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TIGER FAC - 388th Tactical Fighter Wing - USAF
KORAT - Royal Thai Air Force Base - Thailand
Vietnam War Patch - United States Air Force
Measures - 3.4 x 3 inches (8.5 x 7.5 cms)
Tiger Fac – 388thTactical Fighter Wing
In October 1962, the 388th Tactical FighterWing was reactivated under Tactical Air Command (TAC).
The wing was reorganized at McConnell AFB,Kansas, under the Twelfth Air Force, as a tenant unit under the provisional4347th Combat Training Wing.
Under TAC, the 388th did not have a fightergroup, and the four Tactical Fighter Squadrons (560th, 561st, 562d, 563d) wereassigned directly to Wing Headquarters.
The reactivated wing initially flew the NorthAmerican F-100C Super Sabre, but was replaced in 1963 by the Republic F-105D/FThunderchief.
On 4 July 1963, it became responsible for thebase as the host unit.
The demands of the Vietnam War and escalationof United States involvement in the conflict led TAC to deploy the 388th toSoutheast Asia for combat duty.
New bases were being established in Thailand,and a permanent organizational structure was needed to accommodate thesemi-permanent presence of USAF units at the forward bases.
On 8 April 1966, the 388th TFW was relieved ofits assignment to Tactical Air Command and was transferred to Pacific AirForces.
The wing was ordered to Korat Royal Thai AirForce Base, Thailand, where its F-105 squadrons had been on temporaryrotational deployments for the past two years.
In April 1966 the 388th was sent to Korat RoyalThai Air Force Base, Thailand where it replaced the provisional 6234th TacticalFighter Wing and assumed host wing responsibilities at Korat.
The mission of the wing was to engage in combatoperations over Indochina, conducting interdiction, direct air support, armedreconnaissance, and fighter escort missions.
During the Vietnam War, numerous units weredeployed to and stationed at Korat RTAFB and engaged in combat operations.
As part of the rapid buildup of United Statesforces in Thailand in the mid-1960s, the 388th was the umbrella organization toas many as 34 operating units and about 6,500 USAF airmen.
The wing also supported components of the RoyalThai Air Force, and a complement of Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) BristolFreighters.
In mid-1968 it was decided to make the 388th anF-4 Wing, and also to equip the 388th with the new F-4E and the F-105s would betransferred to the 355th TFW at Takhli RTAFB.
The main difference with the F-4E model was theaddition of an internal M61 cannon.
The F-4C and D models previously in use hadshown some serious drawbacks in the initial air-to-air battles over Vietnam.The earlier Sparrow, Falcon, and Sidewinder air-to-air missiles did not performup to expectations. They were expensive, unreliable, and vulnerable tocountermeasures. The Phantoms could carry a podded cannon mounted on thecenterline, but it was relatively inaccurate, caused excessive drag whichreduced the performance of the Phantom carrying it, and took up a valuableordnance/fuel station.
On 17 November 1968, an F-4E Phantom squadronfrom Eglin AFB, FL, replaced the single-seat F-105E Thunderchiefs of the 469thTFS. The new Phantom squadron, the first E-models in Thailand, retained thedesignation 469th TFS.
In January 1969, the wing sought a newassignment. Proliferating antiaircraft defenses in the Barrel Roll area in theKingdom of Laos were making operations ever riskier for Slow FACs such as theRaven FACs. Volunteers from the 469th Tactical Fighter Squadron were approvedfor Fast FAC duty under the call sign \"Tiger\" in February.
On 18 March, the volunteer FACs began flying asingle daily sortie. By July, they were so immersed in directing close airsupport, they were allotted four sorties per day. They supplied the necessarytactical air power for General Vang Pao\'s Hmong guerrillas to sweep throughOperation Raindance.
Among the benefits of strike and FAC unitsbeing co-located was the Hunter-Killer Team concept fostered by\"Tiger\" FACs. Strike aircraft could be directed by FACs, or theflight leader could take over the air strike after being led to the target.
On 10 May 1969, the 34th Tactical FighterSquadron was transferred organizationally to the 347th TFW at Yokota AB, Japan,but it remained attached to the 388th TFW at Korat. It was re-equipped withF-4Es on 5 July. On 15 May 1969, the F-105-equipped 44th Tactical FighterSquadron was transferred and reassigned to the 355th TFW .
On 12 June 1972, the 35th Tactical FighterSquadron flying F-4D\'s was deployed from the 3rd TFW, Kusan AB, South Korea, ina \"Constant Guard\" redeployment to support operations over NorthVietnam during Linebacker.
They remained until 10 October 1972 when theyreturned to Korea
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