The 474th Tactical Fighter Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was at Nellis Air Force Base (IATA code LSV), Nevada, where it trained combat-ready aircrews and maintained a rapid-reaction capability to execute fighter attacks against enemy forces and facilities world-wide in time of crisis. A World War II predecessor unit, the 474th Fighter Group (see 474th Air Expeditionary Group), was a Ninth Air Force combat unit of the Army Air Corps which fought in the European Theater. During its operational lifetime, the 474th Fighter Bomber Wing was engaged in combat operations during the Korean War and the 474th Tactical Fighter Wing was engaged in combat operations during the Vietnam War. Throughout its history, the 474th Wing flew the North American F-86 Sabre, Republic F-84 Thunderjet, F-100D, F-111A, F-4D, and F-16A/B. The 474th Tactical Fighter Wing was inactivated on 30 September 1989.

History Korean War F-84E/G Operations

The 474th Fighter Bomber Wing (474th FBW) was established on 25 June 1952 assigned to Tactical Air Command (TAC). On 10 July 1952, the wing was activated at Misawa Air Base (IATA code MSJ), Japan, taking over the personnel and F-84G Thunderjets of the 116th Fighter-Bomber Wing. The number "474th" designation recalled the World War II history of the 474th Fighter Group which included the 428th, 429th, and 430th Fighter Squadrons. Corresponding to this legacy, the 474th Fighter Bomber Wing included, as a component, the 474th Fighter-Bomber Group which included the 428th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 429th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, and 430th Fighter-Bomber Squadron as combat components. It was assigned to TAC, but attached to 5th Air Force until 1 April 1953 for duty in the Korean War. On 10 July 1952, in what was one of the largest air deployments of its kind, the 474th Wing moved to Kunsan Air Base (IATA code KUV), Korea on the western side of the Korean peninsula, while the 474th Maintenance Squadron moved to Itazuke Air Base (IATA code FUK), Japan and integrated into the rear-echelon maintenance combined operations for Thunderjet fighters. Other support units remained at Misawa, attached to the Japan Air Defense Force while the tactical components at Kunsan included the 474th Fighter-Bomber Group.

The 474th Fighter-Bomber Group (474th FBG), as a component of the 474th Fighter-Bomber Wing, initiated combat operations in the Korean War on 1 August 1952. Fighter-bomber operations included night interdiction missions and targeted supply, transportation, and troop concentrations. Specific accomplishments included devastating strikes against troop concentrations near Pyongyang, disruption of a MiG attack, and major strikes against a munitions factory and destruction of a political/military instruction center. Missions included night interdiction missions against supplies and lines of communications, escorting Douglas B-26 Invaders on bombing operations in MiG Alley; air defense suppression; armed reconnaissance; and strafing and bombing troops in trenches, bunkers, and shelters, and heavy weapons positions. In January 1953 targeting shifted to communications, training complexes, and rebuilt North Korean assets, including: the Sinanju rail facilities, the Kyomipo industrial area, the Pyongyang Tank and Infantry School, the munitions processing plant near Sunchon, and enemy troop concentrations near Wonsan.

On 1 April 1953, the 474th Fighter-Bomber Wing was attached to the 58th Fighter-Bomber Wing. As part of the move, the 474th Fighter Bomber Group was detached from the 474th FBW and assumed the personnel and equipment of the 49th Fighter-Bomber Group at Taegu. It was attached to the 58th Fighter-Bomber Wing as a reinforced wing, and the 474th Fighter Bomber Wing was reduced to paper status. The 474th FBW was subsequently inactivated on 8 November 1954. This made the 58th the largest fighter-bomber wing in Korea. Only the 430th Squadron actually moved to Taegu. With the coming of spring the 474th FBG contributed significantly to Operation Spring Thaw, a Fifth Air Force program to disrupt communist efforts to move supplies to the front in bad weather. The 474th FBG knocked out supply lines and inhibited their repair. During peak efforts, the 474th FBG pilots often flew four or five missions per day. The 474th Fighter Bomber Group participated in a total of 2207 close support strike. The 474th FBG participated in the destruction of North Korean airfields to prevent a last minute influx of enemy planes and material. "On 22 July 1953, in one mission led by Lt. Col. Douglas Montgomery, who was then executive officer of the 474th FBG, 30 out of a total of 40 bombs were placed along the entire length of a runway at the airfield at Sunchon." On the 27 July, just prior to the signing of the truce, the 474th attacked Chunggangjin Airfield in what was one of the last and one of the deepest penetrations of the War. When hostilities stopped, the Armed Forces Assistance to Korea program was launched and the men of the 474th FBG volunteered their off-duty time to work with local villagers in constructing and replenishing a new school building.

Korean War Era Campaigns Korea Summer-Fall, 1952 Third Korean Winter Korea Summer-Fall, 1953

Cold War F-86H and F-100D Operations

The 474th Fighter Bomber Wing was activated at Cannon Air Force Base (IATA code CVS) on 8 October 1957, replacing the 474th Fighter Bomber Group and including the 428th, 429th, 430th and 478th Fighter Bomber Squadrons. It was redesignated the 474th Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW) on 1 July 1958 with the associated squadrons being designated tactical fighter squadrons. It maintained proficiency in tactical fighter operations, deploying components, aircraft, and crews on a global basis in support of NATO, Pacific Air Forces, Alaskan Air Command, and other organizations while flying the North American F-100D Super Sabre. The 474th TFW deployed three squadrons (44 aircraft) to Homestead Air Force Base (IATA code HST) Florida during the Cuban Missile Crisis on 24 October 1962 as part of the Air Division, Provisional, 1st under Brigadier General Gordon M. Graham. The entire wing, except for a deployed squadron in Southeast Asia, reverted to paper status on 15 September 1965, and the detached squadron was reduced to paper status upon its return to the United States. The 429th Tactical Fighter Squadron had been deployed with the F-100D to Bien Hoa Air Base (IATA code VBH), South Vietnam with the 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing on 13 July 1965. The Squadron flew 1627 missions before its return to the U.S. It returned to the U.S. to be inactivated on 16 December 1965.

