Italy Patch c Wing Italian Air Force 3 Stormo Aeronautica Militare F 104 Starfighter a

Italian Patch Air Force Aeronautica Militare AM 3 Stormo Wing F 104 Starfighter Velcro Patch Badge 1970s Villafranca AB Recce Reconnaissance Rubber on felt cut edge 96mm by 80mm three and three quarter inches by three and one eighth inches.

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Villafranca Air Base controlled 28 and 132 Gruppo Squadrons.

History

3 Stormo Fighter Wing was activated in November 1948 at Bari AB Palese equipped with P 38 Lightning fighters on the renaming of 1 Stormo controlling 28 and 132 Gruppo Squadrons. The Wing reequipped with P 51 Mustang fighters in 1950 and relocated to Villafranca AB Veronesein March 1954. F 84G Thunderjet aircraft were received on 1 July 1954 under MDAP Mutual Defense Assistance Program and retasked for reconnaissance as 3 Stormo Ricognitori Wing Scouts. In December 1954 the Wing upgraded to RF 84F Thunderflash recce aircraft.

The Wing was redesignated 3 Aerobrigata Ricognizione Tattica 3 Air Brigade Reconnaissance Tactics on 1 January 1956 increasing from two to three flying units gaining Squadriglia Volo Senza Visibilita equipped with T 33 Shooting Stars for training and continued with RF 84F Thunderflash aircraft until reequipped with F 104G and RF 104G fighter and reconnaissance Starfighter in January 1970. 3 Aerobrigata Ricognizione Tattica 3 Air Brigade Reconnaissance Tactics was redesignated 3 Stormo Wing on 1 September 1977 reducing back to two flying units losing Squadriglia Volo Senza Visibilita and its T 33s and the F 104G were fitted with Orpheus Photo Pods. In May 1984 the Wing was named after WWII Gold Valor Medal winner Major Carlo Emanuele Buscaglia. The Wings 132 Gruppo Squadron transitioned to AMX aircraft in 1990 and the Wing deployed six F 104G with Orpheus Photo Pods to Turkey for Operation Desert Storm January to March 1991. 3 Stormo Wing relinquished its last Starfighters on 13 December 1992 with 28 Gruppo transitioning to AMX aircraft.

In July 1999 the Wing transferred its combat Squadrons 28 and 132 Gruppo to other Wings and was renamed 3 Reparto Mobile di Supporto Mobile Support Unit to provide mobile logistic support for deployments of Italian Air Force assets. The Unit immediately deployed to Gjakova Kosovo to form Distaccamento Aeronautico AMIKo Aeronautica Militare Italiana in Kosovo upgrading the airport constructing operational buildings and infrastructure to manage international aid operations in response to the civil war. The Mobile Support Unit has taken part in all Italian Air Force overseas deployments providing logistic support in Iraq Eritrea and Afghanistan. 3 Mobile Support Unit was redesignated 3 Stormo Supporto Operativo 3 Wing Operational Support in May 2008 and became 3 Stormo 3 Wing in October 2012.

This patch dates from 1970s