379th Air Expeditionary Wing
Encyclopedia
The 379th Air Expeditionary Wing (379 AEW) is a provisional United States Air Force
unit assigned to Air Combat Command
. As a provisional unit, it may be activated or inactivated at any time.
The Wing is one of the largest, most diverse expeditionary wings in the Air Force, providing combat airpower and support for the Global War on Terrorism in Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and through support of Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa. The wing and its associate units operate more than 100 aircraft, making the base a large hub for humanitarian airlift activity while providing mission-essential combat power, aeromedical evacuation and intelligence support for three theaters of operations.
During World War II, the Wing's predecessor unit, the 379th Bombardment Group was a VIII Bomber Command
B-17 Flying Fortress unit in England. Assigned to RAF Kimbolton
in early 1943, the group flew more sorties than any other bomb group in the Eighth Air Force
, and dropped a greater bomb tonnage than any other group. The combat record of the 379th was the most successful of all the Eighth Air Force heavy bomber groups, receiving two Distinguished Unit Citations. Active for over 50 years, the 379th Bombardment Wing was a component organization of Strategic Air Command
's deterrent force during the Cold War
, as a strategic bombardment wing.
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The wing was reactivated as the 379th Bombardment Wing (Medium) on 1 November 1955 at Homestead Air Force Base in Florida (replacing the 4276th Air Base Squadron). From 1 November 1955 to 31 May 1956 the unit was attached to the 813th Air Division at Pinecastle Air Force Base, Florida. It's operational squadrons were the 524th, 525th 526th and 527th Bomb Squadrons. Upon activation, the unit was bestowed the honors, history and colors of the World War II Eighth Air Force
379th Bombardment Group.
In April 1956, the wing began training for air refueling and strategic bombardment operations with the B-47E and KC-97G. It was an assigned unit to the 823d Air Division at Homestead Air Force Base, Florida, from 1 June 1956 to 9 January 1961. During this time, the wing was attached to Sidi Slimane Air Base, French Morocco
, from 6 March to 12 May 1957 during a REFLEX deployment coming under the control of SAC's 5th Air Division. Beginning in October 1960, the wing began transferring its B-47s to other SAC wings and became non-operational.
, Michigan
without personnel or equipment in January, 1961, assuming the aircraft, personnel and equipment of the inactivated 4026th Strategic Wing. The 4026th SW was a provisional SAC MAJCOM wing activated on 1 August 1958, being equipped with B-52H Stratofortresses and KC-135 Stratotanker
s. The 4026th was established by SAC to disburse it's B-52 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.
With the B-47 being programmed for retirement, and in order to retain the lineage of the provisional 4026th SW, Headquarters SAC received authority from Headquarters USAF to discontinue the 4026th Strategic Wing and to activate an AFCON unit which could carry a lineage and history. SAC inactivated its provisional wing and in its place the 379th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) was activated on 9 January 1961, assuming the resources of the inactivated 4026th. The 379th immediately resumed training for strategic bombardment and air refueling operations. Personnel and KC-135 tankers from the 379th were deployed to forward bases in the Pacific to support combat operations over Southeast Asia from 1965–1975, however it's B-52H aircraft remained at Wurthsmith on nuclear alert.
In 1977, the 379th exchanged their B-52Hs for the conventional bomb capable B-52G. In 1989, the Air Force selected Wurtsmith as one of seven bases that would house LGM-118A Peacekeeper ICBM Peacekeeper Rail Garrison
. A Rail Garrison would address the survivability problem by which 25 trains, each with two missiles, would use the national railroad system to conceal themselves. It was intended that this system would become operational in late 1992, but budgetary constraints and the changing international situation led to it being scrapped.
resulted in a temporary delay in the inactivation of B-52G units. Wurtsmith-based B-52s were flown on missions against Iraq staged out of Prince Abdullah AB in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. These planes were part of the 1708th Bombardment Wing (P), a provisional wing formed from B-52s out of Barksdale, Castle, Wurtsmith, and others. The planes arrived at dawn on the first day of the air war.
