384th Air Expeditionary Wing
Encyclopedia
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
. Its last assignment was with to the United States Central Command Air Forces
United States Central Command Air Forces
United States Air Forces Central is a unit of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina...
, being stationed at Shaikh Isa Air Base, Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
. It was inactivated in 2004.
The wing's mission is largely undisclosed, however it is known that one of its missions was aerial refueling of combat aircraft.
Cold War
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...
was established at Little Rock Air Force Base
Little Rock Air Force Base
Little Rock Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately northeast of Little Rock, Arkansas.-Overview:...
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
on 1 August 1955. With its establishment, the 384th Bomb Group was activated as the operational group of the wing, bestowing its World War II honors, heritage and colors to the new Wing. Operational squadrons of the wing were the 544th, 545th, and 546th Bomb Squadrons. It was equipped with the Boeing B-47E Stratojet.
The 384 BW accomplished a truly remarkable feat by being certified combat ready just nine months after receiving its first aircraft. Stringent SAC requirements called for a specified percentage of the crews to be certified in order for the wing to be considered combat ready. Since aircrew members were fresh out of student status, beginning to arrive about the same times the aircraft did, preparing the group to become fully combat ready was a tremendous task. The culture of the organization would accept nothing less than full effort, and when the newly formed wing was mission capable by September 1956, it became the first such SAC wing to do so in such a short time.
The 384 BW handled bomber alert duties, spending countless days and nights on alert status with their aircraft armed, fueled, and ready to go at a moment’s notice. 384th aircrews also commonly participated in REFLEX operations, spending short but continually recurring periods of time at forward locations around the world.
The era of the Stratojet ended on 1 September 1964 when the 384 BW inactivated with the phaseout of the B-47 from the USAF inventory.
Aerial refueling
McConnell Air Force Base
McConnell Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located four miles southeast of the central business district of Wichita, a city in Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States. The base was named in honor of Wichita brothers Fred and Thomas McConnell, both Air Force pilots and World War II...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
with Boeing KC-135A Stratotankers and took command of the 91st Air Refueling Squadron
91st Air Refueling Squadron
The 91st Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 6th Air Mobility Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. It operates the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.-History:...
(ARS). It was assigned to the 12th Strategic Missile Division, Fifteenth Air Force, 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...
.
From McConnell, the wing deployed aircraft and crews on a worldwide basis, engaging in actual and simulated tactical and strategic operations, including air refueling support for the
evacuation of South Vietnamese and Americans from South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
in 1975. The wing maintained proficiency in air refueling in support of SAC units and other units as directed.
The wing was reassigned to Second Air Force, 19th Air Division on 1 July 1973. On 30 September 1973, a second KC-135A refueling squadron, the 384th ARS was activated on the base, making McConnell an air refueling hub for SAC. The wing was again reassigned to Eighth Air Force, 19th Air Division on 1 January 1975.
In early 1983, the 384 ARW's leadership learned that it would be the first wing to receive the new Boeing KC-135R model tanker. The 91st and 384th ARW were both upgraded to the new model in 1984. The "R" model had upgraded engines which produce much greater fuel efficiency than the older models, as well as having a higher on-board fuel storage capacity. The initial aircraft marking for both squadrons was a light blue/navy blue diamond checkerboard fin flash.
B-1B era
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
announced a Strategic Modernization Program (SMP), a key feature of which would be the procurement of 100 North American–Rockwell B-1B bombers
B-1 Lancer
The Rockwell B-1 LancerThe name "Lancer" is only applied to the B-1B version, after the program was revived. is a four-engine variable-sweep wing strategic bomber used by the United States Air Force...
