388th Fighter Wing The 388th Fighter Wing ( 388FW ) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Twelfth Air Force . The unit is stationed at Hill Air Force Base , Utah . Mission . Be prepared to deploy anywhere , anytime ; fly , fight , and win with disciplined airpower ; and secure freedom and liberty Units . 388th Operations Group ( 388 OG ) History . On 23 November 1953 , the 388th Fighter - Bomber Wing was activated as part of Tactical Air Command . The wing was reactivated following Secretary of State John Foster Dulles ' promise to provide NATO with four additional tactical fighter wings to increase its defenses against the Soviet Union due to the outbreak of the Cold War . The 388th Fighter - Interceptor Wing activated as the 388th Fighter - Bomber Group ( later renamed 388th Operations Group ) and became the wing ' s primary combat element . The group ' s squadrons were equipped with North American F - 86F Sabre s , and training commenced for operational proficiency . Once training levels for pilots and aircrews had reached operational levels , the 50th FBW began preparations for its move to France . On 12 December 1954 , the 388th FBW arrived at its new home , the newly constructed Étain - Rouvres Air Base . United States Air Forces in Europe . Upon arrival in France in December 1954 , the 388th FBW flying elements consisted of the 561st , 562d , and 563d FB Squadrons , each equipped with 26 F - 86F " Sabres " . Wing support aircraft consisted of 4 C - 47 s of various types , one L - 20A , and 5 T - 33 s . The mission of the 388th FBW was to train for and conduct tactical nuclear weapons delivery . Its secondary mission was to conduct non - atomic tactical air operations . Upon arrival of 388th Wing Headquarters at Etain , the construction delays and other problems seriously hampered the ability of the Wing to use the base for its flying operations . The 562nd FBSquadron was forced to operate from Spangdahlem Air Base , the 563rd from Bitburg Air Base and the 561st from Hahn Air Base in West Germany for the winter of 1954 - 55 . In April and May 1955 , rotational deployments to Wheelus Air Base , Libya began for their first gunnery and bombing training since their arrival in Europe . In the fall , with enough facilities construction completed , the three flying squadrons were transferred from Germany and took up their home assignment at Étain . In August 1955 , First Lt . Philip Ortego was assigned to the 561st Fighter Bomber Squadron as its Intelligence Officer . On 22 November 1955 , Det # 1 , 388th Fighter - Bomber Group was activated at Hahn Air Base to stand nuclear alert with the Wing ' s F - 86 ' s . Personnel and aircraft primarily came from the 561st FBS . In February 1956 the detachment was transferred to more spacious facilities at Spangdahlem Air Base . Rotational deployments of 8 F - 86 ' s and support personnel to Germany continued until the fall of 1957 when the 388th was inactivated . In the fall of 1956 the 388th began planning for conversion to the F - 100D / F " Super Sabre " Due to the adverse flying conditions at Etain for conversion training , the new aircraft were deployed to Nouasseur Air Base in Morocco , with the squadrons deploying their F - 86 ' s to Nouasseur , then returning to France or Spangdahlem in their new F - 100 ' s for Zulu Alert duties . During this transition period , the 388th experienced a significant personnel crisis , with many of its officers and NCO ' s completing their two year unaccompanied tour in France . The personnel problem became worse in the fall of 1957 with many single airmen completing their three years of overseas service and were rotating back to the United States ( CONUS ) . The manning issues of the 388th , which has fallen to about 65 percent of authorized strength , along with budget shortfalls led HQ USAFE to inactivate the unit instead of transfer it . On 8 December 1957 HQ USAFE inactivated the 388th FBW , with its and assets being redesignated as the 49th Fighter - Bomber Wing , which had been administratively reassigned from Misawa AB , Japan without personnel or equipment . McConnell Air Force Base . In October 1962 , the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing was reactivated under Tactical Air Command ( TAC ) . The wing was reorganized at McConnell AFB , Kansas , under the Twelfth Air Force , as a tenant unit under the provisional 4347th Combat Training Wing . Under TAC , the 388th did not have a fighter group , and the four Tactical Fighter Squadrons ( 560th , 561st , 562d , 563d ) were assigned directly to Wing Headquarters . The reactivated wing initially