14th FTW unveils new T-6 paint scheme

The 14th Flying Training Wing (FTW) unveiled its first ofsix T-6 Texan II aircraft during a ceremony at the fire department May 30 onColumbus Air Force Base (AFB), Mississippi.

Members of the 37th Flying Training Squadron (FTS) were ableto see their freshly painted T-6 Texan II, which represents the squadron’spatch, a Bengal tiger mother with a cub in her mouth. The T-6 is primarilyyellow and its black stripes represent their lineage and heritage here.

“This is about having pride in our unit and across the baseas a whole,” said Lt. Col. William Free, 37th FTS commander. “Now that theplane is finished up and painted it will be an opportunity for people to cometogether to honor and celebrate the great traditions that we have at ColumbusAFB and the squadrons that are represented.”

Future generations of student pilots at Columbus AFB willhave the opportunity to fly specially designed flag ship planes. The new paintschemes will reflect the heritage of that aircraft’s squadron. The squadronsare responsible for designing the aircraft’s new look.

“People take great pride in these planes so when all sixplanes are done they will be the showcase of flying operations on our base,representing the history of our squadrons and the heritage that we bring,” saidCol. Derek Stuart, 14th Operations Group commander.

The 37th FTS has a strong line of heritage that dates backto the Army Air Corps in the 1940’s. It was initially a pursuit squadronassigned to the 55th Pursuit Group at Hamilton Field, California. Air defensewas their mission and they flew the P-43 Lancer, a U.S. Army Air Corps aircraft.Today this similar mission is owned by the North American Aerospace DefenseCommand (NORAD) and they’re responsible for controlling and defending airspacein the Alaska, Canada and the Continental United States.

During World War II, the 37th Fighter Squadron conductedcombat operations with their P-38 Lightning in the European and MediterraneanTheater of Operations. They also utilized the P-47 Thunderbolt to escortreconnaissance aircraft during Operation Dragoon, earning the squadron aDistinguished Unit Citation for their actions.

Also during WWII, Maj. William L. Leverette, the 37 FighterSquadron (FS) commander, was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross forleading a formation of P-38s on a mission to protect Royal Navy warships.During this mission he identified a formation of 30 German JU-87 Stuka divebombers in which he took out seven of those aircraft and his squadron shot downan additional nine.

After WWII the 37th FS was inactivated and redesignatedseveral times. In November 1952 they were designated as the 37thFighter-Interceptor Squadron at Ethan Allen AFB, Vermont, where they flew P-51Mustangs and later F-86 Sabres and F-102 Delta Daggers for their interceptormission. The squadron would again deactivate May 1, 1960.

On March 22, 1972, the squadron was redesignated the 37thFTS and assigned to the 14 FTW on Columbus AFB. Here they conducted undergraduatepilot training with the T-37 Tweet, a small twin-engine jet trainer which flewfor decades as the primary trainer for the U.S. Air Force. They continued tofly the T-37 until 2006 when they transitioned to the T-6, which they flytoday.

With a strong legacy to uphold, the 37th FTS continues itsmission to create pilots and will use this newly painted T-6 to reach the nextgeneration of aviators, giving them the opportunity to connect with theirheritage and build the future.

These paintings are also part of the Air Force chief ofstaff’s initiative to revitalize squadrons and enable them to connect to thelong blue line.

In order for squadrons at Columbus AFB to have flag shippaint schemes, they identified aircraft that were already in need of a new coatof paint, thus not costing the Air Force any extra funding. The heritagerepaint of the T-6 and future aircraft repaints were approved at the wing leveland then routed and approved by the Air Education and Training Command.

Aircraft paint requires a lot of hard work on the part of itsmission partner, Vertex Aerospace. Maintainers began stripping paint andpreparing the aircraft for a fresh coat during many labor-intensive hours whereaircraft panels and doors are removed, cracks are filled, and sand blasting isdone, to ensure the surface is clean and free of debris.

“Our instructorpilots are the heartbeat of what we do here at Columbus AFB,” Free said. “Onbehalf of all them it is a proud moment for me to see this jet and acknowledgethe pride we have in it and knowing it represents the hard work they do day inand day out for our Wing and our Air Force.”

With each flag ship aircraft representing the rich history behind the flying squadron and connecting the different generations of airmen, Columbus AFB is helping to preserve their predecessors’ stories and marking a new chapter for the 14th FTW.

Source: US Air Force