2d Bomb Wing
| 2d Bomb Wing | |
|---|---|
 2d Bomb Wing emblem |
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| Active | 15 October 1947 – |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Role | Bomber |
| Part of | Air Force Global Strike Command Eighth Air Force |
| Garrison/HQ | Barksdale Air Force Base |
| Motto | LIBERTATEM DEFENDIMUS Latin: Liberty We Defend |
| Aircraft | B-52 Stratofortress |
| Engagements |
 
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| Decorations | see "Lineage and Honors" section below |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Colonel Tim Fay |
| Notable commanders |
George J. Eade Eugene E. Habiger Charles T. Robertson, Jr. John Dale Ryan |
The 2d Bomb Wing (2 BW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command and Eighth Air Force. It is stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The wing is also the host unit at Barksdale. The 2 BW was assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command in February 2010 as part of the reassignment of Eighth Air Force.
The 2 BW is one of only two B-52H Stratofortress wings in the United States Air Force, the other being the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot Air Force Base.
Its 2d Operations Group is a successor organization to the 2d Bombardment Group, which was one of the 15 original combat air groups formed by the Army before World War II.
It is the oldest bomb group of the Air Force, having fought on the Western Front during World War I, entering combat on 12 September 1918. After the war, it participated in Brigadier General Billy Mitchell's 1921 off-shore bombing test. Active for over 60 years, the 2 BW was a component wing of Strategic Air Command's heavy bomber deterrent force throughout the Cold War.
The 2d Bomb Wing is commanded by Colonel Tim Fay. Its Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Larry Malcom.
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[edit] Units
Today, as the largest bomb wing in Air Force Global Strike Command and as a part of the historic "Mighty Eighth" Air Force, the wing continues to reflect the heritage of its motto Libertatem Defendimus: "Liberty We Defend."
- 2d Maintenance Group
- 2d Maintenance Squadron
- 2d Maintenance Operations Squadron
- 2d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
- 2d Munitions Squadron
- 2d Medical Group
- 2d Operations Group
- 2d Operations Support Squadron ("Posse")
- 11th Bomb Squadron
- 20th Bomb Squadron ("Buccaneers")
- 96th Bomb Squadron ("The Devil's Own")
- 2d Mission Support Group
- 2d Contracting Squadron
- 2d Communications Squadron
- 2d Civil Engineer Squadron
- 2d Logistics Readiness Squadron
- 2d Mission Support Squadron
- 2d Security Forces Squadron
- 2d Services Squadron
[edit] History
- See 2d Operations Group for additional history and lineage information prior to 1947
[edit] Medium bomber era
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The 2d Bombardment Wing was activated by the United States Air Force on 5 November 1947 and was assigned to the Strategic Air Command Eighth Air Force. At the time of its activation, wing headquarters remained non-operational; it's assigned 2d Bombardment Group being attached to the 43rd Bombardment Wing at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona.
At the time of its activation, there was considerable debate about where to station the new wing. Its planned station, Chatham Air Force Base, Georgia was a World War II training airfield with facilities deemed inadequate by SAC. Located approximately 10 miles northwest of Savannah, Georgia, Chatham had an adequate airfield for B-29 operations, however the base's the cantonment area was in extremely poor condition. Constructed to last for five years, the buildings had reached the end of their life expectancy. In addition, the buildings' shortcomings also included outside latrines and potbellied stoves for heating.
Work was begun to modernize the base from its World War II wartime configuration into a permanent Air Force Base with modern facilities. On 1 January 1949 wing headquarters was activated at Chatam, with the 2d Bomb Wing assuming the assets of the 307th Bombardment Group which had been deployed to the base from MacDill AFB, Florida and the assets of the 2d Bombardment Group, which had returned from a deployment to RAF Lakenheath, England. Equipped with B-29 Superfortresses, the wing's primary mission was training for strategic bombardment operations. In early 1949, the first B-50 Superfortresses began to arrive, replacing the B-29s. A derivative of the B-29, the B-50 was designed for atomic warfare, had faster, more powerful engines and could fly at higher altitudes than the B-29.
