Dow Air Force Base
Encyclopedia
- For the civil use of this facility and airport information, see Bangor International AirportBangor International AirportBangor International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located west of the city of Bangor, in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. It is owned and operated by the City of Bangor and was formerly a military installation known as Dow Air Force Base. The airport possesses a single...
- For the Air National Guard base, see Bangor Air National Guard BaseBangor Air National Guard BaseBangor Air National Guard Base is a United States Air Force base, located at Bangor International Airport in Bangor, Maine.-Overview:The base is the home of the 101st Air Refueling Wing, Maine Air National Guard. The 101st provides 24 hour air and ground refueling for many aircraft whose...
Dow Air Force Base is a former 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...
base. It was closed as an active base in 1968. Most of the facility was turned over to civil use and is now Bangor International Airport
Bangor International Airport
Bangor International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located west of the city of Bangor, in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. It is owned and operated by the City of Bangor and was formerly a military installation known as Dow Air Force Base. The airport possesses a single...
. The Maine Air National Guard
Maine Air National Guard
The Maine Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Maine. It is, along with the Maine Army National Guard, an element of the Maine National Guard...
uses part of the former base as Bangor Air National Guard Base
Bangor Air National Guard Base
Bangor Air National Guard Base is a United States Air Force base, located at Bangor International Airport in Bangor, Maine.-Overview:The base is the home of the 101st Air Refueling Wing, Maine Air National Guard. The 101st provides 24 hour air and ground refueling for many aircraft whose...
.
History
Dow Air Force Base began as "Godfrey Field" in 1927, on land owned by local attorney Edward Rawson Godfrey (1877–1958). Commercial flights began at the field in 1931 under Northeast Airlines. Just prior to the Second World War Godfrey Field was taken over by the US Army Air Corps and was named "Godfrey Army Airfield" (Godfrey AAF).World War II
Under USAAF control, Godfrey AAF was initially placed under the jurisdiction of the 8th Service Group, Air Service Command. Its initial mission was the maintenance and preparation of Lend-LeaseLend-Lease
Lend-Lease was the program under which the United States of America supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, China, Free France, and other Allied nations with materiel between 1941 and 1945. It was signed into law on March 11, 1941, a year and a half after the outbreak of war in Europe in...
aircraft bound for Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, being transported by AAC Ferrying Command to RCAF Stations in Newfoundland
Dominion of Newfoundland
The Dominion of Newfoundland was a British Dominion from 1907 to 1949 . The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland...
. The civil airport was greatly expanded to include three hard-surfaced 7000-foot runways, aligned 01/10 (N/S), 08/26 (NE/SW) and a main (NW/SE) runway aligned 14/32 being constructed along with many hardstands and taxiways for the temporary parking of large numbers of aircraft during their stay at the airfield.
The name was changed to Dow Army Airfield in 1942. It was named after James Frederick Dow of Houlton, Maine
Houlton, Maine
Houlton is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, on the United States – Canada border, located at . As of the 2010 census, the town population was 6,123. It is perhaps best known as being at the northern terminus of Interstate 95 and for being the birthplace of Samantha Smith...
who joined the Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
and was killed on June 17, 1940 in a training accident when the bomber he was piloting collided with another near Mitchel Field
Mitchel Air Force Base
Decommissioned in 1961, Mitchel Field became a multi-use complex currently home to the Cradle of Aviation Museum, Nassau Coliseum, Mitchel Athletic Complex, Nassau Community College and Hofstra University.-Origins:...
on Long Island, New York.
On 28 February 1942, with the United States entering World War II, Dow Field's mission was upgraded to that of being a springboard for the ferrying of B-17 Flying Fortress and, later, B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
heavy bombers and other combat aircraft to the European Theater of Operations flying on the Great Circle Route. In addition, beginning in early 1943, it acquired the additional mission of training engineer aviation personnel and staging hundreds of 4-engined heavy bombers which arrived from throughout the United States and preparing them for the overseas flight to European and Mediterranean combat theaters.
On 5 March 1944, jurisdiction of Dow AAF was transferred from Air Service Command to Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its mission was to meet the urgent demand for the speedy reinforcement of the United States' military bases worldwide during World War II, using an air supply system to supplement surface transport...
, being placed under its North Atlantic Wing. Over 8,400 aircraft passed though Dow in 1944, and approximately 2,150 in the last five months of the European conflict in 1945. After the end of the European war in May 1945, Dow was a stop on the return leg for aircraft returning to the United States, and remained part of ATC's North Atlantic Transport route for strategic air transportation between the United States and the United Kingdom.
