5th Bomb Wing
Encyclopedia
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit assigned to Air Force Global Strike Command's Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
. It is 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....
. The wing is also the host unit at Minot. The 5 BW is one of only two B-52H Stratofortress wings in the United States Air Force
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...
, the other being the 2d Bomb Wing
2d Bomb Wing
The 2d Bomb Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command and Eighth Air Force. It is stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The wing is also the host unit at Barksdale...
at Barksdale Air Force Base
Barksdale Air Force Base
Barksdale Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately east-southeast of Bossier City, Louisiana.The host unit at Barksdale is the 2d Bomb Wing , the oldest Bomb Wing in the Air Force. It is assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command's Eighth Air Force...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
.
Its 5th Operations Group
5th Operations Group
The 5th Operations Group is an operational component of the United States Air Force 5th Bomb Wing, stationed at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota...
is a successor organization of the 5th Group (Composite), one of the 15 original combat air groups formed by the Army before World War II.
On 7 December 1941, the 5th Bombardment Group suffered the loss of B-17 Flying Fortress and B-18 Bolo
B-18 Bolo
The Douglas B-18 Bolo was a United States Army Air Corps and Royal Canadian Air Force bomber of the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Bolo was built by Douglas Aircraft Company and based on its DC-2 and was developed to replace the Martin B-10....
bombers when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, but it sent two B-17s to search vainly for the Japanese task force. After the attack, the group patrolled the waters off the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
until November 1942, taking part in the Battle of Midway
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
(3–6 June 1942). Active for over 60 years, the 5 BW was a component wing of Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
's heavy bomber deterrent force throughout the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
.
Mission
Provide relentless, full-spectrum B-52 firepower on demand, outstanding support for the 91st Missile Wing, and world-class AEF warriors.
Vision
American Airmen with special trust and responsibility for the most powerful weapons in our Nation's arsenal... an elite, highly disciplined team...safeguarding our vital nuclear capabilities and maintaining nuclear deterrence.
What We Value
- Individual responsibility for mission success
- Critical self-assessment of our performance
- Uncompromising adherence to all directives
- Superior technical and weapons system expertise
- Pride in our nuclear heritage and mission
- Respect for the worth and dignity of every Airman
- Safety in all things
Components
The 5 BW is part of the Air Force Global Strike Command's Eighth Air ForceEighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
and is the host unit at Minot Air Force Base. Its current command staff consists of Colonel James C. Dawkins, Jr., Wing Commander; and Chief Master Sergeant Kevin J. Jergella, Wing Command Chief. The wing includes a total force of approximately 3,200 military members as well as 420 civilian employees.
The 5 BW consists of the following groups:
- 5th Operations Group5th Operations GroupThe 5th Operations Group is an operational component of the United States Air Force 5th Bomb Wing, stationed at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota...
: 16 July 1949 – 16 June 1952 (detached 12 November 1949 – 10 February 1951); 1 September 1991–present. (Colonel Troy "VB" VanBemmelen, current Commander)- 23d Bomb Squadron23d Bomb SquadronThe 23d Bomb Squadron is a United States Air Force unit, assigned to the 5th Bomb Wing. It is stationed at Minot AFB, North Dakota. The mission of the 23BS is to fly the Boeing B-52H Stratofortress long range bomber...
- 69th Bomb Squadron69th Bomb SquadronThe 69th Bomb Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit. After being inactivated on 1 September 1991, it was reactivated on 3 September 2009 at Minot Air Force Base, and assigned to the 5th Bomb Wing...
- 5th Operations Support Squadron
- 23d Bomb Squadron
- 5th Maintenance Group (Colonel Eric Froehlich, current Commander)
- 5th Munitions Squadron
- 5th Maintenance Squadron
- 5th Maintenance Operations Squadron
- 5th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
- 5th Medical Group (Colonel Karlan Hoggan, current Commander)
- 5th Medical Operations Squadron
- 5th Medical Support Squadron
- 5th Mission Support Group (Lt. Col. Randall Morris, current Commander)
- 5th Civil Engineer Squadron
- 5th Communications Squadron
- 5th Force Support Squadron
- 5th Security Forces Squadron
- 5th Contracting Squadron
- 5th Logistics Readiness Squadron
As the host unit at Minot, the 5 BW also controls the special staff functions of the inspector general, wing plans, the chaplain, staff judge advocate, arms control, command post, public affairs, history and safety. The 5th Comptroller Squadron also reports directly to the 5 BW commander.
