320th Air Expeditionary Wing
Encyclopedia
The 320th Air Expeditionary Wing (320 AEW) is a provisional United States Air Force
unit assigned to the Air Force District of Washington
. It is stationed at Bolling AFB, District of Columbia. The 320 AEW may be activated or inactivated at any time.
The 320 AEW was activated at Bolling in December 2006 for former President Gerald Ford
’s state funeral during the Christmas and New Year holidays, attaching 634 personnel to complete a 10-day mission in three joint-operation areas. In less than 12 hours from notification, the 320 AEW deployed 167 joint forces and equipment for JTF Ceremony Forward.
It was activated in December 2008 to support Air Force requirements during the 2009 Presidential Inauguration, working with the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee, or AFIC.
The wing is the successor organization to the World War II Twelfth Air Force 320th Bombardment Group. The highly-decorated unit was equipped with the Martin B-26 Marauder
aircraft. The 320th Bombardment Wing was a component organization of Strategic Air Command
's deterrent force during the Cold War
, as a strategic bombardment wing.
Constituted as 320th Bombardment Group (Medium) on 19 June 1942 and activated on 23 June at MacDill Field (now MacDill AFB), Florida. Operational squadrons of the group were the 441st, 442d, 443d and 444th Bomb Squadrons. The 320th was equipped with the Martin B-26 Marauder aircraft.
The group was subsequently relocated to nearby Drane Field (now Lakeland Linder Regional Airport
), Florida. Most of the group moved to North Africa via England, August–December 1942; crews flew their planes over the South Atlantic route and arrived in North Africa, December 1942 – January 1943.
Began combat with Twelfth Air Force in April 1943 and operated from bases in Algeria
, Tunisia, Sardinia
, and Corsica
until November 1944. During the period April–July 1943, flew missions against enemy shipping in the approaches to Tunisia, attacked installations in Sardinia
, participated in the reduction of Pantelleria
, and supported the Allied invasion of Sicily
. Then bombed marshalling yards, bridges, airdromes, road junctions, viaducts, harbors, fuel dumps, defense positions, and other targets in Italy. Supported forces at Salerno
and knocked out targets to aid the seizure of Naples
and the crossing of the Volturno River
. Flew missions to Anzio
and Cassino
and engaged in interdictory operations in central Italy in preparation for the advance toward Rome.
Received the French Croix de Guerre with Palm
for action in preparation for and in support of Allied offensive operations in central Italy, April–June 1944. Received a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for a mission on 12 May 1944 when, in the face of an intense antiaircraft barrage, the group bombed enemy troop concentrations near Fondi
in support of the U.S. Fifth Army's advance toward Rome. From June to November 1944 operations included interdictory missions in the Po Valley
, support for the invasion of Southern France and attacks on enemy communications in northern Italy.
Moved to France in November 1944 and bombed bridges, rail lines, gun positions, barracks, supply points, ammunition dumps, and other targets in France and Germany until V-E Day. Received a 2d DUC for operations on 15 March 1945 when the group bombed pillboxes, trenches, weapon pits, and roads within the Siegfried Line
to enable a breakthrough by the U.S. Seventh Army.
With the end of hostilities in Europe, the group moved to Germany in June 1945 and participated in the disarmament program. Returned to the United States, November–December 1945, and was inactivated on 4 December 1945.
106th Bombardment Wing which was brought onto active duty during the Korean War
.
At March, the wing was initially equipped with second-line B-29 Superfortress
es and conducted global bombardment training and air refueling operations to meet SAC commitments. This wing was also employed for training Air Force Reservists and Air National Guardsmen to backfill rotating B-29 Superfortress
combat crews which were deployed by Fifteenth Air Force
to Far East Air Forces serving in the Korean War.
