376th Air Expeditionary Wing
Encyclopedia
The 376th Air Expeditionary Wing (376 AEW) is a provisional United States Air Force
Air Combat Command
unit. It is currently stationed at the Transit Center at Manas International Airport
, Kyrgyz Republic
A World War II predecessor unit, the 376th Bombardment Group (Heavy) was the first B-24 Liberator
group to be based on European Continent. It engaged in combat with the Ninth
, Twelfth and Fifteenth Air Force
s in the Egypt-Libya
and Italian Campaign
s. the 376th was awarded Distinguished Unit Citations: for operations over North Africa and Sicily, November 1942-17 August 1943; Ploesti, Romania, 1 August 1943 and Bratislava, Czechoslovakia, 16 June 1944. The B-24 "Lady Be Good"
was from the 514th Bomb Squadron.
During the Vietnam War
, the 376th Strategic Wing was a Strategic Air Command
unit activated to perpetuate the lineage of inactive World War II bombardment units with illustrious records. It performed strategic bombing and air refueling missions over Southeast Asia with deployed elements from wings in the United States. From 1973 until the end of the Cold War
it performed air refueling of Pacific Air Forces tactical and Military Airlift Command
transport aircraft in the Theater as well as performing strategic reconnaissance operations. It was inactivated as part of the drawdown of USAF strategic forces in 1991.
Operations Group before 1 June 1951, however the lineage and history of the units are separate prior to that date.
The 376th Bombardment Group has its origins in the British mandate of Palestine
, as a result of the buildup of American air power in the Middle East in January 1942.
Following the Attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt
ordered the Army Air Forces to mount retaliatory raids on the Japanese Home Islands. A task force, commanded by Colonel Harry E. Halverson and composed of 231 officers and enlisted men and 23 B-24D Liberator bombers, was assembled at Fort Myers Army Airfield, Florida. The unit was given the code name "HALPRO" for Halverson Project. This organization, destined to be the parent unit of the 376th Bombardment Group, departed the United States on 20 May 1942 over the southern Air Transport Command
route though the Caribbean
and Natal, Brazil and across Central Africa and arrived at RAF Lydda
in British Palestine. However, before the group could depart for India
and begin attacks on Japanese targets from a base located in China, the unit learned that its proposed base in China had been captured by Japanese forces.
To make matters worse, the German Afrika Korps
under General Erwin Rommel
was poised to attack Allied forces in Egypt
. HALPRO was quickly diverted from its original mission to a new one: interdictory raids from airfields in Egypt against shipping and North African ports supporting Axis operations as part of United States Middle East Air Forces (USMEAF) on 20 June 1942, a quickly assembled organization based in Cairo
. The Halverson Project was dissolved and the organization was renamed the 1st Provisional Bombardment Group.
As early as 7 September, Ninth Air Force
commander Maj. Gen. Lewis H. Brereton
sought to have the 1st Provisional Bomb Group assigned a tactical designation and number, and a formal TO&E to make it a permanent organization. At the same time the U.S. and British had reached an understanding with the Soviets about establishing an Anglo-American air force in the Transcaucasus to protect its flank in the Middle East. The American contribution was to be one troop carrier group and one "highly mobile" heavy bomber group. Gen. George C. Marshall on 11 October ordered Brereton to create the 376th Bombardment Group, composed of a Headquarters Squadron and four tactical squadrons designated 512 to 515 inclusively, intended for the Transcaucasus assignment. The group was constituted on 19 October and activated at midnight 31 October from personnel and equipment of the 1st Provisional Group. The first commander was Col. George F. McGuire, who taken charge of the provisional group when Halverson returned to the United States in August 1942. After several weeks, the Soviets declared that they wanted only the aircraft and not British or American crews. None could be spared and the Anglo-American air force proposal was cancelled.
Members of the 376th adopted the nickname "Liberandos". Initially, the 376th was formed with the 23 B-24Ds which had flown from Florida, along with along with a detachment of B-17Ds from the 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and other personnel. Some of the B-17s were Pearl Harbor attack and Philippines campaign survivors, which had been assigned to the China Burma India Theater. After the Japanese capture of Burma the Burma Road was cut so the detachment could not be logistically supported in China. By the end of 1942, all of the squadrons were equipped with B-24 Liberators as the older model B-17s were reassigned to non-combat roles.
