36th Wing | |
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36th Wing Insignia
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Active | 1 February 1940 |
Country | United States |
Branch | United States Air Force |
Type | Combat support |
Part of | Pacific Air Forces |
Garrison/HQ | Andersen Air Force Base |
Nickname(s) | The Fightin’ 36th |
Motto(s) | “Prepared to Prevail” |
Decorations |
DUC AFOUA CdG Belgium Fourragère |
Commanders | |
Current commander |
Brigadier General Andrew J. Toth |
Notable commanders |
Ronald Keys |
The United States Air Force's 36th Wing is the host wing for Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. It is part of United States Pacific Air Forces Eleventh Air Force. The 36th Wing provides day-to-day mission support to more than 9,000 military, civilian, dependent and retired personnel and 15 associate units on the base.
The 36th Wing's and Andersen Air Force Base's official mission statement is "...to employ, deploy, integrate and enable air and space forces from the most forward US sovereign Air Force Base in the Pacific."
More simply, the 36th Wing has three major missions: Operate Andersen AFB via its subordinate 36th Mission Support and 36th Medical Groups; Provide power projection through an attached, rotational bomber force via its subordinate 36th Operations and 36th Maintenance Groups; and provide rapid air base opening and initial air base operation ability via its subordinate 36th Contingency Response Group.
Assisting the 36th Wing in accomplishing this mission is the 734th Air Mobility Squadron, which operates Andersen's air cargo terminal on behalf of Air Mobility Command.
On 2 July 1948 the United States Air Force 36th Fighter Wing was activated at Howard Air Force Base. The former USAAF 36th Fighter Group became the operational component of the new Air Force wing. Active squadrons of the 36th were:
As a result of the Berlin Blockade and other Cold War tensions in Europe, the 36th Fighter Wing was reassigned to USAFE. The squadron was assigned to Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base West Germany on 13 August 1948, being the first USAFE unit to be jet-equipped with the Lockheed F-80 "Shooting Star". At Fürstenfeldbruck tactical operations included air defense, tactical exercises, maneuvers, and photographic reconnaissance. In May 1949, the wing formed the Skyblazers aerial demonstration team, which it controlled until August 1952, and again from October 1956 to January 1962 when it was disbanded.