Replaced the propeller-driven B-29s with new B-47E Stratojet swept-wing medium bombers in 1953, capable of flying at high subsonic speeds and primarily designed for penetrating the airspace of the Soviet Union
. Trained the initial B-47 cadre for the 96th Bombardment Wing, Medium, December 1953 – January 1955 and subsequently deployed as a wing to RAF Brize Norton
, England, 5 June – 4 September 1954, and Andersen AFB, Guam
, 5 October 1956 – 11 January 1957. In the late 1950s, the B-47 Stratojet
was considered to be reaching obsolescence, and was being phased out of SAC's strategic arsenal. Aircraft were reassigned to other SAC units as replacements in late 1959 and 1960 becoming non-operational.
With the retirement of the Stratojet, the 320th Bomb Wing was reassigned to Mather AFB, California, an Air Training Command
(ATC) base, on 1 February 1963 where it assumed the assets of the 4134th Strategic Wing, a SAC tenant command at Mather. The 4134th SW was established by SAC on 1 April 1958 at Mather as part of SAC's plan to disburse its B-52 Stratofortress
heavy 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. The wing consisted of the 72d Bombardment Squadron, consisting of 15 B-52Gs, and the KC-135A-equipped 904th Air Refueling Squadron
. Half of the aircraft were maintained on fifteen minute alert, fully fueled, armed, and ready for combat. SAC Strategic Wings were considered "provisional units" by HQ USAF and could not carry a permanent history or lineage.
In 1962, in order to retain the lineage of its MAJCOM 4-digit combat units and to perpetuate the lineage of many currently inactive bombardment units with illustrious World War II
records, Headquarters SAC received authority from Headquarters USAF to discontinue its MAJCOM strategic wings that were equipped with combat aircraft and to activate AFCON units, most of which were inactive at the time which could carry a lineage and history.
With the redesignation to the 320th BW, the 72d BS was also redesignated as the 441st Bombardment Squadron
, one of the unit's World War II historical bomb squadrons. The 904th ARS designation was unchanged, and component support units were also redesignated to the 320th numerical designation of the newly-established wing. As under the Tri-Deputate organization, all flying components were directly assigned to the wing, no operational group element was activated.
At Mather, the wing performed global bombardment training and air refueling operations to meet SAC commitments, February 1963–1965 and later. The entire wing was drastically reduced February–July 1965, December 1965 – March 1966, and June 1972 – October 1973, when all aircraft, crews, and most support personnel were loaned to other SAC units based at Andersen AFB Guam
, RTNAS U-Tapao
, Thailand and Kadena AB, Okinawa for operations in Southeast Asia.
Starting in 1972, the 3542d Operations Squadron conducted Convair T-29 pilot training for the Fifteenth Air Force
in conjunction with the 323d Flying Training Wing of the Air Training Command
(ATC) to support the Undergraduate Navigator Training (UNT) program at Mather. The 3542nd Operations Squadron was inactivated in 1973 and the T-29s were retired in 1973 and 1974 concurrent with the introduction of the Boeing 737-200-based T-43A.
In the early 1980s, the 320 BW and the 441 BS were equipped to carry, and trained in the employment of, the US Navy's AGM-84 Harpoon missile and various types of anti-ship mines as part of a joint USN-USAF initiative to employ USAF bomber aircraft in maritime operations.
The 904 ARS was inactivated 1 October 1986 and its older KC-135As modified to KC-135E standard and redistributed to other SAC units or sent to AMARC at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona for storage. The 441 BS with its B-52Gs was inactivated on 30 September 1989. It was the first squadron to inactivate with the gradual drawdown of the B-52G fleet pursuant to START
reductions of the USAF strategic bomber force.
The 320th Bombardment Wing was inactivated on 30 September 1989. It was the first B-52 wing to be inactivated in conjunction with the phased retirement of the B-52G fleet and was also made in conjunction with the pending closure of Mather AFB in 1993 due to Base Realignment and Closure
(BRAC) action.
shows the changeover happening on 1 December 1998, not 1997.