Operating from bases in Palestine
, Egypt, Libya
and Tunisia
, the 376th attacked shipping in the Mediterranean and harbor installations in Libya, Tunisia, Sicily
, and Italy to cut enemy supply lines to North Africa. Struck airdromes, marshalling yards, and other objectives in Sicily and Italy after the fall of Tunisia in May 1943. Received a Distinguished Unit Citation for action against the enemy in the Middle East, North Africa, and Sicily, November 1942 – August 1943. Participated in the famed low-level assault on oil refineries at Ploesti and received another DUC: nearing Ploesti on 1 August 1943 and realizing that it was off course, the group attempted to reach its assigned objective from another direction; by this time, however, enemy defenses were thoroughly alerted and intense opposition forced the 376th to divert to targets of opportunity in the general target area.
On 9 November 1958, British geologist
s flying over the Libyan Desert spotted an aircraft resting on the sand dunes approximately 400 statute miles (640 km) south of Benghazi
, Libya. A ground party reached the site in March 1959 and discovered the plane to be the Lady Be Good
, a B-24D Liberator
of the 514th Bomb Squadron, 376th Bombardment Group. The bomber had disappeared after a 4 April 1943 attack against Naples
, Italy. In 1960, the remains of eight airmen were found; the body of the ninth crewman was never found.
With the transfer of Ninth Air Force to England in 1943, the 322d was reassigned to Fifteenth Air Force
and moved to Manduria
, Italy under the 47th Bomb Wing. From Italian bases, the unit engaged primarily in long-range missions to targets in Italy, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia
, Austria, Hungary, and the Balkans
to bomb factories, marshalling yards, oil refineries, oil storage facilities, airdromes, bridges, harbors, and other objectives.
Received a Distinguished Unit Citation for attacking the oil industry at Bratislava
on 16 June 1944. Also flew support and interdictory missions, assisting Allied forces at Anzio
and Cassino during February–March 1944, supporting the Invasion of Southern France
in August 1944, aiding the Russian sweep into the Balkans
during the fall of 1944, and assisting Allied troops in northern Italy during April 1945.
Flying from North Africa and Italy, the Group flew 451 missions, was awarded three Distinguished Unit Citations and earned 15 campaign awards. The Liberandos destroyed 220 enemy aircraft in aerial combat and suffered casualties totalling 1479 officers and enlisted personnel and 169 aircraft.
With the end of the war in Europe, the 322d Bomb Group was reassigned to Harvard AAFld
, Nebraska
, 8 May 1945 and redesignated 322d Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) and began B-29 Superfortress
transition training in preparation for a move to the Pacific Theater of Operations
. However with the end of the war in August, the training ended and the unit was inactivated at Grand Island AAF
, Nebraska
on 10 November 1945.
The unit was redesignated the 376th Reconnaissance Wing and activated at Gravelly Point
, Virginia
on 23 May 1947. The wartime 512th and 513th squadrons were assigned to the wing and equipped with B/WB-29s. The unit operated as a weather reconnaissance group until its inactivation on 20 September 1948.
The 376th Bombardment Wing, Medium, was established on 25 May 1951, and activated at Forbes AFB, Kansas
on 1 June 1951. The wing was initially equipped with B-29s and trained in strategic bombardment operations. Replaced the propeller-driven B-29s with new B-47E Stratojet swept-wing medium bombers in 1954, capable of flying at high subsonic speeds and primarily designed for penetrating the airspace of the Soviet Union
. The wing gained the 376th AREFS, equipped with KC-97 Stratotanker
s, on 18 August 1953.
Moved to Lockbourne AFB, Ohio in 1957, and continued to fly numerous training missions and participated in various SAC exercises and deployments with the Stratojet. Beginning in September 1961, the wing began engaging in Electronic countermeasures
operations, which became the wing's primary mission. Included EB-47L Stratojet post attack command and control operations, December 1962 – February 1965.
In the early 1960s, the B-47 was considered to be reaching obsolescence, and was being phased out of SAC's strategic arsenal. Began to send the wing's aircraft to Davis-Monthan AFB in 1964. The unit was deactivated at Lockbourne AFB, Ohio
, on 15 March 1965 as part of the phaseout of the B-47 from the USAF inventory.
