57th Wing


Mission

The 57 WG is home to advanced air combat training. The wing provides training for composite strike forces which include every type of aircraft in the USAF inventory. Training is conducted in conjunction with air and ground units of the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and air forces from US allied nations. The crews do not come to learn how to fly, but instead learn how to be combat aviators.

Units

The wing was reorganized in 2005 to reflect its current structure.
The Thunderbirds and the USAF Advanced Maintenance and Munitions Operations School report directly to the 57th Wing commander.

History

Established on 15 March 1948, the 57th Fighter Wing replaced 57th Fighter Wing in April 1948. It operated Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, and several satellite bases, and provided air defense of Alaska, April 1948-December 1950. In addition, the wing provided intra-theater troop carrier and airlift support, 1948–1950, using several attached troop carrier squadrons. In January 1951, it was replaced by 39th Air Depot Wing.
The 57th moved to Nevada and replaced the 4525th Fighter Weapons Wing at Nellis Air Force Base, in October 1969. At Nellis, it trained tactical fighter aircrews, conducted operational tests and evaluations, demonstrated tactical fighter weapon systems, and developed fighter tactics and from February 1970 to October 1979 and operated Nellis AFB for all base tenants. The USAF Air Demonstration Squadron was assigned to the wing in February 1974 and has remained an integral part of the wing to present. The 57th assumed operational control of "Red Flag" exercises in October 1979; developing realistic combat training operations featuring adversary tactics, dissimilar air combat training, and electronic warfare. It incorporated intelligence training after March 1980. In 1990 the aggressor mission transferred to 4440th TFTG and later to the 414th CTS. The wing added instruction in hunter/killer counter electronic warfare tactics until 1996.

Modern era

From 1992–1999, the wing operated detachments at Cannon AFB, New Mexico, Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, and Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, that flew and tested the F-111 Aardvark, B-1B Lancer and B-52 Stratofortress respectively. It added the 66th Rescue Squadron, equipped with HH-60 helicopters, on 1 February 1993, while the squadron was deployed in Southwest Asia. From 1991 to present, the 57th provided combat aircrew capabilities, operating the USAF Weapons and the USAF Combat Rescue Schools, developing techniques and procedures and conducting operational test and evaluation on all major aircraft in the AF inventory.
With the reactivation of the 432d Wing at Creech Air Force Base on 1 May 2007, the elements that comprised the 57th Operations Group, were transferred to the 432nd Wing.
The 57th Adversary Tactics Group, which was established in 2005, merged into the 57th Operations Group on 31 March 2020.

Lineage

Groups
  • 57th Fighter
  • 57th Adversary Tactics Group, 1 July 2005–present
  • 57th Test Group: 1 November 1991 – 1 October 1996
  • 4440th Tactical Fighter Training Group
  • 4443d Tactical Training Group: 26 January 1990 – 1 November 1991.
Squadrons
  • 4th Troop Carrier Squadron: attached 2 Dec 1948-28 Feb 1949 and 14 Aug-14 Nov 1949
  • 7th Troop Carrier Squadron: attached 28 Feb-1 Jun 1949
  • 8th Troop Carrier Squadron: attached 1 Sep-2 Dec 1948 and 1 Jun-15 Aug 1949
  • 37th Troop Carrier Squadron: attached 4 Jul-1 Sep 1948
  • 54th Troop Carrier Squadron: attached c. 20 Apr-c. 1 Jul 1948 and 20 Sep 1949 – 31 Dec 1950
  • 64th Fighter Weapons Squadron: 15 Oct 1972 – 5 Oct 1990.
  • 65th Fighter Weapons Squadron: 15 Oct 1969 – 7 Apr 1989
  • 66th Fighter Weapons Squadron: 15 Oct 1969 – 30 Dec 1981
  • 414th Fighter Weapons Squadron: 15 Oct 1969 – 30 Dec 1981
  • 422d Fighter Weapons Squadron: 15 Oct 1969 – 1 Nov 1991
  • 431st Fighter Weapons Squadron: 1 Oct 1980 – 1 Nov 1991
  • 433d Fighter Weapons Squadron: 1 Oct 1976 – 30 Dec 1981
  • 509th Weapons Squadron: 2006 – present. Located at Fairchild AFB WA.
  • 4460th Helicopter Squadron: 1 Nov 1983 – 1 Jun 1985
  • 4477th Test and Evaluation Flight Squadron: 1 Apr 1977 – 15 Jul 1990.
  • USAF Air Demonstration Squadron: 15 Feb 1974 – present
Schools
  • USAF Fighter Weapons School: 30 December 1981 – present
  • USAF Combat Rescue School: 2 July 1993 – 15 July 1995.

    Stations

  • Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, 20 April 1948 – 1 January 1951
  • Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, 15 October 1969–present

    Aircraft operated

  • P-51 Mustang
  • P-80 Shooting Star
  • C-47 Skytrain
  • C-54 Skymaster
  • A-7 Corsair II
  • F-4 Phantom II
  • F-100 Super Sabre
  • F-105 Thunderchief
  • F-111 Aardvark
  • T-39 Sabreliner
  • T-38 Talon
  • F-5 Freedom Fighter
  • F-15 Eagle
  • A-10 Thunderbolt II
  • F-16 Falcon
  • UH-1 Iroquois
  • B-1 Lancer
  • B-52 Stratofortress
  • HH-60 Pave Hawk
  • MQ-1 Predator
  • KC-135R Stratotanker
  • MQ-9 Reaper
  • F-22 Raptor
  • F-35

    List of commanders

Brig Gen Joel T. Hall
  • Brig Gen Joseph W. Ashy, May 1984
  • Brig Gen Stephen L. Hoog
  • Brig Gen Russell J. Handy, 18 January 2008
  • Brig Gen Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy, 16 July 2010
  • Brig Gen Charles L. Moore Jr., 26 March 2012
  • Brig Gen Christopher M. Short, 28 February 2014
  • Brig Gen Jeannie Leavitt, 15 April 2016
  • Brig Gen Robert Novotny, 8 June 2018
  • Brig Gen Michael Drowley, 7 August 2020
  • Brig Gen Richard Goodman, 30 June 2022