The 3d Space Wing was a wing of the 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...

 active from 1986 to 1992 at Peterson Air Force Base

Peterson Air Force Base

Peterson Air Force Base is a base of the United States Air Force located at Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States and it provides runways for the adjacent City of Colorado Springs Municipal Airport under a shared joint civil-military airport arrangement...

, Colorado

Colorado

Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...

 as part of Air Force Space Command

Air Force Space Command

Air Force Space Command is a major command of the United States Department of the Air Force, with its headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. AFSPC supports U.S. military operations worldwide through the use of many different types of satellite, launch and cyber operations....

.

History

The wing was constituted as the 3d Space Support Wing on 8 Oct 1986 and activated on 15 Oct 1986.

It was inactivated on 15 May 1992 along with the 1st Space Wing

1st Space Wing

The 1st Space Wing was a wing of the United States Air Force active from 1983 to 1992 at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado as part of Air Force Space Command.-History:...

. The 21st Space Wing

21st Space Wing

The 21st Space Wing is a unit of the Air Force Space Command based at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. The unit is tasked with the operation of early missile warning and space object detection equipment around the world in support of NORAD and USSTRATCOM through a network of command and control...

, a unit with a more historic lineage, took their place.

Components

• Cheyenne Mountain Support Group
• USAF Clinic, Peterson AFB
• 1003d Civil Engineering Squadron
• 1003d Comptroller Squadron
• 1003d Mission Support Squadron
• 1003d Mobile Command and Control Squadron
• 1003d Security Police Squadron
• 1003d Services Squadron
• 1003d Space Support Group
• 1003d Transportation Squadron
• 1004th Space Support Group
• 1012th Air Base Group
• 1015th Air Base Squadron
• 2163d Communications Group

Blazon

Azure, resting on a pillar issuing from base or, detailed argent, a globe celeste (blue turquoise) grid-lined of the second and outlined of the third within two orbital ring

Orbital ring

An Orbital Ring is a concept for a space elevator that consists of a ring in low earth orbit that rotates at above orbital speed, that has fixed tethers hanging down to the ground.The structure is intended to be used for space launch....

s saltirewise of the like each charged in chief with a polestar gold; all between three mullets and a plate argent, the plate in dexter chief; all within a diminished bordure or.

Symbolism

Blue and yellow are the Air Force colors. Blue alludes to the sky, the primary theater of Air Force operations. Yellow refers to the sun and the excellence required of Air Force personnel. The globe represents the earth as viewed from space. The latitude and longitude lines emphasize the global nature of Air Force space operations. The ellipses and stars represent the orbital paths traced by satellites. The pillar represents the support mission of the wing.