96th Air Base Wing
Encyclopedia
The 96th Air Base Wing is a United States Air Force
unit assigned to the Air Combat Command
Air Armament Center. It is stationed at Eglin Air Force Base
, Florida. The wing is also the host unit at Eglin.
The 96 ABW supports the Air Armament Center and associate units with traditional military services as well as all the services of a small city, to include civil engineering, personnel, logistics, communications, computer, medical, security, and all other host services.
The group is the successor organization to the World War II Eighth Air Force
96th Bombardment Group. A B-17 Flying Fortress unit in England, stationed primarily at RAF Snetterton Heath
, the group was the first double-strength group in Eighth Air Force, and led the first shuttle mission to Regensburg
on 17 August 1943. Active for over 60 years, the 96th Bombardment Wing was a component organization of Strategic Air Command
's deterrent force during the Cold War
, as a strategic bombardment wing.
It provides a myriad of base operating support functions: it is responsible for material resources, mobility requirements, and meeting the needs of Eglin personnel. The 96th Air Base Wing is composed of more than 5,000 professionals in five organizations. The unit is commanded by Colonel Sal M. Nodjomian. Its Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Thomas S. Westermeyer.
Constituted as 96th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 January 1942. Activated on 15 July 1942. Trained with B-17's and also served as an operational training unit. Moved to RAF Grafton Underwood England, April–May 1943, for duty with Eighth Air Force
. The group was assigned to the 45th Combat Bombardment Wing
of the 3d Bombardment Division. Its tail code was Square-C. The group consisted of the following squadrons:
This group commenced combat operations on 14 May but, as it was assigned to the 45th Wing with a general base area in north Essex
, the 96th moved east at the end of May to RAF Andrews Field
. The 96th appears to have only carried out one mission while based at Andrews Field. On 29 May 1943 they took part in a raid on Rennes naval storage depot from which one B-17 failed to return. The group was moved to RAF Snetterton Heath
on 12 June 1943 in a general exchange of bases with B-26 Marauder
groups.
As the most conveniently reached station from 3rd Division Headquarters at Elveden Hall, Snetterton Heath units often led to major operations carrying commanding generals. General Curtis LeMay
led the famous Regensburg
shuttle mission to North Africa flying out of this base, and received a Distinguished Unit Citation for withstanding severe assaults by enemy fighters. The 96th also led the 3rd Division on the famous Schweinfurt
mission of 14 October 1943. In addition, the 93d attacked shipyards, harbours, railway yards, aerodromes, oil refineries, aircraft factories, and other industrial targets in Germany, France, Holland, Belgium, Norway, Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia
.
The 96th received another DUC for leading the 45th Bomb Wing a great distance through heavy clouds and intense anti-aircraft fire to raid important aircraft component factories in Poland on 9 April 1944. Other significant targets included airfields at Bordeaux
and Augsburg
; marshalling yards at Kiel
, Hamm
, Brunswick
, and Gdynia
; aircraft factories at Chemnitz
, Hanover
, and Diósgyőr
; oil refineries at Merseburg
and Brux
, and chemical works in Wiesbaden
, Ludwigshafen, and Neunkirchen
.
In addition to strategic operations, missions of the 96th BG included bombing coastal defences, railway bridges, gun emplacements, and field batteries in the battle area prior to and during the invasion of Normandy
in June 1944; attacking enemy positions in support of the breakthrough at Saint-Lô
in July 1944; aiding the campaign in France in August by striking roads and road junctions, and by dropping supplies to the Maquis
; and attacking, during the early months of 1945, the communications supplying German armies on the western front.
After V-E Day, the group was scheduled for occupation duties in Germany however plans were revised and the 96th BG flew food to Holland and hauled redeployed personnel to French Morocco
, Ireland, France, and Germany. In November 1945 its aircraft were flown back to the United States, and its squadrons were inactivated. The ground personnel left Snetterton Heath in early December, arriving at Camp Kilmer
New Jersey
.
