50th Space Wing The 50th Space Wing ( 50 SW ) is a wing of the United States Air Force under the major command of Air Force Space Command ( AFSPC ) . It was activated on 30 January 1992 , replacing the 2nd Space Wing , which was inactivated on the same date . Overview . The unit is the host wing at Schriever Air Force Base , located east of Colorado Springs , Colorado . Their primary responsibility is to track and maintain the command and control , warning , navigational , and communications satellites for AFSPC . The 50th Space Wing also manages the Global Positioning System . Typical satellite monitoring tasks such as tracking and telemetry are the main part of their mission , and in so doing , they employ more than 5600 personnel ( active duty military , guard and reserve , contractors , and DoD civilians . ) The 50th Space Wing wields space , cyberspace and expeditionary capabilities to deliver decisive global combat effects in support of national security objectives . It operates and supports satellite programs including the Global Positioning System , the Defense Satellite Communications System , Wideband Global SATCOM , Milstar , Advanced Extremely High Frequency , Space Based Space Surveillance , Tactical Satellite - 3 , Space Tracking and Surveillance System Advanced Technology Risk Reduction Satellite and the worldwide Air Force Satellite Control Network . The wing also operates satellite operation centers at Schriever AFB and remote tracking stations and other command and control facilities around the world . These facilities monitor satellites during launch , put the satellites in their proper orbits following launch , operate the satellites while they are in orbit , keep them functioning properly and properly dispose of the satellites at their end of life . Components . The wing is composed of three groups : Geographically Separated Units of the 50th Space Wing are : History . The 50th Fighter Wing was established on 16 May 1949 as part of the post - World War II United States Air Force Reserve in 1 June 1949 . The wing was formed at Otis AFB , Massachusetts . The 50th Fighter Group was assigned to the newly formed 50th Fighter Wing upon activation under the Hobson Plan . It trained in the Reserve between June 1949 and June 1951 , being a corollary of the active - duty Air Defense Command 33d Fighter Wing . The wing was ordered to active service on 1 June 1951 due to the Korean War , and its personnel and equipment were reassigned as replacements to active - duty units . The 50th Fighter Wing was inactivated the next day , 2 June 1951 . On 1 January 1953 , the 50th Fighter - Bomber Wing was reactivated as part of the active - duty Tactical Air Command . The group 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 50th Fighter - Interceptor Group activated as the 50th Fighter - Bomber Group ( later renamed 50th 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 West Germany . On 10 August 1953 , the 50th FBW arrived at its new home , the newly constructed Hahn Air Base . United States Air Forces in Europe . 50th Fighter - Bomber Wing . The 50th was assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe ( USAFE ) Twelfth Air Force ( 12th Air Force ) . The wing became the first tactically operational Air Force wing in 12th Air Force ' s jurisdiction . The 50th FBG consisted of the 10th , 81st and 417th Fighter - Bomber squadrons . The first of the wing ' s new F - 86H Sabres arrived at Hahn AB 21 October 1955 . Conversion continued throughout the winter of 1955 and spring of 1956 , ending in May . The 50th FBG received seventy - four F - 86Hs , and also had two C - 47 transports which were assigned to the Wing for courier and supply operations . The primary mission of the 50th FBW at Hahn was the delivery of tactical nuclear weapons against Warsaw Pact forces in the event of an invasion of Western Europe . Its secondary missions were tactical air defense and support for NATO ground forces . While 50th FBW prepared for and converted to the newer F - 86H , the wing expanded its mission responsibility to include supporting 12th Air Force ' s 7382d Guided Missile Group . The wing had previously supported the 69th Tactical Missile Squadron at Hahn , which operated the MGM - 1 Matador tactical missile . New aircraft would not be the only change for the personnel of the 50th , however . With the conversion to the F - 86H nearly complete on 15 April 1956 , the wing began a move to Toul - Rosières Air Base , France . The reason for the move was that USAFE war planners believed that due to the vulnerability of West Germany to Soviet attack , having nuclear - equipped fighter wings in West Germany made them vulnerable to being quickly overrun by Warsaw Pact forces . By