71st Surveillance Wing

71st Flying Training Wing
71st Flying Training Wing aircraft
Active	1948; 1955–1957; 1962–1971; 1972–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Pilot Training
Size	About 1400 military and more than 1400 civilian employees
Part of	Air Education and Training Command
Garrison/HQ	Vance Air Force Base
Decorations	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Commanders
Current commander	Colonel Clark Quinn
Vice Commander	Colonel Fred R. Cunningham]
Command Chief Master Sergeant	CMSgt Peter Speen
Notable commanders	Lloyd W. Newton
Insignia
71st Flying Training Wing emblem (approved 12 September 1994)
71st Flying Training Wing emblem (approved 2 January 1973)
Patch with 71st Surveillance Wing emblem(approved 22 January 1963)
Tail code	VN

The 71st Flying Training Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Education and Training Command. It is stationed at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma where has conducted pilot training for the Air Force and allied nations since 1972. It also is the host unit for Vance.

The wing was briefly activated as the 71st Tactical Reconnaissance Wing in 1948 but was operational for only a few weeks before being discontinued. During the Cold War, as the 71st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, it was a part of Strategic Air Command. The wing performed strategic reconnaissance and also tested a technique for launching small F-84K reconnaissance aircraft from GRB-36 bombers to extend the range of photographic reconnaissance and fighter escort. The testing ended in 1956, but the wing continued strategic reconnaissance until inactivated on 1 July 1957.

The wing was activated again in 1962 as the 71 Surveillance Wing. It operated and maintained systems to detect intercontinental ballistic missiles and sea-launched ballistic missile launches until it was inactivated in 1971. The wing was activated with its current mission a year later.

The 71st Flying Training Wing conducts Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training. It mission is to develop professional United States and allied nation pilots who are combat ready. It is responsible for training Air Force and allied student pilots for worldwide deployment and Aerospace Expeditionary Force support.

Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training is conducted in three phases. Phase I is preflight, Phase II is Primary and is conducted with the Beechcraft T-6 Texan II. Phase III may be either fighter-bomber track, conducted with the Northrop T-38 Talon or tanker-airlift track, conducted with the Raytheon T-1 Jayhawk.

The wing was first activated at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa in August 1948 in the wing base reorganization of the United States Air Force, but was a viable entity for only a few days. Its tactical group was detached to the 32d Composite Wing and the wing had only one single reconnaissance squadron to perform photographic reconnaissance attached for its first week of existence. When the squadron was reassigned, the wing became non-operational and its manning was withdrawn. The wing was inactivated in late October.