Strategic Reconnaissance
The wing was established on 1 July 1949. Until 1958, the wing underwent several name and assignment changes while continually upgrading its aircraft. Performed long-range strategic reconnaissance, July 1949 – October 1955, with some limited reconnaissance to September 1958. Operational squadrons were 23d, 31st and 72d Strategic Reconnaissance72d Test and Evaluation Squadron
The 72d Test and Evaluation Squadron is part of the 53d Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The squadron is geographically separated but operated from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri...
flying Boeing RB-17G/F-2/F-9/F-13 aircraft (1947–49) and beginning in 1948, Boeing RB-29 aircraft until 1951.
The wing performed operations to probe the eastern borders of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and China. Little was known about the air defence capability of the Soviet Union at this time and the most effective way of determining their capability was to probe the borders and see whether they would respond. Initially, the RB-17Gs and later aircraft (RB-29, RB-36D) mapped the perimeter of the Soviet Air Defences from the Baltic
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
to the Sea of Okhotsk
Sea of Okhotsk
The Sea of Okhotsk is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, lying between the Kamchatka Peninsula on the east, the Kuril Islands on the southeast, the island of Hokkaidō to the far south, the island of Sakhalin along the west, and a long stretch of eastern Siberian coast along the west and...
, north of Japan.
This mission, along with many others, found that west of the Bering Strait
Bering Strait
The Bering Strait , known to natives as Imakpik, is a sea strait between Cape Dezhnev, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, the easternmost point of the Asian continent and Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska, USA, the westernmost point of the North American continent, with latitude of about 65°40'N,...
there was virtually no radar coverage. As a result of these missions, USAF war plans were drawn up which directed a massive bomber attack to hit Russia from this direction, flying on to land in the Middle East or Africa, or more likely bailing out as the aircraft ran out of fuel. Gradually, during the 1950s, the Soviets began filling in the gaps in their radar coverage over northern Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
, but large gaps on the outer perimeter between Alaska and Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
were still wide open for many years to come.
The wing was fully integrated with the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing (later, 9th Bomb Wing), 12 November 1949 – 10 February 1951; maintained a manned headquarters, but had no operational control over assigned units, and from 1 February 1950 to 10 February 1951 shared a commander in common with the 9th Wing.
In June 1951, the wing began converting to the Convair RB-36D Peacemaker, forming three squadrons (23d, 31st, 72d Bombardment Squadrons). Later, B-36J models were assigned to the wing and it began maintaining proficiency in strategic bombardment in July 1953 but the 5th was not redesignated as a bombardment wing until October 1955.
Strategic Bombardment
While stationed at Travis AFB, Calif., the 5th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) entered the jet age in on 13 February 1959 when 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...
assigned the wing its first Boeing B-52B Stratofortresses. Two operational bomb squadrons (23d and 31st) were formed. With that change, the wing also gained the 916th Air Refueling Squadron and its KC-135A air refueling aircraft. The wing's 23d Bombardment Squadron and its people saw combat over Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
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...
. Its crews attacked targets in the region while supporting American and allied ground forces during Operation Arc Light
Arc Light
Arc Light is the debut novel by Eric L. Harry, a techno-thriller about limited nuclear war published in 1994 and written in 1991-2.As China and Russia clash in Siberia in June 1999, nuclear missiles strike the United States. The U.S. retaliates against Russia, and World War III begins...
between 1965 and 1968.