moving them west into France , it would give NATO more time to respond . This movement took most of the summer of that year . The wing reported it was mission - ready at Toul - Rosières on 1 August . F - 100 Super Sabre era . The 50th Fighter - Bomber Group was inactivated 8 December 1957 as a result of the 50th adopting the Tri - Deputate organization plan . As result of the group ' s inactivation , its operational squadrons — the 10th , 81st and 417th Fighter Squadrons were assigned directly to the wing . In 1957 USAFE also announced that the 50th FBW would receive the new F - 100D Super Sabre . This advanced , supersonic aircraft significantly improved the wing ' s combat capability and enhanced European air defenses . The 50th FBW was the third and last USAFE fighter wing to convert into Super Sabres and converted to the new aircraft in 1957 and 1958 . On 8 July 1958 , it became the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing as a result of a worldwide USAF renaming convention , a designation it would carry for almost 35 years . At about this time , the wing updated its emblem to reflect its new mission and aircraft . The modified design depicted a griffin facing forward and breathing fire with its wings spread . An atomic " mushroom " cloud was centered behind the griffin . Behind the beast ' s right talon , an olive branch denoted peace . A lightning bolt behind the left talon symbolized the strength and power of the unit ' s aircraft . The wing would carry this emblem until its inactivation as the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing in 1991 . Along with operating from Toul , the 50th TFW was tasked to support NATO Dispersed Operating Bases in France . In September 1959 , with the completion of Luneville - Chenevieres Air Base , became the home of Detachment # 2 , 50th Air Base Group . Within a year of rearming with the new F - 100s , issues with the runway at Toul AB began with severe surface cracking . This was caused by the weight of the F - 100 , which was almost double that of the F - 86s formerly flown by the Wing . However , a much more severe problem was with the French Government . Political issues with France with regards to non - French military forces stationing nuclear weapons , or nuclear - capable units on French soil led to the United States moving the 50th TFW and other tactical wings out of France . Pferdsfeld AB , West Germany was initially considered as the new home of the 50th , however it was decided to return the wing to Hahn AB since it was only partially occupied at the time and the runway at Hahn had just been recently re - paved . The wing , its support units , 10th TFS and 81st TFS returned to Hahn AB , West Germany as part of Operation Red Richard . The 417th TFS was detached to the 86th Tactical Fighter Wing at Ramstein AB , West Germany . The 50th Tactical Fighter Wing reported its movement complete to Hahn on 10 December 1959 . For the next several years , 50th TFW Airmen concentrated on becoming the best fighter unit in USAFE . During the Cuban Missile Crisis in October and November 1962 , the wing hosted the 435th Tactical Fighter Squadron from Moron AB , Spain as part of a massive military buildup . After the Cuban Missile Crisis ended , the 50th TFW resumed normal operations and participated in various exercises and competitions , often with other NATO allies . F - 4 Phantom II era . By the mid - 1960s , the Super Sabres were becoming vulnerable to a new generation of Warsaw Pact fighters , such as the Mig - 21 and Sukhoi Su - 15 . In response , the wing ' s three tactical squadrons , the 10th , 81st , and 417th , began converting to McDonnell Douglas F - 4D Phantom II s on 8 October 1966 . When the last F - 100 left Hahn , 50th TFW aircrews had logged 143 , 147 flight hours . Throughout the conversion to the F - 4D , the 417th TFS remained detached to the 86th Air Division at Ramstein AB . The 496th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron , attached to the 50th TFW but assigned to the 86th Air Division , did not convert to the new F - 4D aircraft , instead flying the F - 102 Delta Dagger interceptor aircraft . The wing underwent another organizational change on 15 July 1968 . The costs of the ongoing Vietnam War were stretching defense budgets , and the costs of maintaining large United States forces ( both Army and Air Force ) in Europe , as well as the decision by France to withdrawal from the NATO integrated military alliance led to the development of " dual - based " forces , stationed in the United States , but deployable to NATO in case of a crisis with the Soviet Union . The 417th TFS was reassigned to Mountain Home AFB , Idaho , and was subsequently reassigned to Tactical Air Command ' s 