If you suspect, from this list of capabilities, that the 389th is working hard to get into the business of suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD), you would be right on target. With the retirement of the F-4G force, there is no way that ACC can guarantee the commander of the 366th a detachment of Wild Weasels in the event of an emergency deployment. And with the APG-68/ AIM-120 combination, the F-16s of the 389th can also take some of the air-to-air load off the F-15s of the 390th, when barrier combat air patrol (BARCAP) and strike escort missions are required. Of course, the 389th can also do traditional air-to-ground deliveries of iron AGM-65 Maverick missiles, as well as cluster bombs, if required. In short, the 389th FS provides exactly the kind of SEAD, air-to-air, and bombing capabilities the 366th commander will require to react to a fast-changing crisis. It is the wing's utility infielder.
390th Fighter Squadron (The Wild Boars)
Formed at the same time (May 1943) as the 389th, the 390th is the 366th's air superiority squadron. Equipped with F-15C Eagles, the 390th, known as 'the Wild Boars' (the 390th squadron ready room/bar has to be seen to be believed!), has a long and colorful history. This includes 35.5 air-to-air victories (33.5 in World War II, two in Vietnam) gained by 390th aircrews, as well as the only service in Operations Desert Shield/Storm by a 366th unit.
The unit was 'stood up' as an F-15C squadron in June 1992, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Larry D. New, with twelve PAA aircraft. He was succeeded by Lieutenant Colonel Peter J. Bunce, on March 28th, 1994, just in time to take the squadron for Green Flag 94-3. Along with the new commander came the news that the 390th, together with its 366th sister F-15E Strike Eagle squadron, the 391st FS, would be enlarged to eighteen PAA aircraft, the same size as the 389th. This enlargement was a result of several exercises such as Bright Star and Northern Edge which indicated that the twelve-aircraft Eagle squadrons just did not have the critical mass to sustain a week of unreinforced operations. By late 1995, the first of the additional aircraft and crews should arrive to join the Wild Boars.
The Boars are the shield of the 366th Wing. It is a classic air superiority unit, with the range and firepower to clear the skies for the rest of the wing's aircraft. Their basic F-15Cs have been updated to provide improved capabilities, including:
• The newest models of the AIM-9 Sidewinder and AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, as well as improved PGU-28 20mm cannon ammunition.
• The full F-15C MSIP improvement package, including the complete APG-70 radar package.
• The Joint Tactical Information Data System (JTIDS) data-link system.
The 390th is the only fighter squadron in the USAF that is fully equipped with the first-generation JTIDS terminals, and thus it can rightly claim to have the best 'eyes' of any fighter squadron anywhere in the world. With JTIDS, it can work in tactical formations and situations previously unimaginable to fighter commanders. For example, the JTIDS data links allow each Eagle driver to pass along to any other JTIDS-equipped aircraft (E-3 Sentry, F-14D Tomcat, Tornado F-2, etc.) not only data about the targets detected by the F-15's onboard radar (position, altitude, course, heading, etc.), but also the aircraft's stores information (fuel, missiles, ammunition) and other critical tactical information. This means that a formation as small as two ships can cover a huge volume of airspace. This capability is especially critical for a fire brigade air unit like the 366th Wing, which can ill afford any kind of loss as it hangs on during what may be a week of unreinforced combat operations in a crisis.
391st Fighter Squadron (The Bold Tigers)
The 'Bold Tigers' of the 391st FS are the heavy war hammer of the 366th Wing. No other strike aircraft in the world today provides an air commander with the power of the F-15E Strike Eagle, and the 391st gives General McCloud and the 366th Wing a weapon with the killing power of Excalibur. Formed by Lieutenant Colonel Robin Scott (now a full colonel and the 366th Operations Group commander) in March 1992, the 391st is now led by Lieutenant Colonel Frank W. 'Claw' Clawson, USAF, who took command in June 1993. The 391st is a big squadron from an aircrew standpoint (with two aircrew per aircraft). Like the 389th and 390th FSs, the 391st was formed in mid-1943, and has fought with the 366th through most of its history. Along the way, the aircrews of Bold Tigers have collected some seventeen kills (so far, all in World War II). In the Strike Eagle community, the 391st is the most coveted assignment in the Air Force.
'Claw' has a big job managing the most powerful unit in the 366th Wing. The squadron's capabilities include:
• The AAQ-13/14 LANTIRN FLIR/targeting system.
• Delivery of Paveway LGBs and GBU-15 E/O guided bombs.
• Delivery of the AGM-65 Maverick air-to-ground family of missiles.
• The same AIM-9 Sidewinder, AIM-120 AMRAAM, and M-61 Vulcan gun air-to-air armament as the F-15Cs of the 390th FS.
The Bold Tigers may soon gain additional weapons due to the cancellation of the AGM-137 TSSAM missile. These might include the AGM-130 version of the GBU-15, or the folding fin version of the AGM-142 Have Nap. The Strike Eagles of the 391st are also planned to acquire GPS receivers, JTIDS, and possibly satellite communications terminals, allowing commanders to order quick-reaction strikes on unbriefed targets while the planes are already in the air. When these improvements are completed in a few years, the fangs of the Tigers will be sharper still.
34th Bombardment Squadron (The Thunderbirds)
When the 366th Wing was put together in 1992, one of the more controversial decisions was inclusion of a small, but powerful, bomber squadron of B-52Gs. The big bombers have traditionally belonged to the Strategic Air Command and trained for global thermonuclear war. But as the nuclear deterrent bomber mission has gradually faded away, the B-52s have acquired more conventional capabilities. The 'BUFFs' (the traditional nickname for the B-52; it stands, in polite company, for Big Ugly Fat Fella) of the 34th BS were equipped with 'big beam' ordnance racks for carrying the AGM-142 Have Nap, and could launch the AGM-84 Harpoon and mines, as well as the AGM- 86C cruise missile.
Originally formed as the 34th Aero Squadron in 1917, and later known as the 'Thunderbirds,' it brought a rich tradition to the 366th. It was one of the squadrons which supplied aircraft (B-25Bs) and crews for the famous Tokyo Raid by Jimmy Doolittle in 1942. Later, it saw service flying B-26s in the Korean War. It took delivery of its first B-52s and was renamed the 34th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) in 1963 at Castle AFB, California, serving there until its inactivation in 1976. The squadron was reformed in July 1992 as the heavy bomber squadron for the 366th. After the retirement of the B-52G force, the squadron was reformed a few months later in April 1994 at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, as a B-1B Lancer squadron.