flew the North American F - 100C Super Sabre , but was replaced in 1963 by the Republic F - 105D / F Thunderchief . On 4 July 1963 , it became responsible for the base as the host unit . The demands of the Vietnam War and escalation of United States involvement in the conflict led TAC to deploy the 388th to Southeast Asia for combat duty . New bases were being established in Thailand , and a permanent organizational structure was needed to accommodate the semi - permanent presence of USAF units at the forward bases . On 8 April 1966 , the 388th TFW was relieved of its assignment to Tactical Air Command and was transferred to Pacific Air Forces . The wing was ordered to Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base , Thailand , where its F - 105 squadrons had been on temporary rotational deployments for the past two years . Pacific Air Forces . In April 1966 the 388th was sent to Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base , Thailand where it replaced the provisional 6234th Tactical Fighter Wing and assumed host wing responsibilities at Korat . The mission of the wing was to engage in combat operations over Indochina , conducting interdiction , direct air support , armed reconnaissance , and fighter escort missions . During the Vietnam War , numerous units were deployed to and stationed at Korat RTAFB and engaged in combat operations . As part of the rapid buildup of United States forces in Thailand in the mid - 1960s , the 388th was the umbrella organization to as many as 34 operating units and about 6 , 500 USAF airmen . The wing also supported components of the Royal Thai Air Force , and a complement of Royal New Zealand Air Force ( RNZAF ) Bristol Freighters . The squadrons assigned to the 388th TFW at Korat were : In mid - 1968 it was decided to make the 388th an F - 4 Wing , and also to equip the 388th with the new F - 4E and the F - 105s would be transferred to the 355th TFW at Takhli RTAFB . The main difference with the F - 4E model was the addition of an internal M61 cannon . The F - 4C and D models previously in use had shown some serious drawbacks in the initial air - to - air battles over Vietnam . The earlier Sparrow , Falcon , and Sidewinder air - to - air missiles did not perform up to expectations . They were expensive , unreliable , and vulnerable to countermeasures . Many an enemy MiG was able to escape unscathed because a Phantom - launched missile malfunctioned and missed its target . The Phantoms could carry a podded cannon mounted on the centerline , but it was relatively inaccurate , caused excessive drag which reduced the performance of the Phantom carrying it , and took up a valuable ordnance / fuel station . On 17 November 1968 , an F - 4E Phantom squadron from Eglin AFB , FL , replaced the single - seat F - 105E Thunderchiefs of the 469th TFS . The new Phantom squadron , the first E - models in Thailand , retained the designation 469th TFS . On 10 May 1969 , the 34th Tactical Fighter Squadron was transferred organizationally to the 347th TFW at Yokota AB , Japan , but it remained attached to the 388th TFW at Korat . It was re - equipped with F - 4Es on 5 July . On 15 May 1969 , the F - 105 - equipped 44th Tactical Fighter Squadron was transferred and reassigned to the 355th TFW . On 12 June 1972 , the 35th Tactical Fighter Squadron flying F - 4D ' s was deployed from the 3rd TFW , Kusan AB , South Korea , in a " Constant Guard " redeployment to support operations over North Vietnam during Linebacker . They remained until 10 October 1972 when they returned to Korea . On 29 September 1972 , the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing , based at Myrtle Beach AFB SC , deployed 72 A - 7D Corsair II of the 355th , 353rd and 354th Tactical Fighter Squadrons and the 356th Tactical Fighter Squadron to Korat for a 179 - day Temporary Duty ( TDY ) . By mid - October , 1 , 574 airmen from Myrtle Beach had arrived . In March 1973 A - 7D aircraft were drawn from the deployed 354th TFW squadrons and assigned to the 388th TFW as the 3d Tactical Fighter Squadron ( Tail Code : JH ) . Some TDY personnel from the 354th TFW were assigned to the 388th and placed on permanent party status . On 2 January 1973 , Det 1 . 