One plane flew 29 missions out of Jeddah, the most of any bomber crew in the theater. During the Gulf War, 379th Bomb Wing aircraft carried the "Triangle K" tail flash in honor of their World War II predecessors and heritage.
The 379th Bombardment Wing was inactivated on 30 June 1993 as a result of the 1991 Base Realignment and Closure
process which closed Wurtsmith AFB. On the overcast foggy morning of 15 December 1992, the last B-52, 57–6492, Old Crow Express, was flown to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit assigned to Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....
. As a provisional unit, it may be activated or inactivated at any time.
The Wing is one of the largest, most diverse expeditionary wings in the Air Force, providing combat airpower and support for the Global War on Terrorism in Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and through support of Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa. The wing and its associate units operate more than 100 aircraft, making the base a large hub for humanitarian airlift activity while providing mission-essential combat power, aeromedical evacuation and intelligence support for three theaters of operations.
During World War II, the Wing's predecessor unit, the 379th Bombardment Group was a VIII Bomber Command
VIII Bomber Command
The 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...
B-17 Flying Fortress unit in England. Assigned to RAF Kimbolton
RAF Kimbolton
RAF Kimbolton is a former World War II airfield in England, located 8 miles west of Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire.-USAAF use:The airfield was originally built in 1941 for RAF Bomber Command, then expanded to Class A airfield standards for use by American heavy bombers during 1942. Kimbolton was...
in early 1943, the group flew more sorties than any other bomb group in 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....
, and dropped a greater bomb tonnage than any other group. The combat record of the 379th was the most successful of all the Eighth Air Force heavy bomber groups, receiving two Distinguished Unit Citations. Active for over 50 years, the 379th Bombardment Wing was a component organization 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 deterrent force 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...
, as a strategic bombardment wing.
Units
- 379th Expeditionary Operations Group
- 7th Expeditionary Airborne Command and Control Squadron7th Airborne Command and Control SquadronThe 7th Expeditionary Airborne Command and Control Squadron is part of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. It operates the E-8 Joint STARS aircraft, conducting airborne command and control missions.-History:...
- 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron37th Bomb SquadronThe 37th Bomb Squadron is part of the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. It operates B-1 Lancer aircraft providing strategic bombing capability.-History:...
- 71st Expeditionary Air Control Squadron
- 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron
- 379th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron
- 379th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron
- 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron746th Expeditionary Airlift SquadronThe 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force unit. It is under the control of Air Mobility Command and operates C-130 Hercules aircraft in theater airlift missions as part of the Global War on Terrorism...
- 763d Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron
- 7th Expeditionary Airborne Command and Control Squadron
- 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Group
- 379th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
- 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron
- 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Operations Squadron
- 379th Expeditionary Mission Support Group
- 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron
- 379th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron
- 379th Expeditionary Communications Squadron
- 64th Air Expeditionary Group64th Air Expeditionary GroupThe 64th Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command. As a provisional unit, it may be activated or inactivated at any time....
Aircraft Assigned
- KC-135R ( since 2003)
- F-15CF-15 EagleThe McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
(2003–2006) - KC-10A (2003–2005)
- C-130H ( since 2003)
- C-130J-30 ( since 2009)
- B-1B ( since 2007)
History
- For additional history and lineage, see 379th Air Expeditionary Operations Group379th Air Expeditionary Operations GroupThe 379th Expeditionary Operations Group is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Forces Central...
B-47 era
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....
379th Bombardment Group.
In April 1956, the wing began training for air refueling and strategic bombardment operations with the B-47E and KC-97G. It was an assigned unit to the 823d Air Division at Homestead Air Force Base, Florida, from 1 June 1956 to 9 January 1961. During this time, the wing was attached to Sidi Slimane Air Base, French Morocco
French Morocco
French Protectorate of Morocco was a French protectorate in Morocco, established by the Treaty of Fez. French Morocco did not include the north of the country, which was a Spanish protectorate...
, from 6 March to 12 May 1957 during a REFLEX deployment coming under the control of SAC's 5th Air Division. Beginning in October 1960, the wing began transferring its B-47s to other SAC wings and became non-operational.
