The 3920th Strategic Wing (3920th SW) is an inactive United States Air Force

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

 unit, being inactivated on 31 March 1965.

The 3920th SW was a non-flying ground service support element for 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...

 7th Air Division, based at 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....

, Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....

, in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

. It was established on 1 February 1964 and inactivated on 31 March 1965. When activated, the wing assumed the resources (Manpower, Equipment, Weapons, & Facilities) of the 3920th Combat Support Group , which had originally been established on 1 January 1959. Throughout its existence it was in provisional status, controlled by 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...

. Throughout its existence also it was subordinate to the 7th Air Division and stationed at 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....

.

Assigned Units:

• 3920th Strategic Wing
• 3920th Air Base Squadron

Redesignated: 3920th Combat Support Group

• 2nd Aviation Depot Squadron

Redesignated: 2nd Munitions Maintenance Squadron

• 3920th Air Police Squadron

Redesignated: 3920th Combat Defense Squadron

• 3920th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
• 3920th Operations Squadron
• 3920th Food Services Squadron
• 3920th Infirmary
• 3920th Installations Squadron

Redesignated: 3920th Civil Engineering Squadron

• 3920th Motor Vehicle Squadron

Redesignated: 3920th Transportation Squadron

• 3920th Operations Squadron
• 3920th Supply Squadron

The wing provided host station support functions primarily for SAC B-47 / RB-47 Stratojet and KC-97 Stratotanker

KC-97 Stratotanker

The Boeing KC-97 Stratotanker was a United States strategic tanker aircraft based on the Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter. It was succeeded by the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker.-Design and development:...

 wing and support elements deployed 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....

 during REFLEX deployments from United States bases. On 1 July 1960 a RB-47 (53-4281) deployed from the 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Forbes AFB, 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...

 was shot down by the Soviet Air Forces while operation from the 3920th at RAF Brize Norton. The 3920th was inactivated in 1965 when SAC reassigned assets of unit to the Detachment 1, 98th Strategic Wing at RAF Upper Heyford

RAF Upper Heyford

RAF 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...

 and returned control of Brize Norton to 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...

.