The 96th Bomb Group was inactivated on 20 December 1945.
. Conducted routine training activities. Inactivated on 27 July 1949.
Established again on 6 November 1953 at Altus AFB, Oklahoma
, as the 96th Bombardment Wing, Medium. It was activated 8 November. Wing headquarters and most of the wing components were not manned until March 1954; those components manned were controlled by the 96th Air Base Group, whose commander served additional duty as the 96th's wing commander. The wing soon received KC-97 Stratotankers and began air refueling operations in March 1954.
Began receiving new B-47E Stratojet swept-wing medium bombers in April 1955, capable of flying at high subsonic speeds and primarily designed for penetrating the airspace of the Soviet Union
. Began bombardment training in April 1955 in support of SAC's global commitments. Deployed to Andersen AFB Guam
, January–April 1957. Upon activation, the Wing was bestowed the lineage, legacy and honors of the USAAF World War II 96th Bomb Group.
Transferred to Dyess AFB, Texas on 8 September 1957
Controlled the 4th Strategic Support Squadron, a strategic airlift squadron, September 1959 – March 1961, and the 578th Strategic Missile Squadron, an Atlas F missile squadron, July 1961 – March 1965. The first Atlas missile went on alert in April 1962. The Atlas was phased out in March 1965.
In the early 1960s, the B-47 was considered to be reaching obsolescence, and was being phased out of SAC's strategic arsenal. In 1963, its three squadrons of B-47s (338th, 339th, 413th Bomb Squadrons) were replaced by one squadron (337th Bomb Squadron) of B-52s. The 96th received B-52Cs from the 99th Bomb Wing, then new B-52Ds and B-52Es from Boeing. It was redesignated the 96th Bombardment Wing, Heavy, on 31 March 1972. During several months of 1970, and for a lengthy period in 1972–1973, all wing aircraft, crews, and most support personnel were loaned to other SAC organizations based in the Far East or Southeast Asia for combat operations.
From 1980, the wing's 917th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135A aircraft regularly deployed to Europe, Alaska, and the Pacific to support SAC tanker task force requirements.
The 337th Bomb Squadron became the first squadron to operate the B-1B Lancer, after the arrival of the first aircraft in June 1985. In addition, the 338th Combat Crew Training Squadron (CCTS) received B-1Bs in June 1992. In October 1986, B-1Bs assumed SAC alert duties for the first time.
Wing 917th ARS KC-135 tankers provided refueling support to units involved in the invasion of Panama, December 1989. Ferried personnel and equipment to Andersen AFB, Guam for further movement to Southwest Asia, in August 1990. In December 1990 all remaining tanker aircraft and crews, except those on alert duty, were sent to Incirlik AB Turkey in support of Operation Desert Storm.
On 1 September 1991, the wing was redesignated as the 96th Wing and implemented the objective wing concept. It was relieved from assignment to SAC and assigned to Air Combat Command
on 1 June 1992. Also on 1 June 1992, the 917th ARS acquired KC-135Qs in conjunction with the drawdown of tanker operations at Beale AFB, California.
In accordance with the realignment of tanker squadrons to Air Mobility Command
, the 917th ARS was reassigned to the 43d Operations Group at Malmstrom AFB, Montana
on 30 September 1993.
On 1 October 1993 the 96th Wing inactivated, replaced by the 7th Wing (7th WG) which was moved without personnel or equipment due to the BRAC transfer of Carswell AFB, Texas to the U.S. Navy and its redesignation as Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth
/Carswell Field. The B-1Bs of the 337th BS were reassigned to the 7th WG, and the 337th BS was reorganized and absorbed the B-1s of the deactivating 338th CCTS as part of the new wing.
The 96th Air Base Wing stood up as a non-flying organization on 15 March 1994. It assumed the mission of supporting the Air Armament Center and associate units at Eglin AFB, Florida.
Squadrons
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 Combat Command
Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....
