48th TFW 548th AGS Tactical Fighter Wing TFW Patch F-111F Aircraft Generation Squadron 1981 (4 Inch) – Variant A1

48th TFW 548th AGS Tactical Fighter Wing TFW Patch F-111F Aircraft Generation Squadron Tactical Fighter Wing RAF Lakenheath USAFE 1981 (4 Inch) Variant A1

48th TFW 548th AGS Aircraft Generation Squadron Patch F-111F RAF Lakenheath 1981 Variant A1

This patch shows two stylised aircraft with one blue to show the AGS direct support for 492nd TFS and one green to show its support for 495nd TFS

Validation – Tangible authentic and original

Manufacturer – Taiwan made unknown

Manufacture – fully embroidered through light blue twill and single warp gauze, white synthetic return thread and a edge edge and has no plastic coating on the back

Visibility – colour

Condition – very good has not been sewn to uniform

Size – 87mm by 85mm

Approximate imperial size – three and seven sixteenth inches by three and one quarter inches

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48th TFW 548th AGS Aircraft Generation Squadron Patch F-111F USAFE

48th Tactical Fighter Wing F-111F Aardvark

This original 48th TFW 548th AGS Aircraft Generation Squadron patch is from the famous F-111F Aardvark era of the Liberty Wing. Operating from RAF Lakenheath during the height of the Cold War the Wing flew advanced F-111F Aardvark fighter bomber from 1977. 48th Tactical Fighter Wing became one of the most combat-capable tactical strike wings in USAF in Europe and NATO.

In 1977 the 48th TFW exchanged its F-4D Phantom II aircraft for the F-111F Aardvark transferred from the 347th TFW at Mountain Home Air Force Base. The successful transition earned the Wing its third Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. The Wing’s flying Squadrons remained the 492nd, 493rd and 494th Tactical Fighter Squadrons. Equipped with the long-range strike capability of the F-111F, the Wing immediately expanded operational deployments and exercises throughout Europe and the Middle East, including Italy, Iran, Greece and Pakistan.

The Wing’s operational strength increased further when the 495th Tactical Fighter Squadron was activated on 1 April 1977.  Acting as a replacement training unit, the 495th TFS helped maintain combat readiness across the Liberty Wing. By 1979 the 48th TFW had flown the highest number of flying hours ever recorded by an F-111 unit in a fiscal year. The Wing passed  its USAFE Operational Readiness Inspection and NATO Tactical Evaluation in 1980 and received its fourth Air Force Outstanding Unit Award.

During the 1980s the F-111F became internationally recognised through its precision strike capability and frontline NATO role. The 48th TFW deployed temporarily to RAF Sculthorpe in 1983 while RAF Lakenheath’s runway was resurfaced.

Operation El Dorado Canyon

In 1986 the Wing participated in the long-range strike mission against Libyan targets in Tripoli during Operation El Dorado Canyon. The attack was undertaken alongside the United States Navy Sixth Fleet. Although one aircraft and crew were lost, the Wing received the US Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation for the operation.

Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm Gulf War

The Wing again entered combat during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990. Deploying as 48th TFW (Provisional) to Taif Air Base, Saudi Arabia, the 492nd, 493rd and 494th Tactical Fighter Squadrons flew 2,500 combat sorties. They achieved more than 2,200 target hits using the F-111F Aardvark and and dropped 7.3 million pounds of precision-guided munitions. 48th TFW (P) executed the first combat drop of the GBU-28 “bunker buster” bomb on 27 February 1991 and is credited with destroying hundreds of Iraqi tanks. The Wing returned to RAF Lakenheath in May 1991 and soon began restructuring under the USAF Objective Wing Organization program.

On 1 October 1991 the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing was redesignated the 48th Fighter Wing, while the Tactical Fighter Squadrons became Fighter Squadrons. The 495th FS was inactivated in December 1991 followed by the 493rd FS in December 1992, marking the end of the famous F-111F era at RAF Lakenheath.

This original USAF 48th TFW 548th AGS Aircraft Generation Squadron F-111F Aardvark patch is highly collectible among RAF Lakenheath, USAFE Operation Desert Storm and Cold War aviation memorabilia collectors, preserving the heritage of one of the United States Air Force’s most important combat fighter wings.

 

With the implementation of the USAF re-organization of its maintenance concept in 1981, 48th and 548th Aircraft Generation Squadrons were activated on 31 August 1981 to provide flightline maintenance for all 48th TFW aircraft. Aircraft Maintenance Units AMU were established dedicated to each Wing flying Squadron with crews responsible for aircraft to be combat-ready at a moment’s notice. 48th AGS operated with 493rd AMU Yellow and 494th AMU Red while 548th AGS had 492nd AMU Blue and 495th AMU Green. This generated competition between dedicated crews and greatly improved productivity increasing the numbers of aircraft available ready on the flightline. Regular informal and formal competitions took place based on speed competence and safety.  Both 48th and 548th Aircraft Generation Squadrons operated with Weapons Servicing Branch WSB during the Wings F-111F Aardvark era. WSB specialists were responsible for the maintenance of weapons systems on each aircraft and the safe and speedy loading of the weapons both conventional and nuclear as part of the aircraft preparation on the flightline.

 

548th Aircraft Generation Squadron

Timeline

 

548th Aircraft Generation Squadron 1981 – 1992

• 548th Aircraft Generation Squadron AGS was activated on 31 August 1981 on the reorganisation of 48th Organizational Maintenance Squadron into two Squadrons
• The Wing had reequipped with F-111F Aardvark fighter bombers in 1977
• Controlled newly activated flying Squadron dedicated 492nd Aircraft Maintenance Unit AMU Blue and 495th Aircraft Maintenance Unit AMU Green
• 548th Aircraft Generation Squadron was reassigned to 48th Fighter Wing on 1 October 1991 when 48th TFW was redesignated 48th FW.
• 548th AGS was inactivated on 31 March 1992 on the phaseout of the F-111F Aardvark.

 

548th AGS Emblem –

Description – A blue light disc edged dark blue with Statue of Liberty arm white with dark blue detailing holding the Liberty torch with yellow flames with dark blue detailing in front of yellow sun with rays over the top sector of the globe dark blue with white lines and two stylised aircraft in the sky one red one dark blue with red trails back to a location on the globe and with a yellow top tab with dark blue edge and lettering “Statue of Liberty Wing” and a yellow bottom tab with dark blue edge and lettering “548 AGS”.

Significance – The emblem is symbolic of the unit, the Air Force, and the national colors. The color blue alludes to the sky, the primary theater of Air Force operations, and yellow to the sun and the excellence of personnel in assigned tasks. The Statue of Liberty arm and torch is representative of the Wing carrying the torch of freedom. The globe allude to the extent and the aerospace medium in which Air Force operations are carried out. The two aircraft represents the flying Squadrons it supports Blue is the colours of the 492nd TFS and green for the 495th TFS.

Motto – Uses Unit title 548th AGS

 

This 48th TFW 548th AGS Aircraft Generation Squadron patch dates from 1981.