95th Air Base Wing
Encyclopedia
The 95th Air Base Wing is a United States Air Force
unit assigned to the Air Force Materiel Command
Air Force Flight Test Center. The unit is stationed at Edwards Air Force Base
, California, and is the host unit at Edwards.
The 95 ABW is responsible for operating Edwards AFB, including the infrastructure, communication systems, security, fire protection, transportation, supply, finance, contracting, legal services, personnel and manpower support, housing, education, chapel and quality of life programs on a 301000 acres (1,218.1 km²) base in the middle of the Mojave Desert, the second largest base in the USAF.
During World War II, its predecessor unit, the 95th Bombardment Group (Heavy) was a Eighth Air Force
B-17 Flying Fortress unit in England, stationed primarily at RAF Horham
. It was the only Eighth Air Force group awarded three Distinguished Unit Citations, with the highest total claims of enemy aircraft destroyed of all Eighth Air Force Bomb Groups − 425 aircraft. It was also the first Army Air Force group to bomb Berlin.
During the Cold War
, the Strategic Air Command
95th Bombardment Wing performed strategic bombardment training with the B-36 Peacemaker and later B-52 Stratofortress
strategic bomber. It operated in support SAC's global commitments from April 1954 until SAC's phaseout of operations at Biggs AFB, Texas in February 1966.
The 95th Air Base Wing is commanded by Colonel Gregory E. Schwab.
and the 412th Test Wing
.
The 95th is host to over 100,000 visitors annually and supports over 25,000 dependents, retirees, and veterans. Major units within the wing include the 95th Mission Support and the 95th Medical Groups, as well the 95th Civil Engineer/Transportation Directorate, 95th Security Forces Squadron and the Services and Comptroller Divisions. Staff agencies include chaplain services, base comptroller, inspector general, manpower and organization, and military equal opportunity and public affairs.
Activated 15 June 1942 at Barkesdale Field in LA. Formation did not commence until late August 1942 at Geiger Field in Washington. The unit moved to Ephrata Washington on 31 October 1943 and back to Geiger Field on 24 November 1943. Final training was conducted at Rapid City AAB, South Dakota from 14 December 1942 to 11 March 1943. the air echelon moved to Kearney Field Neb for their final processing prior to overseas duty. Aircraft took the southern route via Florida, Trinidad, Brazil, Dakar, and Marrakesh to the United Kingdom, arriving early in April 1943. The ground elements arrived at Camp Kilmer on 21 April 1943 and sailed on the Queen Elizabeth on 5 May 1943, arriving in Greenock on 11 May 1943.
The group entered combat
for Eighth Air Force on 13 May 1943. During the next two months, the group repeatedly attacked V-weapon sites and airfields in France. It began bombing strategic
objectives in Germany in July 1943 and engaged primarily in such operations until V-E Day. Targets included harbors, industries, marshalling yards, and cities. The 95th received a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for maintaining a tight defensive formation in spite of severe assault by enemy fighters
and bombing the aircraft assembly plant at Regensburg
, Germany, on 17 August 1943. Withstanding concentrated attacks by fighters during the approach to the target and intense antiaircraft fire directly over the objective, the group effectively bombarded marshalling yards at Münster
on 10 October 1943, earning a second DUC.
The group participated in the intensive campaign
of heavy bomber
s against the German aircraft industry during Big Week
, 20–25 February 1944. The 95th received another DUC for action during an attack by Army Air Force bombers on Berlin on 4 March 1944; while many participating organizations, because of weather conditions, either abandoned the operation or struck other targets, the 95th proceeded to Berlin and successfully bombed a suburb of the German capital despite snowstorms, dense clouds, and severe enemy attack. The group interrupted its strategic operations to strike coastal defenses and communications during the invasion of Normandy in June 1944. It hit enemy troop concentrations and thus assist the Allied
breakthrough at Saint-Lô
in July 1944, dropped ammunition
, food, and medical supplies to Polish resistance
in Warsaw
on 18 September 1944, attacked enemy transportation during the Battle of the Bulge
, December 1944 – January 1945, and bombed airdromes in support of the Allied assault across the Rhine in March 1945. It flew its last combat mission, an attack on marshalling yards at Oranienburg
, Germany, on 20 April 1945. The group dropped food to the Dutch during the first week in May. After V-E Day, it transported liberated prisoners
and displaced persons from Austria to France and England.
