461st Air Control Wing
Encyclopedia
The 461st Air Control Wing is an active United States Air Force
unit. It is assigned to the Air Combat Command
, Ninth Air Force, stationed at Robins Air Force Base
, Georgia. It was activated on 7 Oct 2011.
Originally activated in 1943 as the 461st Bombardment Group as a World War II
United States Army Air Forces
combat organization. The highly-decorated unit served primarily in the Mediterranean, African, and The Middle East Theatres
of World War II
.
Activated as a tactical bomber unit by Tactical Air Command
in the 1950s, in November 1962 the wing was designated the 461st Bombardment Wing and was stationed at Amarillo AFB and assigned to Strategic Air Command
. The wing flew B-52 Stratofortress
heavy strategic bombers and deployed aircraft and crews to Andersen AFB, Guam
for combat operations in Southeast Asia. The wing was inactivated in March 1968 with the closure of Amarillo AFB.
heavy bombardment group, being activated on 1 July at Wendover Field, Utah
. Trained under II Bomber Command
at several airfields in Utah
, Idaho
, and California, with group elements undergoing combat simulation training at the Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics
in Florida.
Was deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations
(MTO) in February 1944, the air echelon flying B-24's via the South Atlantic transport route, stopping in North Africa before joining the ground echelon in Italy. Assigned to the Fifteenth Air Force
49th Bombardment Wing
at Torretto Airfield, Italy, in late February.
Began combat operations in April, engaging in long range strategic bombardment operations of Nazi Germany and Occupied Europe. Engaged chiefly in bombardment of communications, industries, and other strategic objectives in Italy, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia
, Hungary, Austria, Romania, Yugoslavia
, and Greece. Supported Fifteenth AF's counter-air operations by bombing enemy airdromes and aircraft centers, receiving a Distinguished Unit Citation for a mission on 13 April 1944 when the group battled its way through enemy defenses to attack an aircraft components plant in Budapest
. The 461 BG conducted Oil Campaign of World War II
operations against Brux
, Blechhammer
, Moosbierbaum, Vienna
, and Ploesti; receiving a second DUC for a July 1944 bombing of Ploesti despite flak, clouds, smoke, and fighters. Also operated in support of ground forces and flew some interdictory missions.
Hit artillery positions in support of the invasion of Southern France
in August 1944 and flew supply missions to France in September. Aided the Allied offensive in Italy in April 1945 by attacking gun emplacements and troop concentrations. After the German Capitulation, dropped supplies to prisoner-of-war camps in Austria during May 1945.
The group was alerted for re-deployment to the Pacific Theater
in June 1945 and was programmed for Very Heavy bomber training with B-29 Superfortress
es. Unit returned to the United States in July; many personnel being demobilized upon arrival. Small cadre formed at Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota
and unit was awaiting new personnel and aircraft when Japanese Capitulation ended the Pacific War in August. Unit was inactivated on 18 August.
Ninth Air Force
on 11 December 1953. Unit was formed at Hill AFB, Utah
and initially equipped with World War II
-era B-26B Invader tactical light bombers brought out of storage depots in the southwest. The mission of the 461st Bomb Wing was to provide training in air support of ground forces and air interdiction from lessons learned during the Korean War
. Modifications made to the aircraft were made by depot personnel at Hill as a result of combat in Korea meant that the Invader operated at considerably higher weights and with greater loads than had been achieved in World War II.
The Invader, however, was used as a transitory aircraft until the unit could receive the jet-powered Martin B-57 Canberra
, which was still under development by Air Materiel Command. On 1 October 1955 the wing was reassigned to its permanent base at Blytheville AFB, Arkansas. It was redesignated as the 461st Bombardment wing, Tactical, and began receiving production B-57B Canberras. However, a number of B-57Bs were lost in accidents, particularly during high-speed, low-level operations when aircraft suddenly and unexplainably dove into the ground. As these accidents persisted, all tactically-assigned B-57Bs were grounded in May 1956 for a period of four months while the problem was investigated. The fault was eventually traced to a faulty tailplane actuator which set the trim incorrectly. The installation of a new actuator switch cured the problem.
The USAF was not very happy with the B-57B as it was initially produced. It was still deemed to be inadequate to meet the night intruder and close support role for which it had originally been designed. The target acquisition system was inadequate, the navigational range was too short, and the radio navigation could not recover the aircraft after strikes. The armament was inadequate—the gun-bomb-rocket sight, the gun charging systems, and the external stores release mechanisms were all unreliable.
