6th Operations Group
Encyclopedia
The 6th Operations Group (6 OG) is the operational flying component of the 6th Air Mobility Wing
, stationed at MacDill Air Force Base
, Florida.
The mission of the 6 OG is the planning and executing global aerial refueling, combatant commander airlift, and specialized missions for US and allied combat and support aircraft. The group extends US global power and global reach through employment of a mix of KC-135R and C-37 aircraft.
The 6th Operations Group is a successor organization of the 6th Group (Composite), one of the 15 original combat air groups formed by the Army before World War II. During World War II, the 6th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy), was a B-29 Superfortress
group assigned to Twentieth Air Force
flying bombardment operations against Japan. It's aircraft were identified by a "R" inside a Circle painted on the tail.
. The unit was a command and control organization of numerous miscellaneous light observation squadrons established by the Air Service to provide protection for the Panama Canal area.
In 1921 the group was redesignated the 6th Group (Observation) and in 1922, the 6th Group (Composite). The 6th flew such aircraft at the Curtiss R-4, DeHavilland 4-B, SE-5A, MG-3A, Piper L-4
, P-12B and Martin B-10
and Douglas B-18 Bolo
aircraft.
Throughout the 1920s and 1930 the group participated in maneuvers, flying patrol missions, photographing the canal area, staging aerial reviews and making good-will flights to Central and South America. In 1933, the group became part of the larger 19th Composite Wing, which provided a central command and control organization for the Air Service units. In 1937, as the mission of the 6th moved toward bombardment, the War Department renamed it the 6th Bombardment Group. They continued to operate in the Canal Zone
under the VI Bomber Command of the Sixth Air Force at Rio Hato AB, Albrook Field
and Howard Field
.
of Sixth Air Force with an antisubmarine mission on both the Caribbean and Pacific approaches to the Panama Canal. By 1943, the antisubmarine mission was taken over by the United States Navy
, and the group was disbanded in November 1943.
On 19 April 1944, the 6th Bombardment Group was reactivated at Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas, being formed as a B-29 Superfortress
Very Heavy bombardment Group. The reactivated group was initially assigned four newly-constituted bomb squadrons, the 24th, 39th, 40th and 41st as its operational components.
Due to a shortage of B-29s, the group was equipped with former II Bomber Command
B-17 Flying Fortresses previously used for training heavy bomber replacement personnel. In May shortages in aircraft and equipment led to the 41st Bomb Squadron being inactivated, with its personnel being consolidated into other group squadrons and the 6th becoming a three squadron group (the 41st would be reactivated a month later as part of the 501st Bombardment Group, but was inactivated a second time, finally being deployed into combat with the 448th Bombardment Group). The 6th was eventually equipped with newly-manufactured B-29 Superfortresses at Grand Island Army Airfield
, Nebraska
during the summer of 1944.
In November the group was deployed to the Pacific Theater of Operations
(PTO), being assigned to the XXI Bomber Command
313th Bombardment Wing, being stationed at North Field
, Tinian
, The group entered combat by flying navigational escort for a major attack force bound for Iwo Jima
. The 6th then began engaging in very long range bombardment missions over the Japanese Home Islands, striking Tokyo and other major Japanese cities and facilities during daylight high-altitude bombing raids, with crippling, non-stop incendiary raids which destroyed lines of communication, supply, and numerous kamikaze bases.
On 25 May 1945, the 6th flew a low-altitude night mission through alerted enemy defenses to drop incendiary bombs on Tokyo, for which they received their first Distinguished Unit Citation. In addition to incendiary raids, the 6th also participated in mining operations. By mining harbors in Japan and Korea in July 1945, the group contributed to the blockade of the Japanese Empire earning their second Distinguished Unit Citation. The 6th's final World War II mission came on 14 August 1945, with the dropping of 500-pound general purpose bombs on the Marifu railroad yards at Iwakuni.
; others being returned to the United States for storage at aircraft depots in the southwest. By Christmas, the group fleet was reduced to 30 or less planes Many of the remaining veterans signed for "any conditions of travel" to get home, arriving three weeks later in Oakland, California, where troop trains scattered them for points of discharge close to their homes.
The unit moved to Clark Field in the Philippines
where it was reassigned to the postwar Far East Air Forces 1st Air Division. At Clark its remaining aircraft and personnel were consolidated into other units. It was again reassigned in June 1947 to Kadena Air Base
, Okinawa as a paper unit where it was inactivated in 1948.
