82d Training Wing

82d Training Wing
Active	1947-present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Training
Part of	Air Education and Training Command
Garrison/HQ	Sheppard Air Force Base
Motto(s)	Combat Capability Starts Here!
Decorations	DUC AFOUA
Commanders
Commander	Brigadier General Scott A. Kindsvater
Vice-Commander	Colonel Eric Froehlich
Command Chief	Chief Master Sergeant Eric Johnson

The 82d Training Wing (82 TRW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command, Second Air Force. It is stationed at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas where it also is the host unit.

The 82d Training Wing's mission to Train and Inspire Airmen makes it the most diversified training base in the Air Education and Training Command. The Wing produces more than 62,000 graduates annually in more than 1,000 Technical Training courses. The primary training includes aircraft maintenance, civil engineering, nuclear and conventional munitions, aerospace ground equipment, avionics and telecommunications training conducted by the four assigned training groups. It also hosts the 80th Flying Training Wing, the world's only internationally manned and managed flying training program.

The units' history goes back to the 82d Fighter Group, which was a Twelfth and Fifteenth Air Force combat unit that fought in North Africa and Italy during World War II. During the early years of the Cold War, the 82d Fighter Wing was a Strategic Air Command unit that trained in fighter escort and tactical fighter operations in the postwar era.

The commander of the 82d Training Wing is Brig. Gen Scott A. Kindsvater. The Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Eric Johnson.

Mission and Vision

The host unit on Sheppard Air Force Base is the 82nd Training Wing whose mission makes it the most diversified training base in AETC. For more than 70 years, the men and women of Sheppard AFB have ensured that America's Airmen have the skills they need to succeed in combat. Today, Sheppard's training influence reaches around the globe.

The 82nd Training Wing produced more than 62,000 graduates in 2012 in nearly 1,000 courses, including aircraft maintenance (propulsion, flight equipment, fuels), civil engineering, nuclear and conventional munitions, aerospace ground equipment, avionics, electricians and plumbers and telecommunications specialties. Mission: To Train and Inspire Airmen

Vision: The Global Leader for Airmen Development - The Recognized Technical Training Center of Excellence

Motto: Combat Capability Starts Here!

Units

The 82 TRW is the largest of four technical training wings in Air Education and Training Command and is the most diversified in scope of training. The 82d, 782d, and 982d Training Groups conduct training at Sheppard and at geographically separated locations around the country. The 982d Training Group conducts training at locations worldwide.

82d Training Group (82 TRG)

• The 82nd Training Group is responsible for aircraft maintenance and armament and munitions including nuclear munitions. The 82d Training Group provides aircraft maintenance and munitions training to satisfy the full range of customer requirements for respective apportioned United States Air Force specialties, including officer and enlisted initial skills courses in 17 different Air Force Specialty Codes, advanced and supplemental courses, the Maintenance Course for Operational Commanders, and the Mission Generation Road Course.
  • 359th Training Squadron (359 TRS)
  • 361st Training Squadron (361 TRS)
  • 362nd Training Squadron (362 TRS)
  • 363rd Training Squadron (363 TRS)

782d Training Group (782 TRG)

• The 782d Training Group is the most diverse group in Air Education and Training Command, with courses in seven distinctly different career fields in four training squadrons. The 782d Training Group is also responsible for a diverse set of training to include aircraft systems and telecommunications, avionics test equipment, combat avionics, flight line training and explosive ordnance disposal. They are also responsible for electrical, fuels and mechanical training. Detachments 1, 3, and 6 are responsible for media production and interactive courseware. They boast one of the best educated work forces in the world with 94% of enlisted instructors holding at least a two-year college degree.
  • 364th Training Squadron (364 TRS)
  • 365th Training Squadron (365 TRS)
  • 366th Training Squadron (366 TRS)
  • 367th Training Squadron (367 TRS)

982d Training Group (982 TRG)