The primary mission of the 320 AEG at Eskan was to provide liaison with Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defense and Aviation (MODA) for Eskan Village and to provide host base support to the combatant staff of Joint Task Force Southwest Asia (JTF-SWA) and the 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force (9 ASETF), including its associated Coalition Air Operations Center (CAOC), conducting Operation SOUTHERN WATCH
, which provided principal senior command and control of all U.S. and Coalition combat flying units enforcing the "No Fly Zone" over Southern Iraq prior to execution of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM in 2003. The 320 AEG also supported United States Military Training Mission (USMTM) Saudi Arabia, the U.S. Office of Program Management – Saudi Arabian National Guard (OPM-SANG), as well as the Royal Air Force
and French Air Force
headquarters elements also located at Eskan Village.
In 2005 the 320th Air Expeditionary Group was replaced by the 64th Air Expeditionary Group
, a component of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing
.
at Bolling AFB for National Capital Region (NCR) support duties, such as supporting the inauguration of Barack Obama
.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit assigned to the Air Force District of Washington
Air Force District of Washington
Air Force District of Washington is composed of two wings and one group, the 11th Wing, the 79th Medical Wing and the 844th Communication Group at Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility...
. It is stationed at Bolling AFB, District of Columbia. The 320 AEW may be activated or inactivated at any time.
The 320 AEW was activated at Bolling in December 2006 for former President Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
’s state funeral during the Christmas and New Year holidays, attaching 634 personnel to complete a 10-day mission in three joint-operation areas. In less than 12 hours from notification, the 320 AEW deployed 167 joint forces and equipment for JTF Ceremony Forward.
It was activated in December 2008 to support Air Force requirements during the 2009 Presidential Inauguration, working with the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee, or AFIC.
The wing is the successor organization to the World War II Twelfth Air Force 320th Bombardment Group. The highly-decorated unit was equipped with the Martin B-26 Marauder
B-26 Marauder
The Martin B-26 Marauder was a World War II twin-engine medium bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, it was also used in the Mediterranean Theater and in Western Europe....
aircraft. The 320th 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.
World War II
The group was subsequently relocated to nearby Drane Field (now Lakeland Linder Regional Airport
Lakeland Linder Regional Airport
Lakeland Linder Regional Airport is a public airport located four miles southwest of the central business district of Lakeland, a city in Polk County, Florida, United States...
), Florida. Most of the group moved to North Africa via England, August–December 1942; crews flew their planes over the South Atlantic route and arrived in North Africa, December 1942 – January 1943.
Began combat with Twelfth Air Force in April 1943 and operated from bases in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, Tunisia, Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
, and Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
until November 1944. During the period April–July 1943, flew missions against enemy shipping in the approaches to Tunisia, attacked installations in Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
, participated in the reduction of Pantelleria
Operation Corkscrew
During World War II, Operation Corkscrew was the Allied invasion of the Italian island of Pantelleria on 10 June 1943. There had been an early plan to occupy the island in late 1940 , but this was aborted when the Luftwaffe strengthened the Axis air threat in the region.The Allied focus returned...
, and supported the Allied invasion of Sicily
Allied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
. Then bombed marshalling yards, bridges, airdromes, road junctions, viaducts, harbors, fuel dumps, defense positions, and other targets in Italy. Supported forces at Salerno
Salerno
Salerno is a city and comune in Campania and is the capital of the province of the same name. It is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea....
and knocked out targets to aid the seizure of Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
and the crossing of the Volturno River
Volturno
The Volturno is a river in south-central Italy.-Geography:It rises in the Abruzzese central Apennines of Samnium near Rocchetta a Volturno and flows southeast as far as its junction with the Calore River near Caiazzo and runs south as far as Venafro, and then turns southwest, past Capua, to...
. Flew missions to Anzio
Anzio
Anzio is a city and comune on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome.Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands of Ponza, Palmarola and Ventotene...
and Cassino
Cassino
Cassino is a comune in the province of Frosinone, Italy, at the southern end of the region of Lazio.Cassino is located at the foot of Monte Cairo near the confluence of the Rapido and Liri rivers...
and engaged in interdictory operations in central Italy in preparation for the advance toward Rome.
