<p>The 18th Fighter Wing was formed at Clark AB in August 1948, operating various liaison, reconnaissance and fighter types. The unit was redesignated 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing in January 1950 and 18th Tactical Fighter Wing in July 1958. Despite the Fighter-Bomber designation, the unit employed the F-86 and F-100, with the F-105, RF-101 and RF-4C subsequently operated. The F-4 was assigned for many years until the end of the 1970s when the unit converted to the F-15C. 18th TFW squadrons have won the Hughes Achievement Trophy for excellence in air defense five times since 1981. In addition, the unit won the F-15C category at the 1982 and 1988 William Tell competitions at Tyndall AFB. At the end of 1991, the unit became the 18th Wing with a KC-135R squadron, together with a squadron of E-3B/Cs on rotation from the 552nd ACW at Tinker AFB. The 18th Wing was the first overseas unit to assume a composite wing format. In 1994 the PACAF HH-60Gs were centralized with the 33rd RQS.