. The first production models entered the USAF inventory in March 1985. It was announced by the Air Force that McConnell would be equipped with the B-1B in 1987. The 384th was redesigated as the 384th Bombardment Wing, Heavy on 1 July 1987, and the 28th Bombardment Squadron was activated that date to fly the 25 bombers assigned to the wing. Aircrews for the initial cadre that formed the 28th BMS arrived for training at Dyess AFB, TX in October 1987, with the first crews arriving for duty at McConnell AFB, KS in March - June 1988. With the arrival of the B-1s, the 91st ARS was inactivated, leaving the wing with one KC-135 tanker squadron. The 91st was later reactivated in July 1988 with the new 301st ARW at Malmstrom AFB, Montana with KC-135R aircraft.
Throughout 1988-1989, the Wing continued to train to the full capabilities of the B-1B Bomber. The big push through 1989 was certifying all bomber crews in night terrain-following (TF) flying and for the Wing to become Mission Ready to perform it's SIOP mission. These efforts paid-off with the 384 Bomb Wing winning the "BEST ORI IN SAC" award for 1989. In addition, that year, the Wing achieved the "BEST B-1B CREW" while performing in the 15th Air Force Bombing Competition. In 1990, the Bomb Wing again won top honors in SAC. That year it recorded the highest score during an ORI by any Bomb Wing in the history of SAC and it's B-1B crews were rated OUTSTANDING in war fighting capability.
In August 1990, Iraq invaded neighboring Kuwait. McConnell tanker personnel and aircraft were deployed throughout the Middle East, performing refueling missions of Coalition aircraft in support of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm
Gulf 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...
to help eject the invaders from the small kingdom of Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
. The wing's B-1B aircraft, however, were not used in Desert Storm, the official reason being that the B-1Bs were all needed to stand nuclear alert - which they did. However, at that time the B-1B had been encountering a rash of turbofan blade failures that caused the aircraft to be grounded through most of Desert Storm. At the same time, required weapons testing for the safe release of conventional bomb delivery had encountered test problems, and the aircraft was not certified to drop conventional weapons until after the war ended.
Modern era
With the end of the Cold WarCold 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 Air Force went though many changes. One of these changes was the Objective Wing concept, with created "Operation Groups" (OG) to place all operational aircraft squadrons under one organization. The 384th engaged this change on 1 September 1991 and was redesignated simply as the 384th Wing, with the 28th Bomb Squadron (B-1B) and the 384th Air Refueling Squadron (KC-135R) as its operational units.
On 1 June Strategic Air Command was inactivated as part of a massive re-alignment of the Air Force command structure. The 384th was assigned to the newly-established 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 ....
(ACC), a new command which replaced SAC, TAC and elements of Military Airlift Command
Military Airlift Command
The Military Airlift Command is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command of the USAF which was headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. It was constituted on 1 January 1966 and active until the end of the Cold War, when the Air Force table of organization was revised...
(MAC). The wing was again redesignated as the 384th Bomb Wing, and the 28th BS aircraft were assigned the tail code "OZ". The 384th ARS was relieved from assignment to McConnell, and was reassigned to the 19th OG (19th Air Refueling Wing) at Robins AFB, Georgia.
As a result of a 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...
(BRAC) related realignment, March AFB, California was taken off active-duty status and assigned to the Air Force Reserve. As part of a program to keep historically significant wings active, its 22d Air Refueling Wing
22d Air Refueling Wing
The 22d Air Refueling Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Mobility Command's Eighteenth Air Force. It is stationed at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas and also functions as the host wing for McConnell AFB....
was reassigned to McConnell without personnel or equipment on 1 January 1994. As a result, on 1 January, the 384th was redesignated as the 384th Bomb Group, as a unit under the 22d ARW.
The USAF planned to return McConnell to being an air refueling hub, and as a result the B-1 equipped 28th Bomb Squadron was reassigned without equipment or personnel to the 7th OG at Dyess AFB, Texas on 1 October 1994 and the 384th BG was inactivated on 30 September 1994.
Global War on Terror
The 384th AEW was in existence in an unidentified Middle Eastern location in June 2002.From February–May 2003, the 384 AEW was in existence at Sheik Isa Air Base, Bahrain.
