43d Airlift Wing
Encyclopedia
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 Pope Army Airfield, part of Fort Bragg, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
.
The 43 AG performs en route operations support at Pope AAF to include mission command & control, aircrew management, aircraft maintenance, aircraft loading, aircraft fueling and supply.
Overview
The unit provides strategic enroute airlift support and C-130 HerculesC-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
tactical airlift support to the Army's XVIII Airborne Corps, 82nd Airborne Division and US Special Forces Command. It is capable of deploying a self-sustaining war fighting package anywhere in the world at a moment's notice and reflected Pope's motto "Ready Now".
It traces its roots back to the 43d Bombardment Group (Heavy), which was constituted 20 November 1940, and activated 15 January 1941, at Langley Field, VA. It operated primarily in the Southwest Pacific Theater as a B-17 Flying Fortress, and later a 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...
heavy bomber unit assigned to Fifth Air Force
Fifth Air Force
The Fifth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan....
. The 43d Operations Group
43d Operations Group
The 43d Operations Group was the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 43d Airlift Wing. It was stationed at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina, and is assigned to the Air Mobility Command Eighteenth Air Force.The unit was Air Mobility Command's only active-duty C-130...
carries the lineage and history of its highly decorated 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...
predecessor unit.
Active for over 60 years, the 43 AG 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 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 43d Airlift Group is commanded by Colonel James C. Johnson. Its Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Douglas A. Ackerman.
The 2005 BRAC Law mandated the distribution of the assigned 43d Airlift Wing C-130s and the 23rd Fighter Group A-10s to meet Air Force requirements at other locations; establish a Reserve/Active Duty 16 C-130H organization; establish a Medical Squadron; establish an Air Force Group to provide mission execution, planning, and management of efficient load-out of Fort Bragg assets; and transfer Real Property accountability to the Army (Fort Bragg). The 2005 BRAC Law directed the mandates be completed no later than 15 September 2011.
The 440th Airlift Wing
440th Airlift Wing
The 440th Airlift Wing is a United States Air Force Reserve unit assigned to Twenty-Second Air Force. It is stationed at Pope Field, part of Fort Bragg in North Carolina....
stood up at Pope AFB in June 2007 and the active duty squadrons, the 2nd Airlift Squadron and the 43d Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, were associated in June 2008. The transfer of the Pope assigned 23rd FG A-10s was completed in December 2007 and the 43d AW C-130s was completed in June 2008.
Units
It consists of the following groups:- 43d Operations Group43d Operations GroupThe 43d Operations Group was the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 43d Airlift Wing. It was stationed at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina, and is assigned to the Air Mobility Command Eighteenth Air Force.The unit was Air Mobility Command's only active-duty C-130...
- Dual Mission: 1) Combat-ready C-130 operations group. On short notice, delivers/resupplies troops in forward battle area via Adverse Weather Aerial Delivery System (AWADS) and/or visual procedures. Employs USAF's only tactical aeromedical evacuation squadron. 2) En route aerial support. Principal airfield for joint training/outload of XVIII Airborne Corps/82nd Airborne Division. Supports 2 tenant A-10 units.
- 43d Maintenance Group
- Provides quality organizational and intermediate-level maintenance and logistics support for the Air Force's premier tactical airlift wing. Maintains worldwide mobilization capability and provides combat-ready C-130 to support United States national interests anytime, anywhere. Provides wing quality assurance program to ensure workforce qualification. In accordance with the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Law, the last of Pope's active duty C-130E aircraft left in June 2008, realigning under several wings in AMC, including Dyess AFB, Tex. and Little Rock AFB, Ark.
- 43d Medical Group
- Provides comprehensive medical support to over 3,000 active-duty personnel. Promotes the optimal health and combat readiness of warfighters across the entire spectrum of military operations. Enhances the health and fitness for 20,000 beneficiaries through prevention-oriented programs and population-based health-care delivery.
