432d Air Expeditionary Wing

432d Wing
432d Wing Insignia
Active	1943 - Present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	UAV Reconnaissance
Part of	Air Combat Command
Garrison/HQ	Creech Air Force Base, Nevada
Motto(s)	VICTORIA PER SCIENTIAM-Victory through knowledge

MQ-9 Reaper at Creech Air Force Base, March 2007

17th Reconnaissance Squadron Emblem

17th Reconnaissance Squadron Emblem

The 432d Wing is the first United States Air Force wing dedicated to unmanned aircraft systems. The wing stood up May 1, 2007 at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada.

Mission

The 432d is the first wing totally dedicated to operating the RQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper, both of which are currently being used in Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom for intelligence surveillance reconnaissance and tactical missions, flown by pilots and sensor operators in the United States.

Units

The wing includes six operational squadrons and a maintenance squadron. There are 440 aircrew members, about half of whom are pilots and the other half sensor operators. There are also 450 maintenance personnel, half of whom are contractors.

• 98th Southern Ranges Support Squadron
  The 98th Southern Ranges Support Squadron is responsible for the day-to-day support of Creech AFB, Point Bravo logistics site and the Nevada Test and Training Range southern ranges. The squadron supports Airmen assigned to the 57th Wing, 99th Air Base Wing and 98th Range. In addition to fire protection and emergency medical treatment, the squadron also oversees airfield operations and management, civil engineering, food services, lodging, transportation, logistics, communications and base and range security. It is also responsible for the bed-down and support of all deployments to Creech AFB.

• 11th Reconnaissance Squadron
  The 11th RS operates the MQ-1B remotely piloted aircraft, a medium-altitude multi-sensor armed reconnaissance platform. The 11th RS is the formal training unit that conducts all Predator aircrew initial qualification training as well as instructor upgrade training.

• 757th Maintenance Squadron
  The 757th AMXS has 350 personnel maintaining RQ-1/MQ-1 Predator systems, including 28 remotely piloted aircraft, ground control stations, and Predator Primary Satellite Links. It generates 575 sorties annually for worldwide intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and strike capability for three reconnaissance squadrons and the 53rd Test and Evaluation Group.

• 99th Ground Combat Training Squadron
  The 99th GCTS provides warrior skills training for all ACC security forces and combat support elements at Creech AFB. This squadron provides advanced ground combat weapons and tactics instruction that enhance the combat capabilities of U.S. Air Force ground forces essential to sortie generation who are confronted with a potential for combat during hostilities.

• Joint UAV Center of Excellence
  The second organization announced today is the Joint UAV Center of Excellence. The COE is designed to improve interoperability and use, and examines the use of sensors and intelligence collection assets to meet joint operational requirements of U.S. forces in any combat environment. The COE is an operationally focused organization concentrating on UAV systems technology, joint concepts, training, tactics, and procedural solutions to the warfighters’ needs. The Joint COE stood up at Creech AFB in 1995.

  The Army will initially lead the Joint UAV COE with the Air Force as deputy. These positions will rotate among the four military services. Once established, the center has representatives from all four military services and other DOD and non-DOD agencies

The 432d wing is authorized 160 Predator and 60 Reapers. As of May 2007, 6 Reapers and about 85 Predators have been delivered with half of the Predators deployed forward in the United States Central Command area of operations. The wing is expected to fly 12 combat air mission in Iraq and Afghanistan each day.

History

Lineage

• 432d Observation Group (Feburary - April 1943)
• 432d Reconnaissance Group (April - August 1943)
• 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Group (August - November 1943) (March 1954 - February 1958)
• 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing (February 1958 - June 1959) (August 1966 - December 1975)
• 432d Tactical Drone Group (July 1976 - April 1979)
• 432d Tactical Fighter Wing (July 1984 - May 1991)
• 432d Fighter Wing (May 1991 - October 1994)
• 432d Wing (May 2007 - Present)

Bases Assigned

United States Army Air Forces

• Alachua AAFId, Florida
• Keystone AAFId, Florida

United States Air Force

• Shaw AFB, South Carolina
• Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand
• Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona
• Misawa AB, Japan
• Creech AFB, Nevada

World War II

The 432d Observation Group was activated on 22 Feb 1943. It served as the operational unit of the to USAAF School of Applied Tactics at Keystone AAF, Florida. The group trained and provided reconnaissance to assist fighter, bombardment, and ground units with their training.

Aircraft included P-39's and L-3's. Disbanded on 1 Nov 1943.

Shaw AFB

On 23 March 1953, the 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Group was activated at Shaw AFB, South Carolina. The 432d's mission at Shaw AFB was to assume the reconnaissance training mission that was handled previously by the 363d TRW.

