31st Fighter Wing
Turner Army Airfield was reactivated on 1 April 1947 and assigned to the Tactical Air Command's Ninth Air Force. A major renovation project was required to upgrade the temporary wooden facilities from its World War II configuration into a permanent Air Force Base, involving the construction of concrete and brick buildings, along with rebuilding the runway to accommodate jet aircraft. On 1 July 1948, the airfield was renamed Turner Air Force Base, as a result of the United States Air Force becoming a separate uniformed service.
The 31st Fighter Wing was transferred without personnel or equipment to Turner on 4 September 1947 from Langley Field, Virginia. Initially flying North American P-51D (later F-51D) Mustangs, the wing trained to achieve tactical proficiency. In 1948, after the jet runway was completed at Turner, the wing was upgraded to the Republic F-84 Thunderjet.
The 31st was redesignated as the 31st Fighter-Bomber Wing on 20 January 1950 upon joining Strategic Air Command's Second Air Force and subsequently the 31st Fighter-Escort Wing on 16 July 1950, reflecting the Wing's new mission to escort SAC's intercontinental Boeing B-29 and Boeing B-50 Stratofortress bomber fleet.
Beginning in December 1950 through July 1951, all tactical and most support components deployed to England. Thereafter it deployed to provide air defense in Japan during the Korean War from July–October 1952 and November 1953 – February 1954. The 31st FEW earned an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for making the first massed jet fighter crossing of the Pacific Ocean in July 1952. The wing was again redesignated as the 31st Strategic Fighter Wing on 20 January 1953, as the escort mission within SAC became deemphasized.
On 1 April 1957 the 31st was transferred to Tactical Air Command at Turner and was redesignated as the 31st Fighter-Bomber Wing when re-equipped with the new North American F-100 Super Sabre aircraft. The wing rotated tactical components to Alaska in 1956 and 1957 and to Europe in 1958 and 1959. It became non-operational at Turner on 15 March 1959 and was transferred to George Air Force Base, California.
Read more about this topic: Turner Air Force Base
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Attacks the sense, along with an old, mostly invisible
Photograph of what seems to be girls lounging around
An old fighter bomber, circa 1942 vintage.”
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—Ben Hecht (1893–1964)