31st Fighter Wing


The 31st Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe major command and the Third Air Force. It is stationed at Aviano Air Base, Italy, a North Atlantic Treaty Organization base run by the Italian Air Force.
The 31st Fighter Wing is the only United States fighter wing south of the Alps. This strategic location makes the wing important for operations in NATO's southern region. The 31st FW maintains two F-16 fighter squadrons, the 555th Fighter Squadron
and the 510th Fighter Squadron, allowing the wing to conduct offense and defensive combat air operations.
The 31st Fighter Wing first activated in 1947, but it traces its heritage to its World War II predecessor unit, the 31st Pursuit Group. The group's lineage began with its activation at Selfridge Field Michigan, on 1 February 1940. Redesignated as the 31 Fighter Group shortly before entering the war, it amassed an impressive record. Number one in the Mediterranean theater of operations in terms of aerial victories, the group was involved in 15 WWII campaigns and earned two Distinguished Unit Citations. The wing celebrates the heritage of its predecessor by flying its honors on the wing flag.
The wing traces its lineage to its activation on 20 November 1947, first designated as the 31st Fighter Wing, and stationed at Turner Airfield, Georgia. Since then, the wing has been stationed at George Air Force Base, California and Homestead Air Force Base, Florida, until finally coming to Aviano Air Base, Italy in April 1994. The 31st Fighter Wing has acted as a key player in several significant engagements and operations during its long history, including several operations in Vietnam, the Balkans and Operation Odyssey Dawn.
In peacetime, the 31st FW prepares for its combat role by maintaining aircraft and personnel in a high state of readiness.

Mission

The 31st Fighter Wing is made up of four groups, each consisting of several squadrons.
The 31st Operations Group ensures the combat readiness of two F-16CG squadrons, one HH-60G rescue squadron, one air control squadron, and one operational support squadron conducting and supporting worldwide air operations. The group prepares fighter pilots, controllers, and support personnel to execute US and North Atlantic Treaty Organization war plans and contingency operations. It trains, equips, plans, and provides weather, intelligence, standardization/evaluation, and command and control sustaining global flying operations.
The 31st Maintenance Group provides peacetime and combat maintenance and munitions control, and executive support for the 31st Fighter Wing, geographically separated units under the command and control of the wing, and units gained during advanced stages of readiness. The group also responds to humanitarian and contingency logistics support requirements as directed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff through Headquarters United States Air Forces Europe to locations in Europe, Africa, and Southwest Asia.
The 31st Mission Support Group's goal is to provide infrastructure and service to support a premiere combat capability and quality of life to the 31st Fighter Wing, Aviano community and multiple geographically separated units.
The 31st Medical Group supports the readiness of 31st Fighter Wing and associated units throughout the North Atlantic Treaty Organization southern region, ensuring the health of its community by providing patient-focused medical care from internal, Department of Defense and host nation resources. The unit employs medical resources and preventive initiatives to ensure airmen remain mission ready to support the Expeditionary Air Force, US and NATO objectives worldwide.
, the commander of the 31st Fighter Wing is Colonel Beau E. Diers.

Component units

, the 31st Fighter Wing comprises the following units. Unless otherwise indicated, units are based at Aviano Air Base, Italy.
  • Headquarters, 31st Fighter Wing
  • * 31st Comptroller Squadron
  • * 31st Operations Group
  • ** 31st Operations Support Squadron
  • ** 56th Rescue Squadron – HH-60W Jolly Green II
  • ** 57th Rescue Squadron
  • ** 510th Fighter Squadron – F-16CG Fighting Falcon
  • ** 555th Fighter Squadron – F-16CG Fighting Falcon
  • ** 606th Air Control Squadron
  • ** 731st Expeditionary Attack Squadron – MQ-9 Reaper
  • * 31st Maintenance Group
  • ** 56th Rescue Generation Squadron
  • ** 510th Fighter Generation Squadron
  • ** 555th Fighter Generation Squadron
  • ** 31st Maintenance Squadron
  • ** 31st Munitions Squadron
  • ** 731st Munitions Squadron
  • * 31st Mission Support Group
  • ** 31st Civil Engineer Squadron
  • ** 31st Communications Squadron
  • ** 31st Contracting Squadron
  • ** 31st Force Support Squadron
  • ** 31st Logistics Readiness Squadron
  • ** 31st Security Forces Squadron
  • * 31st Medical Group
  • ** 31st Dental Squadron
  • ** 31st Health Care Operations Squadron
  • ** 31st Medical Support Squadron
  • ** 31st Operational Medical Readiness Squadron