Redeployed to the US June and August 1945. First of the air echelon departed the United Kingdom on 19 June 1945 and arrived at Bradley Field in Conn on 21 June 1945. Ground echelon sailed, out of Greenock on the Queen Elizabeth on 5 August 1945, and arriving on 11 August 1945 in Sioux Falls AAFd, South Dakota and inactivated there on the 28th.
, Tennessee
, from May 1947 to June 1949, as a B-29 Superfortress
unit before being deactivated. It is not clear whether or not the wing was fully staffed or equipped.
The 95th Bombardment Wing was established on 4 June 1952, and activated on 16 June 1952 at Biggs AFB, Texas. However it was not manned from until July 1953, assigned to the Eighth Air Force
's 810th Air Division, and then minimally manned until September 1953, when it began strategic bombardment training with B-36 Peacemakers. It operated in support of Strategic Air Command (SAC)'s global commitments from, April 1954– February 1966. The wing deployed to Andersen Air Force Base
, Guam
, and operated under control of 3d Air Division
from, July–November 1955. It added an air refueling mission beginning in August 1959 and carrying through January 1965. From 1959 to 1960, the wing received B-52 Stratofortress
es, and KC-135 Stratotankerss and phased out the B-36. The 95th Bomb Wing was inactivated on 25 June 1966 with the closure of Biggs and it's transfer to the United States Army
.
In August 1966 the wing was redesignated as the 95th Strategic Wing and reassigned to Goose Air Base, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, where it replaced the SAC provisional 4082d Strategic Wing. The 4082d SW was activated on 1 April 1957 as a provisional MAJCOM wing. In the late 1950s, SAC established Strategic Wings wings to disburse it's B-52 Superfortress 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. A 4-Digit MAJCOM wing, it was considered a temporary, provisional unit.
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 95th SW reassigned the B-52s from Goose to other SAC wings in the United States, and supported SAC's KC-135 alert tanker forces in eastern Canada and the North Atlantic. It phased down for inactivation, closing most USAF operations at Goose Bay
from, January–September 1976.
, California, for the Air Force Flight Test Center since its reactivation as the 95th Air Base Wing on 1 October 1994.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit assigned to the Air Force Materiel Command
Air Force Materiel Command
Air Force Materiel Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. AFMC was created July 1, 1992 through the reorganization of Air Force Logistics Command and Air Force Systems Command....
Air Force Flight Test Center. The unit is stationed at Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County, California, in the Antelope Valley. It is southwest of the central business district of North Edwards, California and due east of Rosamond.It is named in...
, California, and is the host unit at Edwards.
The 95 ABW is responsible for operating Edwards AFB, including the infrastructure, communication systems, security, fire protection, transportation, supply, finance, contracting, legal services, personnel and manpower support, housing, education, chapel and quality of life programs on a 301000 acres (1,218.1 km²) base in the middle of the Mojave Desert, the second largest base in the USAF.
During World War II, its predecessor unit, the 95th Bombardment Group (Heavy) was a 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....
B-17 Flying Fortress unit in England, stationed primarily at RAF Horham
RAF Horham
RAF Horham is a World War II era airfield in England. The field is located next to the village of Horham, England, and 4 miles SE of Eye in Suffolk. The large site straddled the parishes of Denham, Horham and Hoxne.-USAAF use:...
. It was the only Eighth Air Force group awarded three Distinguished Unit Citations, with the highest total claims of enemy aircraft destroyed of all Eighth Air Force Bomb Groups − 425 aircraft. It was also the first Army Air Force group to bomb Berlin.
During 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...
, the Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
95th Bombardment Wing performed strategic bombardment training with the B-36 Peacemaker and later 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...
strategic bomber. It operated in support SAC's global commitments from April 1954 until SAC's phaseout of operations at Biggs AFB, Texas in February 1966.
The 95th Air Base Wing is commanded by Colonel Gregory E. Schwab.
Overview
The 95th Air Base Wing is the host wing for Edwards Air Force Base. The wing oversees base day-to-day operations and provides support for over 10,000 military, federal civilian and contract personnel assigned to a 470 square miles (1,217.3 km²) installation. Approximately 1500 Air Base Wing Desert Warriors directly support the flight test and evaluation mission of the Air Force Flight Test CenterAir Force Flight Test Center
The Air Force Flight Test Center conducts research, development, test, and evaluation of aerospace systems from concept to deployment. It has test flown every aircraft in the U.S. Air Force's inventory since World War II...
and the 412th Test Wing
412th Test Wing
The 412th Test Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force, assigned to the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California.-Overview:...