Received the French Croix de Guerre with Palm
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
for action in preparation for and in support of Allied offensive operations in central Italy, April–June 1944. Received a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for a mission on 12 May 1944 when, in the face of an intense antiaircraft barrage, the group bombed enemy troop concentrations near Fondi
Fondi
Fondi is a city and comune in the province of Latina, Lazio, central Italy, halfway between Rome and Naples. Before the construction of the highway between the latter cities in the late 1950s, Fondi had been an important settlement on the Roman Via Appia, which was the main connection from Rome to...
in support of the U.S. Fifth Army's advance toward Rome. From June to November 1944 operations included interdictory missions in the Po Valley
Po Valley
The Po Valley, Po Plain, Plain of the Po, or Padan Plain is a major geographical feature of Italy. It extends approximately in an east-west direction, with an area of 46,000 km² including its Venetic extension not actually related to the Po River basin; it runs from the Western Alps to the...
, support for the invasion of Southern France and attacks on enemy communications in northern Italy.
Moved to France in November 1944 and bombed bridges, rail lines, gun positions, barracks, supply points, ammunition dumps, and other targets in France and Germany until V-E Day. Received a 2d DUC for operations on 15 March 1945 when the group bombed pillboxes, trenches, weapon pits, and roads within the Siegfried Line
Siegfried Line
The original Siegfried line was a line of defensive forts and tank defences built by Germany as a section of the Hindenburg Line 1916–1917 in northern France during World War I...
to enable a breakthrough by the U.S. Seventh Army.
With the end of hostilities in Europe, the group moved to Germany in June 1945 and participated in the disarmament program. Returned to the United States, November–December 1945, and was inactivated on 4 December 1945.
Strategic Air Command
The 320th Bombardment Wing, Medium was established at March AFB, California on 1 December 1952. The 320th BW assumed the assets of the federalized New York Air National GuardNew York Air National Guard
The New York Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of New York. It is, along with the New York Army National Guard, an element of the New York National Guard. It is considered a part of the United States Air Force, as well as its state mission...
106th Bombardment Wing which was brought onto active duty 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...
.
At March, the wing was initially equipped with second-line 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...
es and conducted global bombardment training and air refueling operations to meet SAC commitments. This wing was also employed for training Air Force Reservists and Air National Guardsmen to backfill rotating 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...
combat crews which were deployed by 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....
to Far East Air Forces serving in the Korean War.
Replaced the propeller-driven B-29s with new B-47E Stratojet swept-wing medium bombers in 1953, capable of flying at high subsonic speeds and primarily designed for penetrating the airspace of 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....
. Trained the initial B-47 cadre for the 96th Bombardment Wing, Medium, December 1953 – January 1955 and subsequently deployed as a wing to RAF Brize Norton
RAF Brize Norton
RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, about west north-west of London, is the largest station of the Royal Air Force. It is close to the settlements of Brize Norton, Carterton and Witney....
, England, 5 June – 4 September 1954, and Andersen AFB, Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, 5 October 1956 – 11 January 1957. In the late 1950s, the 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...
was considered to be reaching obsolescence, and was being phased out of SAC's strategic arsenal. Aircraft were reassigned to other SAC units as replacements in late 1959 and 1960 becoming non-operational.
With the retirement of the Stratojet, the 320th Bomb Wing was reassigned to Mather AFB, California, an Air Training Command
Air Training Command
Air Training Command is a former major command of the United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force. ATC came into being as a redesignation of the Army Air Forces Training Command on July 1, 1946...
(ATC) base, on 1 February 1963 where it assumed the assets of the 4134th Strategic Wing, a SAC tenant command at Mather. The 4134th SW was established by SAC on 1 April 1958 at Mather 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 72d Bombardment Squadron, consisting of 15 B-52Gs, and the KC-135A-equipped 904th Air Refueling Squadron
904th Air Refueling Squadron
The 904th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 320th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Mather AFB, California. It was inactivated on 30 September 1986....
