TYNDALL AFB AND 325TH FW CHRONOLOGY
21 Dec 40 |
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The exact location of
Tyndall, its present site, was decided. Originally, the board planned to
purchase only a small area, but Brigadier General Walter R. Weaver, commander
of the Southeast Air Corps Training Center at Maxwell Field Alabama, insisted
the War Department purchase the entire peninsula, all 28,517 acres. |
6 May 41 |
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Panama City Mayor H.G. Fannin
and Col Warren Maxwell, TyndallÕs first commander, led the official ground
breaking ceremony. |
13 Jun 41 |
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The War Department officially
approved the name Tyndall Field, submitted by Congressman Bob Sikes, 3rd
Congressional District of Florida, in memory of Lieutenant Francis B.
Tyndall, World War I hero, and a native of Sewall Point, Florida. |
7 Dec 41 |
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As the Japanese attacked
Pearl Harbor; Tyndall Field officially opened its gates for incoming military
personnel. |
3 Aug 42 |
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The War Department activated
the 325th Fighter Group at Mitchell Field, New York. The group trained with
P-40 aircraft. |
6 Jan 43 |
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Lieutenant Clark Gable, a
Hollywood actor, and the rest of Class 43-1 received their prized silver
wings for graduating from TyndallÕs flexible gunnery training. |
17 Apr 43 |
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The 325th Fighter Group
entered combat with Twelfth Air Force in North Africa. Flight Officer Howard
T. Cook, 318th Fighter Squadron, made the 325th Fighter Group's first kill. |
3 Jun 43 |
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The first WomenÕsÕ Army
Auxiliary Corps members arrived at Tyndall to fill non-combat positions. |
30 Jul 43 |
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The 325th Fighter Group
received its first Distinguished Unit Citation for action over Sardinia. |
Sep-Dec 43 |
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The 325th Fighter Group
trained on P-47s and moved to Italy. |
31 Dec 43 |
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In 1943 alone, Tyndall
FieldÕs gunnery training expended 56,490,012 rounds of .30-caliber ammunition
and 12,433,551 rounds of .50-caliber ammunition. |
30 Jan 44 |
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The 325th Fighter Group won
its second Distinguished Unit Citation for its surprise attack on the
German airdromes near Villaorba, Italy. |
May 1944 |
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The 325th Fighter Group
exchanged its P‑47 aircraft for the P‑51. |
28 Oct 45 |
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The Army Air Forces
inactivated the 325th Fighter Group. |
21 May 47 |
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The 325th Fighter Group
reactivated and organized as an all-weather fighter group. |
18 Sep 47 |
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Under the provisions of the
National Security Act of 1947, the Army Air Forces became a separate service,
the United States Air Force. |
13 Jan 48 |
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Tyndall Field became Tyndall
Air Force Base. |
10 May 48 |
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The 325th Fighter Wing, All
Weather, was established. |
9 Jun 48 |
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The Air Force activated the
325th Fighter Wing, All Weather, at Hamilton Air Force Base, California.
Assigned to it was the 325th Fighter Group (All Weather). |
20 Jan 50 |
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The Air Force redesignated
the 325th Fighter Wing, All Weather as the 325th Fighter-All Weather Wing. |
4 Sep 50 |
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The fighting in Korea brought
new demands for trained military personnel and an urgent appeal for security
police. Air Training Command established the USAF Air Police School at
Tyndall. |
1 May 51 |
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The 325th Fighter-All Weather
Wing was redesignated as the 325th Fighter-Interceptor Wing. |
6 Feb 52 |
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The Air Force inactivated the
325th Fighter-Interceptor Wing and its subordinate units while it was
stationed at McChord Air Force Base, Washington. |
14 Sep 56 |
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The wing was redesignated the
325th Fighter Wing (Air Defense). |
18 Oct 56 |
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The 325th Fighter Wing (Air
Defense) was reactivated
at
McChord AFB, Washington. Assigned to the wing was the 325th Fighter Group
(Air Defense). |
20 Oct 58 |
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The availability of
operational drone and tow targets at Tyndall allowed the base to host its
first William Tell competition. Tyndall has hosted the competition ever
since. |
26 Oct 59 |
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Tyndall Air Force Base