The facilities, however, at Chatham remained unsatisfactory to SAC leadership, and plans were initiated to move the wing to better facilities. The city of Savannah, however, offered the USAF the facilities at the former Hunter Army Airfield, which was located closer to the city (5 miles NW), along with 3,500 acres (14 km²) of additional land around Hunter for future base expansions. Hunter AAF was built in 1929 as Savannah Municipal Airport and in 1940 the Air Corps received approval to build a permanent base at the site. During World War II it was used both as a training base as well as an antisubmarine airfield during the war. In June 1946, the airfield was returned to the City of Savannah. In addition, Headquarters, Eighth Air Force was established in Savannah in January 1942, and there was a strong desire to have an Eighth Air Force Wing be stationed in the area. This arrangement was agreed to and on 29 September 1950, the 2d Bomb Wing moved to the reopened Hunter Air Force Base and Chatam was turned over to the City of Savannah, where it was redeveloped into a regional airport.
B-50 Superfortress operations continued until November 1953, when 2 BW began receiving jet-powered B-47E Stratojet medium bombers. The B-47 was a fast bomber which relied on speed to penetrate the air defenses of the Soviet Union, and was produced in large numbers. It became the mainstay of the medium-bombing strength of SAC all throughout the 1950s. The wing participated in SAC REFLEX deployments to North Africa and England. Beginning in 1958 the B-47 was becoming obsolete, as the air defenses of the Soviet Union improved. The Stratojet was phased out of SAC beginning in 1960.
Plans were made to upgrade the wing to the B-52 Stratofortress. However, adequate for B-47 operations, the runway at Hunter was inadequate for B-52 operations when tested in the early 1960s. In addition, during the 1950s the urban area of the City of Savannah was expanding and encroaching on the airfield, making Hunter unsuitable for heavy nuclear-equipped bomber operations over the urbanized area. A 1958 Tybee Island B-47 crash in which a Mark 15 hydrogen bomb was lost in the Atlantic Ocean just off the coast of Savannah was another reason in the decision by SAC to move the Wing to a non-urban area.
In early 1963 the wing began to send its B-47s to storage at Davis-Monthan AFB. The 2d Bombardment Wing would be moved, and Hunter AFB was reassigned to Military Air Transport Service (MATS). MATS closed its facilities at Donaldson AFB, South Carolina and reassigned the 63rd Troop Carrier Wing to Hunter, using the base for C-124 Globemaster II intercontinental cargo aircraft operations to points around the world.
[edit] B-52 Stratofortress
The 2d Bombardment Wing was moved to Barksdale AFB, Louisiana on 1 April 1963 where it assumed the existing B-52F Stratofortress heavy bombers and personnel of the provisional SAC 4238th Strategic Wing in a name-only redesignation. The wing has been stationed at Barksdale continuously for almost 50 years.
On 15 March 1958, SAC established the 4238th SW at Barksdale as part of SAC's plan to disburse its B-52 Stratofortress heavy bombers over a larger number of bases, thus making it more difficult for the Soviet Union to knock out the entire fleet with a surprise first strike. The wing consisted of the 436th Bombardment Squadron, consisting of 15 B-52Fs, and the KC-135-equipped 913th Air Refueling Squadron. Half of the aircraft were maintained on fifteen minute alert, fully fueled, armed, and ready for combat. SAC Strategic Wings were considered a provisional unit by HQ, USAF and could not carry a permanent history or lineage.
In 1962, in order to retain the lineage of its MAJCOM 4-digit combat units and to perpetuate the lineage of many currently inactive bombardment units with illustrious World War II records, Headquarters SAC received authority from Headquarters USAF to discontinue its MAJCOM strategic wings that were equipped with combat aircraft and to activate AFCON units, most of which were inactive at the time which could carry a lineage and history.
