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14th Flying Training Wing
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October 2019
January 2026
14th Flying Training Wing
center|60px T-38C Formation.jpg 300 Northrop T-38C formation from the 50th Flying Training SquadronNorthrop T-38C Talons serials 66-4327, 68–8162 and 68-8187 are identifiable. 1947–1949; 1966–1971; 1972–present USA Undergraduate Pilot Training Air Education and Training Command
Nineteenth Air Force Columbus Air Force Base Team BlazeJanuary 2026 "Cultivate Airman, Create Pilots and Connect"January 2026 Vietnam War Presidential Unit Citation Air Force Meritorious Unit AwardAir Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device Air Force Outstanding Unit AwardRepublic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm Col. Joshua D. Jensen Col. Stubbendorff Deputy Commander CMSgt Lebaron M. King Command Chief Robert H. Foglesong 165px 14th Flying Training Wing emblemApproved 19 June 1967, restored 21 December 2007. https://www.dafhistory.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/432224/14-flying-training-wing-aetc/ Robertson Patsy Factsheet 14 Flying Training Wing (AETC) 23 August 2011 Air Force Historical Research Agency 24 October 2016 165px Earlier 14th Flying Training Wing emblemApproved 16 September 1994.
The 14th Flying Training Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi.
The 14th Operations Group and its six squadrons are responsible for the 52-week Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) mission. The group also performs quality assurance for contract aircraft maintenance.
The 14th Mission Support Group provides essential services with a 5-squadron/2-division, 750+ person work force and $38 million budget. It operates/maintains facilities and infrastructure for a 6013 acre km2 on pilot training base and provides contracting, law enforcement, supply, transportation, fire protection, communications, education, recreation and personnel management for 9,500 people. The group is also responsible for wartime preparedness and contingency operations.
History
Air Defense
The 14th Fighter Wing was established on 29 July 1947. It provided air defense for the northeastern United States, 1947–1949.
Vietnam War
thumb|left|Fairchild AC-119G "Shadow" gunship Serial 53-3178 17th Special Operations Squadron – 1969. Transferred to Republic of Vietnam Air Force in 1971.
thumb|left|Douglas AC-47B-30-DK "Spooky" gunship Serial 44-76625 of the 4th Special Operations Squadron- March 1969
The unit was redesignated as the 14th Air Commando Wing and was reactivated at Nha Trang Air Base Republic of Vietnam on 8 March 1966. On 1 August 1968 it was renamed the 14th Special Operations Wing and was the host unit at the base until 30 September 1971. From 15 October 1969 through 30 September 1971 the 14th SOW also operated and conducted missions from Phan Rang Air Base, Republic of Vietnam.
Operations included close and direct air support, interdiction, combat airlift, aerial resupply, visual and photographic reconnaissance, unconventional warfare, counterinsurgency operations, psychological warfare (including leaflet dropping and aerial broadcasting), forward air control operations and escort, search and rescue, escort for convoy and defoliation operations, flare drops, civic actions, and humanitarian actions.
The 14th Air Commando Wing distinguished itself by extraordinary heroism, exceptional gallantry and outstanding performance of duty in action against hostile forces in Southeast Asia from 8 March 1966 to 7 March 1967, earning a Presidential Unit Citation. Flying thousands of different sorties, elements of the Wing caused many enemy casualties and destroyed or damaged more than 8,500 structures, 500 trucks and 60 fuel sites as well as numerous automatic weapon positions, radio stations, bridges and boats.
Flying the venerable Douglas C-47 aircraft, one squadron of the Wing helped abort a large number of night hostile operations against friendly forts and hamlets through flare drops and minigun saturation fire. Despite the often heavy and accurate enemy antiaircraft fire, the search and rescue missions of the Wing recovered 91 skilled airmen during this period. In addition, the Wing's psychological warfare missions directly or indirectly influenced the surrender of thousands of enemy soldiers.
The wing also provided maintenance support for a number of tenants. The wing trained Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF) personnel in AC-119 operations and maintenance, February–August 1971, and transferred some of its AC-119s to the RVNAF, August–September 1971 as part of its phase-down to being inactivated.
Flying training at Columbus
The reborn 14th FTW replaced, and absorbed resources of, the 3650th Pilot Training Wing in June 1972 at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi. It assumed the base's undergraduate pilot training program, plus base operations and maintenance.
Units
The 14th Flying Training Wing is currently made up of:
14th Operations Group (14 OG)14th Operations Group https://www.columbus.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/353247/14th-operations-group/ https://web.archive.org/web/20180501185140/http://www.columbus.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/353247/14th-operations-group/ dead 1 May 2018 2022-07-03 Columbus Air Force Base
37th Flying Training Squadron (37 FTS)
41st Flying Training Squadron (41 FTS)
48th Flying Training Squadron (48 FTS)
49th Fighter Training Squadron (49 FTS)
50th Flying Training Squadron (50 FTS)
14th Operations Support Squadron (14 OSS)
14th Student Squadron (14 STUS)
14th Mission Support Group (14 MSG)14th Mission Support Group https://www.columbus.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/353237/14th-mission-support-group/ 2022-07-03 Columbus Air Force Base 3 July 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220703015106/https://www.columbus.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/353237/14th-mission-support-group/ dead
14th Civil Engineering Squadron (14 CES)
14th Communications Squadron (14 CS)
14th Contracting Squadron (14 CONS)
14th Force Support Squadron (14 FSS)
14th Logistics Readiness Squadron (14 LRS)
14th Security Forces Squadron (14 SFS)
Additionally, the 14th Comptroller Squadron (14 CPTS) reports directly to the wing.
