401st Tactical Fighter Wing Torrejon Air Base Spain Air Force Challenge Coin

Description

Early Air Force Coin
401st Tactical Fighter Wing
Torrejon Air Base, Spain
25 Sept 1991
44th Air Force Birthday Ball
"A Place In History"
Air Force Challenge Coin
Condition:
Used, and in good shape.  Please see pictures.
This coin is 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
Torrejon Air Base
Prior to 1965, Torrejon AB hosted deployed squadrons of
Boeing B-47 Stratojet
aircraft rotating from
CONUS
Strategic Air Command
(SAC) bases.
[
24
]
Although B-47 deployments ceased,
Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker
deployments to support
Operation Chrome Dome
continued, but on a reduced basis, and the base was transferred to
United States Air Forces Europe
(USAFE). With the USAFE takeover of the base, the Air Force transferred the
401st Tactical Fighter Wing
from England Air Force Base to USAFE on a permanent basis to Torrejon to perform host functions at the base and to support the rotational fighter deployments to Italy and Turkey for NATO alerts. The 613th
[
a 2
]
moved with the wing, where it was joined by the
307th Tactical Fighter Squadron
[
a 3
]
from
Homestead AFB
, Florida, and the
353d Tactical Fighter Squadron
[
a 4
]
from
Myrtle Beach Air Force Base
, South Carolina. The wing's
401st Combat Support Group
took over thesupport functions, personnel, and equipment of SAC's
3970th Strategic Wing
.
[
24
]
n 1970 the 401st Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW) upgraded to the
McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II
. In September 1973, an equipment change to the F-4C model took place, then in 1978 to the F-4D.
As a result of the withdrawal of USAF forces in
South Vietnam
, in 1972 the 307th and 353d fighter squadrons were returned to their home bases, and the 612th and 614th Tactical Fighter Squadrons (TFS) were assigned to Torrejon. Also in 1972, squadron tail codes were eliminated and "TJ" became the tail code for all 401st TFW aircraft.
In 1983 the 401st upgraded to the
General Dynamics Block 15 F-16A/B Fighting Falcon
. The F-16s were upgraded to the Block 30 F-16C/D in July 1988.
In January 1988 Spain and the United States announced jointly that agreement had been reached in principle on a new base agreement with an initial term of eight years. The agreement essentially met conditions demanded by Spain that the USAF withdraw from a permanent presence on the base. The F-16 aircraft were to be removed from Torrejon by mid-1991. It was expected that this action would reduce the number of United States personnel in Spain by nearly one-half.
Implementation of this agreement was delayed by the 1990/91 crisis in Southwest Asia, when the 401st TFW was one of the first American fighter wings to respond. The 612th TFS deployed to
Incirlik Air Base
, Turkey as part of the
7440th Composite Wing
(Provisional)
[
a 5
]
and the 614th TFS deployed to Doha, Qatar where it became the core of the
Tactical Fight Wing, 401st
, Provisional, which was formed from the wing's support elements. However, after the 1991 cease-fire in Iraq, plans proceeded to close Torrejon Air Base.
(REF:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/401st_Air_Expeditionary_Wing
)
NOTE:
Never personally given any of the coins.  They are from either purchases of collections or from professional makers of military challenge coins.  All coins are guaranteed to be in excellent condition unless otherwise specified above.
The accepted payments are: PAYPAL and please contact seller for other methods of accepted payment, which you may have used in past please contact me through the eBay messaging system.
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