495th Fighter Group

495th Fighter Group
Active 9 October 1943-Present
Country  United States
Branch  United States Air Force
Type Group
Role Fighter/Attack
Part of   Air Combat Command
Garrison/HQ Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina
Engagements

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  • World War II
Aircraft flown
Attack A-10 Thunderbolt II
Fighter F-16 Fighting Falcon

The 495th Fighter Group (495 FG) is an active duty fighter group in the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the Ninth Air Force, Air Combat Command, stationed at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, with additional geographically separated units (GSUs) at multiple active Air Force, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard installations across the United States.[1]

Overview

The 495th Fighter Training Group was established on October 9, 1943 and activated October 26, 1943 at RAF Atcham, England to provide forward training on tactics and operations for the European Theater during World War II. The group exercised command over the 551st and 552nd Fighter Training Squadrons flying the P-47 Thunderbolt and P-38 Lightning preparing pilots for action with Eighth and Ninth Air Forces. It moved to RAF Whitchurch, England, in February 1945, and at the conclusion of hostilities was disbanded April 15, 1945.

In 2008, Air Force leadership recognized that the changing force structure demanded creative ways to generate experienced fighter pilots. The solution was to capitalize on the experience and assets of the Guard and Reserve. This Total Force Integration (TFI) initiative became Active Association, whereby Regular Air Force personnel work side-by-side with host Air Reserve and Air National Guard Component units in a mutually beneficial relationship.

The 495th Fighter Group was reactivated March 8, 2013, at Shaw Air Force Base, SC, as an active association between active-duty pilots and their guard and reserve counterparts and marked a historical moment in the Air Force's ongoing initiative to integrate active-duty Airmen, Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) and Air National Guard (ANG) units to streamline training, spending and resource use. As a direct reporting unit to 9th Air Force, the 495FG is made up of more than 600 active-duty personnel across 22 ARC and ANG Fighter Wings under Air Combat Command.

Total Force Integration is a vital enterprise aimed at maximizing the combined contributions of the Active and Reserve components, while ensuring "right-sizing" of component mix. The 495th Fighter Group will continue to lead active associate units into the future of Air Force pilot training and the partnerships will allow active-duty, Air National Guard and Air Reserve Component fighter units to share resources, reduce duplications of effort, and ultimately, increase the Air Force's overall air defense capabilities in order to enhance the ability to provide dominant combat airpower for America.[2]

History

Lineage

Activated October 26, 1943.
Disbanded on April 15, 1945.
Activated on 8 March 2013

Assignments

Operational Units

Operational Components

Stations

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Aircraft flown

References

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

  1. ↑ http://www.shaw.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123339419
  2. ↑ "495th Fighter Group > Shaw Air Force Base > Display". www.shaw.af.mil. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
  • Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.

External links

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