The base was drawn down during the demobilization in late 1945, and placed in a standby status on 7 May 1946, being made a satellite base of Westover Field, Massachusetts.
Air Defense Command
Although placed in standby status in 1946, Dow Field never was inactivated and the airfield continued to see ATC aircraft transit the field occasionally. First Air ForceFirst Air Force
The First Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida....
, Air Defense Command acquired jurisdiction from ATC in November 1946 and it activated the 14th Fighter Group at Dow, stationing P-47N Thunderbolts at the airfield. Assigned squadrons were 37th, 48th and 49th Fighter Squadrons. The 14th Fighter Group (later wing in August 1947) was one of the first USAAF groups assigned to Air Defense Command. The unit was responsible for the air defense of the Northeastern United States.
In July 1947 the group deployed to Muroc AFB, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to conduct accelerated service tests with new F-84B Thunderjets prior to acceptance. First operational production USAF F-84Bs arrived at Dow AFB on 7 November; the last P-84B was delivered in February 1948. Throughout the winter of 1947/48 the 14th Fighter Group lost three F-84s at Dow. Findings indicated that the extreme cold weather at the base enhanced aircraft performance over what was found during testing in California, however as the temperatures moderated in the spring of 1948, accident rate remained high.
Dow Air Force Base was assigned to ADC's 26th Air Division on 25 August 1948 with the creation of ADC's first Air Divisions. Mission was daylight and fair weather defense of northeast United States from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
north to Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
/New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
border, shared with 52d Fighter Group (All-Weather) at Mitchel AFB, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
which flew F-82 Twin Mustang
F-82 Twin Mustang
The North American F-82 Twin Mustang was the last American piston-engine fighter ordered into production by the United States Air Force. Based on the P-51 Mustang, the F-82 was originally designed as a long-range escort fighter in World War II; however, the war ended well before the first...
s for night and inclement weather operations.
In July 1949, the 14th Fighter Group sent sixteen F-84Bs to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
for flyover display at newly-opened Idlewild Airport, however it was inactivated on 2 October 1949 due to budget cutbacks.
With the activation of the 14th FW in late 1949, the facilities at Dow AFB were greatly expanded and completely rebuilt. A long jet runway was laid down parallel to the wartime main NW/SE main runway, and a permanent Air Force Base was built on the north side of the World War II and prewar facility. The former World War II base facilities were abandoned and later were torn down. Today they are a wooded area on the southwest side of the airport.
The new Dow Air Force Base was activated on 1 January 1951. The 4009th Air Base Squadron was assigned to the base to support the existing base facilities, and supervise the ongoing construction of the base facilities still not yet complete.
The first use of the new Dow AFB was during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, as the Maine Air National Guard
Maine Air National Guard
The Maine Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Maine. It is, along with the Maine Army National Guard, an element of the Maine National Guard...
was federalized and brought to active service at the base. The 101st Fighter-Interceptor Wing activated two F-80C Shooting Star interceptor squadrons (101st FIS, 132d FIS) which were placed under ADC's Eastern Air Defense Force
Eastern Air Defense Force
The Eastern Air Defense Force is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command being stationed at Stewart Air Force Base, New York. It was inactivated on July 1, 1960.-History:...
. In 1952 with the ANG squadrons being returned to state control, ADC activated the 49th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at Dow.
The ADC 32d AD also activated several Aircraft Control and Warning Squadrons (128th (WI ANG), 679th, 765th), which were Ground Intercept Radar units. These squadrons were formed at Dow, and later deployed to new radar stations being constructed in Maine which were equipped with long-range radars and then directed the interceptor aircraft at Dow to unknown aircraft which entered their coverage.
On 9 September 1952, Military Air Transport Service
Military Air Transport Service
The Military Air Transport Service is an inactive Department of Defense Unified Command. Activated on 1 June 1948, MATS was a consolidation of the United States Navy Naval Air Transport Service and the United States Air Force Air Transport Command into a single, joint, unified command...