- 43d Mission Support Group
- Creates, sustains and protects combat capability for the 43d Airlift Wing and 18th Air Support Operations Group. Provides aerial port, communications, contracting, engineering/fire protection/readiness, force protection/security, personnel, services/MWR, and supply/transportation support to 3,000 personnel assigned to Pope AFB in addition to supporting the XVIII Airborne Corps (41,000 personnel). Delivers superior mission support to generate combat power worldwide.
Cold War
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 (SAC) global commitments. Wing personnel established flight records, flying two B-29s around the world in 1948 in 15 days, flying the B-50 Lucky Lady II nonstop around the world in 94 hours and 40 seconds in 1949.
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 43d set a new jet endurance record in 1954 by keeping a B-47 airborne for 47:35 hours. Flew numerous training missions and participated in various SAC exercises and deployments with the Stratojet during the 1950s. In the late 1950s, the B-47 was considered to be reaching obsolescence, and was being phased out of SAC's strategic arsenal. The 43d began reassigning it's Stratojets to other wings as replacement aircraft beginning in 1959.
The wing converted to the Convair B-58 Hustler
B-58 Hustler
The Convair B-58 Hustler was the first operational supersonic jet bomber capable of Mach 2 flight. The aircraft was designed by Convair engineer Robert H. Widmer and developed for the United States Air Force for service in the Strategic Air Command during the 1960s...
aircraft, the world's first supersonic bomber, in 1960. The 43d Bombardment Wing was the first USAF B-58 wing, 59-2436, the first fully operational Hustler equipped with all tactical systems, was delivered to the 43d on 15 March. On 23 March a test unit B-58A (55-0671), remained airborne for 18 hours 10 minutes while averaging an airspeed of 620 mph over 11,000 miles. This was apparently the longest-lasting single flight ever by a B-58. The 43d BW received deliveries of new aircraft from Convair throughout the year, the last being in December 1960.
From March 1960 to July 1961 it operated a combat crew training school for B-58 aircrews, and from July 1962 until late 1969 it served as one of two SAC B-58 wings with a strategic bombardment mission. During the 1960s the wing established world flight speed records in the B-58. For example, in May 1961, a wing B-58 flew from New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 3 hours, 14 minutes, and 45 seconds, establishing a new transatlantic
Transatlantic flight
Transatlantic flight is the flight of an aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean. A transatlantic flight may proceed east-to-west, originating in Europe or Africa and terminating in North America or South America, or it may go in the reverse direction, west-to-east...
speed record of 1,089.36 mph. During a race in 1962, a wing B-58 flew from Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to New York at an average speed of 1,214.65 mph. It flew from Los Angeles to New York and back in 4 hours, 41 minutes, and 15 seconds. The 43d BW, which had been prevented from being declared combat-ready by the B-58's teething problems, was finally declared as such in August 1962. The Wing was placed on alert in September 1962.
By the mid-1960s, the B-58 had become a fairly effective weapons system. By the end of 1962, USAF crews had made over 10,500 flights and loges 53,00 hours (1150 of them supersonic, including 375 at Mach 2). Initially, all B-58 training was conducted by the 43d Combat Crew Training School. From 1960 through 1964, this unit fulfilled the requirements of both its parent 43d BW and the second B-58 wing, the 305th BW. In August 1964, the 305th activated its own CCTS. The wing also controlled an air refueling squadron from August 1964.
The active service life of the B-58 was destined to be rather short. Phaseout of the B-58 fleet was ordered by Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara in December 1965, since it was felt that the high-altitude performance of the B-58 could no longer guarantee success against increasingly sophisticated Soviet air defenses. Although SAC had never been happy with the relatively limited range of the B-58 and felt that the Air Force through congressional pressure had forced the B-58 on them, the aircraft had gone through a long gestation period during which lots of bugs had been wrung out of the system, and it was now thought to be a valuable and effective weapons system. Consequently, SAC pressed the Defense Department for the retention of the B-58, at least until 1974. However, the decision of 1965 was to stand.
