Title: Page born: April 01 2002

49th FW Support Squadrons

49th FW (Holloman AFB)

Maintainers

The AMU's were incorporated into the operational squadrons in the early 1990's. Therefore, there are no 7th/8th/9th AMU units. However, the maintainers have produced their own patches. In response to the pilots' "Driver Patches" the maintainers created their own "Friday" patches. The 8th Maintainers never produced a "Driver" type patch, but had their own unique version of the 8th FS logo made. The 8th maintainers currently have a "throwback" patch based on the original 8th FS emblem from WWII that is worn as a "Friday" patch.

49th Maintenance Squadron (MXS)

49th Operations Support Squadron (OSS)

The 49th Operations Support Squadron is made up of six flights supporting the 49th Fighter Wing and associate units. The current emblem was approved on June 9, 1992 incorporating the nighthawk representing the F-117A, and the six lightning bolts, one for each flight within the unit. The hawk also symbolizes the squadron's support of the wing's nighttime delivery of air-to-ground munitions.

The Current Operations Flight covers two primary areas of responsibility. For operations, the flight schedules and deconflicts hundreds of sorties per week, manages and coordinates airspace requirements, coordinating in-flight refueling and range airspace and monitoring flying hour programs for over 30,000 local sorties flown from Holloman each year. Additionally, the flight maintains the flight records for all Holloman-based personnel on flying status. For maintenance, the flight conducts F-117 production and efficiency analysis, maintain the CAMS database, monitors Technical Order compliance, oversees maintenance scheduling for the 49 FW's F-117A aircraft, and performs end-of-runway inspections.

The Weapons and Training Flight coordinates wing participation in major flying exercises, develops employment tactics and manages all munitions used to train aircrews. It manages the Red Rio bombing and gunnery range.æ The Weapons and training Flight also includes the wing's electronic warfare officers who directly support the wing mission planning cell, the operational heart of the Flight. In addition, Operational Plans and Military Deception complement the wartime focus of "OST." The Training section of the flight manages the flying training for all of the many flying units assigned to Holloman AFB.æ Finally, the flight also develops and manages life support sections in support of ten different flying units and identifies and coordinates training requirements for each flying unit.

The Wing Low-Observable Maintenance Flight is responsible for extensive F-117A Radar Absorbing Material maintenance that is beyond the normal scope of the fighter squadrons. The two-dock, two shift operation also serves as the repository for aircraft assessment standardization and hands-on training location for all assigned low-observable technicians, with a Lockheed field service representative as primary instructor. This flight is the current day MARS unit of the 49th FW, with their personnel still being known as "Martains".

49th Training Squadron "Scorpions"

The 49th Training Squadron's history was a short but busy 22 years. Formerly known as the 465th Tactical Training Squadron, it provided academic instruction to over 15,000 U.S. and allied aircrews through the lead-in fighter training program. In 1992 it was re-designated as the 49th TRS and assumed academic instruction (bookwork) for F-117A pilots, as well as AT-38B training for Taiwanese aircrews and F-4E Phantom II basic fighter training for German aircrews. In 1999 the squadron was inactivated and transferred it's operations to the 7th FS.

1992
The 465th Tactical Training Squadron is re-designated as the 49th TRS and assumed academic instruction for F-117A pilots, as well as other academic training duties for other Holloman based units.

UNKNOWN
Lt. Col. Joseph P. Corso assumes command of the 49th TRS.

February 11, 1998
The US Air Force announced that the 7th FS ("Screamin Demons"-Training) would be deactivated. Six of it's nine F-117A aircraft would be transferred to the 9th FS ("Flying Knights") and the 8th FS ("Black Sheep"). The remaining three aircraft would be put in "attrition reserve". All 15 T-38 trainers of the 7th will also be transferred to the 8th and 9th. The 49th TRS would retain the simulator and academic training role whereas the 8th and 9th would take over the actual flight training.

May 1998
The author learns that the announced deactivation of the 7th FS had come under heavy fire and a compromise would be made. The 7th FS would take over the duties of the 49th TRS allowing for it's deactivation instead.

June 17, 1999
The 49th TRS is inactivated. The 7th FS "Screamin Demons" assumes all training duties and becomes the 7th CTF (Combat Training Squadron) "Screamin Demons" under Lt. Col. Richard Wright, Jr. The final commander of the 49th TRS, Lt. Col. Joseph P. Corso, moves to serve as director of flight operations for the 8th Fighter Squadron. Lt. Col. Andrew W. Papp, former commander of the 7th FS, left Holloman to attend Naval War College in Newport, R.I. The inactivation of the 49th TRS and subsequent merging of people and assets from both squadrons represents the conclusion of a multi-pronged Quadrennial Defense Review action announced two years ago. The February 1999 inactivation of the 48th Rescue Squadron also fell under the same action.

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