After three years of service with the B-57s in tactical bomb groups, the decision was made to phase out the B-57 in favor of supersonic aircraft. The wing turned in its aircraft to TAC for disposition and the wing inactivated on 1 April 1958.
established the 4128th Strategic Wing at Amarillo AFB, Texas 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 wing consisted of the 718th Bombardment Squadron
, consisting of 15 B-52Ds, and the KC-135-equipped 909th 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 4128th SW was redesignated as the 461st Bombardment Wing (461st BW) on 1 February 1963 in a name-only redesigation and was assigned to SAC's Fifteenth Air Force
, 22d Air Division. The 718th BS was also redesignated as the 764th Bombardment Squadron
, one of the unit's World War II historical bomb squadrons. The 909th ARS designation was unchanged, and component support units were also redesignated to the 461st 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.
The wing trained with B-52s maintained heavy bombardment proficiency and participated in numerous operational readiness inspections and actual and simulated exercises. It deployed B-52 aircraft and crews to Andersen AFB, Guam from 18 January, to 4 July 1967 for combat operations in Southeast Asia, however its headquarters remained at Amarillo where it served as a deterrent force and also supported SAC's global air refueling mission.
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
. The 461st Bombardment Wing was inactivated on 25 March 1968 and its aircraft were reassigned to other SAC units. As part of the inactivation, Amarillo AFB was closed.
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 is assigned to the 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 ....
, Ninth Air Force, stationed at Robins Air Force Base
Robins Air Force Base
Robins Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force base located in Houston County, Georgia, United States. The base is located just east of and adjacent to the city of Warner Robins, Georgia, SSE of Macon, Georgia, and about SSE of Atlanta, Georgia...
, Georgia. It was activated on 7 Oct 2011.
Originally activated in 1943 as the 461st Bombardment Group as a 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...
United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
combat organization. The highly-decorated unit served primarily in the Mediterranean, African, and The Middle East Theatres
Mediterranean Theatre of World War II
The African, Mediterranean and Middle East theatres encompassed the naval, land, and air campaigns fought between the Allied and Axis forces in the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and Africa...
of 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...
.
Activated as a tactical bomber unit by Tactical Air Command
Tactical 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...
in the 1950s, in November 1962 the wing was designated the 461st Bombardment Wing and was stationed at Amarillo AFB and 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...
. The wing flew 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 strategic bombers and deployed aircraft and crews to Andersen AFB, Guam
Guam
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...
for combat operations in Southeast Asia. The wing was inactivated in March 1968 with the closure of Amarillo AFB.
World War II
Established in May 1943 as a B-24 LiberatorB-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 bombardment group, being activated on 1 July at Wendover Field, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. Trained under 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....
at several airfields in Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, Idaho
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....
, and California, with group elements undergoing combat simulation training at the Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics
Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics
The Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics was a military training organization of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II...
in Florida.
Was deployed 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 February 1944, the air echelon flying B-24's via the South Atlantic transport route, stopping in North Africa before joining the ground echelon in Italy. Assigned to 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....
49th Bombardment Wing
49th Air Division
The 49th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe, based at RAF Sculthorpe, England. It was inactivated on 1 July 1956.-History:...
at Torretto Airfield, Italy, in late February.
Began combat operations in April, engaging in long range strategic bombardment operations of Nazi Germany and Occupied Europe. Engaged chiefly in bombardment of communications, industries, and other strategic objectives in Italy, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, Hungary, Austria, Romania, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, and Greece. Supported Fifteenth AF's counter-air operations by bombing enemy airdromes and aircraft centers, receiving a Distinguished Unit Citation for a mission on 13 April 1944 when the group battled its way through enemy defenses to attack an aircraft components plant in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
. The 461 BG conducted Oil Campaign of World War II
Oil Campaign of World War II
The Allied Oil Campaign of World War II was directed at facilities supplying Nazi Germany with petroleum, oil, and lubrication products...
operations against Brux
Brux
Brux is a commune in the Vienne department in the Poitou-Charentes region in western France.-External links:*...
, Blechhammer
Blechhammer
The Blechhammer area was the location of Nazi Germany chemical plants, prisoner of war camps, and forced labor camps . Labor camp prisoners began arriving as early as June 17, 1942, and in July 1944, 400-500 men were transferred from the Terezin family camp to Blechhammer...
, Moosbierbaum, Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, and Ploesti; receiving a second DUC for a July 1944 bombing of Ploesti despite flak, clouds, smoke, and fighters. Also operated in support of ground forces and flew some interdictory missions.