Another factor was the B-58's relatively high cost as compared to the B-52 and B-47. The unit cost of the B-58 was 33.5 million dollars as compared to 9 million for the B-52 and 3 million for the B-47. The cost of maintaining and operating two B-58 wings equaled the cost of maintaining six B-52 wings. In addition, the B-58 was quite costly to maintain.
The first B-58 to go to the boneyard was 59-2446, which flew to Davis Monthan AFB on 5 November 1969. Once underway, the B-58 retirement program moved relatively rapidly. The retirement was completed on 16 January 1970.
Vietnam War
Once their B-58s were in storage, the 43d BW was temporarily inactivated, but was immediately reactivated with the assets of the 3960th Strategic Wing at Andersen AFB on GuamGuam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
. The 3960th SW was established on 1 November 1965 at Anderson as a provisional SAC MAJCOM Wing with a mission to support B-52 and KC-135 elements from SAC CONUS-based units engaged in combat operations over Southeast Asia 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...
.
In 1970, in order to retain the lineage of its provisional wing at Anderson, 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 Anderson. On 1 April 1970, the 3960th SW was redesignated as the 43d Strategic Wing. The 43d SW employed attached aircraft and aircrews of other SAC units deployed from bases in the United States to participate in Operation Arc Light
Operation Arc Light
Operation Arc Light was the 1965 deployment of B-52D Stratofortresses as conventional bombers from bases in the US to Guam to support ground combat operations in Vietnam...
combat missions 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...
from 1 July to mid-August 1970, and again from February 1972 to August 1973.
Following the end of combat operations the 43d provided routing training and ground alert with B-52 and KC-135 aircraft, the latter provided by other SAC units on loan. During 1975 the wing provided logistical and medical support to thousands of Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
ese refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
s evacuated from their homeland and located temporarily at Guam awaiting resettlement in the United States.
Post Vietnam era
The wing trained to remain proficient in strategicMilitary strategy
Military strategy is a set of ideas implemented by military organizations to pursue desired strategic goals. Derived from the Greek strategos, strategy when it appeared in use during the 18th century, was seen in its narrow sense as the "art of the general", 'the art of arrangement' of troops...
and conventional warfare
Conventional warfare
Conventional warfare is a form of warfare conducted byusing conventional military weapons and battlefield tactics between two or more states in open confrontation. The forces on each side are well-defined, and fight using weapons that primarily target the opposing army...
capabilities. Beginning in 1974 it controlled TDY
TDY
A temporary duty assignment , also known as "temporary additional duty" , "temporary duty travel" or "temporary duty" , refers to a United States Government employee travel assignment at a location other than the employee's permanent duty station. They are usually of relatively short duration,...
tankers and crews participating in the Pacific (formerly Andersen) Tanker Task Force that supported SAC operations in the western Pacific. In July 1986 the 43d activated the 65th Strategic Squadron to control the TDY air refueling forces.
Modern era
Since 1990 the 43d has been inactivated, redesignated and activated on several occasions. In 1989 Andersen AFB was transferred from the Strategic Air Command to Pacific Air Forces. The PACAF 633rd Air Base Wing was activated on 1 October 1989, which led to the deactivation of the 43d Bombardment Wing on 26 March 1990.The wing was redesignated as the 43d Air Refueling Wing, and activated, on 1 June 1992 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,...
where it conducted refueling operations under 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 ....
before being moved to 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...
when flight operations ended at Malmstrom. At MacDill it was redesignated as a group and operated until 1 October 1996 when it was inactivated and replaced by the 6th Air Refueling Wing when Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command is a Major Command of the U.S. Air Force. AMC is headquartered at Scott AFB, Illinois, east of St. Louis....
assumed the air refueling mission from ACC.
It was brought back into active service in 1997 when the unit was redesignated as the 43d Airlift Wing on 31 March and activated on 1 April 1997 at Pope AFB, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
under Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command is a Major Command of the U.S. Air Force. AMC is headquartered at Scott AFB, Illinois, east of St. Louis....
