475th Air Base Wing

The 475th Air Base Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last duty station was at Yokota Air Base, Japan, where it was inactivated on 1 April 1992.

475th Air Base Wing
F-4 Phantom of the 356 TFS at Misawa Japan, 1968[note 1] 1968
Active1948–1949; 1968–1971; 1971–1992
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
RoleBase support
Motto(s)In Proelio Gaudete Latin Be Joyful in Battle[1]
DecorationsAir Force Outstanding Unit Award[2]
Insignia
Patch with 475th Air Base Wing emblem
475th Tactical Fighter Wing emblem[note 2]

A non-flying wing, the wing's mission at Yokota was to perform host unit missions. The wing had no numbered flying squadrons, although it did operate a few T-39 Sabreliner aircraft and UH-1 Huey helicopters. It was absorbed by the 374th Airlift Wing under the "one base-one wing" organizational concept.

History
See: 475th Fighter Group for complete history and lineage information

The 475th Fighter Wing was activated in 1948 as part of the "Base-Wing" USAF reorganization, assigned to the 315th Air Division of Far East Air Forces where it performed postwar occupation duty. The wing was one of several occupation units in Japan, and was inactivated on 1 April 1949 at Ashiya Airfield due to budget reductions.

Cold War

In January 1968, the 475th Tactical Fighter Wing was activated at Misawa Air Base, Japan, replacing the 39th Air Division as the host unit, with the 439th Combat Support Group being replaced by the 475th Combat Support Group that controlled the base support units. At Misawa, the wing trained for offensive and reconnaissance operations. Initial assigned operational squadrons of the wing were:

The 45th TRS and 612th TFS were unmanned during their entire assignment, as squadron was on deployed status to bases in South Vietnam (The 45th TRS deployed to Tan Son Nhut Air Base; the 612th TFS at Phù Cát Air Base).

From Misawa, aircraft and personnel of the 67th, 356th and 391st TFS rotated six aircraft every ten days to Kusan and Taegu Air Bases in South Korea performing Nuclear alert duty. On 16 May 1968, the M8.3 Tokachi earthquake caused over $1 million worth of damage to Misawa AB. Air Force fighter operations ceased at Misawa in early 1971, and the wing phased down operations. All flying resources were reassigned to Kusan AB South Korea for the 3d Tactical Fighter Wing, and the wing was inactivated on 15 March, being replaced by the 6112th Air Base Group as Misawa was phased down for reconstruction.

After a brief period of inactivation, the 475th Air Base Wing was reactivated on 1 November 1971 at Yokota Air Base, Japan, replacing the 6100th Air Base Wing. At Yokota, the wing inherited a huge support complex, with some 47 sub-locations in all parts of Japan, including operation of Yokota and Tachikawa Air Bases, Fuchu and Chitose Air Stations, and numerous housing complexes within the Tokyo area. In 1972 the wing's components were as below:

  • HQ 475th Air Base Wing (Yokota AB)
    • 556th Reconnaissance Squadron
    • 475th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
    • 475th Supply Squadron
    • 475th Security Police Squadron
    • 475th Transportation Squadron
    • 475th Civil Engineering Squadron
    • 475th Services Squadron
    • 34th Air Base Squadron (Grant Heights, Nerima, Tokyo)
    • 37th Air Base Squadron (Fuchu AS, Fuchu, Tokyo)
    • 331st Air Base Squadron (Johnson FHA)
    • 475th Air Base Squadron (Tachikawa AB)
      • USAF Hospital, Tachikawa
    • 6120th Broadcasting Squadron (South Camp Drake, Asaka, Saitama)
    • 6123d Air Base Squadron (Chitose AS)
      • USAF Hospital, Chitose
    • OL-AA, 475th Air Base Wing (Shingu Wells, Hakata, Fukuoka)
      • USAF Hospital, Shingu Wells
    • OL-AB, 475th Air Base Wing (Misawa AB)
      • USAF Hospital, Misawa

At Yokota, the only operational flying squadron was the 556th Reconnaissance Squadron (formerly assigned to the 347th Tactical Fighter Wing at Yokota from 1968). The 556th RS was a highly specialized unit, employing modified C-130B-II, EB-57E electronic counter measures (ECM) aircraft and on occasion TDY C-130A-II and EC-97G Stratotankers. Only the EB-57E's carried the tail code GT, the C-130B-IIs and other aircraft being uncoded.

Post Vietnam era

The 55th RS was inactivated on 30 June 1972, after which the 475th supported a Royal Thai Air Force C-123 Provider detachment which provided airlift support to the United Nations Command (Rear) of Fifth Air Force, which relocated its headquarters to Yokota in November 1974.

The 475th ABW also gradually closed down many of its widely dispersed installations, sites and facilities, consolidating them as well as assisting in the closing of Tachikawa Air Base in September 1977. On 1 October 1978, Military Airlift Command (MAC) established the 316th Tactical Airlift Group at Yokota, being supported by the 475th ABW. This was MAC's operational support airlift group in the Far East, with the 1403d Military Airlift Squadron flying a combination of CT-39As, C-12Fs, and C-21As which it obtained from various bases in PACAF, consolidating them at Yokota. On 1 October 1989, this unit was upgraded to a wing level and personnel redesignated as the 374th Tactical Airlift Wing, which was moved from Clark AB, Philippines in a name-only redesignation.

The 475th ABW was inactivated on 1 April 1992 as part of a consolidation effort, being replaced as host unit at Yokota by the 374th, which was redesignated 374th Airlift Wing same date.

Lineage
  • Established as 475th Fighter Wing on 10 August 1948
Activated on 18 August 1948
Inactivated 1 April 1949
  • Redesignated 475th Tactical Fighter Wing and activated on 21 December 1967 (not organized)
Organized on 15 January 1968
Inactivated 15 March 1971
  • Redesignated 475th Air Base Wing on 20 October 1971
Activated 1 November 1971
Inactivated 1 April 1992, personnel and equipment consolidated into 374th Airlift Wing

Assignments

Components

Group

Squadrons

Stations

Aircraft

References
Notes
  1. Aircraft is McDonnell F-4C-16-MC Phantom II serial 63-7433
  2. Approved for 475th Fighter Group on 26 November 1956. Maurer, Combat Units, p. 349. Used by the wing from 1967.
Citations
  1. Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 348–349
  2. Ravenstain, pp. 264–265

Bibliography

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

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