561st Tactical Fighter Squadron deployed from George Air Force Base to Korat flying specially equipped F - 105Gs . With the end of combat in August , the squadron returned to the 35th TFW at George on 5 September . After the end of combat operations in August 1973 , the 388th TFW entered into intensive training program to maintain combat readiness and continued to fly electronic surveillance and intelligence missions . Also , it was announced by the United States and Thailand that of the 43 , 000 Americans and 500 aircraft stationed in Thailand , about 3 , 500 men and 100 aircraft would be withdrawn . The 388th entered into intensive training program to maintain combat readiness and continued to fly electronic surveillance and intelligence missions . The 388th provided air cover and escort during the evacuation of Americans from Phnom Penh , Cambodia , and of Americans and selected Vietnamese from Saigon , South Vietnam , in April 1975 . It also participated in the rescue of the crew and recovery of the , an American - flagged contained ship seized by Khmer Rouge forces , in May 1975 . At the end of 1975 , there were only three combat squadrons at Korat , consisting of 24 F - 4D ' s of the 34th TFS , 24 A - 7D ' s of the 3rd TFS , and 6 AC - 130 " Spectre " aircraft of the 16th Special Operations Squadron . On 23 December 1975 , the 388th TFW and its remaining Squadron , inactivated at Korat RTAFB , closing out the USAF operations at the base . For these operations and its wartime service at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base ( 1966 – 1975 ) , the wing earned a total of eight Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards and a Presidential Unit Citation . Tactical Air Command . The 388th ceased all aircraft operations at Korat Thailand in November 1975 and moved in without personnel or equipment in December 1975 to Hill AFB , Utah , replacing a holding unit - Detachment 1 , 67th Combat Support Group . In January 1976 , the wing began participation in training missions and numerous exercises in a variety of offensive tactical situations flying F - 4D Phantom II tactical fighters . The wing started its conversion to the F - 16A Fighting Falcon on 23 January 1979 , becoming the USAF first fully operational F - 16 Fighter Wing . During initial stages of conversion the wing trained F - 16 instructor pilots and provided replacement training for new F - 16 pilots . Thereafter the 388th trained for war readiness at U . S . and NATO locations . In March 1981 , the wing conducted its first overseas deployment to Fleslan AS , Norway . It won the USAF Worldwide Gunsmoke Fighter Gunnery Meet in 1987 . In May 1989 , the first F - 16C Block 40 aircraft arrived at Hill AFB , Utah . The new model F - 16 , designed to accommodate the Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night ( LANTIRN ) pod , allowed targeting and bombing in adverse operational conditions . The 388th TFW was the first unit to fly the F - 16 into conflict with the Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night ( LANTIRN ) system over the skies of Iraq and Kuwait during Operations DESERT SHIELD / DESERT STORM . A number of wing aircraft initially deployed to Spain as attrition reserves from January – December 1991 , with two squadrons to Southwest Asia for combat operations from 28 August 1990 – 27 March 1991 . After the March 1991 cease - fire , it remained in Southwest Asia to protect Coalition assets and ensure that Iraq complied with treaty terms beginning in December 1991 . The 388th FW continued to employ the LANTIRN - equipped aircraft in Operations DESERT CALM , DESERT FOX , and NORTHERN and SOUTHERN WATCH . Modern era . Since September 2001 , the 4th , 34th , and 421st Fighter Squadrons and the 729th Air Control Squadron have actively engaged in Operations Enduring Freedom ( OEF ) , Iraqi Freedom ( OIF ) and Noble Eagle ( ONE ) , defending the nation at home and abroad . The wing continued to develop its role of Forward Air Control - Airborne . Assorted support personnel were deployed en - mass or individually from within each unit of the 388 FW . The 388 FW continued its dominance into the 21st century by avidly and diligently deploying its personnel on a continuous loop of AEF deployments , while taking on new roles with Forward Air Control – Airborne . The 388th Range Squadron , coupled with the Utah Test and Training Range , have continued to provide world class test and training opportunities to the world ' s F - 16 fleet through many local and off - base exercises , to include AIR WARRIOR , AMALGAM THUNDER , COMBAT ARCHER COPE THUNDER , IRON FALCON , MAPLE FLAG , RED FLAG , and support for the Fighter Weapon Instructor Course ( FWIC ) and Tactical Air Control Parties ( TACP ) . On 22 June 2009 a single - seat F - 16 from the wing ' s 421st Fighter Squadron on a training mission crashed in the Utah Test and Training Range . The pilot , Captain George Bryan Houghton , 28 , was killed . Components . Groups Assigned Squadrons Attached Squadrons