347th Rescue Group

347th Wing
347th Rescue Group emblem
Active	1942-1946 1947-1950 1967-Present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Part of	Air Force Special Operations Command
Garrison/HQ	Moody AFB, Georgia

The United States Air Force's 347th Rescue Wing is an inactive combat search and rescue unit last assigned to Moody AFB, Georgia.

The wing was deactivated in 2006 when the 23d Wing was reassigned to Moody AFB. However, the 347th Rescue Group, formery the operations group of the 347th RQW, was assigned to the 23d Wing as a tennant unit, retaining its rescue function.

Mission

The 347th Rescue Group is tasked to organize, train and employ combat-ready security forces, pararescuemen, HH-60, and HC-130 forces totaling 6,100 military and civilian personnel. The group executes worldwide combat search and rescue operations in support of humanitarian interests, United States national security and the global war on terrorism.

Units

• 38th Rescue Squadron
• 41st Rescue Squadron
• 71st Rescue Squadron
• 347th Operations Support Squadron

History

Lineage

• 347th Fighter Group (1942-46)
• 347th Fighter Wing, All Weather (1947-50)
• 347th Fighter-All Weather Wing (1950)
• 347th Tactical Fighter Wing (1967-94)

• 347th Wing (1994-2001)
• 347th Rescue Wing (2001-06)
• 347th Rescue Group (2006-Present)

Bases Assigned

United States Army Air Forces

• New Caledonia, Loyalty Islands (1942-43)
• Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands (1943-44)
• Stirling Island, Treasury Islands (Jan-August 1944)
• Sansapor, New Guinea (August-September 1944)
• Middleburg, New Guinea (1944-45)
• San Jose, Mindoro, Phillipines (Feburary-March 1945)
• Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, Phillipines (March-December 1945)

United States Air Force

• Itazuke, Japan, (1947-48)
• Bofu Afld, Japan, (1948-49)
• Ashiya Afld (later, AB), Japan, (1949-50)
• Nagoya AB, Japan, (April-June 1950)
• Yokota AB, Japan, (1968-71)
• Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, (1971-72)
• Takhli RTAFB, Thailand, (1973-74)
• Korat RTAFB, Thailand, (1974-75)
• Moody AFB, Georgia, (1975-Present)

Operational History

World War II

Constituted as the 347th Fighter Group on 29 September 1942. Activated in New Caledonia on 3 October 1942. Detachments of the group, which was assigned to Thirteenth Air Force in January 1943, were sent to Guadalcanal, where they used Bell P-39 and P-400 Airacobra aircraft to fly protective patrols, support ground forces, and attack Japanese shipping.

Operational squadrons of the 347th FG were the 67th, 68th, 70th and 339th Fighter Squadrons.

When the Allied campaign to recover the central and northern Solomon Islands began in Feburay 1943, the detachments, still operating from Guadalcanal and using Lockheed P-38 Lightings and P-39s, escorted bombers and attacked enemy bases on New Georgia, the Russell Islands and Bougainville.

Headquarters moved up from New Caledonia at the end of 1943; and the following month the group moved from Guadalcanal to Stirling Island to support ground forces on Bougainville, assist in neutralizing enemy bases at Rabaul, and fly patrol and search missions in the northern Solomons.

The 347th was reassigned to New Guinea in August 1944, and equipped completely with P-38G's. Escorted bombers to oil refineries on Borneo; bombed and strafed airfields and installations on Ceram, Amboina, Boeroe, Celebes, and Halmahera. Received a Distinguished Unit Citation for a series of long-range bombing and strafing raids, conducted through intense flak and fighter defense, on the airfield and shipping at Makassar, Celebes, in November 1944.

Moved to the Philippines in Feburary 1945. Supported landings on Mindanao in March 1945: bombed and strafed enemy installations and supported Australian forces on Borneo, attacked Japanese positions in northern Luzon, and flew escort missions to the Asiatic mainland.

The 347th Fighter Group was reasssigned back to the United States in December 1945, and inactivated on 1 January 1946.

Cold War

Japan

The unit was redesignated as the 347th Fighter Wing (All Weather) and reactivated in Japan on 20 Febuary 1947 to perform air defense duties. It's operational squadrons were the 68th and 339th Fighter Squadrons.

The 347th was initially equipped with the Northrup F-61B Black Widow (1947), inheriting the aircraft from the World War II 6th and 421st Night Fighter Squadrons. These aircraft were rapidly replaced by the North American F-82F/G Twin Mustang during 1948 and 1949. The 347th was the last active duty USAF unit to fly the Black Widow, the 339th FS retiring it's last F-61 in May 1950, missing the Korean War by only a month.

