Editing Pope Field (section)

===23rd Wing===
[[File:F-16C of the 74th Fighter Squadron (Pope AFB, North Carolina).jpg|thumb|"Flying Tiger" General Dynamics F-16C Block 40E Fighting Falcon Serial 89-2008 of the 74th Fighter Squadron.]]
[[File:41as-c130e-pope.jpg|thumb|"Flying Tiger" Lockheed C-130E-LM Hercules Serial 63-7846 of the 41st Airlift Squadron.]]
Lessons learned in the Gulf War in 1990–1991 led senior defense planners to conclude that the structure of the military establishment created numerous command and control problems. Senior planners reviewed numerous options before agreeing on the final conclusion – a merger of most strategic and tactical air resources and the transfer of the tactical airlift squadrons out of the Military Airlift Command due to their combat orientation. In addition, the number of Air Force wings was to be reduced by about one-third to reflect the financial constraints of the post Cold War environment.

These changes led to Pope Air Force Base being transferred to the new [[Air Combat Command]] upon its activation on 1 June 1992. Also, the 317th TAW was blended into the new 23rd Wing on 1 June 1992 when the 23rd Fighter Wing at [[England Air Force Base]], [[Louisiana]] was transferred to Pope after England's [[Base Realignment and Closure]] (BRAC) 1991 closing.

In April 1992, [[A-10 Thunderbolt II|A/OA-10 Thunderbolt II]] aircraft were transferred to the 75th Fighter Squadron from the 353d FS / 354th FW at [[Myrtle Beach Air Force Base]], [[South Carolina]] prior to the wing's inactivation and the base's closure in January 1993. In June 1993, [[F-16 Fighting Falcon|Block 40 F-16C/Ds]] were transferred to the 74th Fighter Squadron from the 347th FW at Moody and 388th FW at Hill.

Operational squadrons of the 23rd Wing at Pope were:
* 317th Group
** [[2d Airlift Squadron]] (C-130E) (1 June 1992 – 1 April 1997)
** [[41st Airlift Squadron]] (C-130E) (16 July 1993 – 1 April 1997)
* 23rd Group
** [[74th Fighter Squadron|74th Tactical Fighter Squadron]] (15 June 1993 – 1 April 1997)<br />(F-16C/D 15 June 1993 – 30 June 1996), (A/OA-10A 1 July 1996 – 1 April 1997) Ed Dooley was the first A-10 crew chief DCC for the 74th Fighter Squadron. 
** [[75th Fighter Squadron|75th Tactical Fighter Squadron]] (1 April 1992 – 1 April 1997) (A/OA-10A)

In December 1992, C-130s from the 2nd Airlift Squadron deployed to [[Mombasa]], [[Kenya]], to participate in Operation PROVIDE RELIEF. The aircraft and crews delivered tons of food and other relief supplies to small airstrips throughout [[Somalia]]. 23rd Wing Flying Tiger C-130s were also tasked to assist in other humanitarian relief efforts, to include [[Hurricane Andrew]] in [[Florida]]. They also airdropped relief supplies into [[Bosnia and Herzegovina|Bosnia-Herzogovina]] and flew relief missions into [[Sarajevo]] for more than 28 months.

On 23 March 1994 two 23rd Wing aircraft, an F-16 and a C-130, collided in the base's landing pattern. After the two crewmembers of the F-16 ejected from their damaged fighter, the unmanned aircraft crashed into an aircraft parking ramp and hit a [[C-141]] transport aircraft parked on the ramp. The resulting fireball and flaming wreckage killed 24 [[United States Army]] paratroopers who were waiting nearby to load the transports and injured almost 100 more paratroopers in what is known as the [[Green Ramp disaster]].

In May 1994, the deployed 41st Airlift Squadron led the evacuation, known as [[Operation Tiger Rescue]], of U.S. personnel from Yemen.

In September 1994, 23rd Wing Flying Tiger C-130s participated in what was to be the largest combat personnel drop since World War II, Operation UPHOLD DEMOCRACY. They were to assist in dropping more than 3,000 paratroopers from the [[82d Airborne Division]] onto [[Port au Prince]] Airport, [[Haiti]]. The invasion force was recalled at the last minute after word that the Haitian president had resigned upon hearing that the aircraft were on their way. The 75th Fighter Squadron's A-10s were also involved in UPHOLD DEMOCRACY. The squadron deployed their aircraft to [[Shaw AFB]], [[South Carolina]], where they were scheduled to launch close air support operations for the invasion force before recovering in [[Puerto Rico]].

The first operational deployment of a composite wing happened in October 1994, when [[Iraq]]i troops began massing near the [[Kuwait]]i Border. Within 72 hours, 56 aircraft and 1,500 people deployed to the Persian Gulf region for Operation VIGILANT WARRIOR. Eventually, the 75th Fighter Squadron redeployed to [[Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base]], Kuwait, becoming the first U.S. fixed-wing aircraft to be stationed in that country since the end of the [[Gulf War]].

On 1 July 1996, the 74th Fighter Squadron's [[F-16]]C/D Fighting Falcons were transferred to the 27FW / 524th FS at [[Cannon AFB]] [[New Mexico]], and the squadron transitioned to [[A-10 Thunderbolt II|A/OA-10 Thunderbolt IIs]] received from the 20FW / 55th FS at [[Shaw AFB]] [[South Carolina]]. This gave the 23rd Wing a 2nd A-10 squadron.

The 23rd Wing won its fifth [[Air Force Outstanding Unit Award]] for the period of 31 May 1995 through 31 March 1997.