449th Air Expeditionary Group
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 the 17th Air Force (Air Forces Africa)
Seventeenth Air Force
Seventeenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force located at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The command served the United States Air Forces in Europe during its years of active service...
supporting United States Africa Command
United States Africa Command
The United States Africa Command is one of nine Unified Combatant Commands of the United States Armed Forces, headquartered at Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany. It is responsible for U.S. military operations and military relations with 53 African nations – an area of responsibility covering all...
. It was last known to be stationed at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti.
Its assignment was to support the Africa Command and Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa mission supporting varied U.S. objectives in the area. Sibling organizations are the 294th Infantry Battalion; 1st Battalion, 3d Infantry Regiment and various Explosive Ordinance Disposal Teams.
The groups origins begin as the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
449th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 6 April 1943. Activated on 1 May 1943. Prepared for combat with 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 bombers. Moved to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, December 1943 – January 1944, and assigned to the 47th Bombardment Wing of the 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....
. The group operated primarily as a strategic bombardment organization, attacking such targets as oil refineries, communications centers, aircraft factories, and industrial areas in Italy, Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Rumania, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Albania, and Greece. After returning to the United States at the end of May 1945, the unit was assigned to Second Air Force
Second Air Force
The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
and transitioned to B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
es and was redesignated a Very Heavy bomb group.
In the postwar era, the 449th Bombardment Group was one of the original ten USAAF bombardment groups assigned to 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...
on 21 March 1946. The unit was inactivated on 4 August 1946 at Grand Island AAF, Nebraska, its B-29 aircraft and personnel being reassigned to the senior 28th Bombardment Group which was reactivated due to the Air Force's policy of retaining only low-numbered groups on active duty after the war.
The 449th Bombardment Wing, Heavy was reactivated in 1962, replacing the 4239th Strategic Wing and assumed a mission of training for strategic bombardment flying B-52 Stratofortress
B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
es as part 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...
. The unit inactivated on 30 November 1977 with the closure of Kincheloe AFB, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
.
World War II
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. Assigned to II Bomber Command
II Bomber Command
The II Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Second Air Force, based at Fort George Wright, Washington. It was inactivated on 6 October 1943....
for training. Prepared for combat with 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...
s. The first morning report was issued on 27 May 1943. The strength of the Group on that date was listed as 52 officers and 33 enlisted men. Over the next 7 months the Group steadily increased to full strength as the training program progressed. On 1 July 1943 the Group was moved to Alamogordo Army Airfield, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
where second phase training was performed. On 6 September 1943 the Group was again relocated, this time to Bruning Army Airfield
Bruning Army Airfield
Bruning Army Airfield was a flight training installation of the United States Army Air Forces used during World War II and located in northeast Thayer County, Nebraska, at coordinates 40°20'25" North, 97°25'42" West, approximately six miles east of Bruning....
, 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....
. The move to Bruning was completed on 18 September 1943. At that time the 449th consisted of a total complement of 184 officers and 1,203 enlisted men. At Bruning the group received its new operational B-24 Liberators from Consolodated.
By December 1943, training was complete and the 449th was ordered overseas to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations
Mediterranean Theater of Operations
The Mediterranean Theater of Operations, United States Army was originally called North African Theater of Operations and is an American term for the conflict that took place between the Allies and Axis Powers in North Africa and Italy during World War II...
(MTO). Each crew flew its aircraft overseas by the South Atlantic Transport Route which took them to Morrison Field, Florida, then to Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and thence to Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. The Atlantic crossing was made from Brazil to Dakar
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
, French West Africa
French West Africa
French West Africa was a federation of eight French colonial territories in Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan , French Guinea , Côte d'Ivoire , Upper Volta , Dahomey and Niger...
. From Dakar the planes flew north to Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
by way of Marrakech
Marrakech
Marrakech or Marrakesh , known as the "Ochre city", is the most important former imperial city in Morocco's history...
. From Tunis they flew to their forward operating base at Grottaglie Airfield near Taranto
Taranto
Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto and is an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base....