Atlantic Division at Westover AFB activated 83d Air Transport Squadron (1600th Air Transport Wing) to Dow AFB as a tenant unit. This was done primarily to relieve overcrowding. The 83d ATS operated C-54 Skymaster
C-54 Skymaster
The Douglas C-54 Skymaster was a four-engined transport aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces and British forces in World War II and the Korean War. Besides transport of cargo, it also carried presidents, British heads of government, and military staff...
s from Dow, and its primary mission was to support Northeast Air Command
Northeast Air Command
The Northeast Air Command was a short-lived organization in the United States Air Force tasked with the operation and defense of air bases in Greenland, Labrador and Newfoundland. It was formed in 1950 from the facilities of the United States established during World War II in Northeast Canada,...
bases and radar stations in Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, Baffin Island
Baffin Island
Baffin Island in the Canadian territory of Nunavut is the largest island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, the largest island in Canada and the fifth largest island in the world. Its area is and its population is about 11,000...
, and Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
. It was reassigned to the 1610th Air Transport Group at Grenier AFB, New Hampshire effective 1 July 1953, however, on 29 May 1953, the eight C-54s of the 83rd ATS departed in a permanent change of station.
In November 1952, jurisdiction of Dow AFB was officially transferred from ADC to Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
(SAC). The ADC units remained at the base in a tenant status for a few years, until the 49th FIS was moved and placed under the 4707th Air Defense Wing
4707th Air Defense Wing
The 4707th Air Defense Wing is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 26th Air Division, being stationed at Stewart Air Force Base, New York...
at Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts in November 1955.
ADC returned to on 1 June 1959, when the 30th Air Defense Missile Squadron was activated 4 miles north-northeast of the base, equipped with 28 CIM-10 Bomarc-A liquid-fuled surface-to-air missiles. Also that month, the 75th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron which was moved from the closing Presque Isle AFB, Maine to Dow to keep interceptors in Maine. The Bomarc missiles remained active until 15 December 1964 when they were inactivated due to limited funding The 75th FIS remained until April 1968 when Dow was inactivated.
Strategic Air Command
The SAC 506th Strategic Fighter Wing was activated at Dow on 20 November 1952 and was assigned to SAC'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....
. The wing composed of the 457th, 458th and 462d Strategic Fighter Squadrons and was equipped with F-84G Thunderjets. SAC was founded by men who had flown bomb raids against Germany during World War II. They usually encountered swarms of enemy fighters and knew the importance of having fighter escorts, so they had fighter wings placed under their own operational control. Although assigned to SAC, the group was associated with the ADC units at Dow.
The wing was deployed to Misawa Air Base
Misawa Air Base
right|thumb|A US Navy C-2 at Misawa is a United States military facility located northeast of the railway station in Misawa, west of the Pacific Ocean, northeast of Towada, northwest of Hachinohe, and north of Tokyo, in Aomori Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region in the northern part of the...
, Japan between 13 August and 7 November 1953 to support SAC's rotational deployment of fighter units to northern Japan to perform air defense duties, relieving the 12th Strategic Fighter Wing. Under the self-supporting concept, the 506th SFW gained the KB-29P Superfortress 506th Air Refueling Squadron
506th Air Refueling Squadron
The 506th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 506th Strategic Fighter Wing, stationed at Dow AFB, Maine. It was inactivated on 1 March 1955...
on 23 September 1953. The 506th ARS remained with the wing until 1 March 1955. Upon the wing's return to the United States, the 508th was re-equipped with new F-84F Thunderstreak
F-84F Thunderstreak
The Republic F-84F Thunderstreak was an American-built swept-wing turbojet fighter-bomber. While an evolutionary development of the straight-wing F-84 Thunderjet, the F-84F was a new design. The RF-84F Thunderflash was a photo reconnaissance version....
s, in January 1954 becoming the first SAC fighter wing to be equipped with the swept-wing Thunderjet model. The wing remained at Dow for just over a year until being reassigned to Second Air Force
Second Air Force
The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
and was transferred to Tinker AFB, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
on 20 March 1955.
The escort fighters were replaced by the SAC 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....
4060th Air Refueling Wing, activated on 8 March 1955. Equipped with KC-97 Stratotanker
KC-97 Stratotanker
The Boeing KC-97 Stratotanker was a United States strategic tanker aircraft based on the Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter. It was succeeded by the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker.-Design and development:...
s, the 4060th was a provisional organization with a mission to support B-47 Stratojet
B-47 Stratojet
The Boeing Model 450 B-47 Stratojet was a long-range, six-engined, jet-powered medium bomber built to fly at high subsonic speeds and at high altitudes. It was primarily designed to drop nuclear bombs on the Soviet Union...
deployments to Europe and Morocco, with air refueling taking place over the Atlantic Ocean. In addition, during the late 1950s, SAC extended the runway at Dow to 11,000' and alert pads were constructed at the 15 (Southeast) end. The runway became the longest east of the Mississippi River and was designed for use by B-52s.
