53rd Tactical Fighter Squadron "Tigers" group
photo 1988.
Standing on the jet, left to right: Magoo Wolters,
Slapper Wanebo, Ghost Webre, BooBoo Broome, Willy naigle, Kong
Firth, Tools McKercher, Hollywood Anderson, Gills Guilford, Maniac
Kormanik, Huey King, Buns Bunce
Sitting/Kneeling on the jet: Flave Lefavor, Mace mason, JB George,
Smear Pfaff
Standing on ground, left to right: unknow, unknown, unknow, TSgt Nate
Goolsby, Mo Molloy, Duff Duffy, JR Rust, Slam Detrick, Spud Grimes, Deedle
Reed, Hambone Hammond, Toad Almand, Lips Lipe, Happy Metcalf, Bigs Bigum
(SQ/CC during Desert Storm), Larry Klein, Lisa, Unkown, unknown, Lisa Melton
Squatting/kneeling left to right: Stump Schneider, Willy ray Sitton,
Boots Demarest, Scotch Lebby, Doughboy Darby, K+10 Kolodzinski, Rocket
Estes, Magic Kennedy, Toes Bartos, unknown. Photo via Martin "TAGS" Aguera" Can anybody help
with identifying the unknown persons on the Photo? Contact the webmaster on
eagle@skytrailer.com
The 53rd TFS started flying F-15’s at
Bitburg AB in 1977. The 23 aircraft for this first operational squadron
left Langley on 27 April 1977 for a mass Atlantic crossing. Over the
following months the aircraft for two other squadrons (22nd TFS and 53rd TFS)
arrived. The 36th TFW's full strength of 79 fully-operational F-15As was
reached in December 1977. Project Ready Eagle was completed in precisely one
year. In 1980 more advanced F-15Cs and F-15Ds would replace the original
F-15As.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the 36th TFW conducted
routine training missions from Bitburg Air Base, however the outbreak of the
1990-91 Gulf War put the F-15s of Bitburg into the heart of the conflict.
The 53rd and 22nd TFS (Combined Squadrons) and deployed
to Al-Kjarj Air Base Saudi Arabia. The 53rd and 22nd TFS F-15s entered the
Gulf War on 17 January in support of Operation Desert Storm and were
credited with 11 confirmed kills. Two F-15C's from the 53rd TFS (84-025 and
84-027) shot down 4 Iraqi Migs (2 each) on the first night of the war.
During the next six weeks, until the cease-fire, 53rd
TFS aircraft flew around the clock, protecting two strikes per day and one
strike each night. PROVEN FORCE strikes targeted military airfields, nuclear
and chemical facilities, communications centers, power plants, and oil
refineries and storage facilities in northern Iraq. By the middle of
February, PROVEN FORCE was attacking Baghdad. In addition to protecting
strikers, the 525th FS was frequently tasked to man barrier caps in eastern
Iraq to destroy Iraqi fighters attempting to flee to Iran. These missions,
often lasting in excess of five hours, required aircraft to operate over
150 miles (240 km) behind enemy lines without any support assets.
Group photo of the 53rd TFS Tigers from 1991 at Al
Kharji AB. Commander at the time was Lt.Col Randy Bigum. Photo via Col. Jeff
"Jiffy" Brown. Partly identified by Tom "Snuffy"
Smith
Left to right in front row: Capt Paul Ackerley,
Unknown, intell NCO?, Major Gary "Gumby" West, 22
Unknown , Major Dave Edmonds, Lt Col Tom "Snuffy"
Smith, Lt Col Randy "Bigs" Bigum, Unknown airman over Bigs' right shoulder
Lt Col Al Nacke, rest of row unknown.
