"USA National Anthem"
DISCLAIMER

"UDORN Royal THAI Air Force Base - UDORN (UDON) THANI, THAILAND"

"THAI National Anthem"

UDORN RTAFB
Royal Thai Air Force Base
Udorn Thani, Thailand


5 ***** Home of the "HUNTERS" ***** 5
*** 6 ***


Udorn RTAFB Flightline Revetments


OUR MISSION:
PROTECT THE FORCE - GET THE PICTURES ...
AND
KILL MIGS !!!



432 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing Headquarters Building



"Star Spangle Banner"


Above are the flags of the United States of America
and of Thailand, our Southeast Asian ally and "host"
during the Conflicts in Southeast Asia - (Vietnam War).

Each and every day at Udorn RTAFB, started with the raising of these flags.
Every day at dusk the national anthem of each country was played
as each flag was lowered. All service personnel, whether driving a vehicle
or outside any building were required to stop in their tracks,
face the flag or direction of the music, stand at attention,
and render a salute during the lowering of each country's flag and
the playing of their respective national anthems.


(To hear these national anthems click under each flag at the top of this page.)


Subnote:

Standing out in the open provided a perfect opportunity to be "picked off"
by one of our own - that is to say a SQUEAKY CLEAN "desk jockey" Lieutenant
who would hang around the mail room, chow halls, and yes, WRITE UP anyone
for not being in COMPLIANCE with USAF uniform regulations,
which included hair cuts and mustaches.

Did anyone ever "clue in" these DESK JOCKIES [from their air conditioned offices]
on what climbing around aircraft, especially into the greasy engine bay of an F4,
in 120+ degrees, high humidity, and at times monsoon rains,
will do to a set of jungle fatiques !!!

As far as the hair and mustaches go
- "GIVE me a hit with HAIR, LONG BEAUTIFUL HAIR ..."

Yea, those were the words to the musical "HAIR", being performed
at the time in the NCO club, as was "JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR".

Hey, it was the early '70's for "JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR" sakes
and we were FIGHTING a WAR !!!


"THAI National Anthem"
(click here to PLAY the "THAI National Anthem"
or under the THAI flag at the top of the page)


Below are several Histories. The MISSION was handed out to each
USAF person upon processing into UDORN RTAFB for their SEA tour of duty.

The Fact Sheet and Base History is from a posting found at the
Thailand Laos Cambodia Brotherhood website under the "bases" link.

For those interested in the Fact Sheet and Histories of the five other
Royal Thai AFBs, that hosted other USAF Wings and Units -

(those being Korat, NKP, Takhli, Ubon, U-Tapao),

please click on the TLCB website link below.

"Thailand Laos Cambodia Brotherhood"





(operational support)
TAN SON NHUT AB
SOUTH VIETNAM

Pacific
Air Forces
"PACAF"

(logistical support)
CLARK AB
x---PHILIPPINES---x



"Victory through science"


432 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing


MISSION

The 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing is based at Udorn Royal Thai
Air Force Base, Thailand. It is one of the most versitile and unigue
units of the United States Air force. It employs almost all the elements
of tactical airpower now used in Southeast Asia.

The Wing's major flying units are the 13th "Panther Pack" and the 555th
"Triple Nickel" Tactical Fighter Squadrons and the 14th Tactical
Reconnaissance Squadron.

The tactical fighter mission of the Wing is to conduct close air
support, interdiction, air defense and armed escort operations in
support of United States objectives in Southeast Asia.

The reconnaisance mission of the Wing is to conduct aerial
surveillance and provide photo intelligence against heavily defended
targets in Southeast Asia.

Seventh Air Force, Tan Son Nhut AB, Republic of Vietnam has operational
control of the Wing, while Thirteenth Air Force, Clark AB, Republic of
the Philippines provides logistical support for the Wing.

Current as of 1 April 1972




The following is from a document called:

Fact Sheets and Histories of the United States Air Force
at Royal Thai Air Force Bases, dated 12 August 1976,
and published by the 13th Air Force Office of History.

as contributed to the TLCB by TLC Brother

Col. Jimmie H. Butler USAF (Ret.)


UDORN ROYAL THAI AIR FORCE BASE

���� Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base is the home of the 432nd Tactical Fighter/Reconnaissance Wing, and is the only wing of its kind in Southeast Asia. The 432nd is made up of one RF-4C tactical reconnaissance squadron (14th TRS) and two F-4D tactical fighter squadrons (13th and 555th TFS). The 432nd squadrons work well together in an integrated search and destroy mission. The reconnaissance squadron finds and photographs lucrative targets for the fighter squadrons to neutralize. Udorn is also the headquarters of the Deputy Commander, Seventh Air Force/Thirteenth Air Force. Operational control of Thailand-based USAF units is maintained by Seventh Air Force, while logistics and administration are handled by Thirteenth Air Force. The Royal Thai Air Force's 223d Tactical Fighter Squadron is the host unit at Udorn. The squadron's T-28 "Trojan" fighters engage in interdiction missions.


