512th Rescue Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 512th Rescue Squadron (512 RQS) is part of the 58th Special Operations Wing
based at Kirtland Air Force Base
, New Mexico
. It operates UH-1N Twin Huey
and HH-60 Pave Hawk
aircraft conducting search and rescue
missions.
. Initially equipped with obsolete B-17C/D Flying Fortresses transferred from Tenth Air Force
. Replaced with B-24 Liberator
s flown from Florida
via South America
; over to then across Central Africa
then north to Egypt
in early 1943. Became part of United States Middle East Air Forces (USMEAF), later Ninth Air Force
.
Operating from bases in British Palestine, Egypt
, Libya
and Tunisia
, attacked shipping in the Mediterranean and harbor installations in Libya
, Tunisia
, Sicily
, and Italy
to cut enemy supply lines to North Africa. Struck airdromes, marshalling yards, and other objectives in Sicily and Italy after the fall of Tunisia in May 1943. Reassigned to Fifteenth Air Force
in late 1943, and moved to southern Italy. Squadron flew long range strategic bombardment missions to targets in Italy, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, and the Balkans to bomb factories, marshalling yards, oil refineries, oil storage facilities, airdromes, bridges, harbors, and other objectives.
After the German Capitulation in May 1945, returned to the United States; was re-equipped with B-29 Superfortress
bombers and trained under Second Air Force
for deployment to the Pacific Theater. However with the Japanese Capitulation in August, the training ended and most personnel demobilized by the end of October. Remained in active status but not fully manned or equipped, and subsequently inactivated in early 1946 due to budget restrictions. The squadron was not fully manned or equipped between 10 November 1945 and 26 March 1946 and was unmanned from, 23 May 1947–20 September 1948.
, the 512 RS, flying RB/WB-29s, performed daily strategic
weather reconnaissance
missions over the combat zone, conducted shipping surveillance
and visual reconnaissance, and accomplished electronic countermeasures
reconnaissance until 20 February 1951. In the early days of the conflict, the squadron also dropped leaflets. Initially unarmed, and later only lightly armed with two .50-caliber machine guns in the tail turret, the WB-29s flew daily missions over enemy-held territory. During 27 June through 27 December 1950, the squadron flew over 200 combat missions, making over 5,000 vitally needed weather observations. These missions were exceptionally hazardous because of extremely varying weather conditions and exposure to attack over enemy territory. One of the squadron's WB-29s served as an aerial command post and weather station, giving on-the-spot weather data and directions to incoming bombers on the first B-29 strike (13 July 1950) against North Korea
n installations. On this and several later such missions, the WB-29 carried Major General
Emmett O'Donnell, Jr.
, USAF, Commander, FEAF Bomber Command. The 512 RS was replaced by the 56th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron in February 1951.
jet medium bombers in 1954. Between 1954 and 1965, the 513 Bombardment Squadron flew a long series of simulated combat bombardment missions to maintain readiness as a unit of the Strategic Air Command
, testing electronic warfare devices and radar techniques, using B-47 and EB-47 aircraft. Inactivated in 1965 with the retirement of the B-47.
contingencies, exercises
, and humanitarian
rescue helicopter training.
58th Special Operations Wing
The 58th Special Operations Wing is a combat unit of the United States Air Force stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. The 58 SOW is part of the Air Education and Training Command Nineteenth Air Force....
based at Kirtland Air Force Base
Kirtland Air Force Base
Kirtland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in the southeast quadrant of the Albuquerque, New Mexico urban area, adjacent to the Albuquerque International Sunport. The base was named for the early Army aviator Col. Roy C. Kirtland...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. It operates UH-1N Twin Huey
UH-1N Twin Huey
The Bell UH-1N Twin Huey is a medium military helicopter that first flew in April, 1969. The UH-1N has a fifteen seat configuration, with one pilot and fourteen passengers. In cargo configuration the UH-1N has an internal capacity of 220 ft³ . An external load of 5,000 lb can be carried...
and HH-60 Pave Hawk
HH-60 Pave Hawk
The Sikorsky MH-60G/HH-60G Pave Hawk is a twin turboshaft engine helicopter in service with the United States Air Force. It is a derivative of the UH-60 Black Hawk and incorporates the US Air Force PAVE electronic systems program...
aircraft conducting search and rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
missions.
