944th Fighter Wing

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944th Fighter Wing
Air Force Reserve Command.png
944th Fighter Wing - General Dynamics F-16C Block 32D Fighting Falcon 86-0291.jpg
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 AFR Shield.svg  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 Fighter Wing.png
944th Military Airlift Group emblem 944th Military Airlift Group - Emblem.png
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

Components

  • 944th Operations Group: 1 Aug 1992 – present[1]

Stations

Aircraft

See also

References

Notes

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Bibliography

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

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External links