[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 90 (Wednesday, July 13, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 13, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                       27TH FIGHTER WING IS NO. 1

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                          HON. BILL RICHARDSON

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 13, 1994

  Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in 
saluting the outstanding men and women serving at Cannon Air Force Base 
near Clovis, NM.
  The principal Air Force unit at Cannon, the 27th Fighter Wing, won 
the top prize in the Air Combat Command's annual bombing competition in 
early May. In addition to winning the Gen. Muir S. Fairchild Trophy 
given to the best overall team, the 27th Fighter Wing also captured two 
other trophies. The Cannon team won the Russell E. Dougherty Trophy as 
the best fighter team and the Koritz-Holland Electronic Countermeasures 
Award for the best fighter unit in electronic countermeasures.
  The 27th Fighter Wing operates the swing-wing F-111 tactical fighter, 
one of the most sophisticated aircraft in our military inventory. With 
a history dating back to the 1920's. Cannon is home to 4,500 officers 
and enlisted personnel and 582 civilians. With family members, over 
9,000 persons live on the base.
  Capturing the three trophies in May is nothing new for the F-111 
crews. They regularly distinguish themselves in annual competitions and 
in combat, particularly in the Persian Gulf war. I am attaching an 
article from the Air Force Times for my colleagues' review. I am proud 
to represent this base and urge my colleagues to salute and continue to 
support the 27th Fighter Wing and our F-111's.

                [From the Air Force Times, June 6, 1994]

                           The 27th is No. 1

                            (By Julie Bird)

       Washington.--The 27th Fighter Wing from Cannon Air Force 
     Base near Clovis, N.M., is the winner of the top prize in Air 
     Combat Command's annual bombing competition.
       Units that participated in the May 3 competition, known as 
     Proud Shield, gather annually at Barksdale Air Force Base 
     near Bossier City, La., for score posting and awards. The 
     flying part of the competition takes place at ranges across 
     the country.
       The competition formerly was a Strategic Air Command event 
     for heavy bombers. It has been modified under Air Combat 
     Command to include fighter-bombers such as the F-15E ``Strike 
     Eagle,'' which competed for the first time this year.
       The Cannon wing, which flies F-111s, took home the Gen. 
     Muir S. Fairchild Trophy given to the best overall team. The 
     award is named after a World War II bomber pilot and former 
     Air Force vice chief of staff.
       The Cannon team also won two other trophies: The Russell E. 
     Dougherty Trophy as the best fighter team, and the Koritz-
     Holland Electronic Countermeasures Award for the best fighter 
     unit in electronic countermeasures.
       The Dougherty trophy is named for the former Strategic Air 
     Command commander in chief, who served from 1974 to 1977. The 
     Koritz-Holland award, which was given for the first time, was 
     named in memory of Maj. Thomas E. Koritz and Lt. Col. Donnie 
     P. Holland, F-15E crewmen killed Jan. 17, 1991, in Operation 
     Desert Storm.
       The 7th Wing from Dyess Air Force Base near Abilene, Texas, 
     won the Maj. Wayne D. Whitlock Trophy for having the highest 
     score among B-1B Lancer units in electronic countermeasures. 
     The award is named after a defensive systems operator who 
     died in a 1987 B-1 accident.
       The Dyess wing also won the Gen. Ira C. Eaker Memorial 
     Trophy as the best overall B-1 unit. Eaker commanded the 8th 
     Air Force in England during World War II and later was chief 
     of the Air Staff in the Army Air Forces.
       The 2nd Bomb Wing from Barksdale won the Maj. James F. 
     Bartsch Memorial Electronic Warfare Award as the B-52 
     Stratofortress unit with the most points in electronic 
     countermeasures. The trophy honors an electronic warfare 
     officer killed in a B-52 crash in 1977.
       The 5th Bomb Wing at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota 
     won the Gen. Bennie L. Davis Trophy as the most improved unit 
     compared with its performance the previous year. Davis, a 
     Tuskegee Airman, was the first black two-star general in the 
     Air Force and, after winning his third star, was deputy 
     commander in chief of the U.S. Strike Command at MacDill Air 
     Force Base, Tampa, Fla.
       The Minot wing also won the John D. Ryan Trophy as the best 
     overall B-52 unit. Ryan was Strategic Air Command commander 
     in chief from 1964 to 1967.
       Crew E-60 crew from the 410th Bomb Wing at K.I. Sawyer Air 
     Force Base near Marquette, Mich., won the Curtis E. LeMay 
     Bombing Trophy as the best crew in bombing and timing 
     control. The trophy is named for the former Air Force 
     Strategic Air Command commander in chief and Air Force chief 
     of staff.
       Winners of the crew awards were: F-15E--Crew S-02, 4th 
     Wing, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Goldsboro, N.C. F-111--
     Crew C-02, 27th Fighter Wing, Cannon. B-1B--Crew R-26, 7th 
     Wing, Dyess. B-52--Crew E-45, 5th Bomb Wing, Minot.

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