OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- Aug. 18, 2016 marks the 68th anniversary of the 51st Fighter Wing’s activation in 1948.
The 51st FW aligns its heritage with the 51st Operations Group, which was assigned to Naha Air Base, Japan, in 1947 prior to the activation of the wing. The 51st FW was moved to Itazuke AB, Japan during the Korean War, where it played a key role in the defense of the Republic of Korea.
“If you look at when the Incheon landing happened just prior to that, Pusan was a heavily contested area within the Korean Peninsula and the 51st FW,” said Col. Andrew Hansen, 51st FW commander. “The missions flown by both the F-80s and F-86s in order to support the Army breakout from Pusan around September of 1950 was a pretty pivotal part of what was going on. It’s really tied to the importance of air power here on the peninsula today and the necessity of our presence here on Osan.”
The Mustangs ultimately flew more than 45,000 sorties and shot down more than 300 enemy MiG-15s. They also produced 14 air aces, including the top ace of the war, Capt. Joseph McConnell, credited with destroying 16 enemy aircraft.
The 51st FW returned to Naha after the end of the war, where it performed its primary mission of air defense coverage of the Ryukyu Islands while also deploying personnel and aircraft in support of Pacific contingency operations, including the Vietnam War. The 51st FW moved to its current home at Osan Nov. 1, 1971.
“[Our mission] is incredibly important because we’re guarding the freedom of 51 million people,” said Hansen. “There’s no more powerful alliance than what we have between the United States and the Republic of Korea here . . . and that strength and that partnership is a strong deterrent against any threat.”
The 51st FW is now the host unit at Osan, where the Mustangs work hand-in-hand with a multitude of tenant units, including the ROK air force, the 694th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group, the 607th Air Support Operations Group and the U.S. Army 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade.
All of these units provide the ability to provide defensive support of the Republic of Korea on a moment’s notice, always ready to “Fight Tonight.”
“The idea that on a moment’s notice that we would have to fight; you’re not going to experience that really any place else,” said Hansen. “It’s not just fight tonight against any threat, it’s against a very credible threat. It’s hugely important the mission that we have here, and that we do have that realistic readiness mindset that makes us always ready to ‘fight tonight.’”