, Okinawa on 12 January 1965. The 4252d SW was a provisional SAC MAJCOM unit established by SAC with the responsibility of supporting B-52D Stratofortresses and KC-135 Stratotanker
s from SAC CONUS-based units engaged in combat operations over Southeast Asia from Kadena on a daily basis during the Vietnam War
. The 4252d equipment consisted of about 70 KC-135 Tankers that refueled tactical fighters over the South China Sea
and Gulf of Tonkin
that were carrying out attacks on North Vietnam
. In addition the aircraft would evacuate personnel to the Philippines, Guam etc. for Typhoons and continued to fly their scheduled refueling missions. The B-52s would conduct Arc Light
strategic bombardment missions over Indochina
, refueling from the tankers on their return trip to Kadena.
In 1970, in order to retain the lineage of its provisional wing at Kadena, Headquarters SAC received authority from Headquarters USAF to discontinue its MAJCOM wing and activate a regular AFCON wing which was inactive at the time which could carry a lineage and history of the mission at Kadena. On 1 April 1970, the 4258th SW was redesignated as the 376th Strategic Wing.
The rotational B-52 elements were shifted to the 307th Strategic Wing, assigned to U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield
, Thailand soon afterward. Using aircraft and crews deployed from CONUS-based SAC wings, the 376th SW controlled the 909th Air Refueling Squadron
(KC-135A/Q/R) and supported rotational reconnaissance aircraft (TR-1, SR-71). It conducted airborne radio relay operations, April–November 1970; February–June 1971 and March 1972 – August 1973. The Wing was inactivated at Kadena on 30 October 1991 with the drawdown of strategic forces after the end of the Cold War
. Its mission was absorbed by the host 18th Wing
.
, Germany as well as contractors and French engineers. Since then it has hosted forces from Australia, Denmark, France, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Spain and the Netherlands. Coalition aircraft previously based here have included tankers (KC-135s), tactical airlift (C-130s), fighters (F-18, F-16, Mirage 2000) and helicopters (Super Puma).
376th Air Expeditionary Wing
376th Air Expeditionary Wing
376th Air Expeditionary Wing
Groups
Squadrons
376th Air Expeditionary Wing
376th Air Expeditionary Wing
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...
Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....
unit. It is currently stationed at the Transit Center at Manas International Airport
Manas International Airport
Manas International Airport is the main international airport in Kyrgyzstan located 25 km north-northwest of the capital Bishkek.The airport is operational 24 hours and its ILS system is ICAO CAT 2...
, Kyrgyz Republic
A World War II predecessor unit, the 376th Bombardment Group (Heavy) was the first B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
group to be based on European Continent. It engaged in combat with the Ninth
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
, 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 in the Egypt-Libya
Egypt-Libya Campaign
The Egypt–Libya Campaign is the name used by the United States military for the US contribution to the Allied Western Desert Campaign, during World War II. From 1942, U.S. forces assisted the British Commonwealth in fighting Axis forces in Egypt and Libya. The U.S...
and Italian Campaign
Italian Campaign (World War II)
The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
s. the 376th was awarded Distinguished Unit Citations: for operations over North Africa and Sicily, November 1942-17 August 1943; Ploesti, Romania, 1 August 1943 and Bratislava, Czechoslovakia, 16 June 1944. The B-24 "Lady Be Good"
Lady be Good (aircraft)
Lady Be Good was an American B-24D Liberator, AAF serial number 41-24301, which flew for the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Based at Soluch Field in Soluch as part of the 514th Bomb Squadron, 376th Bomb Group, it failed to return from an April 4, 1943 bombing raid on Naples,...
was from the 514th Bomb Squadron.
During the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, the 376th Strategic Wing was a 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...
unit activated to perpetuate the lineage of inactive World War II bombardment units with illustrious records. It performed strategic bombing and air refueling missions over Southeast Asia with deployed elements from wings in the United States. From 1973 until the end of 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...
it performed air refueling of Pacific Air Forces tactical and Military Airlift Command
Military Airlift Command
The Military Airlift Command is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command of the USAF which was headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. It was constituted on 1 January 1966 and active until the end of the Cold War, when the Air Force table of organization was revised...
transport aircraft in the Theater as well as performing strategic reconnaissance operations. It was inactivated as part of the drawdown of USAF strategic forces in 1991.
Mission
The 376th Expeditionary Wing is responsible for providing air combat power projection throughout the CENTCOM Area of Responsibility, including tactical airlift and air refueling, principally in support of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM. C-17 and KC-135 aircraft are involved in this effort. Additionally, the wing serves as a hub for strategic airlift operations and as an intermediate staging base for transiting personnel and equipment in support of operations in Afghanistan. The wing hosts transient forces from coalition nations, as well as transient forces of the United States Army, Marine Corps and Navy.Units
- 376th Expeditionary Operations Group
- The 376 EOG is the lead KC-135 aerial refueling unit for Afghanistan operations. Other USAF aircraft supporting the mission include KC-135s and C-17s.
