301st Air Refueling Wing
Encyclopedia
The 301st Air Refueling Wing is an inactive unit of the United States Air Force
being last assigned to the Strategic Air Command
at Malmstrom AFB, Montana
. It was inactivated on 1 June 1992.
A predecessor unit, the World War II
301st Bombardment Group was a highly decorated group flying B-17 Flying Fortresses that served primarily in North Africa
and Italy
. It operated as part of Eighth
, Twelfth and Fifteenth Air Force
s. After the war, the 301st Bomb Group was one of the USAAF units of Strategic Air Command
(August 1946).
Groups
Squadrons
. Equipped with B-29 Superfortress
es. Conducted strategic bombardment training, 1947–1948, and aerial gunnery training for other SAC organizations, November 1947-January 1948.
Reassigned to Barksdale AFB, Louisiana in 1949, the 301st was one of the first units to conduct aerial refueling operations with the KB-29 tanker version of the Superfortress. Replaced the propeller-driven B-29s with new B-47E Stratojet swept-wing medium bombers in 1953, capable of flying at high subsonic speeds and primarily designed for penetrating the airspace of the Soviet Union
. Also upgraded its KB-29 tankers to the dedicated Boeing KC-97 Stratotanker. The mission of the 301st was to train for strategic bombing missions and to conduct aerial refueling. The wing deployed to England
in 1953 and to French Morocco
in 1954.
It was reassigned to Lockbourne AFB, Ohio on April 15, 1958 where it became an Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) unit and was engaged in various clandestine intelligence missions. Although equipped with the B-47E Stratojet, the 301st added electronic countermeasure activities to other missions in 1958 with the addition of the RB-47E and later EB-47E. With these aircraft, the wing soon devoted most of its activity to ECM work. The RB-47 carried out many ferret missions around the periphery of Soviet territory, and sometimes inside. In the early 1960s, the B-47 was considered to be reaching obsolescence, and was being phased out of SAC's strategic arsenal. Began sending its stratojets to Davis-Monthan AFB in late 1963, the last EB-47E going to storage in 1964.
Became an air refueling wing in April 1964, discontinuing all previous missions. In addition, participated in the post attack command and control system from March 3, 1965 to June 30, 1966.
From around June 9 to October 8, 1972, most of the wing headquarters staff, all tactical aircraft and crews, and most of the maintenance personnel, plus support personnel in
various categories, deployed in Southeast Asia
(U-Tapao RTNAF
), attached to other SAC organizations. A reduced wing headquarters remained in the United States to administer activities of the combat support group and hospital at Lockbourne AFB, Ohio
.
From December 19, 1972 to January 18, 1973, the wing repeated previous deployed condition on a smaller scale, with deployed resources forming a provisional air refueling squadron at Clark AB in the Philippines
.
The 301st ARW was inactivated on November 30, 1979 in conjunction with SAC turning over Rickenbacker to the Air National Guard
. Its KC-135As were sent to various Air National Guard units.
The Wing was reactivated on 8 January 1988 at Malstrom AFB, MT, and assigned to 4th Air Division, Strategic Air Command. It was equipped with KC-135s. It was inactivated on 1 June 1992.
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...
being last assigned to the 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...
at Malmstrom AFB, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
. It was inactivated on 1 June 1992.
A predecessor unit, the 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...
301st Bombardment Group was a highly decorated group flying B-17 Flying Fortresses that served primarily in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It operated as part of Eighth
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....
, Twelfth and Fifteenth Air Force
Fifteenth Air Force
The Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
s. After the war, the 301st Bomb Group was one of the USAAF units 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...
(August 1946).
History
- See the 301st Operations Group301st Operations GroupThe 301st Operations Group is a flying component of the 301st Fighter Wing, assigned to the United States Air Force Reserve Tenth Air Force...
for additional history and lineage prior to 1947
Lineage
- Established as 301st Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy, on 15 October 1947
- Organized on 5 November 1947
- Discontinued on 1 August 1948.
- Redesignated: 301st Bombardment Wing, Medium, and activated on 1 August 1948.
