32nd Tactical
Fighter Squadron, group photo 1991. Can anybody help with identifying the
unknown persons on the Photo? Contact the webmaster on
eagle@skytrailer.com
The 32nd TFS came to the Netherlands (Soesterberg AB) in the early
50's. Soesterberg AB was under Royal Netherlands Air Force control,
therefore the 32nd TFS was the only American Squadron that was under the
command of a foreign nation. The role of the 32nd TFS was to guard the
West-European air space which stretched right up to the Iron Curtain.
The 32nd won many awards while stationed at Soesterberg AB. They had
the the honor of being the only squadron in the USAF that won the prestige
Hughes Trophy during two consecutive years, in 1979 and 1980. In 1984 the
32nd participated in the William Tell competition at Tyndall AFB, at this
competition the Wolfhounds won the F-15 Top Gun trophy.
The 32nd TFS transitioned from the F-4E Phantom to the F-15A
Eagle, in 1979. The Wolfhounds operated the A & B models till 1983 when
the 32nd received the new C & D models. Officially, a total of 24 fighters
were on strength, including a few two-seater F-15Ds, but at their peak
strength, they had an extra 6 aircraft.
32nd Tactical
Fighter Squadron, group photo 1987. Can anybody help with identifying the
unknown persons on the Photo? Contact the webmaster on
eagle@skytrailer.com.
Photo donated by Marc Cummings
On the 4th of July 1989, the Wolfhounds were gathered at the base for
the celebration of the Independence Day. Suddenly the call came that
the 32nd's alert fighters were to be scrambled (Alpha Scramble) and
intercept a MiG-23 that had crossed the West-German border and was headed
toward the Netherlands.
The F-15s were able to intercept the MiG just before it crossed the
Dutch Border. They discovered that there was no pilot aboard, and that the
ejection seat was missing. Apparently the pilot had discovered a problem
with the jet over Eastern-Germany and decided to bail out leaving the
airplane flying on it's course. They escorted the MiG as it flew over the
southern part of the Netherlands and started to loose altitude as it ran
out of fuel crashing somewhere in Belgium.
On August 1st 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait. As a result Saudi Arabia
wanted to boost its air defense capability fast. An agreement was made
with the USAF to deliver 24 F-15s. These had to be retrieved from active
units. One of them was the 32nd TFS.
In September of 1990 the first F-15s started leaving towards Saudi
Arabia, the 32nd TFS lost 12 of it's F-15s. Along with 12 F-15s of the
36th TFW Bitburg, Germany.
After the first night of operation Desert Storm 5 F-15s and their crew
deployed to Incirlik AB to participate in the Air Campaign. During this
deployment the 32nd TFS scored their first aerial victory. On the 29th of
January Capt. Donald Watrous shot down a Mirage F1.
32nd Tactical
Fighter Squadron, deployed at Incirlik AB 1991. Can anybody help with identifying the
unknown persons on the Photo? Contact the webmaster on
eagle@skytrailer.com.
Photo donated by Marc Cummings
After the Gulf War, the 32nd TFS returned to the Netherlands. They
transitioned to the F-15A MSIP(Multi Stage Improvement Program) models.
These airframes were much older than the C models they flew, but had been
upgraded with better radar and avionics, and were of the same standard as
late production C-models. Some of these new "old" aircraft had been
stationed at Soesterberg before, as brand new F-15As back in 1979.
In 1993 it was decided that a number of bases in Europe needed to be
closed, as a result of defense cutbacks. In addition, several units would
be deactivated, and their planes sent back to the US. Unfortunately, the
32nd FS was one of these. During the fall of 1993, all the F-15's from the
32nd transitioned to the 101 FS, stationed at Otis AFB Massachusetts.
On the 13th of January 1994, the last three F-15 Eagles left took off
from Soesterberg for the last time and headed out to Otis AFB. They were
escorted by a couple of F-16s of the Dutch Air
Capt. Guarino posing at the Zulu Barn, photo donated by
Rick Versteeg
Force, and a fly-by was
conducted in honor of this great unit, that helped defend the Netherlands
for 40 years!
McDonnell Douglas Eagle of the 32d Tactical Fighter Group,
serial 81-049, crashed in 1989 before the coast of Scotland (U.S. Air Force
photo)
