343d Wing The 343d Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit . Its last assignment was with Pacific Air Forces , stationed at Eielson Air Force Base , Alaska . It was inactivated on 20 August 1993 . History . World War II . The 343d Fighter Group was activated in Alaska on 3 September 1942 and began operations immediately . Its initial squadrons , the 11th Fighter Squadron and 18th Fighter Squadron , flying P - 40 Warhawk s were already operational at Fort Glenn Army Air Base and Fort Greely , respectively , while the 54th Fighter Squadron and its P - 38 Lightning s were flying missions from Adak . All three squadrons had been assigned directly to XI Fighter Command . In October 1942 , a third P - 40 squadron , the 344th Fighter Squadron , was activated for the group and deployed to Fort Randall . The group provided air defense for the Aleutians ; bombed and strafed Japanese camps , antiaircraft emplacements , hangars , and radio stations on Kiska ; escorted bombers that struck enemy airfields , harbor facilities , and shipping . It flew its last combat mission in October 1943 , but carried out patrol and reconnaissance assignments in the area until the end of the war . The 343d later trained , carried mail , and served as part of the defense force for Alaska . In 1943 , the 11th and 18th Fighter Squadrons began flying P - 38s as well as their P - 40s , as did the 344th in 1944 . All lost their last P - 40s in 1945 . Before inactivating in 1946 , the 18th Fighter Squadron converted to P - 51 Mustang s . Air Defense Command . Redesignated as the 343d Fighter Group ( Air Defense ) and activated at in 1955 replacing the 515th Air Defense Group and assuming the 515th ' s personnel and equipment as part of Air Defense Command ( 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 11th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron ( FIS ) , flying F - 89 Scorpion s , was reassigned from the 515th as the group ' s operational squadron . The group was also the host organization for active USAF units at Duluth International Airport and was assigned several support organizations to fulfill this mission . In June 1956 , the 11th FIS upgraded to F - 102 Delta Dagger s , and in July 1960 to F - 106 Delta Dart aircraft . In 1957 , group aircraft placed in first and second places in the Bendix Trophy competition . The 11th FIS was discontinued in the fall of 1968 and replaced by the 87th FIS . which was activated and took over the 11th ' s personnel and equipment . The group performed air defense mission for the upper Great Lakes region of the north central United States until 1970 , when it was inactivated . The 87th FIS was reassigned directly to the 23d Air Division and the group ' s support functions , personnel , and equipment were transferred to the newly organized 4787th Air Base Group . Return to Alaska . The group was redesignated as the 343d Tactical Fighter Group and activated as an operational group at Elmendorf AFB in 1977 . Its operational squadron was the 18th Tactical Fighter Squadron ( TFS ) , which was already stationed at Elmendorf flying the Fairchild - Republic A - 10 Thunderbolt II . It was also assigned three maintenace squadrons . The group was inactivated in 1980 and the 18th TFS transferred back to the 21st Tactical Fighter Wing , while the maintenance squadrons were inactivated . It became Eielson Air Force Base ’ s host unit on 1 October 1981 as the 343d Composite Wing , replacing the 5010th Combat Support Group and absorbing its personnel and equipment . Its operational squadrons were the 18th TFS , flying the Thunderbolt II , and the 25th Tactical Air Support Squadron ( TASS ) flying the Cessna O - 2A Skymaster and North American Rockwell OV - 10 Bronco . The 25th TASS O - 2s were distinguishable by orange panels on the nose , tail and wings . In the fall of 1982 , the wing ' s maintenance organization was aligned with the Production Oriented Maintenance Organization ( POMO ) , and three new squadrons were activated to replace the existing maintenance squadron . In July 1986 , the O - 2s were retired , and on 15 September 1989 the OV - 10s were also retired and the squadron inactivated . On 8 June 1984 the 343d Composite Wing was redesignated the 343d Tactical Fighter Wing . During the 343d Wing ' s tenure at Eielson , the 6th Strategic Wing , a tenant at Eielson , suffered two major accidents . On 15 March 1981 an RC - 135 S crashed while attempting to land at Shemya . Six crewmembers died as result of the crash . On 25 February 1985 an RC - 135 T crashed near Valdez , killing all three aboard . Exactly one month later , a 25th TASS pilot died while flying an Air Warrior mission in California . On 1 July 1991 , it was redesignated as the 343d Wing and converted to the USAF Objective Wing organization . Its operational squadrons were assigned to the newly activated 343d Operations Group , while the maintenance squadrons that had been assigned directly to the wing were assigned to the 343d Logistics Group . Also that year , the 343d gained a third flying unit , the 11th Tactical Air Support Squadron , which flew O / A - 10As and the 18th TFS reequipped , transitioning to Block 40 F - 16C / D Fighting Falcons . Between 17 and 28 June 1991 – Pacific Air Forces premier flying training exercise , COPE THUNDER , came to Eielson . The eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippine Islands prompted the move ; the subsequent closing of Clark Air Base , COPE THUNDER ' s home since 1976 , brought the exercise to Alaska permanently . On 19 December 1991 the 3rd Fighter Training Squadron was moved without personnel or equipment to Eielson from Clark Air Base , Philippines . The 3rd administered the COPE THUNDER program and flew Bell Helicopter UH - 1N Hueys for range support . On 20 August 1993 , wing inactivated and its personnel and equipment were transferred to the 354th Fighter Wing , whose operational squadrons , the 353d Fighter Squadron and 355th Fighter Squadron replaced the 11th TASS and the 3rd Fighter Training Squadron ( whose helicopters were reassigned to other bases ) . Components . Operational Units . Group Squadrons Support Units . Groups Squadrons