12th TACTICAL FIGHTER WING HISTORY
The 12th Tactical Fighter wing was activated in April 1962 and
assigned to Ninth Air Force. The 12th and 15th TFWs constituted the
836th Air Division at MacDill AFB July 1 of that year. First
equipped with obsolete F-84F aircraft
reclaimed from the Air National Guard following the Berlin Crisis,
the 12th stood an important alert commitment during the Cuban missile confrontation. The 12th was chosen to be the first Air Force combat wing to convert to the new Phantom II and the wing was soon involved in
F-4C firepower demonstrations, exercises
and, ultimately, the Paris Air Show. The conflict in Southeast Asia was
escalating and throughout 1965 the wing supported PACAF Contingency
operations by rotating combat squadrons
quarterly to Naha AB in the Ryuku Islands. The 12th began its permanant
deployment to the first Air Force expeditionary
airfield at Cam Ranh Bay in November, 1965. From
this location the wing carried out close air support, interdiction, and
combat air patrol activities over both Vietnams and Laos, in addition to
augmenting U.S. Forces in Korea after the capture
of the USS Pueblo. In March, 1970, as part of the
Vietnamization process and phase out of the F-4C, the aircraft and personnel of the 12th were
dispersed, and fighter operations at Cam Ranh Bay AB were halted. At the
same time, the 37th TFW at Phu Cat AB was re-designated the 12th TFW.
Equipped now with two squadrons of
F-4Ds, the wing continued combat operations until it
was inactivated in November, 1971.
Brief look at the 12th TFW at Cam Ranh Bay AB: The Early Days, Oct. 1965 - June 1966
Seventh AF History
12th Lineage
12th Organizations
12th Commanders
12th Honors
12th Personnel Losses
12th POW Page
