40th Air Expeditionary Wing
40th Air Expeditionary Wing | |
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Active | 22 November 1940–1964 2002–2006 |
Country | United States |
Branch | United States Air Force |
Engagements |
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Commanders | |
Notable commanders | David A. Burchinal |
The United States Air Force's 40th Air Expeditionary Wing (40 AEW) was an Air expeditionary unit located at Diego Garcia, in the Indian Ocean, from 2002 to c. 2006. The 40 AEW's mission was to support combat forces in Afghanistan and other combat areas supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Operations began in October 2001.
Its predecessor unit, the
The 40th Bombardment Group was one of the original ten USAAF bombardment groups assigned to
Second World War
The 40th Bombardment Group was constituted in Puerto Rico on 22 November 1940 and activated on 1 April 1941.[1] The unit's operational squadrons (29th, 44th and 45th) were equipped with Douglas B-18 Bolos[2] then early Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses and Martin B-26 Marauder aircraft to train, and patrol the Caribbean area, later to provide air defense of the Panama Canal after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.[3]
With the diminished need for defenses in the Caribbean, the 40th was reassigned back to the United States and redesignated the 40th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) in November 1943, being assigned to
In March 1944, the group left the United States and deployed to a former
From India, the 40th Bomb Group planned to fly missions against Japan from airfields in China. However, all the supplies of fuel, bombs, and spares needed to support the forward bases in China had to be flown in from India over "
The first combat mission by the group took place on 5 June 1944 when the group's squadrons took off from India to attack the Makasan railroad yards at Bangkok, Thailand. This involved a 2261-mile round trip, the longest bombing mission yet attempted during the war.
On 15 June the group participated in the first Army Air Forces attack on the
, in August 1944.The group was reassigned to
After
Strategic Air Command
The group returned to the United States in November 1945, being assigned to
The 40th Bombardment Group was one of the ten existing bombardment groups assigned to SAC when it was first formed. The group was relocated to
The unit was reactivated as the 40th Bombardment Wing, Medium at
The new wing was initially assigned to the
Replaced the propeller-driven B-29s with new
In 1959, the Department of Defense began a major renovation of Schilling AFB. During the next year, millions of dollars were spent preparing the runways and taxiways for the next generation of bombers and tankers, namely the B-52 and KC-135. The 40th Bomb Wing was reassigned to
In the early 1960s, the B-47 was considered to be reaching obsolescence, and was being phased out of SAC's strategic arsenal. At Forbes, the 40th Bomb Wing gained an Atlas missile squadron in January 1964, and was redesignated the 40th Strategic Aerospace Wing on 1 February 1964. Began phasing down for inactivation with the retirement of its B-47s during the spring of 1964 and was designated as non-operational from 15 August, to 1 September 1964.
The wing was discontinued and inactivated on 1 September 1964.
United States Air Forces in Europe
On 1 April 1966, the 40th Tactical Group was activated at
With the closure of USAF operations at
Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq
The wing was reactivated after January 2002 as an Air Expeditionary Wing to bomb targets and provide aerial refueling during the United States invasion of Afghanistan.
Years afterwards, in 2007, Globalsecurity.org listed its flying units as including the
It is known that the 40 AEW
It is not known when the wing was inactivated or if it is still operational. However, it is known that bomber operations from Diego Garcia concluded on 15 August 2006.[5]
Lineage, assignments, components, stations
Lineage
40th Air Expeditionary Wing
- Constituted as the 40th Bombardment Group (Medium) on 22 November 1940
- Activated on 1 April 1941
- Redesignated 40th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 25 May 1942.
- Redesignated 40th Bombardment Group, Very Heavy on 20 November 1943.
- Inactivated on 1 October 1946
- Redesignated as 40th Tactical Group and activated on 14 March 1966 (not organized)
- Organized on 1 April 1966
- Consolidated on 31 January 1984 with the 40th Strategic Aerospace Wing[6]
- Redesignated 40th Tactical Support Wing on 30 July 1990
- Inactivated on 4 May 1992.
- Redesignated 40th Air Expeditionary Wing, and converted to provisional status on 31 January 2002[7]
40th Strategic Aerospace Wing
- Constituted as the 40th Bombardment Wing, Medium, on 9 May 1952
- Activated on 28 May 1952.
- Redesignated 40th Strategic Aerospace Wing on 1 February 1964
- Discontinued and inactivated, on 1 September 1964.
