320th Air Expeditionary Wing
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| 320th Air Expeditionary Wing | |
|---|---|
 320th Air Expeditionary Wing |
|
| Active | 1942-1989, 1998-Present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Garrison/HQ | Bolling AFB, DC. |
| Motto | Strength through Awareness |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
George Lee Butler Howell M. Estes II |
The United States Air Force's 320th Air Expeditionary Wing is an operational wing located at Bolling AFB, District of Columbia.
The 320th was activated at Bolling in December 2006 for former President Gerald Ford’s state funeral during the Christmas and New Years holidays, attaching 634 personnel to complete a 10-day mission in three joint-operation areas. In less than 12 hours from notification, the 320 AEW deployed 167 joint forces and equipment for JTF Ceremony Forward.
Currently the unit serves as the Air Force component of Joint Task Force - National Capital Region.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Lineage
- 320th Bombardment Group
- 320th Bombardment Wing
- 320th Air Expeditionary Group
- 320th Air Expeditionary Wing
[edit] Bases assigned
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[edit] Major aircraft types operated
- Martin B-26 Marauder (1942-1945)
- Boeing B-29 Superfortress (1952-1953)
- Boeing B-47 Stratojet (1953-1960)
- Boeing B-52 Stratofortress (1963-1989)
- Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker (1963-1989)
- Lockheed C-130 Hercules (2001-Present)
[edit] World War II
Constituted as 320th Bombardment Group (Medium) on 19 Jun 1942 and activated on 23 Jun at MacDill Field (now MacDill AFB), Florida. Subsequently relocated to nearby Drane Field (now Lakeland Linder Regional Airport), Florida. Trained with B-26 aircraft. Most of the group moved to North Africa via England, Aug-Dec 1942; crews flew their planes over the South Atlantic route and arrived in North Africa, Dec 1942-Jan 1943.
Began combat with Twelfth Air Force in Apr 1943 and operated from bases in Algeria, Tunisia, Sardinia, and Corsica until Nov 1944. During the period Apr-Jul 1943, flew missions against enemy shipping in the approaches to Tunisia, attacked installations in Sardinia, participated in the reduction of Pantelleria, and supported the invasion of Sicily. Then bombed marshalling yards, bridges, airdromes, road junctions, viaducts, harbors, fuel dumps, defense positions, and other targets in Italy. Supported forces at Salerno and knocked out targets to aid the seizure of Naples and the crossing of the Volturno River. Flew missions to Anzio and Cassino and engaged in interdictory operations in central Italy in preparation for the advance toward Rome.
Received the French Croix de Guerre with Palm for action in preparation for and in support of Allied offensive operations in central Italy, Apr-Jun 1944. Received a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for a mission on 12 May 1944 when, in the face of an intense antiaircraft barrage, the group bombed enemy troop concentrations near Fondi in support of the U.S. Fifth Army's advance toward Rome. From Jun to Nov 1944 operations included interdictory missions in the Po Valley, support for the invasion of Southern France and attacks on enemy communications in northern Italy.
Moved to France in Nov 1944 and bombed bridges, rail lines, gun positions, barracks, supply points, ammunition dumps, and other targets in France and Germany until V-E Day. Received a DUC for operations on 15 Mar 1945 when the group bombed pillboxes, trenches, weapon pits, and roads within the Siegfried Line to enable a breakthrough by the U.S. Seventh Army. Moved to Germany in Jun 1945 and participated in the disarmament program. Returned to the United States, Nov-Dec 1945.
Inactivated on 4 Dec 1945.
[edit] Cold War
The 320th Bombardment Wing replaced the 106th Bombardment Wing, (Medium) (ANG) at March Air Force Base, California in Dec 1952. At March, the wing conducted global bombardment training and air refueling operations to meet SAC commitments, 1952-1960. This wing was employed for training reservists to backfill rotating B-29 combat crews serving in Korea. While the reservists were undergoing training they were paid on the lesser reserve pay scale. Trained B-47 cadre for 96th Bombardment Wing, Medium, Dec 1953-Jan 1955. Deployed as a wing to RAF Brize Norton, England, 5 June-4 September 1954, and Andersen AFB, Guam, 5 October 1956-11 January 1957.
The 320th replaced the 4134th Strategic Wing at Mather Air Force Base, California in February 1963. The wing's 441st Bomb Squadron (441 BS) flew B-52Fs acquired from the 4134th SW until 1968, when it converted to the B-52G. The wing also activated the 904th Air Refueling Squadron (904 ARS) with KC-135A Stratotankers.
From Mather, the wing performed global bombardment training and air refueling operations to meet SAC commitments, Feb 1963-1965 and later. The entire wing was drastically reduced Feb-Jul 1965, Dec 1965-Mar 1966, and Jun 1972-Oct 1973, when all aircraft, crews, and most support personnel were loaned to other SAC units based at Andersen AFB Guam, U-Tapao RTNAB Thailand and Kadena AB Okinawa for operations in Southeast Asia.
Starting in 1972, the 3542d Operations Squadron conducted Convair T-29 Saberliner pilot training for the Fifteenth Air Force in conjunction with the 323d Flying Training Wing of the Air Training Command (ATC) to support the Undergraduate Navigator Training (UNT) program at Mather. The 3542nd Operations Squadron was inactivated in 1973 and the T-29s were retired in 1973 and 1974 concurrent with the introduction of the Boeing 737-200-based T-43A.