The wing moved to Minot AFB, North Dakota on 25 July 1968 with the 23d Bomb Squadron absorbing the resources of the 450th Bombardment Wing/720th Bomb Squadron and ended its Southeast Asia deployments. At Minot, the wing transitioned to the B-52H, which brought added vigor to its strategic deterrence mission. It also supported the post-attack command and control system (PACCS), July 1968 – December 1969.
In the summer of 1975, the wing gained the Boeing AGM-69A Short Range Attack Missile (SRAM), which enhanced the ability of the B-52H to penetrate and survive in this hostile environment. Armed with a nuclear warhead and equipped with a simple inertial guidance system, the AGM-69A was propelled to its range of 20 to 50 nautical miles (92.6 km) by a solid-propellant rocket motor. Each B-52 could carry up to 20 SRAMs, six on each of two wing pylons and eight on a rotary launcher located in the bomb bay.
Entering the 1990s, the 5th BW continued to set the standard as it deployed troops to the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
as part of Operation Desert Shield. During the war’s air campaign, the wing joined U.S. and coalition bombers and fighters to defeat Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
’s air and ground forces.
In September 1991, the wing marked a historic moment in the final days of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
when it pulled its aircraft from continuous alert status – a job it performed for 35 years. The wing was relieved of its air refueling mission in June 1992 On 1 June 1992, the 5th Wing became the 5th Bomb Wing following the activation of Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....
.
Modern era
The bomb wing saw combat again in the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Fox in December 1998. Months later, three Minot B-52s and crews joined the 2d Air Expeditionary Group at RAF FairfordRAF Fairford
RAF Fairford is a Royal Air Force station in Gloucestershire, England. It is a standby airfield, not in everyday use. Its most prominent use in recent years has been as an airfield for United States Air Force B-52s during the 2003 Iraq War, Operation Allied Force in 1999, and the first Gulf War in...
, England, in support of Operation Allied Force
Operation Allied Force
The NATO bombing of Yugoslavia was NATO's military operation against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The strikes lasted from March 24, 1999 to June 10, 1999...
over the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
Budgetary cuts in 1996 led to a need for further force reductions which reduced the 5th's B-52H fleet. The 72d BS
72d Test and Evaluation Squadron
The 72d Test and Evaluation Squadron is part of the 53d Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The squadron is geographically separated but operated from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri...
was inactivated late in the year and their 12 aircraft were retired.
In the weeks following the 11 September 2001 attacks, the 5th BW deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Flying from a forward operating location, bomber crews attacked strategic targets in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
to topple the Taliban regime.
In 2003, the wing deployed approximately 550 people and 14 B-52s to the U.S. European Command region in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. During the war, the wing’s B-52s flew more than 120 combat missions and logged more than 1,600 combat flying hours. The bombers dropped more than 3 million pounds of weaponry, including conventional air-launched cruise missiles, joint direct attack munitions, gravity weapons, laser-guided bombs and leaflet dispensers. For the first time in combat history, a 5th BW crew employed a Litening II targeting pod to strike targets at an Iraqi airfield 11 April 2003.
In March 2004, the wing sent six B-52s and over 300 support personnel 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...
. The aircraft and crews supported U.S. Pacific Command operations to provide a stabilizing military force in the region.
In April 2005, the wing forward deployed aircraft and personnel to the 40th Air Expeditionary Wing in support of U.S. Central Command combat operations in Afghanistan. Flying a mix of close air support and strike missions, 5th BW crews ensured success of ground combat units in meeting their objectives.
Today, the 5th's B-52Hs are a major component of the USAF's strategic bombing force, alongside the Rockwell B-1B Lancer
B-1 Lancer
The Rockwell B-1 LancerThe name "Lancer" is only applied to the B-1B version, after the program was revived. is a four-engine variable-sweep wing strategic bomber used by the United States Air Force...
and the Northrop B-2A Spirit
B-2 Spirit
The Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit is an American heavy bomber with low observable stealth technology designed to penetrate dense anti-aircraft defenses and deploy both conventional and nuclear weapons. The bomber has a crew of two and can drop up to eighty -class JDAM GPS-guided bombs, or sixteen ...