.
The 95th is host to over 100,000 visitors annually and supports over 25,000 dependents, retirees, and veterans. Major units within the wing include the 95th Mission Support and the 95th Medical Groups, as well the 95th Civil Engineer/Transportation Directorate, 95th Security Forces Squadron and the Services and Comptroller Divisions. Staff agencies include chaplain services, base comptroller, inspector general, manpower and organization, and military equal opportunity and public affairs.
Units
- 95th Communications Group (95 CG)
- 95th Communications Squadron (95 CS)
- 95th Specialized Systems Division (SCC)
- 95th Executive Systems Division (SCE)
- 95th Support Division (SCS)
- 95th Plans/Policy Division (SCX)
- 95th Mission Support Group (95 MSG)
- 95th Contracting Squadron (95 CONS)
- 95th Force Support Squadron (95 FSS)
- 95th Security Forces Squadron (95 SFS)
- 95th Logistics Readiness Division (LGR)
- 95th Medical Group (95 MDG)
- 95th Aerospace Medicine Squadron (95 AMDS)
- 95th Medical Operations Squadron (95 MDOS)
- 95th Medical Support Squadron (95 MDSS)
Lineage
- Established as 95 Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 January 1942
- Activated on 15 June 1942
- Redesignated 95 Bombardment Group, Heavy, on 20 August 1943
- Inactivated on 28 August 1945
- Redesignated 95 Bombardment Group, Very Heavy, on 13 May 1947
- Activated in the Reserve on 29 May 1947
- Inactivated on 27 June 1949
- Consolidated (31 January 1984) with the 95 Bombardment Wing, Medium, which was established on 4 June 1952.
- Activated on 16 June 1952
- Redesignated 95 Bombardment Wing, Heavy, on 8 November 1952
- Discontinued, and inactivated, on 25 June 1966
- Redesignated 95 Strategic Wing on 8 August 1966
- Activated on 8 August 1966. Scheduled to replace the 4082d Strategic Wing on 2 August 1966
- Organized on 2 August 1966 assuming the resources of the 4082d Strategic Wing (inactivated)
- Inactivated on 30 September 1976
- Redesignated 95 Air Base Wing on 16 September 1994
- Activated on 1 October 1994.
Assignments
- III Bomber CommandIII Bomber CommandThe III Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Third Air Force stationed at MacDill Field, Florida. It was inactivated on 8 April 1946.-Lineage:...
, 15 June 1942 - II Bomber CommandII Bomber CommandThe 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....
, 26 June 1942 - 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....
, 11 May 1943 - VIII Bomber CommandVIII Bomber CommandThe VIII Bomber Command is an inactive United States Army Air Forces unit that is better known as the later appellation Eighth Air Force, as was popularized in post-World War II filmsand is frequently called the First Eighth Air Force by its veterans and successors in the services.The command was...
, 19 May 1943 - 4th Bombardment Wing, 25 May 1943
- Attached to 402d Provisional Combat Wing Bombardment [Heavy], 6 June-12 September 1943
- 3d Bombardment Division, 13 September 1943
- 13 Combat Bombardment Wing (Heavy) (later, 13 Bombardment Wing, Heavy), 14 September 1943 – August 1945
- 21 Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy (later, 21 Air Division, Bombardment), 29 May 1947 – 27 June 1949
- 810th Air Division, 16 June 1952 (attached to 3d Air Division, 26 July-4 November 1955
- 819th Strategic Aerospace 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 1962 - 12th Strategic Aerospace Division, 1 July 1964 – 25 June 1966
- 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...
, 8 August 1966 - 45th Air Division45th Air DivisionThe 45th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Eighth Air Force, stationed at Pease AFB, New Hampshire. It was inactivated on 14 June 1989.-History:...
, 2 October 1966 – 30 September 1976 - Air Force Flight Test CenterAir Force Flight Test CenterThe Air Force Flight Test Center conducts research, development, test, and evaluation of aerospace systems from concept to deployment. It has test flown every aircraft in the U.S. Air Force's inventory since World War II...
, since 1 October 1994
Components
- 334th Bombardment Squadron334th Bombardment SquadronThe 334th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 95th Bombardment Wing. It was inactivated at Biggs Air Force Base, Texas on 25 June 1966-History:...
(BG): 15 June 1942 – 28 August 1945; 29 May 1947-27 June 1949; 16 June 1952 – 25 June 1966 - 335th Bombardment Squadron335th Bombardment SquadronThe 335th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 4130th Strategic Wing. It was inactivated at Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas on 15 September 1963-History:...