Left to right, back row of pilots standing Unknown
major, Major Deedle Reed, Capt "Banger" Wallender, unknown,Capt HM Hepperlin??,
Unknown, Capt Tim "Tiller" Miller, 22, (standing with arms crossed, Two
guys, heads peeking through, unknown. Killer Miller?, unknown airman, Capt
Eric "Trigger" Jenkins, Lt String Speer, Unknown, Unknown 53 captain, Major
Jiffy Jeff Brown, Major Kip Hunter, 53 (arms crossed, right elbow above my
head), unknown.
Guy in back with white nametag: Lt Col Bobby "Cutt"
Honeycutt (wing ADO).Rest in that row unknown
Starting at right side, standing: 1st guy: unknown
Captain, 2nd guy: Captain Yuppie O'Connor, Guy peeking through: Capt Jay
Denny, 53 Guy with moustache and white t-shirt: Kentucky _____, 22 Back row
next to Kentucky: Major Ptooey Turner, 53 Standing with yellow scarf and
survival vest -- Tom "Vegas" Dietz
Can anybody help
with identifying anyone on the Photo? Contact the webmaster on
eagle@skytrailer.com
The 36th TFW's pilots, support personnel and aircraft
performed magnificently in Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm
and Operation Provide Comfort. Not a single F-15C aircraft was lost in
combat during the war. On 13 March 1991, the deployed 53rd TFS returned to
Bitburg in victory.
In February 1994 following the closure of Bitburg AB
the 53rd TFS arrived at Spangdahlem. On 03 January 1995, two members of the
53rd Fighter Squadron became the first two U.S. Air Force pilots to fly an
unrestricted, military sortie over the former East Germany in more than 45
years. Lt. Col. Michael P. Fennessy, squadron commander, and Capt. Craig R.
Jones, squadron flight leader, were conducting a NATO Quick Reaction Alert
training mission in F-15C Eagles. They entered the former East Germany by
flying past Fulda, then proceeded to their training area over Leipzig. "They
exercised with German ground controllers to improve the NATO command and
control structure in the region. In the summer of 1994, Allied Air Forces
Central Europe, one of the three NATO military subordinate commands, tasked
the 53rd FS to provide aircraft and flight crews capable of responding to
unidentified aircraft in NATO airspace. As a result of German reunification
on Oct. 3, 1990, the new AIRCENT "Zulu" alert area of responsibility
extended eastward to the Oder and Neisse Rivers, the German-Polish border.
The 53rd Fighter Squadron stood down in 1999.
The Air Force reassigned several aircraft belonging to US Air Forces in
Europe in fiscal 1999. The moves complied with a 1996 Combat Air Forces
decision to return fighter squadrons to a standard size of 24 primary
assigned aircraft, and allowed USAFE fighter units to better-support normal
operations during partial squadron deployments. Command fighter units were
previously made up of 18 assigned aircraft. The reorganization affected
Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, and Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England.
Spangdahlem's 23rd Fighter Squadron gained six F-16 aircraft from the Combat
Air Force's attrition reserve fleet. The air base's 53rd Fighter Squadron,
comprised of 18 F-15C aircraft, was deactivated. Six of the aircraft moved
to Lakenheath's 493rd Fighter Squadron, and the remaining aircraft were
transferred to Air Combat Command.
About 1,500 people were on the ramp of Hangar One 10 March 1999 for the
inactivation ceremony of the last U.S. Air Force NATO Tiger unit. The 53rd
Fighter Squadron's inactivation, effective March 31, came as a result of a
force structure realignment of the U.S. Air Forces in Europe to comply with
a 1996 Combat Air Forces decision to return fighter squadrons to a standard
size of 24 primary assigned aircraft. This was an increase from the current
level of 18 PAA.
The 53rd FS NATO Tigers maintained a phenomenal pace despite the black
cloud of the impending inactivation. In less than two years, the squadron
deployed to, and operated from, nine countries on three continents, and
accumulated more than 11,000 flying hours supporting both contingency and
training operations.
(Top photo 53 FS jet with two Kills)
More pictures of Al Kharji AB era 1990-1991
53 TFS Eagles visting RAF
Bentwaters
All photo's taken and donated by Dave Pilsworth.