. The USAF is currently considering converting some of its B-52Hs to EB-52Hs to act as a stand-off electronic warfare platform. During Operation Allied Force (the bombing of Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
undertaken in an attempt to halt the ethnic cleansing of Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
), the USAF found that additional jamming aircraft were needed to supplement the current fleet of Grumman EA-6A/B Prowler. With modern technology and advanced weapons like the JDAM and JASSM, the 5th's B-52 are expected to remain operational until the year 2040.
In 2007 the Wing lost its commanding officer after Colonel Bruce Emig was removed in connection with the 2007 United States Air Force nuclear weapons incident
2007 United States Air Force nuclear weapons incident
The 2007 United States Air Force nuclear weapons incident occurred at Minot Air Force Base and Barksdale Air Force Base on August 29–30, 2007. Six AGM-129 ACM cruise missiles, each loaded with a W80-1 variable yield nuclear warhead, were reportedly mistakenly loaded on a United States Air...
, when negligent handling of nuclear weapons breached safety and security procedures. Emig was replaced by Joel S. Westa. Following that incident, the wing failed a nuclear surety inspection (NSI) conducted by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency
Defense Threat Reduction Agency
The Defense Threat Reduction Agency is an agency within the United States Department of Defense and is the official Combat Support Agency for countering weapons of mass destruction . DTRA's main functions are threat reduction, threat control, combat support, and technology development...
in May 2008. The wing, however, kept its certification to perform missions and training with nuclear weapons.
On 30 October 2009 Westa was relieved as commander of the 5th Bomb Wing by Major General Floyd L. Carpenter, commander of 8th Air Force. Carpenter stated that Westa was relieved due to his "inability to foster a culture of excellence, a lack of focus on the strategic mission … and substandard performance during several nuclear surety inspections, including the newly activated 69th Bomb Squadron." Colonel Douglas A. Cox was appointed new wing commander. In January 2010, the 69th BS passed its initial NSI, and the wing as a whole passed a no-notice NSI.
In June of 2010, the wing once again deployed aircraft and personnel to Guam in support of PACOM's continuous bomber presence mission providing stability in the Pacific. While supporting Pacific region stability, the wing also passed its Nuclear Surety Inspection in August, 2010, and followed this 70 days later with a successful Nuclear Operational Readiness Inspection in November, 2010.
Heraldry
The group's emblem, approved in 1924, features a winged human skull on a black and green background.Lineage
- Established as 5 Strategic Reconnaissance Wing on 1 July 1949
- Activated on 16 July 1949
- Redesignated: 5 Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, Heavy on 14 November 1950
- Redesignated: 5 Bombardment Wing, Heavy on 1 October 1955
- Redesignated: 5 Wing on 1 September 1991
- Redesignated: 5 Bomb Wing on 1 June 1992
Assignments
- 311th Air Division311th Air DivisionThe 311th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command, being stationed at Forbes Air Force Base, Kansas...
, 16 July 1949 - 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 November 1949
- Attached to 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, 12 November 1949-
- Fifteenth Air ForceFifteenth Air ForceThe Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
, 1 April 1950
- Fifteenth Air Force
- Remained attached to 9th Bombardment Wing to 10 February 1951
- 14 Air (later, 14 Strategic Aerospace) Division, 10 February 1951
- Attached to 3d Air Division, 14 January-12 April 1955
- 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...
, 25 July 1968
- 810th Strategic Aerospace Division
- 47th Air Division, 30 June 1971
- 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....
, 30 November 1972
- Attached to 810 Air Division Provisional, 30 November 1972-14 January 1973
- 47th Air Division, 15 January 1973
- 57th Air Division, 22 January 1975
- 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....
, 14 June 1991 - Eighth Air ForceEighth Air ForceThe Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
, 1 September 1991–present
Components
Groups- 5 Strategic Reconnaissance (later, 5 Operations) Group5th Operations GroupThe 5th Operations Group is an operational component of the United States Air Force 5th Bomb Wing, stationed at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota...
