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71st FS Ironmen flying T-38s?


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Saw a recent picture of a Langley T-38 aggressor bird with red tail and and Ironmen title- has the 71st been re-activated as the aggressors of the 1st FW- can anyone confirm?

Edited by B-ONE27
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Confirmed.

http://www.jble.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=3710

They were activated recently as indipendant squadron after flying as part of the 27FS for some years.

They were not part of the 27th, they flew along side the 27th and 94th since the late 70's.

The 71st the "Iron Men" was part of the 1stTFW to which there are 2 other squadrons, the 27th "Eagles" and 94th TFS "Hat in the Ring" . When the 27th and the 94th went to the F-22 the 71st kept their F-15's, when they were retired the 71st was deactivated earlier this year. They have been apart of the 1st TFW.

The 71st was the first squadron in Saudi for Desert Shield on August 6th 1990, in fact it was thought that Capt Tate "Tater" got the first. Kill in Desert Storm.

When we were deactivated it was decided the 71st belonged with the 1st so they reactivated in October as the aggressor squadron at Langley.r

Regards

Dave Whalen, CC 27th 1980-1985, 1st AGS Supervision 1986-1987 and CC 83-0038 71st 1987-1990

Member the "iron Men " Allumni" GO IRON!!!!!

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Don't disagree on anything you say.

Just trying to say that the 71st used to be a T-38 flight within the framework of the 27FS from the 1FW received the 17 off T-38's (returned from South Korea) in 2011 until reactivated as separate squadron under the 1FW this last August.

Basically, the 27FS had a full set of F-22's and T-38's making the squadron double(?) the normal size. By the separation of the 71st flight into a separate squadron again, 27FS are back to "normal" squadron strenght and the 71st Training Squadron carries on the legacy of the 71st FS.

Source: Air Forces Monthly October 2015 issue.

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Just trying to say that the 71st used to be a T-38 flight within the framework of the 27FS from the 1FW received the 17 off T-38's (returned from South Korea) in 2011 until reactivated as separate squadron under the 1FW this last August.

Actually they retained HO tail codes initially for various Byzantine reasons and operated under the aegis of the 1st OSS until the 71st was reactivated; "Bud" Wyler was one of my old students and the commander of the OSS when they took delivery of the T-38s.

Regards,

Murph

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