4504th Missile Training Wing

4504th Missile Training Wing
Emblem
Active	1956-1967
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force

The 4504th Missile Training Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Ninth Air Force, Tactical Air Command, stationed at Orlando Air Force Base, Florida. It was inactivated on 25 March 1967.

The wing was a Tactical Air Command organization, with the mission to operate the USAF Tactical Missile School. Though its student squadrons trained Air Force personnel on the operation and maintenance of the MGM-1 Matador and MGM-13 Mace tactical cruise missiles, taking over the training mission from the Air Force Systems Command 6555th Test Wing at Patrick AFB, Florida on 18 October 1956.

The 588th Tactical Missile Group (TMG) was formed as a unit encompassing both launch and maintenance squadrons to be deployed together rather than single squadrons which had been done previously by TAC. The 588th TMG was assigned to Ninth Air Force and consisted of the 17th Tactical Missile Squadron (TMS) and the 588th Support Squadron (SUPRON). The 17th TMS was later deployed to Pacific Air Forces in 1958, being assigned to Tainan AS, Taiwan and being re-designated as the 858th TMS.

Ninth Air Force also formed the 589th TMG two months later in March 1957. The 589th included the 24th TMS and the 589th SUPRON. TAC also assigned a mobile training detachment to the school at Cape Canaveral AFS to assume crew training. The AFMC 6555th Guided Missiles Squadron assisted TAC with a training detachment in launching Matador missiles from the Cape.

With the deployment of the 17th TMS to Taiwan, the 24th TMS was transferred to the 588th TMS on 25 April 1958. The 24th engaged in crew training at Orlando AFB but never received any missiles or deployment orders before the squadron was inactivated on 15 July 1958. The squadron did, however, deploy to Cape Canaveral AFS and launched for Matador missiles under the guidance of the 6555th Guided Missile Squadron.

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