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing . The 417th was " committed " to USAFE , and was planned to deploy to USAFE annually . To replace the 417th , USAFE reassigned the 496th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron back from 86th Air Division to the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing . The 417th , however , remained equipped with F - 102 interceptors with an air defense mission . USAFE then selected the 81st Tactical Fighter Squadron as the command ' s first " Wild Weasel " surface - to - air missile suppression unit . The squadron ' s primary mission focus changed from ground and air attack roles to location and elimination of threats posed by enemy radar tracking and surface - to - air missile systems . The " Wild Weasel " version of the F - 4E ( and later the F - 4G ) could be used as a radar jamming platform or as a search and destroy vehicle . The 81st TFS moved to Zweibrucken Air Base , West Germany , on 12 June 1971 . Though it remained assigned to 50th TFW , 81st TFS was detached from the wing ' s operational control and attached to the 86th Tactical Fighter Wing . Following these changes , the wing settled into a more routine operations tempo and returned its attentions to maintaining combat readiness . Within two years , USAFE redesignated 496th FIS as a tactical fighter squadron . The squadron converted to the F - 4E Phantom , retiring its F - 102s . The wing continued routine training operations throughout the 1970s . In 1976 , the 313th Tactical Fighter Squadron was reactivated as a result of the 36th TFW at Bitburg AB receiving F - 15 Eagle s , and sending a squadron of its F - 4E Phantom II s to Hahn . F - 16 Fighting Falcon era . In late 1978 USAFE announced that the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing would test and then field of the new F - 16A Fighting Falcon . Arrangements for the tests began with arrival of the first of four teams in November 1978 and continued into 1979 . Tests began 20 April 1979 , with four F - 16A Block 1 aircraft at Hahn Air Base , Germany . Meanwhile , prompted by the news of the its selection to receive the Air Force ' s newest fighter , the 50th TFW began construction of new hardened aircraft shelters , additional hangars , maintenance shops and support buildings . In addition contracts were issued for the construction of 300 additional housing units in communities near Hahn AB . Aircrews focused on training under a new graduated combat capability program that provided specific training events and competency levels for each category of crewmember . Maintenance personnel concentrated on learning F - 16 specific requirements and adapted the Production Oriented Maintenance Organization to meet the needs of the new jets and mission . The 313th TFS accepted the first of the wing ' s new F - 16s on 30 December 1981 , after a vigorous acceptance inspection — a practice that continues today . Within six months , the last of the 50th TFW ' s F - 4E Phantom IIs departed Hahn AB , after 16 years and more than 176 , 000 flight hours . A gala marked the addition of the Fighting Falcon to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ' s arsenal on 9 July 1982 . The ceremony included displays of aircraft from Norway , the Netherlands , Belgium , Denmark and other countries in the NATO alliance , all of which were programmed to receive the F - 16 . For the next several months , 50th TFW crews frequently deployed to Zaragoza Air Base , Spain , to conduct air - to - air and air - to - ground training . The training included events designed to improve bombing accuracy and increase air and ground crew performance . Before the 1983 Thanksgiving holiday , the wing would add yet another line to its list of accomplishments . That opportunity arrived in October , when 50th TFW crews took their F - 16s to the Air Force ' s annual worldwide bombing and gunnery competition — Gunsmoke — where they won the overall competition . Additionally , one of the wing ' s pilots earned the individual Top Gun award . Personnel continued to demonstrate their excellence when one of the wing ' s weapons load crews earned first place distinction in USAFE and third place overall in an Air Force - wide competition at the end of 1983 . Operational activity by March 1984 reached a fever pitch as the wing participated in several exercises and competitions and prepared for a brief deployment . The wing joined Green Flag exercises held at Nellis Air Force Base , Nevada , in March . Green Flag sought to provide realistic combat training with a heavy emphasis on electronic warfare such as anti - aircraft defenses ' threat radars . At Hahn AB , other wing personnel participated in a NATO exercise . During