Air Armament Center. It is stationed at Eglin Air Force Base
Eglin Air Force Base
Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 3 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida in Okaloosa County....
, Florida. The wing is also the host unit at Eglin.
The 96 ABW supports the Air Armament Center and associate units with traditional military services as well as all the services of a small city, to include civil engineering, personnel, logistics, communications, computer, medical, security, and all other host services.
The group is the successor organization to the World War II Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The 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....
96th Bombardment Group. A B-17 Flying Fortress unit in England, stationed primarily at RAF Snetterton Heath
RAF Snetterton Heath
RAF Snetterton Heath is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located on the A11, 6 miles SW of Attleborough in Norfolk.-Overview:...
, the group was the first double-strength group in Eighth Air Force, and led the first shuttle mission to Regensburg
Regensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
on 17 August 1943. Active for over 60 years, the 96th 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.
It provides a myriad of base operating support functions: it is responsible for material resources, mobility requirements, and meeting the needs of Eglin personnel. The 96th Air Base Wing is composed of more than 5,000 professionals in five organizations. The unit is commanded by Colonel Sal M. Nodjomian. Its Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Thomas S. Westermeyer.
Units
- 96th Civil Engineer Group
- Provides engineering forces to support global aerospace forces in peace and war. It operates, maintains, and protects the physical plant, infrastructure, facilities and systems, housing, and the environment, and maintains the largest base in the U.S. Air Force – 11600000 square feet (1,077,675.3 m²) of physical plant spanning 724 square miles (1,875.2 km²) and 3,450 facilities.
- 96th Communications Group
- Provides fixed and rapid, worldwide deployable communications and information services supporting warfighters at the Air Force's largest military installation. It manages a $3.3 million budget in support of a 20,000 person military community consisting of the Air Armament Center, 53rd Wing, 33rd Fighter Wing, 46th Test Wing, 96th Air Base Wing, 919th Special Operations Wing and numerous associate units.
- 96th Mission Support Group
- Provides Aerospace Expeditionary Force readiness, fuels, supply, and transportation, ground combat training, security, personnel, education, family services, lodging, food service, recreation and logistics planning and deployment support to over 20,000 Team Eglin military and civilian personnel and 43,000 retirees. It deploys combat ready forces in support of worldwide contingency operations.
- 96th Medical Group
- Ensures optimal health for all of Team Eglin. It manages and provides comprehensive, cost-effective health care for 83,000 eligible beneficiaries. It operates a community-based teaching hospital with graduate level programs in family practice, general dentistry and other medical disciplines. It deploys and expands to provide responsive health services in any contingency.
World War II
Eighth Air Force
The 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....
. The group was assigned to the 45th Combat Bombardment Wing
45th Air Division
The 45th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Eighth Air Force, stationed at Pease AFB, New Hampshire. It was inactivated on 14 June 1989.-History:...
of the 3d Bombardment Division. Its tail code was Square-C. The group consisted of the following squadrons:
- 337th Bombardment Squadron (AX)
- 338th Bombardment Squadron (BX)
- 339th Bombardment Squadron339th Bombardment SquadronThe 339th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 96th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. It was inactivated on 15 March 1963.-History:...
(QJ) - 413th Bombardment Squadron (MJ)
This group commenced combat operations on 14 May but, as it was assigned to the 45th Wing with a general base area in north Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, the 96th moved east at the end of May to RAF Andrews Field
RAF Andrews Field
RAF Station Andrews Field is a former World War II airfield in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately east-northeast of Great Dunmow; about north-northeast of London...
. The 96th appears to have only carried out one mission while based at Andrews Field. On 29 May 1943 they took part in a raid on Rennes naval storage depot from which one B-17 failed to return. The group was moved to RAF Snetterton Heath
RAF Snetterton Heath
RAF Snetterton Heath is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located on the A11, 6 miles SW of Attleborough in Norfolk.-Overview:...
on 12 June 1943 in a general exchange of bases with 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....
groups.