- Redesignated: 301st Air Refueling Wing, Heavy on 15 June 1964
- Inactivated on: 30 November 1979
- Activated on: 8 January 1988
- Redesignated: 301st Air Refueling Wing on 1 September 1991
- Inactivated on: 1 June 1992
Assignments
- Fifteenth Air ForceFifteenth Air ForceThe Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
, 5 November 1947–1 August 1948; 1 August 1948 - Second Air ForceSecond Air ForceThe 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 - 4th Air Division, 10 February 1951
- Attached to: 7th Air Division, 3 December 1952–c. 4 March 1953
- Attached to: 5th Air Division, c. 10 February–c. 17 April 1954
- 801st Air Division801st Air DivisionThe 801st Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command, assigned to Eighth Air Force, being stationed at Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio...
, 15 April 1958 - 817th Air Division817th Air DivisionThe 817th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command, assigned to Second Air Force, being stationed at Pease Air Force Base, New Hampshire...
, 15 March 1965 - 57th Air Division, 15 November 1965
- 801st Air Division
- 40th Air Division40th Air DivisionThe 40th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Fifteenth Air Force, stationed at Malmstrom AFB, Montana...
, 2 July 1966 - 42d Air Division42d Air DivisionThe 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:...
, 31 March 1970 - 40th Air Division40th Air DivisionThe 40th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Fifteenth Air Force, stationed at Malmstrom AFB, Montana...
, 1 July 1973 - 42d Air Division42d Air DivisionThe 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 1975–30 November 1979 - Fifteenth Air ForceFifteenth Air ForceThe Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
, 8 January 1988 - 40th Air Division40th Air DivisionThe 40th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Fifteenth Air Force, stationed at Malmstrom AFB, Montana...
, 7 July 1989 - Fifteenth Air ForceFifteenth Air ForceThe Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
, 1 September 1991–1 June 1992
Stations
- Smoky Hill AAF (AFB)Salina Municipal AirportSalina Municipal Airport is a public-use airport located three nautical miles southwest of the central business district of Salina, a city in Saline County, Kansas, United States. It is owned by the Salina Airport Authority....
, KansasKansasKansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, 5 November 1947–1 August 1848; 1 August 1948 - Barksdale AFB, LouisianaLouisianaLouisiana 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...
, 7 November 1949 - Lakenheath ABRAF LakenheathRAF 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...
, EnglandEnglandEngland 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...
, May–December 1950 - Lockbourne (later, Rickenbacker) AFBRickenbacker Air National Guard BaseRickenbacker Air National Guard Base is an Air National Guard facility of the Ohio Air National Guard. The base was named for the famous early aviator and Columbus native Eddie Rickenbacker...
, OhioOhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, 15 April 1948–30 November 1979 - Malmstrom AFB, MontanaMontanaMontana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, 8 January 1988–1 June 1992
Components
Wings- 22d Bombardment Wing: attached 1 August 1948–9 May 1949 (not operational)
- 97th Bombardment Wing: attached 17 March–16 May 1948
Groups
- 22d Bombardment Group: attached 18 May–1 August 1948; attached 1 August–15 November 1948; attached February–9 May 1949
- 301st Bombardment (later Operations) Group301st Operations GroupThe 301st Operations Group is a flying component of the 301st Fighter Wing, assigned to the United States Air Force Reserve Tenth Air Force...
: 5 November 1947–1 August 1948 (detached July 1948); 1 August 1948–16 June 1952 (detached 1 August 1948–January 1949, 15 May–30 November 1950; not operational, 10 February 1951–16 June 1952), 1 September 1991–1 June 1992
Squadrons
- 32d Bombardment (later Air Refueling) Squadron32d Air Refueling SquadronThe 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:...
: attached 10 February 1951–15 June 1952, assigned 16 June 1952–8 June 1964; assigned 15 March 1965 (not operational, c. 9 June–8 October 1972) - 91st Air Refueling Squadron91st Air Refueling SquadronThe 91st Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 6th Air Mobility Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. It operates the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.-History:...
: attached 4 May–14 June 1964, assigned 15 June 1964–1 July 1971 - 301st Air Refueling Squadron301st Air Refueling SquadronThe 301st Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 301st Air Refueling Wing, stationed at Lockbourne AFB, Ohio. It was inactivated on 31 December 1975....
: assigned to 301st Bomb Wing March 1949, TDY Lakenheath UK May–December 1950,attached 10 February 1951–15 June 1952, assigned 16 June 1952–15 April 1958 (detached 20–26 June 1955, 10 July–18 September 1955, 27 April–27 June 1956, 15 November–6 December 1956, 27 December 1956–28 February 1957); assigned 30 September 1973–31 December 1975 - 321st Air Refueling Squadron321st Air Refueling SquadronThe 321st Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 301st Bombardment Wing, stationed at Lockbourne AFB, Ohio. It was inactivated on 15 March 1965...
