328th Armament Systems Wing

328th Armament Systems Wing
Active	1942-1944, 1955-1968, 2005— present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Weapons Management
Part of	Air Force Materiel Command Air Armament Center
Garrison/HQ	Eglin Air Force Base, Florida
Motto(s)	Fast and Furious (WW II)

The 328th Armament Systems Wing (328 ARSW) is an inactive wing of the United States Air Force. It was last active in 2007, assigned to the Air Armament Center, part of Air Force Material Command (AFMC) at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. It was first activated in 1942 as the 328th Fighter Group and served during World War II as a fighter aircraft training unit until disbanded in 1944 in a major reorganization of the Army Air Forces.

The group was reactivated in 1955 in a reorganization of Air Defense Command (ADC) in which ADC replace its existing Air Defense Groups with fighter groups that had served during World War II. It provided air defense for the central United States and supported all USAF units at Richards-Gebaur AFB, Missouri. In 1961, the mission expanded and the 328th Fighter Group became the 328th Fighter Wing until the wing was inactivated in 1968 and its operational squadron reassigned.

The wing was activated a final time in 2004 as the Air to Air Systems Wing in the Air Force Materiel Command Transformation, which replaced the traditional staff office organization of the Air Armament Center and other AFMC centers with wing, groups, and squadrons. It became the 328 ARSW in 2006. but in 2008 AFMC returned to its traditional organization for most of its centers and the wing was inactivated.

History

World War II

Emblem of the 328th Fighter Group in World War II

The 328th Fighter Group was activated in 1942 with the 326th, 327th, and 329th Fighter Squadrons assigned. The 328th group served as part of the west coast air defense force from 1942 to 1944. While performing this duty it also acted as an operational training unit (OTU) until early 1944. The OTU program involved the use of an oversized parent unit to provide cadres to “satellite groups.” It then acted as a replacement training unit (RTU) for fighter pilots. RTUs were also oversized units that trained individual pilots or aircrews. In March 1943, the group added a fourth squadron, the newly activated 444th Fighter Squadron, and in began split operations, with its squadrons located at various airfields in California and Nevada, although group headquarters remained at Hamilton Field. The group was disbanded in 1944 in a major reorganization of the Army Air Forces in which units that were not programmed to transfer overseas were disbanded and replaced by AAF Base Units. Standard military units, based on relatively inflexible tables of organization proved less well adapted to the mission. Accordingly a more functional system was adopted in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit. The group was replaced by the 434th AAF Base Unit (Replacement Training Unit) at Santa Rosa AAF, where two of its operational squadrons were located.

Cold War

Emblem of the 328th Fighter Group (Air Defense)

The group was reconstituted, assigned to Air Defense Command and activated as the 328th Fighter Group (Air Defense), in 1955. It replaced the 4676th Air Defense Group at Grandview AFB, Missouri as part of ADC's Project Arrow, which was designed to bring back on the active list the fighter units which had compiled memorable records in the two world wars. The personnel and equipment of the 4676th were transferred to the 328th, including its operational squadron, the 326th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (FIS), flying radar equipped and rocket armed F-86 Sabre aircraft. The 328th Fighter Wing provided active air defense of a portion of the central United States from 1955-1968. It was also USAF host unit for Grandview AFB, Missouri. It was assigned a number of support organizations to fulfill this function.

The 326th FIS upgraded to F-102 Delta Dagger aircraft, armed with AIM-4 Falcon Air-to-air missiles by June 1957. In November, the 65th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron transferred on paper (without personnel or equipment) to the wing, and was inactivated two months later. In response to the Cuban Missile Crisis, the wing increased its alert state, deployed the 326th FIS to the Southeastern US and deployed aircraft to Grand Island Municipal Airport(MAP), NE. The wing later maintained air defense detachments at Homestead Air Force Base, Florida, 19 December 1962 – 15 February 1963, and at Naval Air Station Key West, Florida, 1 August 1965 – 1 July 1966. From 1966 to the inactivation date July 1968 the 328th maintained an Air Defense Alert Detachment at Grand Island MAP, Nebraska. In early 1967, the wing was briefly without an operational squadron, when the 326th FIS inactivated Two weeks later, the 71st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, flying F-106 Delta Darts was assigned to the wing. In 1968, the wing was inactivated and its operational squadron reassigned to the 28th Air Division.