With the move to Barksdale, the 2d Bomb Wing absorbed the assets of the 4238th SW. It was assigned to the Second Air Force 823rd Air Division. The 4238th's 436th BS was also redesignated as the 20th Bombardment Squadron. The 913th ARS designation was unchanged, and component support units were also redesignated to the 2d numerical designation of the newly-established wing.
At Barksdale, 2 BW supported Second Air Force's post-attack command and control system, April 1963 – March 1970. Conducted bombardment training and air refueling operations from April 1963 except for periods when all aircraft and crews were on loan to SAC organizations involved in combat operations in Southeast Asia. Began supporting SAC operations in Southeast Asia with aircraft and personnel in 1965, and increasingly supported these operations in 1966 and 1967. On 15 April 1968, gained a second B-52 and a second KC-135 squadron, again becoming a SAC "super" wing. From late May 1972 until 26 October 1973, loaned all wing B-52 resources to SAC organizations in the Far East and Southeast Asia; from May 1972 to early November 1972, loaned all but four of the wing's KC-135s and a few aircrews to other SAC units. After the return of combat resources, the wing continued supporting SAC operations in Southeast Asia into 1975, on a reduced scale.
Gained KC-10 tankers in November 1981 to augment refueling operations for the USAF, AFRES, and ANG. Provided air refueling for rescue efforts in Grenada, October–November 1983, the attack on Libya, April 1986, and the invasion of Panama, December 1989 – January 1990. Presented the Omaha Trophy for "the Outstanding Wing in the Strategic Air Command" f2. Deployed B-52, KC-135, and KC-10 aircraft, aircrews, and support personnel to several locations in support of operations in Southwest Asia, 7 August 1990 – 17 April 1991.
[edit] 1991 Gulf War
Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm brought Barksdale warriors into the spotlight again with their efforts to liberate Kuwait. The 2d Bomb Wing flew what was then the longest combat mission in the history of military aviation at the start of Desert Storm in 1991 when seven B-52s flew a 35-hour mission and, for the time in U.S. Air Force history, fired a devastating barrage of conventional air-launched cruise missiles. The 2d Bomb Wing delivered one-fourth of all U.S. Air Force bombs during Desert Storm. The 2d Bomb Wing KC-135s and KC-10s provided more than 1,000 of the 13,700 coalition refueling missions.
[edit] Senior Surprise – Strategic Air Commands' Longest Combat Mission
On 16–17 January 1991 seven B-52Gs from the Eighth Air Force, 2d Bomb Wing, 596th Bomb Squadron, Barksdale AFB, LA. Flew the longest combat mission (35.4 hours) in aviation history,[citation needed] and the first Combat launch of conventional Air Launched Cruise Missile (CALCM) in Operation Desert Storm against Iraq. The official name of this mission was SENIOR Surprise, unofficially it was referred to as Secret Squirrel.
[edit] Modern era
Two 2d Bomb Wing B-52s conducted a missile strike against surface-to-air missile sites and air defense radars in Iraq in September 1996. Desert Strike was ordered in response to Iraqi attacks on Kurds in northern Iraq. The mission earned the wing the prestigious 1996 Mackay Trophy as the most meritorious flight of the year.
Recognizing the mighty B-52 as a weapon of choice, the National Command Authorities called upon the 2d Bomb Wing throughout the late 1990s to flex its muscles against rogue states in Southwest Asia and the Balkans: operations Southern Watch, Desert Fox and Allied Force.
On 19 September 2001, wing elements deployed to Diego Garcia and on 7 October flew early attacks on targets in Afghanistan in Operation Enduring Freedom to rid that country of terrorist bases and its extremist Taliban rulers and Al-Qaeda militants; later flew airborne alert missions and, in Operation Anaconda, flew bombing missions against targets in eastern Afghanistan, 1–18 March 2002. In the 2003 Invasion of Iraq, flew missions on 21 March in "shock and awe" strikes against command and control targets.
[edit] Heraldry
The group's emblem was approved in 1924 for the 2d Bombardment Group, and in 1951 for the 2d Bomb Wing. The bombs signify original squadrons, the stripes represent major World War I offensives, and the white fleur de lis symbolizes the French location of the battles.
