to Tsuiki Air Base, Japan on 13 August, where it remained until early October.
The two squadrons of the 35th Fighter-Interceptor Group were attached to the wartime 6131st Tactical Support Wing from 1 August, then to the 6150th Tactical Support Wing. The Korean War squadrons of the 35th FIG were the 39th (F-80C, F-51D), 40th (F-80C, F-51D) and 339th Fighter-Interceptor Squadrons (F-82G, F-89).
From 6 September, the group supported United Nations ground forces moving north of the 38th parallel. The squadrons focused their attacks on fuel dumps, motorized transport, and enemy troop concentrations until it moved in mid-November to a forward airstrip at Yonpo Airfield, near the North Korean port city of Hungnam to provide close air support to the U. S. Army X Corps. When Communist Chinese Forces (CCF) surrounded the 1st U.S. Marine Division at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, the F-51 Mustang-equipped squadrons provided close air support to the Marines.
Relocating to Pusan East Air Base in early December 1950, the 35th Group continued supporting UN ground forces, eventually staging out of Suwon Air Base in March 1951 and Seoul Air Base in April. The combat-weakened group was transferred without personnel and equipment back to Johnson Air Base Japan in May 1951 where it was remanned and equipped with F-51s and F-80s and merged back with the wing to provide air defense for Japan.
For its combat operations in Korea, the 35th Fighter-Interceptor Group was awarded the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, and the UN Defensive, UN Offensive, CCF Intervention, 1st UN Counteroffensive and CCF Spring Offensive campaign streamers.
Air Defense of Japan After the 35th's squadrons transferred back to Johnson in 1951, the group was reunited with the wing and flew several aircraft types. The wing also added aerial reconnaissance to its air defense mission. Aircraft flown included the RC-45, RF-51, North American F-86F Sabre and Lockheed F-94 Starfire.
The group was returned to operational status on 15 July 1954, and from 14 August to 30 September 1954 was detached from the wing, moving to Yokota Air Base. All components of the wing were reassembled at Yokota in October 1954 and they served together until the wing was inactivated on 1 October 1957 with its operational squadrons coming under the control of the 41st Air Division.
Vietnam War
On 14 March 1966, the wing was redesignated the 35th Tactical Fighter Wing. Two weeks later, it was organized at Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam, to replace the 6252nd Tactical Fighter Wing. While at Da Nang Air Base, the wing had five flying squadrons assigned or attached to it. Its aircraft were McDonnell F-4C Phantom II, Martin B-57 Canberra, and the Convair F-102 Delta Dagger
In October 1966, the wing moved to Phan Rang Air Base, Republic of Vietnam, to replace the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing. With the transfer, the 35th became the parent wing at Phan Rang Air Base. The attached No. 2 Squadron RAAF provided day and night bombing, photo strike assessment, and close air support primarily for 1st Australian Task Force in Phuoc Tuy Province.
Missions included air support of ground forces, interdiction, visual and armed reconnaissance, strike assessment photography, escort, close and direct air support, and rapid reaction alert. It struck enemy bases and supply caches in Parrot's Beak just inside the Cambodian border, April–May 1970 and provided close air support and interdiction in support of South Vietnamese operations in Laos and Cambodia, January–June 1971.
The wing's resources passed to the 315th Tactical Airlift Wing on 31 July 1971 when the 35th Wing inactivated. It was later reactivated at George Air Force Base California on 1 October 1971.
For its wartime combat duty in Southeast Asia, the 35th Wing was awarded the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Crosses with Palm and the Vietnam Air; Vietnam Air Offensive; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase II; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase III; Vietnam Air/Ground; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase IV; TET 69/Counteroffensive; Vietnam Summer-Fall, 1969; Vietnam Winter-Spring, 1970; Sanctuary Counteroffensive; Southwest Monsoon; Commando Hunt V; Commando Hunt VI. campaign streamers.
George Air Force Base The 35th Tactical Fighter Wing was reassigned and reactivated at George Air Force Base, California on 1 October 1971, where it replaced the 479th Tactical Fighter Wing. The wing's mission at George was to train F-4 flight crews. Its aircraft initially carried GA as its tail code, but this was changed to WW.
General-purpose F-4C/D/E/G training squadrons were: 20th Tactical Fighter Squadron (December 1972 – 1981) (F-4F) (1981 – June 1992) (F-4E) From 1972–1975, the 20th flew German Air Force F-4F aircraft for training of German Air Force (Luftwaffe) pilots. USAF F-4E aircraft in German AF motif were flown after 1981. 21st Tactical Fighter Training Squadron (December 1972 – October 1980) (F-4C) (later 21st Tactical Fighter Squadron (October 1980 – October 1989) (F-4E), 21st Tactical Fighter Training Squadron (October 1974– June 1991) (F-4E) 431st Tactical Fighter Training Squadron (December 1972 – October 1978) (F-4D, 1972–1976) (F-4E, 1976–1978) 434th Tactical Fighter Squadron (October 1971 – October 1975) (F-4D)434th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron (October 1975 – January 1977) (F-4E) 4435th Tactical Fighter Replacement Squadron (October 1971 – December 1976) (F-4C, Red/White Tail stripe F-4C 1972–1976, F-4E 1976–1977) 4452d Combat Crew Training Squadron (October 1971 – October 1973) (F-4D, 1972, F-4E, 1972–1973) 4535th Combat Crew Training Squadron (October 1971 – December 1972) (F-4C)
Wild Weasel Training In addition to the F-4 training, in November 1974 Republic F-105 Thunderchiefs from the 17th Wild Weasel Squadron at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand were withdrawn from Southeast Asia and transferred to the 562d Tactical Fighter Squadron. By 1975, with the arrival of new F-4G aircraft, the wing was training aircrews exclusively in Wild Weasel radar detection and suppression operations for deployment to operational units in Okinawa and Germany. 561st Tactical Fighter Squadron (July 1973 – July 1980) (F-105F/G), (F-4G, July 1980 – June 1992)***, The Yellow Tails 562d Tactical Fighter Squadron (October 1974 – July 1980) (F-105F/G), (F-4G, July 1980 – June 1992), The Blue Tails 563d Tactical Fighter Squadron (July 1975 – July 1977) (F-105F/G), (F-4G, July 1977 – October 1989), The White Tails 39th Tactical Fighter Squadron (January 1977 – May 1984) (F-4C/G Tail Code: WW) (January 1976 – October 1980, not operational 1980–1982) (F-4E, January 1982 – May 1984, The Green Tails
In 1980, the wing received the new F-4G and its advanced Wild Weasel system. By July 1980, the last F-105G left George Air Force Base, leaving the 35th with F-4Gs in its inventory for Wild Weasel training.
Mission Realignments In mid-1978, the 431st TFTS was inactivated and replaced by the 561st TFS. Its F-4Es sent to the Air National Guard. The 39th TFS received the Air Force's first F-4Gs, and the F-4Cs were sent to the ANG. All 39th TFS aircraft and personnel were absorbed by the 562d TFTS on 9 October 1980 and the squadron was inactivated.
Operations at George Air Force Base were reorganized by mission requirements 30 March 1981. The 35th Tactical Fighter Wing retained control of the 20th and 21st Tactical Fighter Squadrons and gained the inactive 39th TFS for combat ready operations. The 39th remained non-operational until January 1982 when it began equipping with Pave Spike-equipped F-4Es obtained from the 21st Tactical Fighter Wing at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska and reorganized as a combat-ready tactical fighter squadron. In May 1984, the 39th TFS was inactivated.