704th Strategic Missile 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...
unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe
United States Air Forces in Europe
The United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...
. It is attached to Seventeenth Air Force [Air Forces Africa], stationed at Ramstein Air Base
Ramstein Air Base
Ramstein Air Base is a United States Air Force base in the German state of Rheinland-Pfalz. It serves as headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe and is also a North Atlantic Treaty Organization installation...
, Germany.
The 404 AEG may be activated or inactivated at any time. Last activated on 1 October 2008, it currently provides intertheater airlift in support of US Africa Command (USAFRICOM) taskings since 1 October 2008. The 404 AEG added, in provisional status, the 459th Expeditionary Air Medical Squadron.
The units history can be traced though several units beginning with the 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...
100th Fighter Wing, activated in England in late November 1943, and assigned to 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....
. The 100th FW controlled fighter groups in combat, April 1944 – May 1945. During the wing's move to the European continent, its assigned fighter groups were under the operational control of the IX Tactical Air Command
IX Tactical Air Command
The IX Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Camp Shanks, New York...
. The wing regained control of the 363d Fighter Group upon arrival in France. Provided air defense for the Normandy landing areas, June through July 1944. Regained rest of tactical groups in mid-Aug, then controlled armed reconnaissance, interdictory, and air ground support missions of its assigned fighter groups. Provided air ground support and armored column escort in support of Patton's U.S. Third Army during its drive across France, north to Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
during the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
(December 1944 – January 1945) and across the Rhine. Moved to the U.S. August–September 1945, and inactivated on 7 November 1945.
The 704th Strategic Missile Wing activated on 1 July 1957 at Vandenberg AFB, California, but was not operational until mid-November 1957. Trained (SM-65 Atlas, PGM-19 Jupiter, PGM-17 Thor
PGM-17 Thor
Thor was the first operational ballistic missile of the U.S. Air Force . Named after the Norse god of thunder, it was deployed in the United Kingdom between 1959 and September 1963 as an intermediate range ballistic missile with thermonuclear warheads. Thor was in height and in diameter. It was...
), November 1957 – April 1959. Not operational 6 April – 1 July 1959. The wing then redesignated as the 404th Tactical Missile Wing on 31 July 1985, but never activated in any capacity.
In the modern era, the Air Expeditionary unit has been activated and inactivated on several occasions by USAFE as part of the Global War on Terrorism (2003–2008)
Lineage
- Established as 100th Fighter Wing on 8 November 1943
- Activated on 24 November 1943
- Inactivated on 7 November 1945
- Disestablished on 15 June 1983
- Reestablished, and consolidated (31 July 1985) with the 704th Strategic Missile Wing
- Established on 20 May 1957
- Activated on 1 July 1957
- Redesignated 704th Strategic Missile Wing (ICBM) on 1 April 1958
- Inactivated on 1 July 1959
- Redesignated: 404th Tactical Missile Wing on 31 July 1985 (Remained inactive)
- Redesignated: 404th Air Expeditionary Group and converted to provisional status on 24 March 2003
- Activated on 16 June 2003; Inactivated on 8 July 2003
- Activated on 27 August 2003; Inactivated on 19 September 2003
- Activated on 27 May 2005; Inactivated on 22 June 2005
- Activated on 28 June 2007; Inactivated on 30 July 2007
- Activated on 14 March 2008; Inactivated on 30 April 2008
- Activated on 21 August 2008; Inactivated on 15 September 2008
- Activated on 1 October 2008.
Assignments
- Ninth Air ForceNinth Air ForceThe 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....
, 24 November 1943 - IX Fighter CommandIX Fighter CommandThe IX Fighter Command is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Erlangen, Germany. It was inactivated on 16 November 1945....
, 27 November 1943 - IX Air Support Command, 12 December 1943
- IX Fighter CommandIX Fighter CommandThe IX Fighter Command is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Erlangen, Germany. It was inactivated on 16 November 1945....
, 4 January 1944 - IX Air Support Command, 1 February 1944
- IX Fighter CommandIX Fighter CommandThe IX Fighter Command is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Erlangen, Germany. It was inactivated on 16 November 1945....
, 1 March 1944 - XIX Air Support (later, XIX Tactical Air) CommandXIX Tactical Air CommandThe XIX Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. The unit's last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force based at Biggs Field, Texas...
, 15 April 1944 – 28 June 1945
- Under operational control of IX Fighter CommandIX Fighter CommandThe IX Fighter Command is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Erlangen, Germany. It was inactivated on 16 November 1945....
, 15 April – 31 July 1944- 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....
, 6 September – 7 November 1945 - Air Research and Development Command, 1 July 1957
- First Air Force
- Attached to Air Force Ballistic Missile Division, 1–31 July 1957
- 1st Missile Division, 1 August 1957 – 1 July 1959
- United States Air Forces in EuropeUnited States Air Forces in EuropeThe United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...
, for activation or inactivation any time after 24 March 2003
- Attached to 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....
