Historical Highlights of Hahn Air Base
Events:
9 AUG 1953: The 50th Fighter Bomber Wing, Clovis Air Force Base, New Mexico, transferred from Tactical Air Command to USAFE´s Twelfth Air Force. Hahn Air Base, Germany, became the wing´s new home. This was the first time a complete wing deployed at one time from the United States to Europe.
21 OCT 1955: The 50th Fighter Bomber Wing at Hahn Air Base, Germany, became the first USAFE unit to receive the new F-86H. Previously the wing had flown F-86F aircraft.
8 JUL 1958: The 20th, 48th, 49th, 50th and 81st Fighter Bomber Wings and the 36th Fighter Day Wing became tatical fighter wings. This new designation lent emphasis to the wing´s primary mission of tactical nuclear capability.
10 JUL 1959: When the French government refused to grant the US atomic storage rights in France, USAFE was forced to withdraw its 48th, 49th and 50th Tactical Fighter Wings, its atomic- capable tactical fighter Wings , from French bases. Redeployment of these wings to Germany and the United Kingdom was nicknamed Project Red Richard.(...) The 38th Tactical Missile Wing moved from Hahn Air Base to Sembach Air Base. The 50th Tactical Fighter Wing then moved to Hahn from Toul - Rosieres.
AUG 1959: The 38th Tactical Missile Wing moved from Hahn to Sembach Air Base, Germany.
15 NOV 1959: When 17th Air Force moved from Wheelus Air Base, Libya to Ramstein Air Base, the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing became one of the principal units assigned to new 17th Air Force.
19 JAN 1967: Maj. Bernard F. Fisher, assigned to the 496th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Hahn Air Base, Germany, received the Medal of Honor for his heroic rescue of a downed pilot while serving in Vietnam.
5 AUG 1969: USAFE received its first F-4E aircraft and assigned them to Camp New Amsterdam, the American facilities at Soesterberg Air Base, the Netherlands. In conjunction with the switch, USAFE redesignated these fighter interceptor squadrons as tactical fighter squadrons -- the 32nd on 1 July, 525th on 1 October, 496th on 1 January 1970, and the 526th on 1 April 1970. Originally, the parenthetical nomenclature " (air defense) " was added to the squadron designation; however, in January 1970 HQ USAF directed USAFE to delete the "air defense" suffix.
DEC 1970: The 81st Tactical Fighter Squadron at Hahn Air Base, Germany, received its first F-4Cs modified for the Wild Weasel air defense suppression role.
SEP 1973: USAFE completed a realignment of F-4 aircraft on USAFE bases by mission, design, and series. This was an effort to further improve the command´s combat capability, wartime logistical support posture, and overall resource management. The command located F-4Cs at Torrejon Air Base, Spain and Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany; F-4Ds at RAF Bentwaters, United Kingdom, and Hahn and Spangdahlem Air Bases, Germany; and F-4Es at Bitburg and Hahn Air Bases in Germany.
30 SEP 1974: All tactical Flying wings in USAFE completed reorganizing under the concept of three deputy commanders for operations, resources, and maintenance. The new structure gave more effective control of maintenance activities, consolidated resource management under one individual, and provided greater potential for the combat support group commanders to concentrate attention on "people programs." The command first initiated the concept at the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing on Hahn Air Base during FY74. This structure became the standard base/wing organization throughout the US Air Force on 1 July 1975
29 OCT 1976: For the first time, a USAFE team, representing the 496th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Hahn Air Base, Germany, took part in the Aerospace Defense Command´s competition William Tell, at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida
APR-MAY 1979: Three F-16s and associated support personnel deployed from the United States to Hahn Air Base, Germany, to run a European test and evaluation of the F-16
12-14 NOV 1980: At Hahn Air Base, the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing conducted a Salty Mace excercise. This was the first time USAFE had tasked an entire wing to perform its wartime mission in a chemical environment for a sustained period of time.
30 DEC 1981: The 50th Tactical Fighter Wing at Hahn Air Base, Germany, received the command´s first operational F-16 aircraft.
14 JUN 1982: The 313th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 50th Tactical Fighter Wing, became the first F-16 operationally ready squadron in USAFE.
7 AUG 1983: A bomb exploded at the Hahn Air Base officers club causing extensive damage.
5 APR 1984: HQ USAFE activated its fourth ground launched cruise missile unit, the 38th Tactical Missile Wing, at Wueschheim Air Station, Germany.
31 MAR 1986: The 38th Tactical Missile Wing, a ground launched cruise missile (GLCM) unit, at Wueschheim Air Station, Germany, was declared operationally ready.
31 DEC 1986: The 50th Tactical Fighter Wing, Hahn Air Base, Germany, declared two of its three squadrons operationally ready, after converting from older F-16A/B to newer F-16C/D model aircraft.
22 AUG 1990: HQ USAFE inactivated the 38th Tactical Missile Wing, Wueschheim Air Station, Germany, because of terms of the Intermediate- Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty.
29 DEC 1990: Twenty -four USAFE F-16s from the 10th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 50th Tactical Fighter Wing, Hahn Air Base, Germany, deployed to Al Dhafra, United Arab Emirates, as part of Phase II deployments for Desert Shield.
27 FEB 1991: Shot down by Iraqu ground fire, Capt. William F. Andrews of the 10th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 50th Tactical Fighter Wing, used his survival radio to direct his flight and an OA-10 out of the area while descending by parachute. He continued to warn friendly aircraft once on the ground, eben though he broke his leg on landing and was being fired on by enemy troops. Captured, he was released 4 March to the International Red Cross.He received the Air Force Cross, a Purple Heart, and the 1991 Jabara Award for Airmanship for his heroism.
30 SEP 1991: HQ USAFE inactivated the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing at Hahn Air Base, Germany. Because of the illustrious lineage of the 50th, the Air Force saved the designation and its lineage and honors by giving them to a Space Command unit in the US.
Source:
Dr. Thomas S. Snyder & MSgt. Sheila A. Shaw: United States Air Forces In Europe Historical Highlights 1942- 1992, Ramstein Air Base, Germany 23 FEB 1993
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