. Crews and aircraft deployed to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and 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...
for expeditionary rotations and contingency operations such as the enforcement of no-fly zone
No-fly zone
A no-fly zone is a territory or an area over which aircraft are not permitted to fly. Such zones are usually set up in a military context, somewhat like a demilitarized zone in the sky, and usually prohibit military aircraft of a belligerent nation from operating in the region.-Iraq,...
s over Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. It also took part in humanitarian
Humanitarian aid
Humanitarian aid is material or logistical assistance provided for humanitarian purposes, typically in response to humanitarian crises including natural disaster and man-made disaster. The primary objective of humanitarian aid is to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity...
airlift operations and training exercises
Military exercise
A military exercise is the employment of military resources in training for military operations, either exploring the effects of warfare or testing strategies without actual combat...
, often with U.S. Army airborne
Airborne forces
Airborne forces are military units, usually light infantry, set up to be moved by aircraft and 'dropped' into battle. Thus they can be placed behind enemy lines, and have an ability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning...
organizations stationed at nearby Fort Bragg
Fort Bragg (North Carolina)
Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate...
. After terrorist attacks on the United States on 11 September 2001, elements deployed in support of the Global War on Terror
War on Terrorism
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
.
Lineage
- Established as 43d Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy, on 3 November 1947
- Organized on 17 November 1947
- Redesignated 43d Bombardment Wing, Medium, on 1 August 1948
- Inactivated on 31 January 1970
- Redesignated 43d Strategic Wing on 4 February 1970
- Activated on 4 February 1970. Scheduled to replace the 3960th Strategic Wing on 1 April 1970
- Organized on 1 April 1970 assuming the resources (Manpower, Equipment, Weapons, & Facilities) of the 3960th Strategic Wing
- Redesignated 43d Bombardment Wing, Heavy, on 4 November 1986
- Inactivated on 30 September 1990
- Redesignated 43d Air Refueling Wing, and activated, on 1 June 1992
- Redesignated 43d Air Refueling Group on 1 July 1994
- Inactivated on 1 October 1996
- Redesignated 43d Airlift Wing on 31 March 1997
- Activated on 1 April 1997.
- Re-designated 43d Airlift Group 1 March 2011
Assignments
- 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....
, 17 November 1947 - 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 April 1950 - 36th Air Division, 4 September 1951
- Attached to: 7th Air Division, c. 10 March-5 June 1953 and 5 September-10 December 1954
- Attached to: 3rd Air Division, 1 July-1 October 1957
- 19th Air Division, 15 March 1960
- Attached to: 825th Strategic Aerospace Division825th Strategic Aerospace DivisionThe 825th Strategic Aerospace 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 Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas...
, 19–31 August 1964- 825th Strategic Aerospace Division825th Strategic Aerospace DivisionThe 825th Strategic Aerospace 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 Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas...
, 1 September 1964
- 825th Strategic Aerospace Division
- 42nd Air Division, 1–31 January 1970
- 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
- Attached to: Air Division, Provisional, 57, 1 June 1972-14 November 1973
- 3rd Air Division, 1 January 1975-30 September 1990
- 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 June 1992-1 October 1996 - Twenty-First Air ForceTwenty-First Air ForceThe 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the Air Force’s Air Mobility Command. It is headquartered at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey$3...
, 1 April 1997 - Eighteenth Air ForceEighteenth Air ForceEighteenth Air Force is a Numbered Air Force component of the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It was activated on 1 October 2003 and headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois...
, 1 October 2003–present
Components
Groups- 43d Bombardment (later, 43d Operations) Group: 17 November 1947 – 16 June 1952 (detached 16 August – 16 November 1949; not operational, 10 February 1951 – 16 June 1952); 1 June 1992 – 1 July 1994; 1 April 1997 –
- 453rd Operations Group: 1 June 1992 – 1 July 1994
- 459th Bombardment Group459th Air Refueling WingThe 459th Air Refueling Wing is an Air Force Reserve Command unit based at Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility since 1954.-Overview:...
: attached 27 June 1949 – 16 June 1951 - 2nd Bombardment Group: attached 17 November 1947 – 31 December 1948 (not operational).