this exercise , two 496th TFS F - 16s conducted the first emergency procedures landings on an autobahn . The aircrews landed , refueled from dispatched trucks and launched from a highway near the German air base at Ahlhorn . The wing also prepared for a large - scale deployment to several air bases due to programmed runway repairs at Hahn AB . Aircraft and crews , maintenance specialists and support personnel deployed to Ramstein and Spangdahlem AB and to West Germany ' s Pferdsfel AB from April to June 1984 . The 50th Tactical Fighter Wing ' s growing list of accomplishments and recognition continued into 1985 when the wing received notice of its selection for an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for the period 1 July 1982 through 30 June 1984 . This was the fifth such award for the 50th . The 50th TFW ' s operational tempo did not slow , nor did the wing ' s receipt of accolades and recognition from its headquarters . The wing replaced its F - 16A and F - 16B Fighting Falcons for the advanced second - generation F - 16C and F - 16D in 1986 . HQ USAFE announced on 15 April 1986 , that the 313th Tactical Fighter Squadron had earned the USAFE Commander in Chief ' s Trophy for 1985 . Operations and maintenance teams within 50th TFW also received numerous awards at major command level and higher throughout 1986 and 1987 , including the Secretary of Defense ' s Phoenix Award recognizing the best maintenance organization in the Department of Defense . Post Cold - War era . By the end of the 1980s , the social , economic , and political turmoil in the Soviet Union had reached a boiling point . The Berlin Wall fell , and a new era in Europe began . Former Soviet republics proclaimed their independence and right to self - determination . Talk in Germany quickly turned to the possibility of reuniting East and West . Debate followed on the future role of American forces in Europe , and worldwide change loomed imminent . Throughout the spring and summer of 1990 , the 50th TFW continued its aggressive training schedule . Meanwhile , American military and government officials debated the new role and structure of the armed forces in light of perceptions of a diminished threat to Western Europe . The changes brought about by events in the Soviet Union and in light of increasing public and governmental concern over the United States ' increasing budget budget deficit . For many , the possibility of any combat activity seemed unlikely , but that perception changed almost in the blink of an eye during the autumn of 1990 . While the wing ' s aircrews continued their normal operations in West Germany and Turkey , Iraqi president Saddam Hussein resumed a war of rhetoric against Kuwait . As the summer heat in Southwest Asia intensified , so did Hussein ' s war of words . Iraqi forces crossed the border into Kuwait on 2 August 1990 , forcing the Kuwaiti royal family and existing government to seek refuge in neighboring countries . The United Nations condemned the invasion , calling for immediate withdrawal of all Iraqi forces from Kuwait . Returning to Hahn AB following an October 1990 training deployment to Zaragoza AB , Spain , 10th TFS commander Lt . Col . Ed Houle received notice to prepare his unit for possible deployment . Originally scheduled for a Thanksgiving Day movement , plans changed and called for the deployment of the 10th within 72 hours of the outbreak of hostilities , should that happen . As the final days of autumn passed and winter began , plans again changed . Word came that the 10th TFS would deploy on 15 January 1991 , to fill out the combat strength of the fighter wing at Al Dhafra Air Base , United Arab Emirates . United States Central Command readjusted this date twice , finally establishing a deployment date of 1 January 1991 . Meanwhile , crews continued to train and make other preparations . The 313th TFS selected six F - 16Cs and eight pilots as potential replacements for lost jets and crews . Thirty F - 16Cs left Hahn AB , for Zaragoza AB 29 December 1990 . Six served as airborne spares to replace any of the original 24 that might not complete the trip to Al Dhafra . While hundreds of personnel at Zaragoza AB celebrated and welcomed the new year , thirty pilots of the 50th TFW fired their afterburners , drowning the sounds of celebration , and lifted into the darkness bound for the Middle East and the near certainty of combat . When they arrived , aircrews learned they would not employ the low - level procedures they had practiced for use in Central Europe . Instead of low - level ingress and 10 - to 30 - degree dive angles , they would deliver their payloads from nearly 20 , 000 feet with ingress angles near 60 degrees . As training progressed , crews from the 10th TFS began sitting alert with crews of the 17th and 33d TFSs , hoping that they might be the first to strike if war erupted . 