, 16 June – 8 July 2003 - Attached to Sixteenth Air ForceSixteenth Air ForceThe 16th Air Expeditionary Task Force is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe...
, 27 August – 19 September 2003 - Attached to Sixteenth Air ForceSixteenth Air ForceThe 16th Air Expeditionary Task Force is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe...
, 27 May – 22 June 2005 - Attached to Third Air Force [Air Forces EuropeThird 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....
], 28 June – 30 July 2007- 323d Air Expeditionary Wing
- Attached to Third Air Force [Air Forces EuropeThird 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....
], 14 March – 30 April 2008- United States Air Forces in EuropeUnited States Air Forces in EuropeThe United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...
- United States Air Forces in Europe
- Attached to 48th Fighter Wing48th Fighter WingThe 48th Fighter Wing is part of the United States Air Force Third Air Force, assigned to HQ Air Command Europe, and is based at RAF Lakenheath, England. The 48 FW is the only F-15 wing based in Europe...
, 21 August – 15 September 2008 - Attached to Seventeenth Air Force [Air Forces Africa], 1 October 2008–present
Units assigned
Groups- 48th Fighter Group48th Fighter WingThe 48th Fighter Wing is part of the United States Air Force Third Air Force, assigned to HQ Air Command Europe, and is based at RAF Lakenheath, England. The 48 FW is the only F-15 wing based in Europe...
, 1944 - 354th Fighter Group354th Fighter WingThe 354th Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force wing that is part of Pacific Air Forces . It is the host wing at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, and is assigned to the Eleventh Air Force .-Overview:...
, 1943, 1944, 1945 - 358th Fighter Group122d Fighter WingThe 122d Fighter Wing is an Indiana Air National Guard fighter unit, part of the United States Air Force. It is located at Fort Wayne Air National Guard Station in Fort Wayne, Indiana.-Overview:...
, 1944 - 361st Fighter Group361st Fighter GroupThe 361st Fighter Group was a World War II United States Army Air Forces combat organization. It served primarily in the European Theatre of World War II....
, 1944–1945 - 362d Fighter Group128th Air Refueling WingThe United States Air Force's 128th Air Refueling Wing is an Air Mobility Command located at General Mitchell International Airport, Wisconsin...
, 1944, 1945 - 363d Fighter Group, 1944
- 365th Fighter Group365th Fighter GroupThe 365th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Army Service Forces stationed at Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts. It was inactivated on 22 September 1945....
, 1944–1945
- 367th Fighter Group133d Airlift WingThe 133d Airlift Wing is a unit of the Minnesota Air National Guard and Minnesota National Guard, part of the United States Air Force. It's located at Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport in St. Paul, Minnesota. Operationally-gained by the Air Mobility Command , the 133 AW flies the C-130 H3...
, 1944, 1945 - 368th Fighter Group136th Airlift WingThe United States Air Force's 136th Airlift Wing is an airlift unit located at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth. The wing operates the Lockheed C-130H cargo/transport aircraft and is the parent unit of the 181st Airlift Squadron.-Mission:...
, 1944–1945 - 371st Fighter Group371st Fighter GroupThe 371st Fighter Group is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Army Service Forces stationed at Camp Shanks , New Jersey...
, 1944, 1945 - 405th Fighter Group405th Air Expeditionary WingThe 405th Air Expeditionary Wing is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Combat Command. It may be activated or inactivated at any time.Currently, it is believed that the 405 AEW is stationed at Thumrait AB, Oman...
, 1945 - 406th Fighter Group406th Air Expeditionary WingThe 406th Air Expeditionary Wing is a provisional unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe.The wing was reactivated in early 2003 as a provisional wing to be used as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom , based in Turkey. When Turkey refused to allow its territory to be used as part of...
, 1945 - 474th Fighter Group474th Tactical Fighter WingThe 474th Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Combat Command. It may be activated or inactivated at any time....
, 1944
Squadrons
- 37th Expeditionary Airlift: 28 June – 30 July 2007
- 42d Expeditionary Airlift: 1 October 2008–present
- 336th Expeditionary Air Refueling: 21 August – 15 September 2008
- 351st Expeditionary Air Refueling: 21 August – 15 September 2008
- 492d Expeditionary Fighter492d Fighter SquadronThe 492d Fighter Squadron is part of the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, England.-Mission:The 492d FS is a combat-ready F-15E Strike Eagle squadron capable of executing strategic attack, interdiction, and counter air missions in support of United States Air Forces in Europe, United States...
: 14 March – 7 April 2008 - 493d Expeditionary Fighter493d Fighter SquadronThe 493d Fighter Squadron , nicknamed "The Grim Reapers", is part of the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, England.-Mission:...