• The 982d Training Group provides quality hands-on aircraft, munitions and communications-electronics maintenance training to meet the evolving needs of its primary customer, the first-line supervisor. The 982d Training Group has more than 1,200 people assigned within two training squadrons and one maintenance squadron. The 982d Training Group provides weapon systems training at 44 detachments and operating locations worldwide. Exercising single-point training management, the group is the Air Education and Training Command's first point of contact for many weapons systems. In this capacity, the 982d develops comprehensive training programs and provides technical support for design and development of training equipment during acquisition and modification of aircraft and associated equipment. The vision of the 982nd Training Group is to provide field training and training support that makes a lasting difference.
  • 372nd Training Squadron (372 TRS)
  • 373rd Training Squadron (373 TRS)
  • 982nd Maintenance Squadron (982 MXS)

82d Mission Support Group (82 MSG)

• The 82nd Mission Support Group provides security, personnel support, food services, communications, contracting services, logistics, supplies, vehicle maintenance, housing, lodging, facility maintenance and emergency services for Sheppard's two wings and 17 tenants composed of more than 5,900 military, civilian and contractor personnel, 81,900 joint trainees annually and 9,200 dependents and retirees.
  • 82d Communications Squadron (82 CS)
  • 82d Security Forces Squadron (82 SFS)
  • 82d Force Support Squadron (82 FSS)
  • 82d Civil Engineer Squadron (82 CES)
  • 82d Logistics Readiness Squadron (82 LRS)
  • 82d Contracting Squadron (82 CONS)

82d Medical Group (82 MDG)

• The 82nd Medical Group provides comprehensive health services for 20,000 beneficiaries for the Sheppard military community and surrounding referral areas. The group maintains a large component of personnel ready to mobilize in support of any contingency worldwide. Additionally, the 82nd Medical Group provides aerospace and physiology services for the NATO alliance and Department of Defense instructors and their families in the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program. The 82nd Medical Group follows its guiding principles: delight the customer, communication, compassion and creativity during its daily operations.
  • 82d Medical Operations Squadron (82 MDOS)
  • 82d Dental Squadron (82 DS)
  • 82d Aerospace Medical Squadron (82 AMDS)
  • 82d Medical Support Squadron (82 MDSS)

Additionally, the 82d Comptroller Squadron (82 CPTS) reports directly to the 82 TRW.

History

See 82d Operations Group for complete lineage and timeline information.

World War II

During World War II, the 82d Flying Training Wing (Flexible Gunnery) instructed thousands of aerial gunners the skill of air-to-air combat using .50 caliber machine guns.

Among the training devices used in this instruction was the manipulation trainer—12 towers arranged to resemble a formation of planes. The towers ranged in height from 10 to 40 feet, each equipped with 2 nose, 2 tail, 2 ring sighting, and 4 blister positions. As students in these positions faced simulated attacks from PT-13 and PT-17 aircraft, they "fired" camera guns at the attacking fighters.

Cold War

Strategic Air Command

The 82d was established as a Strategic Air Command fighter wing on 28 July 1947 at Grenier Air Force Base, New Hampshire. The 82d Fighter Wing was established in accordance with the Hobson Plan which established a controlling wing at each Air Force Base that commanding all groups and support units on the facility. However, the Air Force did not organize (assign personnel) to the wing until 15 August 1947. The wing was attached to the 307th Bomb Wing from 15 August 1947 to 15 December 1948. On 16 December 1948 the wing was reassigned to Fifteenth Air Force.

The operational flying component of the wing was the 82d Fighter Group, composed of the 95th; 96th and 97th Fighter Squadrons and were equipped with P-38 Lighting aircraft. Most officers that arrived were rated pilots that had recently returned to military life. Many had World War II combat experience. Many officers and enlisted men arrived at Grenier from 62nd Fighter Squadron, a unit that had just returned from a winter test in Alaska.

The wing was relieved of its responsibilities to the Fifteenth Air Force on 22 August 1949 and was inactivated on 20 October 1949. Its component 82d Fighter Group was redesignated as the 82d Fighter Group (Air Defense), and was activated on 18 August 1955 and assigned to Air Defense Command (ADC) at New Castle County Airport, Delaware.