15 January 1991 , passed with Al Dhafra ' s crews and much of the coalition forces watching events unfold on cable television news . International news broadcasts , beamed via satellite , told of Iraq ' s refusal to withdraw and the resulting discussions on how the U . N . coalition would proceed . 16 January 1991 was much the same . Then , with a click of the second hand , Desert Shield became Desert Storm . At 4 a . m . local time 17 January , the first 40 - plane strike package left Al Dhafra for targets in Iraq . The 10th TFS flew its first combat sorties of the war later that afternoon , led by squadron commander Lt . Col . Edward Houle . The assigned target for the eight - ship element of the 10th TFS was Al Taqaddum Airfield , near Baghdad — a round - trip of more than 1 , 400 miles and an eight - hour mission for crews accustomed to training flights of only one to three hours . For nearly six weeks , 10th TFS crews attacked Iraqi airfields , communication centers and military command centers . What few Iraqi fighters did fly were either shot down or chased across the Iraq - Iran border . After initial attacks against static targets , the 10th TFS crews received new orders . Iraq had begun using Soviet SS - 1 Scud missiles in retaliation against the coalition ' s offensive air strikes , targeting both coalition forces and Israeli civilian population centers . In response , U . S . Central Command ordered search - and - destroy missions against Iraqi mobile and fixed SCUD launchers . Attacking those targets put 10th TFS pilots at greater risk . A good kill required locating and identifying the SCUD ' s associated radar once it was activated for launch , and the launchers were heavily defended . The squadron ' s first SCUD patrol mission began 19 January , only three days into Desert Storm . The mission changed again 23 January . With most of the strategic targets eliminated , the 10th TFS received orders to concentrate on Iraq ' s Republican Guard units occupying Kuwait and Iraq ' s southern region . For the Al Dhafra - based crews , this meant bombing any military targets on the road and destroying any pontoon bridges being constructed across the Tigris River . In addition , the wing ' s crews dropped leaflet bombs over Iraqi positions and civilian centers . For the next month , emphasis centered on counter - SCUD operations and preparing the battlefield for the eventual ground war . When the ground war began 25 February , crews began flying combat air patrols , protecting and supporting coalition ground forces . This mission , however , lasted only three days . On the morning of 28 February , the offensive ceased to allow Iraqi units to withdraw . After a brief interlude , crews returned to combat air patrols to enforce ceasefire accords that prohibited Iraqi aircraft from operating within defined areas . This provision of the ceasefire sought to protect coalition ground forces , U . N . personnel who would monitor Iraq ' s compliance with Security Council resolutions and civilian populations . With the return of deployed elements from Saudi Arabia in the summer of 1991 , the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing was gradually inactivated during the balance of the year . With the reuniting of East and West Germany in October 1990 , the Cold War threat of an invasion by the Soviet Union no longer was an issue . The United States was left with a huge excess capacity of expensive airfields in Europe . The 50th had performed its mission successfully in Western Europe and it was now time to end its mission . As a result , the 50th TFW was inactivated in 1991 after 35 years at Hahn Air Base . The 496th TFS was inactivated on 15 May ; The 313th TFS on 1 July , and the 10th TFS on 30 September . The 50th Tactical Fighter Wing was inactivated on 30 September 1991 . On 30 September 1993 , Hahn Air Base was turned over to the reunited German government with the exception of a small portion used by USAFE as a communications site . Air Force Space Command . However , Air Force officials soon reversed their decision to inactivate the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing . In 1982 Air Force Space Command was activated to control USAF space assets , which had previously been managed by Air Force Systems Command . As part of the general re - organization of the Air Force in the post Cold War era . The 50th TFW was re - assigned to the United States Air Force Space Command , which reactivated the wing as the 50th Space Wing on 20 January 1992 , at Falcon Air Force Base east of Colorado Springs , Colorado . The 50th was