, Italy. It was assigned to the 47th Bombardment Wing of the 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....
.
Operated primarily as a strategic bombardment organization, attacking such targets as oil refineries, communications centers, aircraft factories, and industrial areas in Italy, Germany, Austria, 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...
, Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria, Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
, and Greece.
Received a DUC for a mission on 4 April 1944 when the group, flying without escort, raided marshalling yards in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
; although heavily outnumbered by German fighters, the group succeeded not only in bombing the target but also in destroying many of the enemy interceptors. Received another DUC for action on 9 July 1944 when the group flew through heavy smoke and intense enemy fire to attack an oil refinery
Oil refinery
An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into more useful petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt base, heating oil, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas...
at Ploesti. Other operations of the group included bombing gun emplacements in southern France in preparation for the invasion in August 1944, and attacking troop concentrations, bridges, and viaducts in April 1945 to assist Allied forces in northern Italy.
The group was ordered back to the United States during May after the German Capitulation. The 449th was redesignated a Very Heavy bombardment group and was programmed for very long range strategic bombardment operations against the Japanese Home Islands using B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
es. Many personnel were demobilized upon arrival at the port of debarkation; a small caadre of key personnel was formed and the group was then established at Sioux Falls Army Air Field South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
in late May where the group was reformed with new personnel.
After a period of organization, the group moved to Dalhart Army Airfield, Texas, where initial training was conducted with former II Bomber Command
II Bomber Command
The II Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Second Air Force, based at Fort George Wright, Washington. It was inactivated on 6 October 1943....
B-17 Flying Fortress; B-25 Mitchell
B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
s and some B-29s. As the group was so far along in training, the group was moved to Grand Island Army Airfield
Grand Island Army Airfield
Grand 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
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....
in September after the Japanese Capitulation where it became a regular unit of Continental Air Forces, receiving some of the last new B-29 aircraft manufactured by Boeing.
On 21 March 1946, the 449th Bombardment Group became one of the initial ten B-29 groups assigned to the newly-established 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...
. Inactivated on 4 August 1946 due to budget restraints, its personnel and equipment being reassigned to the senior 28th Bombardment Group.
Strategic Air Command
On 2 February 1959, Strategic Air CommandStrategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
established the 4239th Strategic Wing at Kincheloe AFB, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
as part of SAC's plan to disburse its B-52 Stratofortress
B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
heavy bombers over a larger number of bases, thus making it more difficult for the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
to knock out the entire fleet with a surprise first strike. The wing consisted of the 93d Bombardment Squadron, consisting of 15 B-52Hs, and the KC-135-equipped 908th Air Refueling Squadron. Half of the aircraft were maintained on fifteen minute alert, fully fueled, armed, and ready for combat. SAC Strategic Wings were considered a provisional unit by HQ, USAF and could not carry a permanent history or lineage.
In 1962, in order to retain the lineage of its MAJCOM 4-digit combat units and to perpetuate the lineage of many currently inactive bombardment units with illustrious World War II
World War II
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...
records, Headquarters SAC received authority from Headquarters USAF to discontinue its MAJCOM strategic wings that were equipped with combat aircraft and to activate AFCON units, most of which were inactive at the time which could carry a lineage and history.
The 4239th Strategic Wing was Inactivated & Discontinued as the 449th Bombardment Wing (449th BW) was Activated on 15 Nov 1962 and Organized (the Assignment of Personnel & Equipment) on 1 February 1963 was assigned to SAC's Second Air Force
Second Air Force
The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
, 40th Air Division
40th Air Division
The 40th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Fifteenth Air Force, stationed at Malmstrom AFB, Montana...
. The 93d BS was also Inactivated & Discontinued as the 716th Bombardment Squadron
716th Bombardment Squadron
The 716th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 449th Bombardment Wing. It was inactivated at Kincheloe Air Force Base, Michigan on 30 September 1977.-History:...