    Aircraft

The 31st Fighter Wing currently has two operational squadrons, the 555th and 510th Fighter Squadrons flying the F-16CG/DG. Both use the tail code "AV" for AViano. Each F-16 has a tail markings in the squadron colors Green with the words "Triple Nickel" in white for the 555th FS and Purple with the words "Buzzards" in white for the 510th FS. The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a compact, multi-role fighter aircraft. It is highly maneuverable and has proven itself in air-to-air combat and air-to-surface attack. It provides a relatively low-cost, high-performance weapon system for the United States and allied nations.
Throughout the wing's history, the 31st Fighter Wing and its predecessor group have flown several aircraft, including P-35, P-39, P-40 and P-51 aircraft in World War II, F-80 aircraft for a short period from 1946 to 1947, and then P-80s, F-51s and F-84s after World War II. The wing began flying F-100s before the Cuban Missile Crisis and flew that aircraft into the Vietnam War. After the U.S. force reduction in Vietnam, the wing switched to F-4s. In 1970 and 1980, the wing upgraded all F-4Es to F-4Ds and began training all F-4 aircrews. In 1985, the wing received its next aircraft, the F-16 and resumed an air defense mission.

History

World War II

The 31st Pursuit Group, the predecessor unit of the wing's 31st Operations Group, was activated at Selfridge Field, Michigan, on 1 February 1940.
In June 1942, the 31st Pursuit Group was transferred to England without planes and began training in British Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vbs at Achem and High Ercall air bases. They were the first complete American combat group in the European Theater of Operations and the first to engage in combat. From August through mid-October 1942 the group flew patrols and participated in operations over German controlled France including the Dieppe Raid on 19 Aug.. That day, 2nd Lt. Samuel Junkins became the first American operating in an American combat unit to shoot down a German aircraft operating over the British Isles.
On 14 October 1942, the group was declared non-operational on prior to boarding ships bound for its next assignment.
That next assignment included participating in the invasion force that landed in North Africa on 8 November 1942, becoming the first American Air Force unit to see combat in theater. They flew from Gibraltar to Tafaraoui Airfield, Algeria, where they scored their first victories in the campaign – shooting down three French fighters that were strafing the airfield just as the 31st arrived. From there they moved quickly from base to base throughout Algeria and Tunisia, engaging in ground attack missions and later escorting P-39s and A-20s on missions to attack German troop positions and convoys. They found themselves as close as 15 miles from the front lines, and this led to near disaster on at least one occasion. During a major German counteroffensive in February 1943, the group was forced to evacuate their position at Thelepte, Tunisia, only a few miles from the advancing German Army, leaving most of their supplies behind. The counteroffensive, however, was short-lived and by May 1943, the Germans surrendered in North Africa. During the North Africa campaign, the group claimed 61 Luftwaffe aircraft destroyed.
One of the highlights of the group's time in North Africa was the selection of the 308th Fighter Squadron to provide combat air patrols for the arrival of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill at the Casablanca conference in Morocco.
As the Allied forces looked to Europe, the 31st was assigned to the 64th Fighter Wing and were the first US Army Air Forces unit in combat in Malta and Sicily and the first to land in Italy. They distinguished the unit by destroying seven enemy fighters attacking allied shipping during the invasion of Sicily and six more attacking the invasion force on the beaches of Salerno. Their missions consisted mainly of sweeps over allied positions and escorting bombers attacking German positions. January 1944 brought the Allied landing at Anzio with the 31st the sole provider of air cover for the invasion and beachhead.
In March 1944 the group exchanged their Spitfires for the new North American P-51 Mustangs. This brought about an immediate mission change as the Mustangs enjoyed a much longer range and were tasked to escort heavy bombers on long range missions into Romania, Bulgaria, Austria, France and Northern Italy. During one of their first missions over Ploesti, Romania on 21 April 1944, the group earned their first Distinguished Unit Citation for covering the raids despite severe weather and as many as 50 enemy fighters defending the area. They received their second Distinguished Unit Citation in July 1944 following a mission to escort P-38s on a raid from Ukraine into Romania and Poland. By the time they had returned to Italy, they had destroyed 37 enemy aircraft, including 21 enemy fighter bombers on their way to attack Russian ground forces with no losses of their own.
The 31st remained active through the end of the war, not only flying bomber escort, but also photo reconnaissance and troop carrier escort and took part in Operation Dragoon, the invasion of Southern France. When the shooting stopped, the 31st Fighter Group sat as the undisputed top scoring allied fighter group in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations and the fifth highest overall for the Army Air Forces with 570 confirmed aerial victories. The group sailed to home on 13 August 1945, one of the last units to depart Europe. The unit inactivated on 7 November 1945.