page_title: 36th Wing
section_title: United States Air Forces in Europe
hierarchical_section_title: 36th Wing / History / United States Air Forces in Europe
caption_attribution_description: F-15s of the 36th Tactical Fighter Wing returning to their home base at Bitburg Air Base, Germany, after taking part in Operation Desert Storm, April 1991
context_page_description: The United States Air Force's 36th Wing is the host wing for Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. It is part of Pacific Air Forces' Eleventh Air Force. The 36th Wing provides day-to-day mission support to more than 9,000 military, civilian, dependent and retired personnel and 15 associate units on the base.
  The 36th Wing has three major missions: operate Andersen Air Force Base via its subordinate 36th Mission Support and 36th Medical Groups; Provide power projection through an attached, rotational bomber force via its subordinate 36th Operations and 36th Maintenance Groups; and provide rapid air base opening and initial air base operation ability via its subordinate 36th Contingency Response Group. The 734th Air Mobility Squadron assists the 36th Wing in accomplishing this mission by operating Andersen's air cargo terminal on behalf of Air Mobility Command.
context_section_description: As a result of the Berlin Blockade and other Cold War tensions in Europe, the 36th Fighter Wing was reassigned to United States Air Forces Europe (USAFE). The squadron was assigned to Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base West Germany on 13 August 1948, being the first USAFE unit to be jet-equipped with the Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star. At Fürstenfeldbruck tactical operations included air defense, tactical exercises, maneuvers, and photographic reconnaissance. In May 1949, the wing formed the Skyblazers aerial demonstration team, which it controlled until August 1952, and again from October 1956 to January 1962 when it was disbanded.
  On 20 January 1950, the wing was redesignated as the 36th Fighter-Bomber Wing when 89 Republic F-84E Thunderjets arrived. Existing USAFE bases in West Germany, however, were deemed very vulnerable to an attack by the Soviet Union, given their proximity to East Germany and other Warsaw Pact nations. Negotiations with other NATO nations were made to build new bases west of the Rhine River. The F-80s were sent back to CONUS to equip Air National Guard units. In addition to its primary installation at Fürstenfeldbruck, the wing controlled Oberpfaffenhofen AB, West Germany, December 1949 – February 1950.
  The 36th FBW remained at Fürstenfeldbruck until 1952 when it was reassigned to the new Bitburg Air Base, in the Eifel mountains west of the Rhine River. Throughout the summer, elements of the 36th FBW moved into Bitburg, with the wing officially arriving in November 1952. Under various designations, the 36th would remain at Bitburg for the next 40 years.
  In August 1953, the North American F-86F Sabre was introduced to the wing, replacing the F-84s. On 31 March 1954, The 1st Pilotless Bomber Squadron, equipped with the Martom B-61A Matador, was attached to the 36th Fighter Bomber Wing, making it the first operational U.S. missile unit. The 1st eventually was renamed a Tactical Missile Squadron, and in 1958 was replaced by the 71st Tactical Missile Squadron and the unit was assigned to the 701st Tactical Missile Wing, headquartered at Hahn Air Base, although the squadron remained at Bitburg.
  In August 1954, the wing was redesignated as the 36th Fighter-Day Wing.  In 1956, the wing received the North American F-100 Super Sabre, marking the first time a wing in USAFE flew supersonic jets. On 15 May 1958, the 36th FDW was redesignated as the 36th Tactical Fighter Wing, with its squadrons redesignated as tactical fighter squadrons, because its missions had now grown to include delivery of tactical nuclear weapons.
  In May 1961, the wing received the Republic F-105 Thunderchief. Formal USAFE acceptance of the Mach 2 fighter-bombers was held at the Paris Air Show on 3 June 1961. Deliveries of the F-105D model were completed in 1963, and the 36th carried on its Cold War mission of tactical nuclear weapons delivery. Twice in the early 1960s when Cold War tensions were elevated due to the 1961 Berlin Wall crisis and 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis the 36th rose to a high level of alert.
  By 1966 the Thud was being phased out of NATO, being replaced by the McDonnell F-4D Phantom II. The tactical nuclear deliver mission, still necessary, was being eclipsed by the ability of ICBMs and the primary mission of the 36th TFW changed to Tactical Air support of NATO ground units in West Germany. By December 1966, all the 36th TFW Thuds had been ferried stateside for combat crew training duties at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, or to Southeast Asia after stateside refurbishment.
  In October 1965, the 36th accepted command of the 71st Tactical Missile Squadron from the inactivated 38th Tactical Missile Wing at Sembach Air Base. The 36th maintained and operated two hardened launch sites (at Rittersdorf, Site 7, and at Idenheim, site 8) with a total of 16 CGM-13B Mace tactical missiles until 30 April 1969.
  In September 1969, the 36th TFW took responsibility for Spangdahlem Air Base West Germany until December 1971.
  By 1976 a major modernization of USAFE was necessary. The Soviet Union's new generation of MiG and Sukhoi fighters made NATO m
caption: F-15s of the 53d and 525th Tactical Fighter Squadrons returning to Bitburg Air Base after being deployed in support of Operation Desert Shield/Storm, 13 March 1991.
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