, one of the unit's World War II historical bomb squadrons, Activated on 15 Nov 1962 and Organized on the same dates as the 449th Bombardment Wing. The 908th Air Refueling Squadron (Heavy), and the 70th Munitions Maintenance Squadron designations was unchanged, and component support units (the 4239th / 449th Airborne Missile Maintenance Squadron; 4239th / 449th Armament & Electronics Maintenance Squadron; 4239th / 449th Field Maintenance Squadron; and the 4239th / 449th Organizational Maintenance Squadron) underwent the same actions as the newly-established wing. On 1 Oct 1968, the 449th became the host unit assigned to Kinchloe AFB with the inactivations of the 507th Fighter Wing (Air Defense)and the activations & Organizations of the 449th Combat Support Group, the 449th Civil Engineering Squadron, 449th Security Police Squadron, 449th Services Squadron, 449th Supply Squadron, and the 449th Transportation Squadron. As under the Tri-Deputate organization, all flying components were directly assigned to the wing, no operational group element was activated. With the activation, the history, lineage and honors of the 449th Bombardment Group were bestowed upon the newly established wing upon activation.
The 449th continued the mission of strategic bombardment training and contributing to SAC's worldwide refueling capability. It supported SAC combat operations in Southeast Asia by furnishing KC-135 aircraft and crews, November 1965 – December 1975, and B-52 crews, May 1968 – June 1975.
In December 1965, the Department of Defense announced a decision to close Kincheloe AFB by October 1971. However, in May 1971, the decision to close the base was reversed and it was again a component of SAC. This was only a six-year reprieve, as the base was inactivated on 30 September 1977 as part of an ongoing Reduction in Force in the USAF following the end of 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 B-52s and KC-135s of the 449th were reassigned to other SAC units, and the wing was inactivated on 30 September 1977 concurrently with the closure of the base.
Lineage
- Constituted as 449th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 6 April 1943
- Activated on 1 May 1943.
- Redesignated 449th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) on 29 May 1945
- Inactivated on 4 August 1946, aircraft/personnel/equipment redesignated 28th Bombardment Group
- Established as 449th Fighter-Bomber Wing on 23 March 1953
- Redesignated 449th Bombardment Wing, Heavy on 15 November 1962
- Activated on 15 November 1962 to replace the 4239th Strategic Wing
- Organized on 1 February 1963 assuming the resources (Manpower, Aircraft, Equipment, Weapons, & Facilities) of the 4239th Strategic Wing (Inactivated).
- Inactivated on 30 September 1977.
- Redesignated: 449th Air Expeditionary Group and converted to provisional status in 2003.
- Activated and inactivated on undetermined dates.
Assignments
- Fourth Air ForceFourth Air ForceThe Fourth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve . It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California....
, 1 May – 12 September 1943 - 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....
, 12 September 1943 – January 1944 - 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....
, January 1944 – 16 May 1945
- 47th Bombardment Wing47th Air Division (United States)- History :The 47th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command, based at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington. It was inactivated on 27 February 1987....
: 11 December 1943 – 15 May 1945- Continental Air Forces
- 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....
, 29 May 1945 – 21 March 1946- Strategic Air CommandStrategic Air CommandThe 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...
: 21 March – 4 August 1946; 15 November 1962
- Strategic Air Command
- 40th Air Division40th Air DivisionThe 40th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Fifteenth Air Force, stationed at Malmstrom AFB, Montana...
, 1 February 1963 – 30 September 1977- 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 any time in 2003
- Air Combat Command
- Attached to United States Air Forces Central, 2003
- United States Air Forces in EuropeUnited States Air Forces in EuropeThe United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...
to activate or inactivate any time after 1 October 2008
- United States Air Forces in Europe
- Attached to Seventeenth Air ForceSeventeenth Air ForceSeventeenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force located at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The command served the United States Air Forces in Europe during its years of active service...
, 1 October 2008 – present
Stations
- Davis-Monthan Field, 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...