: 14 March – 7 April 2008 - 576th Strategic Missile: 1 April 1958 – 1 July 1959 (detached 6 April – 1 July 1959)
- 644th Strategic Missile: 15 January – 1 July 1959 (detached 6 April – 1 July 1959)
- 672d Strategic Missile (later, 672d Technical Training): 1 January – 20 May 1958
- 864th Strategic Missile (later, 864th Technical Training): 23 February 1958 – 1 July 1959 (detached 1 November 1958 – 1 July 1959)
- 865th Strategic Missile (later, 865th Technical Training): 1 July 1958 – 1 July 1959 (detached 1 November 1958 – 1 July 1959)
- 866th Strategic Missile: 1 September 1958 – 1 July 1959 (detached 1 November 1958 – 1 July 1959)
Stations
- RAF BoxtedRAF BoxtedRAF Boxted is a former World War II airfield in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately north-northeast of Colchester; about northeast of London...
(AAF-150), England, 24 November 1943 - RAF Greenham CommonRAF Greenham CommonRAF Station Greenham Common is a former military airfield in Berkshire, England. The airfield is located approximately south-southwest of Thatcham; about west of London....
(AAF-486), England, 6 December 1943 - RAF IbsleyRAF IbsleyRAF Station Ibsley is a former World War II airfield in Hampshire, England. The airfield is located near the village of Ibsley, approximately north of Ringwood; about southwest of London...
(AAF-347), England, 13 January 1944 - RAF Lashenden (AAF-410), England, c. 15 April–June 1944
- Cricqueville AirfieldCricqueville AirfieldCricqueville Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of Cricqueville-en-Bessin in the Basse-Normandie region of northern France....
(A-2), France, 1 July 1944 - Saint-Pierre-ÉgliseSaint-Pierre-ÉgliseSaint-Pierre-Église is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.A market takes place in Saint-Pierre-Église every Wednesday.WW2:Part of the Allied invasion happened here in 1944.-References:*...
, France, 10 July 1944 - Rennes Airfield (A-27), France, 8 August 1944
- Le Mans AirfieldLe Mans AirfieldLe Mans Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the City of Le Mans in the Pays de la Loire region of northern France.-History:...
(A-35), France, 30 August 1944 - St-Dizier Airfield (A-64), France, 19 September 1944
- Metz AirdromeMetz-Frescaty Air BaseMetz-Frescaty Air Base is a front-line French Air Force base. The base is located approximately south-southwest of Metz ; about east of Paris....
(Y-34), France, 29 December 1944
- KönigsteinKönigstein, BavariaKönigstein, also referred to as Königstein to distinguish it from other places named Königstein, is a market town in the Amberg-Sulzbach district, Bavaria, Germany. It is located NE of Nuremberg.-Points of interest:...
, Germany, 14 April–August 1945 - Seymour Johnson AAF, North CarolinaNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, 6 September – 7 November 1945 - Cooke (later, Vandenberg) AFB, California, 1 July 1957 – 1 July 1959
- RAF MildenhallRAF MildenhallRAF Mildenhall is a Royal Air Force station located at Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. Despite its status as an RAF station, it primarily supports United States Air Force operations and is currently the home of the 100th Air Refueling Wing...
, England, 16 June – 8 July 2003 - Graf Ignatievo Air BaseGraf Ignatievo Air BaseGraf Ignatievo Air Base , is located in the village of Graf Ignatievo, about north of the Bulgaria's second largest city of Plovdiv. It is the sole remaining fighter base of that state and houses two squadrons of jet aircrafts.-Early years:...
, Bulgaria, 27 August – 19 September 2003 - 31st Tactical Air Base31st Tactical Air BaseThe 31st Tactical Air Base is the biggest military unit of Polish Air Force. Unit was created in 2008 as a result of fusion of three previous units: 31st Air Base, 3rd Tactical Squadron and 6th Tactical Squadron. Unit operates two squadrons of F-16 C/D fighters and two Mi-2 utility helicopters...
, Krzesiny, PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, 27 May – 22 June 2005 - Ramstein AB, Germany, 28 June – 30 July 2007
- Câmpia TurziiCâmpia TurziiCâmpia Turzii is a city in Cluj County, Romania, which was formed in 1925 by the union of two villages, Ghiriş and Sâncrai...
, Romania, 14 March – 30 April 2008 - Keflavik AS, Iceland, 21 August – 15 September 2008
- Ramstein AB, Germany, 1 October 2008–present
Known aircraft and missiles
- P-38 LightningP-38 LightningThe Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
, 1944–1945 - P-47 ThunderboltP-47 ThunderboltRepublic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
, 1944–1945 - P-51 MustangP-51 MustangThe North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
, 1944–1945 - SM-65 Atlas, 1958–1959
- PGM-19 Jupiter, 1958
- PGM-17 ThorPGM-17 ThorThor was the first operational ballistic missile of the U.S. Air Force . Named after the Norse god of thunder, it was deployed in the United Kingdom between 1959 and September 1963 as an intermediate range ballistic missile with thermonuclear warheads. Thor was in height and in diameter. It was...
, 1958–1959 - HGM-25A Titan I, 1959
- C-130 HerculesC-130 HerculesThe Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
, 2008–present