2d Bomb Wing - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The 2d Bomb Wing is a United States Air Force

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

unit assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command and Eighth Air Force

Eighth Air Force

The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....

. It is stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base

Barksdale Air Force Base

Barksdale Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately east-southeast of Bossier City, Louisiana.The host unit at Barksdale is the 2d Bomb Wing , the oldest Bomb Wing in the Air Force. It is assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command's Eighth Air Force...

, Louisiana

Louisiana

Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...

. The wing is also the host unit at Barksdale. The 2 BW was assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command in February 2010 as part of the reassignment of Eighth Air Force.

The 2 BW is one of only two B-52H Stratofortress wings in the United States Air Force

United States Air Force

, the other being the 5th Bomb Wing

5th Bomb Wing

The 5th Bomb Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Force Global Strike Command's Eighth Air Force. It is stationed at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota. The wing is also the host unit at Minot...

at Minot Air Force Base

Minot Air Force Base

Minot Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation in Ward County, North Dakota, north of the city of Minot. In the 2010 census, the base was counted as a CDP with a total population of 5,521....

.

Its 2d Operations Group

2d Operations Group

The 2d Operations Group is the flying component of the United States Air Force 2d Bomb Wing, assigned to the Air Combat Command Eighth Air Force. The group is stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....

is a successor organization to the 2d Bombardment Group, which was one of the 15 original combat air groups formed by the Army before World War II.

It is the oldest bomb group of the Air Force, having fought on the Western Front

Western Front (World War I)

Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...

during World War I, entering combat on 12 September 1918. After the war, it participated in Brigadier General Billy Mitchell's 1921 off-shore bombing test. Active for over 60 years, the 2 BW was a component wing of Strategic Air Command

Strategic Air Command

The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...

's heavy bomber deterrent force throughout the Cold War

Cold War

The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...

.

The 2d Bomb Wing is commanded by Colonel Tim Fay. Its Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Larry Malcom.

Units

Today, as the largest bomb wing in Air Force Global Strike Command and as a part of the historic "Mighty Eighth" Air Force, the wing continues to reflect the heritage of its motto Libertatem Defendimus: "Liberty We Defend."

2d Maintenance Group

2d Maintenance Squadron

2d Maintenance Operations Squadron

2d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron

2d Munitions Squadron

2d Medical Group
2d Operations Group

2d Operations Support Squadron ("Posse")

11th Bomb Squadron

The 11th Bomb Squadron is part of the 2d Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. It operates B-52 Stratofortress aircraft providing strategic bombing capability.-Mission:...

20th Bomb Squadron

The 20th Bomb Squadron is part of the 2d Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. It operates B-52 Stratofortress aircraft providing strategic bombing capability.-Mission:...

("Buccaneers")

96th Bomb Squadron

The 96th Bomb Squadron is part of the 2d Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. It operates B-52 Stratofortress aircraft providing strategic bombing capability.-History:...

("The Devil's Own")

2d Mission Support Group

2d Contracting Squadron

2d Communications Squadron

2d Civil Engineer Squadron

2d Logistics Readiness Squadron

2d Mission Support Squadron

2d Security Forces Squadron

2d Services Squadron

History

See 2d Operations Group
2d Operations Group
The 2d Operations Group is the flying component of the United States Air Force 2d Bomb Wing, assigned to the Air Combat Command Eighth Air Force. The group is stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....

for additional history and lineage information prior to 1947

Medium bomber era

The 2d Bombardment Wing was activated by the United States Air Force

United States Air Force

on 5 November 1947 and was assigned to the Strategic Air Command

Strategic Air Command

Eighth Air Force

The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....

. At the time of its activation, wing headquarters remained non-operational; it's assigned 2d Bombardment Group being attached to the 43rd Bombardment Wing at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona

Arizona

Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...

.

At the time of its activation, there was considerable debate about where to station the new wing. Its planned station, Chatham Air Force Base, Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

was a World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

training airfield with facilities deemed inadequate by SAC. Located approximately 10 miles northwest of Savannah, Georgia

Savannah, Georgia

Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...

, Chatham had an adequate airfield for B-29 operations, however the base's the cantonment area was in extremely poor condition. Constructed to last for five years, the buildings had reached the end of their life expectancy. In addition, the buildings' shortcomings also included outside latrines and potbellied stoves for heating.