. Half of the aircraft were maintained on fifteen minute alert, fully fueled, armed, and ready for combat. SAC Strategic Wings were considered "provisional units" by HQ USAF and could not carry a permanent history or lineage.
In 1962, in order to retain the lineage of its MAJCOM 4-digit combat units and to perpetuate the lineage of many currently inactive bombardment units with illustrious World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
records, Headquarters SAC received authority from Headquarters USAF to discontinue its MAJCOM strategic wings that were equipped with combat aircraft and to activate AFCON units, most of which were inactive at the time which could carry a lineage and history.
With the redesignation to the 320th BW, the 72d BS was also redesignated as the 441st Bombardment Squadron
441st Bombardment Squadron
The 441st Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 320th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Mather Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on 30 September 1989.-History:...
, one of the unit's World War II historical bomb squadrons. The 904th ARS designation was unchanged, and component support units were also redesignated to the 320th numerical designation of the newly-established wing. As under the Tri-Deputate organization, all flying components were directly assigned to the wing, no operational group element was activated.
At Mather, the wing performed global bombardment training and air refueling operations to meet SAC commitments, February 1963–1965 and later. The entire wing was drastically reduced February–July 1965, December 1965 – March 1966, and June 1972 – October 1973, when all aircraft, crews, and most support personnel were loaned to other SAC units based at Andersen AFB Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, RTNAS U-Tapao
U-Tapao International Airport
-Charter services:-Accidents and incidents:On 28 October 1977, a Douglas DC-3 of Air Vietnam was hijacked to U-Tapao International Airport where the four hijackers surrendered. Two people on board the aircraft were killed in the hijacking...
, Thailand and Kadena AB, Okinawa for operations in Southeast Asia.
Starting in 1972, the 3542d Operations Squadron conducted Convair T-29 pilot training for the 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 conjunction with the 323d Flying Training Wing of the Air Training Command
Air Training Command
Air Training Command is a former major command of the United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force. ATC came into being as a redesignation of the Army Air Forces Training Command on July 1, 1946...
(ATC) to support the Undergraduate Navigator Training (UNT) program at Mather. The 3542nd Operations Squadron was inactivated in 1973 and the T-29s were retired in 1973 and 1974 concurrent with the introduction of the Boeing 737-200-based T-43A.
In the early 1980s, the 320 BW and the 441 BS were equipped to carry, and trained in the employment of, the US Navy's AGM-84 Harpoon missile and various types of anti-ship mines as part of a joint USN-USAF initiative to employ USAF bomber aircraft in maritime operations.
The 904 ARS was inactivated 1 October 1986 and its older KC-135As modified to KC-135E standard and redistributed to other SAC units or sent to AMARC at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona for storage. The 441 BS with its B-52Gs was inactivated on 30 September 1989. It was the first squadron to inactivate with the gradual drawdown of the B-52G fleet pursuant to START
Start
Start can refer to multiple topics:* Takeoff, the phase of flight where an aircraft transitions from moving along the ground to flying through the air* Start date, in filmmaking* Start, Louisiana, a town in the United States...
reductions of the USAF strategic bomber force.
The 320th Bombardment Wing was inactivated on 30 September 1989. It was the first B-52 wing to be inactivated in conjunction with the phased retirement of the B-52G fleet and was also made in conjunction with the pending closure of Mather AFB in 1993 due to 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) action.
320th Air Expeditionary Group (USCENTAF)
In 1997, the 320th was reactivated as the 320th Air Expeditionary Group (320 AEG) at Eskan Village, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. As an element of U.S. Central Command Air Forces (USCENTAF) / 9th Air Force (9 AF), the 320 AEG was a ground-based non-flying organization, with the 320 AEG replacing the earlier 4409th Air Base Group (Provisional) at Eskan that had been in existence since Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM in 1990–91. However, Globalsecurity.orgGlobalSecurity.org
GlobalSecurity.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...
shows the changeover happening on 1 December 1998, not 1997.
