72nd Fighter Wing

72d Fighter Wing
72d Fighter Wing
	P-47 Thunderbolts as flown by the wing
Active	1943–1946
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Command of Fighter operational and replacement training units

The 72d Fighter Wing was a wing of the United States Army Air Forces. It was assigned to Second Air Force, stationed at Colorado Springs Army Air Base, Colorado. It was inactivated on 9 April 1946.

History

The wing was initially activated in August 1943 as the 72d Bombardment Operational Training Wing, a command organization for heavy bomber training. Ten days after activation, it was redesignated the 72d Fighter Wing and became single-engine fighter training organization for Second Air Force. The wing had jurisdiction over fighter Operational Training Unit and Replacement Training Unit in the midwest.

Stations assigned to the wing included:^{[citation needed]}

Lineage

Constituted as 72d Bombardment Operational Training Wing (Heavy) on 12 August 1943

Activated on 20 August 1943

Redesigned 72d Fighter Wing on 1 September 1943

Inactivated on 9 April 1946

Disbanded on 15 June 1983
Reconstituted on 31 July 1985 and redesigned 372d Electronic Warfare Group
Disbanded on 9 September 1992

Assignments

Second Air Force, 12 August 1943 – 9 April 1946

Components

36th Fighter Group, 17 September 1943 – 4 April 1944
84th Fighter Group, 1 November 1943 – 1 April 1944
357th Fighter Group, 7 October – 9 November 1943
407th Fighter Group, 9 March 1943 – 21 March 1944
408th Fighter Group, 1 November 1943 – 1 April 1944
476th Fighter Group, 26 March – 1 April 1944
507th Fighter Group, 12 October 1944 – 24 June 1945
508th Fighter Group, 12 October 1944 – 6 January 1945

Stations

Rapid City Army Air Base, South Dakota, 20 August 1943
Colorado Springs Army Air Base, Colorado, 7 October 1943
Peterson Field, Colorado, November 1943
Colorado Springs Army Air Base, Colorado, December 1945 – 9 April 1946

Aircraft

Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, 1943 – 1944

Campaign

Campaign Streamer	Campaign	Dates	Notes
	American Theater without inscription	20 August 1943–2 March 1946	72md Bombardment Operational Training Wing (later 72nd Fighter Wing)

References

Notes

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Maurer, Combat Units, p. 406
↑ Maurer, Combat Units, p. 150
1 2 3 Robertson, Patsy (11 June 2014). "36 Operations Group (PACAF)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
↑ Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 498q, 15 June 1983, Subject: Disbandment of Certain Inactive Air Force Units
↑ Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 648q, 31 July 1985, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Organizations
↑ Maurer, Combat Units, p. 406 (year only)

Bibliography

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 December 2016.

[Maurer406-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Maurer, Combat Units, p. 406

[2] Maurer, Combat Units, p. 150

[36OGfacts-3] 1 2 3 Robertson, Patsy (11 June 2014). "36 Operations Group (PACAF)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 5 January 2026.

[4] Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 498q, 15 June 1983, Subject: Disbandment of Certain Inactive Air Force Units

[5] Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 648q, 31 July 1985, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Organizations

[Maurer72FW406-6] Maurer, Combat Units, p. 406 (year only)