: 15 April 1958–15 March 1965 (detached 11 April–13 July 1960, 3 October 1961–January 1962) - 352d Bombardment Squadron352d Bombardment SquadronThe 353d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 301st Bombardment Group, stationed at Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio. It was inactivated on 16 June 1952-History:...
: attached 10 February–20 September 1951; attached 20 December 1951–15 June 1952, assigned 16 June 1952–8 June 1964 - 353d Bombardment Squadron353d Bombardment SquadronThe 353d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 301st Bombardment Wing, stationed at Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio. It was inactivated on 8 June 1964-History:...
: attached 10 February 1951–15 June 1952, assigned 16 June 1952–8 June 1964 - 376th Air Refueling Squadron: attached 1 December 1957–15 April 1958
- 419th Bombardment Squadron: 1 December 1958–1 January 1962
- 4363d Post Attack Command and Control: attached 15–25 March 1965.
Aircraft flown
- B-29 SuperfortressB-29 SuperfortressThe 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...
, 1947–1953 - Boeing KB-29, 1949–1953
- B-47 StratojetB-47 StratojetThe 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...
, 1953–1961, 1963–1964, RB-47 1958, EB-47 1961–1965 - KC-97 StratotankerKC-97 StratotankerThe 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:...
, 1953–1961, 1962–1963 - Boeing EC-135Boeing EC-135The Boeing EC-135 was a command & control version of the C-135 Stratolifter. Modified for the "Looking Glass" program, during the Cold War EC-135 were airborne 24 hours a day to serve as flying command platforms for the military in the event of nuclear war...
,1964–1966 - KC-135 StratotankerKC-135 StratotankerThe 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...
, 1963–1979
Operational history
Activated 5 November 1947. Assigned to Strategic Air CommandStrategic 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...
. 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. Conducted strategic bombardment training, 1947–1948, and aerial gunnery training for other SAC organizations, November 1947-January 1948.
Reassigned to Barksdale AFB, Louisiana in 1949, the 301st was one of the first units to conduct aerial refueling operations with the KB-29 tanker version of the Superfortress. Replaced the propeller-driven B-29s with new B-47E Stratojet swept-wing medium bombers in 1953, capable of flying at high subsonic speeds and primarily designed for penetrating the airspace of 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....
. Also upgraded its KB-29 tankers to the dedicated Boeing KC-97 Stratotanker. The mission of the 301st was to train for strategic bombing missions and to conduct aerial refueling. The wing deployed to 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...
in 1953 and to 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...
in 1954.
It was reassigned to Lockbourne AFB, Ohio on April 15, 1958 where it became an Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) unit and was engaged in various clandestine intelligence missions. Although equipped with the B-47E Stratojet, the 301st added electronic countermeasure activities to other missions in 1958 with the addition of the RB-47E and later EB-47E. With these aircraft, the wing soon devoted most of its activity to ECM work. The RB-47 carried out many ferret missions around the periphery of Soviet territory, and sometimes inside. In the early 1960s, the B-47 was considered to be reaching obsolescence, and was being phased out of SAC's strategic arsenal. Began sending its stratojets to Davis-Monthan AFB in late 1963, the last EB-47E going to storage in 1964.
Became an air refueling wing in April 1964, discontinuing all previous missions. In addition, participated in the post attack command and control system from March 3, 1965 to June 30, 1966.
From around June 9 to October 8, 1972, most of the wing headquarters staff, all tactical aircraft and crews, and most of the maintenance personnel, plus support personnel in
various categories, deployed in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
(U-Tapao RTNAF
U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield
U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield is a military airfield of the Royal Thai Navy located approximately southeast of Bangkok, near Sattahip on the Gulf of Siam...
), attached to other SAC organizations. A reduced wing headquarters remained in the United States to administer activities of the combat support group and hospital at Lockbourne AFB, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
From December 19, 1972 to January 18, 1973, the wing repeated previous deployed condition on a smaller scale, with deployed resources forming a provisional air refueling squadron at Clark AB in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
The 301st ARW was inactivated on November 30, 1979 in conjunction with SAC turning over Rickenbacker to the Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
. Its KC-135As were sent to various Air National Guard units.
The Wing was reactivated on 8 January 1988 at Malstrom AFB, MT, and assigned to 4th Air Division, Strategic Air Command. It was equipped with KC-135s. It was inactivated on 1 June 1992.