received its first F-106 aircraft. |
25 Mar 60 |
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The Air Force inactivated the
325th Fighter Group. |
13 Jul 65 |
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The new 2,900-foot Dupont
Bridge was completed, allowing for the removal of the old, narrow, cantilever
type, swing bridge. This bridge is the main link from Panama City to Tyndall
Air Force Base. |
9 Feb 68 |
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The 325th Fighter Wing (Air
Defense) sent a large detachment to Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, to
provide air defense against the communist north. |
1 Jul 68 |
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The Air Force inactivated the
325th Fighter Wing (Air Defense). |
6 Oct 72 |
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Tyndall AFB
picked up alert commitments and an alert flight. This flight trained
to intercept unidentified targets over the Gulf of Mexico with their F-106 Delta Dart
aircraft. |
1 Jul 81 |
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The Air Force activated the
325th Fighter Weapons Wing at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, and assigned
it to the USAF Air Defense Weapons Center. The tactical units assigned to the
325th included the 1st Tactical Fighter Squadron, 2nd Fighter Weapons
Squadron, 82nd Tactical Aerial Target Squadron and the 95th Fighter
Interceptor Training Squadron. |
1 Oct 82 |
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The 325th Fighter Weapons
Wing transferred its last F-101 to Eglin AFB, Florida, completing the phase
out of the F‑101 from the active USAF inventory. |
15 Oct 83 |
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The USAF Air Defense Weapons
Center underwent reorganization. The wing was redesignated as the 325th
Tactical Training Wing, and the 2nd Fighter Weapons Squadron became the 2nd
Tactical Fighter Training Squadron. |
7 Dec 83 |
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Brigadier General Charles A.
Horner, the USAF Air Defense Weapons Center commander, flew in the 325th
Tactical Training WingÕs first F-15 Eagle. |
6 Apr 84 |
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Lieutenant Colonel James T.
Talley, 2nd Fighter Weapons Squadron commander, flew the last F-106
assigned to the 325th Tactical Training Wing to the Military Aircraft Storage
and Disposition Center. |
30 Aug 84 |
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The 325th Tactical Training
WingÕs first F-15 class began with six students. |
20 Jan 85 |
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The 325th Maintenance
Training Squadron became Tactical Air CommandÕs F-15 centralized maintenance
training office. |
25 Nov 85 |
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The 325th Tactical Training
Wing conducted its first Combat Archer activity as a Weapons System
Evaluation Program unit. |
1 Mar 88 |
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The 325th
Tactical Training Wing assumed the alert duties from Detachment 1,
48th Fighter Interceptor Squadron. |
1 Apr 88 |
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The 95th Fighter Interceptor
Training Squadron was redesignated the 95th Tactical Fighter Training
Squadron. |
6 Apr 88 |
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The 325th Tactical Training
Wing intercepted a Soviet TU-142 Bear F on an antisubmarine patrol in the
Gulf of Mexico. |
6 Jul 88 |
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The 325th Tactical Training
WingÕs last T-33 was transferred to the Aerospace Maintenance and
Regeneration Center. |
Apr 89 |
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The 325th Tactical Training
Wing received its first "outstanding" rating on a Tactical Air
Command air defense exercise. |
1 Sep 91 |
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The objective wing
reorganization of the 325th Tactical Training Wing began as the 325th
Operations and 325th Logistics Groups, and the 325th Maintenance, 325th
Logistics Support, 325th Contracting, and 325th Operations Support Squadrons
were activated and assigned to the wing. The 325th Supply and 325th
Transportation Squadrons moved to the 325th Logistics Group. At the same
time, the 325th Component Repair and 325th Aircraft Generation Squadrons were
inactivated. |
4-6 Sep 91 |
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The safety, judge advocate,
and historian functions, along with the 325th Comptroller Squadron, moved
from the USAF Air Defense Weapons Center to the 325th Tactical Training Wing. |
5 Sep 91 |
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The 325th Communications
Squadron realigned under the 325th Support Group. |
9 Sep 91 |
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The 1st Aircraft Maintenance
Unit moved from the 325th Aircraft Generation Squadron to the 1st Tactical
Fighter Training Squadron. |
12 Sep 91 |
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The USAF Air Defense Weapons
Center was inactivated. First Air Force held a change of command and was
