306th Fighter Wing

356th Special Operations Wing
OV-10 Bronco firing white phosphorus
Active	1943–1945; 1975
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Fighter, Special Operations
Engagements	Mediterranean Theater of Operations Vietnam War

The 306th Fighter Wing (306th FW) was a World War II United States Army Air Forces organization assigned to Fifteenth Air Force as an intermediate-level command and control organization. It was last stationed at Drew Field, Florida and was inactivated on 7 November 1945.

The first predecessor of the 356th Special Operations Wing was the 306th Fighter Wing of World War II.

Constituted originally as the 306th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) on 7 December 1943. Activated in Italy on 15 January 1944. Assigned to Fifteenth Air Force.

Entered combat in Mar as a fighter organization. Redesignated 306th Fighter Wing in May 1944. Operated in the Mediterranean and European theaters until the end of the war.

Moved to the US, July–August 1945. Inactivated on 7 November 1945.

The second predecessor of the wing was the 656th Special Operations Wing, which replaced the 56th Special Operations Wing in Thailand in 1975.

The two wings were consolidated as the 356th Special Operations Wing in 1985, but have not been active since.

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.