Hit artillery positions in support of the invasion of Southern France
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
in August 1944 and flew supply missions to France in September. Aided the Allied offensive in Italy in April 1945 by attacking gun emplacements and troop concentrations. After the German Capitulation, dropped supplies to prisoner-of-war camps in Austria during May 1945.
The group was alerted for re-deployment to the Pacific Theater
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
in June 1945 and was programmed for Very Heavy bomber training 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. Unit returned to the United States in July; many personnel being demobilized upon arrival. Small cadre formed 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...
and unit was awaiting new personnel and aircraft when Japanese Capitulation ended the Pacific War in August. Unit was inactivated on 18 August.
Tactical Air Command
The unit was re-established as the 461st Bombardment Wing, Light under the 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...
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....
on 11 December 1953. Unit was formed at Hill AFB, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
and initially equipped with 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...
-era B-26B Invader tactical light bombers brought out of storage depots in the southwest. The mission of the 461st Bomb Wing was to provide training in air support of ground forces and air interdiction from lessons learned during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. Modifications made to the aircraft were made by depot personnel at Hill as a result of combat in Korea meant that the Invader operated at considerably higher weights and with greater loads than had been achieved in World War II.
The Invader, however, was used as a transitory aircraft until the unit could receive the jet-powered Martin B-57 Canberra
B-57 Canberra
The Martin B-57 Canberra was a United States-built, twin jet engine light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft, which entered service with the United States Air Force in 1953. The B-57 was initially a version of the English Electric Canberra built under license. However, the Glenn L...
, which was still under development by Air Materiel Command. On 1 October 1955 the wing was reassigned to its permanent base at Blytheville AFB, Arkansas. It was redesignated as the 461st Bombardment wing, Tactical, and began receiving production B-57B Canberras. However, a number of B-57Bs were lost in accidents, particularly during high-speed, low-level operations when aircraft suddenly and unexplainably dove into the ground. As these accidents persisted, all tactically-assigned B-57Bs were grounded in May 1956 for a period of four months while the problem was investigated. The fault was eventually traced to a faulty tailplane actuator which set the trim incorrectly. The installation of a new actuator switch cured the problem.
The USAF was not very happy with the B-57B as it was initially produced. It was still deemed to be inadequate to meet the night intruder and close support role for which it had originally been designed. The target acquisition system was inadequate, the navigational range was too short, and the radio navigation could not recover the aircraft after strikes. The armament was inadequate—the gun-bomb-rocket sight, the gun charging systems, and the external stores release mechanisms were all unreliable.
After three years of service with the B-57s in tactical bomb groups, the decision was made to phase out the B-57 in favor of supersonic aircraft. The wing turned in its aircraft to TAC for disposition and the wing inactivated on 1 April 1958.
Strategic Air Command
On 20 February 1960, 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 4128th Strategic Wing at Amarillo AFB, Texas 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 718th Bombardment Squadron
718th Bombardment Squadron
The 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:...
, consisting of 15 B-52Ds, and the KC-135-equipped 909th Air Refueling Squadron
909th Air Refueling Squadron
The 909th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base, Japan. It operates the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.-Mission:...
. 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 4128th SW was redesignated as the 461st Bombardment Wing (461st BW) on 1 February 1963 in a name-only redesigation and was assigned to SAC's 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....
, 22d Air Division. The 718th BS was also redesignated as the 764th Bombardment Squadron
764th Bombardment Squadron
The 764th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 461st Bombardment Wing. It was last stationed at Amarillo Air Force Base, Texas, and was inactivated on 28 March 1968.-History:...
, one of the unit's World War II historical bomb squadrons. The 909th ARS designation was unchanged, and component support units were also redesignated to the 461st 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.
The wing trained with B-52s maintained heavy bombardment proficiency and participated in numerous operational readiness inspections and actual and simulated exercises. It deployed B-52 aircraft and crews to Andersen AFB, Guam from 18 January, to 4 July 1967 for combat operations in Southeast Asia, however its headquarters remained at Amarillo where it served as a deterrent force and also supported SAC's global air refueling mission.
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...
. The 461st Bombardment Wing was inactivated on 25 March 1968 and its aircraft were reassigned to other SAC units. As part of the inactivation, Amarillo AFB was closed.
Lineage
- Constituted as 461st Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 19 May 1943.
- Activated on 1 July 1943.