B-52 era
The 379th was reassigned to Wurtsmith Air Force BaseWurtsmith Air Force Base
Wurtsmith Air Force Base is a decommissioned United States Air Force base in northeastern Iosco County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The former base includes located approximately two miles west of Lake Huron in the Charter Township of Oscoda, bordered by Van Ettan Lake, the Au Sable State...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
without personnel or equipment in January, 1961, assuming the aircraft, personnel and equipment of the inactivated 4026th Strategic Wing. The 4026th SW was a provisional SAC MAJCOM wing activated on 1 August 1958, being equipped with B-52H Stratofortresses and KC-135 Stratotanker
KC-135 Stratotanker
The 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...
s. The 4026th was established by SAC to disburse it's B-52 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.
With the B-47 being programmed for retirement, and in order to retain the lineage of the provisional 4026th SW, Headquarters SAC received authority from Headquarters USAF to discontinue the 4026th Strategic Wing and to activate an AFCON unit which could carry a lineage and history. SAC inactivated its provisional wing and in its place the 379th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) was activated on 9 January 1961, assuming the resources of the inactivated 4026th. The 379th immediately resumed training for strategic bombardment and air refueling operations. Personnel and KC-135 tankers from the 379th were deployed to forward bases in the Pacific to support combat operations over Southeast Asia from 1965–1975, however it's B-52H aircraft remained at Wurthsmith on nuclear alert.
In 1977, the 379th exchanged their B-52Hs for the conventional bomb capable B-52G. In 1989, the Air Force selected Wurtsmith as one of seven bases that would house LGM-118A Peacekeeper ICBM Peacekeeper Rail Garrison
LGM-118A Peacekeeper
The LGM-118A Peacekeeper, also known as the MX missile , was a land-based ICBM deployed by the United States starting in 1986. A total of 50 missiles were deployed. They have since been deactivated....
. A Rail Garrison would address the survivability problem by which 25 trains, each with two missiles, would use the national railroad system to conceal themselves. It was intended that this system would become operational in late 1992, but budgetary constraints and the changing international situation led to it being scrapped.
Modern era
Retirement of the B-52G began in the late 1980s, however the Gulf War of 1990–1991Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
resulted in a temporary delay in the inactivation of B-52G units. Wurtsmith-based B-52s were flown on missions against Iraq staged out of Prince Abdullah AB in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. These planes were part of the 1708th Bombardment Wing (P), a provisional wing formed from B-52s out of Barksdale, Castle, Wurtsmith, and others. The planes arrived at dawn on the first day of the air war.
One plane flew 29 missions out of Jeddah, the most of any bomber crew in the theater. During the Gulf War, 379th Bomb Wing aircraft carried the "Triangle K" tail flash in honor of their World War II predecessors and heritage.
The 379th Bombardment Wing was inactivated on 30 June 1993 as a result of the 1991 Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory to reduce...
process which closed Wurtsmith AFB. On the overcast foggy morning of 15 December 1992, the last B-52, 57–6492, Old Crow Express, was flown to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
Davis–Monthan Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located within the city limits, and approximately south-southeast of downtown, Tucson, Arizona....
.
Lineage
- Established as 379th Bombardment Wing, Medium, on 23 March 1953
- Activated on 1 November 1955
- Redesignated 379th Bombardment Wing, Heavy, on 9 January 1961 and replacing 4026th Strategic Wing, assuming the resources (Manpower, Aircraft, Equipment, Weapons, & Facilities) of the inactivated provisional wing
- Inactivated on 30 June 1993.
- Redesignated 379th Air Expeditionary Wing and converted to provisional status on 4 December 2001
Assignments
- Second Air ForceSecond Air ForceThe Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
, 1 November 1955
- Attached to 813th Air Division, 1 November 1955 – 31 May 1956
- 823d Air Division823d Air DivisionThe 823d Air 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 McCoy Air Force Base, Florida...