F-111A Operations

The 474th (Roadrunners) became the first USAF operational wing equipped with the General Dynamics F-111.Thornborough, In anticipation of the activation of the 474th at Nellis, personnel and equipment were initially deployed from Cannon AFB to Nellis AFB throughout 1967. On 20 January 1968 the 474th Tactical Fighter Wing was activated at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada replacing MAJCON 4480th Tactical Fighter Wing, which had been activated on 15 July 1967,Mueller, giving the base an operational tactical fighter wing assigned to Twelfth Air Force. With the Wing, the 428th Tactical Fighter Squadron (Tail Code NA - blue stripe) replaced the 4481st Tactical Fighter Squadron (TFS) and the existing 429th Tactical Fighter Squadron (Tail Code NB - yellow stripe) was assigned to the 474th TFW.

In January 1968, the 428th Tactical Fighter Squadron Detachment 1 received the first 6 of 9 "Harvest Reaper" aircraft [66017, 66018, 66019, 66020, 66021, 66022]: F-111As with the unique camouflage paint job and upgraded avionics (including the ballistics computer unit and fittings for external noise jammers) in preparation for combat evaluation. With the move to Nellis, the 474th Combat Support Group became the base operating host unit. On 15 May 1968 the 429th TFS rejoined the 474th TFW, but without personnel and equipment. The 428th TFS reached an initial operational capability in the spring of 1968. In December 1968, Tactical Air Command activated the 4527th Combat Crew Training Squadron (Tail Code ND - green stripe) as a dedicated F-111 pilot training squadron at Nellis. The squadron performed lead-in training for experienced pilots in the F-111A. It was replaced in October 1969, transferring its personnel and equipment to the newly activated 442nd Tactical Fighter Training Squadron. On 15 September 1968 the 430th TFS (Tail Code NC - red stripe) again became part of the Wing.

Operation Rolling Thunder

On 8 February 1968 the Secretary of the Air Force recommended to the Air Force Chief of Staff that a full squadron of 24 F-111A aircraft be deployed to Southeast Asia. The Chief of Staff determined that the Harvest Reaper configuration of the aircraft was a pacing factor in the Combat Lancer deployment and only 9 aircraft were configured at that time. The Air Force decided to send a small detachment of 6 F-111As, including 22 flightcrew members and associated maintenance and support, to Southeast Asia under the Combat Lancer program using the six 428th TFS Harvest Reaper F-111As that were allocated to Combat Lancer as Detachment 1 under the command of Colonel (COL) Ivan H. Dethman. The Advance Team, under Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Ed Palmgren (under the predecessor unit 4481st TFS), had been sent to Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base (IATA code TKH) on 2 October 1967 to prepare for the deployment. Detachment 1 departed Nellis for Takhli RTAFB on 15 March 1968. The six F-111As, accompanied by Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker tankers, departed for Andersen Air Force Base (IATA code UAM), Guam. The other 10 crewmembers had been prepositioned to Takhli to receive the airplanes and crews on their arrival. The over 13 hour trip was flown using the F-111A's inertial navigation system and with topoff refueling from the tankers, arriving at Andersen on the 16th. The Detachment departed Andersen and arrived at Takhli on 17 March. The Detachment was attached to the Republic F-105 Thunderchief-flying 355th Tactical Fighter Wing in what was seen as the first stage in replacement of the 355th TFW's F-105s with the F-111A. The concept of operations was to employ the F-111A as an all-weather deep strike asset using low-level penetration tactics and without the need of the external support of aerial refueling tankers, defense suppression aircraft, and airborne electronic jammers. F-111A combat operations began on 25 March using the aircraft's unique terrain following radar capability to conduct surprise night deep air interdiction strikes. By the end of the deployment, 55 night low-level missions had been flown against targets in Route Pac 1 and 2 in North Vietnam using high-drag bombs, but three aircraft had been lost. Aircraft 66022, call sign Omaha 77 targeted against the Chan Hoa truck park in RP1, had been lost on 28 March with the loss of the crew, Major (MAJ) Hank MacCann and Captain (CPT) Dennis Graham. On 30 March, the crew of MAJ Sandy Marquardt and CPT Joe Hodges in aircraft 66017, Hotrod 76 targeted against the Ngoc Lam truck park in RP1, successfully ejected and was recovered uninjured in Thailand. Replacement aircraft had left Nellis, but a third loss halted F-111A combat operations. On 22 April, Tailbone 78 targeted against the Mi Le highway ferry in RP1, aircraft 66024 crewed by Lieutenant Commander Spade Cooley and by LTC Ed Palmgren, was lost. After the 3rd loss, the Detachment remained poised for combat, but they saw no combat action before their return to the U.S. on 22 November. Harvest Reaper F-111As 66016 and 66024 were deployed to Takhli RTAFB as replacements for two of the aircraft lost. Harvest Reaper aircraft 66023 remained stateside.