Modern Era

The wing was activated in 2005 as the Air to Air Missile Systems Wing as part of the Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) Transformation, in which traditional program offices were replaced by wings, groups, and squadrons. The following year, it was consolidated with the 328th Tactical Fighter Wing, as AFMC assigned its systems wings the numbers of World War II units. The wing performed cradle-to-grave management of air dominance weapon system programs, including the AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), AIM-9X Follow-on Sidewinder, High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM) Targeting System, Miniature Air Launched Decoy, and aerial target systems. It was inactivated in 2007 and its subordinate units reassigned or inactivated as the Air Armament reduced its subordinate systems organizations.

Lineage

328th Fighter Group

• Constituted as 328th Fighter Group (Single Engine) on 24 June 1942

Activated on 10 July 1942.

Disbanded on 31 March 1944.

• Reconstituted, and redesignated 328th Fighter Group (Air Defense), on 20 June 1955

Activated on 18 August 1955

Discontinued and inactivated on 1 February 1961

• Consolidated with the 328th Fighter Wing as the 328th Fighter Wing (Air Defense) on 31 January 1984

328th Fighter Wing

• Constituted as the 328th Fighter Wing (Air Defense) on 28 December 1960

Organized on 1 February 1961

Discontinued, and inactivated on 18 July 1968.

• Consolidated with the 328th Fighter Group on 31 January 1984
• Redesignated 328th Tactical Fighter Wing on 31 July 1985 (Remained inactive)
• Consolidated with the Air to Air Missile Systems Wing, as the Air to Air Missile Systems Wing on 3 May 2006

Air to Air Missile Systems Wing

• Constituted as the Air to Air Missile Systems Wing on 23 November 2004.

Activated on 27 January 2005

• Consolidated with the 328th Fighter Wing, on 3 May 2006

Redesignated 328th Armament Systems Wing on 15 May 2006

Inactivated on 7 September 2007

Assignments

328th Fighter Group

• IV Fighter Command, 10 July 1942 (attached to San Francisco Air Defense Wing, ca. 28 October 1942 – 11 April 1943)
• San Francisco Air Defense Wing (later, San Francisco Fighter) 12 April 1943
• IV Fighter Command, 1 March 1944 – 31 March 1944
• 33d Air Division (Defense), 18 August 1955
• 20th Air Division (Defense), 1 March 1956 – 1 February 1961

328th Fighter Wing

• Kansas City Air Defense Sector, 1 February 1961
• Sioux City Air Defense Sector, 1 July 1961
• 30th Air Division, 1 April 1966 – 18 July 1968

328th Armament Systems Wing

• Air Armament Center, 27 January 2005 – 7 September 2007

Components

Operational Squadrons

• 65th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 1 November 1957 – 8 January 1958 (non operational)
• 71st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 16 January 1967 - 18 July 1968
• 326th Fighter Squadron (later Fighter-Interceptor Squadron): 10 July 1942 – 31 March 1944; 18 August 1955 - 2 January 1967
• 327th Fighter Squadron: 10 July 1942 - 31 March 1944
• 329th Fighter Squadron: 10 July 1942 - 31 March 1944
• 444th Fighter Squadron] 1 March 1943 - 31 March 1944

Support Units

• 328th Air Base Group (later 328th Combat Support Group), 1 February 1961 - 18 July 1968
• 328th USAF Infirmary (later 328th USAF Dispensary, 328th USAF Hospital), 18 August 1955 - 18 July 1968
• 328th Air Base Squadron, 18 August 1955 - 1 February 1961
• 328th Armament & Electronics Maintenance Squadron, 1 February 1961 - 18 July 1968