officially relocated from Langley AFB, Virginia, to Tyndall AFB,
Florida. |
16 Sep 91 |
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The 2d Aircraft Maintenance
Unit moved from the 325 Aircraft Generation Squadron to the 2d
Tactical Fighter Training Squadron. |
23 Sep 91 |
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The 95th Aircraft Maintenance
Unit moved from the 325th Aircraft Generation Squadron to the 95th Tactical Fighter
Training Squadron. |
30 Sep 91 |
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The 325th
Weapons Controller Training Squadron was inactivated and its mission
was given to the 3625th Technical Training Squadron (Air Training Command), also
at Tyndall. |
1 Oct 91 |
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325th Tactical Training Wing
was redesignated as the 325th Fighter Wing. The wing's operational squadrons
were redesignated as fighter squadrons. |
1 Jun 92 |
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HQ USAF inactivated Tactical
Air Command. The wing transferred from Tactical Air Command to the newly
created Air Combat Command. The 325th Fighter Wing assumed host installation
responsibilities at Tyndall. |
12 Dec 92 |
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The 325th Medical Group
deployed its air transportable hospital, along with 93 personnel, to Africa
to assist in US efforts to provide food and humanitarian relief to the famine
stricken country of Somalia. |
1 Jul 93 |
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The Air Force transferred the
325th Fighter Wing from Air Combat Command to the Air Education and Training
Command. On the same date, the Air Force redesignated Air Training Command as
Air Education and Training Command. The 325th was further assigned to
Nineteenth Air Force. |
31 Aug 93 |
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The Federal Bureau of Prisons
closed its minimum security prison camp at Tyndall AFB. |
1 Jan 94 |
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The Air Force redesignated
the 325th Morale, Welfare, Recreation and Services Squadron as the 325th
Services Squadron. |
1 Apr 94 |
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The 325th Fighter Wing
received control of the 337th Technical Training Squadron from the 81st
Technical Training Group, Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. The 337th was
the Air ForceÕs sole source for air weapons controllers. |
1 Sep 94 |
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The Air Force inactived the 337th Training
Squadron. The air weapons controller training program was absorbed into the
325th Training Squadron. |
30 Sep 94 |
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The Air Force activated four new squadrons, the
325th Aerospace Medicine, 325th Dental, 325th Medical Operations Support and
the 325th Medical Operations Squadrons and assigned them to the 325th Medical
Group. |
1 Oct 94 |
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The Air Force transferred
control of the Social Action Substance Abuse Control Program from the wing
staff to the 325th Medical Group. |
7 Nov 94 |
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The Air Force presented the
city of Callaway, Florida with an F-15A Eagle aircraft, tail number 77-0146.
The aircraft had been assigned to the 95th Fighter Squadron. Tyndall
personnel pulled the aircraft across the DuPont Bridge shortly after midnight
and transferred the aircraft to the Callaway officials at the west end of the
bridge. The aircraft was the center piece of CallawayÕs new Veterans Park. |
2 Dec 94 |
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General Clinton Van Horn,
325th Fighter Wing Commander, received congressional notification and
approval to conduct the A-76 Cost Comparison study. The study looked at
approximately 1,300 jobs at Tyndall to determine whether it would be more
cost effective for civil service or civilian contracted employees. |
13 Mar 95 |
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The USAF announced that the
325th Fighter Wing won the highest honor a maintenance unit can receive, the
1994 Daedalian Maintenance Award. This award is presented to the unit which
provided the best overall support for the flying mission, the most effective
use of its management techniques, and unit self-sufficiency. |
5 Oct 95 |
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With winds of 135 mph, Hurricane Opal slammed into
FloridaÕs panhandle. Colonel John H. Campbell, 325th Fighter Wing Commander,
ordered an entire evacuation of the base on 3 October. Opal caused $5.5
million worth of damage to Tyndall AFB. |
22 Dec 95 |
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The 325th Logistics Group and
the 362nd Technical Training Squadron Operating Location graduated the first
class of F-15 mission ready crew chiefs at Tyndall. |
24 Feb 96 |
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Two civilian aircraft off the southernmost coast of
Florida were shot down by Cuban MiG-29s in international waters. At 5:00 p.m.