, 1 June 1956
- 823d Air Division
- Attached to 5th Air Division, 6 March-12 May 1957
- 40th Air Division40th Air DivisionThe 40th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Fifteenth Air Force, stationed at Malmstrom AFB, Montana...
, 9 January 1961 - 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 June 1988 - Ninth Air ForceNinth Air ForceThe Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
, 1 June 1992-1339 - Air Combat CommandAir Combat CommandAir Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....
to activate or inactivate any time after 4 December 2001.
- 40th Air Division
Components
- 19th Air Refueling Squadron, 1 February – 30 June 1956 (Attached)
- 524th Bombardment Squadron524th Bombardment SquadronThe 524th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 379th Bombardment Wing. It was last stationed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan, and was inactivated on 15 June 1993.-History:...
, 1 November 1955 – 15 June 1993 - 525th Bombardment Squadron525th Bombardment SquadronThe 525th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 4136th Strategic Wing. It was last stationed at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, and was inactivated on 1 February 1963.-History:...
, 1 November 1955 – 9 January 1961 - 526th Bombardment Squadron526th Bombardment SquadronThe 526th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 4042d Strategic Wing. It was last stationed at K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base, Michigan, and was inactivated on 1 February 1963.-History:...
, 1 November 1955 – 9 January 1961 - 527th Bombardment Squadron527th Bombardment SquadronThe 527th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 379th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Homestead Air Force Base, Florida. It was inactivated on 9 January 1961.-History:...
, 1 November 1955 – 9 January 1961 - 920th Air Refueling Squadron920th Air Refueling SquadronThe 920th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 379th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan. It was inactivated on 15 June 1993...
, 9 January 1961 – 15 June 1993
- 379th Bombardment Wing – Deputy Commander for Maintenance
- 379th Airborne Missile Maintenance Squadron
- 379th Armament & Electronics Maintenance Squadron
- (Renamed in 1968:) 379th Avionics Maintenance Squadron
- 379th Field Maintenance Squadron
- 379th Periodic Maintenance Squadron
- (Renamed in 1960:) 379th Organizational Maintenance Squadron
- 67th Munitions Maintenance Squadron
- (Replaced 30 September 1972:) 379th Munitions Maintenance Squadron
- 379th Combat Support Group
- 379th Combat Defense Squadron
- (Renamed in 1968:) 379th Security Police Squadron
- 379th Civil Engineering Squadron
- 379th Services Squadron
- 379th Supply Squadron
- 379th Transportation Squadron
- USAF Hospital, Wurtsmith
- 379th Combat Defense Squadron
Stations
- Homestead AFB, Florida, 1 November 1955
- Wurtsmith AFB, MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, 9 January 1961 – 30 June 1993
Aircraft
- 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:...
, 1956 - B-47 StratojetB-47 StratojetThe 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...
, 1956–1960 - 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...
, 1961–1993 - 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...
, 1961–1993
Awards
- Air Force Outstanding Unit AwardOutstanding Unit AwardThe Air Force Outstanding Unit Award is an award of the United States Air Force which was first created in 1954. The award is presented as a ribbon to any command of the U.S...
(for the period 1 July 1970 to 30 June 1971) - Omaha Trophy for the best aircraft or missile organization in the Strategic Air Command
- Commander in Chief, Strategic Air Command, Flying Wing of the Year Award (1971)
- SAC Charles D. Trail Materiel Award
- Second Air Force Sweeney Award
- Second Air Force Martensen Award
- Fairchild Trophy for the best strategic bombardment wing in SAC (1987)
- SAC Proud Shield bombing and navigation competition (1987)
- Air Force Meritorious Unit Award (for the periods 1 September 2003 to 31 May 2004, and 1 June 2005 to 31 May 2006)
See also
- List of B-47 units of the United States Air Force
- List of B-52 Units of the United States Air Force
External links
- Official site
- Official blog
- 379th Air Expeditionary Wing at GlobalSecurity.orgGlobalSecurity.orgGlobalSecurity.org, launched in 2000, is a public policy organization focusing on the fields of defense, space exploration, intelligence, weapons of mass destruction and homeland security...
- 379th Bombardment Wing at WAFB.NET