In 4 June, the 319th Air Expeditionary Group operating from Shaik Isa Airbase, Bahrain, was redesignated as the 384th Air Expeditionary Group, which was redesignated as the 384th Air Expeditionary Wing in 3 September.
The Wing was deactivated in 2004.
Other reports have the 319th AEG operating from 'Base X' in Oman, which other sources labelled Masirah Air Base.
Lineage
- Established as 384th Bombardment Wing, Medium, on 23 March 1953
- Activated on 1 August 1955
- Discontinued, and inactivated, on 1 September 1964
- Redesignated 384th Air Refueling Wing, Heavy, on 15 November 1972
- Activated on 1 December 1972
- Redesignated 384th Bombardment Wing, Heavy on 1 July 1987
- Redesignated 384th Wing, 1 September 1991
- Redesignated 384th Bomb Wing, 1 June 1992
- Inactivated with personnel and equipment being absorbed by 384th Bomb Group, 1 January 1994
- Redesignated 384th Air Expeditionary Wing on 3 September 2003.
- Activated by redesignation of 384th Air Expeditionary Group384th Air Expeditionary GroupThe 384th Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command. The 384 AEG may be activated or inactivated at any time....
on 3 September 2003 - Inactivated in 2004 (Date TBD)
Assignments
- 825th Air (later, 825th Strategic Aerospace) Division, 1 August 1955-1 September 1964
- Attached to 7th Air Division, 3 January-5 April 1957
- 12th Strategic Missile (later, 12th Air) Division, 1 December 1972
- 19th Air Division, 1 July 1973
- 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...
, 1 July 1987 - Eighth Air ForceEighth Air ForceThe Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
, 1 June 1992-1 January 1994 - United States Central Command Air ForcesUnited States Central Command Air ForcesUnited States Air Forces Central is a unit of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina...
, 3 September 2003–2004
Components
- 28th Bombardment Squadron, March 1988 - December 1993
70th Bombardment Squadron (1 August 1961 – 1 September 1964)
- 91st Air Refueling Squadron91st Air Refueling SquadronThe 91st Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 6th Air Mobility Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. It operates the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.-History:...
(1 December 1972–1987) - 384th Air Refueling Squadron384th Air Refueling SquadronThe 384th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 22d Air Refueling Wing at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas. It operates the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.-History:...
(30 September 1973–1994) - 544th Bombardment Squadron544th Bombardment SquadronThe 544th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 384th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. It was inactivated on 1 September 1964-History:...
(1 August 1955 – 1 September 1964) - 545th Bombardment Squadron545th Bombardment SquadronThe 545th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 384th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. It was inactivated on 1 September 1964-History:...
(1 August 1955 – 1 September 1964) - 546th Bombardment Squadron546th Bombardment SquadronThe 546th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 384th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. It was inactivated on 1 September 1964-History:...
(1 August 1955 – 1 September 1964) - 547th Bombardment Squadron547th Bombardment SquadronThe 547th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 384th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. It was inactivated on 1 January 1962-History:...
(1 September 1958 – 1 January 1962) - 27th Munitions Maintenance Squadron (1 August 1955 – 1 September 1964)
Stations
- Little Rock AFB, Arkansas, 1 August 1955 – 1 September 1964
- McConnell AFB, Kansas, 1 December 1972 – 1 October 1994
- Shaikh Isa Air Base, BahrainBahrain' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
(2003–2004)
Aircraft
- KC-135 (2003–2004)
- B-1BB-1 LancerThe Rockwell B-1 LancerThe name "Lancer" is only applied to the B-1B version, after the program was revived. is a four-engine variable-sweep wing strategic bomber used by the United States Air Force...
(1988–1994) - KC-135 (1964; 1972–1994)
- KC-97 (1961–1963)
- B-47B-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...
(1956–1964)
External links
- Globalsecurity.org – 384th Bomb Wing
- http://www.strategic-air-command.com/bases/McConnell_AFB.htm