Lineage
Established as the 14th Fighter Wing on 29 July 1947
Organized on 15 August 1947
Inactivated on 2 October 1949
Redesignated 14th Air Commando Wing and activated on 28 February 1966 (not organized)
Organized on 8 March 1966
Redesignated 14th Special Operations Wing on 1 August 1968
Inactivated on 30 September 1971
Redesignated 14th Flying Training Wing on 22 March 1972
Activated on 1 June 1972
Assignments
First Air Force, 15 August 1947 – 2 October 1949
Pacific Air Forces, 28 February 1966
2d Air Division, 8 March 1966
Seventh Air Force, 1 April 1966 – 30 September 1971
Air Training (later, Air Education and Training) Command, 1 June 1972
Nineteenth Air Force, 1 July 1993 – present
Components
Group
14th Fighter (later, 14th Operations): 15 August 1947 – 2 October 1949; 15 December 1991 – present
Squadrons
1st Air Commando: 8 March 1966 – 20 December 1967
3d Air Commando (later, 3d Special Operations): 1 May 1968 – 15 September 1969
4th Air Commando (later, 4th Special Operations): 8 March 1966 – 15 December 1969
5th Air Commando (later, 5th Special Operations): 8 March 1966 – 15 October 1969
6th Air Commando: 29 February – 15 July 1968
9th Air Commando (later, 9th Special Operations): 25 January 1967 – 30 September 1971
14th Air Commando: 25 October 1967 – 1 May 1968
15th Air Commando (later, 15th Special Operations): 15 March 1968 – 31 October 1970
17th Special Operations: 1 June 1969 – 30 September 1971
18th Special Operations: 1 October 1969 – 25 August 1971
20th Air Commando (later, 20th Special Operations): 8 March 1966 – 1 September 1971
37th Flying Training: 1 June 1972 – 15 December 1991
42d Flying Training: 25 June 1990 – 15 December 1991
43d Flying Training: 25 June 1990 – 15 December 1991
49th Flying Training: 25 June 1990 – 15 December 1991
50th Flying Training: 1 June 1972 – 15 December 1991
71st Special Operations: 20 December 1968 – 10 June 1969
90th Special Operations: 31 October 1970 – 1 September 1971
602d Air Commando: 8 March 1966 – 8 April 1967
604th Air Commando (later, 604th Special Operations): 15 November 1967 – 1 March 1970 (detached)
3588th Flying Training: 1 October 1990 – 18 October 1991
Stations
Dow Field (later Dow Air Force Base), Maine, 15 August 1947 – 2 October 1949
Nha Trang Air Base, South Vietnam, 8 March 1966
Phan Rang Air Base, South Vietnam, 15 October 1969 – 30 September 1971
Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi, 1 June 1972 – present
Aircraft
F-84 Thunderjet (1947–1949)
A-1 Skyraider (1966–1968)
AC-47 Spooky (1966–1969)
C-47 Skytrain (1966–1971)
HC-47 (1966–1969)
U-10 Super Courier (1966–1969)
CH-3 Jolly Green Giant (1966–1969)
O-2 Skymaster (1967–1971)
UH-1 Iroquois (1967–1971)
C-130E(I) Combat Talon1968–1971Combat Talons designation prior to their MC- designation in 1977 are now referred to as "UWC-130E", for unconventional warfare. (1968–1971)
C-123 Provider (1968–1971)
AC-130 Spectre (1968)
AC-119G Shadow /AC-119K Stinger (1968–1971)
T-41 Mescalero (1972–1973)
T-37 (1972–2008)
T-38 Talon (1972–present)
AT-38 Talon (1993–2000 and 2007–present)
T-1 Jayhawk (1996–present)
T-6 Texan II (2006–present)
References
Notes
Explanatory notes
Citations
30em
Bibliography
Endicott Judy G. Active Air Force Wings as of 1 October 1995 and USAF Active Flying, Space, and Missile Squadrons as of 1 October 1995 http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/virtual_disk_library/index.cgi/4908883/FID1533/wings_cd.pdf 2 July 2014 1998 Air Force History and Museums Program Office of Air Force History Washington, DC B000113MB2
Lambert, John W. The 14th Fighter Group in World War II. Atglen, PA: Schiffer, 2008. 978-0-7643-2921-0.
Martin, Patrick. Tail Code: The Complete History of USAF Tactical Aircraft Tail Code Markings. Schiffer Military Aviation History, 1994. 0-88740-513-4.
Maurer, Maurer Air Force Combat Units of World War II 1961 http://media.defense.gov/2010/Sep/21/2001330256/-1/-1/0/AFD-100921-044.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20161220180735/http://media.defense.gov/2010/Sep/21/2001330256/-1/-1/0/AFD-100921-044.pdf dead 20 December 2016 reprint 1983 Office of Air Force History Washington, DC 0-912799-02-1 61060979
Maurer, Maurer Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II 1969 http://media.defense.gov/2010/Dec/02/2001329899/-1/-1/0/AFD-101202-002.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20161220180455/http://media.defense.gov/2010/Dec/02/2001329899/-1/-1/0/AFD-101202-002.pdf dead 20 December 2016 reprint 1982 Office of Air Force History Washington, DC 0-405-12194-6 72556 70605402
Ravenstein Charles A. Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947–1977 https://archive.org/details/airforcecombatwi0000rave 1984 Office of Air Force History Washington, DC 0-912799-12-9 registration
External links
Columbus AFB Home Page
USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers—1908 to present
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Category:Military units and formations in Mississippi