450th Bombardment Wing
Encyclopedia
The 450th Bombardment Wing is an inactive United States Air Force
unit. It was last assigned to the Strategic Air Command
810th Strategic Aerospace Division
, stationed at Minot Air Force Base
, North Dakota
. It was inactivated on 25 July 1968.
Originally activated in 1943 as the 450th Bombardment Group, the unit saw combat during World War II as a B-24 Liberator
heavy bomber group assigned to Fifteenth Air Force
in Italy. The highly decorated unit received two Distinguished Unit Citations in support of the invasion of Southern France, the advance of Russian troops in the Balkans, and the Allied effort in Italy. It was inactivated in October 1945.
Reactivated as a tactical fighter wing briefly in the 1950s, it was redesignated as the Strategic Air Command
450th Bombardment Wing in 1962, flying B-52 Stratofortress
es. It supported SAC combat operations in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War
. It was inactivated and replaced by the 5th Bombardment Wing, Heavy, in July 1968.
The 450th Bombardment Group (Heavy) was constituted on 6 April 1943 and activated on 1 May 1943 at Gowen Field, Idaho
. The new group was moved without personnel or equipment to a temporary station at Clovis Army Air Field, New Mexico
on 21 May 1943 where the command and headquarters of the group was assembled. On 5 July 1943, the group was reassigned to Alamogordo Army Airfield, which was to house the Group for all phases of training with their B-24 Liberator
bombers.
When the Group was finally assembled for the first time at Alamogordo, many of the key positions in both the Group and Squadrons had been filled. Both officers and men arrived daily and little by little all sections were built up to full strength. Crews were allotted in groups of eight, twelve and forty-six bringing the strength finally on 24 August 1943 to seventy or full strength.
After training was completed, was reassigned to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations
(MTO) in Southern Italy, arriving arriving in December 1943. Began operations with Fifteenth Air Force
in January 1944 and engaged chiefly in missions against strategic targets in Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia
, Hungary, and the Balkans until April 1945. Bombed aircraft factories, assembly plants, oil refineries, storage areas, marshalling yards, airdromes, and other objectives.
Contributed to the intensive Allied campaign against the enemy aircraft industry during Big Week
(20–25 February 1944) by attacking factories at Steyr
and Regensburg
, being awarded a DUC for braving the hazards of bad weather, enemy fighters, and flak to bombard a Messerschmitt
aircraft manufacturing factory at Regensburg on 25 February.
Received second Distinguished Unit Citation for a mission on 5 April 1944 when the group fought its way through relentless attacks by enemy aircraft to bomb railroad marshalling yards at Ploesti, Romania. Also struck such objectives as enemy defenses, troop concentrations, bridges, and marshalling yards in support of the Invasion of southern France; operated from Poltava Airbase, near Kiev
in the Soviet Union
, to support the advance of Russian troops in the Balkans as part of Operation Frantic
, and supporting the American Fifth Army
in the Allied effort in Italy.
The group redeployed to the United States during May. 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 Harvard Army Airfield
Nebraska
in July and the unit was redesignated the 450th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) in July and was equipped with B-29 Superfortress
es and programmed for deployment to the Pacific Theater
.
The Japanese Capitulation in August made the group redundant to Air Force requirements and the unit was demobilized, and the unit was inactivated on 15 October 1945.
, the 450th Fighter-Bomber Wing, was established and activated at Foster AFB, Texas, on 1 July 1954, replacing and absorbing the assets of the Air Training Command
3580th Pilot Training Wing. Four operational squadrons (720th, 721st, 722d and 723d) were assigned to the 450th Fighter-Bomber Group, initially being equipped with the North American F-86F Sabre. Its aircraft wore an approximation of the stars and stripes, with seven red and six white stripes on the trailing edge, and three stars in white on the blue forward portion of the fin. They also were designated with a colored, scalloped nose chevron.