The primary mission of the 320 AEG at Eskan was to provide liaison with Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defense and Aviation (MODA) for Eskan Village and to provide host base support to the combatant staff of Joint Task Force Southwest Asia (JTF-SWA) and the 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force (9 ASETF), including its associated Coalition Air Operations Center (CAOC), conducting Operation SOUTHERN WATCH
Operation Southern Watch
Operation Southern Watch was an operation conducted by Joint Task Force Southwest Asia with the mission of monitoring and controlling airspace south of the 32nd Parallel in Iraq, following the 1991 Gulf War until the 2003 invasion of Iraq.-Summary:Operation Southern Watch began on 27 August 1992...
, which provided principal senior command and control of all U.S. and Coalition combat flying units enforcing the "No Fly Zone" over Southern Iraq prior to execution of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM in 2003. The 320 AEG also supported United States Military Training Mission (USMTM) Saudi Arabia, the U.S. Office of Program Management – Saudi Arabian National Guard (OPM-SANG), as well as the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
and French Air Force
French Air Force
The French Air Force , literally Army of the Air) is the air force of the French Armed Forces. It was formed in 1909 as the Service Aéronautique, a service arm of the French Army, then was made an independent military arm in 1933...
headquarters elements also located at Eskan Village.
In 2005 the 320th Air Expeditionary Group was replaced by the 64th Air Expeditionary Group
64th Air Expeditionary Group
The 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....
, a component of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing
379th Air Expeditionary Wing
The 379th Air Expeditionary Wing 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....
.
320th Air Expeditionary Wing (AFDW)
The 320th was then renamed as the 320th Air Expeditionary Wing (320 AEW) and was reassigned to the Air Force District of WashingtonAir Force District of Washington
Air Force District of Washington is composed of two wings and one group, the 11th Wing, the 79th Medical Wing and the 844th Communication Group at Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility...
at Bolling AFB for National Capital Region (NCR) support duties, such as supporting the inauguration of Barack Obama
Inauguration of Barack Obama
The inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States took place on Tuesday, January 20, 2009. The inauguration, which set a record attendance for any event held in Washington, D.C., marked the commencement of the four-year term of Barack Obama as President and Joe...
.
Lineage
- Constituted as 320th Bombardment Group (Medium) on 19 June 1942
- Activated on 23 June 1942
- Inactivated on 4 December 1945.
- Redesignated: 320th Bombardment Group (Light) Allotted to the reserve.
- Activated on 6 July 1947
- Inactivated on 27 June 1949
- Established as 320th Bombardment Wing, Medium, and activated, on 1 December 1952
- Discontinued: on 15 September 1960
- Redesignated: 320th Bombardment Wing, Heavy, on 15 November 1962
- Activated on 15 November 1962 to replace the 4134th Strategic Wing
- Organized on 1 February 1963 assuming the resources (Manpower, Aircraft, Equipment, Weapons, & Facilities) of the 4134th Strategic Wing (Inactivated).
- Inactivated 30 September 1989
- Converted to provisional status and redesignated as 320th Air Expeditionary Group in 1997.
- Allocated to Air Mobility CommandAir Mobility CommandAir Mobility Command is a Major Command of the U.S. Air Force. AMC is headquartered at Scott AFB, Illinois, east of St. Louis....
to activate or inactivate at any time. - Redesignated: 320th Air Expeditionary Wing in 2001 (Remained in provisional status)
- Allocated to Air Force District of Washington in 2006 to activate or inactivate at any time.
Assignments
- Third Air ForceThird Air ForceThe Third Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe . It is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany....
, 23 June – 28 August 1942 - Eighth Air ForceEighth Air ForceThe Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
, 12 September – November 1942 - Twelfth Air Force, 2 December 1942 – November 1945
- 47th Bombardment Wing47th Air Division (United States)- History :The 47th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command, based at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington. It was inactivated on 27 February 1987....