Squadrons
- 2nd Airlift Squadron2nd Airlift Squadron2nd Airlift Squadron was a unit of Polish Air Force stationed in 2nd Air Base in Bydgoszcz, Poland. It was disbanded in 2007....
: 1 April 1997 – present - 2nd Air Refueling Squadron: attached c. 30 April 1949 – 16 September 1950 (not operational, 30 April – 30 June 1949; further attached to 43 Bombardment Group, 1 July 1949 – 16 September 1950);attached 1 July 1949 – 16 September 1950
- 9th Air Refueling Squadron9th Air Refueling SquadronThe 9th Air Refueling Squadron was initially activated in 1951, although its history can be traced back to the 9th Photographic Squadron of World War II...
: attached 1 August 1951 – 15 January 1952 and 6 October – 14 November 1952 - 28th Air Refueling Squadron28th Air Refueling SquadronThe 28th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force unit. It was last known to be assigned to the 40th Air Expeditionary Group. Diego Garcia Air Base, British Indian Ocean Territory...
: 1 June 1992 – 15 May 1994 - 41st Airlift Squadron41st Airlift SquadronThe 41st Airlift Squadron is part of the 19th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. It operates C-130J Super Hercules aircraft.-History:...
: 1 April 1997 – 23 February 2007 - 43d Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron43d Aeromedical Evacuation SquadronThe 43d Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron is a unit of the United States Air Force. It is part of the 43d Airlift Group at Pope Field, North Carolina...
: 1 April 1997 – present - 43d Air Refueling Squadron43d Air Refueling SquadronThe 43d Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 92nd Bombardment Wing, stationed at Fairchild AFB, Washington. It was inactivated on 1 September 1991.-Air Transport Command:...
- Attached: 10 February 1951 – 15 June 1952
- Assigned: 19 July 1948 – 15 March 1960 (detached 18 October – 28 December 1955); 19 July 1948 – 16 June 1952 (detached 10 February 1951 – 16 June 1952)
- 60th Bombardment Squadron60th Bombardment SquadronThe 60th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 43d Bombardment Wing. It was inactivated at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam on 30 April 1990-History:...
: 1 July 1971 – 30 April 1990 (not operational, 1 July 1971 – c. February 1972) - 63rd Bombardment Squadron: 1 October 1946 – 31 January 1970 (detached 10 February 1951 – 16 June 1952)
- Bombardment Squadron Provisional, 63rd: attached 15 June 1972 – 30 June 1975 (not operational, c. November 1973 – 30 June 1975)
- 64th Bombardment Squadron64th Bombardment SquadronThe 64th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 72d Strategic Wing , based at Andersen AFB, Guam. It was inactivated on 15 November 1973.-History:...
: 1 October 1946 – 31 January 1970 (detached 10 February 1951 – 16 June 1952) - 65th Bombardment Squadron65th Bombardment SquadronThe 65th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 72d Strategic Wing , based at Andersen AFB, Guam. It was inactivated on 15 November 1973.-History:...
(later, 65th Strategic Squadron65th Bombardment SquadronThe 65th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 72d Strategic Wing , based at Andersen AFB, Guam. It was inactivated on 15 November 1973.-History:...
): attached 10 February 1951 – 15 June 1952, assigned 16 June 1952 – 31 January 1970 (not operational, 15 March – August 1960); 1 July 1986 – 1 July 1990 - 70th Air Refueling Squadron70th Air Refueling SquadronThe 70th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 349th Air Mobility Wing at Travis Air Force Base, California. It operates the KC-10 Extender aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions as the reserve associate to the 60th Air Mobility Wing....
: attached 19 August–31, 1964, assigned 1 September 1964 – 1 January 1970 - 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 July 1994 – 1 October 1996; 1 June 1992 – 1 July 1994 - 97th Air Refueling Squadron97th Air Refueling SquadronThe 97th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 92d Air Refueling Wing, stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington...