- Consolidated on 31 January 1984 with the 40th Tactical Group as the 40th Tactical Group[6]
Assignments
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Bases stationed
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Components
Second World War
- 25th Bombardment Squadron: 12 May 1943 – 1 October 1946;[2]28 May 1952 – 1 September 1964 (not operational, 28 May 1952 – c. 3 April 1953 and 15 August – 1 September 1964)
- 29th Bombardment Squadron: 1 April 1941 – 12 May 1943[8]
- 44th Bombardment Squadron: 1 April 1941 – 1 October 1946;[9] 28 May 1952 – 1 September 1964 (not operational, 28 May 1952 – 31 May 1953 and 15 August-1 September 1964)
- 45th Bombardment Squadron: 1 April 1941 – 1 October 1946;[10] 28 May 1952 – 1 September 1964 (not operational, 28 May 1952 – 30 September 1953 and 15 August-1 September 1964)
- 74th Bombardment Squadron: 9 August 1942 – 12 May 1943[11]
- 343d Bombardment Squadron: 10 November 1945 – 27 March 1946
- 345th Bombardment Squadron: 10 November 1945 – 27 March 1946
- 5th Reconnaissance Squadron (Medium) (later 395th Bombardment Squadron): 25 February-9 August 1942;[12]12 May 1943 – 20 October 1944
- 1st Bombardment Maintenance Squadron
- 2d Bombardment Maintenance Squadron
- 3d Bombardment Maintenance Squadron
- 4th Bombardment Maintenance Squadron
- 11th Photographic Laboratory Squadron
United States Air Force
- 40th Air Refueling Squadron: 8 July 1952 – 1 June 1960 (not operational, 8 July-7 September 1952; detached 8 September 1952 – 30 April 1953, 1–10 March 1954, 4 May – 27 June 1954, 25 June-5 September 1956, c. 1 July—c. 1 October 1957, c. 1 October 1958 – 10 January 1959)
- 90th Air Refueling Squadron: 20 June 1960 – 15 November 1962
- 548th Strategic Missile Squadron: 1 January-1 September 1964 (detached 1 August-1 September 1964)
- 660th Bombardment Squadron: 1 February 1959 – 1 January 1962.
Aircraft and missiles operated
United States Army Air Forces |
United States Air Force
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See also
- List of B-29 Superfortress operators
Notes
- ^ Conaway, William. "40th Bombardment Group (Heavy)". VI Bomber Command in Defense of the Panama Canal 1941–45. Archived from the original on 31 October 2013.
- ^ a b c Conaway, William. "25th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy)". VI Bomber Command in Defense of the Panama Canal 1941–45. Archived from the original on 31 October 2013.
- ^ Conaway, William. "VI Bombardment Command History". Planes and Pilots of World War Two. Archived from the original on 31 October 2013.
- ^ "40th Air Expeditionary Wing". Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 13 October 2007., verified February 2009
- ^ "Diego Garcia and ENDURING FREEDOM". Archived from the original on 25 June 2008. Retrieved 8 February 2009.. Retrieved February 2009
- ^ a b Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 539q, 31 January 1984, Subject: Consolidation of Units
- ^ Haulman, Daniel L. "Lineage and Honors History of the 40 Air Expeditionary Wing (PACAF)" (PDF). Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
- ^ Conaway, William. "29th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy)". VI Bomber Command in Defense of the Panama Canal 1941–45. Archived from the original on 31 October 2013.
- ^ Conaway, William. "44th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy)". VI Bomber Command in Defense of the Panama Canal 1941–45. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013.
- ^ Conaway, William. "45th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy)". VI Bomber Command in Defense of the Panama Canal 1941–45. Archived from the original on 31 October 2013.
- ^ Conaway, William. "74th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy)". VI Bomber Command in Defense of the Panama Canal 1941–45. Archived from the original on 31 October 2013.
- ^ Conaway, William. "395th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy)". VI Bomber Command in Defense of the Panama Canal 1941–45. Archived from the original on 31 October 2013.
References
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Conaway, William. "VI Bomber Command In Defense Of The Panama Canal 1941–45". Planes and Pilots of World War Two.
- Endicott, Judy G. (1999) Active Air Force wings as of 1 October 1995; USAF active flying, space, and missile squadrons as of 1 October 1995. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. CD-ROM.
- Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
- 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.
- Rogers, Brian (2005). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. Hinkley, England: Midland Publications. ISBN 1-85780-197-0.