51st Fighter Wing The 51st Fighter Wing ( 51 FW ) is a wing of the United States Air Force and the host unit at Osan Air Base , South Korea . The 51st Fighter Wing is under Pacific Air Forces ' Seventh Air Force . The unit is the most forward deployed wing in the world , providing combat ready forces for close air support , air strike control , counter air , interdiction , theater airlift , and communications in the defense of the Republic of Korea . The wing executes military operations to beddown , maintain and employ follow - on forces for the combined arms base that includes three major flying tenants and large multiservice fighting units . The wing is equipped with General Dynamics F - 16 Fighting Falcons and Republic A - 10 Thunderbolt II squadrons and myriad base support agencies conducting the full spectrum of missions providing for the defense of the Republic of Korea . Mission . The mission of the 51st FW is to provide mission - ready Airmen to execute combat operations and receive follow - on forces . The wing accomplishes this mission through : Units . The 51st Fighter Wing is composed of four groups each with specific functions . The Operations Group controls all flying and airfield operations . The Maintenance Group performs maintenance of aircraft , ground equipment and aircraft components . The Mission Support Group has a wide range of responsibilities but a few of its functions are Security , Civil Engineering , Communications , Personnel Management , Logistics , Services and Contracting support . While the Medical Group provides medical and dental care History . In 1948 , assumed air defense of Ryukyu Islands Korean War . With the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 , elements of the 51st were dispatched first to Japan , then to South Korea . Korean War operational squadrons were : It entered combat service flying the F - 80C Shooting Star on 22 September of that year , when it moved to Itazuke AB , Japan , to support the breakout of the U . S . Eighth Army from the Pusan Perimeter . For nearly 4 years thereafter , the 51st FIW played a key role in the defense of South Korea despite moving to four different locations within a year and operating under austere conditions . The wing moved to South Korea in October only to return to Japan in December , leaving combat elements behind . In May 1951 , the 51st FIW moved to Suwon Air Base , southwest of Seoul , but retained maintenance and supply elements at Tsuiki AB , Japan , to provide rear echelon support . In November 1951 the 51st FIW transitioned to the F - 86 Sabre with two squadrons ( 16th , 25th ) , adding a third squadron ( 26th ) the following May . The group operated a detachment at Suwon AB , Korea , beginning in May 1951 , and relocated there in October 1951 , with maintenance and supply elements remaining in Japan until August 1954 . The wing ceased combat on 27 July 1953 . The 51 FIW ' s war record was impressive . Wing pilots flew more than 45 , 000 sorties and shot down 312 MiG - 15 s ; this produced 14 air aces including the top ace of the war , Captain Joseph C . McConnell . The ratio of aerial victories to losses was 10 to 1 . Unfortunately , the wing lost 32 pilots to enemy action ; however , nine that became prisoners of war were repatriated later . Cold War . On 1 August 1954 , the 51 FIW returned to Naha Air Base to resume air defense coverage of the Ryukyu Islands . Operational squadrons were the 16th , 25th 26th FISs . At the same time , the wing demonstrated its mobility readiness in response to three regional crises . From August 1958 to January 1959 , the 51 FIW deployed eight F - 86 Ds to Ching Chuan Kang Air Base Taiwan to fly combat air support missions for Nationalist Chinese forces after mainland Communist Chinese forces shelled the Nationalist - held islands of Quemoy and Matsu . Six years later , the wing deployed 12 F - 102 s to the Philippines and South Vietnam from August to October 1964 for air defense against possible Communist North Vietnamese air attacks . During the Vietnam War , crews of the 51st Fighter Interceptor Wing provided air defense of Naha AB , Okinawa , with F - 102s . During the 1968 Pueblo crisis , the wing deployed 12 of is 33 aircraft to Suwon AB . On 31 May 1971 , the 51st FIW was inactivated , ending almost 17 years of service in the Pacific from Naha when it was inactivated as the Air Force began scaling down its activities in Southeast Asia . In 1975 Naha Air Base closed . The 51st was inactive for only five months . On 1 November 1971 , the wing was redesignated the 51st Air Base Wing and activated at Osan Air Base , South Korea . At Osan , the 51st assumed the host responsibilities of the inactivated 6314th Support Wing at to include the Koon - ni range and a variety of remote sites . Operational squadrons of the 51st at Osan have been : Fighter Squadrons Modern era . On 1 October 1993 , after a half - dozen name changes , the wing returned to its original and current designation as the 51st Fighter Wing . Since then , the 51st has stayed true to its proud heritage , ensuring the defense of South Korea as a proven combat force and as an able host ready to receive and integrate follow - on forces on the peninsula . Components . Groups Squadrons Aircraft Assigned . The 51st FW ’ s aircrews have flown a variety of aircraft , including the P / F - 51 Mustang , F - 80 Shooting Star , F - 82 Twin Mustang , F - 86 Sabre jet , F - 94 Starfire , F - 102A Delta Dagger , F - 4E Phantom II , RF - 4C Phantom II F - 106A Delta Dart , OV - 10 Bronco , A - 10 and OA - 10 Thunderbolt II and several versions of the F - 16 Fighting Falcon . Commanders . The list of commanders for the 51st Fighter Wing and its predecessors includes a wartime hero , Colonel Francis Gabreski , and an aviation pioneer , Tuskegee Airman Colonel Benjamin O . Davis Jr .