In January 1951, the group was activated as the operational component of the new 6th Bombardment Wing at Walker AFB, New Mexico
as part of Strategic Air Command
's Fifteenth Air Force
. However all of the group's B-29 Superfortress were attached directly to the Wing organization, with the group having only one officer and one airman officially assigned to group headquarters. It was inactivated in June 1952 as part of the implementation of the postwar Tri-Deputate organization as all operational flying squadrons were assigned directly to the 6th Bombardment Wing.
Elements deployed to Southwest Asia in July 1998 to refuel aircraft engaged in no-fly operations over northern Iraq. After January 2001, the group also provided airlift for the commanders of U.S. Central Command and U.S. Special Operations Command. It also refueled fighters providing security over the southeastern United States as part of homeland security after terrorist attacks against the United States in September 2001. Since 2001, personnel and aircraft deployed around the world to fulfill air refueling and aeromedical missions.
The 6th has twice won the Air Mobility Rodeo
Best Air Mobility Wing Award; in 2000 and 2005.
origins with a ship sailing through the Gaillard Cut
and an airplane flying overhead.
6th Air Mobility Wing
The United States Air Force's 6th Air Mobility Wing is the host wing for MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. It is part of Air Mobility Command's Eighteenth Air Force....
, stationed at MacDill Air Force Base
MacDill Air Force Base
MacDill Air Force Base is an active United States Air Force base located approximately south-southwest of downtown Tampa, Florida...
, Florida.
The mission of the 6 OG is the planning and executing global aerial refueling, combatant commander airlift, and specialized missions for US and allied combat and support aircraft. The group extends US global power and global reach through employment of a mix of KC-135R and C-37 aircraft.
The 6th Operations Group is a successor organization of the 6th Group (Composite), one of the 15 original combat air groups formed by the Army before World War II. During World War II, the 6th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy), was a 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...
group assigned to Twentieth Air Force
Twentieth Air Force
The Twentieth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming.20 AF's primary mission is Intercontinental Ballistic Missile operations...
flying bombardment operations against Japan. It's aircraft were identified by a "R" inside a Circle painted on the tail.
Units
- 6th Operations Support
- Provides airfield operations management, air traffic control, weather services, intelligence support, combat tactics development and training, mission development, and manage aircrew training support operations. Manage flight records and KC-135R simulator training.
- 91st Air Refueling Squadron91st Air Refueling SquadronThe 91st Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 6th Air Mobility Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. It operates the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.-History:...
- Operates the KC-135R Stratotanker. The KC-135R is a long-range tanker aircraft capable of refueling a variety of other aircraft in mid-air, anywhere in the world and under any weather condition. MacDill KC-135’s have supported US military operations all over the world including refueling coalition aircraft during the war in Bosnia.
- 99th Air Refueling Squadron99th Air Refueling SquadronThe 99th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 6th Air Mobility Wing at Birmingham Air National Guard Base, Alabama. It operates the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.-History:...
- Operates the KC-135R Stratotanker. The KC-135R is a long-range tanker aircraft capable of refueling a variety of other aircraft in mid-air, anywhere in the world and under any weather condition. Active duty associate unit with the 117th Air Refueling Wing117th Air Refueling WingThe United States Air Force's 117th Air Refueling Wing is an Air National Guard air refueling unit located at Birmingham International Airport, Alabama.-Mission:...
at Birmingham IAP, Alabama.
- 310th Airlift Squadron310th Airlift SquadronThe 310th Airlift Squadron is part of the 6th Air Mobility Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. It operates C-37 aircraft providing executive airlfit for Combatant Commanders.-Mission:...
- Operates three C-37A aircraft utilizing highly experienced crews to provide global airlift on special assignment missions directly supporting the Combatant Commanders of U.S Central Command, U.S. Southern Command, U.S. Special Operations Command, U.S. Northern Command, U.S. Transportation Command, U.S. Joint Forces Command, and U.S. Strategic Command.
- 911th Air Refueling Squadron911th Air Refueling SquadronThe 911th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 6th Air Mobility Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. The squadron is geographically separated from the 6th AMW and operates as the active duty associate to the 916th Air Refueling Wing from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North...