- 376th Expeditionary Maintenance Group
- 376th Medical Group
- 376th Expeditionary Mission Support Group
History
The 376th Air Expeditionary Wing is authorized to display the honors earned by the 376 ExpeditionaryOperations Group before 1 June 1951, however the lineage and history of the units are separate prior to that date.
World War II
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, as a result of the buildup of American air power in the Middle East in January 1942.
Following the Attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
ordered the Army Air Forces to mount retaliatory raids on the Japanese Home Islands. A task force, commanded by Colonel Harry E. Halverson and composed of 231 officers and enlisted men and 23 B-24D Liberator bombers, was assembled at Fort Myers Army Airfield, Florida. The unit was given the code name "HALPRO" for Halverson Project. This organization, destined to be the parent unit of the 376th Bombardment Group, departed the United States on 20 May 1942 over the southern Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its mission was to meet the urgent demand for the speedy reinforcement of the United States' military bases worldwide during World War II, using an air supply system to supplement surface transport...
route though the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
and Natal, Brazil and across Central Africa and arrived at RAF Lydda
RAF Lydda
Lod Air Force Base, also Air Force Base 27, was an Israeli Air Force base that was part of the Ben Gurion International Airport, located approximately north of Lod; east-southeast of Tel Aviv....
in British Palestine. However, before the group could depart for India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and begin attacks on Japanese targets from a base located in China, the unit learned that its proposed base in China had been captured by Japanese forces.
To make matters worse, the German Afrika Korps
Afrika Korps
The German Africa Corps , or the Afrika Korps as it was popularly called, was the German expeditionary force in Libya and Tunisia during the North African Campaign of World War II...
under General Erwin Rommel
Erwin Rommel
Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel , popularly known as the Desert Fox , was a German Field Marshal of World War II. He won the respect of both his own troops and the enemies he fought....
was poised to attack Allied forces in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. HALPRO was quickly diverted from its original mission to a new one: interdictory raids from airfields in Egypt against shipping and North African ports supporting Axis operations as part of United States Middle East Air Forces (USMEAF) on 20 June 1942, a quickly assembled organization based in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
. The Halverson Project was dissolved and the organization was renamed the 1st Provisional Bombardment Group.
As early as 7 September, Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
commander Maj. Gen. Lewis H. Brereton
Lewis H. Brereton
Lewis Hyde Brereton was a military aviation pioneer and lieutenant general in the United States Air Force...
sought to have the 1st Provisional Bomb Group assigned a tactical designation and number, and a formal TO&E to make it a permanent organization. At the same time the U.S. and British had reached an understanding with the Soviets about establishing an Anglo-American air force in the Transcaucasus to protect its flank in the Middle East. The American contribution was to be one troop carrier group and one "highly mobile" heavy bomber group. Gen. George C. Marshall on 11 October ordered Brereton to create the 376th Bombardment Group, composed of a Headquarters Squadron and four tactical squadrons designated 512 to 515 inclusively, intended for the Transcaucasus assignment. The group was constituted on 19 October and activated at midnight 31 October from personnel and equipment of the 1st Provisional Group. The first commander was Col. George F. McGuire, who taken charge of the provisional group when Halverson returned to the United States in August 1942. After several weeks, the Soviets declared that they wanted only the aircraft and not British or American crews. None could be spared and the Anglo-American air force proposal was cancelled.
Members of the 376th adopted the nickname "Liberandos". Initially, the 376th was formed with the 23 B-24Ds which had flown from Florida, along with along with a detachment of B-17Ds from the 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and other personnel. Some of the B-17s were Pearl Harbor attack and Philippines campaign survivors, which had been assigned to the China Burma India Theater. After the Japanese capture of Burma the Burma Road was cut so the detachment could not be logistically supported in China. By the end of 1942, all of the squadrons were equipped with B-24 Liberators as the older model B-17s were reassigned to non-combat roles.
