54th Tactical Fighter Wing

54th Tactical Fighter Wing
16th Tactical Fighter Squadron F-4E Phantom II 67-0231, Kusan AB, South Korea, 1970
Active	20 May 1943 – 31 May 1946 (USAAF) 1 June 1946 – 11 October 1950 (GA ANG) 5 June – 31 October 1970 (PACAF)
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Wing
Role	Fighter

The 54th Tactical Fighter Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Pacific Air Forces Fifth Air Force, being stationed at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea. It was inactivated on 31 October 1970.

During World War II, the 54th Troop Carrier Wing was a United States Army Air Forces Fifth Air Force transport wing that exercised command and control over five combat cargo and troop carrier groups in the South West Pacific theatre.

In the early postwar years, the 54th Fighter Wing commanded 56 units of the Air National Guard throughout the Southeastern United States.

The 54th Troop Carrier Wing commenced air transport and medical air evacuation operations in support of Fifth Air Force on 26 May 1943. advancing as battle lines permitted.

The wing employed C-47s almost exclusively, but during late 1943 and much of 1944 also used 13 converted B-17Es for armed transport missions in enemy-held territory. The 54th supported every major advance made by the allies in the Southwest Pacific Theater, operating from primitive airstrips carved from jungles and air-dropping cargo where airstrips unavailable.

The unit took part in the airborne invasion of Nadzab, New Guinea, in September 1943 by dropping paratroopers of the 503d Parachute Infantry Regiment as well as Australian engineers and heavy equipment. In July 1944, the wing dropped 1,418 paratroopers on Noemfoor Island to aid the allied invasion forces. Then assumed the task of handling all freight and personnel moving in troop carrier aircraft in the Southwest Pacific, in addition to scheduled and unscheduled air movement of cargo and troops, and air evacuation of wounded personnel.