Work was begun to modernize the base from its World War II wartime configuration into a permanent Air Force Base with modern facilities. On 1 January 1949 wing headquarters was activated at Chatam, with the 2d Bomb Wing assuming the assets of the 307th Bombardment Group

307th Bombardment Group

The 307th Air Refueling Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 47th Air Division, stationed at Travis Air Force Base, California...

which had been deployed to the base from MacDill AFB, Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

and the assets of the 2d Bombardment Group, which had returned from a deployment to RAF Lakenheath

RAF Lakenheath

RAF Lakenheath, is a Royal Air Force military airbase near Lakenheath in Suffolk, England. Although an RAF station, it hosts United States Air Force units and personnel...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. Equipped with B-29 Superfortress

B-29 Superfortress

The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...

es, the wing's primary mission was training for strategic bombardment operations. In early 1949, the first B-50 Superfortress

B-50 Superfortress

The Boeing B-50 Superfortress strategic bomber was a post-World War II revision of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, fitted with more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-4360 radial engines, stronger structure, a taller fin, and other improvements. It was the last piston-engined bomber designed by Boeing for...

es began to arrive, replacing the B-29s. A derivative of the B-29, the B-50 was designed for atomic warfare, had faster, more powerful engines and could fly at higher altitudes than the B-29.

The facilities, however, at Chatham remained unsatisfactory to SAC leadership, and plans were initiated to move the wing to better facilities. The city of Savannah

Savannah

Savannah or savanna is a type of grassland.It can also mean:-People:* Savannah King, a Canadian freestyle swimmer* Savannah Outen, a singer who gained popularity on You Tube...

, however, offered the USAF the facilities at the former Hunter Army Airfield

Hunter Army Airfield

Hunter Army Airfield , located in Savannah, Georgia, United States, is a military airfield and subordinate installation to Fort Stewart.Hunter features a runway that is 11,375 feet long and an aircraft parking area that is more than 350 acres...

, which was located closer to the city (5 miles NW), along with 3,500 acres (14 km²) of additional land around Hunter for future base expansions. Hunter AAF was built in 1929 as Savannah Municipal Airport and in 1940 the Air Corps received approval to build a permanent base at the site. During World War II it was used both as a training base as well as an antisubmarine airfield during the war. In June 1946, the airfield was returned to the City of Savannah. In addition, Headquarters, Eighth Air Force was established in Savannah in January, 1942, and there was a strong desire to have an Eighth Air Force Wing be stationed in the area. This arrangement was agreed to and on 29 September 1950, the 2d Bomb Wing moved to the reopened Hunter Air Force Base and Chatam was turned over to the City of Savannah, where it was redeveloped into a regional airport.

B-50 Superfortress operations continued until November 1953, when 2 BW began receiving jet-powered B-47E Stratojet medium bombers. The B-47 was a fast bomber which relied on speed to penetrate the air defenses of the Soviet Union, and was produced in large numbers. It became the mainstay of the medium-bombing strength of SAC all throughout the 1950s. The wing participated in SAC REFLEX deployments to North Africa and England. Beginning in 1958 the B-47 was becoming obsolete, as the air defenses of the Soviet Union improved. The Stratojet was phased out of SAC beginning in 1960.

Plans were made to upgrade the wing to the B-52 Stratofortress

B-52 Stratofortress

The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...

. However, adequate for B-47 operations, the runway at Hunter was inadequate for B-52 operations when tested in the early 1960s. In addition, during the 1950s the urban area of the City of Savannah was expanding and encroaching on the airfield, making Hunter unsuitable for heavy nuclear-equipped bomber operations over the urbanized area. A 1958 Tybee Island B-47 crash in which a Mark 15 hydrogen bomb was lost in the Atlantic Ocean

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...

just off the coast of Savannah was another reason in the decision by SAC to move the Wing to a non-urban area.

In early 1963 the wing began to send its B-47s to storage at Davis-Monthan AFB. The 2d Bombardment Wing would be moved, and Hunter AFB was reassigned to Military Air Transport Service

Military Air Transport Service

The Military Air Transport Service is an inactive Department of Defense Unified Command. Activated on 1 June 1948, MATS was a consolidation of the United States Navy Naval Air Transport Service and the United States Air Force Air Transport Command into a single, joint, unified command...