Operating from bases in Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, Egypt, Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
and Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, the 376th attacked shipping in the Mediterranean and harbor installations in Libya, Tunisia, Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, and Italy to cut enemy supply lines to North Africa. Struck airdromes, marshalling yards, and other objectives in Sicily and Italy after the fall of Tunisia in May 1943. Received a Distinguished Unit Citation for action against the enemy in the Middle East, North Africa, and Sicily, November 1942 – August 1943. Participated in the famed low-level assault on oil refineries at Ploesti and received another DUC: nearing Ploesti on 1 August 1943 and realizing that it was off course, the group attempted to reach its assigned objective from another direction; by this time, however, enemy defenses were thoroughly alerted and intense opposition forced the 376th to divert to targets of opportunity in the general target area.
On 9 November 1958, British geologist
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
s flying over the Libyan Desert spotted an aircraft resting on the sand dunes approximately 400 statute miles (640 km) south of Benghazi
Benghazi
Benghazi is the second largest city in Libya, the main city of the Cyrenaica region , and the former provisional capital of the National Transitional Council. The wider metropolitan area is also a district of Libya...
, Libya. A ground party reached the site in March 1959 and discovered the plane to be the Lady Be Good
Lady be Good (aircraft)
Lady Be Good was an American B-24D Liberator, AAF serial number 41-24301, which flew for the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Based at Soluch Field in Soluch as part of the 514th Bomb Squadron, 376th Bomb Group, it failed to return from an April 4, 1943 bombing raid on Naples,...
, a B-24D Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
of the 514th Bomb Squadron, 376th Bombardment Group. The bomber had disappeared after a 4 April 1943 attack against Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Italy. In 1960, the remains of eight airmen were found; the body of the ninth crewman was never found.
With the transfer of Ninth Air Force to England in 1943, the 322d was reassigned to 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....
and moved to Manduria
Manduria
Manduria is a city and comune of Apulia, Italy, in the province of Taranto. With c. 30,000 inhabitants, it is located 35 km east of Taranto, and 14 km north of the coast.-History:...
, Italy under the 47th Bomb Wing. From Italian bases, the unit engaged primarily in long-range missions to targets in Italy, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, Austria, Hungary, and the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
to bomb factories, marshalling yards, oil refineries, oil storage facilities, airdromes, bridges, harbors, and other objectives.
Received a Distinguished Unit Citation for attacking the oil industry at Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
on 16 June 1944. Also flew support and interdictory missions, assisting Allied forces at Anzio
Anzio
Anzio is a city and comune on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome.Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands of Ponza, Palmarola and Ventotene...
and Cassino during February–March 1944, supporting the Invasion of Southern France
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
in August 1944, aiding the Russian sweep into the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
during the fall of 1944, and assisting Allied troops in northern Italy during April 1945.
Flying from North Africa and Italy, the Group flew 451 missions, was awarded three Distinguished Unit Citations and earned 15 campaign awards. The Liberandos destroyed 220 enemy aircraft in aerial combat and suffered casualties totalling 1479 officers and enlisted personnel and 169 aircraft.
With the end of the war in Europe, the 322d Bomb Group was reassigned to Harvard AAFld
Harvard Army Airfield
Harvard State Airport , also known as Harvard State Airfield, is a public use airport located two nautical miles northeast of the central business district of Harvard, a city in Clay County, Nebraska, United States. It is owned by the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, 8 May 1945 and redesignated 322d Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) and began 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...
transition training in preparation for a move to the Pacific Theater of Operations
Pacific Theater of Operations
The Pacific Theater of Operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period...
. However with the end of the war in August, the training ended and the unit was inactivated at Grand Island AAF
Central Nebraska Regional Airport
Central Nebraska Regional Airport is a public use airport located three nautical miles northeast of the central business district of Grand Island, a city in Hall County, Nebraska, United States...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
on 10 November 1945.
Cold War
Gravelly Point
Gravelly Point is a park in Arlington, Virginia, United States. It is located north of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, along the George Washington Parkway, and across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C....
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
on 23 May 1947. The wartime 512th and 513th squadrons were assigned to the wing and equipped with B/WB-29s. The unit operated as a weather reconnaissance group until its inactivation on 20 September 1948.
The 376th Bombardment Wing, Medium, was established on 25 May 1951, and activated at Forbes AFB, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas 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...
on 1 June 1951. The wing was initially equipped with B-29s and trained in strategic bombardment operations. Replaced the propeller-driven B-29s with new B-47E Stratojet swept-wing medium bombers in 1954, 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....
. The wing gained the 376th AREFS, equipped with 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:...
s, on 18 August 1953.
