Lineage. Authorized on the inactive list as 16 Pursuit Group on 24 Mar 1923. Activated on 1 Dec 1932. Redesignated as: 16 Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 6 Dec 1939; 16 Fighter Group on 15 May 1942. Disestablished on 1 Nov 1943. Reestablished and consolidated (1 Oct 1993) with 1 Special Operations Wing, which was established as 1 Air Commando Group on 9 Aug 1944 from consolidation concurrently of newly established group headquarters unit with another 1 Air Commando Group, a miscellaneous unit, which was constituted on 25 Mar 1944, and activated on 29 Mar 1944. Consolidated (5 Mar 2019) with 5318 Provisional Air Unit (Provisional Air Commando Force), which was constituted on 27 Nov 1943, activated on 29 Nov 1943, and discontinued on 29 Mar 1944. The 9 Aug 1944 consolidated organization retained designation as 1 Air Commando Group, gaining establishment status on same day. Organization inactivated on 3 Nov 1945. Disestablished on 8 Oct 1948. Reestablished on 18 Apr 1962. Activated, and organized, on 27 Apr 1962. Redesignated as: 1 Air Commando Wing on 1 Jun 1963; 1 Special Operations Wing on 8 Jul 1968; 834 Tactical Composite Wing on 1 Jul 1974; 1 Special Operations Wing on 1 Jul 1975; 16 Special Operations Wing on 1 Oct 1993; 1 Special Operations Wing on 16 Nov 2006.
Assignments. 3 Attack Wing, 1 Dec 1932; 19 Composite (later, 19) Wing, 15 Jun 1933; 12 Pursuit Wing, 20 Nov 1940; XXVI Interceptor (later, XXVI Fighter) Command, 6 Mar 1942-1 Nov 1943. Army Air Forces India-Burma Sector, 29 Nov 1943-29 Mar 1944. Army Air Forces India-Burma Sector, 29 Mar 1944; Tenth Air Force, 10 Jul 1945; Army Service Forces, 6 Oct-3 Nov 1945. USAF Special Air Warfare Center (later, USAF Special Operations Force), 27 Apr 1962; Tactical Air Command, 1 Jul 1974; Ninth Air Force, 1 Jul 1976; Tactical Air Command, 26 Sep 1980; Ninth Air Force, 1 Aug 1981; 2 Air Division, 1 Mar 1983; Twenty Third Air Force (later, Air Force Special Operations Command), 1 Feb 1987-.
Operational Components. Groups. 1 Special Operations (later, 16 Operations; 1 Special Operations): 22 Sep 1992-. 549 Tactical Air Support Training: 15 Dec 1975-1 Jan 1977. 930 Tactical Airlift (later, 930 Air Commando; 930 Special Operations): 1 Jun 1968-18 Jun 1969.
Squadrons. 5 Fighter, Commando (later, 605 Air Commando): 1 Sep 1944-3 Nov 1945; 15 Nov 1963-1 Jul 1964 (detached 15 Nov 1963-1 Jul 1964). 6 Fighter, Commando (later, 6 Air Commando; 6 Special Operations Training): 30 Sep 1944-3 Nov 1945; 27 Apr 1962-29 Feb 1968; 31 Jul 1973-1 Jan 1974. 8 Special Operations: 1 Mar 1974-22 Sep 1992. 9 Special Operations: 18 Apr 1989-22 Sep 1992. 16 Special Operations: 12 Dec 1975-22 Sep 1992. 18 Special Operations: 25 Jan-15 Jul 1969. 19 Special Operations: 24 May 1996-1 Oct 2008. 20 Special Operations: 1 Jan 1976-22 Sep 1992. 24 Pursuit (later 16 Fighter): 1 Dec 1932-1 Nov 1943. 25 Special Operations (later, 25 Special Operations Squadron [Reconnaissance Support]: 31 Aug 1970-30 Sep 1974. 29 Pursuit (later, 29 Fighter): 1 Oct 1933-1 Nov 1943. 43 Pursuit (Interceptor) (later, 43 Fighter): 1 Feb 1940-1 Nov 1943. 44 Observation (later, 44 Reconnaissance): attached c. Dec 1932-31 Aug 1937, assigned 1 Sep 1937-31 Jan 1940, attached 1 Feb-20 Nov 1940. 55 Special Operations: 18 Apr 1989-22 Sep 1992. 71 Tactical Airlift (later, 71 Air Commando; 71 Special Operations): 1 Jun-16 Dec 1968. 