[edit] Lineage
- Established as 2 Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy on 15 October 1947
- Organized on 5 November 1947
- Redesignated: 2 Bombardment Wing, Medium on 12 July 1948
- Redesignated: 2 Bombardment Wing, Heavy on 1 April 1963 to replace the 4238th Strategic Wing
- Organized on 1 April 1963 assuming the resources (Manpower, Aircraft, Equipment, Weapons, & Facilities) of the 4238th Strategic Wing (Inactivated).
- Redesignated: 2 Wing on 1 September 1991
- Redesignated: 2 Bomb Wing on 1 October 1993.
[edit] Assignments
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[edit] Components
Groups
- 2d Bombardment (later, 2d Operations): 5 November 1947 – 16 June 1952 (detached 17 November 1947 – 31 December 1948 and 18 February – 16 May 1950); 1 September 1991–present
Squadrons
- 2d Air Refueling Squadron: attached 10 Feb 1951-15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952-1 Apr 1963; assigned 3 Jan 1989-1 Sep 1991
- 11th Bomb Squadron: 1 July 1994–present
- 20th Bomb Squadron: attached 10 Feb 1951-15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952-25 Jun 1965
- 32d Air Refueling Squadron: 1 Nov 1981-1 Sep 1991
- 49th Bombardment Squadron: attached 10 Feb 1951-15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952-1 Apr 1963
- 62d Bombardment Squadron: 25 Jun 1965-1 Sep 1991
- 71st Air Refueling Squadron: 15 Apr 1968-1 Sep 1991
- 96th Bombardment Squadron: attached 10 Feb 1951-15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952-1 Apr 1963
- 308th Air Refueling Squadron: 1 Jul 1959-1 Mar 1960
- 429th Bombardment Squadron: 1 Oct 1958-1 Jan 1962
- 596th Bombardment Squadron: 15 Apr 1968-1 Sep 1991
- 913th Air Refueling Squadron: 1 Apr 1963– 1 Nov 1981. (Active 15 March 1958-1 November 1981)
[edit] Stations Assigned
- Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona, 5 November 1947
- Chatham AFB, Georgia, 1 April 1949
- Hunter Field (later, AFB), Georgia, 22 September 1950
- Deployed at: RAF Mildenhall, England, May–August 1951
- Deployed at: RAF Upper Heyford, England, September–December 1952
- Deployed at: Sidi Slimane Air Base, French Morocco, August–September 1954 and July–August 1956.
- Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, 1 April 1963–present
References for commands and major units assigned, components and stations:[1][2][3]
[edit] Aircraft
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[edit] Campaign Streamers
- Grenada, 1983
- Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait
[edit] Decorations
[edit] Awards
- Mackay Trophy (for the "Most Meritorious Flight of the Year") 1996
- Omaha Trophy (for the "Outstanding Wing in the Strategic Air Command") (2): 1988, 1992
[edit] Emblem
Blazon: Or, in fess four aerial bombs descending bendwise sinister Azure garnished Argent on a chief engrailed Vert a fleur-de-lis White between two pallets Sable, all within a diminished bordure of the first.
Motto: LIBERTATEM DEFENDIMUS—Liberty We Defend.
[edit] See also
- List of B-50 units of the United States Air Force
- List of B-47 units of the United States Air Force
- List of B-52 Units of the United States Air Force
[edit] References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
- ^ Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9
- ^ Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
- ^ Rogers, Brian (2005). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. Hinkley, England: Midland Publications. ISBN 1-85780-197-0.
- ^ "2 Bomb Wing". 29 Sep. 2006. http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/rso/wings_groups_pages/0002bw.asp. Retrieved 31 May 2007.[dead link]
[edit] External links
- Barksdale AFB 2d Bomb Wing Factsheet
- Air Force Historical Research Agency: 2 Bomb Wing Fact Sheet
- Barksdale Air Force Base official web site
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