The primary mission of the 450th FBW was to maintain tactical proficiency for combat operations and to prepare for overseas deployments as part of Ninth Air Force
. In early-1955, the 450th FBW began receiving new North American F-100C/D Super Sabre
aircraft, replacing the obsolescent F-86s. The 450th FBW was the first operational Tactical Air Command wing to be equpped with the F-100. With the change of equipment, the wing was redesignated as the 450th Fighter-Day Wing on 8 March 1955, with all its subordinate groups and squadrons also being redesignated. On 1 July 1958, the 450th was redesignated as the 450th Tactical Fighter Wing as part of a worldwide USAF naming reorganization.
On 28 August 1957, despite the fact that President Dwight D. Eisenhower
appropriated funds for new construction at the base, the base was ordered closed by the spring of 1959, with the resident 450th TFW inactivating. This closure was due to budgetary constraints in the Air Forces. The 450th TFW F-100 aircraft were reassigned to the 4th
and 36th Tactical Fighter Wings, and all units assigned to Foster were inactivated by mid-December 1958.
4136th Strategic Wing at Minot AFB, North Dakota
in a name-only transfer.
On 1 September 1958 SAC established the 4136th SW at Minot as part of SAC's plan to disburse its B-52 Stratofortress
heavy bombers over a larger number of bases, thus making it more difficult for the Soviet Union
to knock out the entire fleet with a surprise first strike. The 4136th SW consisted of the 526th Bombardment Squadron
, consisting of 15 B-52Gs, and the KC-135-equipped 906th 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
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 450th Bomb Wing as assigned to SAC's Second Air Force
, 810th Strategic Aerospace Division
. The 526th BS was also redesignated as the 720th Bombardment Squadron
, one of the unit's World War II historical bomb squadrons. The 71st ARS designation was unchanged, and component support units were also redesignated to the 450th numerical designation of the newly-established wing. As under the Tri-Deputate organization, all flying components were directly assigned to the wing, no operational group element was activated. Trained in global bombardment and air refueling operations. Added post attack command and control system (PACCS)/ airborne launch control system (ALCS) missions in 1967 and began active PACCS/ALCS missions in February 1968. Supported SAC combat operations in Southeast Asia by furnishing KC-135 aircraft and crews, December 1964 – July 1968, and B-52 crews, June–July 1968.
By 1968, Intercontinental ballistic missile
s (ICBM) had been deployed and become operational as part of the United States' strategic triad, and the need for B-52s had been reduced. In addition, funds were also needed to cover the costs of combat operations in Indochina
. As part of a reduction of the B-52 force, SAC moved the 5th Bombardment Wing from Travis AFB, California to Minot in July 1968, replacing the 450th Bomb Wing in a name-only redesignation to keep the senior organization on active service. Control of Trais AFB was turned over to Military Airlift Command
, and remains a major transport base under Air Mobility Command
today.
Squadrons
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. It was last assigned to the Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
810th Strategic Aerospace Division
810th Strategic Aerospace Division
The 810th Strategic Aerospace Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command, assigned to Fifteenth Air Force, being stationed at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota...
, stationed at Minot Air Force Base
Minot Air Force Base
Minot Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation in Ward County, North Dakota, north of the city of Minot. In the 2010 census, the base was counted as a CDP with a total population of 5,521....
, North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
. It was inactivated on 25 July 1968.
Originally activated in 1943 as the 450th Bombardment Group, the unit saw combat during World War II as 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 group assigned 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....
in Italy. The highly decorated unit received two Distinguished Unit Citations in support of the invasion of Southern France, the advance of Russian troops in the Balkans, and the Allied effort in Italy. It was inactivated in October 1945.
Reactivated as a tactical fighter wing briefly in the 1950s, it was redesignated as the Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
450th Bombardment Wing in 1962, 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. It supported SAC combat operations in Southeast Asia 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...
. It was inactivated and replaced by the 5th Bombardment Wing, Heavy, in July 1968.
World War II
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
. The new group was moved without personnel or equipment to a temporary station at Clovis Army Air Field, 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...
on 21 May 1943 where the command and headquarters of the group was assembled. On 5 July 1943, the group was reassigned to Alamogordo Army Airfield, which was to house the Group for all phases of training with their 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...
bombers.