local, two F-16s from the Air National GuardÕs Detachment 1, 148th Fighter
Wing were scrambled and deployed from Tyndall to Homestead AFB. This was to
support the US Coast Guard in its search and recovery efforts for the
aircrews of the aircraft. Two additional F-16s deployed after extensive
weapons reconfiguration by 325th Fighter Wing munitions personnel. The 325th
Fighter Wing and the detachment worked together to provide outstanding
support during Operation Standoff IV. |
8 May 96 |
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U.S. Air Force officials at
the Pentagon announced that Tyndall would be the base for the advanced F/A-22
air superiority fighter. The F/A-22 was projected to be the Air ForceÕs next
generation fighter jet. This aircraft incorporated stealth, supercruise, and
advanced avionics. Air Force officials expected the jet to dominate the arena
of aerial combat and replace the aging F-15 fleet. |
11 Oct 96 |
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The USAF Southeast Defense
Sector passed transfer to the Air National Guard in a ceremony. The Florida
Air National Guard assumed full control of the organization and would have it
fully manned by guard personnel within one year. |
1 Apr 97 |
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The Air Force announced that
Lockheed Martin, Trend Western, and Del-Jen, three private contractors, would
assume responsibility for back shop maintenance, supply, transportation, and
civil engineering operations at Tyndall. |
1 Sep 97 |
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The A-76 implementation
transition period began at Tyndall AFB. |
30 Sep 97 |
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At the conclusion of Fiscal
Year 1997, Tyndall AFB employed 6,743 military and civilian personnel, with
an annual payroll of $202,543,223. The wingÕs annual budget for Fiscal Year
1997 was $125,056,400. |
31 Dec 97 |
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This was the final day of the
A-76 transition period. A total of 1,034 military and civilian positions were
deleted as a result of the study, as contractors took full responsibility for
the function of those positions on 1 January 1998. |
Jul 1998 |
|
Chief Master Sergeant Johnnie
Davis became the wingÕs Senior Enlisted Advisor, replacing Chief Master
Sergeant Charles Shorette, who was assigned as 14th Air Force Senior Enlisted
Advisor. |
15 Aug 98 |
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A Memorial Service was held
at the Base Theater for Senior Master Sergeant Sherry Lynn Olds, a Panama
City native and former member of the 325th Fighter Wing, who was killed in a
terrorist attack on the American Embassy in Kenya. |
2 Sep 98 |
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325th Fighter Wing aircraft,
along with other aircraft from Tyndall evacuated the base as Hurricane Earl
approached the Gulf Coast. |
3 Sep 98 |
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A weakened Hurricane Earl
came ashore, causing minimal damage to Tyndall and the surrounding area. |
24 Sep 98 |
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Tyndall aircraft were again
evacuated as Hurricane Georges approached the Gulf Coast. |
20 Dec 98 |
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Brigadier General Walter E. Buchanan III, assumed
command of the 325th Fighter Wing. |
19 Aug 00 |
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Brigadier General William F.
Hodgkins assumed command of the 325th Fighter Wing. |
16-19 Oct 00 |
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A Site Activation Task Force
convened at Tyndall AFB to map out the F/A-22 transition process and
identify key issues regarding the transition. |
11 Sep 01 |
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As terrorists attacked on US
soil, the 325th Fighter Wing provided maximum security on Tyndall
AFB, allowing the WingÕs mission to continue and also providing a
safe environment for First Air Force CONR to provide air
sovereignty over the United States. The Wing also conducted Combat Air Patrols
over key US cities in support of the CONR mission. |
16 Aug 02 |
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The
Wing reorganized to the Chief of StaffÕs Combat Wing structure, which
consisted of a Medical Group, Operations Group, Maintenance Group, and Mission Support Group. |
25 Oct 02 |
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The Air Force activated the
43rd Fighter Squadron as the first flying unit in the Air Force to fly the
new F/A-22 Raptor. |
26 Sep 03 |
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Lieutenant Colonel Jeffery
Harrigian delivered F/A-22 Raptor 18 from the factory in Marietta, GA, to
Tyndall AFB. |
27 Jul 04 |
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Brigadier General Larry D.
New relinquished command of the 325th Fighter Wing to Brigadier General Jack
B. Egginton. General New left Tyndall for an assignment with the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization. General Egginton came to Tyndall from his
previous assignment as Commander, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, Al Udeid AB,
Qatar. |
22 Apr 05 |
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Brigadier General Jack B.
Egginton delivered the 43rd Fighter Squadrons 23rd and final F/A-22 from the
factory to Tyndall. |
13
Dec 05 |
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The
U.S. Air Force changed the designation of the F/A-22 to the F-22A. Previously
the F/A designation denoted the aircrafts ability to provide close air
support and drop bombs. Now the "A" designates the variant of the
aircraft. |