- Operates the KC-135R Stratotanker. The KC-135R is a long-range tanker aircraft capable of refueling a variety of other aircraft in mid-air, anywhere in the world and under any weather condition. Active duty associate unit with the 916th Air Refueling Wing916th Air Refueling WingThe 916th Air Refueling Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina...
at Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina.
Origins
The 6th Operations Group's origins begin on 30 September 1919 as the United States Army Panama Canal Department 3d Observation Group, being stationed at France Field in the Panama Canal ZonePanama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
. The unit was a command and control organization of numerous miscellaneous light observation squadrons established by the Air Service to provide protection for the Panama Canal area.
In 1921 the group was redesignated the 6th Group (Observation) and in 1922, the 6th Group (Composite). The 6th flew such aircraft at the Curtiss R-4, DeHavilland 4-B, SE-5A, MG-3A, Piper L-4
Piper J-3
The Piper J-3 Cub is a small, simple, light aircraft that was built between 1937 and 1947 by Piper Aircraft. With tandem seating, it was intended for flight training but became one of the most popular and best-known light aircraft of all time...
, P-12B and Martin B-10
Martin B-10
The Martin B-10 was the first all-metal monoplane bomber to go into regular use by the United States Army Air Corps, entering service in June 1934...
and Douglas 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....
aircraft.
Throughout the 1920s and 1930 the group participated in maneuvers, flying patrol missions, photographing the canal area, staging aerial reviews and making good-will flights to Central and South America. In 1933, the group became part of the larger 19th Composite Wing, which provided a central command and control organization for the Air Service units. In 1937, as the mission of the 6th moved toward bombardment, the War Department renamed it the 6th Bombardment Group. They continued to operate in the Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
under the VI Bomber Command of the Sixth Air Force at Rio Hato AB, Albrook Field
Albrook Air Force Base
Albrook Air Force Station is a former United States Air Force facility in Panama. It was closed on 30 September 1997 as a result of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties which specified that United States military facilities in the former Panama Canal Zone be closed and the facilities be turned over to the...
and Howard Field
Howard Air Force Base
Howard Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located in Panama. It was closed on 1 November 1999 as a result of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties which specified that United States military facilities in the former Panama Canal Zone be closed and the facilities be turned over to the...
.
World War II
In 1941 it was assigned to the new VI Bomber CommandVI Bomber Command
The VI Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Sixth Air Force, based at Albrook Field, Canal Zone...
of Sixth Air Force with an antisubmarine mission on both the Caribbean and Pacific approaches to the Panama Canal. By 1943, the antisubmarine mission was taken over by the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, and the group was disbanded in November 1943.
On 19 April 1944, the 6th Bombardment Group was reactivated at Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas, being formed as a 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...
Very Heavy bombardment Group. The reactivated group was initially assigned four newly-constituted bomb squadrons, the 24th, 39th, 40th and 41st as its operational components.
Due to a shortage of B-29s, the group was equipped with former II Bomber Command
II Bomber Command
The II Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Second Air Force, based at Fort George Wright, Washington. It was inactivated on 6 October 1943....
B-17 Flying Fortresses previously used for training heavy bomber replacement personnel. In May shortages in aircraft and equipment led to the 41st Bomb Squadron being inactivated, with its personnel being consolidated into other group squadrons and the 6th becoming a three squadron group (the 41st would be reactivated a month later as part of the 501st Bombardment Group, but was inactivated a second time, finally being deployed into combat with the 448th Bombardment Group). The 6th was eventually equipped with newly-manufactured B-29 Superfortresses at Grand Island Army Airfield
Grand Island Army Airfield
Grand Island Army Airfield was a United States Army Air Forces airfield which operated from 1942 to 1946. After its closure, the base was reopened as Central Nebraska Regional Airport.-History:...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
during the summer of 1944.
In November the group was deployed to the Pacific Theater of Operations
Pacific Theater of Operations
The Pacific Theater of Operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period...
(PTO), being assigned to the XXI Bomber Command
XXI Bomber Command
The XXI Bomber Command was a unit of the Twentieth Air Force in Guam for strategic bombing during World War II.- Lineage:* Constituted as XXI Bomber Command on 1 Mar 1944, and activated the same day.-Assignments:...
313th Bombardment Wing, being stationed at North Field
North Field
North Field can refer to:*North Field on Tinian from which the aircraft were launched to drop the atomic bombs on Japan during World War II...