World War II
Established in the Middle East during late 1942 to aid British Forces during the Western Desert CampaignWestern Desert Campaign
The Western Desert Campaign, also known as the Desert War, was the initial stage of the North African Campaign during the Second World War. The campaign was heavily influenced by the availability of supplies and transport. The ability of the Allied forces, operating from besieged Malta, to...
. Initially equipped with obsolete B-17C/D Flying Fortresses transferred from Tenth Air Force
Tenth Air Force
The Tenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve Command . It is headquartered at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas....
. Replaced with 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...
s flown from Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
via South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
; over to then across Central Africa
Central Africa
Central Africa is a core region of the African continent which includes Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda....
then north to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
in early 1943. Became part of United States Middle East Air Forces (USMEAF), later Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The 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....
.
Operating from bases in British Palestine, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
and Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, attacked shipping in the Mediterranean and harbor installations in Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, and Italy
Italy
Italy , 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...
to cut enemy supply lines to North Africa. Struck airdromes, marshalling yards, and other objectives in Sicily and Italy after the fall of Tunisia in May 1943. Reassigned to Fifteenth Air Force
Fifteenth Air Force
The Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
in late 1943, and moved to southern Italy. Squadron flew long range strategic bombardment missions to targets in Italy, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, and the Balkans to bomb factories, marshalling yards, oil refineries, oil storage facilities, airdromes, bridges, harbors, and other objectives.
After the German Capitulation in May 1945, returned to the United States; was re-equipped with 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...
bombers and trained under 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....
for deployment to the Pacific Theater. However with the Japanese Capitulation in August, the training ended and most personnel demobilized by the end of October. Remained in active status but not fully manned or equipped, and subsequently inactivated in early 1946 due to budget restrictions. The squadron was not fully manned or equipped between 10 November 1945 and 26 March 1946 and was unmanned from, 23 May 1947–20 September 1948.
Korean War
Based in Japan at the beginning of the Korean WarKorean 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...
, the 512 RS, flying RB/WB-29s, performed daily 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...
weather reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
missions over the combat zone, conducted shipping surveillance
Surveillance
Surveillance is the monitoring of the behavior, activities, or other changing information, usually of people. It is sometimes done in a surreptitious manner...
and visual reconnaissance, and accomplished electronic countermeasures
Electronic countermeasures
An electronic countermeasure is an electrical or electronic device designed to trick or deceive radar, sonar or other detection systems, like infrared or lasers. It may be used both offensively and defensively to deny targeting information to an enemy...
reconnaissance until 20 February 1951. In the early days of the conflict, the squadron also dropped leaflets. Initially unarmed, and later only lightly armed with two .50-caliber machine guns in the tail turret, the WB-29s flew daily missions over enemy-held territory. During 27 June through 27 December 1950, the squadron flew over 200 combat missions, making over 5,000 vitally needed weather observations. These missions were exceptionally hazardous because of extremely varying weather conditions and exposure to attack over enemy territory. One of the squadron's WB-29s served as an aerial command post and weather station, giving on-the-spot weather data and directions to incoming bombers on the first B-29 strike (13 July 1950) against North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
n installations. On this and several later such missions, the WB-29 carried Major General
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
Emmett O'Donnell, Jr.
Emmett O'Donnell, Jr.
General Emmett "Rosie" O'Donnell, Jr. was a United States Air Force four star general who served as Commander in Chief, Pacific Air Forces from 1959 to 1963. He also led the first B-29 Superfortress attack against Tokyo during World War II.-Early career:O'Donnell was born in Brooklyn, New York,...
, USAF, Commander, FEAF Bomber Command. The 512 RS was replaced by the 56th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron in February 1951.
Cold War
Reactivated in May 1951. Practiced electronic countermeasures with B-29 aircraft from c. 1952 until conversion to B-47 StratojetB-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...
jet medium bombers in 1954. Between 1954 and 1965, the 513 Bombardment Squadron flew a long series of simulated combat bombardment missions to maintain readiness as a unit of 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...
, testing electronic warfare devices and radar techniques, using B-47 and EB-47 aircraft. Inactivated in 1965 with the retirement of the B-47.
