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I have yet another question...

I know of several A/OA-10 units...the 11 TASS at Eilson AFB, the 19 TASS at Suwon/Osan AB, the 103 TASS of the PA ANG; but there are a few that I am not sure of...the 21 TASS at Shaw AFB, the 20 TASS at Sembach AB, the 23 TASS at D-M, were any of these A/OA-10 units?

Thanks! M2

We were the 21st TASS (Shaw) during the convertion from OV-10s to A-10 in 1991-1992 time frame. We then fell under the 363rd and became the 21st FS in...I think 1993 before becoming the 55FS under the new 20th Wing in 1994.

HMFIC

You got it right Dice.

Fender
"A woman drove me to drink
and I hadn't even the courtesy to thank her".
W.C. Fields

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
You got it right Dice.

Fender
"A woman drove me to drink
and I hadn't even the courtesy to thank her".
W.C. Fields
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

Hehe hope so Fender...I was there at that time! <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

HMFIC

Thanks Dice, I think I am getting confused as I have seen a patch for the 20 TASS that looks a lot like a 21 TASS patch (Snoopy flying his doghouse). Although there were A-10s at Sembach (Det 1, 81 TFW, I know because <b>I</b> was there!), and there were A-10s at Davis-Monthan AFB, I don't think either squadron has A-10s in it. Could be wrong, but at least that is one more off the list (well, on the list, that is, my list of A-10 units...).

Cheers! M2

I was a 27th TASS OV10s, later 602nd we had OA-10s.

"The power to Destroy the planet, is insignifigant to the power of the Air Force----Mudd Vader

Herr Mudd

602nd? Who in the heck is that?? Seriously, I can't find any mention of them, details please!

Cheers! M2

602d Tactical Air Control Wing, Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ
(12 OA-10 Forward Air Control aircraft)

The wing was redesignated the 355th Wing, May 1, 1992. On the same day, the 836th Air Division and the 602nd Tactical Air Control Wing were inactivated, and the 355th Wing went back under 12th Air Force and assumed duties once held by other units. While the 355th Wing continues to train A/OA-10 aircrews for assignment to worldwide operational units The wing provides training for A-10 close air support, OA-10 forward air controllers, air liaison officers.


All the TASS's went away during the early 90's, Airforce restructuring and creation of the ACC.

Several aircraft were sent to AMARC OV10's some A10's. F4's F111's etc...

"The power to Destroy the planet, is insignifigant to the power of the Air Force----Mudd Vader

Edited by - mrmudd on Jan 12 2004 12:40 PM

There were two TASS's at Sembach (20 and 21 TASS), neither ever flew OA-10s. They both deactivated in about 83-84 timeframe. The 11 TASS at Eielson did not fly OA-10's, I think they flew O-2's. The A-10's were in the 18 TFS and then the 355 FS, with a break in between.

Coach

I never cared much for the O-2's.

The O-1 Snoop was a fantastic aircraft. Get upwind of the target area. kill the motor. trim out... Glide over the objective...Get the Glass out....Get on the radio...Rounds on target and A Stack of Cas waiting to unleash hell.. Nobody ever knew you were there..

Same tactics we taught the border patrol back in the mid 80's. they still use it today. Been very succesfull for them.

"The power to Destroy the planet, is insignifigant to the power of the Air Force----Mudd Vader

Coach

Thanks for the info, but you may be wrong about the 11 TASS, as I found the following on an Elmendorf web page:

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>Subsequently, the Air Force activated a second squadron, the 11th Tactical Air Support Squadron at Eielson AFB August 8, 1991 and equipped it with OA-10s, a forward air control version of the A-10.
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

<i>Source - http://www.elmendorf.af.mil/3wing/units ... r%20NA.htm</i>

All I know is that they are listed as an A-10 unit on TankKiller.com (
http://www.tankkiller.com/squadrons/11/11tass.html) under the 343 Wing.

Cheers! M2

The 11th TASS did have Hogs when the 18th FS converted to the F-16.
Both the 11th TASS and 18th FS came under the 343rd Wing.
Nowadays it is the 354th FW with the Hogs belonging to the 355FS.
During the 18th FS conversion to the Viper, some Hogs transferred to Battle Creek from Eielson.

I've been wrong before...

Coach

Coach

No sweat, if I don't make a mistake a day I wonder what I've done wrong! <img src=icon_smile_dead.gif border=0 align=middle> So, were you at Sembach at one time? If so, when? When I was at Ramstein we lived in Langmeil, outside of Winnweiler. It is a gorgeous area, with Donnersburg mountain (the highest peak in the Rhineland-Pfalz) and the Bischhoff brewery, I'd go back in a hearybeat. Sembach, as you probably know, is like Bitburg now as it only has housing and support facilities, the flightline closed a while back early 90's). It's a shame!

Cheers! M2

Gee, some days the answers to your own questions are right under your nose!

On my computer at work I have an A-10 as the background image with the tailcode of 'NF' and '23 TASS' underneath it. Can't remember where I got the pic, though, probably off one of the great web sites folks from this forum have...

Cheers! M2

Sembach's two OV-10 units were the 20th TASS and the 704th TASS of the 601st TACW. When Sembach closed, the 20th went to George AFB CA and the 704th closed. 20 TASS eventually closed also. Neither had Hogs.

We split det's with the 20th. Between our Counter Drug work. korea and germany. Instead of transfering the aircraft we just rotated pilots until they moved to George, the 21st did the same at times.

"The power to Destroy the planet, is insignifigant to the power of the Air Force----Mudd Vader

If I remember right, the OA-10 "label" came online in the early 90's. Therefore Sembach would never have flown OA's. But then again, every unit that had A-10's, hypothetically has flown OA-10's...80-0229 could fly an A-10 mission today and fly an OA-10 mission tomorrow. It's all just a stupid label really.

Go Ugly Early !
No body's ugly after 2:00 A.M.

_________________
Go Ugly Early!
Nobody is ugly after 2 A.M.

The 110th (172d?) was a TASS back when it flew the AT-37 until the '91 when it switched over to the A-10. Not sure if the designation was changed before or after the conversion.

OK, does anyone know what the <b>703 TASS</b> at Shaw flew? Was it OV-10s?

Thanks! M2

OK, I've heard it was CH/HH-3s, can anyone confirm?

Cheers! M2

You are correct, it was CH-3E's that they operated....about 4 on strength.

If it was the unit that closed down at Sembach in 1984, they flew CH-53's. Just can't remember the unit designation. Primary mission wa support to GCI sites on the inter-German border.

Coach

The Sembach unit from that time-frame flying CH-53C's was the 601st Tactical Control Wing.

Bacon

Yep, the 601 TASS flew the CH-53C while the 20 TASS flew the OV-10, all under the 601 TCW. On 4 July 1976, the 704 TASS activated as a second OV-10 squadron. An A-10 forward operating location (FOL) was established when Det 1, 81st TFW activated on 1 September 1978. Revetments and a dozen hardened aircraft shelters were built and A-10 operations began in May 1979. The 601 TCW began to draw down its flying activities when the OV-10s of the 20 and 704 TASS returned to the US in summer 1984 and both squadrons inactivated effective 30 September. Meanwhile, the CH-53s of the 601 TASS were retained until March 1988.

<i>Stolen from: http://www.sembachveterans.org/sabhistory.htm</i>

I used to live between Sembach and Donnersburg mountain (the highest peak in the Rhineland-Pflaz) in a vilalge called Langmeil, just outside of Winnweiler (home of the Bischhoff brewery!). It is a beautiful area!

Cheers! M2