(MATS). MATS closed its facilities at Donaldson AFB, South Carolina

South Carolina

South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...

and reassigned the 63rd Troop Carrier Wing to Hunter, using the base for C-124 Globemaster II

C-124 Globemaster II

The Douglas C-124 Globemaster II, nicknamed "Old Shakey", was a heavy-lift cargo aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company in Long Beach, California....

intercontinental cargo aircraft operations to points around the world.

B-52 Stratofortress

The 2d Bombardment Wing was moved to Barksdale AFB, Louisiana

Louisiana

on 1 April 1963 where it assumed the existing B-52F Stratofortress heavy bombers and personnel of the provisional SAC 4238th Strategic Wing in a name-only redesignation. The wing has been stationed at Barksdale continuously for almost 50 years.

On 15 March 1958, SAC established the 4238th SW at Barksdale as part of SAC's plan to disburse its B-52 Stratofortress

B-52 Stratofortress

heavy bombers over a larger number of bases, thus making it more difficult for the Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

to knock out the entire fleet with a surprise first strike. The wing consisted of the 436th Bombardment Squadron, consisting of 15 B-52Fs, and the KC-135-equipped 913th Air Refueling Squadron. Half of the aircraft were maintained on fifteen minute alert, fully fueled, armed, and ready for combat. SAC Strategic Wings were considered a provisional unit by HQ, USAF and could not carry a permanent history or lineage.

In 1962, in order to retain the lineage of its MAJCOM 4-digit combat units and to perpetuate the lineage of many currently inactive bombardment units with illustrious World War II

World War II

records, Headquarters SAC received authority from Headquarters USAF to discontinue its MAJCOM strategic wings that were equipped with combat aircraft and to activate AFCON units, most of which were inactive at the time which could carry a lineage and history.

With the move to Barksdale, the 2d Bomb Wing absorbed the assets of the 4238th SW. It was assigned to the Second Air Force

Second Air Force

The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....

823rd Air Division. The 4238th's 436th BS was also redesignated as the 20th Bombardment Squadron. The 913th ARS designation was unchanged, and component support units were also redesignated to the 2d numerical designation of the newly-established wing.

At Barksdale, 2 BW supported Second Air Force's post-attack command and control system, April 1963 – March 1970. Conducted bombardment training and air refueling operations from April 1963 except for periods when all aircraft and crews were on loan to SAC organizations involved in combat operations in Southeast Asia. Began supporting SAC operations in Southeast Asia with aircraft and personnel in 1965, and increasingly supported these operations in 1966 and 1967. On 15 April 1968, gained a second B-52 and a second KC-135 squadron, again becoming a SAC "super" wing. From late May 1972 until 26 October 1973, loaned all wing B-52 resources to SAC organizations in the Far East and Southeast Asia; from May 1972 to early November 1972, loaned all but four of the wing's KC-135s and a few aircrews to other SAC units. After the return of combat resources, the wing continued supporting SAC operations in Southeast Asia into 1975, on a reduced scale.

Gained KC-10 tankers in November 1981 to augment refueling operations for the USAF, AFRES, and ANG. Provided air refueling for rescue efforts in Grenada, October–November 1983, the attack on Libya, April 1986, and the invasion of Panama, December 1989 – January 1990. Presented the Omaha Trophy for "the Outstanding Wing in the Strategic Air Command" f2. Deployed B-52, KC-135, and KC-10 aircraft, aircrews, and support personnel to several locations in support of operations in Southwest Asia, 7 August 1990 – 17 April 1991.

1991 Gulf War

Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm brought Barksdale warriors into the spotlight again with their efforts to liberate Kuwait. The 2d Bomb Wing flew what was then the longest combat mission in the history of military aviation at the start of Desert Storm in 1991 when seven B-52s flew a 35-hour mission and, for the time in U.S. Air Force history, fired a devastating barrage of conventional air-launched cruise missile

Cruise missile

A cruise missile is a guided missile that carries an explosive payload and is propelled, usually by a jet engine, towards a land-based or sea-based target. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large warhead over long distances with high accuracy...

s. The 2d Bomb Wing delivered one-fourth of all U.S. Air Force bombs during Desert Storm. The 2d Bomb Wing KC-135s and KC-10s provided more than 1,000 of the 13,700 coalition refueling missions.