: 1 October 1992 – 1 April 1994 - 307th Air Refueling Squadron307th Air Refueling SquadronThe 307th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 410th Bombardment Wing, stationed at K.I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan. It was inactivated on 1 August 1990.-History:...
: attached 16 September 1950 – 1 August 1951 (further attached to 43d Bombardment Group, 16 September 1950 – 9 February 1951); attached 16 September 1950 – 9 February 1951 - 350th Air Refueling Squadron350th Air Refueling SquadronThe 350th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 22d Air Refueling Wing at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas. It operates the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.-Mission:...
: 1 October 1993 – 1 July 1994. - 403rd Bombardment: 15 January 1941 – 29 April 1946; 1 December 1958 – 15 March 1960; 15 May 1960 – 1 January 1961 (not operational)
- 905th Air Refueling Squadron905th Air Refueling SquadronThe 905th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 319th Air Refueling Wing at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota. It operates the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.-History:...
: 1 July – 1 October 1993 - 906th Air Refueling Squadron906th Air Refueling SquadronThe 906th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 375th Air Mobility Wing at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.-Mission:The 906 ARS operates the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.-History:...
: 1 June 1992 – 30 January 1994 - 4182nd Bombardment Squadron: 1 April 1970 – 1 January 1971 (not operational)
- 60th Bombardment Squadron
Stations
- Davis-Monthan Field (later, AFB), ArizonaArizonaArizona ; 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...
, 17 November 1947
- Deployed at: RAF Brize NortonRAF Brize NortonRAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, about west north-west of London, is the largest station of the Royal Air Force. It is close to the settlements of Brize Norton, Carterton and Witney....
, 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...
, c. 10 March – 5 June 1953 - Deployed at: RAF FairfordRAF FairfordRAF Fairford is a Royal Air Force station in Gloucestershire, England. It is a standby airfield, not in everyday use. Its most prominent use in recent years has been as an airfield for United States Air Force B-52s during the 2003 Iraq War, Operation Allied Force in 1999, and the first Gulf War in...
, 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...
, 5 September – 10 December 1954 - Deployed at: Andersen AFB, GuamGuamGuam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, 1 July – 1 October 1957- Carswell AFB, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, 15 March 1960
- Carswell AFB, Texas
- Little Rock AFB, ArkansasArkansasArkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, 1 September 1964 – 31 January 1970 - Andersen AFB, GuamGuamGuam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, 1 April 1970 – 30 September 1990 - 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,...
, 1 June 1992 – 1 July 1994 - MacDill AFB, FloridaFloridaFlorida 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...
, 1 October 1996 - Pope AFB, North CarolinaNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, 1 April 1997
- Re-designated Pope Army Airfield, 1 March 2011-Present
Aircraft
- 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...
, 1944–1950; KB-29, 1949–1953 - B-50 SuperfortressB-50 SuperfortressThe 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...
, 1948–1954 - 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:...
, 1953–1955, 1955–1960; 1970–1972 - 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...
, 1954–1960 - YRB-58,B/TB-58 Hustler, 1960–1970
- TF-102 Delta Dagger, 1960–1962
- 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...
, 1964–1972; 1973–1980; 1992–1996;
- B-52 StratofortressB-52 StratofortressThe 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...
, 1970–1990
- B-52D, 1970–1983; B-52G, 1983–1990
- KC-10 ExtenderKC-10 ExtenderThe 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...
, 1986–1990 - C-118 LiftmasterDouglas DC-6The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range...
, 1973–1974 - C-12 HuronC-12 HuronThe C-12 Huron is the military designation for a series of twin-engine turboprop aircraft based on the Beechcraft Super King Air and Beechcraft 1900. C-12 variants are used by the United States Air Force, United States Army, United States Navy and United States Marine Corps...
, 1994 - C-130 HerculesC-130 HerculesThe Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
, 1997–present
- KC-10 Extender
References for commands and major units assigned, components and stations:
See also
- List of B-50 units of the United States Air Force
- List of B-47 units of the United States Air Force