In the early 1980s, the 320 BW and the 441 BS were equipped to carry and trained in the employment of the Navy's AGM-84 Harpoon missile as part of a joint USN-USAF initiative to employ USAF bomber aircraft in maritime operations.
The 904 ARS was inactivated 1 October 1986 and it's older KC-135As were modified to KC-135E standard and redistributed to other SAC units or sent to AMARC at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona for storage. The 441 BS with its B-52Gs was inactivated on 30 September 1989. It was the first squadron to inactivate with the gradual drawdown of the B-52G fleet.
The 320th Bombardment Wing was inactivated on 30 September 1989. It was the first B-52 wing to be inactivated in conjunction with the phased retirement of the B-52G fleet and was also made in conjunction with the pending closure of Mather AFB due to BRAC action.
In 1997, the 320th was reactivated as the 320th Air Expeditionary Group (320 AEG) at Eskan Village, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. An element of U.S. Central Command Air Forces (USCENTAF) / 9th Air Force (9 AF), the 320 AEG was a ground-based non-flying organization, with the 320 AEG replacing an earlier provisional AEG at Eskan that had been in existence since Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM in 1990-91. The primary mission of the 320 AEG at Eskan was to provide liaison with Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defense and Aviation (MODA) for Eskan Village and to provide host base support for the staff of Joint Task Force Southwest Asia (JTF-SWA) / 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force, and its associated Coalition Air Operations Center (CAOC) conducting Operation SOUTHERN WATCH, which provided principal senior command and control of all U.S. and Coalition combat flying units enforcing the "No Fly Zone" over Southern Iraq prior to execution of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM in 2003. The 320 AEG also supported United States Military Training Mission (USMTM) Saudi Arabia, the U.S. Office of Program Management - Saudi Arabian National Guard (OPM-SANG), as well as Royal Air Force and French Air Force elements also located at Eskan Village.
[edit] Global War On Terrorism
The 320th Air Expeditionary Wing (320 AEW) was activated as part of the Global War On Terror in 2001, replacing the 320th Air Expeditionary Group. The latter organization's base support role at Eskan Village was turned over to elements of the U.S. Army Forces Central Command (USARCENT) / U.S. Third Army and the new wing organization returned to an operational flying mission, responsible for theater airlift at multiple operating locations throughout Southwest Asia.
In Southwest Asia, the 320 AEW moved American military power closer to the fights in Afghanistan and Iraq by transporting eight divisions -- around 80,000 troops -- hauling some 47,000 tons of cargo, flying 17,000 sorties and logging 40,000 flying hours all while simultaneously supporting operations in 12 countries.
It must be noted that the task of developing a comprehensive listing of AEW units present in Southwest Asia and other combat areas is particularly difficult as the events of 11 September 2001 and the Global War on Terrorism has made such an effort significantly difficult. The USAF seeks to improve operational security (OPSEC) and to deceive potential enemies as to the extent of American operations.
[edit] Major command
- Air Combat Command/USCENTAF (1997-Present)
- Strategic Air Command (1 Dec 1952-30 September 1989)
[edit] Unit chronology
- Changed equipment in: 1953 to B-47s, YRB-47s, KC-97s.
- Changed equipment in: 1954 to B-47s, KC-97s.
- Reassigned to: Department of the Air Force on 16 September 1960.
- Reassigned to: Strategic Air Command on 15 November 1962
- Moved to: Mather AFB, CA, on 1 February 1963.
- Changed equipment in: 1963 to B-52F, KC-135A
- Reassigned to: Fifteenth Air Force, 14th Strategic Aerospace Division on 1 February 1963.
- Reassigned to: Fifteenth Air Force, 18th Strategic Aerospace Division on 1 July 1965.
- Reassigned to: Fifteenth Air Force, 47th Air Division on 2 July 1966.
- Changed equipment in 1968 to: B-52G, KC-135A
- Reassigned to: Fifteenth Air Force, 14th Strategic Aerospace Division on 31 March 1970.
- Reassigned to: Second Air Force, 47th Air Division on 30 June 1971.
- Reassigned to: Fifteenth Air Force, 14th Air Division on 1 October 1972.
- Changed equipment in 1972 to: B-52G, KC-135A, T-29A.
- Changed equipment in 1973 to: B-52G, KC-135A
- Reassigned to: 47th Air Division on 1 October 1982
- Reassigned to: Fifteenth Air Force 15 July 1998
- Inactivated on: 30 September 1989
- Reassigned to: USCENTAF / 9th Air Force in 1997
- Reactivated as: 320th Air Expeditionary Group in 1997
- Redesignated as: 320th Air Expeditionary Wing in 2001
[edit] Air division
- 47th Air Division (1 October 1982-15 July 1988)
- 14th Air Division
- 47th Air Division
- 14th Strategic Aerospace Division
- 47th Air Division
- 18th Strategic Aerospace Division
- 14th Strategic Aerospace Division
- 12th Air Division
[edit] References
- Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.
- Mueller, Robert (1989). Volume 1: Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982. USAF Reference Series, Office of Air Force History, United States Air Force, Washington, D.C. ISBN 0912799536; 0160022614
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell
- Rogers, Brian (2005). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. Hinkley, England: Midland Publications. ISBN 1-85780-197-0.