Senior Surprise – Strategic Air Commands' Longest Combat Mission

On 16–17 January 1991 seven B-52Gs from the Eighth Air Force, 2d Bomb Wing, 596th Bomb Squadron, Barksdale AFB, LA. Flew the longest combat mission (35.4 hours) in aviation history, and the first Combat launch of conventional Air Launched Cruise Missile (CALCM) in Operation Desert Storm against Iraq. The official name of this mission was SENIOR Surprise, unofficially it was referred to as Secret Squirrel.

Modern era

Two 2d Bomb Wing B-52s conducted a missile strike against surface-to-air missile sites and air defense radars in Iraq in September 1996. Desert Strike

Desert Strike

Desert Strike may refer to:*Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf, a 1992 video game, first in the Strike series of shooters*Operation Desert Strike, a 1996 series of cruise missile strikes on Iraq by the United States; also a 1964 large-scale U.S. Army training exercise in southern California...

was ordered in response to Iraqi attacks on Kurds in northern Iraq. The mission earned the wing the prestigious 1996 Mackay Trophy as the most meritorious flight of the year.

Recognizing the mighty B-52 as a weapon of choice, the National Command Authorities called upon the 2d Bomb Wing throughout the late 1990s to flex its muscles against rogue states in Southwest Asia

Southwest Asia

Western Asia, West Asia, Southwest Asia or Southwestern Asia are terms that describe the westernmost portion of Asia. The terms are partly coterminous with the Middle East, which describes a geographical position in relation to Western Europe rather than its location within Asia...

and the Balkans

Balkans

The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...

: operations Southern Watch, Desert Fox

Desert fox

-Animals:*Another name for the Fennec Fox*Common name of Vulpes vulpes pusilla, a subspecies of the Red Fox that is found in the vicinity of the Thar Desert.-Games:*The Desert Fox, a 1981 board wargame published in Strategy & Tactics magazine...

and Allied Force.

On 19 September 2001, wing elements deployed to Diego Garcia

Diego Garcia

Diego Garcia is a tropical, footprint-shaped coral atoll located south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean at 7 degrees, 26 minutes south latitude. It is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory [BIOT] and is positioned at 72°23' east longitude....

and on 7 October flew early attacks on targets in Afghanistan

Afghanistan

Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...

in Operation Enduring Freedom to rid that country of terrorist bases and its extremist Taliban rulers and Al-Qaeda

Al-Qaeda

Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...

militants; later flew airborne alert missions and, in Operation Anaconda

Operation Anaconda

Operation Anaconda took place in early March 2002 in which the United States military and CIA Paramilitary Officers, working with allied Afghan military forces, and other North Atlantic Treaty Organization and non NATO forces attempted to destroy al-Qaeda and Taliban forces in the Shahi-Kot...

, flew bombing missions against targets in eastern Afghanistan, 1–18 March 2002. In the 2003 Invasion of Iraq

2003 invasion of Iraq

The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...

, flew missions on 21 March in "shock and awe" strikes against command and control targets.

Heraldry

The group's emblem was approved in 1924 for the 2d Bombardment Group, and in 1951 for the 2d Bomb Wing. The bombs signify original squadrons, the stripes represent major World War I offensives, and the white fleur de lis symbolizes the French location of the battles.

Lineage

Established as 2 Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy on 15 October 1947

Organized on 5 November 1947

Redesignated: 2 Bombardment Wing, Medium on 12 July 1948

Redesignated: 2 Bombardment Wing, Heavy on 1 April 1963 to replace the 4238th Strategic Wing

Organized on 1 April 1963 assuming the resources (Manpower, Aircraft, Equipment, Weapons, & Facilities) of the 4238th Strategic Wing (Inactivated).

Redesignated: 2 Wing on 1 September 1991

Redesignated: 2 Bomb Wing on 1 October 1993.

Assignments

Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....

, 5 November 1947

Attached to 43rd Bombardment Wing, 17 November 1947-31 December 1948

Second Air Force
Second Air Force
The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....

, 1 April 1950

Attached to 7th Air Division, 4 May-31 August 1951

38th Air Division, 10 October 1951

Attached to 7th Air Division, 10 September-4 December 1952

Attached to 5th Air Division, 4 August- 20 September 1954; 6 July-26 August 1956

6th Air Division, 1 November 1959
823rd Air Division, 1 April 1961
4th Air Division, 1 April 1963
19th Air Division, 1 September 1964
42d Air Division
42d Air Division
The 42d Air Division was a unit of the United States Air Force. It was established as the 42 Bombardment Wing on 8 February 1943. The wing first saw combat in September 1943. It was inactivated in 1991.-History:...