When the Group was finally assembled for the first time at Alamogordo, many of the key positions in both the Group and Squadrons had been filled. Both officers and men arrived daily and little by little all sections were built up to full strength. Crews were allotted in groups of eight, twelve and forty-six bringing the strength finally on 24 August 1943 to seventy or full strength.
After training was completed, was reassigned 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) in Southern Italy, arriving arriving in December 1943. Began operations with 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....
in January 1944 and engaged chiefly in missions against strategic targets in Italy, France, 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, and the Balkans until April 1945. Bombed aircraft factories, assembly plants, oil refineries, storage areas, marshalling yards, airdromes, and other objectives.
Contributed to the intensive Allied campaign against the enemy aircraft industry during Big Week
Big Week
Between February 20–25, 1944, as part of the European strategic bombing campaign, the United States Strategic Air Forces launched Operation Argument, a series of missions against the Third Reich that became known as Big Week. The planners intended to lure the Luftwaffe into a decisive battle by...
(20–25 February 1944) by attacking factories at Steyr
Steyr
Steyr is a town, located in the Austrian federal state of Upper Austria. The town is situated at the confluence of the rivers Steyr and Enns. Steyr is Austria's 12th most populated town and simultaneously the 3rd largest town in Upper Austria....
and Regensburg
Regensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
, being awarded a DUC for braving the hazards of bad weather, enemy fighters, and flak to bombard a Messerschmitt
Messerschmitt
Messerschmitt AG was a famous German aircraft manufacturing corporation named for its chief designer, Willy Messerschmitt, and known primarily for its World War II fighter aircraft, notably the Bf 109 and Me 262...
aircraft manufacturing factory at Regensburg on 25 February.
Received second Distinguished Unit Citation for a mission on 5 April 1944 when the group fought its way through relentless attacks by enemy aircraft to bomb railroad marshalling yards at Ploesti, Romania. Also struck such objectives as enemy defenses, troop concentrations, bridges, and marshalling yards in support of the Invasion of southern France; operated from Poltava Airbase, near Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
in 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 support the advance of Russian troops in the Balkans as part of Operation Frantic
Operation Frantic
-Airfields:In February 1944, the USAAF received access to six air bases in Ukraine, but it turned out only three were set up for the effort. In haste, the United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe established a headquarters detachment at Poltava Airfield, near Kiev in the Soviet Union in late...
, and supporting the American Fifth Army
United States Army North
United States Army North, or the Fifth Army, is an Army Service Component Command of the United States Army. It is responsible for homeland defense and defense support of civil authorities as the joint force land component command of United States Northern Command.-History:The Fifth United States...
in the Allied effort in Italy.
The group redeployed to the United States during May. 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 Harvard Army Airfield
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....
in July and the unit was redesignated the 450th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) in July and was equipped with B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
es and programmed for deployment to the Pacific Theater
Pacific Ocean theater of World War II
The Pacific Ocean theatre was one of four major naval theatres of war of World War II, which pitted the forces of Japan against those of the United States, the British Commonwealth, the Netherlands and France....
.
The Japanese Capitulation in August made the group redundant to Air Force requirements and the unit was demobilized, and the unit was inactivated on 15 October 1945.
Tactical Air Command
Under Tactical Air CommandTactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
, the 450th Fighter-Bomber Wing, was established and activated at Foster AFB, Texas, on 1 July 1954, replacing and absorbing the assets of the Air Training Command
Air Training Command
Air Training Command is a former major command of the United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force. ATC came into being as a redesignation of the Army Air Forces Training Command on July 1, 1946...
3580th Pilot Training Wing. Four operational squadrons (720th, 721st, 722d and 723d) were assigned to the 450th Fighter-Bomber Group, initially being equipped with the North American F-86F Sabre. Its aircraft wore an approximation of the stars and stripes, with seven red and six white stripes on the trailing edge, and three stars in white on the blue forward portion of the fin. They also were designated with a colored, scalloped nose chevron.
The primary mission of the 450th FBW was to maintain tactical proficiency for combat operations and to prepare for overseas deployments as part of 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....