: 16 July 1949-16 June 1952 (detached 12 November 1949-10 February 1951); 1 September 1991–present
Squadrons
- 23 Strategic Reconnaissance (later, 23 Bombardment) Squadron23d Bomb SquadronThe 23d Bomb Squadron is a United States Air Force unit, assigned to the 5th Bomb Wing. It is stationed at Minot AFB, North Dakota. The mission of the 23BS is to fly the Boeing B-52H Stratofortress long range bomber...
: attached 10 February 1951-15 June 1952, assigned 16 June 1952-1 September 1991 - 31 Strategic Reconnaissance (later, 31 Bombardment) Group31st Test and Evaluation SquadronThe 31st Test and Evaluation Squadron is a United States Air Force unit, assigned to the 53d Test and Evaluation Group, 53d Wing, Air Combat Command.. It is stationed at Edwards Air Force Base, California....
: attached 10 February 1951-15 June 1952, assigned 16 June 1952-1 October 1959, attached 2 October 1959-18 January 1960 - 72 Strategic Reconnaissance (later, 72 Bombardment) Squadron72d Test and Evaluation SquadronThe 72d Test and Evaluation Squadron is part of the 53d Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The squadron is geographically separated but operated from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri...
: attached 10 February 1951-15 June 1952, assigned 16 June 1952-1 July 1958 - 129 Strategic Reconnaissance: attached 14 October 1952-1 January 1953
- 347 Strategic Reconnaissance: attached 1 January-12 September 1953
- 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:...
: 25 July 1968-1 September 1991 - 916th Air Refueling Squadron916th Air Refueling SquadronThe 916th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 307th Air Refueling Group, stationed at Travis AFB, California. It was inactivated on 31 December 1983...
: 1 September 1959-25 July 1968.
Stations
- Mountain Home AFB, 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....
, 16 July 1949 - Fairfield-Suisun (later, Travis) AFB, California, 12 November 1949
- 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....
, 25 July 1968–present
Major Aircraft Assigned
- 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...
, 1949 - RB-29 Superfortress, 1949, 1951
- RB-36D Peacemaker, 1951–1958
- B-36J PeacemakerConvair B-36The Convair B-36 "Peacemaker" was a strategic bomber built by Convair and operated solely by the United States Air Force from 1949 to 1959. The B-36 was the largest mass-produced piston engine aircraft ever made. It had the longest wingspan of any combat aircraft ever built , although there have...
, 1953–1958
- 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...
, 1959–1968 (B-52G), 1968–present (B-52H) - 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...
, 1959–1968, 1968–1992 - EC–135Boeing EC-135The Boeing EC-135 was a command & control version of the C-135 Stratolifter. Modified for the "Looking Glass" program, during the Cold War EC-135 were airborne 24 hours a day to serve as flying command platforms for the military in the event of nuclear war...
, 1968–1969 - T-38 TalonT-38 TalonThe Northrop T-38 Talon is a twin-engine supersonic jet trainer. It was the world's first supersonic trainer and is also the most produced. The T-38 remains in service as of 2011 in air forces throughout the world....
, 1994–1995
Campaign Streamers
- World War II: Central Pacific; Guadalcanal; New Guinea; Northern Solomons; Eastern Mandates; Bismarck Archipelago; Western Pacific; Leyte; Luzon; Southern Philippines
Decorations
- Distinguished Unit Citations: Woleai Island, 18 April 1944 – 15 May 1944; Borneo, 30 September 1944
- Presidential Unit Citation (Navy): South Pacific, 1 December 1942 – 9 December 1942
- Philippine Presidential Unit Citation (WWII)
- Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device: 1 June 1999 – 31 May 2001
- Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards (3): 1 July 1983 – 30 June 1984; 1 July 1985 – 30 June 1986; 1 July 1991 – 30 June 1993.
Awards
- Won the Omaha Trophy as the outstanding wing in SAC for 1985.
- Won the SAC Bombing and Navigation Competition and the Fairchild Trophy in 1988.
- Received the Omaha Trophy from U.S. Strategic Command as the best strategic aircraft unit for 2000.