On a shield per chevron argent and gules, in chief, a stylized silhouetted jet aircraft, issuing from chief, nose toward base azure; in base a sphere with land areas of the first and water areas of the third, grid lines black, over a branch of olive or, between two lightning bolts argent; superimposed overall and flanking the dexter and sinister, two stylized arrows or. (Approved 5 October 1955)
History
Established as a pursuit wing in 1940, under
Northeast Air District (later First Air Force). Deployed to the
European Theater of Operations in the summer of 1942, the 6th Fighter Wing was a training organization for
VIII Fighter Command in England during 1942/43 where it trained replacement pilots for fighter organizations. After the war, it served in the
Canal Zone as part of the defense forces of the
Panama Canal
Being redesignated as an Air Division in 1951, the 6th Air Division was an intermediate command echelon of
Strategic Air Command, performing, organizing, and training assigned units for sustained long–range offensive bombardment and air-to-air refueling operations around the world.
Inactivated by SAC with the closure of
Dow Air Force Base in 1966, the unit was reactivated under
Thirteenth Air Force in the
Philippines as a theater transport command and control organization, supporting US forces in the
Vietnam War. Units under the division's control participated in Arc Light missions and controlled aircraft that flew weather reconnaissance missions in Southeast Asia.[1]
Inactivated in 1969 due to budget restraints.
Lineage
Established as the 6th Pursuit Wing on 19 October 1940