. In early-1955, the 450th FBW began receiving new North American F-100C/D Super Sabre
F-100 Super Sabre
The North American F-100 Super Sabre was a supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard until 1979. The first of the Century Series collection of USAF jet fighters, it was the first USAF fighter capable of...
aircraft, replacing the obsolescent F-86s. The 450th FBW was the first operational Tactical Air Command wing to be equpped with the F-100. With the change of equipment, the wing was redesignated as the 450th Fighter-Day Wing on 8 March 1955, with all its subordinate groups and squadrons also being redesignated. On 1 July 1958, the 450th was redesignated as the 450th Tactical Fighter Wing as part of a worldwide USAF naming reorganization.
On 28 August 1957, despite the fact that President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
appropriated funds for new construction at the base, the base was ordered closed by the spring of 1959, with the resident 450th TFW inactivating. This closure was due to budgetary constraints in the Air Forces. The 450th TFW F-100 aircraft were reassigned to the 4th
4th Fighter Wing
The 4th Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Ninth Air Force. It is stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, where it is also the host unit....
and 36th Tactical Fighter Wings, and all units assigned to Foster were inactivated by mid-December 1958.
Strategic Air Command
On 1 February 1963 the 450th Bombardment Wing assumed the personnel and resources of the 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...
4136th Strategic Wing at Minot AFB, North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
in a name-only transfer.
On 1 September 1958 SAC established the 4136th SW at Minot 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 4136th SW consisted of the 526th Bombardment Squadron
526th Bombardment Squadron
The 526th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 4042d Strategic Wing. It was last stationed at K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base, Michigan, and was inactivated on 1 February 1963.-History:...
, consisting of 15 B-52Gs, and the KC-135-equipped 906th Air Refueling Squadron
906th Air Refueling Squadron
The 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:...
. 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 450th Bomb Wing as 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....
, 810th Strategic Aerospace Division
810th Strategic Aerospace Division
The 810th Strategic Aerospace Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command, assigned to Fifteenth Air Force, being stationed at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota...
. The 526th BS was also redesignated as the 720th Bombardment Squadron
720th Bombardment Squadron
The 720th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 450th Bombardment Wing. It was last stationed at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, and was inactivated on 25 July 1968.-History:...
, one of the unit's World War II historical bomb squadrons. The 71st ARS designation was unchanged, and component support units were also redesignated to the 450th numerical designation of the newly-established wing. As under the Tri-Deputate organization, all flying components were directly assigned to the wing, no operational group element was activated. Trained in global bombardment and air refueling operations. Added post attack command and control system (PACCS)/ airborne launch control system (ALCS) missions in 1967 and began active PACCS/ALCS missions in February 1968. Supported SAC combat operations in Southeast Asia by furnishing KC-135 aircraft and crews, December 1964 – July 1968, and B-52 crews, June–July 1968.
By 1968, Intercontinental ballistic missile
Intercontinental ballistic missile
An intercontinental ballistic missile is a ballistic missile with a long range typically designed for nuclear weapons delivery...
s (ICBM) had been deployed and become operational as part of the United States' strategic triad, and the need for B-52s had been reduced. In addition, funds were also needed to cover the costs of combat operations in 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...
. As part of a reduction of the B-52 force, SAC moved the 5th Bombardment Wing from Travis AFB, California to Minot in July 1968, replacing the 450th Bomb Wing in a name-only redesignation to keep the senior organization on active service. Control of Trais AFB was turned over to 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...
, and remains a major transport base 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....
today.
Lineage
- Constituted as 450th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 6 April 1943
- Activated on 1 May 1943
- Redesignated 450th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) on 26 July 1945
- Inactivated on 15 October 1945
- Established as the 450th Fighter-Bomber Wing on 23 March 1953
- Activated 1 July 1954
- Redesignated: 450th Fighter-Day Wing on 8 March 1955
- Redesignated: 450th Tactical Fighter Wing on 1 July 1958
- Inactivated 18 December 1958
- Redesignated 450th Bombardment Wing Heavy on 15 November 1962
- Activated on 15 November 1962 to replace the 4136th Strategic Wing
- Organized on 1 February 1963 assuming the resources (Manpower, Aircraft, Equipment, Weapons, & Facilities) of the 4136th Strategic Wing (Inactivated).
