The 10th Air Base Wing (10 ABW) is a United States Air Force unit that is the host wing for the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aviation branch of the United States armed forces. ... Wing is a term used by different air forces for a unit of command. ... The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA), located in Colorado Springs, Colorado (, ), is an institution for the undergraduate education of officers in the United States Air Force. ... Downtown Colorado Springs skyline. ...

Organization

• 10th Medical Group
• 10th Mission Support Group

History

The 10th Reconnaissance Group and the 10th Air Base Wing are two very seperate units but with a common link. The 10 ABW is allowed to display the awards and honors of the 10 RG since they share a bond.

10th Reconnaissance Group

The origin of the 10th Reconnaissance Group began August 21, 1941, when the War Department constituted the 73rd Observation Group, activating it Sept. 1, 1941, at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Two months later, the group moved to Godman Field, Kentucky, to engage in training. It was redesignated as the 73d Reconnaissance Group in April 1943, moving to Camp Campbell Army Airfield, Kentucky, in June. The group was redesignated again in August 1943 as the 73d Tactical Reconnaissance Group and moved to Key Field, Mississippi in November of that year. One month later, it became the 10th Photographic Group (Reconnaissance). Downtown Harrisburg Motto: Nickname: Map Political Statistics Founded c. ... Official language(s) English Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 37th 104,749 km² 225 km 610 km 1. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

The 10th settled into RAF Chalgrove, Great Britain, in February 1944, as part of the Ninth Air Force. Throughout the war, the 10th flew important photographic and reconnaissance missions. It received special recognition for flying the first mission on D-Day and for the last operational mission of the war: “First on D-Day, Last on V-E Day.” The group received a Distinguished Unit Citation for its pre-invasion efforts over the Normandy beaches May 6-20, 1944. Ninth Air Force is a Numbered Air Force in Air Combat Command (ACC). ... Land on Normandy In military parlance, D-Day is a term often used to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. ... USA and USAF Presidential Unit Citation Please see Presidential Unit Citation for other versions of this award The Presidential Unit Citation is awarded to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and allies for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after 7 December 1941... Flag of Normandy Mont Saint Michel is a historic pilgrimage site and a symbol of Normandy Normandy is a geographical region in northern France. ...

At the end of the war, the 10th became part of the Army of Occupation, in Germany. The group flew damage assessment missions over much of eastern Europe. In June 1945, the group was redesignated the 10th Reconnaissance Group. In June 1947, the group returned to the United States without personnel or equipment.

10th Air Base Wing

The Air Force started a “wing-base” service test in 1947. Under this program the 10th Reconnaissance Wing was organized Dec. 3, 1947, at Pope Field, North Carolina. On Aug. 25, 1948, the 10th Reconnaissance Group was redesignated the 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing. The 10 TRW was then inactivated April 1, 1949. Pope Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force Base in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. ...

On July 10, 1952, the 10 TRW was re-activated in Germany, with many of its assigned units in France. The wing moved to Toul-Rosieres Air Base, France, in November, but construction delays forced the wing’s headquarters to return to Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, in May 1953. Before transitioning to RB-66 and WB-66 Destroyers by the mid-1950s, the wing flew a variety of reconnaissance aircraft. In the late 1950s, France placed new limits on the number of American forces stationed on its soil. Two wings, including the 10 TRW, relocated to Great Britain. Although a few of its assigned units remained in France until the mid-1960s, the wing moved to RAF Alconbury on July 20, 1959. Spangdahlem Air Base is a United States Air Force base located near the small German town of Spangdahlem, near the city of Trier. ... The Douglas B-66 Destroyer was a Strategic Air Command light bomber based on the United States Navys A3D Skywarrior, and intended to replace the Douglas B-26 Invader. ... RAF Alconbury is a USAF installation near Alconbury and Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire in the UK. It is home to a small support squadron. ...