, Tinian
Tinian
Tinian is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.-Geography:Tinian is about 5 miles southwest of its sister island, Saipan, from which it is separated by the Saipan Channel. It has a land area of 39 sq.mi....
, The group entered combat by flying navigational escort for a major attack force bound for Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
. The 6th then began engaging in very long range bombardment missions over the Japanese Home Islands, striking Tokyo and other major Japanese cities and facilities during daylight high-altitude bombing raids, with crippling, non-stop incendiary raids which destroyed lines of communication, supply, and numerous kamikaze bases.
On 25 May 1945, the 6th flew a low-altitude night mission through alerted enemy defenses to drop incendiary bombs on Tokyo, for which they received their first Distinguished Unit Citation. In addition to incendiary raids, the 6th also participated in mining operations. By mining harbors in Japan and Korea in July 1945, the group contributed to the blockade of the Japanese Empire earning their second Distinguished Unit Citation. The 6th's final World War II mission came on 14 August 1945, with the dropping of 500-pound general purpose bombs on the Marifu railroad yards at Iwakuni.
Postwar era
With the war over, the 6th dropped food and supplies to Allied prisoners of war and took part in show-of-force flights over Japan. The unit remained on Tinian until February 1946 during which time the group largely demobilized as part of the "Sunset Project", with some aircraft being sent reclamation on TinianTinian
Tinian is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.-Geography:Tinian is about 5 miles southwest of its sister island, Saipan, from which it is separated by the Saipan Channel. It has a land area of 39 sq.mi....
; others being returned to the United States for storage at aircraft depots in the southwest. By Christmas, the group fleet was reduced to 30 or less planes Many of the remaining veterans signed for "any conditions of travel" to get home, arriving three weeks later in Oakland, California, where troop trains scattered them for points of discharge close to their homes.
The unit moved to Clark Field in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
where it was reassigned to the postwar Far East Air Forces 1st Air Division. At Clark its remaining aircraft and personnel were consolidated into other units. It was again reassigned in June 1947 to Kadena Air Base
Kadena Air Base
, is a United States Air Force base in the towns of Kadena and Chatan and the city of Okinawa, in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Kadena Air Base is the hub of U.S. airpower in the Pacific, and home to the USAF's 18th Wing and a variety of associate units.-Units:The 18th Wing is the host unit at Kadena...
, Okinawa as a paper unit where it was inactivated in 1948.
In January 1951, the group was activated as the operational component of the new 6th Bombardment Wing at Walker AFB, 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...
as part of Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
'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....
. However all of the group's B-29 Superfortress were attached directly to the Wing organization, with the group having only one officer and one airman officially assigned to group headquarters. It was inactivated in June 1952 as part of the implementation of the postwar Tri-Deputate organization as all operational flying squadrons were assigned directly to the 6th Bombardment Wing.
Current era
Activated on 1 October 1996 with an air refueling mission as part of the Objective Wing structure of the 6th Air Refueling Wing.Elements deployed to Southwest Asia in July 1998 to refuel aircraft engaged in no-fly operations over northern Iraq. After January 2001, the group also provided airlift for the commanders of U.S. Central Command and U.S. Special Operations Command. It also refueled fighters providing security over the southeastern United States as part of homeland security after terrorist attacks against the United States in September 2001. Since 2001, personnel and aircraft deployed around the world to fulfill air refueling and aeromedical missions.
The 6th has twice won the Air Mobility Rodeo
Air Mobility Rodeo
The Air Mobility Rodeo is a biennial, international airlift competition hosted by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command. AMC gathers wings from active duty, reserve, and Air National Guard units from across the United States and around the world to test and improve tactics in a...
Best Air Mobility Wing Award; in 2000 and 2005.
Heraldry
The group's emblem, approved in 1924, reflects its Panama Canal ZonePanama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
origins with a ship sailing through the Gaillard Cut
Gaillard Cut
The Gaillard Cut, or Culebra Cut, is an artificial valley that cuts through the continental divide in Panama. The cut forms part of the Panama Canal, linking Lake Gatún, and thereby the Atlantic Ocean, to the Gulf of Panama and hence the Pacific Ocean...
and an airplane flying overhead.