, 1 May 1943 - Alamogordo Army Airfield, New MexicoNew MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, 5 July 1943 - Bruning Army AirfieldBruning Army AirfieldBruning Army Airfield was a flight training installation of the United States Army Air Forces used during World War II and located in northeast Thayer County, Nebraska, at coordinates 40°20'25" North, 97°25'42" West, approximately six miles east of Bruning....
, 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....
, 12 September – 3 December 1943 - Grottaglie Airfield, Italy, c. 4 January 1944 – 16 May 1945
- Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South DakotaSouth DakotaSouth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, 29 May 1945 - Dalhart Army Airfield, Texas, 24 July 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:...
, 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 September 1945 – 4 August 1946. - Kincheloe AFB, MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, 1 February 1963 – 30 September 1977 - Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti (2001–present)
Components
Current- 81st Expeditionary Rescue Squadron
Tactical (Flying) Units
- 449th Bombardment Wing, Deputy Commander for Operations
- 716th Bombardment Squadron716th Bombardment SquadronThe 716th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 449th Bombardment Wing. It was inactivated at Kincheloe Air Force Base, Michigan on 30 September 1977.-History:...
: 1 May 1943 – 4 August 1946, 1 February 1963 – 30 September 1977 - 717th Bombardment Squadron717th Bombardment SquadronThe 717th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 4245th Strategic Wing, stationed at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. It was inactivated on 1 February 1963.-History:...
: 1 May 1943 – 4 August 1946 - 718th Bombardment Squadron718th Bombardment SquadronThe 718th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 4128th Strategic Wing, stationed at Amarillo Air Force Base, Texas. It was inactivated on 1 February 1963.-History:...
: 1 May 1943 – 4 August 1946 - 719th Bombardment (later 46th Reconnaissance) Squadron46th Reconnaissance SquadronThe 46th Reconnaissance Squadron is an inactive Strategic Air Command unit. Its last assignment was with the 5001st Composite Wing, based at Ladd Army Airfield, Alaska Territory....
: 1 May 1943 – 11 June 1945 - 908th Air Refueling Squadron: 1 July 1963 – 30 September 1977 (Active 2 February 1959 – 30 September 1977)
- 716th Bombardment Squadron
Maintenance Units
- 449th Bombardment Wing, Deputy Commander for Maintenance
- 70th Munitions Maintenance Squadron: 1 July 1963 – 30 September 1977 (Active 2 February 1959 – 30 September 1977)
- 449th Airborne Missile Maintenance Squadron: 1 July 1963 – 30 Jun 1975
- 449th Armament & Electronics Maintenance Squadron: 1 July 1963 – 30 September 1977
- 449th Field Maintenance Squadron: 1 July 1963 – 30 September 1977
- 449th Organizational Maintenance Squadron: 1 July 1963 – 30 September 1977
Support Units
- 449th Combat Support Group, 1 Oct 1968 – 30 Sep 1977
- 449th Civil Engineering Squadron, 1 Oct 1968 – 30 Sep 1977
- 449th Security Police Squadron, 1 Oct 1968 – 30 Sep 1977
- 449th Services Squadron, 1 Oct 1968 – 30 Sep 1977
- 449th Supply Squadron, 1 Oct 1968 – 30 Sep 1977
- 449th Transportation Squadron, 1 Oct 1968 – 30 Sep 1977
Aircraft and missiles operated
- Consolidated B-24 Liberator (1943–1945)
- Boeing B-29 Superfortress (1945–1946)
- Boeing B-52 Stratofortress (1963–1977)
- AGM-28 Hound DogAGM-28 Hound DogThe North American Aviation Corporation AGM-28 Hound Dog was a supersonic, jet propelled, air-launched cruise missile. The Hound Dog missile was first given the designation B-77, then redesignated the GAM-77, and finally designated the AGM-28, permanently...
(1963–1975) - AGM-69 SRAMAGM-69 SRAMThe Boeing AGM-69 SRAM was a nuclear air-to-surface missile designed to replace the older AGM-28 Hound Dog stand-off missile....
(1973–1977)
- AGM-28 Hound Dog
- Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker (1963–1977)
- Lockheed C-130 Hercules (present)