From campaign to campaign: 301st celebrates 70 years

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  • 301st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
NAVAL AIR STATION FORT WORTH JOINT RESERVE BASE, Texas --  This month the Air Force celebrated its 67th birthday as a separate service. However, the history of air superiority reigned supreme long before then, and the 301st Fighter Wing is part of that history.

On Oct. 5, the 301st Fighter Wing will celebrate its 70th anniversary of contributing airpower to the fight. Established in 1944 at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., the wing's mission was to escort B-29 and B-24 bombers with its P-47 Thunderbolt. Just one year later, pilots made dive bombings and attacks on shipping and communication lines in the Far East part of the Ryukyus Campaign. This operation sought to invade Okinawa, the largest island in the Ryukyu Islands, as part of a strategy to defeat Japan. They also provided air defense for Okinawa during the post-war period.

Two years later, the Department of the Air Force was created when President Harry S. Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947. And on Sept. 18, 1947, when Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson administered the oath of office to the first secretary of the Air Force, W. Stuart Symington, it became effective.

The wing continued providing support in the Far East until inactivated on January 20, 1949. Two decades later the Air Force Reserve activated the 301st once again and redesignated it. The 301st Tactical Fighter Wing, as it was called in 1972, dug its spurs into Cowtown.

During his speech at the assumption of command ceremony, then Col. John F. Taylor issued a challenge to make the 301st TFW the number one wing in the Reserve.

From Thunderbolt to Thunderchief, the wing began flying the F-105D. Although designed as a nuclear strike aircraft, the F-105D could carry over 12,000 pounds of conventional ordnance - a heavier bomb load than a World War II B-17.

In 1977, the 301st became the first Air Force Reserve unit to deploy to overseas bases for NATO exercises when it arrived at Norvenich Air Base, Germany, in August, and again, to Cigli Air Base, Turkey, in October 1982. The 301st flew F-105D for a decade before transitioning to the F-4D Phantom II. 

Fighting major campaign operations remains part of the 301st history.  The 1990s began with members being called to active duty during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, serving at locations throughout Southwest Asia, Germany, England, and the United States while the wing converted to the F-16 Fighting Falcon. In 1992, the tactical fighter wing was redesignated as the 301st Fighter Wing and still flies the F-16.

The post-Cold War era has been characterized by an enormous increase in contingency operations. The 301st has participated in seven of these, flying approximately 1,000 combat sorties over Bosnia, northern Iraq and southern Iraq. These included Operation Deny Flight, Operation Decisive Edge as well as Operation Northern Watch.

The 457th Fighter Squadron pilots, while flying in support of Operation Northern Watch in 1999, made Air Force Reserve history when they dropped live, laser-guided bombs destroying numerous Iraqi military targets. This deployment marked the first time in history that Air Force Reserve F-16s dropped that type of bomb in combat.

After 9/11, the 301st deployed in support of Operation Southern Watch. In addition to flying missions in Iraq, they also flew missions over Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom. They flew nearly 200 missions and released close to 200 bombs. This was in addition to Operation Noble Eagle, the stateside mission they supported.

More recently, the 301st Fighter Wing has increased in size and history. As part of the Total Force Integration initiative, the wing has both classic and active associate units.

On September 14, 2007, then Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General T. Michael Moseley, announced the 301st Fighter Wing would be one of the active duty association homes of Total Force Integration.

Since the onset of TFI, the wing has grown by more than 350 people and 150 full-time support Airmen.

Three years after General Moseley's announcement, the fighter wing activated the 44th Fighter Group, the Air Force Reserve's second F-22 fighter unit, at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M.  The wing's geographically separated fighter group includes one of four squadrons, which trace their heritage to the Tuskegee Airmen.  The 44th Fighter Group transitioned to Tyndall AFB earlier this year.

In Summer 2012, the 20th Operations Group at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., activated Detachment 3 becoming the first active duty unit at the 301st Fighter Wing.  It was later realigned in March 2013 as Detachment 457 under the 495th Fighter Group.

The 301st Fighter Wing proudly displays its streamers, to include the World War II: Ryukyus Campaign, on its guidon, all of which aptly exhibit its history from beginning to present.