Moved to Lockbourne AFB, Ohio in 1957, and continued to fly numerous training missions and participated in various SAC exercises and deployments with the Stratojet. Beginning in September 1961, the wing began engaging in Electronic countermeasures
Electronic countermeasures
An electronic countermeasure is an electrical or electronic device designed to trick or deceive radar, sonar or other detection systems, like infrared or lasers. It may be used both offensively and defensively to deny targeting information to an enemy...
operations, which became the wing's primary mission. Included EB-47L Stratojet post attack command and control operations, December 1962 – February 1965.
In the early 1960s, the B-47 was considered to be reaching obsolescence, and was being phased out of SAC's strategic arsenal. Began to send the wing's aircraft to Davis-Monthan AFB in 1964. The unit was deactivated 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...
, on 15 March 1965 as part of the phaseout of the B-47 from the USAF inventory.
376th Strategic Wing
The origins of the 376th Strategic Wing come from the establishment of the 4252d Strategic Wing at Kadena Air BaseKadena Air Base
, is a United States Air Force base in the towns of Kadena and Chatan and the city of Okinawa, in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Kadena Air Base is the hub of U.S. airpower in the Pacific, and home to the USAF's 18th Wing and a variety of associate units.-Units:The 18th Wing is the host unit at Kadena...
, Okinawa on 12 January 1965. The 4252d SW was a provisional SAC MAJCOM unit established by SAC with the responsibility of supporting B-52D Stratofortresses and 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...
s from SAC CONUS-based units engaged in combat operations over Southeast Asia from Kadena on a daily basis during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. The 4252d equipment consisted of about 70 KC-135 Tankers that refueled tactical fighters over the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
and Gulf of Tonkin
Gulf of Tonkin
The Gulf of Tonkin is an arm of the South China Sea, lying off the coast of northeastern Vietnam.-Etymology:The name Tonkin, written "東京" in Hán tự and Đông Kinh in romanised Vietnamese, means "Eastern Capital", and is the former toponym for Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam...
that were carrying out attacks on North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
. In addition the aircraft would evacuate personnel to the Philippines, Guam etc. for Typhoons and continued to fly their scheduled refueling missions. The B-52s would conduct Arc Light
Arc Light
Arc Light is the debut novel by Eric L. Harry, a techno-thriller about limited nuclear war published in 1994 and written in 1991-2.As China and Russia clash in Siberia in June 1999, nuclear missiles strike the United States. The U.S. retaliates against Russia, and World War III begins...
strategic bombardment missions over Indochina
Indochina
The Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory...
, refueling from the tankers on their return trip to Kadena.
In 1970, in order to retain the lineage of its provisional wing at Kadena, Headquarters SAC received authority from Headquarters USAF to discontinue its MAJCOM wing and activate a regular AFCON wing which was inactive at the time which could carry a lineage and history of the mission at Kadena. On 1 April 1970, the 4258th SW was redesignated as the 376th Strategic Wing.
The rotational B-52 elements were shifted to the 307th Strategic Wing, assigned to U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield
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...
, Thailand soon afterward. Using aircraft and crews deployed from CONUS-based SAC wings, the 376th SW controlled the 909th Air Refueling Squadron
909th Air Refueling Squadron
The 909th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base, Japan. It operates the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.-Mission:...
(KC-135A/Q/R) and supported rotational reconnaissance aircraft (TR-1, SR-71). It conducted airborne radio relay operations, April–November 1970; February–June 1971 and March 1972 – August 1973. The Wing was inactivated at Kadena on 30 October 1991 with the drawdown of strategic forces after the end of 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...
. Its mission was absorbed by the host 18th Wing
18th Wing
The United States Air Force's 18th Wing is the host wing for Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan and is the Air Force’s largest combat wing. It is the largest and principal organization in the Pacific Air Forces Fifth Air Force....
.
Global War On Terrorism
Manas air base operations began 16 December 2001 and included the 86th Contingency Response Group from Ramstein Air BaseRamstein Air Base
Ramstein Air Base is a United States Air Force base in the German state of Rheinland-Pfalz. It serves as headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe and is also a North Atlantic Treaty Organization installation...
, Germany as well as contractors and French engineers. Since then it has hosted forces from Australia, Denmark, France, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Spain and the Netherlands. Coalition aircraft previously based here have included tankers (KC-135s), tactical airlift (C-130s), fighters (F-18, F-16, Mirage 2000) and helicopters (Super Puma).