On 15 February 1960, SAC established the 4038th Strategic Wing at Dow as part of SAC's plan to disburse its B-52 Stratofortress
B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
heavy bombers over a larger number of bases, thus making it more difficult for the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
to knock out the entire fleet with a surprise first strike. The wing consisted of the 341st Bombardment Squadron
341st Bombardment Squadron
The 341st Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 4038th Strategic Wing. It was last stationed at Dow Air Force Base, Maine, and was inactivated on 1 February 1963.-History:...
, consisting of 15 B-52Gs, and the KC-135-equipped 71st Air Refueling Squadron
71st Air Refueling Squadron
The 71st Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 2d Bombardment Wing, stationed at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. It was inactivated on 1 September 1991....
. Half of the aircraft were maintained on fifteen minute alert, fully fueled, armed, and ready for combat. SAC Strategic Wings were considered a provisional unit by HQ, USAF and could not carry a permanent history or lineage.
The 4038th SW was redesignated as the 397th Bombardment Wing (397th BW) on 1 February 1963 in a name-only redesigation and was assigned to SAC'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....
, 6th Air Division. The 341st BS was also redesignated as the 864th Bombardment Squadron
864th Bombardment Squadron
The 864th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 494th Bombardment Wing, based at Sheppard AFB, Texas...
, one of the unit's World War II historical bomb squadrons. The 71st ARS designation was unchanged, and component support units were also redesignated to the 410th numerical designation of the newly-established wing.
The 397th Bomb Wing continued to conduct strategic bombardment training and air refueling operations to meet operational commitments 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...
, including deployments to 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...
. By 1968, Intercontinental ballistic missile
Intercontinental ballistic missile
An intercontinental ballistic missile is a ballistic missile with a long range typically designed for nuclear weapons delivery...
s (ICBM) had been deployed and become operational as part of the United States' strategic triad, and the need for B-52s had been reduced. In addition, funds were also needed to cover the costs of combat operations in Indochina
Indochina
The Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory...
.
The 397th Bombardment Wing was inactivated on 25 April 1968 and its aircraft were reassigned to other SAC units. As part of the inactivation, Dow AFB was closed, with most of the base was purchased by the city of Bangor and reopened the following year as Bangor International Airport
Bangor International Airport
Bangor International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located west of the city of Bangor, in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. It is owned and operated by the City of Bangor and was formerly a military installation known as Dow Air Force Base. The airport possesses a single...
. That portion of Dow AFB not turned over to the city became the basis for the current Bangor Air National Guard Base
Bangor Air National Guard Base
Bangor Air National Guard Base is a United States Air Force base, located at Bangor International Airport in Bangor, Maine.-Overview:The base is the home of the 101st Air Refueling Wing, Maine Air National Guard. The 101st provides 24 hour air and ground refueling for many aircraft whose...
and the Maine Army National Guard
Army National Guard
Established under Title 10 and Title 32 of the U.S. Code, the Army National Guard is part of the National Guard and is divided up into subordinate units stationed in each of the 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia operating under their respective governors...
's Army Aviation Support Facility.
Previous names
- Godfrey Army Airfield, 1941
- Dow Army Airfield, 1942
- Dow Air Force Base, 1947–1968
Major commands to which assigned
- Air Service Command, 1941
- Air Transport CommandAir Transport CommandAir Transport Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its mission was to meet the urgent demand for the speedy reinforcement of the United States' military bases worldwide during World War II, using an air supply system to supplement surface transport...
, 1944
- On standby status, May–November 1946
- Air Defense Command, 1946
- 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...
, 1952–1968
- Air Defense Command controlled tenant units, 1952-1968
Major units assigned
- 92d Reconnaissance Squadron (45th Bombardment Group45th Bombardment GroupThe 45th Operations Group is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 45th Space Wing, stationed at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.-Overview:...
), 3 February-7 April 1942
- Attached to Army Air Forces Antisubmarine CommandArmy Air Forces Antisubmarine CommandThe Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command was a direct reporting agency of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Its mission was to deal with the German Navy U-boat threat.-Lineage:...