The wing was inactivated on 24 June 1950, just after the outbreak of the Korean War, with its Twin Mustang squadrons transferred to the 8th and 35th Fighter-Bomber wings in South Korea.

The 347th Tactical Fighter Wing was reactivated at Yokota Air Base, Japan performing aerial reconnaissance and contingency operations. It's operatonal squadrons were the following:

• 34th Tactical Fighter: (Deployed June 1968 - March 1971)
• 35th Tactical Fighter: 10 June 1968-15 Mar 1971 (TC: GG, Red fin caps)
• 36th Tactical Fighter: 15 Jan 1968-15 May 1971. (TC: GL, Blue fin caps)
• 80th Tactical Fighter: 15 Jan 1968-15 Feburary 1971 (TC: GR, Yellow fin caps)
• 556th Tactical Reconnaissance: 1 Jul 1968-15 May 1971 Martin EB/RB-57 Canberra, Lockheed RC-130B-H (B-57 Tail Code: GT, C-130s uncoded)

The 35th, 36th and 80th TFS were equipped with the McDonnell-Douglas F-4C Phantom IIs and flew tactical fighter training missions. The 556th flew various electronic warfare and special operations sorties of a classified nature. The 34th TFS was in a deployed status to the 388th TFW, Korat RTAFB, Thailand. 347th F-4C aircrews would rotate TDY to and from the 34th TFS. Squadron transferred permanently to the 388th TFW, March 1971.

The 347th TFW and all squadrons were inactivated in place in May 1971 prior to reassignment to the United States. 35th TFS aircraft transferred to 67th TFS/18th TFW, Kadena Air Base Okinawa; 36th and 80th TFS aircraft transferred to 3d TFW, Kusan AB, South Korea. The 554th TRS was reassigned to the incoming 475th Air Base Wing at Yokota.

Mountain Home AFB

The 347th was reactivated and reequipped with factory-fresh General Dynamics F-111F Aardvarks, replacing the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing as host unit at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho in May 1971. Operational squadrons of the wing were:

• 391st Tactical Fighter (July 1971 - October 1972) (Tail Code: MO)
• 4589th Tactical Fighter (July 1971 - October 1971) (Tail Code: MP)
  389th Tactical Fighter (October 1971 - October 1972) (Tail Code: MO)
• 4590th Tactical Fighter (July 1971 - June 1972) (Tail Code: MQ)
  390th Tactical Fighter (June - October 1972) (Tail Code: MO)

The 4589th/4590th TFS were provisional units, pending the transfer of the 389th and 390th TFSs from the 12th and 366th TFWs in Southeast Asia. All three squadrons adopted the MO tail code under the common wing concept in June 1972.

The 347th had a short stay at Mountain Home, conducting F-111F training until October 1972, when it was replaced by the 366th TFW which moved from Takhli RTAFB, Thailand to Mountain Home. Upon its arrival, the 366th absorbed all the people and equipment of the 347th.

Takhli RTAFB

On 30 July 1973 347th Tactical Fighter Wing was activated at Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, inheriting two squadrons of F-111As from the deactivating of the 474th TFW. These were:

• 428 Tactical Fighter (Tail Code: HG - Red Tail Fin)
• 429 Tactical Fighter (Tail Code: HG - Yellow Tail Fin)

For a brief two-week period the 347th flew combat operations into Cambodia until 15 August, when the last wartime mission of the Vietnam Era was flown into Cambodia for final mission of Constant Guard. After the cease-fire, the wing was maintained in a combat-ready status for possible contingency actions.

During January 1974 the Secretary of Defense announced a realignment of Thailand resources, with the final pullout of air resources by the end of 1976. In June 1974, Four F-111s from the 347 TFW flew from Takhli to Osan Air Base South Korea and conducted live weapons demonstrations for Republic of Korea and US officials at Nightmare Range.

Korat RTAFB

On 12 July 1947, two F-111A squadrons of the 347th Tactical Fighter Wing were transferred to Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand from Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base.

Squadrons assigned were:

• 428th Tactical Fighter (F-111A Tail Code: HG)
• 429th Tactical Fighter (F-111A Tail Code: HG)

Participated in the recovery of the SS Mayaguez, an American merchant ship, from the Cambodians, 13-14 May 1975.