74 Pursuit (later, 74 Attack; 74 Bombardment): 1 Oct 1933-1 Feb 1940. 78 Pursuit: 1 Dec 1932-1 Sep 1937. 164 Liaison: 1 Sep 1944-3 Nov 1945. 165 Liaison: 1 Sep 1944-3 Nov 1945. 166 Liaison: 1 Sep 1944-3 Nov 1945. 310 Attack: 15 May-15 Jul 1969. 311 Attack: 15 May-15 Jul 1969. 317 Air Commando (later, 317 Special Operations): 1 Jul 1964-15 Jul 1969; 15 Apr 1970-30 Apr 1974. 318 Special Operations: 15 Nov 1971-1 Jun 1974. 319 Troop Carrier, Commando (later, 319 Air Commando; 319 Special Operations): 1 Sep 1944-2 Sep 1945; 27 Apr 1962-15 Jul 1969; 30 Jul 1969-15 Jan 1972. 360 Tactical Electronic Warfare: 1-31 Jul 1973. 415 Special Operations Training: 19 Jul 1971-30 Jun 1975. 424 Special Operations (later, 424 Tactical Air Support) Training: 1 Jul 1970-1 Jan 1972. 547 Special Operations (later, 547 Tactical Air Support) Training: 15 Oct 1969-30 Apr 1975. 549 Tactical Air Support Training: 15 Oct 1969-15 Dec 1975. 602 Fighter, Commando: 1 May 1963-1 Oct 1964. 603 Fighter, Commando (later, 603 Air Commando; 603 Special Operations; 603 Special Operations Training): 1 Jul 1963-15 May 1971; 1 Jul 1973-1 Jul 1974. 604 Fighter, Commando: 1 Jul 1963-8 Nov 1964. 775 Troop Carrier: 15 Apr-1 Jul 1964. 4406 Combat Crew Training: 1 Oct 1968-15 Jul 1969. 4407 Combat Crew Training: 15 Jul 1969-30 Apr 1973. 4408 Combat Crew Training: 15 Jul-22 Sep 1969. 4409 Combat Crew Training: 15 Jul-15 Oct 1969. 4410 Combat Crew Training: 27 Apr 1962-1 Dec 1965; 15 Jul-15 Oct 1969. 4412 Combat Crew Training: 25 Oct 1967-15 Jul 1969. 4413 Combat Crew Training: 1 Mar 1968-15 Jul 1969. 4473 Combat Crew Training: 8 Aug 1969-1 Jul 1970. 4532 Combat Crew Training: 25 Oct 1967-15 Jul 1969.
Flight. 7 Special Operations: 1 Jul 1969-31 May 1972.
Stations. Albrook Field, CZ, 1 Dec 1932-1 Nov 1943. Hailakandi, India, 29 Nov 1943-29 Mar 1944. Hailakandi, India, 29 Mar 1944; Asansol, India, 20 May 1944-6 Oct 1945; Camp Kilmer, NJ, 1-3 Nov 1945. Eglin Air Force Auxiliary Field No. 9 (Hurlburt Field), FL, 27 Apr 1962; England AFB, LA, 15 Jan 1966; Eglin Air Force Auxiliary Field No. 9 (Hurlburt Field), FL, 15 Jul 1969-.
Service Streamers. World War II American Theater.
Campaign Streamers. World War II: India-Burma with three arrowheads; Central Burma. Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. Grenada, 1983; Panama, 1989-1990.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Burma and India, 1 Dec 1943-[29 Mar 1944]; [29 Mar]-20 May 1944. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards with Combat “V” Device: 1 May 1982-30 Apr 1984; 1 Jun 1997-31 May 1999; 1 Jul 2003-30 Jun 2005; 1 Jul 2005-30 Jun 2007. Meritorious Unit Awards: 1 Jul 2007-30 Jun 2009; 1 Oct 2009-30 Sep 2011; 1 Oct 2011-30 Sep 2013; 1 Oct 2013-30 Sep 2015; 1 Oct 2015-30 Sep 2017; 1 Oct 2017-30 Sep 2019. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jul 1963-30 Jun 1965; 1 Jul 1969-15 Apr 1971; 1 Jan 1976-31 Mar 1977; 15 Jul 1979-15 May 1980; 16 May 1980-30 Apr 1982; 1 May 1985-30 Apr 1987; 1 May 1988-30 Apr 1990; 16 Apr 1992-15 Apr 1994; 1 Jun 1995-31 May 1997; 1 Jul 1999-30 Jun 2001; 1 Jul 2001-30 Jun 2003.
Lineage, Assignments, Components, Stations, and Honors through 1 Aug 2022.
Supersedes statement prepared on 20 Sep 2013.
Emblem. Approved on 6 Jun 1963; latest rendering, 30 Apr 2019.
Prepared by Melissa Lahue.
Reviewed by Margaret Ream.