With its headquarters at RAF Alconbury, the 10 TRW operated its B-66 “Destroyers” from RAFs Alconbury, Bruntingthorpe, and Chelveston. In 1965, the 10 TRW received a new airplane, the RF-4C “Phantom II.” The wing’s mission changed slightly in 1976. It inactivated two of its three RF-4C squadrons. The 527th Tactical Fighter Training Aggressor Squadron, flying F-5E “Tiger Ils,” activated at RAF Alconbury. Bruntingthorpe is a former Royal Air Force station in Leicestershire. ... The F-4 Phantom II (simply F-4 Phantom after 1990) is a two-place (tandem), supersonic, long-range, all-weather fighter-bomber built by McDonnell Douglas Corporation. ... The F-5 Freedom Fighter (or Tiger II) is a fighter aircraft, designed and built by Northrop in the USA, beginning in 1962. ...

April 1, 1976, bringing a new mission to the wing. The squadron provided combat training to North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces by teaching and demonstrating soviet air tactics-under the title of Dissimilar Air Combat Tactics. The 527th flew the first “Aggressor” sortie from RAF Alconbury in May. NATO 2002 Summit The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), sometimes called North Atlantic Alliance, Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for defence collaboration established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, DC, on April 4, 1949. ...

In the late 1980s, the 10 TRW experienced more dramatic changes. After 34 years with the same mission, the 10 TRW received a new one. This 1st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron inactivated in June 1987 and its RF-4Cs left the base. On Aug. 20, 1987, the wing was designated as the 10th Tactical Fighter Wing. During 1988, two squadrons of A-10A Thunderbolt IIs, the 509th and 511th Tactical Fighter Squadrons, arrived from RAF Bentwaters/Woodbridge. As the A-10s arrived, the 527th Aggressor Squadron moved to RAF Bentwaters. A-10 Thunderbolt II USAF A-10A Thunderbolt II USAF A-10 Thunderbolt from 1975 The A-10/OA-10 Thunderbolt II, nicknamed and universally known as the Warthog, is the first US Air Force aircraft designed for close air support of ground forces. ... RAF Bentwaters is a former Royal Air Force station in Suffolk in the UK. It closed in the early 1990s although it was not disposed of until some years later. ... RAF Woodbridge is a former Royal Air Force station situated to the south of Woodbridge in the English county of Suffolk. ...

Both A-10 flying squadrons, kept a strong close air support vigilance and remained ready to perform their mission in a contingency situation. The 511 TFS deployed to Saudi Arabia in support of Operations DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM from December 1990 to June 1991. The wing’s A-10s played an important part in the air phase of the Gulf War, attacking tanks, Scud missiles, and other ground positions. See also: 2003 invasion of Iraq and Gulf War (disambiguation) C Company, 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment, 1st UK Armoured Division The Persian Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force of 34 nations led by the United States. ... See also: 2003 invasion of Iraq and Gulf War (disambiguation) C Company, 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment, 1st UK Armoured Division The Persian Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force of 34 nations led by the United States. ... Combatants U.S.-led coalition Iraq Commanders General Norman Schwarzkopf, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell Saddam Hussein Strength 660,000 600,000+ Casualties 345 dead, 1,000 wounded 100,000 dead, 300,000 wounded, 35,000 civilian {{{notes}}} The 1991 Gulf War was a conflict between... Polish missile wz. ...

The 10 TFW again went through dramatic changes in the early 1990s. The wing drew down its A-10 mission, September 1991-March 1992. Without its aircraft, the 10 TFW continued to support the RAF Alconbury community. The wing was finally redesignated as the 10th Air Base Wing in March 1993, and inactivated October 1994. The 10th Air Base Wing was reactivated activated on Nov. 1, 1994 as the support wing for the United States Air Force Academy, Colorado. The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA), located in Colorado Springs, Colorado (, ), is an institution for the undergraduate education of officers in the United States Air Force. ...

External links

• http://atlas.usafa.af.mil/10abw/
• http://www.usafa.af.mil/?catname=10ABW
• History