Air Training Command

The 82d replaced and absorbed resources of the 3525th Pilot Training Wing in February 1973 at Williams AFB, Arizona and assumed undergraduate pilot training operations in T-37 and T-38 aircraft. Assigned to the wing were the 96th and 97th Flying Training Squadrons.

On 19 September 1976, the first women entered undergraduate pilot training. Ten female students were in Class 77-08. First Lieutenant Christine E. Schott became the first woman to solo in the T-38. On 2 September 1977, Class 77-08 graduated. The ten women received their wings along with 36 male classmates. In March 1978, the 82d’s first female instructor pilot, Capt Connie Engel, was assigned to the 97th Fighter Training Squadron to instruct T-38 students.

Air Training Command activated the 98th and the 99th Flying Training Squadrons on 1 June 1988 to test a four-squadron organization. The test showed the wing needed a fifth squadron to provide operational support. On 1 September 1989, ATC activated the 100th Flying Training Squadron.

In 1991 Congress approved the second round of base closures, as identified by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission. On that list was Williams AFB. The base was to cease operation as of 30 September 1993. With Williams AFB, Arizona, scheduled to close, ATC decided to move part of that base’s T-38 fleet to Sheppard during 1992.

HQ USAF redesignated the 82d Flying Training Wing as the 82d Training Wing and assigned the designation to Air Education and Training Command on 1 July 1993. The 82d was inactivated at Williams and HQ AETC activated the 82d Training Wing at Sheppard AFB and assigned it to Second Air Force. The 82d’s new mission was to conduct ground technical training. The 82d also became the host unit at Shepphard AFB.

The 782d Training Group was activated on 23 March 1994 and assigned it to the 82d Training Wing. At the same time, the 396th Technical Training Group changed its name to the 82d Training Group, the 82d Medical Group became the 882d Training Group, and the 82d Field Training Group became the 982d Training Group. On 30 March, the wing began providing mission ready technician training, first in the C-141 crew chief course and, a day later, in the F-16 crew chief course. The C-141 program graduated its first class in August, followed in September by the F-16 class.

Lineage

• Established as 82d Flying Training Wing (Flexible Gunnery), 25 August 1943

Inactivated and disestablished, 16 June 1946

• Established as 82 Fighter Wing on 28 July 1947

Organized on 15 August 1947

Inactivated on 2 October 1949

• Redesignated 82 Flying Training Wing on 22 June 1972

Activated on 1 February 1973

Inactivated on 31 March 1993

• Redesignated 82 Training Wing, and activated, on 1 July 1993.

Assignments

• Western Flying Training Command, 25 August 1943 – 16 June 1946
• Strategic Air Command, 15 August 1947

Attached to 307 Bombardment Wing, 15 August 1947-15 December 1948

• Fifteenth Air Force, 16 December 1948
• First Air Force, 22 August-2 October 1949
• Air Training Command, 1 February 1973 – 31 March 1993
• Second Air Force, 1 July 1993–present

Components

Groups

• 82d Fighter (later, 82d Operations): August 15, 1947 – October 2, 1949 (detached April 4 – June 29, 1948); December 15, 1991 – March 31, 1993.

Squadrons

• 96th Flying Training Squadron 1 February 1973 – 15 December 1991
• 97th Flying Training Squadron 1 February 1973 – 15 December 1991
• 98th Flying Training Squadron 1 February 1973 – 15 December 1991
• 99th Flying Training Squadron 1 February 1973 – 15 December 1991

Stations assigned

• Las Vegas Army Airfield, Nevada, 25 August 1943 – 16 June 1946
• Grenier Army Airfield (later, AFB), New Hampshire, 15 August 1947 – 2 October 1949
• Williams AFB, Arizona, 1 February 1973 – 31 March 1993
• Sheppard AFB, Texas, 1 July 1993–present

Aircraft Operated

• P/F-51 Mustang (1947–1949)
• T-37 Tweet (1973–1992)
• T-38 Talon (1973–1993)

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
• Rogers, Brian (2005). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. Hinkley, England: Midland Publications. ISBN 1-85780-197-0.

External links

• Sheppard AFB Home Page