Lineage. Established as 80 Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 13 Jan 1942. Activated on 9 Feb 1942. Redesignated 80 Fighter Group (Single Engine) on 15 May 1942. Inactivated on 3 Nov 1945. Consolidated (31 Jan 1984) with the 80 Flying Training Wing, which was established on 23 May 1972. Activated on 1 Jan 1973.
Assignments. III Interceptor (later, III Fighter) Command, 9 Feb 1942; First Air Force, 20 Jun 1942; I Fighter Command, 4 Jul 1942; New York Air Defense Wing, 11 Aug 1942–10 May 1943; Tenth Air Force, 28 Jun 1943; American Air Command 1 (later, 5320 Air Defense Wing [Provisional]), Sep 1943; Tenth Air Force, 20 Jun 1944; Army Air Forces, India-Burma Theater, c. 1 Aug–9 Oct 1945; New York Port of Embarkation, 1–3 Nov 1945. Air Training Command, 1 Jan 1973; Nineteenth Air Force, 1 Jul 1993. Air Education and Training Command, 12 Jul 2012. Nineteenth Air Force, 1 Oct 2014.
Components. Group. 80 Operations: 2 Jan 1998-. Squadrons. 88 Pursuit (later, 88 Fighter; 88 Flying Training): 9 Feb 1942-3 Nov 1945; 1 Jan 1973-2 Jan 1998. 89 Pursuit (later, 89 Fighter; 89 Flying Training): 9 Feb 1942-3 Nov 1945; 1 Jan 1973-2 Jan 1998. 90 Pursuit (later, 90 Fighter; 90 Flying Training): 9 Feb 1942-3 Nov 1945; 1 Jan 1973-2 Jan 1998. 459 Fighter: 1 Sep 1943-13 Mar 1944.
Stations. Selfridge Field, MI, 9 Feb 1942; Bridgeport, CT, 25 Jun 1942; Farmingdale, NY, 5 Jul 1942; Mitchel Field, NY, 9 Mar–30 Apr 1943; Karachi, India, 28 Jun 1943; Kanjikoah, India, Sep 1943; Nagaghuli, India, 11 Oct 1943; Tingkawk Sakan, Burma, 29 Aug 1944; Myitkyina, Burma, 20 Jan 1945; Moran, India, 4 May 1945; Dudhkundi, India, 24 May–6 Oct 1945; Camp Kilmer, NJ, 1–3 Nov 1945. Sheppard AFB, TX, 1 Jan 1973–.
Commanders. Unkn, Feb–May 1942; Col John C. Crothwaite, c. 20 May 1942; Maj Albert L. Evans Jr., 1 Jul 1942; Col Ivan W. McElroy, 14 Jul 1943; Col Albert L. Evans Jr., 13 Apr 1944; Col Sidney D. Grubbs Jr., 1 Feb 1945; Col Hiette S. Williams Jr., 29 Apr 1945–unkn. Col Robert G. Liotta, 1 Jan 1973; Col Kirk A. Brown, 28 Jun 1973; Col Spence M. Armstrong, 22 Jul 1974; Col Robert D. Caudry, 17 Jul 1976; Col William R. Deans, 1 Apr 1977; Col Jesse W. Campbell, 5 Jul 1978; Col Larry W. Pritchett, 15 Jul 1980; Col William F. Phillips, 24 Feb 1982; Col Sandor Babos, 13 Feb 1984; Col Robert K. McLeod, 24 Feb 1986; Col Travis E. Harrell, 22 Dec 1987; Col William B. Mitchell, 20 Jul 1989; Col Robert E. Gatliff, 19 Apr 1991; Col William J. Lake, 28 Jul 1992; Col James G. Ferguson, 10 Jan 1994; Col Kenneth M. Decuir, 26 Feb 1996; Col Stanley Gorenc, 6 Nov 1997; Col Kurt A. Cichowski, 15 May 1999; Col Ralph J. Jodice II, 17 Jul 2001; Col H. D. Polumbo Jr., 15 Aug 2003; Col Jeffrey B. Kendall, 29 Jan 2005; Col David P. Petersen, 10 Aug 2007; Col Kevin Schneider, 1 Jul 2009; Col Dieter E. Bareihs, 24 Jun 2011; Col Lance R. Bunch, 28 Mar 2013; Col Gregory S. Keeton, 13 Feb 2015; Col Andrea E. Themely, 25 May 2017; Col Russell D. Driggers, Jul 2018-.
Aircraft. P-47, 1942-1943, 1944-1945; P-40, 1943-1944; P-38, 1943-1944. T-37, 1973-; T-38, 1973-; AT-38, 1993-; T-6, 2008-. .
Operations. Trained for combat and served as part of the defense force for the northeastern United States, 1942-1943. Sailed for India, via Brazil, Cape of Good Hope, and Ceylon, in May 1943. Began combat operations in Sep 1943. Supported Allied ground forces during the battle for northern Burma and the push southward to Rangoon, bombing and strafing troop concentrations, supply dumps, lines of communication, artillery positions, and other objectives. Defended the Indian terminus of the Hump route by striking Japanese airfields and patrolling Allied airfields to safeguard them from attack. Received a DUC for intercepting a formation of enemy aircraft and preventing its attack on a large oil refinery in Assam, India, on 27 Mar 1944. Withdrawn from combat in May 1945. Since Jan 1973, provided undergraduate pilot training, initially for USAF, German Air Force, and Vietnamese Air Force students. Although Vietnamese Air Force pilot training ceased in Sep 1974, students from other nations continued to train under the security assistance program through Apr 1980. Provided USAF rotary-wing pilots’ conversion training to fixed-wing aircraft, Jun 1977-Nov 1981. Conducted pilot training and pilot instructor training under the Euro-NATO Joint Pilot Training program, beginning Oct 1981, with participating nations contributing staff and financial support. In Jan 1994, began training Euro-NATO pilots in fighter fundamentals, using AT-38 aircraft. In 2008, also began training pilots with T-6 (Texan II) aircraft.
Service Streamers. World War II American Theater.
Campaign Streamers. World War II: India-Burma; Central Burma.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citation: India, 27 Mar 1944. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 10-20 Apr 1979; 30 Apr 1981-29 Apr 1983; 1 Jul 1999-30 Jun 2001; 1 Jul 2010-30 Jun 2012; 1 Jul 2013-30 Jun 2015.
Lineage, Assignments, Components, Stations, and Honors through 23 Jul 2019. Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through 23 Jul 2019.
Supersedes statement prepared on 25 May 2017.
Emblem. Approved for the group on 14 Oct 1942 and for the wing on 2 Jan 1973; latest rendering, 8 Dec 2021.
Prepared by Daniel L. Haulman.