• 328th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 8 July 1957 - 1 February 1961
• 328th Field Maintenance Squadron, 1 February 1961 - 18 July 1968
• 328th Materiel Squadron, 18 August 1958 - 1 February 1961
• 328th Munitions Maintenance Squadron, 15 September 1966 - 18 July 1968
• 328th Organizational Maintenance Squadron, 1 February 1961 - 18 July 1968

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Systems Organizations

• Medium Range Missile Systems Group (later 328th Armament Systems Group), 27 January 2005 – 7 September 2007

695th Armament Systems Squadron

696th Armament Systems Squadron

Performance and Mission Support Flight

• Special Application Systems Group (later 728th Armament Systems Group), 27 January 2005 - 7 September 2007

691st Armament Systems Squadron

692nd Armament Systems Squadron

693d Armament Systems Squadron

• Special Projects Squadron (later 690th Armament Systems Squadron), 27 January 2005 - 7 September 2007
• Air to Air International Support Squadron (later 694th Armament Systems Squadron), 27 January 2005 - 7 September 2007
• 697 Armament Systems Flight, 15 May 2006 – 7 September 2007
• Short Range Missile Systems Flight, 27 January 2005 – 15 May 2006
• Detachment 1, 328 ARSW – Naval Air Station Patuxent River

Stations

• Hamilton Field, California 10 July 1942 - 31 March 1944
• Grandview Air Force Base (later Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base), Missouri, 18 August 1955 - 18 July 1968 (Renamed 27 April 1957)
• Eglin AFB, Florida, 27 January 2005 – 7 September 2007.

Aircraft operated

• P-39 Airacobra (1942–1944)
• F-86D Sabre (1955–1957)
• F-102A Delta Dagger (1957–1966)
• F-106 Delta Dart (1966–1968)
• T-33 (1957–1968) (Use for Tactical Evaluation & Training)
• Convair T-29 Flying Classroom (1957–1968) (Supported Central NORAD Region/ HQ Tenth Air Force & HQ 29th Air Division)
• T-39 (1962–1968) (Supported Central NORAD Region / HQ Tenth Air Force)

Campaigns

• American Theater (earned by 328th Fighter Group)

References

Bibliography

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

• Buss, Lydus H.(ed), Sturm, Thomas A., Volan, Denys, and McMullen, Richard F., History of Continental Air Defense Command and Air Defense Command July to December 1955, Directorate of Historical Services, Air Defense Command, Ent AFB, CO, (1956)
• Cornett, Lloyd H; Johnson, Mildred W (1980). A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization, 1946–1980. Peterson AFB, CO: Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center. http://www.usafpatches.com/pubs/handbookofadcorg.pdf. 
• Craven, Wesley F & Cate, James L, ed (1955). The Army Air Forces in World War II. Vol. VI, Men & Planes. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. LCCN 48-3657. 
• Maurer, Maurer, ed (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/af_combat_units_wwii.pdf. 
• Maurer, Maurer, ed (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/combat_sq_of_the_af_wwii.pdf. 
• Mueller, Robert (1989). Air Force Bases, Vol. I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-53-6. http://www.afhso.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-100921-026.pdf. 

Further Reading

• Leonard, Barry (2009). History of Strategic Air and Ballistic Missile Defense. Vol II, 1955-1972. Fort McNair, DC: Center for Military History. ISBN 978-1-4379-2131-1. http://www.history.army.mil/html/books/bmd/BMDV2.pdf. 
• Redmond, Kent C.; Smith, Thomas M. (2000). From Whirlwind to MITRE: The R&D Story of The SAGE Air Defense Computer. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. ISBN 978-0-262-18201-0. 
• Ravenstein, Charles A (1984). Air Force Combat Wings', Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9. http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/combat_wings.pdf. 

External links

• Eglin AFB Home Page
• 328th Armament Systems Wing