List of USAF Provisional Wings assigned to Strategic Air Command

Provisional Wings were United States Air Force Strategic Air Command wings that were established on paper to allow other Wings to provide support, both aircraft and personnel, at temporary locations outside the continental United States for periods of time such as during the Gulf War.

Provisional wings were created to provide air support to whatever operation was going on at the time. Real wings in the continental United States ('stateside') would supply aircraft and indivisuals to the provisional wing on a Temporary Duty (TDY) basis, with the aircraft and personnel returned to their home unit after the TDY period was over.

The United States Air Force's Provisional Wings included several Strategic Wings created to support Strategic Air Command operations during the Gulf War of 1990–91.

Practice during Vietnam War

During the Vietnam War, starting in 1965, SAC would deploy over two complete Bombardment Wings including Bombardment Squadrons, Air Refueling Squadrons, including the Maintenance & Support Squadrons and their personnel to Andersen AFB, Guam (B-52 Bomber and a few supporting tanker aircraft), Kadena AB, Okinawa, (B-52 Bomber & the Primary Tanker Aircraft Base) & Kung Kuan (Later renamed:) / Ching Chuan Kang Air Base, Taiwan (A forward base for Tanker Operations) leaving a small caretaker force at the home base. The deployments were called Arc Light deployments.

The first units deployed flew B-52F models that could carry 27 Internal 500 Lb bombs and 24 external 500 or 750 lb bombs for a total of 51 bombs, Theses were later replaced with the B-52D as the completed the Conventional Stores and weapons release modifications referred to as the "Big Belly" Modification. The "Big Belly aircraft were modified that 3 Internal Conventional Weapons Racks could be carried & released, increasing the weapons capability of 108 internal & external 500 lb bombs, depending on the targets requirements a mixture of 750 & 500 lb bombs were also carried, but there were two many configurations to list. The mission was considered so important that the wing on Guam at the time had to be manned 110% aircraft and personnel. Since no stateside wing was ever manned to 100% of its personnel, SAC HQ drew upon other stateside wings to send their personnel to augment the wing on Guam. A third B-52 base was added in 1966 at U-Tapao Royal Thai Naval Airfield, Thailand, using rotational aircraft and aircrews from Andersen AFB and Kadena AB. B-52's were withdrawn from Kadena in Sep 1970; and Andersen AFB reduced B-52 Operations to Maintenance and Alert Operations. The B-52D force were moved PCS to U-Tapao and the crew force was now shared by all Stateside B-52 Units (B-52G/H crews were required to attend a B-52D crew Replacement Training Course at Castle AFB, while en route to Thailand. This was standard operations until Jan 1972 when Linebacker I began and Guam became active in B-52 Combat Operations.

When the primary wing on Guam came home, another wing was sent, with the second wing deploying about 14 days later, and because they were not at 100% some personnel might be tapped to augment that wing for another 179 days Temporary Duty. The 179 days was critical because any stay on excess of 179 days was considered a Permanent Change of Station. This policy at times was wavered with the approval of the Secretary of Defence mostly in 1972 with the requirement the PCS assignment would not be issued.

B-52F Wings Deployed

2nd Bombardment Wing (H) Barksdale AFB,LA.(Deployed under Project "Air Mail" B52 Deployed Alert Force); Feb 65 – Apr 65.

320th Bombardment Wing (H) Mather AFB,CA. Feb 65 – Jul 65; Dec 65 – Mar 66

7th Bombardment Wing (H) Carswell AFB,TX. 13 Apr 65 – 1 Dec 65

454th Bombardment Wing (H) Columbus AFB,MS. 16 Nov 65 – 31 Mar 66

The First Combat Mission was flown on 18 Jun 65 by the 7th & 320th BW's

B-52D Wings Deployed 22nd Bombardment Wing (H) March AFB,CA. 10 Mar 67 – 1 Oct 67

28th Bombardment Wing (H) Ellsworth AFB,SD. 15 Jan 68 – 19 Jul 68

70th Bombardment Wing (H) Clinton – Sherman AFB,OK. 1 Feb 68 – Sep 68

91st Bombardment Wing (H) Glasgow AFB,MT. 11 Sep 66 – 31 Mar 67

92nd Bombardment Wing (H) Fairchild AFB,WA. Mar 68 – Sep 68

96th Bombardment Wing (H) Dyess AFB,TX. 22 Jun 70 – 19 Sep 70

99th Bombardment Wing (H) Westover AFB,MA.1 Oct 67 – 1 Apr 68; 22 Sep 68 – 21 Mar 69; 15 Mar 70 – 22 Jun 70.

306th Bombardment Wing (H) McCoy AFB,FL. 6 Sep 66 – Apr 67; Sep 68 – Apr 69; Oct 69 – Apr 70

454th Bombardment Wing (H) Columbus AFB,MS. 27 Jun 67 – 23 Dec 67; 28 Jun 68 – 20 Dec 68

461st Bombardment Wing (H) Amarillo AFB,TX. 17 Jan 67 – 4 Jul 67

484th Bombardment Wing (H) Turner AFB,GA. 1 Apr 66 – 29 Sep 68

509th Bombardment Wing (H) Pease AFB,NH. 1 Apr 68 – 1 Oct 68

Strategic Wing, Provisional,72

Established as the Strategic Wing, Provisional,72 on 1 June 1972 at Andersen AFB, Guam. The SW,P 72 flew 8,010 sorties over Cambodia and flew the last U.S. sorties of the Vietnam War on 15 August 1973.

Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Wing, Provisional,303

Strategic Wing, Provisional,310

Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Wing, Provisional,340

The wing was Established on 1 June 1972, and maintained all U-Tapao RTAFB Based B-52D/ KC-135 Aircraft It was assigned to the Air Division, Provisional, 17.

It was discontinued on: 1 Jul 1974. Reference:[1]

801st Air Refueling Wing (P) Provisional

801st Bomb Wing (P) Provisional

806th Bomb Wing (P) Provisional

42 MMS, Loring AFB, Maine

802nd Air Refueling Wing (P) Provisional

804th Air Refueling Wing (P) Provisional

1500th Strategic Wing (P) Provisional

1700th Strategic Wing (P) Provisional

1701st Strategic Wing (P) Provisional

1701st Air Refueling Wing (P) Provisional

Date: 5 January 1991

1702nd Air Refueling Wing (P) Provisional

1703rd Air Refueling Wing (P) Provisional

1706th Air Refueling Wing (P) Provisional

1708th Bomb Wing (P) Provisional

1709th Air Refueling Wing (P) Provisional

1712th Air Refueling Wing (P) Provisional

1713th Air Refueling Wing (Provisional)

The wing was formed on 19 December 1990 at Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It was equipped with KC-135Es. The aircraft and crew were provided by the 134th Air Refueling Wing, McGee Tyson ANGB, TN; 171st Air Refueling Wing, Pittsburgh ANG Base, PA; & 121st Air Refueling Wing, Rickenbacker ANG Base, Columbus, OH. It was commanded by Colonel Frederick H. Forster of the 134th ARW.

Bombardment Wing (Provisional), 4133

4300th Bomb Wing (P) (Provisional)

References

  1. ↑ Brig Gen. James R McCarthy, Lt Col. George B. Allison, Linebacker II A View from the Rock, USAF Southeast Asia Monograph Series, Vol VI Monograph 6, ISBN 0-912799-31-5

See also

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