As the most conveniently reached station from 3rd Division Headquarters at Elveden Hall, Snetterton Heath units often led to major operations carrying commanding generals. General Curtis LeMay
Curtis LeMay
Curtis Emerson LeMay was a general in the United States Air Force and the vice presidential running mate of American Independent Party candidate George Wallace in 1968....
led the famous Regensburg
Regensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
shuttle mission to North Africa flying out of this base, and received a Distinguished Unit Citation for withstanding severe assaults by enemy fighters. The 96th also led the 3rd Division on the famous Schweinfurt
Schweinfurt
Schweinfurt is a city in the Lower Franconia region of Bavaria in Germany on the right bank of the canalized Main, which is here spanned by several bridges, 27 km northeast of Würzburg.- History :...
mission of 14 October 1943. In addition, the 93d attacked shipyards, harbours, railway yards, aerodromes, oil refineries, aircraft factories, and other industrial targets in Germany, France, Holland, Belgium, Norway, Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
.
The 96th received another DUC for leading the 45th Bomb Wing a great distance through heavy clouds and intense anti-aircraft fire to raid important aircraft component factories in Poland on 9 April 1944. Other significant targets included airfields at Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
and Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
; marshalling yards at Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
, Hamm
Hamm
Hamm is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia , Germany. It is located in the northeastern part of the Ruhr area. As of December 2003 its population was 180,849. The city is situated between the A1 motorway and A2 motorway...
, Brunswick
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
, and Gdynia
Gdynia
Gdynia is a city in the Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland and an important seaport of Gdańsk Bay on the south coast of the Baltic Sea.Located in Kashubia in Eastern Pomerania, Gdynia is part of a conurbation with the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdańsk and suburban communities, which together...
; aircraft factories at Chemnitz
Chemnitz
Chemnitz is the third-largest city of the Free State of Saxony, Germany. Chemnitz is an independent city which is not part of any county and seat of the government region Direktionsbezirk Chemnitz. Located in the northern foothills of the Ore Mountains, it is a part of the Saxon triangle...
, Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
, and Diósgyőr
Diósgyor
Diósgyőr is a historical town in Hungary, today it is a part of Miskolc. The medieval castle in Diósgyőr was a favourite holiday residence of Hungarian kings and queens; today it is a popular tourist attraction. The city part has a heavy industrial background...
; oil refineries at Merseburg
Merseburg
Merseburg is a town in the south of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt on the river Saale, approx. 14 km south of Halle . It is the capital of the Saalekreis district. It had a diocese founded by Archbishop Adalbert of Magdeburg....
and Brux
Brux
Brux is a commune in the Vienne department in the Poitou-Charentes region in western France.-External links:*...
, and chemical works in Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
, Ludwigshafen, and Neunkirchen
Neunkirchen
Neunkirchen is a name common to multiple locales:-In Austria:*Neunkirchen, Austria, the capital of the district Neunkirchen in Lower Austria*Neunkirchen District, Austria-Bavaria:*Neunkirchen am Brand, in Forchheim district...
.
In addition to strategic operations, missions of the 96th BG included bombing coastal defences, railway bridges, gun emplacements, and field batteries in the battle area prior to and during the invasion of Normandy
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
in June 1944; attacking enemy positions in support of the breakthrough at Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô is a commune in north-western France, the capital of the Manche department in Normandy.-History:Originally called Briovère , the town is built on and around ramparts. Originally it was a Gaul fortified settlement...
in July 1944; aiding the campaign in France in August by striking roads and road junctions, and by dropping supplies to the Maquis
Maquis (World War II)
The Maquis were the predominantly rural guerrilla bands of the French Resistance. Initially they were composed of men who had escaped into the mountains to avoid conscription into Vichy France's Service du travail obligatoire to provide forced labour for Germany...
; and attacking, during the early months of 1945, the communications supplying German armies on the western front.