MAJOR UNITS:

- Det 1, 39th ARRS
- Det 5, 38th ARRS
- 10th Weather Squadron
- 1974th Communications Group
- 621st Tactical Control Squadron
- Det 1, 56th Special Operations Wing
- 50th Tactical Control Maintenance Sq
- 432nd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing


AIRCRAFT ASSIGNED:

F-102, RF-4C, F-4D, * F-4E
HC-130
T-28
C-130E, C-130B, C-47, C-54
HH-43


RUNWAY LENGTH:

10,000-feet


PERSONNEL STRENGTH:

5,082


HOSPITAL FACILITIES:

50-bed modular type hospital


MILES FROM BANGKOK:

248 air miles northeast


WING MOTTO:

"Victory through science"


HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
AT UDORN ROYAL THAI AIR FORCE BASE:

���� The first unit assigned at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force was the 333d Air Base Squadron. The. formation of this unit took place in October 1964. The squadron was subordinate to the 35th Tactical Group, Don Muang Air Port. Prior to the formation on of the squadron, support personnel were provided by temporary duty personnel from the 35th Tactical Group. On 18 July 1965, the 333rd Air Base Squadron was redesignated the 6232nd Combat Support Group (CSG). This unit reported directly to the Commander, 13th Air Force and to the 6234th Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW) at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, at that time the only tactical wing in Thailand. The formation of the group at Udorn RTAFB was brought about because of expanding Air Force programs., an increase in assigned personnel and increased base support requirements. The majority of personnel at Udorn RTAFB, prior, to the formation of the group, were temporary duty assignments. Shortly before the group was activated a gradual input of permanent party personnel was made to replace those on temporary duty. In 1965 a program of building a cantonment area for U.S. Air Force personnel was underway. The area was to be completed as soon as possible and to be comprised of office buildings, a supply area and billets. Personnel, prior to moving into this area, were billeted in the Thai area of the base.��

����On 15 November 1965 the 6232nd CSG was given the responsibility of reporting directly to the Deputy Commander 2nd Air Division/13th Air Force rather than directly to the Commander, 13th Air Force. The 6232nd CSG was redesignated the 630th CSG on 8 April 1966, with a reporting responsibility to the Deputy Commander, 7th Air Force/13th Air Force (7/13AF), headquartered at Udorn.

���� On 18 September 1966, the 432nd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing (TRW) was organized and the 630th CSG was placed under the new wing and redesignated the 432nd CSG. The 432nd wing originally had two tactical reconnaissance squadrons (TRS), the 11th and 20th, flying the RF-4C and RF-101 respectively. On 30 October 1967, the RF-101 squadron was deactivated and replaced by another RF-4C squadron, the 14th TRS. These two squadrons accounted for more than 80 percent of all reconnaissance activity over North Vietnam. In addition to the two RF-4 squadrons, the wing also had a tactical fighter squadron (TFS), the 13th. This squadron employed the F-4D fighter-bomber aircraft on strike missions over North Vietnam. The 13th TFS was credited with two MIGs kills.

���� On 25 April 1968, Lieutenant General Benjamin O. Davis Jr., Commander of 13th Air Force, presented the 432nd TRW the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with "V" device for meritorious achievements during the period 18 September 1966 to 18 September 1967. On 28 May 1968, the 555th TFS arrived at Udorn from Ubon RTAFB, adding to the 432nd TRW's distinction of being an Air Force wing with a dual reconnaissance-fighter mission. The 555th, better known as the Triple Nickel was credited with 27 MIG kills, the last seven victories scored while at Udorn.

���� On 31 October 1968, the 7th Airborne Command and Control Squadron, which had been assigned to the base as a temporary duty unit, became part of the 432nd wing.. With the addition of this C-130 squadron, the 432nd TRW became the most diversified unit of its size in the Air Force. At the end of 1968, Udorn housed 14 different combat flying units, representing every phase of tactical air power. On 25 February 1970, Major General Robert L. Petit, Deputy Commander, 7/13 Air Force, presented the 432nd TRW the Presidential Unit Citation for extraordinary gallantry in connection with military operations from 19 September 1967 to 1 November 1968.

���� On 10 November 1970, the 11th TRS was deployed to Shaw AFB, S.C. ending. a distinguished tour of service with the 432nd TRW. The departure of the 11th left the wing with two fighter squadrons, one reconnaissance squadron and the airborne command and control squadron. On 1 April 1972 the 7th Airborne Command and Control Squadron was deployed to Korat RTAFB. The mission of the wing is to provide intelligence information about hostile forces through tactical reconnaissance and use its fighter elements to destroy the targets earmarked by the intelligence data provided. The wing has numerous missions in the support area also. As the command base for 7/13AF in Thailand, Udorn RTAFB plays a lead role in accomplishing the objectives of the United States in fulfilling its policy in Southeast Asia.



To read about Udorn RTAFB's USAF Tactical Squadrons'
Histories, Lineages, and Honors
click on pages below.


"13 TFS"
"PANTHER PACK"
sector
"UDORN RTAFB"
"14 TRS"
"----"
sector
"UDORN RTAFB"
"555 TFS"
"TRIPLE NICKEL"
sector
"UDORN RTAFB"
"58 TFS - [TDY]"
"NOMADS"
sector
"UDORN RTAFB"

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