William Tell Weapons Meet participation
In June 1954, the USAF's World Wide Weapons Meet now known as "William Tell" began as a separate air-to-air rocketry competition to the Third Annual USAF Fighter gunnery and Weapons Meet that was held at Las Vegas AFB (later renamed as Nellis AFB). This Interceptor Phase of the Las Vegas based competition would be held at Yuma, AZ. The Air Defense Command and Air Training Command were the sole competitors of the first meet. In 1956, the meet was unofficially given the name of "William Tell" and had expanded to include nine teams representing seven major air commands. This third meet was the last held in Arizona. Two years later, Tyndall AFB, Florida became the home for the USAF Worldwide Air-to-Air Weapons Meet. During this meet and for the first time, competitors were divided into three categories, one for each aircraft participating. Twelve teams competed in the 1958 meet and among them was an Air National Guard unit competing for the first time.
 | In 1965 the 32nd was chosen to take part in the Meet. The Wolfhounds became the first overseas unit to ferry its own aircraft to the continental United States to take part of the competition. Captain Erwin. P. Walker acted as the team leader. The squadron took 30 technical staff members to the meet, including ground personnel from the Royal Netherlands Air Force (three ground controllers and two mission control specialists). Scoring 8.782 out of a possible 11.000 points, this unique team achieved the highest score in the F-102 category and became TOP UNIT. On their return to Camp New Amsterdam the participants meet, at Soestdijk Palace His Royal Highness Prince Bernard who congratulated them on achieving such impressive results greeted the team. |
The 1972 meet was the year of the first "Top Gun" award and with the reorganization of air defense forces in 1979, TAC assumed sponsorship for William Tell. In 1982, Tactical Air Command officially changed the name of the meet to the USAF Air-to-Air Weapons Meet. That meet also marked the return of the Pacific Air Forces and the USAFE to the competition, and the first appearance of the F-15 Eagle.
 | In 1984 flying the F-15 the Wolfhounds take part of the Meet again. Five Eagles were taken along; 79-0018, 79-0024, 79-0026, 79-0027 and 79-0029. The 32nd got the first kill of the meet, when 79-0026 nailed a QF-100 with an AIM-9P on the 12th October. Captain Scott C. Turner, flying the 79-0026, became TOP GUN during this competition. In 1986 the 32nd assisted the 36th TFW training for the William Tell. |
The 1990 competition was cancelled due to Operation Desert Shield/Storm and resumed in 1992, held by the newly formed Air Combat Command. Beginning in 1996, Teams that attended the William tell Weapons Meet were to be assembled differently than they had been in the past. In previous Meets teams competed as units (Squadrons or Wings), in the 1996 each major Command, the Air Force Reserve, the Air National Guard, and a combined Canadian team would compete against each other for the right to be known as the best in the Air. After an eight year break, the Air Combat Command announced it would host the next William Tell in the first weeks of November of 2004, meets 50th Anniversary. The 2004, massive changes will appear in the latest edition of William Tell.
