23d Fighter Group

229-257-1717

In an unprecedented move in USAF history, the 23d Fighter Group was officially activated while already participating in World War II from China in 1942. Using P-40s (and later P-51 Mustangs,) the group operated over China, Burma, and Taiwan, by dropping their half-ton bombs on strategic locations. They earned a Distinguished Unit Citation for action during an enemy attack in which they continued to support the Chinese forces on the ground, even while being assaulted themselves. Though over 100 aircraft were destroyed by the end of the war, the group is credited with sinking and demolishing hundreds of enemy ships and aircraft and making aces out of 32 of its pilots. After a brief inactivation in 1946, the 23d was reactivated to guard the Panama Canal from the skies, then deactivated again in the same year until 1952. This time, the 23d came back as a Fighter-Interceptor Group to fly the F-86E Sabre. In 1992, one of its squadrons provided humanitarian relief in the way of supplies to Somalia during the appropriately named Operation Provide Relief, and later the group was able to help after Hurricane Andrew hit Florida. The whole group also spent more than 2 years dropping supplies into Bosnia and Herzegovina. During Operation Vigilant Warrior in 1994, the 23d was deployed to Kuwait. Today the group’s squadrons fly A-10 Thunderbolt II, one of which flew a record 9,000 flying hours which was the most flown by an Air Force attack craft in history at the time in 2002. The group and wing have deployed several times to the Middle East in support of operations there throughout the 2000s.

23d Maintenance Group

229-257-3272

23d Medical Group

229-257-3772

23d Mission Support Group

229-257-3479

23d Wing

229-257-3400

347th Rescue Group

229-257-3406

820th Base Defense Group

229-257-2562

93d Air Ground Operations Wing

229-257-6900

The 93d Air Ground Operations Wing, originally known as the 93d Bombardment Wing (Very Heavy), got its start in 1947. The next year found the wing in Okinawa, then England in 1949 when they were equipped with the B-50 Superfortress. During the 1950s, the 93d received several new planes, including the B-47E Stratojet, the B-52B Stratofortress in 1955, and the Boeing KC-135A Stratotanker in 1957. They were the first of any Strategic Air Command (SAC) units to acquire the B-52 and KC-135. In 1957, the wing received the Distinguished Flying Cross for the first non-stop round-the-world flight in a jet, made with the B-52. 1982 marked an important milestone for gender equality in the Air Force when “Fair Force One”, the first all female crew, recorded a training exercise in the KC-135. At the end of 1996, the 93d supported operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina from an air base in Germany. In 1999, the wing deployed again to Europe during the Serbia-Kosovo conflict, then deployed once more during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2002. Though the 93d is now a non-flying wing, it continues to support day-to-day operations at Moody AFB.