On 30 June 1975, the 347th TFW F-111A's and their two squadrons (428th and 429th TFS) were deactivated. The F-111's were sent to the 422d Fighter Weapon Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. The 347th was reassigned to Moody AFB, Georgia.

Moody AFB

On 1 December 1975 the 347th Tactical Fighter Wing relocated to Moody as an active tactial fighter wing under Tactical Air Command. Operational tactical fighter squadrons at Moody were:

• 68th Tactical Fighter Squadron (red tail stripe)
• 69th Tactical Fighter Squadron (silver tail stripe)
• 70th Tactical Fighter Squadron (blue/white checkered tail stripe)

The 347th flew the McDonnel-Douglas F-4E until 1988, upgrading to the Block 15 General Dynamics F-16A/B. In 1990 the wing upgraded again to the Block 40 F-16C/D. Moody won the Commander-in-Chief's Installation Excellence Award for 1991, and the 1994 Verne Orr Award, which is presented by the Air Force Association to the unit that most effectively uses human resources to accomplish its mission. In June 1997, the 347th TFW was awarded the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for the eighth time in its illustrious history.

On 1 June 1992 the 347th TFW was assigned to the newly-activated Air Combat Command.

As a result of the August 1992 destruction of Homestead AFB Florida by Hurricane Andrew, the 31st Fighter Wing's 307th and 308th Fighter Squadrons were initially evacuated to Moody AFB prior to the hurricane making landfall. With Homstead unusable for an extended period after the hurricane, on 20 November the squadrons were permanently assigned to the 347th TFW. On 1 April 1994, the 308th FS was moved without personnel or equipment to the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke AFB, Arizona, replacing the 311th FS. The squadrons Block 40 F-16s were sent to USAFE.

On 1 July 1994, the Air Force converted the 347th Fighter Wing to the 347th Wing, a force projection, air/land composite wing. Squadrons of the 347th Wing were:

• 52d Airlift Squadron (C-130E) (green tail stripe)
  Transferred from deactivated 63d MAW, Norton AFB, California 1 May 1994. Was a C-141B squadron at Norton.
• 68th Fighter Squadron (F-16C/D) (red tail stripe - LANCERS)
• 69th Fighter Squadron (F-16C/D) (black tail stripe - WEREWOLVES)
• 70th Fighter Squadron (F-16C/D) (blue/white tail stripe)
• 307th Fighter Squadron (F-16C/D) (black tail stripe - STINGERS)

The 307th FS was inactivated on 31 August 1995 when F-16 operations at Moody were reduced in size.

On 1 April 1997 the 347th Wing added a search-and-rescue component with the addition of the 41st Rescue Squadron with HH-60G helicopters and the 71st Rescue Squadron with specialized HC-130P aircraft from Patrick AFB, Florida. To make room for these squadrons, the 52d Airlift Squadron was deactivated, with its C-130s being transferred to the 71st RQS.

The F-16s of the 347th began to be transferred out as the "Composite Wing" concept ended at Moody. The 70th FS was deactivated on 30 June 2000. The 69th FS was deactivated on 2 February 2001, and the 68th FS was deactivated on 1 April. The F-16s were transferred to various active-duty, reserve and Air National Guard squadrons both in the CONUS as well as overseas.

On 1 May 2001, the 347th Wing stood down as a composite wing and stood up as the 347th Rescue Wing, becoming the Air Force's only active-duty combat search and rescue wing. The 347th RQW was transferred from ACC to the Air Force Special Operations Command on 1 October 2003.

See Also

• Thirteenth Air Force
• Pacific Air Forces
• Tactical Air Command
• Air Force Special Operations Command

References

Some of this text in of this article was taken from pages on the Moody AFB website, which as a work of the U.S. Government is presumed to be a public domain resource.

• Davis. Larry (1996). F-82 Twin Mustang (Squadron/Signal Mini In Action Series Number 8). Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications. ISBN 0-89747-367-1.
• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.
• Martin, Patrick (1994). Tail Code: The Complete History of USAF Tactical Aircraft Tail Code Markings. Schiffer Military Aviation History. ISBN 0887405134.
• Mueller, Robert (1989). Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982. USAF Reference Series, Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-53-6
• Pape, Garry R., Campbell, John M. and Donna (1991), Northrop P-61 Black Widow--The Complete History and Combat Record. St. Paul, Minnesota: Motorbooks International. ISBN 0-87938-509-X.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799129.
• Rogers, Brian (2005). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. Hinkley, England: Midland Publications. ISBN 1-85780-197-0.