, operated 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....
s on antisubmarine patrols over the Atlantic OceanAtlantic OceanThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
- 451st Bombardment Group, 19 June-26 September 1945
- 724th, 725th, 726th 727th Bombardment Squadrons
- Reassigned from 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....
, Castelltuccio Airfield, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Unit spent the summer of 1945 demobilizing at Dow Field, it's 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...
s sent to reclamation at depots in western United States.
- 14th Fighter Group, 20 November 1946-2 October 1949
- 14th Fighter Wing, 15 August 1947-2 October 1949
- 506th Strategic Fighter Wing, 20 January 1953-20 March 1955
- 4060th Air Refueling Wing, 8 March 1955-1 February 1960
- 820th Air Division, 1 February 1956-1 April 1961
- 4038th Strategic Wing, 15 February 1960-1 February 1963
- 6th Air Division, 1 April 1961-1 February 1963
- 397th Bombardment Wing397th Bombardment WingThe 397th Bombardment Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the Strategic Air Command 45th Air Division. It was last stationed at Dow Air Force Base, Maine, and was inactivated on 25 April 1968....
, 1 February 1963-25 April 1968
- 83d Air Transport Squadron. 9 September 1952-29 May 1953
- 71st Air Refueling Squadron71st Air Refueling SquadronThe 71st Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 2d Bombardment Wing, stationed at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. It was inactivated on 1 September 1991....
, 15 August 1955=25 April 1968 - 506th Air Refueling Squadron506th Air Refueling SquadronThe 506th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 506th Strategic Fighter Wing, stationed at Dow AFB, Maine. It was inactivated on 1 March 1955...
, 25 September 1953–1 March 1955 - 341st Air Refueling Squadron341st Air Refueling SquadronThe 341st Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 397th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Dow AFB, Maine. It was inactivated on 1 February 1963...
, 15 August 1955-1 Sep 1963
- 37th Fighter Squadron, 20 November 1946-2 October 1949
- 48th Fighter Squadron, 20 November 1946-2 October 1949
- 49th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 20 November 1946-2 October 1949; 1 November 1952-5 November 1955
- 75th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 25 June 1959-30 June 1968
- 132d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, (Federalized ME ANG), 10 February 1951-1 November 1952
- 457th Strategic Fighter Squadron, 20 January 1953-20 March 1955
- 458th Strategic Fighter Squadron, 20 January 1953-20 March 1955
- 462d Strategic Fighter Squadron, 20 January 1953-20 March 1955
- 341st Bombardment Squadron341st Bombardment SquadronThe 341st Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 4038th Strategic Wing. It was last stationed at Dow Air Force Base, Maine, and was inactivated on 1 February 1963.-History:...
, 15 February 1960-1 February 1963 - 596th Bombardment Squadron596th Bombardment SquadronThe 596th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 2d Bombardment Wing. It was inactivated at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana on 1 September 1991.-History:...
, 1 February 1963-25 April 1968
- 490th Bombardment Squadron (Light), 4 April 1947-27 June 1949 (USAFR)
- 128th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, (Federalized WI ANG), 16 September 1951-1 September 1953
- 679th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, 1 September-24 December 1953
- 765th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, 1 January-1 August 1951
- 30th Air Defense Missile Squadron, 1 June 1959-15 December 1964
Assigned aircraft
- P-47N Thunderbolt, 1946–1947
- F-84B Thunderjet, 1947–1949
- F-84G Thunderjet, 1952–1954
- F-84F ThunderstreakF-84F ThunderstreakThe Republic F-84F Thunderstreak was an American-built swept-wing turbojet fighter-bomber. While an evolutionary development of the straight-wing F-84 Thunderjet, the F-84F was a new design. The RF-84F Thunderflash was a photo reconnaissance version....
, 1954–1955 - KB-29P Superfortress (Tanker), 1953–1955
- KC-97 StratotankerKC-97 StratotankerThe Boeing KC-97 Stratotanker was a United States strategic tanker aircraft based on the Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter. It was succeeded by the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker.-Design and development:...
, 1955–1963 - F-80C Shooting Star, 1952–1953
- F-86F Sabre, 1953–1954
- F-86D Sabre, 1954–1955
- F-101B Voodoo, 1959–1968
- B-52G Stratofortress, 1960–1968
- KC-135 StratotankerKC-135 StratotankerThe Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...
, 1960–1968 - HH-43 Huskie 1951-1958