reactivated as part of the USAF Heritage Program , in which notable historic wings remained on active duty , replacing younger ones . The 50th Space Wing assumed control of the personnel and assets of the 2d Space Wing , which was immediately inactivated . At the same time , the command activated the 50th Operations Group , the redesignated World War II and early Cold War - era 50th Fighter Group , and assigned it to the 50th Space Wing as part of the post Cold War USAF Objective organization plan . AFSPC also activated the 50th Maintenance and Supply Group and the 50th Combat Support Group under new names , creating a wing organization that closely resembled that of the 1950s . Squadrons assigned to the 50th concurrent with its activation included a mixture of past units and those previously assigned to the 2d Space Wing , which the 50th SW replaced . The command activated the 50th Mission Support , Civil Engineering , Security Police , Communications , Airdrome , Air Service , Depot Repair and Depot Supply Squadrons with new designations . Transferred from the 2nd Space Wing were the 1st , 2nd , 3rd and 5th Satellite Control Squadrons , renamed Space Operations Squadrons . The headquarters of the 2nd Satellite Tracking Group became Headquarters 750th Space Group and transferred to 50th SW . The 50th SW also assumed responsibility for a number of detachments operating around the world . The 50th SW assumed command - and - control responsibilities for several existing satellite constellations that provided a variety of critical information to the Air Force , Department of Defense and other users . Additionally , the 50th SW assumed responsibility for the Air Force Satellite Control Network , which allowed satellite controllers to fly satellites under their command . Continuing activity resulting from the 1995 Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission ( BRAC ) report resulted in the inactivation of the 750th Space Group and the 5th Space Operations Squadron at Onizuka Air Force Station , California , in 1999 and 2000 respectively . The inactivation of other agencies and units at Onizuka AFS left 21st SOPS as the installation ' s host , and the 21st SOPS commander assumed installation commander responsibilities . Global War on Terrorism . The 50th Space Wing supports allied operations in Southwest Asia with satellite communications , GPS enhancements and deployed personnel . By 2005 , the 50th SW averaged 80 Airmen per month deployed to forward operating bases in Afghanistan supporting the Global War on Terrorism . During Operation Iraqi Freedom Second SOPS crews developed new techniques for enhancing GPS accuracy over the Iraqi theater of operations and flew more than 1 , 000 satellite sorties between 20 March and 10 April . First SOPS set a record during this period , placing a GPS satellite in orbit and completing all early on - orbit checkout activities in only 11 days while also flying 100 Defense Support Program satellite sorties and 300 GPS sorties in the first 20 days of combat . Third and 4th SOPS crews maximized satellite communications coverage of the theater . The 3rd SOPS ' Defense Satellite Communications System Block III satellites provided 80 percent of in - theater bandwidth . Meanwhile , 4th SOPS dedicated 85 percent of Milstar communications capability to the war effort , flying 14 , 000 sorties in the first 20 days of operations . The 50th Network Operations Group ( previously the 50th Communications Group ) supported all of the wing ' s satellite command - and - control activities through the Air Force Satellite Control Network scheduling nodes , managed by 22nd SOPS . Personnel at the wing ' s remote tracking stations , including 21st SOPS at Onizuka AFS and 23rd SOPS at New Boston AFS , N . H . , logged more than 12 , 312 satellite contacts while assisting with other satellite operations and three satellite launches . The 50th SW also underwent organizational changes in the first years of the new century . To correct inefficiencies and realign organizations along mission lines , Air Force Space Command renamed the 50th CG as 50th NOG and reassigned 21st , 22nd and 23rd SOPS to that organization . Functions of the 850th Space Communications Squadron merged with those of 50th SCS , and the 850th SCS inactivated in January 2006 . Components . Groups Assigned Squadrons Attached Squadrons Unit Inactive Unit Inactive Emblem blazon . Azure , an opinicus passant Argent , all within a diminished bordure Or . Modified version of 50th Fighter Group emblem approved for the 50th Fighter - Bomber Wing on 15 July 1953 , and reinstated on 9 July 1992 ; replaced wing emblem approved on 23 August 1956 . Motto : MASTER OF SPACE . Approved on 10 September 1992 .