, 1 July 1965
19th Air Division, 2 July 1969
42d Air Division
42d Air Division
The 42d Air Division was a unit of the United States Air Force. It was established as the 42 Bombardment Wing on 8 February 1943. The wing first saw combat in September 1943. It was inactivated in 1991.-History:...

, 1 December 1982
Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....

, 16 June 1988–present

Components

Groups

2d Bombardment (later, 2d Operations)
2d Operations Group
The 2d Operations Group is the flying component of the United States Air Force 2d Bomb Wing, assigned to the Air Combat Command Eighth Air Force. The group is stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....

: 5 November 1947 – 16 June 1952 (detached 17 November 1947 – 31 December 1948 and 18 February – 16 May 1950); 1 September 1991–present

Squadrons

2d Air Refueling Squadron
2d Air Refueling Squadron
The 2d Air Refueling Squadron is a unit of the United States Air Force. It is part of the 305th Air Mobility Wing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. It operates the KC-10 Extender aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions....

: attached 10 Feb 1951-15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952-1 Apr 1963; assigned 3 Jan 1989-1 Sep 1991
11th Bomb Squadron
11th Bomb Squadron
The 11th Bomb Squadron is part of the 2d Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. It operates B-52 Stratofortress aircraft providing strategic bombing capability.-Mission:...

: 1 July 1994–present
20th Bomb Squadron
20th Bomb Squadron
The 20th Bomb Squadron is part of the 2d Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. It operates B-52 Stratofortress aircraft providing strategic bombing capability.-Mission:...

: attached 10 Feb 1951-15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952-25 Jun 1965
32d Air Refueling Squadron
32d Air Refueling Squadron
The 32d Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 305th Air Mobility Wing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. It operates the KC-10 Extender aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.-History:...

: 1 Nov 1981-1 Sep 1991
49th Bombardment Squadron: attached 10 Feb 1951-15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952-1 Apr 1963
62d Bombardment Squadron
62d Bombardment Squadron
The 62d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 2d Bombardment Wing. It was inactivated at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana on 1 September 1991.-History:...

: 25 Jun 1965-1 Sep 1991
71st Air Refueling Squadron
71st Air Refueling Squadron
The 71st Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 2d Bombardment Wing, stationed at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. It was inactivated on 1 September 1991....

: 15 Apr 1968-1 Sep 1991
96th Bombardment Squadron: attached 10 Feb 1951-15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952-1 Apr 1963
308th Air Refueling Squadron
308th Air Refueling Squadron
The 308th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 2d Bombardment Wing, stationed at Hunter AFB, Georgia...

: 1 Jul 1959-1 Mar 1960
429th Bombardment Squadron
429th Bombardment Squadron
The 429th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 2d Bombardment Wing, based at Hunter Air Force Base, Georgia. It was inactivated on 1 January 1962.-History:...

: 1 Oct 1958-1 Jan 1962
596th Bombardment Squadron
596th Bombardment Squadron
The 596th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 2d Bombardment Wing. It was inactivated at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana on 1 September 1991.-History:...

: 15 Apr 1968-1 Sep 1991
913th Air Refueling Squadron
913th Air Refueling Squadron
The 913th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 2d Bombardment Wing, stationed at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. It was inactivated on 1 November 1981....

: 1 Apr 1963– 1 Nov 1981. (Active 15 March 1958-1 November 1981)

Stations Assigned

Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...

, 5 November 1947
Chatham AFB
Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport
"Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport , formerly Savannah International Airport, Travis Field and Chatham Field, is a joint civil-military airport located northwest of Savannah, Georgia just off Interstate 95, between Savannah and the city of Pooler, Georgia...

, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

, 1 April 1949
Hunter Field (later, AFB)
Hunter Army Airfield
Hunter Army Airfield , located in Savannah, Georgia, United States, is a military airfield and subordinate installation to Fort Stewart.Hunter features a runway that is 11,375 feet long and an aircraft parking area that is more than 350 acres...

, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

, 22 September 1950

Deployed at: RAF Mildenhall

RAF Mildenhall

RAF Mildenhall is a Royal Air Force station located at Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. Despite its status as an RAF station, it primarily supports United States Air Force operations and is currently the home of the 100th Air Refueling Wing...

, England, May–August 1951

Deployed at: RAF Upper Heyford

RAF Upper Heyford

RAF Upper Heyford was a Royal Air Force station located north-west of Bicester near the village of Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England. The base was brought into use for flying in July 1918 by the Royal Flying Corps. During World War II it was used by many units of the RAF, mainly as a training...

, England, September–December 1952

Deployed at: Sidi Slimane Air Base

Sidi Slimane Air Base

Sidi Slimane Air Base is a military air base in Sidi Slimane, a city in the Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen region in Morocco. It is also known as the Fifth Royal Air Force Base, operated by the Royal Moroccan Air Force.-History:...

, French Morocco

French Morocco

French Protectorate of Morocco was a French protectorate in Morocco, established by the Treaty of Fez. French Morocco did not include the north of the country, which was a Spanish protectorate...

, August–September 1954 and July–August 1956.

Barksdale AFB, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...

, 1 April 1963–present

References for commands and major units assigned, components and stations:

Aircraft

B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...

, 5 November 1947 – 10 October 1951
B-50 Superfortress
B-50 Superfortress
The Boeing B-50 Superfortress strategic bomber was a post-World War II revision of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, fitted with more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-4360 radial engines, stronger structure, a taller fin, and other improvements. It was the last piston-engined bomber designed by Boeing for...

, 5 November 1947 – 4 August 1954
KB-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...

, 1 April 1950 – 4 August 1954
KC-97 Stratotanker
KC-97 Stratotanker
The Boeing KC-97 Stratotanker was a United States strategic tanker aircraft based on the Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter. It was succeeded by the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker.-Design and development:...

, 4 August 1954 – 1 April 1963
B-47 Stratojet
B-47 Stratojet
The Boeing Model 450 B-47 Stratojet was a long-range, six-engined, jet-powered medium bomber built to fly at high subsonic speeds and at high altitudes. It was primarily designed to drop nuclear bombs on the Soviet Union...

, 4 August 1954 – 1 April 1963

B-52 Stratofortress
B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...

, 1 April 1963 –
KC-135 Stratotanker
KC-135 Stratotanker
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...

, 1 April 1963 –
EC–135
EC135
EC135, EC-135, or EC 135 may be:* Boeing EC-135, a cargo airplane used for several U.S. Air Force missions.* Eurocopter EC 135, twin-engine civil helicopter...

, 1966–1971
RC-135, 1977–1980
KC-10 Extender
KC-10 Extender
The McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender is the military adaptation of the three-engined DC-10 airliner for the United States Air Force . The KC-10 incorporates military-specific equipment for its primary roles of transport and aerial refueling. It was developed to supplement the KC-135 Stratotanker...

, November 1981 – 1 June 1992

Campaign Streamers

Grenada, 1983
Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait

Awards

Mackay Trophy
MacKay trophy
The Mackay Trophy was established on 27 January 1911 by Clarence Hungerford Mackay, who was then head of the Postal Telegraph-Cable Company and the Commercial Cable Company. Originally, aviators could compete for the trophy annually under rules made each year or the War Department could award the...

(for the "Most Meritorious Flight of the Year") 1996
Omaha Trophy (for the "Outstanding Wing in the Strategic Air Command") (2): 1988, 1992

Emblem

Blazon
Blazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image...

: Or, in fess four aerial bombs descending bendwise sinister Azure garnished Argent on a chief engrailed Vert a fleur-de-lis

Fleur-de-lis

The fleur-de-lis or fleur-de-lys is a stylized lily or iris that is used as a decorative design or symbol. It may be "at one and the same time, political, dynastic, artistic, emblematic, and symbolic", especially in heraldry...

White between two pallets Sable, all within a diminished bordure of the first.

Motto: LIBERTATEM DEFENDIMUS—Liberty We Defend.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Units

History

Medium bomber era

B-52 Stratofortress

1991 Gulf War

Senior Surprise – Strategic Air Commands' Longest Combat Mission

Modern era

Heraldry

Lineage

Assignments

Components

Stations Assigned

Aircraft

Campaign Streamers

Awards

Emblem

See also

External links