Lineage
- Established as 3d Observation Group, and organized, on 30 September 1919
- Redesignated: 6th Group (Observation) on 14 March 1921
- Redesignated: 6th Group (Composite) in June 1922
- Redesignated: 6th Composite Group on 25 January 1923
- Redesignated: 6th Bombardment Group on 1 September 1937
- Redesignated: 6th Bombardment Group (Medium) on 6 December 1939
- Redesignated: 6th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 12 December 1940
- Disestablished on 1 November 1943. Reestablished, and consolidated (29 June 1944) with the 6th Bombardment Group, Very Heavy, which was established on 28 March 1944
- Activated on 1 April 1944
- Inactivated on 18 October 1948
- Redesignated 6th Bombardment Group, Medium on 20 December 1950
- Activated on 2 January 1951
- Inactivated on 16 June 1952
- Redesignated: 6th Strategic Group on 31 July 1985 (Remained inactive)
- Redesignated: 6th Operations Group on 1 July 1996
- Activated on 1 October 1996.
Assignments
- Panama Canal Department, 30 September 1919
- 19th Composite Wing (later, 19 Wing; 19 Bombardment Wing), 25 January 1933
- VI Bomber CommandVI Bomber CommandThe VI Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Sixth Air Force, based at Albrook Field, Canal Zone...
, 25 October 1941 – 1 November 1943 - Second Air ForceSecond Air ForceThe Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
, 1 April 1944 - 313th Bombardment Wing, 23 April 1944
- Attached to 17th Bombardment Operational Training Wing (Very Heavy), c. 19 May–18 November 1944
- 1st Air Division, 1 June 1947 – 18 October 1948
- 6th Bombardment Wing, 2 January 1951 – 16 June 1952
- 6th Air Refueling (later, 6th Air Mobility) Wing6th Air Mobility WingThe United States Air Force's 6th Air Mobility Wing is the host wing for MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. It is part of Air Mobility Command's Eighteenth Air Force....
, since 1 October 1996
Components
- 3d Bombardment Squadron3d Bombardment SquadronThe 3d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 111th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, based at Travis Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on 1 January 1953.-World War II:...
: 1 February 1940 – 1 November 1943 - 5th Reconnaissance Squadron5th Reconnaissance SquadronThe 5th Reconnaissance Squadron is part of the 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base, California but is geographically separated.-Mission:The 5th Reconnaissance Squadron conducts operations from Osan Air Base, South Korea...
: 24 October 1919 – 24 March 1920 (detached entire period) - 6th Air Refueling Squadron6th Air Refueling SquadronThe 6th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 60th Air Mobility Wing at Travis Air Force Base, California. It operates the KC-10 Extender aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.-History:...
: 10 April–1 August 1951 (detached entire period) - 7 Aero (later, 7 Observation; 7 Reconnaissance; 397 Bombardment)397th Bombardment SquadronThe 397th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the VI Bomber Command, based at Rio Hato Army Air Base, Panama. It was inactivated on 1 November 1946.-Heraldry:...
: assigned 30 September 1919 – 1 February 1940, attached 1 February 1940 – 25 February 1942, assigned 25 February 1942 – 1 November 1943 - 24th Bombardment Squadron: 1 April 1944 – 18 October 1948; 2 January 1951–16 June 1952 (detached 2 January 1951 – 16 June 1952)
- 24 Aero (later, 24 Pursuit)24th Fighter SquadronThe 24th Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 6th Fighter Wing, based at France Field, Canal Zone...
: assigned 27 May 1922 – 8 May 1929, attached 8 May 1929 – 1 December 1932 - 25th Bombardment Squadron: 27 May 1922 – 12 May 1943
- 29th Bombardment Squadron: 12 May–1 November 1943
- 39th Bombardment Squadron: 1 April 1944 – 18 October 1948; 2 January 1951–16 June 1952 (detached 2 January 1951 – 16 June 1952)
- 40th Bombardment Squadron: 1 April 1944 – 18 October 1948; 2 January 1951–16 June 1952 (detached 2 January 1951 – 16 June 1952)
- 41st Bombardment Squadron41st Bombardment SquadronThe 41st Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 448th Bombardment Group, based at Long Beach Municipal Airport, California...
: 1 April–10 May 1944 - 44th Observation Squadron430th Bombardment SquadronThe 430th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 502d Bombardment Group, based at Northwest Field, Guam. It was inactivated on 15 April 1946.-History:...
: 1 April 1931 – 1 September 1937 - 74th Bombardment Squadron74th Bombardment SquadronThe 74th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 106th Bombardment Wing, based at March Air Force Base, California...