After V-E Day, the group was scheduled for occupation duties in Germany however plans were revised and the 96th BG flew food to Holland and hauled redeployed personnel to French Morocco
French Morocco
French Protectorate of Morocco was a French protectorate in Morocco, established by the Treaty of Fez. French Morocco did not include the north of the country, which was a Spanish protectorate...
, Ireland, France, and Germany. In November 1945 its aircraft were flown back to the United States, and its squadrons were inactivated. The ground personnel left Snetterton Heath in early December, arriving at Camp Kilmer
Camp Kilmer
Camp Kilmer, New Jersey is a former United States Army camp that was activated in June 1942 as a staging area and part of an installation of the New York Port of Embarkation. The camp was organized as part of the Army Service Forces Transportation Corps. Troops were quartered at Camp Kilmer in...
New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.
The 96th Bomb Group was inactivated on 20 December 1945.
Cold War
The 96th Bomb Group was activated in the Reserves on 29 May 1947 at Gunter AFB, AlabamaAlabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. Conducted routine training activities. Inactivated on 27 July 1949.
Established again on 6 November 1953 at Altus AFB, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, as the 96th Bombardment Wing, Medium. It was activated 8 November. Wing headquarters and most of the wing components were not manned until March 1954; those components manned were controlled by the 96th Air Base Group, whose commander served additional duty as the 96th's wing commander. The wing soon received KC-97 Stratotankers and began air refueling operations in March 1954.
Began receiving new B-47E Stratojet swept-wing medium bombers in April 1955, 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....
. Began bombardment training in April 1955 in support of SAC's global commitments. Deployed to 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...
, January–April 1957. Upon activation, the Wing was bestowed the lineage, legacy and honors of the USAAF World War II 96th Bomb Group.
Transferred to Dyess AFB, Texas on 8 September 1957
Controlled the 4th Strategic Support Squadron, a strategic airlift squadron, September 1959 – March 1961, and the 578th Strategic Missile Squadron, an Atlas F missile squadron, July 1961 – March 1965. The first Atlas missile went on alert in April 1962. The Atlas was phased out in March 1965.
In the early 1960s, the B-47 was considered to be reaching obsolescence, and was being phased out of SAC's strategic arsenal. In 1963, its three squadrons of B-47s (338th, 339th, 413th Bomb Squadrons) were replaced by one squadron (337th Bomb Squadron) of B-52s. The 96th received B-52Cs from the 99th Bomb Wing, then new B-52Ds and B-52Es from Boeing. It was redesignated the 96th Bombardment Wing, Heavy, on 31 March 1972. During several months of 1970, and for a lengthy period in 1972–1973, all wing aircraft, crews, and most support personnel were loaned to other SAC organizations based in the Far East or Southeast Asia for combat operations.
From 1980, the wing's 917th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135A aircraft regularly deployed to Europe, Alaska, and the Pacific to support SAC tanker task force requirements.
The 337th Bomb Squadron became the first squadron to operate the B-1B Lancer, after the arrival of the first aircraft in June 1985. In addition, the 338th Combat Crew Training Squadron (CCTS) received B-1Bs in June 1992. In October 1986, B-1Bs assumed SAC alert duties for the first time.
Wing 917th ARS KC-135 tankers provided refueling support to units involved in the invasion of Panama, December 1989. Ferried personnel and equipment to Andersen AFB, Guam for further movement to Southwest Asia, in August 1990. In December 1990 all remaining tanker aircraft and crews, except those on alert duty, were sent to Incirlik AB Turkey in support of Operation Desert Storm.
Modern era
Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....
on 1 June 1992. Also on 1 June 1992, the 917th ARS acquired KC-135Qs in conjunction with the drawdown of tanker operations at Beale AFB, California.
In accordance with the realignment of tanker squadrons to Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command is a Major Command of the U.S. Air Force. AMC is headquartered at Scott AFB, Illinois, east of St. Louis....
, the 917th ARS was reassigned to the 43d Operations Group at Malmstrom AFB, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
on 30 September 1993.