- Inactivated on 25 July 1968.
Assignments
- Second Air ForceSecond Air ForceThe Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
, 1–21 May 1943 - 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....
, 21 May – 20 November 1943 - 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....
- 47th Bombardment Wing (World War II)47th 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....
20 December 1943 – 12 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....
, c. 26 July – 15 October 1945
- Tactical Air CommandTactical Air CommandTactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
- Ninth Air ForceNinth Air ForceThe 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....
, 1 July 1954 - 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 1957 - Twelfth Air Force, 1 January – 18 December 1958
- 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...
, 15 November 1962
- Strategic Air Command
- 810th Strategic Aerospace Division810th Strategic Aerospace DivisionThe 810th Strategic Aerospace Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command, assigned to Fifteenth Air Force, being stationed at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota...
, 1 February 1963 – 25 July 1968.
Stations
- Gowen FieldBoise AirportBoise Airport , also known as Boise Air Terminal or Gowen Field, is a joint civil-military, commercial and general aviation airport located three nautical miles south of downtown Boise in Ada County, Idaho, USA...
, IdahoIdahoIdaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, 1 May 1943 - Clovis AAB, 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...
, c. 21 May 1943 - Alamogordo AAF, 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...
, c. 8 July – 20 November 1943 - Manduria AirfieldManduria AirfieldManduria Airfield is a World War II airfield in Italy, located approximately 5 km north of Manduria, and about 390 km east-southeast of Naples...
, Italy, 20 December 1943 – 12 May 1945 - Harvard AAFHarvard 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....
, c. 26 July – 15 October 1945. - Foster AFB, Texas 1 July 1954 – 18 December 1958
- Minot AFB, North DakotaNorth DakotaNorth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
1963–1968
Components
Groups- 322d Fighter-Day (later Tactical Fighter) Group: 1 July 1954 – 18 November 1957
- 450th Fighter-Day (later Tactical Fighter) Group: 1 July 1954 – 11 December 1957
Squadrons
- 720th Bombardment (later Fighter; later Bombardment) Squadron720th Bombardment SquadronThe 720th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 450th Bombardment Wing. It was last stationed at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, and was inactivated on 25 July 1968.-History:...
: 1943–1945; 1 July 1954 – 18 December 1958; 1 February 1963 – 25 July 1968 - 721st Bombardment (later Fighter) Squadron721st Tactical Fighter SquadronThe 721st Tactical Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 450th Tactical Fighter Wing. It was last stationed at Foster Air Force Base, Texas, and was inactivated on 18 December 1958-History:...
: 1943–1945; 1 July 1954 – 18 December 1958 - 722d Bombardment (later Fighter) Squadron722d Tactical Fighter SquadronThe 722d Tactical Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 450th Tactical Fighter Wing. It was last stationed at Foster Air Force Base, Texas, and was inactivated on 18 December 1958-History:...
: 1943–1945; 1 July 1954 – 18 December 1958 - 723d Bombardment (later Fighter) Squadron723d Tactical Fighter SquadronThe 723d Tactical Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 450th Tactical Fighter Wing. It was last stationed at Foster Air Force Base, Texas, and was inactivated on 18 December 1958-History:...
: 1943–1945; 1 July 1954 – 18 December 1958 - 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 February 1963 – 24 July 1968
Aircraft Assigned
- 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...
(1943–1945) - 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...
(1945) - F-86 SabreF-86 SabreThe North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...
, 1954–1955 - F-100 Super SabreF-100 Super SabreThe North American F-100 Super Sabre was a supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard until 1979. The first of the Century Series collection of USAF jet fighters, it was the first USAF fighter capable of...
, 1955–1958 - 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...
, 1963–1968 - 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...
, 1963–1968 - EC-135, 1967–1968.