(OE): 15 June 1942 – 28 August 1945; 17 July 1947– 27 June 1949; 16 June 1952 – 15 January 1959 - 336th Bombardment Squadron336th Bombardment SquadronThe 336th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 4138th Strategic Wing. It was inactivated at Turner Air Force Base, Georgia on 1 Feb 1963-History:...
(ET): 15 June 1942 – 28 August 1945; 16 July 1947-27 June 1949; 16 June 1952 – 1 July 1959 - 412th Bombardment Squadron (QW): 15 June 1942 – 28 August 1945; 16 July 1947-27 June 1949
- 917th Air Refueling Squadron917th Air Refueling SquadronThe 917th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 43d Operations Group, stationed at Malmstrom AFB, Montana. It was inactivated on 1 July 1994...
: 1 May 1959 – 15 January 1965
Stations
- Barksdale Field, LouisianaLouisianaLouisiana 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...
, 15 June 1942 - Pendleton Field, OregonOregonOregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, 26 June 1942 - Geiger Field, Washington, 28 August 1942
- Ephrata Army Air Base, Washington, 31 October 1942
- Geiger Field, Washington,, 24 November 1942
- Rapid City Army Air Base, 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...
, 17 December 1942 – 11 March 1943 - RAF FramlinghamRAF FramlinghamRAF Framlingham is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 3 miles SE of Framlingham in Suffolk.-USAAF use:...
(USAAF Station 153), England, May 1943
- RAF HorhamRAF HorhamRAF Horham is a World War II era airfield in England. The field is located next to the village of Horham, England, and 4 miles SE of Eye in Suffolk. The large site straddled the parishes of Denham, Horham and Hoxne.-USAAF use:...
(USAAF Station 119), England, 15 June 1943 – 19 June 1945 - Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South DakotaSouth DakotaSouth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, c. 14–28 August 1945 - Memphis Municipal AirportMemphis Municipal AirportMemphis Municipal Airport is a city-owned public use airport located one nautical mile northeast of the central business district of Memphis, a city in Hall County, Texas, United States.- Facilities and aircraft :...
, TennesseeTennesseeTennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, 29 May 1947 – 27 June 1949 - Biggs AFB, Texas, 16 June 1952 – 25 June 1966
- Goose AB (later, Aprt)CFB Goose BayCanadian Forces Base Goose Bay , is a Canadian Forces Base located in the town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador....
, Canada, 2 October 1966 – 30 September 1976 - Edwards AFB, California, since 1 October 1994
Aircraft
- B-17 Flying Fortress, 1942–1945
- Unknown, 1947–1949
- B-36 Peacemaker, 1953–1959
- 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...
, 1959–1966 - 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...
, 1959–1965; 1966–1975
World War II
The group entered combat
Combat
Combat, or fighting, is a purposeful violent conflict meant to establish dominance over the opposition, or to terminate the opposition forever, or drive the opposition away from a location where it is not wanted or needed....
for Eighth Air Force on 13 May 1943. During the next two months, the group repeatedly attacked V-weapon sites and airfields in France. It began bombing strategic
Military strategy
Military strategy is a set of ideas implemented by military organizations to pursue desired strategic goals. Derived from the Greek strategos, strategy when it appeared in use during the 18th century, was seen in its narrow sense as the "art of the general", 'the art of arrangement' of troops...
objectives in Germany in July 1943 and engaged primarily in such operations until V-E Day. Targets included harbors, industries, marshalling yards, and cities. The 95th received a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for maintaining a tight defensive formation in spite of severe assault by enemy fighters
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
and bombing the aircraft assembly plant at Regensburg
Regensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
, Germany, on 17 August 1943. Withstanding concentrated attacks by fighters during the approach to the target and intense antiaircraft fire directly over the objective, the group effectively bombarded marshalling yards at Münster
Münster
Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
on 10 October 1943, earning a second DUC.
The group participated in the intensive campaign
Military campaign
In the military sciences, the term military campaign applies to large scale, long duration, significant military strategy plan incorporating a series of inter-related military operations or battles forming a distinct part of a larger conflict often called a war...
of heavy bomber
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
s against the German aircraft industry during Big Week
Big Week
Between February 20–25, 1944, as part of the European strategic bombing campaign, the United States Strategic Air Forces launched Operation Argument, a series of missions against the Third Reich that became known as Big Week. The planners intended to lure the Luftwaffe into a decisive battle by...