On 1 October 1993 the 96th Wing inactivated, replaced by the 7th Wing (7th WG) which was moved without personnel or equipment due to the BRAC transfer of Carswell AFB, Texas to the U.S. Navy and its redesignation as Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth
Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth
Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base or NAS Fort Worth JRB includes Carswell Field, a military airfield located west of the central business district of Fort Worth, in Tarrant County, Texas, United States. This military airfield is operated by United States Navy...
/Carswell Field. The B-1Bs of the 337th BS were reassigned to the 7th WG, and the 337th BS was reorganized and absorbed the B-1s of the deactivating 338th CCTS as part of the new wing.
The 96th Air Base Wing stood up as a non-flying organization on 15 March 1994. It assumed the mission of supporting the Air Armament Center and associate units at Eglin AFB, Florida.
Lineage
- Established as 96th Bombardment Group, Heavy, on 28 January 1942.
- Activated on 15 July 1942.
- Inactivated on 21 December 1945.
- Redesignated 96th Bombardment Group, Very Heavy, on 13 May 1947.
- Activated in the Reserve on 29 May 1947.
- Inactivated on 27 June 1949.
- Redesignated 96th Bombardment Wing, Medium, on 6 November 1953.
- Activated on 18 November 1953.
- Redesignated 96th Strategic Aerospace Wing, on 1 April 1962
- Redesignated 96th Bombardment Wing, Heavy, on 31 March 1972
- Redesignated 96th Wing, on 1 September 1991
- Inactivated 1 October 1993
- Activated and redesignated 96th Air Base Wing, on 15 March 1994
Components
Groups- 96th Operations: 1 September 1991 – 1 October 1993
Squadrons
- 4th Strategic Support: 1 September 1959 – 15 March 1961
- 11th Air Refueling: attached 16 December 1957 – March 1958
- 96th Air Refueling Squadron96th Air Refueling SquadronThe 96th Air Refueling Squadron is an associate unit of the 15th Wing at Hickam AFB, Hawaii and partners with the 203th ARS of the Hawaii Air National Guard-Mission:...
: 18 November 1953 – 3 December 1957 (detached 5 October-20 November 1954, 1 August-14 September 1955, 18–31 January 1956, 25 June-9 October 1956, and 10 January-7 April 1957) - 321st Air Refueling: attached 3 July-8 November 1954
- 337th Bombardment Squadron: 15 July 1942 – 29 November 1945; 29 May 1947-27 June 1949; 18 November 1953 – 15 March 1963; 15 September 1963-1 September 1991.
- 338th Bombardment (later, 338th Strategic Bombardment Training; 338th Combat Crew Training) Squadron338th Combat Crew Training SquadronThe 338th Combat Crew Training Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 96th Operations Group, stationed at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. It was inactivated on 1 October 1993-History:...
: 15 July 1942 – 15 December 1945; 29 May-8 October 1947; 18 November 1953 – 15 March 1963; 1 July 1986-1 September 1991 - 339th Bombardment Squadron339th Bombardment SquadronThe 339th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 96th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. It was inactivated on 15 March 1963.-History:...
: 15 July 1942 – 29 November 1945; 29 May-8 October 1947; 18 November 1953 – 15 March 1963 - 380th Air Refueling: attached 8 November 1954 – 1 April 1955
- 413th Bombardment Squadron: 15 July 1942 – 19 December 1945; 17 July 1947-27 June 1949; 1 November 1958 – 1 January 1962
- 546th Bombardment Squadron546th Bombardment SquadronThe 546th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 384th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. It was inactivated on 1 September 1964-History:...
: 16 July 1947 – 27 June 1949 - 547th Bombardment Squadron547th Bombardment SquadronThe 547th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 384th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. It was inactivated on 1 January 1962-History:...
: 16 July 1947 – 27 June 1949 - 578th Strategic Missile Squadron578th Strategic Missile SquadronThe 578th Strategic Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 96th Strategic Aerospace Wing, stationed at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. It was inactivated on 25 March 1965.-World War II:...