Modern era
Currently the 512th participates in Special OperationsSpecial operations
Special operations are military operations that are considered "special" .Special operations are typically performed independently or in conjunction with conventional military operations. The primary goal is to achieve a political or military objective where a conventional force requirement does...
contingencies, exercises
Military exercise
A military exercise is the employment of military resources in training for military operations, either exploring the effects of warfare or testing strategies without actual combat...
, and humanitarian
Humanitarian aid
Humanitarian aid is material or logistical assistance provided for humanitarian purposes, typically in response to humanitarian crises including natural disaster and man-made disaster. The primary objective of humanitarian aid is to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity...
rescue helicopter training.
Lineage
- Constituted as 512th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 19 October 1942
- Activated on 341 October 1942
- Redesignated 512th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) on 23 May 1945
- Inactivated on 26th Mar 1946
- Redesignated 512th Reconnaissance Squadron (Very Long-Range, Weather) on 6 May 1947
- Activated on 23 May 1947
- Inactivated on 20 Sept 1948
- Activated on 13 Feb 1949
- Inactivated on 20 Feb 1951
- Redesignated 512th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 25 May 1951
- Activated on 1 June 1951
- Inactivated on 15 Mar 1965
- Redesignated 512th Special Operations Squadron on 25 Mar 1994
- Activated on 1 Apr 1994
- Redesignated 512th Rescue Squadron on 6 Oct 2000
Assignments
- 376th Bombardment Group, 31 Oct 1942
- 468th Bombardment Group468th Bombardment GroupThe 468th Bombardment Group was a World War II United States Army Air Forces combat organization. It was inactivated on 31 March 1946. The unit served primarily in the Pacific Ocean theater and China Burma India Theater of World War II as part of Twentieth Air Force. The 468th Bomb Group's aircraft...
, 10 Nov 1945-26 Mar 1946 - 376th Reconnaissance Group, 23 May 1947
- Air Weather Service, 16 Sep 1947
- 308th Reconnaissance Group, 14 Oct 1946-20 Sep 1948; 1 Feb 1949
- 2143d Air Weather Wing, 14 Nov 1949-20 Feb 1951
- 376th Bombardment Group, 1 Jun 1951
- 376th Bombardment Wing, 16 Jun 1952-15 Mar 1965
- 58th Special Operations Wing58th Special Operations WingThe 58th Special Operations Wing is a combat unit of the United States Air Force stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. The 58 SOW is part of the Air Education and Training Command Nineteenth Air Force....
, 1 Apr 1994–Present
Bases stationed
- RAF LyddaRAF LyddaLod Air Force Base, also Air Force Base 27, was an Israeli Air Force base that was part of the Ben Gurion International Airport, located approximately north of Lod; east-southeast of Tel Aviv....
, British Mandate of Palestine, 31 Oct 1942 - RAF Abu SueirAbu Suwayr Air BaseAbu Suwayr Air Base is an Egyptian Air Force base, located approximately 17 km west of Ismailia ; 116 km northeast of Cairo....
, EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, 8 Nov 1942 - RAF GambutRAF GambutRAF Gambut is an abandoned military airfield in Libya, located about 5 km north-northeast of Kambut and 50 km east-southeast of Tobruk....
(Kambut), LibyaLibyaLibya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, 10 Feb 1943 - Soluch (Suluq) Airfield, LibyaLibyaLibya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, 25 Feb 1943 - Benina Airport, Benghazi, Libya, 16 Apr 1943
- Enfidaville AirfieldEnfidaville AirfieldEnfidaville Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Tunisia, located approximately 13 km north-northwest of Harqalah; approximately 90 km southwest of Tunis. It was used by the United States Army Air Force Twelfth Air Force during the North African Campaign as a B-17...
, TunisiaTunisiaTunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, c. 26 Sep 1943
- Detachment operated from Benina Airport, Benghazi, Libya, 3-11 Oct 1943
- San Pancrazio AirfieldSan Pancrazio AirfieldSan Pancrazio Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Italy, which is located approximately 4 km northeast of San Pancrazio Salentino in the province of Brindisi in Puglia,on the south-east Italy coast...
, 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...
