347th Rescue Wing

The 347th Rescue Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Air Force Special Operations Command, stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. It was inactivated on 1 October 2006.

The 347th Fighter Wing (All Weather) was activated in Japan on 10 August 1948 as part of Far East Air Forces' 315th Composite Wing to perform air defense duties. The wing was assembled from three former Northrop F-61 Black Widow night fighter squadrons, the 6th, 418th, and 421st Night Fighter Squadrons. The squadrons were inactivated and replaced by the [[4th Fighter Squadron|4th], 68th, and 339th Fighter Squadrons (All Weather).

The 4th Fighter Squadron deployed to Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, where it was attached to the 51st Fighter Group.

The useful life of the F-61 was extended due to the Air Force's problems in fielding a jet-powered all weather fighter. The Curtiss XF-87 Blackhawk was the planned replacement, however problems in development led to the Black Widow being replaced by another propeller-driven fighter, the North American F-82 Twin Mustang.

The Twin Mustangs started to arrive during mid-1949. The 347th was the last active duty USAF unit to fly the Black Widow. The 339th retired its last F-61 in May 1950, missing the Korean War by only a month. The wing was redesignated the 347th Fighter-All Weather Wing on 20 Jan 1950 at Yokota Air Base. It was inactivated on 24 June 1950.

Redesignated the 347th Tactical Fighter Wing and organized at Yokota Air Base on 15 January 1968 as part of Fifth Air Force, of Pacific Air Forces. In Japan, the wing performed tactical fighter training missions, aerial reconnaissance, and contingency operations. Its operational squadrons were the following:

The 35th, 36th, and 80th TFS were equipped with the McDonnell-Douglas F-4C Phantom IIs and flew tactical fighter training missions. The 556th TFS flew various electronic warfare and special operations sorties of a classified nature. 347th TFW F-4C aircrews would rotate TDY to and from the 34th Squadron. Squadron transferred permanently to the 388th TFW, March 1971.

In 1971 the US and Japan agreed that all combat squadrons based at Yokota were to be reassigned and Yokota became a non-flying station hosted by the 475th Air Base Wing. 35th TFS aircraft were transferred to 67th TFS/18th TFW, Kadena Air Base Okinawa. The 36th TFS and 80th TFS aircraft were transferred to 3rd TFW, Kusan AB, South Korea. The 554th TRS B-57s were reassigned to the 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing (TRW) at Shaw AFB, South Carolina. The C-130s were retained at Yokota and reassigned to the incoming 475th Air Base Wing.