: 18 February – 7 June 1943- Continental Air Forces November 1945 – December 1945
- Continental Air CommandContinental Air CommandContinental Air Command was a Major Command of the United States Air Force responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.-Lineage:...
- First Air ForceFirst Air ForceThe 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....
, 9 June 1947 – 27 June 1949- 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...
- Strategic Air Command
- 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....
- 12th Air Division, 1 December 1952 – 15 September 1960
- Attached to 7th Air Division, 3 June – 4 September 1954
- Attached to 3d Air Division, 5 October 1956 – 11 January 1957
- Department of the Air ForceDepartment of the Air ForceThe Department of the Air Force is one of the three Military Departments within the Department of Defense of the United States of America...
, 16 September 1960 – 14 November 1962
- Department of the Air Force
- 12th Air Division, 1 December 1952 – 15 September 1960
- 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...
, 15 November 1962
- 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....
- 14th Strategic Aerospace Division, 1 February 1963
- 18th Strategic Aerospace Division, 1 July 1965
- 47th Air Division, 2 July 1966
- 14th Strategic Aerospace Division, 31 March 1970
- 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....
- 47th Air Division, 30 June 1971
- 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....
- 14th Air Division, 1 October 1972 – 30 September 1989
- Air Mobility CommandAir Mobility CommandAir Mobility Command is a Major Command of the U.S. Air Force. AMC is headquartered at Scott AFB, Illinois, east of St. Louis....
, undetermined dates after 1997. - Air Force District of WashingtonAir Force District of WashingtonAir Force District of Washington is composed of two wings and one group, the 11th Wing, the 79th Medical Wing and the 844th Communication Group at Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility...
, undetermined dates after 2006.
- Air Mobility Command
- 14th Air Division, 1 October 1972 – 30 September 1989
Bases assigned
- MacDill Field, Florida, 23 June 1942
- Drane Field, Florida, 8–28 August 1942
- RAF HethelRAF HethelRAF Hethel is a former World War II airfield used by the US during the Second World War in Norfolk, England situated located 7 miles south west of Norwich.-USAAF use:...
(USAAF Station 114), England, 12 September 1942 - Oran Es Sénia AirportOran Es Sénia AirportOran Es Sénia Airport is an airport located 4.7 nm south of Oran, near Es Sénia, in Algeria.-History:During World War II, La Sénia Airport was first used by the French Air Force as a military airfield, first by the Armée de l'Air, and after June 1940, by the Armistice Air Force of the Vichy...
, Oran, Algeria, c. 2 December 1942 - Tafaraoui Airfield, Algeria, 28 January 1943
- Montesquieu AirfieldMontesquieu AirfieldMontesquieu Airfield was a World War II military airfield in Algeria, located in the mountains near M'Daourouch, about 112 km southeast of Constantine. It's precise location is undetermined...
, Algeria, April 1943 - Massicault Airfield, Tunisia, 29 June 1943
- El Bathan AirfieldEl Bathan AirfieldEl Bathan Airfield is an abandoned military airfield in Ariana province, Tunisia, located approximately 15 km south of El Battan, and 30 km west of Tunis. It is now an agricultural area, with little or no evidence of its existence. A light scar on the landscape indicates where its main...
, Tunisia, 28 July 1943 - SardiniaSardiniaSardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
, 1 November 1943 - CorsicaCorsicaCorsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
, c. 18 September 1944 - Dijon-Longvic AirfieldDijon Bourgogne - Longvic AirportDijon Air Base is a Front-line French Air Force NATO air base. The base is located approximately east-southeast of Longvic; about southeast of Paris...
(Y-9), France, 11 November 1944
- Dôle-Tavaux AirfieldDôle-Tavaux AirportDole – Jura Airport , also known as Franche-Comté Regional Airport , is an airport serving Dole, a commune in the Jura department in the Franche-Comté region in eastern France. The airport is located southwest of Dole, and southeast of Tavaux...