, 19 Nov 1943-19 Apr 1945 - Harvard Army AirfieldHarvard Army AirfieldHarvard State Airport , also known as Harvard State Airfield, is a public use airport located two nautical miles northeast of the central business district of Harvard, a city in Clay County, Nebraska, United States. It is owned by the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics...
, NebraskaNebraskaNebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, 8 May 1945 - Grand Island Army AirfieldGrand Island Army AirfieldGrand Island Army Airfield was a United States Army Air Forces airfield which operated from 1942 to 1946. After its closure, the base was reopened as Central Nebraska Regional Airport.-History:...
, NebraskaNebraskaNebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, 25 Jun 1945 - Tarrant Field, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, 10 Nov 1945
- San Pancrazio Airfield
- Roswell Army Air Field, New MexicoNew MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, 9 Jan-26 Mar 1946 - Gravelly PointGravelly PointGravelly Point is a park in Arlington, Virginia, United States. It is located north of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, along the George Washington Parkway, and across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C....
, VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, 23 May 1947-20 Sep 1948 - Fairfield-Suisun Air Force Base, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia 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...
, 13 Feb 1949-9 Jan 1950 - Yokota Air BaseYokota Air Base, is a United States Air Force base in the city of Fussa, one of 26 cities in the Tama Area, or Western Tokyo.The base houses 14,000 personnel. The base occupies a total area of and has a runway...
, JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, 27 Jan 1950 - Misawa Air BaseMisawa Air Baseright|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, 11 Aug 1950-20 Feb 1951 - Forbes Air Force BaseForbes Air Force BaseForbes Field, previously Forbes Air Force Base, is a joint-use civil-military airport operated by the Topeka Airport Authority located approximately south of Topeka, Kansas....
, KansasKansasKansas 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...
, 1 Jun 1951 - Barksdale Air Force BaseBarksdale Air Force BaseBarksdale Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately east-southeast of Bossier City, Louisiana.The host unit at Barksdale is the 2d Bomb Wing , the oldest Bomb Wing in the Air Force. It is assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command's Eighth Air Force...
, 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...
, 10 Oct 1951
- Deployed at: RAF Upper HeyfordRAF Upper HeyfordRAF Upper Heyford was a Royal Air Force station located north-west of Bicester near the village of Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England. The base was brought into use for flying in July 1918 by the Royal Flying Corps. During World War II it was used by many units of the RAF, mainly as a training...
, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
(8 July - 16 October 1955)- Lockbourne Air Force Base, OhioOhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, 1 Dec 1957-15 Mar 1965 - Kirtland Air Force BaseKirtland Air Force BaseKirtland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in the southeast quadrant of the Albuquerque, New Mexico urban area, adjacent to the Albuquerque International Sunport. The base was named for the early Army aviator Col. Roy C. Kirtland...
, New MexicoNew MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, 1 Apr 1994–Present
- Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio
Aircraft Operated
- B-17 Flying Fortress (1942)
- B-24 LiberatorB-24 LiberatorThe Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
(1942–1945) - B-29 SuperfortressB-29 SuperfortressThe B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
(1945, 1949–1954) - RB/WB-29B-29 Superfortress variantsThe Boeing B-29 Superfortress was produced in a large number of experimental and production models.-XB-29:The XB-29, Boeing Model 345, was the first accepted prototype or experimental model delivered to the Army Air Corps, incorporating a number of improvements on the design originally submitted,...
(1949–1951) - C-47 SkytrainC-47 SkytrainThe Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
(1949–1950) - C-54 SkymasterC-54 SkymasterThe 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...
(1950–1951) - 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...
(1954–1961) - EB-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...
(1961–1965) - UH-1N Twin HueyUH-1N Twin HueyThe Bell UH-1N Twin Huey is a medium military helicopter that first flew in April, 1969. The UH-1N has a fifteen seat configuration, with one pilot and fourteen passengers. In cargo configuration the UH-1N has an internal capacity of 220 ft³ . An external load of 5,000 lb can be carried...
(1994–present) Callsign SAVE - HH-60 Pave HawkHH-60 Pave HawkThe Sikorsky MH-60G/HH-60G Pave Hawk is a twin turboshaft engine helicopter in service with the United States Air Force. It is a derivative of the UH-60 Black Hawk and incorporates the US Air Force PAVE electronic systems program...
(1994–present) Callsign GHOST