Lineage
376th Expeditionary Operations Group- Constituted as 376th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 19 October 1942
- Activated on 31 October 1942
- Redesignated: 376th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) in May 1945
- Inactivated on 10 November 1945.
- Redesignated: 376th Reconnaissance Group
- Activated on 23 May 1947.
- Inactivated on 20 September 1948
- Redesignated: 376th Bombardment Group and activated on 1 June 1951
- Inactivated on 16 June 1952 (never made operational)
- Redesignated 376th Expeditionary Operations Group, and converted to provisional status, on 4 December 2001
376th Air Expeditionary Wing
- Established as 376th Bombardment Wing (Medium) on 25 May 1951
- Activated on 1 June 1951.
- Discontinued, and inactivated on 15 March 1965.
- Redesignated: 376th Strategic Wing on 23 January 1970
- Scheduled to replace the 4252nd Strategic Wing on 1 April 1970
- Activated on 1 April 1970 assuming the resources (Manpower, Aircraft, Equipment, Weapons, & Facilities) of the 4252nd Strategic Wing
- Inactivated 30 October 1991
- Redesignated 376 Air Expeditionary Wing, and converted to provisional status, on 4 December 2001
Assignments
376th Expeditionary Operations Group- 19th Bombardment Wing, 31 October 1942
- IX Bomber Command, November 1942
- 5th Bombardment Wing, 26 September 1943
- 47th Bombardment Wing, 17 November 1943 – 19 April 1945
- 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....
, 8 May-10 November 1945 - Air Weather Service, 23 May 1947 – 20 September 1948
- 376th Bombardment Wing, 1 June 1951 – 16 June 1952
- Air Combat CommandAir Combat CommandAir Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....
to activate or inactivate at any time after 4 December 2001
376th Air Expeditionary Wing
- 4th Air Division, 1 June 1951
- Attached to 21st Air Division, 1 June-10 October 1951
- 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...
, 3 December 1951 – 15 March 1965 - Eighth Air ForceEighth Air ForceThe 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....
, 1 April 1970 - 3d Air Division, 1 January 1975 – 1 October 1991
- Air Combat CommandAir Combat CommandAir Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....
to activate or inactivate at any time after 4 December 2001.
- 801st Air Division
Components
376th Expeditionary Operations Group- 512th Bombardment (also Reconnaissance) Squadron, 31 October 1942 – 10 November 1945; 23 May 1947-20 September 1948; 1 June 1951 – 16 June 1952
- 513th Bombardment (also Reconnaissance) Squadron513th Bombardment SquadronThe 513th Electronic Warfare Squadron is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the 53d Electronic Warfare Group, stationed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.-Mission:...
, 31 October 1942 – 10 November 1945; 23 May 1947-20 September 1948; 1 June 1951 – 16 June 1952 - 514th Bombardment (also Reconnaissance) Squadron, 31 October 1942 – 10 November 1945; 23 May 1947-20 September 1948; 1 June 1951 – 16 June 1952
- 515th Bombardment Squadron515th Bombardment SquadronThe 515th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 376th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio. It was inactivated on 9 January 1962.-History:...
, 31 October 1942 – 10 November 1945
376th Air Expeditionary Wing
Groups
- 376 Bombardment Group: 1 June 195 1–16 June 1952 (not operational)
Squadrons
- 65 Strategic: 1 July 1990 – 2 October 1991
- 82d Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron: 1 April 1970 – 30 September 1976
- 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:...
: 1 December 1957 – 15 June 1964 - 376 Air Refueling: 18 August 1953 – 1 December 1957
- 512th Bombardment Squadron: attached 1 June 1951 – 15 June 1952, assigned 16 June 1952 – 15 March 1965
- 513th Bombardment Squadron513th Bombardment SquadronThe 513th Electronic Warfare Squadron is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the 53d Electronic Warfare Group, stationed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.-Mission:...
: attached 1 June 1951 – 15 June 1952, assigned 16 June 1952 – 15 March 1965 - 514th Bombardment Squadron: attached 1 June 1951 – 15 June 1952, assigned 16 June 1952 – 15 March 1965
- 514th Bombardment Squadron: 1 December 1958 – 1 January 1962
- 909th Air Refueling Squadron909th Air Refueling SquadronThe 909th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base, Japan. It operates the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.-Mission:...
