2002 to Present

The Gulf War and Beyond
366th Fighter Wing
2002 - Present

Following the wing's return from Southwest Asia, consolidation of the Air Force's KC-135 and B-1 force led to the reallocation of the wing's bombers and tankers. While the 22d ARS aircraft transferred to McConnell AFB, Kansas in May 2002, the 34th BS B-1s went to Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota in June. As a result, the 22d ARS inactivated on 30 August 2002, while the 34th transferred to Ellsworth on 18 September.
On 30 September, the 366th Wing redesignated to the 366th Fighter Wing in conjunction with a significant change to its organizational structure. Under an Air Force-wide restructuring plan, the 366th Logistics Group redesignated as the 366th Maintenance Group and the 366th Support Group as the 366th Mission Support Group. Now, maintainers formerly assigned to their respective flying squadrons since the objective wing reorganization in 1992, belonged to the newly activated 366th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron under the maintenance group. Also within the maintenance group, the 366th Logistics Support Squadron redesignated as the 366th Maintenance Operations Squadron and the 366th Component Repair Squadron as the 366th Component Maintenance Squadron.
On the support side, the 366th Supply Squadron redesignated as the 366th Logistics Readiness Squadron on 18 July 2002, merging both the supply and transportation missions. On the same day, the 366th Transportation Squadron inactivated. Finally, the 366th Contracting Squadron moved from the 366th Logistics Group to the 366th Mission Support Group on 30 September. With these changes, the wing's 10-year mission as the Air Force's premiere air expeditionary wing came to an end, but did not affect its ability to meet any challenge the United States Air Force might face as it moves toward its vision of Global Engagement in the 21st Century.

In May 2005, the Base Realignment and Closure commission outlined recommendations to consolidate the 366th Fighter Wing from a multi-frame fighter base to a single frame of F-15E Strike Eagles. The move was part of the Air Force's efforts to consolidate its fighter fleets as a smarter way of doing business and to save money.
In November 2006, the 389th FS F-16CJs began to depart to McEntire Air National Guard Base, South Carolina, and Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., while new F-15Es arrived from Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. It would distribute the 366th Fighter Wing assigned F-15Cs (18 aircraft) to the 57th Fighter Wing, Nellis Air Force Base, NV (nine aircraft), to the 125th Fighter Wing, Jacksonville International Airport AGS, FL (six aircraft), and to retirement (three aircraft). The 366th Fighter Wing would distribute assigned F-16 Block 52 aircraft to the 169th Fighter Wing McEntire AGS, SC (nine aircraft), the 57th Wing, Nellis Air Force Base, NV (five aircraft), and to backup inventory (four aircraft). DoD also recommended to realign Elmendorf Air Force Base. The 366th Fighter Wing, Mountain Home Air Force Base, ID, would receive F-15E aircraft from the 3d Wing, Elmendorf Air Force Base, AK (18 aircraft), and attrition reserve (three aircraft). At the time of this recommendation, Mountain Home operated several types of aircraft; this recommendation would realign Mountain Home to fly only F-15Es, streamlining operations at a location that would be well suited for air-to-ground, low-level and air-to-air flight training. This recommendation would also align common versions of F-16s and F-15Cs.

The F-16CJs completely departed in March 2007, leaving the base with two F-15E Strike Eagle fighter squadrons and one F-15C Eagle fighter squadron. In September 2010, the F-15C squadron was redesignated as the 390th Electronic Combat Squadron and assumed the mission, flying Navy E/A-6B Prowlers and E/F-18G Growlers out of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash., and aircraft of the 388th ECS thus leaving the base and wing with only two F-15E squadrons.

Text source: WIKIA - MILITARY on the WIKI

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