(Y-7), France, 1 April 1945 - Fliegerhorst Herzogenaurach (R-29), Germany, 18 June 1945
- Clastres Airfield (A-71), France, c. October–November 1945
- March Air Force Base, California, 1 December 1952 – 1 February 1963
- Mather Air Force BaseMather Air Force BaseMather Air Force Base is a closed United States Air Force Base located east of Sacramento at Rancho Cordova, California on the south side of U.S. Route 50....
, California, 1 February 1963 – 30 September 1989 - Eskan Village, RiyadhRiyadhRiyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...
, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 1998–2001 - Doha International AirportDoha International AirportDoha International Airport is the only commercial airport in Qatar. It has three mosques, free Wi-Fi, a duty-free area, a few eateries and 42 parking bays for aircraft. There are also 60 check-in gates, 8 baggage claim belts and over 1,000 car parking spaces.The airport suffers from...
("Camp Snoopy") and Al Udeid Air BaseAl Udeid Air BaseAl Udeid Air Base is a military base west of Doha, Qatar. It houses foreign coalition personnel and assets. It is host to a forward headquarters of United States Central Command, headquarters of United States Air Forces Central Command, and home to both No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group RAF and the...
, Qatar, 2001–2006 - Seeb International AirportSeeb International AirportMuscat International Airport is the main airport in Muscat, Oman. It is the hub for the national carrier Oman Air. The distance from Old Muscat is 30 km and it is 15 km from the main residential localities. At the moment the airport is being expanded and modernized...
, Oman, undetermined dates - Al Ain International Airport (Al Daftra AB), Abu Dhabi, UAE, undeermined dates
- Bolling AFB, District of Columbia, 2006; 2009.
Components
Squadrons- 441st Bombardment Squadron441st Bombardment SquadronThe 441st Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 320th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Mather Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on 30 September 1989.-History:...
: 1942–1945; 1947–1949
- Assigned 1 December 1952 – 15 September 1960 (Not operational 16 May – 15 September 1960)
- Assigned 1 February 1963 – 30 September 1989.
- (Not operational 11 February – 1 July 1965; 1 December 1965 – 21 March 1966 and 3 June 1972 – 25 October 1973).
- 442d Bombardment Squadron442d Bombardment SquadronThe 442d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 320th Bombardment Wing, stationed at March Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on 15 September 1960.-History:...
: 1942–1945; 1947–1949; 1 December 1952 – 15 September 1960 (Not operational 1–15 September 1960) - 443d Bombardment Squadron443d Bombardment SquadronThe 443d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 320th Bombardment Wing, stationed at March Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on 15 September 1960.-History:...
: 1942–1945; 1947–1949; 1 December 1952 – 15 September 1960 (Not operational 1–15 September 1960) - 444th Bombardment Squadron444th Bombardment SquadronThe 444th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 320th Bombardment Wing, stationed at March Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on 15 September 1960.-History:...
: 1942–1945; 1947–1949; 1 January 1959 – 15 September 1960 (Not operational 1 July – 15 September 1960) - 320th Refueling Squadron: Assigned 1 December 1952 – 16 June 1960
- 320th Munitions Maintenance Squadron
- 320th Expeditionary Communications Squadron
- 904th Air Refueling Squadron904th Air Refueling SquadronThe 904th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 320th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Mather AFB, California. It was inactivated on 30 September 1986....
: 1 February 1963 – 30 September 1989
- 442d Bombardment Squadron
Major aircraft types operated
- Martin B-26 MarauderB-26 MarauderThe Martin B-26 Marauder was a World War II twin-engine medium bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, it was also used in the Mediterranean Theater and in Western Europe....
(1942–1945) - Boeing 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...
(1952–1953) - Boeing 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...
(1953–1960) - Boeing B-52F 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...
(1963–1968)
- Boeing B-52G 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...
(1968–1989)- Boeing 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...
(1963–1989) - Lockheed C-130 Hercules (2001–2006)
- Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker
See also
- List of B-47 units of the United States Air Force
- List of B-52 Units of the United States Air Force
- List of units using the B-26 Marauder during World War II