Mission
The primary mission of the 388th Fighter Wing is to have 388th professionals ready to deploy, employ, and sustain F-16s and air control assets world-wide to fight and win any conflict. 

Although located on an Air Force Materiel Command Base, the wing is assigned to 12th Air Force, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., and Air Combat Command, Langley Air Force Base, Va. 

ACC's mission is to provide the world's best combat air forces delivering rapid, decisive air power anytime, anywhere.

Personnel and Resources
There are more than 2,100 people and 70, advanced Block 40 F-16s assigned to the wing.

Organization
Flying out of the 388th Fighter Wing are three distinguished fighter squadrons: the 4th Fighter Squadron "Fightin' Fuujins," the 34th Fighter Squadron "Rams" and the 421st Fighter Squadron "Black Widows." 

To accomplish its dynamic and challenging flying mission, the 388th flies Common Configuration Implementation Program-updated F-16 "Fighting Falcons." The F-16 entered Air Force operational service in the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing at Hill in January 1979. The wing is now equipped with highly maneuverable F-16Cs which are proven in air-to-air combat and air-to-surface attack. 

The Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod allows wing F-16s to fly at low altitudes, at night and under-the-weather, to attack ground targets with precision-guided and unguided weapons. 

Other units include: 388th Range Squadron, 388th Equipment Maintenance, 388th Component Maintenance Squadron, 388th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 388th Maintenance Operations Squadron and 388th Operations Support Squadron. 

History
The wing has numerous honors dating back to Dec. 24, 1942, at Gowen Field, Idaho, from the 388th Bombardment Group (Heavy) that flew the B-17 Flying Fortress. The 388th BG (H) relocated to Royal Air Force Base Knettishall, England, as a key unit of 8th Air Force, and saw its first action July 17, 1943, attacking an aircraft factory in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. 

After successfully completing 306 bombing sorties and receiving two distinguished unit citations and six World War II campaign streamers, the 388th BG (H) was inactivated in 1945. 

Established as 388th Fighter Day Wing on March 23, 1953 was redesignated the 388th Fighter Bomber Wing on November 5, 1953. The 388th Fighter Bomber Wing activated Nov. 23, 1953, at Clovis AFB, N.M., and was authorized to display the honors of the 388th BG (H). 

After two periods of inactivations and a name change, the Wing reactivated March 14, 1966, as the

388th Tactical Fighter Wing at Korat Royal Thai Air Base, Thailand. The Wing began flying the F-4 Phantom II in May 1969 after transitioning from the F-105 Thunderchief. 

From Thailand, the wing flew against some of the most intensive air defense in the history of air warfare while attacking targets in North Vietnam. The wing flew more than 60,000 combat hours. 

During this period, the wing received the Presidential Unit Citation, eight Air Force Outstanding Unit awards with combat "valor" devices, the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm, and 15 Vietnam Campaign streamers.
December 23, 1975, the 388th TFW returned from overseas to Hill AFB, Utah. The first combat-operational F-16 Fighting Falcon was delivered to the Wing January 23, 1979. The wing's three fighter squadrons became operational in the F-16 by 1980. 

When Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990, the 388th deployed the 4th and 421st fighter squadrons to support Operation Desert Shield/Storm. 

When open hostilities began, the 388th became the first F-16 Wing to fly the LANTIRN system in combat. Pilots from the 388th dropped more than 2.7 million tons of conventional munitions on strategic and tactical targets in Iraq and Kuwait during almost 4,000 combat sorties (1,200 of them at night) without a single combat loss. 

In December 1991, the wing was redesignated the 388th Fighter Wing and assigned to the newly established Air Combat Command. 

In October 1997, the wing adopted what is now the 388th Range Squadron.
Since participating in Operation Desert Shield/Storm, the 388th FW has deployed to Operation Southern Watch many times to protect the no-fly zone south of the 33rd parallel in Iraq as required by U.N. Resolution 688. It was during one of the wing's standard rotations in December 1998 that the 34th Fighter Squadron participated in Operation Desert Fox. 

In August 2002 the wing underwent a re-organization, making the 388th Logistics Group, the 388th Maintenance Group, adding the 388th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, and moving all maintenance personnel to the new 388th AMXS. 

Since September 11, 2001 the 388th FW has deployed personnel and squadrons in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Noble Eagle. 

The 388th FW's F-16 units have deployed to every corner of the earth since activation in 1942, and have supported every major operation, and many smaller operations, the Air Force has been involved with.
 
Flying more sorties than any other operational F-16 wing, the 388th FW works hard during peacetime to ensure we can meet any challenges presented on a day-to- day basis. 

(Current as of August 2007)