: 1 July 197 1–1 October 1991 (detached 5 November 1990 – 15 March 1991) - 4102d Air Refueling, Provisional: attached 6 June-8 November 1972; attached 18 December 1972 – 22 January 1973
- 4180 Bombardment: 1 April – 1 July 1970 (not operational)
- 4220 Air Refueling: 1 April 1970 – 31 January 1971
- 4363 Support (later, 4363 Post Attack Command and Control): attached 20 July 1962 – 15 February 1965
Stations
376th Expeditionary Operations Group- RAF LyddaRAF LyddaLod Air Force Base, also Air Force Base 27, was an Israeli Air Force base that was part of the Ben Gurion International Airport, located approximately north of Lod; east-southeast of Tel Aviv....
, British Mandate of Palestine, 31 October 1942 - RAF Abu SueirAbu Suwayr Air BaseAbu Suwayr Air Base is an Egyptian Air Force base, located approximately 17 km west of Ismailia ; 116 km northeast of Cairo....
, Egypt, 8 November 1942 - RAF GambutRAF GambutRAF Gambut is an abandoned military airfield in Libya, located about 5 km north-northeast of Kambut and 50 km east-southeast of Tobruk....
(Kambut), LibyaLibyaLibya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, c. January 1943 - Soluch (Suluq) Airfield, Libya, 22 February 1943
- Benina Airport, Benghazi, Libya, c. 6 April 1943
- Enfidaville AirfieldEnfidaville AirfieldEnfidaville Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Tunisia, located approximately 13 km north-northwest of Harqalah; approximately 90 km southwest of Tunis. It was used by the United States Army Air Force Twelfth Air Force during the North African Campaign as a B-17...
, Tunisia, 26 September 1943 - San Pancrazio AirfieldSan Pancrazio AirfieldSan Pancrazio Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Italy, which is located approximately 4 km northeast of San Pancrazio Salentino in the province of Brindisi in Puglia,on the south-east Italy coast...
, Italy, c. 17 November 1943 – 19 April 1945 - Harvard Army AirfieldHarvard Army AirfieldHarvard State Airport , also known as Harvard State Airfield, is a public use airport located two nautical miles northeast of the central business district of Harvard, a city in Clay County, Nebraska, United States. It is owned by the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics...
, NebraskaNebraskaNebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, 8 May 1945 - Grand Island Army AirfieldGrand Island Army AirfieldGrand Island Army Airfield was a United States Army Air Forces airfield which operated from 1942 to 1946. After its closure, the base was reopened as Central Nebraska Regional Airport.-History:...
, Nebraska, 25 June – 10 November 1945 - Gravelly PointGravelly PointGravelly Point is a park in Arlington, Virginia, United States. It is located north of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, along the George Washington Parkway, and across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C....
, VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, 23 May 1947 – 20 September 1948 - Forbes AFB, 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...
, 1 June 1951 - Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, 10 October 1951 – 16 June 1942
- Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyz Republic since 4 December 2001
376th Air Expeditionary Wing
- Forbes AFB, 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...
, 1 June 1951 - Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, 10 October 1951
- Lockbourne AFB, 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...
, 1 December 1957 – 15 March 1965 - Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan, 1 April 1970 – 1 October 1991.
- Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyz Republic since 4 December 2001
Aircraft
376th Expeditionary Operations Group- B-17D Flying Fortress, 1942
- B-24 LiberatorB-24 LiberatorThe Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
, 1942–1945 - B/WB-29 Superfortress, 1947–1948
- From since 2001, supported attached transitory Air Expeditionary aircraft, including C-17 Globemaster IIIC-17 Globemaster IIIThe Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft. Developed for the United States Air Force from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas, the C-17 is used for rapid strategic airlift of troops and cargo to main operating bases or forward operating bases throughout...
and 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...
.
376th Air Expeditionary Wing
- 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...
, 1951–1954 - B/E/EB-47 Stratojet, 1954–1965
- E-47 Stratojet, 1958–1961
- 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:...
, 1953–1963 - 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...
, 1963–1964; 1970–1991 - B-52D Stratofortress, 1970
- RC-135, 1970–1991
See also
- List of B-47 units of the United States Air Force
- List of B-52 Units of the United States Air Force
External links
- 376th Heavy Bombardment Group, Inc. Veterans Association
- 376th Mission History
- Joe's USAF Blue Book
- 376th Heavy Bombardment Group Oral Histories, a digital collection of audio and video oral histories with veterans serving in the 376th Heavy Bombardment Group during World War II