: 1 July 1961 – 25 March 1965 - 917th Air Refueling Squadron917th Air Refueling SquadronThe 917th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 43d Operations Group, stationed at Malmstrom AFB, Montana. It was inactivated on 1 July 1994...
: attached 1–14 January 1965, assigned 15 January 1965 – 1 September 1991 - 4018th Combat Crew Training: 15 March 1985 – 1 July 1986.
Stations Assigned
- Salt Lake City AABSalt Lake City International AirportSalt Lake City International Airport is a major public airport in Utah. A joint civil-military facility, it is located in western Salt Lake City, approximately four miles from the central business district...
, UtahUtahUtah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, 15 July 1942 - Gowen FieldBoise AirportBoise Airport , also known as Boise Air Terminal or Gowen Field, is a joint civil-military, commercial and general aviation airport located three nautical miles south of downtown Boise in Ada County, Idaho, USA...
, IdahoIdahoIdaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, 6 August 1942 - Walla Walla AABWalla Walla Regional AirportWalla Walla Regional Airport is a public airport located three miles northeast of the central business district of Walla Walla, a city in Walla Walla County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is owned by the Port of Walla Walla.- History :...
, Washington, 14 August 1942 (ground echelon), 1 September 1942 (air echelon) - Rapid City AAB, South DakotaSouth DakotaSouth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, 30 September 1942 - Pocatello AABPocatello Regional Airport-History:In 1943, the Pocatello Army Airfield was built as a Second Air Force heavy bomber training base.In 1949, it became surplus property and was obtained by the city of Pocatello to build a commercial airport....
, IdahoIdahoIdaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, 1 November 1942 - Pyote AABPyote Air Force BasePyote Air Force Base was a World War II United States Army Air Forces training airbase. It was on a mile from the town of Pyote, Texas on Interstate 20, twenty miles west of Monahans and just south of U.S...
, Texas, 3 January – March 1943 - RAF Grafton UnderwoodRAF Grafton UnderwoodRAF Grafton Underwood is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 4 miles NE of Kettering in Northamptonshire.-RAF use:...
(USAAF Station 106), England, April 1943
- RAF Andrews FieldRAF Andrews FieldRAF Station Andrews Field is a former World War II airfield in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately east-northeast of Great Dunmow; about north-northeast of London...
(USAAF Station 485), England, May 1943 - RAF Snetterton HeathRAF Snetterton HeathRAF Snetterton Heath is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located on the A11, 6 miles SW of Attleborough in Norfolk.-Overview:...
(USAAF Station 138), England, 12 June 1943 – 12 December 1945 - Camp KilmerCamp KilmerCamp Kilmer, New Jersey is a former United States Army camp that was activated in June 1942 as a staging area and part of an installation of the New York Port of Embarkation. The camp was organized as part of the Army Service Forces Transportation Corps. Troops were quartered at Camp Kilmer in...
, New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, 20–21 December 1945 - Gunter Field (later, AFB), AlabamaAlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, 29 May 1947 – 27 June 1949 - Altus AFB, OklahomaOklahomaOklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
(1953–1957) - Dyess AFB, Texas (1957–1993)
- Eglin AFB, Florida (1994–present)
Major Weapons Systems
- Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress (1943–1945)
- B-1B-1 LancerThe Rockwell B-1 LancerThe name "Lancer" is only applied to the B-1B version, after the program was revived. is a four-engine variable-sweep wing strategic bomber used by the United States Air Force...
B (1985–1993) - KC-135 (1965–1970; 1970–1972; 1973–1993)
- B-52 (1963–1985)
- CGM-16 Atlas ICBM (1962–1965)
- C-124 (1959–1961)
- B-47 (1955–1963)
- KC-97 (1954–1958)
See also
- List of B-47 units of the United States Air Force
- List of B-52 Units of the United States Air Force