: 1 February 1940 – 9 August 1942; 12 May–1 November 1943 - 78th Pursuit Squadron78th Reconnaissance SquadronThe 78th Reconnaissance Squadron is part of the Tenth Air Force, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas. The 78 RS conducts operations from Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada in conjunction with their active-duty associates in the Air Force Warfare Center.-Mission:The mission of the...
: attached 1 April 1931 – 1 December 1932 - 91st Air Refueling Squadron91st Air Refueling SquadronThe 91st Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 6th Air Mobility Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. It operates the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.-History:...
: since 1 October 1996 - 310th Airlift Squadron310th Airlift SquadronThe 310th Airlift Squadron is part of the 6th Air Mobility Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. It operates C-37 aircraft providing executive airlfit for Combatant Commanders.-Mission:...
: since 1 January 2001 - 395th Bombardment Squadron: 9 August 1942 – 12 May 1943
- 911th Air Refueling Squadron911th Air Refueling SquadronThe 911th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 6th Air Mobility Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. The squadron is geographically separated from the 6th AMW and operates as the active duty associate to the 916th Air Refueling Wing from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North...
: since 12 April 2008
Stations
- France Field, Canal ZonePanama Canal ZoneThe Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
, 30 September 1919 - Río Hato AB, Panama, 9 December 1941
- Albrook Field, Canal ZonePanama Canal ZoneThe Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
, 14 January 1943 - Howard Field, Canal ZonePanama Canal ZoneThe Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
, October–1 November 1943 - Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas, 1 April 1944
- Grand Island Army AirfieldGrand Island Army AirfieldGrand Island Army Airfield was a United States Army Air Forces airfield which operated from 1942 to 1946. After its closure, the base was reopened as Central Nebraska Regional Airport.-History:...
, NebraskaNebraskaNebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, 19 May–18 November 1944
- North FieldNorth Field (Tinian)North Field is a former World War II airfield on Tinian in the Mariana Islands. Abandoned after the war, today North Field is a tourist attraction....
, TinianTinianTinian is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.-Geography:Tinian is about 5 miles southwest of its sister island, Saipan, from which it is separated by the Saipan Channel. It has a land area of 39 sq.mi....
, 28 December 1944 - Clark Field, Philippines, c. February 1946
- Kadena AB, Okinawa, 1 June 1947 – 18 October 1948
- Walker AFB, 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...
, 2 January 1951 – 16 June 1952 - MacDill AFB, Florida, since 1 October 1996
Aircraft
- During 1917–1919 period, included JN-4, R-3 (R-9), and R-4
- During 1919–1931 period, included JN-4, DH-4, HS2L, OA-1, O-2, NBS-1, P-12, SE-5, MB-3, and PW-9.
- During 1928–1932 period, included LB-5, LB-6, and LB-7
- During 1930–1936 period, included OA-4. O-19 1930–1937
- Keystone B-3Keystone B-3|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Andrade, John. U.S. Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909. Leicester, UK: Midland Counties Publications, 1979, pp. 43, 135. ISBN 0-904597-22-9....
1931–1936 - Keystone B-6Keystone B-6|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Wagner, Ray. American Combat Planes. New York: Doubleday, 1982. ISBN 0-930083-17-2.-External links:**...
1936–1937 - Martin B-10Martin B-10The Martin B-10 was the first all-metal monoplane bomber to go into regular use by the United States Army Air Corps, entering service in June 1934...
, 1936–1939 - B-18 BoloB-18 BoloThe 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....
, 1938–1943 - LB-30 Liberator, 1942–1943
- 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...
, 1942–1943 - Northrop A-17Northrop A-17The Northrop A-17, a development of the Northrop Gamma 2F was a two seat, single engine, monoplane, attack bomber built in 1935 by the Northrop Corporation for the US Army Air Corps.-Development and design:...
A, 1942–1943 - L-4 Grasshopper, 1943
- B/RB-17 Flying Fortress, 1941–1943; 1943–1944
- B-29 SuperfortressB-29 SuperfortressThe B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
, 1944–1947 - 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...
, since 1996 - Boeing 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...
, 1997–2003 - Boeing T-43 Bobcat, 1997–2001
- C-37 Gulfstream V, since 2001
External links
- World War II 6th Bombardment Group
- History of the 6th by Kingdon R. "King" Hawes, Ltc. USAF (Ret.)