When elevated to the 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing on 8 February 1958, the wing operated the USAF Advanced Flying Training School, Tactical Reconnaissance.

The group initially conducted training with two squadrons (20th, 29th) flying the Republic RF-84F "Thunderflash" and two squadrons (41st, 43d, flying the Martin RB-57A "Canberra". In 1957, the group upgraded the 20th and 29th to the McDonnell RF-101C "Voodo", and the 41st and 43d transitioned to the electronic warfare EB-66C Destroyer.

With the elevation to wing status, the 432d TFW was realigned to a four squadron RF-101C wing.

In a budgetary move, the 432d TRW was deactivated on 8 April 1959. The RF-101C equipped 17th and 18th TRSs were deployed to NATO, being reassigned to the 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Laon-Couvron Air Base, France.

Southeast Asia

RF-4C of the 14th Tactical Recon Squadron

McDonnell F-4D-28-MC Phantom 65-0683 of the 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron - 20 Jan 1972. This aircraft was retired to AMARC on 6 May 1988 and scrapped on 2 Jan 1997.

On 18 September 1966, the 432nd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing (TRW) was activated at Udon RTAFB Thailand. At Udon, it became one of the most diversified unit of its size in the Air Force.

The mission of the wing was to provide intelligence information about hostile forces through tactical reconnaissance and use its fighter elements to destroy the targets earmarked by the intelligence data provided. The wing had numerous missions in the support area also. As the command base for 7/13AF in Thailand, Udon RTAFB played a lead role in accomplishing the objectives of the United States in fulfilling its policy in Southeast Asia.

THe 432d TRW accounted for more than 80 percent of all reconnaissance activity over North Vietnam. In the fall of 1970 Udon was phased down as part of the overall American withdrawal from the Vietnam War, however in 1972 several tactical fighter strength was augmented at Udon by deployed Tactical Air Command CONUS-based squadrons in response to the North Vietnamese invasion of South Vietnam. During Operation Linebacker, between May and October 1972, the 432nd TRW had seven F-4 squadrons assigned or attached, making it the largest wing in the USAF.

With the end of the war in Southeast Asia in 1973, the F-4 squadrons that participated in the 1972 campaigns returned to their home stations and the numbers of USAF personnel and aircraft at Udorn were reduced.

By 1975, the political climate between Washington and Bangkok had become very sour. The Royal Thai Government wanted the USAF out of Thailand by the end of the year. Palace Lightning was the plan which the USAF would withdrawal its aircraft and personnel from Thailand.

The 423d TRW was inactivated on 23 Decenber 1975 and the last USAF personnel departed Udorn in January 1976.

Post Vietnam Era

The 432d was reactivated at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona on 1 July 1976 as the 423d Tactical Drone Group

The 432d performed photographic reconnaissance and to support tactical air and surface forces with tactical drones. Used AQM-34L/M/V drones, DC-130 launch vehicles, and CH-3 recovery helicopters. Conducted follow-on testing and evaluation of the AQM-34V model drone and initial operational testing and evaluation and developmental testing and evaluation of the DC-130H "mother ship." Supported testing and evaluation of the BQM-34C drone at Hill AFB, Utah.

The group was inactivated in April 1979.

In July 1984 it was again reactivaed as the 432d Tactical Fighter Wing at Misawa AB, Japan. The 432d controlled two F-16 squadrons (13th, 14th FS) and a rescue squdron (39th RQS). It was replaced by the 35th Fighter Wing on 1 October 1994 at Misawa and again became inactive.

Creech AFB

The wing was reactivated at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, on May 1, 2007 as the Air Force's first unmanned aircraft systems wing.

See Also

• Tactical Air Command
• Pacific Air Forces

References

• This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Creech Air Force Base
• This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Shaw Air Force Base
• Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982 USAF Reference Series, Office of Air Force History, United States Air Force, Washington, D.C., 1989
• Glasser, Jeffrey D.: The Secret Vietnam War. The United States Air Force in Thailand, 1961-1975 (1995).
• Martin, Patrick, Tail Code: The Complete History Of USAF Tactical Aircraft Tail Code Markings, 1994
• McAuliffe, Jerome J: U.S. Air Force in France 1950-1967 (2005), Chapter 13, Laon-Couvron Air Base.
• Maurer Maurer, Air Force Combat Units Of World War II, Office of Air Force History, 1983
• Ravenstein, Charles A., Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977, Office of Air Force History, 1984
• [1] Joe Baugher's Encyclopedia Of Military Aircraft
• USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers--1908 to Present [2]