- Inactivated on 18 August 1945
- Established as 461st Bombardment Wing, Light on 11 December 1953
- Activated on 23 December 1953
- Redesignated: 461st Bombardment Wing, Tactical on 1 October 1955
- Inactivated on 1 April 1958
- Redesignated: 461st Bombardment Wing, Heavy and activated on 15 November 1962
- Activated, on 15 November 1962 replacing 4128th Strategic Wing
- Organized on 1 February 1963 assuming the resources (Manpower, Aircraft, Equipment, Weapons, & Facilities) of the 4128th Strategic Wing (inactivated)
- Organized 1 February 1963
- Discontinued and inactivated on 25 May 1968
- Redesignated 461st Air Control Wing on XX Xxx 2011
- Activated on 7 October 2011
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 July – 30 September 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....
, October 1943 – February 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....
, February 1944 – July 1945
- 49th Bombardment Wing49th Air DivisionThe 49th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe, based at RAF Sculthorpe, England. It was inactivated on 1 July 1956.-History:...
, 30 April 1944 – 1 July 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...
- Tactical Air Command
- 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....
, 23 December 1953 – 1 April 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
- 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....
- 22d Air Division22d Strategic Aerospace DivisionThe 22d Strategic Aerospace Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Fifteenth Air Force, stationed at Walker Air Force Base, New Mexico...
, 1 February 1963 - 819th Air Division819th Strategic Aerospace DivisionThe 819th 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 Dyess Air Force Base, Texas...
, 1 July 1964- 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 July 1965
- Second Air Force
- 22d Air Division
- 19th Air Division, 2 July 1966 – 25 March 1968
- 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....
, 7 October 2011-
- Ninth Air Force
Components
- 764th Bombardment Squadron764th Bombardment SquadronThe 764th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 461st Bombardment Wing. It was last stationed at Amarillo Air Force Base, Texas, and was inactivated on 28 March 1968.-History:...
1943–1945, 1953–1968 - 765th Bombardment Squadron765th Bombardment SquadronThe 765th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 461st Bombardment Group. It was last stationed at Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota, and was inactivated on 18 August 1945-History:...
1943–1945 - 766th Bombardment Squadron766th Bombardment SquadronThe 766th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 461st Bombardment Group. It was last stationed at Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota, and was inactivated on 18 August 1945-History:...
1943–1945 - 767th Bombardment Squadron767th Bombardment SquadronThe 767th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 461st Bombardment Group. It was last stationed at Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota, and was inactivated on 18 August 1945-History:...
1943–1945 - 909th Air Refueling Squadron909th Air Refueling SquadronThe 909th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base, Japan. It operates the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.-Mission:...
1963–1966
Stations
- Wendover Field, UtahUtahUtah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
1 July 1943 - 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....
, 29 July 1943 - Kearns AAF, UtahUtahUtah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
11 September 1943 - Wendover Field, UtahUtahUtah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, 30 September 1943 - Hammer FieldFresno Yosemite International AirportFresno Yosemite International Airport , formerly known as Fresno Air Terminal, is a joint civil-military public airport located in eastern Fresno, in Fresno County, California. The airport is more than south of Yosemite National Park on California State Route 41. The airport covers and has two...
, California, 30 October 1943 – January 1944
- Torretto Airfield, ItalItalItal or I-tal is food often celebrated by those in the Rastafari movement. The word derives from the English word "vital", with the initial syllable replaced by i. This is done to many words in the Rastafari vocabulary to signify the unity of the speaker with all of nature...
y c. 20 February 1944 – July 1945 - Sioux Falls AAFSioux Falls Regional AirportSioux Falls Regional Airport , also known as Joe Foss Field, is a joint civil and military use airport located three nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Sioux Falls, a city in Minnehaha County, South Dakota, United States...
, 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...
, 22 July – 18 August 1945 - Hill AFB, UtahUtahUtah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, 23 December 1953 – 8 April 1956 - Blytheville 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...
, 8 April 1956 – 1 April 1958 - Amarillo AFB, Texas, 1 February 1963 – 28 March 1968
- Robins AFB, Georgia, 7 October 2011 - present
Aircraft flown
- Consolidated B-24 Liberator 1943–1945
- Douglas B-26 InvaderA-26 InvaderThe Douglas A-26 Invader was a United States twin-engined light attack bomber built by the Douglas Aircraft Co. during World War II that also saw service during several of the Cold War's major conflicts...
1953–1956 - Douglas C-47 Skytrain 1954–1956
- Martin B-57 CanberraB-57 CanberraThe Martin B-57 Canberra was a United States-built, twin jet engine light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft, which entered service with the United States Air Force in 1953. The B-57 was initially a version of the English Electric Canberra built under license. However, the Glenn L...
1955–1958 - Boeing B-52 Stratofortress
- Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker
- E-8C JSTARS