, 20–25 February 1944. The 95th received another DUC for action during an attack by Army Air Force bombers on Berlin on 4 March 1944; while many participating organizations, because of weather conditions, either abandoned the operation or struck other targets, the 95th proceeded to Berlin and successfully bombed a suburb of the German capital despite snowstorms, dense clouds, and severe enemy attack. The group interrupted its strategic operations to strike coastal defenses and communications during the invasion of Normandy in June 1944. It hit enemy troop concentrations and thus assist the Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
breakthrough at Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô is a commune in north-western France, the capital of the Manche department in Normandy.-History:Originally called Briovère , the town is built on and around ramparts. Originally it was a Gaul fortified settlement...
in July 1944, dropped ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
, food, and medical supplies to Polish resistance
Polish resistance movement in World War II
The Polish resistance movement in World War II, with the Home Army at its forefront, was the largest underground resistance in all of Nazi-occupied Europe, covering both German and Soviet zones of occupation. The Polish defence against the Nazi occupation was an important part of the European...
in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
on 18 September 1944, attacked enemy transportation during the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
, December 1944 – January 1945, and bombed airdromes in support of the Allied assault across the Rhine in March 1945. It flew its last combat mission, an attack on marshalling yards at Oranienburg
Oranienburg
Oranienburg is a town in Brandenburg, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Oberhavel.- Geography :Oranienburg is a town located on the banks of the Havel river, 35 km north of the centre of Berlin.- Division of the town :...
, Germany, on 20 April 1945. The group dropped food to the Dutch during the first week in May. After V-E Day, it transported liberated prisoners
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
and displaced persons from Austria to France and England.
Redeployed to the US June and August 1945. First of the air echelon departed the United Kingdom on 19 June 1945 and arrived at Bradley Field in Conn on 21 June 1945. Ground echelon sailed, out of Greenock on the Queen Elizabeth on 5 August 1945, and arriving on 11 August 1945 in Sioux Falls AAFd, South Dakota and inactivated there on the 28th.
Cold War
The USAAF 95th Bombardment Group was reactivated and trained as a heavy bombardment group in the Air Force Reserve at Memphis International AirportMemphis International Airport
Memphis International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located three miles south of the central business district of Memphis, a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States....
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, from May 1947 to June 1949, 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...
unit before being deactivated. It is not clear whether or not the wing was fully staffed or equipped.
The 95th Bombardment Wing was established on 4 June 1952, and activated on 16 June 1952 at Biggs AFB, Texas. However it was not manned from until July 1953, assigned to the 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....
's 810th Air Division, and then minimally manned until September 1953, when it began strategic bombardment training with B-36 Peacemakers. It operated in support of Strategic Air Command (SAC)'s global commitments from, April 1954– February 1966. The wing deployed to Andersen Air Force Base
Andersen Air Force Base
Andersen Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately northeast of Yigo in the United States territory of Guam....
, 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...
, and operated under control of 3d Air Division
3d Air Division (United States)
The 3d Air 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 Hickam AFB, Hawaii...
from, July–November 1955. It added an air refueling mission beginning in August 1959 and carrying through January 1965. From 1959 to 1960, the wing received B-52 Stratofortress
B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
es, and KC-135 Stratotankerss and phased out the B-36. The 95th Bomb Wing was inactivated on 25 June 1966 with the closure of Biggs and it's transfer to the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
.
In August 1966 the wing was redesignated as the 95th Strategic Wing and reassigned to Goose Air Base, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, where it replaced the SAC provisional 4082d Strategic Wing. The 4082d SW was activated on 1 April 1957 as a provisional MAJCOM wing. In the late 1950s, SAC established Strategic Wings wings to disburse it's B-52 Superfortress 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. A 4-Digit MAJCOM wing, it was considered a temporary, provisional unit.
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 95th SW reassigned the B-52s from Goose to other SAC wings in the United States, and supported SAC's KC-135 alert tanker forces in eastern Canada and the North Atlantic. It phased down for inactivation, closing most USAF operations at Goose Bay
Goose Bay
Goose Bay may refer to:* Happy Valley – Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada* Goose Bay , Canada...
from, January–September 1976.
Modern era
The wing has managed Edwards Air Force BaseEdwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County, California, in the Antelope Valley. It is southwest of the central business district of North Edwards, California and due east of Rosamond.It is named in...
, California, for the Air Force Flight Test Center since its reactivation as the 95th Air Base Wing on 1 October 1994.