Lineage. Established as 10 Reconnaissance Wing on 14 Nov 1947. Organized on 3 Dec 1947. Redesignated as 10 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing on 25 Aug 1948. Inactivated on 1 Apr 1949. Activated on 10 Jul 1952. Redesignated as: 10 Tactical Fighter Wing on 20 Aug 1987; 10 Air Base Wing on 31 Mar 1993. Inactivated on 1 Nov 1994. Activated on 1 Nov 1994.
Assignments. Ninth Air Force, 3 Dec 1947; Fourteenth Air Force, 1 Feb–1 Apr 1949. Twelfth Air Force, 10 Jul 1952; United States Air Forces in Europe, 1 Jan 1958; Third Air Force, 25 Aug 1959; Seventeenth Air Force, 1 Jul 1961; Third Air Force, 1 Sep 1963-1 Nov 1994. United States Air Force Academy, 1 Nov 1994–.
Operational Components. Group. 10 Reconnaissance (later, 10 Tactical Reconnaissance): 3 Dec 1947–1 Apr 1949; 10 Jul 1952–8 Dec 1957. Squadrons. 1 Tactical Reconnaissance: 8 Dec 1957–15 Jan 1988. 19 Tactical Reconnaissance: attached 8 Jan–7 Mar 1958, assigned 8 Mar 1958–1 Jul 1965. 30 Tactical Reconnaissance: attached 8 Jan–7 Mar 1958, assigned 8 Mar 1958–1 Apr 1976. 32 Tactical Reconnaissance: 8 Dec 1957–8 Mar 1958 (detached 8 Jan–8 Mar 1958); 15 Aug 1966–1 Jan 1976. 38 Tactical Reconnaissance: 8 Dec 1957–8 Mar 1958 (detached 8 Jan–8 Mar 1958). 42 Tactical Reconnaissance: 8 Dec 1957–1 Jul 1965. 45 Tactical Reconnaissance: attached 13 Jun–6 Jul 1973. 62 Tactical Reconnaissance: attached 7–24 Mar 1976. 509 Tactical Fighter: 1 Jun 1988–30 Dec 1992. 511 Tactical Fighter: 1 Sep 1988–30 Dec 1992 (detached 19 Dec 1990–3 Jun 1991). 527 Tactical Fighter Training Aggressor (later, 527 Aggressor): 1 Apr 1976–14 Jul 1988.
Stations. Pope Field (later, Pope AFB), NC, 3 Dec 1947–1 Apr 1949. Toul-Rosieres AB, France, 10 Jul 1952; Spangdahlem AB, Germany, 9 May 1953; RAF Alconbury, England, 25 Aug 1959-1 Nov 1994. USAF Academy, CO, 1 Nov 1994–.
Commanders. Col Louis M. Merrick, 3 Dec 1947–1 Apr 1949. Col Dixon M. Allison, 10 Jul 1952; Col Brian O’Neill, 1 Oct 1952; Col Franklin S. Allen Jr., 30 Jun 1955; Col Kenneth R. Powell, 22 Jul 1955; Col James D. Kemp, 3 Jul 1959; Col Victor N. Cabas, 21 Jun 1962; Col Arthur Small, 8 Jul 1963; Col DeWitt S. Spain, 25 Mar 1964; Col James A. Shannon, 22 Jun 1966; Col Theodore S. Coberly, 15 May 1967; Brig Gen Winston P. Anderson, 17 Jul 1968; Col Ralph F. Findlay, 29 Jun 1970; Col Lovic P. Hodnette Jr., 9 Jul 1971; Col Daniel J. Nelson, 5 Jun 1972; Col LaVerne H. Griffin, 6 Mar 1973; Col Paul H. Hodges, 22 Feb 1974; Col Buford D. Lary, 17 Mar 1977; Col Ellis C. Vander Pyl Jr., 26 Mar 1979; Col Jerome E. Hughes, 27 Jul 1981; Col James M. Rhodes Jr., 11 Jun 1982; Col Lawrence W. Foley, 9 Jan 1984; Col William A. Studer, 24 May 1985; Col Otto K. Hadebank, 24 Mar 1986; Brig Gen Michael D. McGinty, 4 Mar 1988; Col James C. Evans, 19 Apr 1990; Col Peter W. Tkacs, 15 May 1992; Col William J. Corbett III, 27 Jun-1 Nov 1994. Col David P. Csintyan, 1 Nov 1994; Col Richard H. Downing, 13 Nov 1996; Col John H. Bonapart Jr., 9 Apr 1999; Col Bradford E. Ward, 11 May 2001; Col John G. Miller, 24 Oct 2002; Col Susanne P. LeClere, c. Jul 2005; Col Jimmy E. McMillan, May 2006; Col Ricky J. Locastro, 23 Jul 2009; Col Thomas L. Gibson, Jun 2011; Col Stacey T. Hawkins, 10 Jun 2013; Col Troy E. Dunn, 14 May 2015-.
Aircraft. P (later, F)-51/F-6, 1947-1948; RF-51, 1947-1949. RF-80, 1952-1956; RB-26, 1952-1957; RB-57, 1954-1957; RF-84, 1955-1958; T/WT-33, 1955-1957; RB-66, 1956-1965; WB-66, 1957-1960; B-66, 1960-1965; RF-4, 1965-1987; F-5, 1976-1988; A-10, 1988-1992. None, 1993-.
Operations. Performed tactical reconnaissance, 1947–1949. Replaced 117 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Toul-Rosieres AB, France, in Jul 1952. Provided weather reconnaissance, 1952–c. 1960, and tactical reconnaissance (day and night, multi-sensor), 1952–1988. Replaced 7560 Air Base Group at RAF Alconbury, England, in Aug 1959, and became responsible for operation and maintenance of that installation. Operated from RAF Wethersfield, England, 3 Jul–31 Oct 1972. Took part in frequent tactical exercises of USAFE and NATO. Dropped two (of three) reconnaissance squadrons in 1976 and gained the 527 Tactical Fighter Training Aggressor Squadron. This unit, equipped with F–5Es in May 1976, provided “dissimilar” air combat training for USAFE fighter and reconnaissance wings, 1976–1988. Wing assumed a fighter mission, conducting fighter operations training in support of US and NATO war plans, 1988–1992. Deployed the 511 Tactical Fighter Squadron and other wing personnel to Saudi Arabia in late 1990 in support of operations in Southwest Asia and subsequent humanitarian relief extended to Kurdish settlements in Iraq through May 1991. In 1992, mission changed to support of USAFE special operations units. Wing remained a support organization when activated in 1994 at the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaign Streamers. Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 31 Dec 1959–1 Jan 1962; 15 Jul 1968–15 Jul 1969; 1 Jun 1972–1 Jun 1973; 15 Nov 1977–14 Nov 1979; 1 Jun 1989–31 May 1991; 1 Jun 1992-31 May 1994; 1 Nov 1994-31 Oct 1995; 1 Nov 1995-31 Oct 1996; 1 Nov 1996-31 Oct 1998; 1 Nov 1998-31 Oct 2000; 1 Jan-31 Dec 2010; 1 Jan 2013-31 Dec 2014.
Bestowed Honors. Authorized to display honors earned by the 10 Tactical Reconnaissance Group prior to 3 Dec 1947. Service Streamers. WWII American Theater. Campaign Streamers. World War II: Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe. Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citation: France, 6–20 May 1944.
Lineage, Assignments, Components, Stations, and Honors through 8 Jul 2021.
Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through May 2015.
Supersedes statement prepared on 28 May 2015.
Emblem. Approved on 20 Jun 1995.
Prepared by Margaret Ream.